When are the next Olympic Try-outs?

I went snowboarding today. A bunch of my classmates were going, and as this bunch excluded Maria, I was able to borrow her board. Except that's Savi's car sorta blew up and began emitting copious amounts of smoke leading to its towing, the day was great. I am a snowboard fiend.

Holiday Sweater Party

So last night was our holiday sweater party. It was everything we could hope for. We were graced with some homemade decorations from Dee's mother, which were awesome. These included authentic bubble lights and a glowing santa. Dee is looking fabulous in her red turtleneck and silk holiday vest, although no one could top Renee's sweater (well done). We also played "Christmas Carol Charades". I was amazed at how competitive my classmates could get. More accurately, I was amazed at how competitive Julie got - I always knew Renee had it in her. We also enjoyed some tasty apple cider. Because Elise and I don't have a real Christmas tree, Dee made us one out of construction paper. We had everyone help decorate it by drawing on an ornaments with crayons. We completed the night by taking a "family" picture in front of our fake christmas tree.

Substitute Weekend

My good friend Dee happened to be present when I was getting the unfortunate news that my parents would not be coming for the weekend. She took pity on me, and invited me to journey to Colorado Springs to spend the weekend with her and her family. It was amazing. The entire weekend was spent doing exactly what you see here. We watched movies (had an entire Harry Potter marathon), played games (we played four different versions of Scene It, some more than once), and ate. Fabulous. Also affected by the weather, we ended up having to spend another night (no tears were shed). Her family was so nice and caring! I am so grateful for the surrogate family time.

Many Many Tears

Alas, due to the incredibly poor weather, my beloved parents were unable to visit me this weekend as planned. I am so bummed! Better safe than sorry, but I still wish they could have made it out. My only consolation is being able to go home for Christmas in a couple of weeks. They definitely still owe me a trip!

I am a Rock Star

If there is ice in Denver, I will find it. I was recently in a 5 person pile-up, only this time, I didn't total my car. Instead, I just sacrificed all of the skin on my knee. Unfortunately, this skin was slightly below and slightly to the left of every other scar I have on my knee. I think in about two years my knee will be entirely scar tissue.

But anyway - here's what happened. I was at work when a back-up was called. For those of you who don't know, the response to this announcement is for as many staff as possible to come running (and I mean running at full speed) to the location of the back-up, which required traveling outside between buildings. Being a good staff, I immediately took off running when I heard this announcement, as did 5 other staff from my area. This being the first time inclement weather had been present while at work, I was completely oblivious to any thought of ice or how it might effect me. I think you can see where this is going. One after another, four of us completely wiped out on this huge patch of ice. Where was a video camera when you need one? I can only imagine how this looked. And had it been under other circumstances, I probably would have been laughing so hard I would have been crying. I didn't even notice that I had completely ripped my jeans and acquired this awesome souvenir until I got back to my cottage and the back-up was over. This will be scar 2 from this job. Is that normal?

I'd like to think I learned my lesson, but we all know better. I must have quit my adult ballet class one week early. Seriously, it seems like only three posts ago I was telling a similar story.

Thanksgiving

Ah, Thanksgiving. What a great holiday. Here is a small journey into my Thanksgiving experience this year. Start and end with an 8 hour drive. Play "Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows" on cd while you stare at this picture for 8 hours at a time and you will have completely captured this experience. However, arriving at your destination makes the drive seem like a distant memory, until you have to turn around and do it again.

I started my holiday in Kansas, where I got to spend time with some of my mod mates. We did some wedding planning, dress shopping, and cake tasting. Good times.

Then my sister and I ditched my brother-in-law and drove to Nebraska. Along with 30 other Bartels, I spent the time eating, sleeping, and playing games.

The cousins made their traditional trek to Lincoln for a movie. This year we saw Enchanted. There are no words for it.

Overall, it was good times. Oh yeah - and I'm done.

Can I Just Be Done?

