I am a Croat, black gay man: Here's a glimpse of my life in the Balkans!

Lately, several Croatian media report about the appearance of strange foreigners who for some reason want to work and live in that country. One of them is 30-year-old Richard Barbour, a financial lawyer who left a job on Wall Street to realize a TV career in a satirical political show-program in Croatia.

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The guy, who for months has been living in Zagreb, talked to journalists of "Slobodna Dalmacija" on the eve of his departure to America, where he plans to finalize the concept of his future TV show, before he returns to Croatia in the fall and begins negotiations with Croatian TV stations.

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- All right, dear Richard, why do you want to live in Croatia?

- Because living in Croatia is awesome. It is not my first time, I've been in Croatia before and stayed for a few months. The first time was ten years ago.

- How did it come to you coming to Croatia in the first place?

- In the United States, I finished Law School at Stanford and Slavic studies, I studied Russian language and literature. Then I worked in a law firm in New York, on Wall Street, where a Croat, Ante Vucic worked with me. In that environment, I realized that law was not my passion. I paid off my student loan and decided to realize my dream - to do TV shows. With Ante, I learned a bit of Croatian and ten years ago I decided to go on a student exchange in Croatia.

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Foto: AP/Tanjug

- Why did you learn Russian? Is that an American thing?

- When I was a kid, everyone in my family watched the Olympics and tracked the rivalry between the US and the USSR. So I became interested in the Soviet Union, although in the United States we have the terrible propaganda against the Soviet Union, communism, and today's Russia.

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- You grew up in Nashville, the capital of country music. Do you like country?

- It's definitely not my favorite music. I listen to a lot of Croatian music. In the US, I listen to "Narodni Radio", in order to maintain the level of Croatian language.

- What is your personal favorite from Croatian music?

- I do not listen to folk music, I really can't take it. I can listen to Croatian Choir (Klape), but one or two songs. I love pop-rock, say Kinoklub and Prljavo Kazaliste. I love Doris Dragovic. And I like the old singers, such as Zvonko Špišić, he has that song "Millionaire", right?

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- A few days ago you said that Croats are friendly, open and tolerant. Are you so sure?

- Yes, I think so. Now, however, perhaps the last one not really.

- You mean tolerance?

- Yes. Now I see a change.

- What change?

- Today, Zagreb and Croatia are significantly different compared to the situation ten years ago. Croatia as a whole is less forgiving. Or at least there is a lot more nationalism than ten years ago. I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but it's not something good either. I'm trying to understand, but I just don't get it.

Foto: Tanjug/HINA/Tomislav PAVLEK

- What is the weirdest?

- I do not know how people think it is ok to use the Nazi salute "Ready". It's incredible. On RTL I watched the anniversary of "Operation Storm", and a journalist was reporting from Knin, with people in the background yelling "Ready". I could not take my eyes off the TV. Then,  the journalist turned and clearly and boldly said, "It is not polite, it's wrong." I was proud of her. I do not understand how people think that's a good thing. Imagine the Germans shouting "Heil Hitler".

Printskrin: RTL Danas

- I guess that people with whom you associate with in Zagreb do not shout such things?

- My friends are mostly from Zagreb's Faculty of Philosophy, and you know what those people are like - more liberal than average.

- They support you?

- My friends in Croatia are the best friends in the world. Right at the beginning, they opened the doors of their houses and received me as a part of the team, even though I am black and gay, totally different from the majority. I immediately felt like a member of society. These are people from Philosophy Studies, but when I get to know other people on the street, they are also kind. And that does not happen in Russia. Russia is a cursed land, really.

- What do you mean?

- Croats think Croatia is a cursed country, but it is not, there is still hope for Croatia. And about Russia, I speak from experience, I was there.

- Have you, regardless of race and sexual orientation, experienced something unpleasant in Croatia?

- I've blocked that from my memory. It was something small. I had maybe one, two, three, maximum four ugly experiences, but in Serbia and Russia it would have be even worse.

Foto: Tanjug/AP

- What kind of satirical political TV show do you have in mind?

- For now, I'm still defining the project. I think that this idea is ​​something new and fresh for Croatia.

- Something like David Letterman?

- More like Stefan Colbert, he is deputy to Letterman, who is now retiring and Colbert will be the next Letterman. Actually, I'm aiming for something between Colbert and John Oliver from HBO.

- Have you seen our "News Bar"?

- I have met people who work for "News Bar" - they are interesting, intelligent and successful. They work on misinformation, and the difference is that I will comment on real news, but in a satirical way.

- How would you, for instance, comment on the military parade in Zagreb? You know that we had a parade?

- I was at the parade. Actually, I already wrote an article about it and these days I will publish it on my blog "II. The report "(www.thesecondreport.com), where I occasionally comment on your local news. This blog is the core for the future TV show.

Foto: Wikipedia/Suradnik13

- You were at the parade?

- I enjoyed it. I'm not as critical of it as my liberal friends are. They say: "Why do we need a military parade?" I understand why: it is patriotism, right? I understand why "Operation Storm" is important for Croatia. I did not see the need for a parade, but they made it very nice, very professional. I saw that the people were delighted.

- In the US, are you closer to the Republicans or Democrats?

- I'm not satisfied with any of them. It's no secret that I lean more on the side of the Democrats and Republicans are ... I do not want to say "disgusting" that's too heavy of a word, but I do not want to put up with them. However, the Democrats are too incompetent. Republicans have a stronger organization and are more capable.

- What is the biggest difference in political culture between the US and Croatia?

- In Croatia, I noticed that everyone in the party must have the same attitude, or they will be expelled from the party. In the US, this is not the case. For instance, there is a fraction of gay Republicans who disagree with everything of the rest of the party, because the Republicans are otherwise against the gay team.

Foto: Foter/Flickr/Guillaume Paumier

- Wait, that would be like Croatia having a gay fraction of the HDZ?

- Yeah, pretty much. It's a good thing for each party. I am not satisfied with the system, but it's better than yours in Croatia, because we allow and encourage diversity.

- Your final score of Croatia?

- I love Croatia, this is a great country. Now I see with my own eyes how difficult it is to live here, how difficult it is for Croats, and I like their spirit. I am an optimistic person, but because I did not grow up in this region. Had I grown up here, I would be more pessimistic than you. But optimism is important: while there is optimism, there is hope.

(Telegraf.co.uk./ slobodnadalmacija.hr)