Savi and I headed out of town for the last time on Wed. Overall, my time in Tuzla was pretty great, but I think that may have a bit to do with the fact that we got out of town every chance we could! The people I have met have been some of the most genuinely friendly individuals I have ever encountered. It was actually a little sad to say goodbye. Of course, I assured everyone that I would return someday but I had to make a little money first.
One last goodbye to Portland, Stephanie, and Allison. It was great to hang out with some other Americans on the other side of the world. Best of luck to you with your futures, I'm sure you will all do amazing work.
I've met up with some classmates in Sarajevo to finish out the summer with. For those of you who couldn't make it, we miss you! The perfect ending to our two months here was Čevapoff 07. Unfortunately, Scott wasn't victorious but he had a good showing. Quite frankly, I think both of the men in our program are insane.
I've got two days to go before heading out to Dublin. I'll post my picture with Seamus as soon as I can!
e premte, 3 gusht 2007
e hënë, 23 korrik 2007
Heat Wave
Scott came up to visit us this weekend, those of you who chose to stay in Sarajevo missed out! We showed him everything there is to see in Tuzla, including the town center and the river (where everybody hangs out at night). It took about 20 minutes. I'm sure the bus without air conditioning totally made the trip for him. On top of that, it also happened to be the hottest weekend on record for us so far, with temps. well above 100F. Savi and I spent most of the time in our pjs because its the coolest clothes we own. If we aren't the perfect hosts, I don't know who is?!
The director of our program was nice enough to let us know that the heat wave in Bosnia made the local news in Denver. Great! I don't want to hear any complaining from people in PHX when I get back. I know who has taken over my air conditioned room!
The director of our program was nice enough to let us know that the heat wave in Bosnia made the local news in Denver. Great! I don't want to hear any complaining from people in PHX when I get back. I know who has taken over my air conditioned room!
Taxi Drivers
I'm going public with an extremely frustrating problem that up until this weekend I've been a little embarrassed about, my love-hate relationship with taxi drivers. Each day I have to hop in a taxi to get to and from work. I've been doing this for six weeks now so one would think I'm a pro at it, sorry to disappoint! I know the names of my stops, and the correct pronunciation (I think) but everyday its a different story. Perhaps instead of saying 'SLAVinoviči', I wind up saying 'SlavINoviči'. People look at me like I'm from another world. I know I should have learned more Bosnian before coming over here, but is it really that hard or are they just trying to make me look like an American idiot?!
I'm coming clean with this now because of a conversation with Scott and Savi this weekend in which we all fessed up to having the same dreaded knot in our stomachs when hailing a cab. I can't tell you how nervous I am every morning knowing that I have to go through this twice each day! I never thought I'd say this, but I actually miss the cab drivers in Chicago! The upshot is that I can take a taxi from one side of town to the other and pay the equivalent of 75 cents. Today, I was victorious getting both to and from the clinic looking like a true Bosnian (so far as I know)!
I'm coming clean with this now because of a conversation with Scott and Savi this weekend in which we all fessed up to having the same dreaded knot in our stomachs when hailing a cab. I can't tell you how nervous I am every morning knowing that I have to go through this twice each day! I never thought I'd say this, but I actually miss the cab drivers in Chicago! The upshot is that I can take a taxi from one side of town to the other and pay the equivalent of 75 cents. Today, I was victorious getting both to and from the clinic looking like a true Bosnian (so far as I know)!
e mërkurë, 18 korrik 2007
My new boyfriend!
I'm sitting here in the Mercy Corps office which is shared by about eight different people and I strongly suspect that the computer tech has taken a liking to me. I don't know why because I haven't said a word to him, but he keeps offering me all sorts of refreshing beverages. I've sampled his homemade juice (it was actually pretty yummy), and he just brought me a tasty macchiato. That is precisely what I needed to cool me down on a hot summer day in an office without air conditioning! I think my chin is sweating again.