Although I am done with classes for the next 7 weeks, I still have two papers to finish. . . or make that two papers to begin. I just want to be done!

I had a very interesting week at my field placement. On Tuesday I was able to tour a detention center for immigration law violations. I was only able to gain access to this facility as a guest of RMIAN - the Rocky Mountain Immigration Advocacy Network. They do amazing work with the residents of the detention center, mostly surrounding legal issues. The politics of the detention center and immigration law are too convoluted and charged to get into in a blog, but it was very enlightening to see the facility, the detainees, and learn some of the dynamics surrounding their situation.

Tonight I and some friends are going to a benefit for Prax(us), a not-for profit organizations that serves victims of human trafficking. As far as I know, the night holds live music and some spoken word performances. Should be interesting as well.

Corey Made an Appearance

I had such an amazing weekend. My good friend Corey was finally able to relinquish her law books for a weekend and make the trek out to Denver. Yeah! It was so good to see her. We did some hiking, a lot of coffee drinking, and got some fabulous hair cuts. We also enjoyed a great Ethiopian meal. It was an amazing ATVP reunion, with four former members getting together. Too bad she couldn't stay longer.

A flashback to my travels. . .

We don't know what inspiried Maria to give this dance number in front of the Rathaus in Munich or how Lauren was quick enough to capture it on video, but every time I see it it makes my day. It also looks like some other tourist in the background got it on video as well. Lucky him.

The Final Countdown. . .

Okay folks, I am down to one more week of class this quarter. I have one take-home test and two major papers to go. It's going to be a stuggle to get them done because my good friend Corey is flying in for the weekend. All I need right now is a good excuse not to do my work. . .

Nothing New Here

Not much new is happening with me. . . same old routine, same old grind. I did, however, seek to utilize the new feature of blogspot - the poll. Clearly I am tapping my readers to solve very important questions. Next week: who made a better investigator for Matlock, Tyler Hudson or Conrad McMasters? I am sure none of us will be able to sleep until these burning questions are answered.

When the Relatives Came

I was graced by a visit from the Allen Bartel family this morning. In town for a wedding, they were gracious enough to squeeze me into their schedule and take me out for breakfast. It was really fun to catch up with them. I won't name any names, but some of them [Megan] I haven't seen in quite some time. Good people.

I forgot to mention. . .

that when I lived in Nebraska the Huskers where 3 time national champions. Look where that has gone since I moved away. Definitely a trend developing here.

Rocktober

I hope I don't get sued for using this as my blog entry title. Apparently Denver is facing some copywrite infringement issues since using the term. I guess someone got to it first.

So. . . this is the first time I have even lived in a city that had a professional baseball team (I don't count the San Antonio Mission - they weren't major league. . . and their mascot was a puffy taco!) I am beginning to think I am good luck. The two years around the time I lived in San Antonio, the Spurs were national champions. The year I lived in Washington the Seahawks went to the Superbowl. And now the Rockies are in the World Series. Everyone should want me to move to their city.

As every good Denverite did, I made an attempt to get World Series Tickets. Big surprise - I was not successful. I did, however, make the local news. Here's a quote from a 9News article:

"Seven students in a University of Denver class weren't as lucky as they were continually booted out of the system. They say their luck seemed fitting, though, since they were in an "International Disaster Psychology" class at the time."

I guess I jinxed myself by not taking class more seriously. I swear that's the only time I haven't paid attention!

Good Morning. . .

This is what I woke up to this morning. It was in the 70's yesterday.

Kickball and Beards

This morning on my way to the gym I was accosted by some teachers taking weekend classes to become principals. They somehow roped me and friends into playing kickball with them. I have rediscovered a love for this sport. It was good times.

I am also proud to report that my good friend Luke has won in two divisions for a beard competition he entered. Go Luke.

Ah Ha!

Finally - I just got internet in my home. What an amazing step for my household. I hopeful that this will equate to consistent updating from now on. Mal sehen.

