the garden

the garden
Originally uploaded by Travis Sharpe

Little by little we're selling most of our possessions. It's strange to think that we won't be in Bosnia for 9 months, but we thought it would be a good time to get rid of a lot of stuff that we don't use so that we can buy some new things in the states that we can use. Some of the clothes for example, I've had for over eight years. I personally don't like shopping in Bosnia as I don't like the european style of clothing. It's too feminine for my taste (too tightly fitted for a man to be wearing).

Getting more to the point of my blog today... things like cameras are very expensive here in Bosnia and so I was able to sell my camera for a slightly better resell value than I could get in the states. Anyway, I've been wanting to take a picture of this crazy garden of my neighbors for some time and I had to run out and get the picture before the camera buyer came. If you want to see another picture of the garden you can go to my flickr account here. (they leave this stuff out, rain or shine)

Disservice

Last night Stacy and I went on a long over-due date and had a wonderful dinner.

While enjoying our food a Chinese family came and sat down at a table near us. Here in Bosnia-Herzegovina (BiH) there are very few minorities living in the country. Even though there are three ethnic groups in BiH their genes are more similar to each other than any two Americans outside their respective family trees. Basically everyone looks the same here in Bosnia, and there is very little diversity in the country.

So, now I'm getting to my story. The waiter comes to serve the Chinese family, and Stacy and I think to ourselves "oh no, not that waiter" (we've had previous experience with this guy). The waiter comes to take their order and we don't hear the full conversation, but we clearly hear the word, Kinez "Chinese". A few minutes later the waiter comes back with their soft drinks, and as he is handing it to them he keeps hold of one of the drinks as the Chinese customer tries to grab it. After the customer wrestles the drink from the waiter's hand the waiter throws a few kung-fu punches in the air. At this point, I smack my hand to my forehead and shake my head in disgust. Then a Bosnian customer chimes in to respond to the waiter's kung-fu moves, "oh Bruce Ree". I couldn't believe my eyes and ears!

If I didn't live in the capitol city I might have expected such ignorance, but there you go... respect for your fellow man regardless of race or religion isn't really a concept understood by the masses here in BiH.

Unfortunately while the picture I added to this blog is funny, if you practiced the philosophy in BiH, "I won't give any business to a place that treats me poorly". You'll find that you'll run out of places to shop/eat.

A Pigeon in Jail

Bosnian police have impounded a pigeon after discovering prisoners used it to smuggle drugs into one of the country's highest security jails.
An official says guards suspected the bird might be involved in drug smuggling when they noticed four prisoners visibly intoxicated shortly after it landed on a prison window.
A Zenica prison official says all four inmates had tested positive for heroin and disciplinary proceedings had been launched against the inmates.
The pigeon has been taken into custody by police who've launched an investigation aimed at identifying those who had loaded it up with the drugs.

A Year for Riots in Belgrade

The Bosnian Jeff Foxworthy List

I found this blog from a Bosnian who posted, "You know You're a Bosnian When" These are my favorites:


you take your shoes off when you enter the house, and every family member has his/her own slippers (plus some extra for the guests)

your neighbour comes over every day uninvited, for coffee

you start your day with a cup of coffee and a cigarette

you have 17 consonants and 2 vowels in your last name

your mother/nena won’t accept the fact that you’re not hungry

you have “pita” (Bosnian food that is like a pastry puff filled with salty fillings like cheese or meat) for dinner at least 4 days a week

you have “sarma” (stuffed cabbage) for dinner the remaining 3 days

a loaf of bread is eaten for lunch every day

you’re 6 and your father sends you out to buy him “Drina” and “Sarajevsko”(brand of cigarettes)

your nena insists you eat something with a “kasika” (spoon) at least once a week

you chop up some onions and then decide what to cook for dinner

your mother insists that “promaja” (draft) will kill you

your mother tells you not to sit on the concrete slabs, or your ovaries are going to freeze

your mother tells you to wear “potkosulja” (undershirt), no matter what the temperature outside

your mother tells you not to sit close to the TV, and not to use cell phones, because you’ll get brain tumor

your mother tells you that you’ll get sick from drinking cold water

you tuck in your “potkosulja” (undershirt) into your underwear

your parents wonder why you take showers every day

a couple of days really means a week or so

your parents have “goblene”(needlepoint) on their walls, and “heklanje”(fine handmade lace) on every piece of their furniture, including the TV

your parents make “zimnica” (canned vegetables) every september

you drive there in a family “golf” (VW)

you begin most sentences with “jebi ga”, (f*** it) “svega mi” (I swear on everything), or “Tita mi” (I swear on Tito)

you can’t explain what “bolan” means, but you use it all the time - (um yes - I have no idea what it means)

you’re the only one who gets all the Mujo and Suljo jokes

you despise your cousin who’s going out with an “unproforac” (UN worker)

your mother bakes a cake without oil, sugar, eggs, or flour, and she calls it “a war cake”

the time is divided into “before” and “after” the war

your father refers to all politicians with “djubrad” (idiots), “lopovi”(con-artists), and “kriminalci”(criminals)

your remaining friends from high school live in Australia, Norway, Germany, and Malaysia

you don’t want to talk about the war to anyone, but that’s the only thing you talk about with other Bosnians

you have at least three passports, and have lived in at least 4 countries in the last 12 years

A Year for Riots in Belgrade

The extradition of Karadic has brought violence again to Belgrade. Just five months earlier 150,000 people turned out to protest the independence of Kosovo which has until recently belonged to Serbia.

Last night around 15,000 protesters gathered to oppose the extradition of Radovan Karadzic to the war crimes tribunal in The Hague. Many of these ultra-nationalist see Karadzic as a national hero.

Talking to a friend of mine who lives near me here in Sarajevo, but is on vacation visiting his family in Belgrade says that these protesters are just a loud minority. I fear however that this minority is growing as it could seem that the world is against the Serbian nation. First with the backing of many western countries for the independence of Kosovo and now the UN is putting another Serb leader on trial. Don't get me wrong, this man needs to face justice... I'm just concerned that all of these events will again destabilize the region

His First Night in Jail

Radovan Karadzic spent his first night in jail after 13 years on the run. Karadzic has been accused of war crimes and of genocide in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The hope (at least my hope) is that this might be a turning point for the people of Bosnia-Herzegovina to put the war behind them and set their eyes on the future. I don't want to be unsympathetic to the victims of the war, and I rejoice along with the world as justice will no doubt be served at the tribunal in The Hague.

For more information and video about Karadzic follow these links: Karadzic's profile Karadzic denies 'war crimes' - 1995