Just so you all know, he might be ten years younger than I am but I think he has all of his teeth! He's a keeper!
Just so you all know, he might be ten years younger than I am but I think he has all of his teeth! He's a keeper!
M.I.A.
I realize that it has been a couple of weeks since my last post, the internet is not always easily accessible over here. I could tell you that I've been slaving away at my internships, but lets get real! No one else seems to be working too terribly hard over here, so I decided to take a little time for myself. After a quick trip to Dubrovnik to work on my tan, I headed back up to Sarajevo to attend a genocide conference. I think the highlight for me was trying to slink further down in my chair as some political science prof. from Rutgers attempted to explain to a room full of Bosnians just how the war actually started over here. Apparently, he is always right and those people who lived through it don't have a clue. Its moments like that which make me proud to be an American.
After the conference was over, I hopped in a car and headed to Montenegro. Savi and I will be forever indebted to Julie and Hannah for letting us crash their vacation. Our quest was to learn more about the culture of the area and I think we came up with a few surprises.
After the conference was over, I hopped in a car and headed to Montenegro. Savi and I will be forever indebted to Julie and Hannah for letting us crash their vacation. Our quest was to learn more about the culture of the area and I think we came up with a few surprises.
- Apparently it is ok for the Montenegrin police to swig down a few beers while setting a speed trap. Then when the only currency that four silly American women have is the lowly KM, they're nice enough to offer to hold on to your documents while you hit up a Bankomat. That didn't go over too well with our driver so they finally let us go with a blast from their siren. I know its hot out and I'm all about cooling down with a pivo, but come on!
- There really is a difference between the languages in each country. For instance instead of hvala (Bosnian), in Montenegro its hvala. Still haven't figured that one out!
- Finally, diesel is a great fuel and can take you on a super long road trip while only having to fill up once. That is of course unless you insist on having the gas station attendant put in unleaded gas. At least we now know why Julie is referred to as JDiesel!
e enjte, 5 korrik 2007
Happy Fourth!
Patrick from Portland came to the rescue and threw a 4th of July party last night, complete with potato salad, cole slaw, hot dogs, and beer! We had a great time sharing our holiday with his Bosnian friends from work and our Argentinian friend. I even duped her into wearing her red inspi(red) shirt from the gap to show off her patriotism! I'll try to post pics later. We also met another student (from Stanford) who is over here volunteering for the summer as well.
We didn't have any fireworks, but its incredible how rain always seems to intrude on this holiday! We tried to make a break for home when it was only sprinkling out, by the time we finally found a taxi we were completely soaked. Serves me right for complaining about the heat :o)
We didn't have any fireworks, but its incredible how rain always seems to intrude on this holiday! We tried to make a break for home when it was only sprinkling out, by the time we finally found a taxi we were completely soaked. Serves me right for complaining about the heat :o)
What am I doing here anyway?!
So things have changed slightly from what I have posted at the bottom of the page, here is an update of exactly what I'm doing. On Mondays and Tuesdays I sit in on group therapy sessions at the community mental health day clinic. The people seeking help here have all experienced some form of trauma. Basically, I sit there for three hours and listen to people discuss their issues in Bosnian. Believe me, there is only so much you can pick up by watching body language and facial expressions! After each session, the therapist explains what was discussed. Then we go over any questions I might have. For instance, I am curious why they have women who are still in domestic violence situations in the same group as war veterans. While learning how they handle group therapy is interesting, I think it will provide me with more examples of what not to do!
