As I can gather by talking to a few people in Zagreb, Istrians are not really liked here. They are generally perceived as people who quietly work to their own advantage without much care for anyone else around them. Clever, but suspiciously aloof. Hard-working, but rather selfish. Honest, but never against their own interests. Well-informed, but not very willing to divulge their secrets. Although most of this is sheer nonsense, the perception has taken hold after the war of independence, when Istrians played a minor rôle in the fighting. At best, they were in the support troops far from the trenches. And they were the first to enjoy the benefits of the peace as the war had never reached their own back yards, let alone their houses. But there is one positive thing about the perception of Istrians in the Croatian capital, for it is always implied that it is to your best interest to be just like them. “Ah,” you can hear about someone from the peninsula who has done well in life, “Istrians!” The comment often comes with a broad smile and a quick wink. By implication, this is how all Croatians should be. Keep this to yourself, though!