Tuesday in Sarajevo was one of the most beautiful days, the sun was a bright blue and essentially cloudless. That being said it was very very warm today, especially in our formal gear. Today started the briefings; we arrived at the European Commission at ten o’clock in the morning after a quick ride across town on the tram (and a breakfast of hotdogs and mustard). We talked with one of the directors of the E.U.’s mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina. He works for the enlargement process of the E.U. and thus specializes in getting Bosnia-Herzegovina ready to apply for candidacy to be a European Union member state.
After, we took a walk back towards the hotel along the river. Looking across the river, most of the buildings had bullet holes. During the war, there was a siege on Sarajevo during which rebel forces took control of the surrounding hillsides. Since Sarajevo lies in a valley, it was a clear target from the surrounding mountains. A walk through the Turkish town led us to a small garden where men were playing chess with pieces that came to mid-thigh and where there were two Native Americans playing tribal music (that was the most interesting part).
For lunch we ate at one of Sarajevo’s “fast food” places – small cafes where they serve chevapi, “baby” beef sausages (because they are very short) served in a pita with onions and “cheese” (which is a very buttery sauce that almost tastes like garlic). I spent the afternoon reading and staying cool. At four we had class back at the pub, which lasted until “music night” started. The Phoenix Pub turns into a watering hole for ex-pats living in Sarajevo. There were at least ten children running around the gardens and playhouses, which I loved and as such was able to befriend three children ages eight, seven and six. Their laughter was a nice addition to the music coming from inside the bar – a varied assortment from blue grass to old Irish hymns.
After a nice vegetable lasagna, it was a pub after all, we walked back down the hill to the motel. A group of us went over to the local Sarajevan brewery, which brews Sarajevska beer and has a dining room attached. The restaurant was a combination of what I imagine fancy restaurants were like in the 1920s in America and Rick’s Café in the film “Casablanca.” The food was delicious and we tasted an assortment of Balkan delicacies including goulash (a soup from Hungary), ajvar (a Macedonian dish pronounced eye-var that is a red-pepper and eggplant paste that is delicious on bread), and Tulubar (a sugary donut-like desert that is entirely sugar). Our food was accompanied with beer from the brewery – right next door!
I already feel like I have learned so much, and that I have been here for more than three days! It’s interesting how much the remnants of the war still exist. For instance, the hills surrounding Sarajevo are beautiful, and it would be a gorgeous hike, but we are prevented from doing so because there is a good chance that unexploded land mines are lodged in the hillside. I have put an extra filter on choices that I make, even though war technically left the area about fifteen years ago. As the briefings have started, however, I have been able to narrow down my project a little more. I will still be researching the influence of international organizations on education, as a state institution, in Bosnia-Herzegovina, but now I have a lot more leads on people who I can talk to so that I can get specific information.
So far everything has been a breeze, my stomach has held up well to the intensive inclusion of meat. Wednesday will bring a lot more briefings and a few meetings and the rest of the week will follow the same pattern. I am really looking forward to getting more information about my research settled and exploring more of Sarajevo in my last five days here!
With love and best wishes,
Lauren
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