At Mercy Corps/CRP I have been working (I use that term loosely) on a reintegration process for people who are still waiting to return to the home they were forced from during the war. We have traveled to several collection centers to interview the beneficiaries in order to determine what they need to make their return successful. It has been amazing to see how different people have adapted to life after the war. Some have created a nice little home, while others live in horrible conditions and don't know what they can do to change their situation. My project description originally called for overnight travel, however, someone at DU forgot to include my accommodations in the budget (I know those of you who are affiliated with DU are completely shocked!). Easy to overlook. Needless to say I will be meeting with our director as soon as I get back to Denver. As a result, I am working in the office for a few days to come up with information regarding vicarious trauma and self care for the staff. Apparently they have never received any training in these areas, and I recall this being mentioned once or twice over the course of the year. I think next week I make have to practice some self care of my own and head to Dubrovnik, Sarajevo, and Belgrade.
At Mercy Corps/CRP I have been working (I use that term loosely) on a reintegration process for people who are still waiting to return to the home they were forced from during the war. We have traveled to several collection centers to interview the beneficiaries in order to determine what they need to make their return successful. It has been amazing to see how different people have adapted to life after the war. Some have created a nice little home, while others live in horrible conditions and don't know what they can do to change their situation. My project description originally called for overnight travel, however, someone at DU forgot to include my accommodations in the budget (I know those of you who are affiliated with DU are completely shocked!). Easy to overlook. Needless to say I will be meeting with our director as soon as I get back to Denver. As a result, I am working in the office for a few days to come up with information regarding vicarious trauma and self care for the staff. Apparently they have never received any training in these areas, and I recall this being mentioned once or twice over the course of the year. I think next week I make have to practice some self care of my own and head to Dubrovnik, Sarajevo, and Belgrade.
e hënë, 25 qershor 2007
I love public transportation!
Last weekend Savi and I decided to head out of Tuzla to see some friendly faces in Sarajevo. Thanks to all the girls for letting us stay with them in their posh apt! Too bad they're missing out on all of the fun experiences of not having enough beds and not having any major appliances that actually work.
The bus ride back to Tuzla was the highlight of the trip, just when we would think it couldn't possibly be any worse... To begin with, it was a mere 100 degrees out and we were pleased to discover our bus was not equipped with a/c. Its only a three hour ride so we settled in to lose a few more pounds on our Bosnia summer diet. The driver was nice enough to stop at the halfway point so I treated Savi to an "ice cold" (slightly cooler than room temp) Sprite and being the nice person she is, she gave her last few coveted sips to a poor old lady who was uncomfortable from the heat. The lady immediately poured out the remainder of her refreshing beverage and left Savi in the dust. After I caught my breath from my fit of hysterical laughter I told her that is what she gets for being nice. Not there yet, we also had to deal with sick kids and little old ladies passing out - flashback to my former life :o(.
We finally made it home after a stop off at the store for some much needed "ice cold" beer. At this time I would like to sincerely thank my friends at Division of Mental Health. Your safety kit served its purpose when I discovered the beer cap wasn't a twist off. I know that may not have been what you had in mind, but I think you saved someone's life! I've also gotten a lot of use out of the flashlight while trying to maneuver my way up our unlit, twisty road at night. Lets hope I don't need to use the hazard lights or the compass!
The bus ride back to Tuzla was the highlight of the trip, just when we would think it couldn't possibly be any worse... To begin with, it was a mere 100 degrees out and we were pleased to discover our bus was not equipped with a/c. Its only a three hour ride so we settled in to lose a few more pounds on our Bosnia summer diet. The driver was nice enough to stop at the halfway point so I treated Savi to an "ice cold" (slightly cooler than room temp) Sprite and being the nice person she is, she gave her last few coveted sips to a poor old lady who was uncomfortable from the heat. The lady immediately poured out the remainder of her refreshing beverage and left Savi in the dust. After I caught my breath from my fit of hysterical laughter I told her that is what she gets for being nice. Not there yet, we also had to deal with sick kids and little old ladies passing out - flashback to my former life :o(.
