Michael Begovic on finding home in Croatia and his sketch comedy show

Michael Begovic (Photo: Private album)

Michael Begovic, a Croatian-American with roots in Slavonia, has made Zagreb his home. 

We caught up with him to hear about his journey from Detroit to life and comedy in Croatia.

“I was born and raised in suburban Detroit,” Michael explains. His Croatian roots come from his father. “My dad is Croatian. He was born in a small Slavonian village, and moved to the U.S. with his family when he was a child.”

Growing up, Croatian culture wasn’t always a big part of Michael’s life, though he had a glimpse of it through family ties in Cleveland.

“Croatian culture wasn’t a large part of my upbringing. My dad grew up in Cleveland, which has a huge Croatian community. We would go there one or two times a year, and I would be immersed in it. But I always felt like a bit of an outsider because I didn’t speak the language, didn’t know much about Croatia, and didn’t know so many people. I always thought it was cool that I had a chance to step into that world, and that I had a unique family heritage I could connect with.”

Moving to Zagreb

Michael made the move to Zagreb three years ago. 

“After living in China for a few years, I realised that I enjoyed living abroad, so I wanted to do that again. Croatia was a natural choice because of my family connection, the legal feasibility of it, and the chance to live in Europe. Plus, China was crowded and hectic, and so I pretty much wanted the opposite of that.”

(Photo: Private album)

Life in Croatia has brought a welcome change of pace. “I like that everything moves a little slower here. Nobody is in a rush to do anything, with the exception of driving of course. I also like that Zagreb, while a big city, has more of a small town feel in that it’s safe, people are friendly, and it’s easy to get around,” he says.

But there are still things he misses from the U.S. “There are some things I miss, particularly food, American sports (tailgating) and entertainment. Sometimes if I’m in a hurry, I do miss the efficiency and sense of urgency, that hustle and bustle, but it’s gotten easier to dismiss that.”

(Photo: Private album)

Work and Comedy

In Zagreb, Michael splits his time between remote work and comedy. “I work remotely for an American AI startup company. Aside from that, I do stand-up comedy.”

(Photo: Private album)

Comedy has always been a passion, and recently he took it further by starting a sketch comedy channel.

“I’ve always loved political comedy and sketch comedy. I grew up watching John Stewart, Steven Colbert, SNL. But I never had the courage to put myself out there and try it. Then, I started doing stand-up comedy and one thing led to another. I met a lot of really creative, funny, talented people, and it just came together. I’m a bit of a news junkie and I try to follow what’s happening in Croatia, so I wanted to find a way to combine those interests and try to create something in the vein of the shows I always liked.”

The team produces episodes every other week. “It’s a collaborative process. We just try to write good jokes about what we’re seeing in the news and what’s happening in Croatia.”

(Photo: Private album)

Michael hopes to make Croatian news more engaging and accessible. 

“Whether it’s people living in Croatia or people living outside of Croatia who have a connection to Croatia, to provide something for them that is informative and entertaining. And maybe even get more people engaged and interested in what’s happening. I get the sense that a lot of people, especially younger Croatians are disconnected and disinterested in the news. 

Not to say that what’s happened in the U.S. is a roadmap, because I think we’ve gone way over the top with politics and news as a form of entertainment, and that definitely has its negative consequences. But I think it’s good to stay informed and I think comedy can be a good way to channel and harness that untapped energy.”

(Photo: Private album)

Advice for the Diaspora

Michael also has advice for others in the diaspora thinking of moving to Croatia. 

“Take advantage of every opportunity you have to meet people, connect with the culture, and learn about Croatia. When I first moved here, I really put myself out there by going to meet-ups and events, and through that I was able to make Croatian friends and it made me feel less like an outsider.

Also, don’t be one of those expats that moves to a place and complains about what it’s missing and how it’s not like that place you’re coming from. 

(Photo: Private album)

When I came here, I complained about not having good Mexican food, Starbucks, etc. You’re moving to Croatia. Don’t expect to have good Mexican food on every corner. And I’ve come to realise that the fact that Croatia doesn’t have Starbucks is a great thing!”

You can find full episodes of his show on the YouTube channel “Ljuta Žirafa” and short clips on the Tik Tok channel “Croatia Update”

Check out an episode of “Croatia Update” below.