The more time that I spend in Sarajevo, the more I come to appreciate and love the city and also begin to understand the war – both its causes and effects. Today we had a long day full of briefings from the Organization for Security and Cooperation and Europe mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina (OSCE). In the morning we were briefed by each of the four branches of the organization’s mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina – Human Rights, Education, Democratization, and Security. The meeting was about two hours long, and while there was a lot of information I feel as though I left the meeting more confused than when I entered the meeting.
For lunch we went to a restaurant in the main level of a nearby housing block – the architecture of this city is very fascinating. But we were able to eat with five of the younger interns at the organization, to get a real feel for the situation. I spent most of my time talking with Panos, a man from Cyprus who grew up in Greece who works in the education department, and Stephanie, a woman from Ireland who works in the Human Rights Department as a Legal Advisor. They both told fascinating life stories and it was very nice to get a frank opinion on the condition in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
After lunch we went to the building where the UN was headquartered until the 2000s, but is now occupied by a number of organizations including the European Union’s Police Mission. There we had a briefing by the head Political Advisor who was also extremely honest and clear with his understandings of the situation and his aspirations for the country as a whole.
On the tram (a bus connected to a cable) ride back towards the center of town we saw the landscape shift from the communist housing blocks, to the brand new car dealerships, and then seamlessly into the Austrian-Hapsburg style buildings. I stopped with a few other students and our professor and teaching assistant to have coffee with the Head and Deputy Head of the Education department at the OSCE mission. That was probably my favorite meeting of the day and the most informative – this was due to the topics of conversation, the addition of coffee, and the small/intimate setting. I hope to write my research project on the process of education reform in Bosnia-Herzegovina, it was important for me to have the last meeting today to really get a more complete and honest understanding of the situation as it currently stands. I would try to recreate all that I heard for you here, but I honestly haven’t fully processed the information myself.
After walking back from our informal session, the whole group of sixteen students decided to get dinner together. Of all places in Sarajevo we chose to eat at a Mexican restaurant! It was quite an experience reading the English translation of a Spanish menu in the middle of Serbo-Croatian Sarajevo! Regardless, the food was good and the company was great, we really had a chance to talk all together and to bond on a more informal level. On our way back towards the motel, we ran into some of the interns who we had lunch with and decided to stay out for a little longer to talk to them more. We ended up at the “City Pub” which had an English feel to it, but was filled with nationals and internationals alike. The local beer is called Sarajevska, which is the feminine possessive form of “Sarajevo,” the name of the city in which we are currently staying. At first I thought that it was the name of the production company and while this remains true, the product is called (translated) Sarajevska Piva (Sarajevan Beer) and one of the local bottled waters is called Sarajevska Voda (Sarajevan Water).
Tomorrow is another day that will be full of briefings and more things to see and to learn. This weekend I hope to go into the hills to see a full view of the city and to get a different perspective on life in Sarajevo (don’t worry Mom, I’ll be safe!). Everyone who I have talked to has said that their favorite thing to do is Sarajevo is just to walk around. Even after being here for four short days, I can see why. The city is bustling with life, there are always children and families around, as well as teenage groups and grandparents. There is an abundance of outdoor cafes with umbrellas that create a shade that is approximately fifteen degrees cooler than being in the sun. It has truly been an experience being here, and I am looking forward to exploring more of the city in the next five days.
With Love,
Lauren
No comments:
Post a Comment