We finally made it home after a stop off at the store for some much needed "ice cold" beer. At this time I would like to sincerely thank my friends at Division of Mental Health. Your safety kit served its purpose when I discovered the beer cap wasn't a twist off. I know that may not have been what you had in mind, but I think you saved someone's life! I've also gotten a lot of use out of the flashlight while trying to maneuver my way up our unlit, twisty road at night. Lets hope I don't need to use the hazard lights or the compass!
e shtunë, 23 qershor 2007
Rooster Soup
Does anyone know of a good recipe that calls for rooster? We have about four of them in our neighborhood and they all like to start chatting around 4:00 am. I love all creatures, but if I ever run across one of my little friends I think I'll take the opportunity to practice my drop kick!
e enjte, 21 qershor 2007
Weekends in Tuzla
We went out on the town for our first weekend in Tuzla! We had a great time hanging out with a few of our interpreters and running into a few people we met over the course of the week. Our interpreters all seem very eager to work with us and feel it will provide much needed, relevant experience for them. Clearly, they are unaware how the IDP program works!
Earlier in the day I ran into Patrick from Portland who has been over here by himself for three weeks, of course I told him he had to hang out with us. Its great to know that we aren't the only lost Americans over here. That night I reluctantly agreed to go to the local disco (you all know how much I love to show off my moves) and I discovered that it is actually a place for live bands! Even better, Savi's new ex-boyfriend from the Flamenco club was the lead singer! It was immediately evident that I would fit right in with everyone else who was doing the occasional head bob to the music. The band even played a little Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, U2, and Sting in honor of their new American friends, I love being a celebrity!
Earlier in the day I ran into Patrick from Portland who has been over here by himself for three weeks, of course I told him he had to hang out with us. Its great to know that we aren't the only lost Americans over here. That night I reluctantly agreed to go to the local disco (you all know how much I love to show off my moves) and I discovered that it is actually a place for live bands! Even better, Savi's new ex-boyfriend from the Flamenco club was the lead singer! It was immediately evident that I would fit right in with everyone else who was doing the occasional head bob to the music. The band even played a little Bon Jovi, Aerosmith, U2, and Sting in honor of their new American friends, I love being a celebrity!
e shtunë, 16 qershor 2007
Who turned off the water?
Living in Tuzla has definitely come with its share of surprises and challenges. Our first morning here I woke up early to turn on our hot water heater so we could all take showers, 30 minutes later we still had nothing but ice cold water. I'm a little embarrassed to admit how long it took three grad students to find the water shut off valve! Problem solved, right? Wrong!
Today I stumbled out of bed to the kitchen for my first cup of instant coffee (yum) to get the day started off right. Surprise, surprise - no water at all. Talk about a rude awakening! I spoke to my supervisor (who set up the apartments for us) expecting her to be outraged, instead she informed me that this happens often in Tuzla due to water restrictions. We should prepare for this by keeping a few buckets of water around. I looked so pretty at work! I'm just glad I'm still in my procrastination stage and haven't started running yet.
Friday night we went out downtown for the first time. Since Savi is from Argentina, we had to check out the Latin Flamenco club (silly me, I always thought flamenco came from Spain). We walked up there only to find a band sitting around playing and no one else. I was on the verge of turning around when they all got up to invite the American girls in to listen. Little awkward! It turned out to be one of those extremely random experiences you can't forget. They were all great guys and I think they liked practicing their English.
Both of my placements went really well this week. Everyone seems very welcoming and excited to work with us. I'm still not too sure what my role will be as this week was spent more on introductions than anything else. I let you all know more about them next week!
Today I stumbled out of bed to the kitchen for my first cup of instant coffee (yum) to get the day started off right. Surprise, surprise - no water at all. Talk about a rude awakening! I spoke to my supervisor (who set up the apartments for us) expecting her to be outraged, instead she informed me that this happens often in Tuzla due to water restrictions. We should prepare for this by keeping a few buckets of water around. I looked so pretty at work! I'm just glad I'm still in my procrastination stage and haven't started running yet.