Back from New Mexico

This past weekend I went to Socorro, New Mexico, to visit one of my mod mates, Sarah. She and her fiance', Luke, just bought a house. I helped them move their entire household into the new place. After all the work was done, we spent a day hanging out in Albequerque. Besides the heat it was really fun to see them, their new place, and a new state.

I cannot deny my readers. . .

Given the overwhelming demand for the exploits of this broad to be continually shared, I have succumbed and will continue writing. I am currently back in Denver (see right) getting settled in and preparing for classes to start. Woohoo.

Goodbye, Bosnia

So I have successfully left Bosnia. Dee and I took a bus to Split, a ferry from Split to Ancona, Italy, and finally a train to Rome. From there, I joined Maria and Lauren. We trained it to Salerno, ferried from there to Positano, eventually ferried back to Naples, and parted ways. Since then I have taken a train to Rome, and from there to Munich. My plane home flies out of this amazing city. Before leaving, I will spend a couple of days with my great VS housemates, Jenny and Raphael. See you soon, US.

Sign of the Cross to You

Given recent events, I have come to the conclusion that no traveler has ever experienced as much hassle as I have. Here's an overview of what I've overcome this summer:

1) I got a hole in my shoe - had to be replaced

2) The bag I bought specifically for this trip ripped right through the handle - had to be replaced.

3) Due to an unforseen national replacement, my debit card became invalid - had to be replaced.

4) After a summer of having it repeatedly rejected, spending over $50 on phone calls, and being told 5 times that my credit card should work as my account is clear, I finally am told that there are sanctions against Bosnia that will prevent my credit card from ever working in this country. Wish they would have told me that the first 4 times I called. No replacement options available.

5) My passport was invalidated - had to be replaced.

Yikes - during the time at which I had no access to money and no valid passport I really questioned whether I would ever be allowed to leave. However, I am confident - not that everything else will go smoothly; but that I will eventually get there.

Crazy Lady in the Woods

I am not the crazy lady in the woods. At least, not the one I am blogging about. Last night I decided to be adventuresome, get up early this morning, and hike back up to the WWII memorial. Seemed like a good Sunday morning activity given our 100+ degree weather. About halfway up, I decided to take a break on a bench and drink some of my precious water. As I was sitting there, I saw an older lady hiking down the hill toward me. Upon closer inspection, I saw that she was wearing a long sleeved shirt with a sweater over it. That should have been my first clue. When she got close, she came right over to the bench and sat down about half an inch from me. That should have been my second clue. She began talking to me, despite my protests that "I don't understand". Then she started touching my arm, right on my scar - clearly asking what it was from. I drew my hand away and repeated that "I don't understand". That didn't deter her, however, she next began touching my rings. So I moved away from her. I get that there might be different cultural standards of personal space, but no other unknown Bosnian has ever touched me (except maybe in a line - they have really close lines here). I guess it was the heat, but she didn't seem to be understanding my nonverbal clues that I don't want her to touch me and she should leave me alone. She continued talking to me, and clearly indicated that she wanted some of my water. Having heard Savi and Michelle's story about sharing beverages and being just plain creeped out, I really didn’t' want to share my water with her. It's a long, hot walk to the top, and frankly, I thought I would need it. Besides, she was coming from the top where I knew you could refill water bottles for free (she was carrying one, it was just empty). Plus - if you're that hot and thirsty, take off your sweater, okay? But it was over 100 degrees, and she was old. . . was I really going to not share my water? So I poured half of my water into her bottle and decided I needed to get out of there. I left the bench and took off up the hill. Still feeling a little weird about the situation, I turned around to check on her. To my surprise, she was following me up the hill. This only inspired me to hike faster. I mean, if I can't out-hike an elderly woman in a sweater and skirt, something's wrong. I turned around a second time to see if she was gaining on me, only to find that the chase was off. Instead, she was about a foot off the trail, still in plain sight, pulling down her pants and squatting. Having seen just about enough, I turned back around and really started to book it up the hill. At least she wasn't following me any more. Seriously, if she had dropped out of a tree onto me on my hike back down I would not have been surprised.

