Banat 22

Hello, everyone! My name is Cross Border Lala and I come from Vojvodina region (Serbia). Now, you are probably wondering “Who is this short and chubby man who wears out of fashion clothes and tries so hard to get our attention?” (This brand awareness causes you great trouble nowadays as my children would say). Therefore, allow me to introduce myself. I am one of the most popular characters in Serbian Banat and my name is due to a historic fact. After the Banatian soldiers had bravely defended the Austro-Hungarian border against the Turks, in the 18th century, Archduchess Maria Theresa decided to go to Srem and congratulate the heroes. Upon her arrival, she received a wonderful bouquet of tulips. Although she enjoyed the gift, the Archduchess was so impressed by the gallant soldiers from Banat that she decided to give each of them a flower. When being asked to justify her gesture, Maria Theresa said she didn’t need the “lale” (tulips) as those brave men who protected her kingdom were her real “lale”. From that day forward, a Banatian is also known as Lala (tulip). To be honest, there is another version of my story which says that the soldiers from Banat arrived after all the medals had been distributed and, therefore, Maria Theresa gave them the only decoration remaining – her medallion that had tulips on it. But, as you probably guess, I prefer the first version earlier mentioned. So, please do not remind me of the second because I will blush. However, nowadays, most Serbians know me as a calm person who never panics or hastens and who lives his life according to his own tempo. Honestly speaking, I must admit that times have changed and I’ve become a little bit easygoing (hey, just a little bit), but I still take pride in my origins. Well, my friends, now that you know who I am, you are probably wondering why my picture is imprinted on a tourism brochure. Let me tell you something. The other day, my son came home from school and told me a quote that he learned: “The World is a book and those who do not travel read only one page”. Now, I may not be very fond of books, but I wouldn’t like my lifetime reading to be reduced to a single page. So, what did I do? I got updated. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, updated as I’m telling you (nowadays kids use a vocabulary that catches even a simple person like me). I bought a digital camera and a suitcase and I went to the Tourist Info Center where they showed me a lot of leaflets. However, out of all those camels, coconuts and palm trees that completely puzzled me (I am a simple man, after all), my heart beat for a single offer – Banat 22. At first, I thought that I was going on a tour including the tourist attractions from Serbian Banat. But guess what. The offer also included the tourist attractions from Romanian Banat. Isn’t it wonderful to get a complete picture of these two regions sharing a common history? And that’s not all. The tourist objectives promoted are said to be the top 22 events and locations in Banat (in other words, best of the best). So here is what I’ll do. I’ll go and buy an extra suitcase in order to have two. Afterwards, I will put the Serbian flag on one of them and the Romanian flag on the other. This way, I won’t confound them and I’ll remember that I have to travel on both sides of the border (you know, my memory is not that good as it lacks practice). In conclusion, not only will I visit historic Banat, but I will also read 22 pages at one go. That’s better than one page, don’t you agree? Now, I have to hurry (for the first time in my life) and prepare my suitcases, but I promise to tell you more about my trip when I’ll be back. Until my next letter, I wish you all the best. Love, Cross Border LalaP.S. My name sounds more chic now, doesn’t it? I’ve told you that these marketing things either raise you or make you fall.