Soon the students will go hiking again. On November 1, Novi Sad is waiting for the sad anniversary of the fall of the canopy and probably the biggest protest that the city has ever seen.
Thousands of students will walk from Belgrade. About eighty kilometers, two days of walking. When they did it for the first time, our Katarina Stevanović accompanied them as a reporter. And it will again.
A small woman, someone would say, but Katarina is our marathoner. Fearless pride, which does not always end well for her - not so long ago she wrote about how it is severely injured her hand during military training for reporters.
How is he now preparing for a new hike? He says he is waiting for the weather forecast first. "If it's cold, I'll bring a spare pair of sneakers or rain boots, definitely a raincoat, a spare pair of trousers, t-shirts, a jacket. Gloves may be needed, a scarf, a hat."
Not at all old people
It is difficult to walk even with a small backpack, let alone a larger one. But someone should follow the convoy with cars and carry things. "I definitely need an external battery, a charger, a laptop for work," Katarina told za our newsletter Medjuvreme.
And the fame around shoes, socks, blisters? "Last time I went in the sneakers in which I usually run long distances in winter conditions, because of the slippage, so I had no problem. That or hiking shoes. But some people start in old or similar sneakers - and that's horrible."
Cotton socks, a few pieces, then muscle cooling gels, hanzaplasties for blisters, pain medication... that will all be in Kaca's backpack.
"Someone who is actively engaged in mountain climbing or hiking might say that I am exaggerating, but they are not only walking when they are trained. It is 80 kilometers, someone would say nothing in two days, but it is not really nothing."
Last time it was spent the night in Indjija, and it seems that it will be again this time. Maybe in tents again. Katarina says that she has booked a hotel - this time the night is twenty euros more expensive. Business is business.
Listening to the column
What about journalism? The challenge of our days is to be close, but not to participate, but to report, to ask.
"Last time, I ran from one side of the column to the other, spent time in groups, eavesdropped on what people were talking about while walking, and not only when I introduced myself as a reporter, so that I could see the full picture. You try to be aware that you are at work and that you are not part of the column, but to objectively report on what is happening," says Katarina.
She says, she was still "overwhelmed by emotion" when she entered Novi Sad last time. You remember, it was a time of waiting, tears. "Luckily I have editors waiting for my reports, so they can cut out the pathos, if any."
He's not afraid again.
Katarina had a close encounter with the police, also in Novi Sad, at a protest in early September. At that time, stronger tear gas was sprayed in the city. Although she had a journalist's ID, the police kept them on the ground for fifteen minutes. Some hurled various obscenities.
"Time" is requested an immediate reaction from the authorities - in vain. Maybe Kaća's military training is not in vain...
"I'm not afraid," she says. "This time I will have all the equipment - a reporter's vest like last time, but also a helmet, if oysters start, and a saline solution if there are tear gas."
In the end, he says that this will be a good opportunity to compare the atmosphere compared to the walk of nine months ago, to listen and report.
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