Once she wasn't around I enjoyed the rest of my hike.

A day in the life

Vesna, one of our friends from the National Democratic Institute, took pity on my solitary state and invited me to her house for the afternoon. I had a great time. Having spent the morning in the pool (the temp yesterday and today was over 100), I was excited to have something to do. Vesna lives with her son and her parents, in what she described as a suburb of BL. When we arrived, her mother had prepared an amazing meal. My favorite part was a traditional food that literally translates to "pinch". It is basically a 'pinch' of dough deep fried. It seemed like a new year's cookie without sugar or raisins. You eat these with a spread somewhere between cheese and butter. Dee, Sandy, and I have often seen it at the market and could never decide what it was: cheese or butter. Now I know - it's neither. Either way, spread on these dough balls it is very tasty. My other favorite part was the beverage I was served. It was one Vesna's father's specailities: a 50/50 combo of red wine and coca cola. It took me a little time to rap my head around this mixture, but it didn't taste at all how I expected. Her father is convinced that mixing wine with coke diminishes the effect of the alcohol - to the point that cops won't be able to tell how much you drank. I don't think I'm going to test that. We also had amazingly tasty stuffed bell peppers.

Vesna's family was incredibly hospitable (something I have come to experience as the norm here). We had a very relaxing time after the meal, where I again went swimming in a small pool they have. When I left her mom gave me a basil cutting from their garden to dry and take home to America. The plant has religious value and was a very generous and appreciated gift.

Cultural Revelation for the day: The game of "MASH" is universal. Vesna's son (soon to be entering the 4th grade) predicted my future with an almost exact version of the game I played as a child (not to mention a couple of weeks ago with Dee). For the record, I will be marrying Tobey Maguire, living in Paris, driving the batmobile, and will have 5 kids. Can't wait.

Home Alone

Dee and Sandy headed to Mostar this morning. They are meeting with some people from Le Strada, an anti-trafficking agency. I believe it's the only agency entirely devoted to trafficking in Bosnia, but I could be wrong. I stayed behind because of prior commitments here. Since Dee has been getting so motion sick with the bus travel and because it costs about the same, the girls decided to rent a smart car for their trip. Too funny. Although it's pretty awesome that they can make it to Mostar and back on one tank of gas. I got a short ride in it - after which Dee was quick to assure us that the back is really not made for people to ride in.

Prijedor

Okay, last week Dee and I went to Prijedor but I haven't had time to blog about it yet, so here goes. Prijedor is a town about an hour away, it is smaller than Banja Luka, but still a decent size. It is also located in the Republic of Serpska. We have been working with a domestic violence safehouse there, and went up for two days to give seminars to the employees. The employees have all been hired/chosen, but none of them have ever done work in this area, received any training, or even started working yet. Although the safehouse is completely ready to go, they haven't opened yet because they are waiting on government paperwork. Given the regulations for employees, the people we were meeting with are not allowed to speak with the victims about anything related to their experience or domestic violence - that is the role of the psychologist and social worker. So our workshops focused mainly on self-care, common reactions, and the basics. This distinction seems very contradictory to the domestic violence movement in the US, and took a little getting used to. There are a lot of cultural differences that make this kind of response different.

While conducting the workshops and hearing from the employees was very interesting, probably the best part of the experience was actually staying at the safehouse. Two of the employees spent the night with us there. The safehouse is set up to be very self-sufficient, and that made for a good time. While we were there, the water went out. We had to draw all the water that we used from a well. They even heated up some water for us on a stove so we could bathe.

I should note - both of our hosts for the night spoke no English. Despite this barrier, we spent the entire evening with them and felt like we did a great job communicating. Okay - I felt like I did a great job smiling and nodding. While we may not have shared that much, it wasn't actually a problem.