Friday night we went out downtown for the first time. Since Savi is from Argentina, we had to check out the Latin Flamenco club (silly me, I always thought flamenco came from Spain). We walked up there only to find a band sitting around playing and no one else. I was on the verge of turning around when they all got up to invite the American girls in to listen. Little awkward! It turned out to be one of those extremely random experiences you can't forget. They were all great guys and I think they liked practicing their English.
Both of my placements went really well this week. Everyone seems very welcoming and excited to work with us. I'm still not too sure what my role will be as this week was spent more on introductions than anything else. I let you all know more about them next week!
e enjte, 14 qershor 2007
Mission Accomplished!!
It looks like I have made it to Tuzla in one piece, despite the fact that the handler from ATA was no where to be seen! There was one small glitch, British Airways lost my beloved backpack (I'll never fly that airline again!).
Tuzla is an absolutely beautiful city and the people here are all extremely friendly and helpful. Everyone I have met so far has given me their phone number in case I should need anything. Too bad I don't have a phone, I might have to take care of that. My first day here I met with both of my supervisors, and they are both wonderful! Meliha from Mercy Corps picked me up from the bus station to take me to my new apartment (more on that subject later). After dropping off my stuff she insisted that I let her take me out for my first Bosnian meal. How could I refuse? She introduced me to my new local hangout where I ordered the čevapi. Its this great little dish with yummy sausages and the best bread I've ever had.
After we finished our meal Meliha dropped me off to meet my other supervisor, Esmina. After a brief introduction, Esmina insisted on taking me out for my first Bosnian meal! I was famished of course (!) so I ordered what had been rumored to taste excellent, čevapi. Needless to say for those of you who have been worried about me getting enough to eat, worry no longer. My supervisors know how to win me over, and I think I will love them both!
The apartment that I share with Sara and Savi is in a very cute neighborhood. Its on the third level of a house and has a large kitchen, living area, two bedrooms, and two beds. That's right, the math doesn't exactly add up. Fortunately I was able to pull the age card out and I'm currently residing in the smaller bedroom with my own bed! We'll see how long I can pull that off!
That's all for now, I'm at work in my supervisor's office so I should probably be brief. I'll say more about my placements later, but before I sign off I'd like to ask my fellow IDPers what Jess and Ben were smoking while they were over here. What happened to strolling into work at 10 and having coffee for two hours! I'm doing 8 - 5 everyday and if you know me at all, you know thats not going over well!
Tuzla is an absolutely beautiful city and the people here are all extremely friendly and helpful. Everyone I have met so far has given me their phone number in case I should need anything. Too bad I don't have a phone, I might have to take care of that. My first day here I met with both of my supervisors, and they are both wonderful! Meliha from Mercy Corps picked me up from the bus station to take me to my new apartment (more on that subject later). After dropping off my stuff she insisted that I let her take me out for my first Bosnian meal. How could I refuse? She introduced me to my new local hangout where I ordered the čevapi. Its this great little dish with yummy sausages and the best bread I've ever had.
After we finished our meal Meliha dropped me off to meet my other supervisor, Esmina. After a brief introduction, Esmina insisted on taking me out for my first Bosnian meal! I was famished of course (!) so I ordered what had been rumored to taste excellent, čevapi. Needless to say for those of you who have been worried about me getting enough to eat, worry no longer. My supervisors know how to win me over, and I think I will love them both!
The apartment that I share with Sara and Savi is in a very cute neighborhood. Its on the third level of a house and has a large kitchen, living area, two bedrooms, and two beds. That's right, the math doesn't exactly add up. Fortunately I was able to pull the age card out and I'm currently residing in the smaller bedroom with my own bed! We'll see how long I can pull that off!
That's all for now, I'm at work in my supervisor's office so I should probably be brief. I'll say more about my placements later, but before I sign off I'd like to ask my fellow IDPers what Jess and Ben were smoking while they were over here. What happened to strolling into work at 10 and having coffee for two hours! I'm doing 8 - 5 everyday and if you know me at all, you know thats not going over well!
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