We spent part of the evening working in the garden. Dee and I got to pick some beans. We also got to rock some nice winter weather wear- it was cold and they were bestowed upon us by our hosts. I wore that totally awesome vest and Dee got a swell sweater.

I think I drank a total of 5 cups of coffee that day. Our hosts were incredibly generous and after every activity it seems we got another beverage. The woman who cooked for us was amazing - the food was incredible, and most of it was freshly picked. We ate some of the beans and had apple cake made from apples grown in their orchard. Add home-made bread to that and it was fabulous.


Needless to say - good times were had by all.

Up to my usual tricks. . .

I spent the last weekend in Mostar, having a great time with Maria, Lisa, and Dee. I must relate a spectacular experience, however. After enjoying a leisurely breakfast on Sunday morning, I moved from the living area to the kitchen to wash the one bowl Maria has. On my way back, I was completely foiled by the three inch difference in floor heights. I took the biggest spill I've had in a long time, crumpling my toes, ankles, knees, and elbows. My peers were quite amazed at my ability to rebound from such a fall without any protruding bones, but that's only because they don't know my history with tripping. No worries - the bowl was saved.

Did I Really Just See That?

Dee and I have come to love watching track meets. We have watched many in our time here, and find that the commentary in Serbo-croatian does little to detract from the joy of watching other people run from the comfort of our couches. We've even got our favorite and least favorite athletes who we routinely cheer. Last Friday as we were watching, disaster struck. We were watching the long jump, when out of nowhere, a javelin spears one of the jumpers in the back. We couldn't believe it. I mean, what are the odds? It was pretty surreal to see. Dee and I have oft debated the value of the javelin vs. the shot put. She claims that this kind of injury would never happen with the shot put. I still stand by my argument that in the wild the javelin would totally prevail. Either way, it was a major bummer for some long jumper. Major bummer for the guy who threw it as well. I mean, right after he speared some guy he had to keep throwing. Yikes.

For all of you doubters. . . more info can be found here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/6898520.stm

Stirring the Pot

So, an unexpected concern presented itself today. This is a picture of the front of our apartment complex. Almost every single tenet hangs clothes and laundry from their respective balcony. We currently have one of our friends, Anhchi, visiting from Croatia. She did a load of laundry, like ya do, and hung her stuff out to dry on our line. We just got a call from our landlord (who probably drives by at least once a day) telling us we needed to take down the red towel, because it says "Croatia". We originally thought this was just his preference, but he proceded to tell us this was a safety concern. Until that call, I had never gotten the sense that nationalism was so profound that it would present a danger. Hope we don't start an incident.

Just For You, Aunt Terry

This is a picture of Banja Luka from the top of the hill we climbed on Saturday. I got a request via my sister from my Aunt Terry to have fewer pictures of butt sweat and more pictures of the landscape. Here you go.

Full House

This past weekend our house was overflowing. Suzie and Renee came to visit from Serbia, Lisa came to visit from Sarajevo, and Anhchi came to visit from Croatia. Saturday morning we hiked up one of the hills surrounding Banja Luka. At the top was a memorial from World War II and a cafe, a great combination for the top of mountain (okay, hill). The memorial had really interesting and graphic carvings, the content of which took me by surprise. I feel like memorials in the US leave a little more to the imagination. The carvings depicted graphic scenes of violence, including people hanging. It's definitely a good way to keep people from forgetting.

Anyway, it was fun to hike and get a different view of Banja Luka.

We're Everywhere. . .

So, last Friday Dee, Sandy, and I visited a domestic violence safehouse in a neighboring town. The house is situated on some property with a barn. They are currently raising chickens, and have room to have pigs as well. As we were going through the barn, I spotted a familiar symbol from across the room. Upon closer inspection I found a stack of cans from MCC. It was canned meat - "Food for Relief". What a small world.

More from the birthday. . .

I had to include a picture of Dee, Sandy and I all dressed up. I have to admit, Sandy definitely takes the cake with her "chic" hat, huge earings, and cumberbun. Good times.

Alles Gute zum Geburtstag!

Yeah! Yesterday was my birthday. My colleagues, roommates, and the entire city of Banja Luka helped to make this an amazing day. Dee and Sandy made me signs and decorated the apartment for me in the morning. They made a huge card on yellow posterboard (see left). Dee also posted signs of different events that have happened on my birthday in various years. My favorite is the reference to "The Fugitive". Dee and I had watched that just a few days before. However, my favorite sign overall was posted to the TV and read "happy birthday krash". For those of you who don't know, "krash" has become my alias among the Denver gang. This stems from an unfortunate incident involving my now laid to rest car and a very poorly placed telephone pole.

After this morning excitment, I went to my field placement where they celebrated my birthday (I didn't even think they'd know). They gave me a book in English (yeah!) and a small vase made by residents of one of the therapeutic communitites they collaborate with. It was really awesome.

Wondering around after leaving my field placement, I happened to bump into Dee and Sandy. Banja Luka is a small town for being the second largest city in Bosnia. They admitted that they were out to buy me a birthday present. Their intent was to buy me a really skeezy shirt and make me wear it to my birthday dinner. Ha ha - I foiled their plans. We ended up ALL getting new outfits, definitely throwing ourselves headfirst into Bosnian fashion. I was blessed with a super cool shirt that says "Feel the groove in your legs". And I do. Dee did my hair and make-up, and then we then went out for a really great supper at. . . yes, our favorite restaurant. It's becoming a little bit like "Cheers" in there.

The evening was rainy the entire time. While that didn't dampen our spirits, it did seem to dampen the spirits of everyone else in the city. When we left the restaurant, there was absolutely no one on the streets. Usually we have a crowd to fight through. I'm not going to lie - it was a little creepy.

Oh yeah - I also got to talk to my mom for a little bit. Even though it was really short, it was really great. Love you, mom!

So, overall, I had a great birthday. Thank you all for your birthday wishes!

Gender Center

Today Dee, Sandy, and I met with someone from the Gender Center for the Republic of Srbska. She was able to tell us about the work they are doing as well as comment on gender issues within Bosnia and Herzegovina. It was fascinating to hear. The meeting was probably the most interesting thing I have participated in since being here. I think we have something to learn from them.

Maria's Visit

My good friend Maria and fellow IDP'er came to visit this weekend. She is living in Mostar for the summer, but was in Sarajevo on Thursday and Friday. Since she was already a little closer to us, she made the final trek up to Banja Luka for the rest of the weekend. Dee and I showed her all the sites here. . . which took about half a morning. We spent the rest of the time in various cafes. We also introduced her to some VIP stars, our favorite television programming. It was good times.

Traveling by Bus

This past Friday, Dee, Sandy, and I traveled to Prijedor, a town about an hour away. We went to visit the Mental Health Center and meet with their psychologist and psychiatrist. The first thing we were asked upon our arrival, however, was if we were familiar with their bus situation. Having just gotten off a bus in Prijedor without problem, we didn't know what they meant. They went on to explain that their bus station manager (for lack of a better term) was caught embezzling funds. He is no longer working in that capacity, and no one has taken his place. Therefore, no one is in charge of the bus station. More importantly, there really is no working bus station. Buses show up as they please and leave when they want. There is no schedule and no way to predict when they will be coming or going. You basically just show up and wait. This situation became infinitely more bizarre when they told us it had been this way for 6 months. Despite the chaos, we easily made it back to Banja Luka by showing up and waiting until a bus was headed that way.

It's amazing

I came home from my field placement to find the surprise of my life. . .both of my housemates in hooded sweatshirts and pants. It is moderately cool for the first time here. It rained both yesterday and today, and has been cloudy the whole two days. It feels wonderful. The thermometer tells us it is still in the mid 70's, but it may as well be in the 40's, they way we are dressing. I hope it lasts.

Therapeutic Community

Last week I had the opportunity to visit one of two therapeutic communities run by NGO Viktorija, the organization that serves drug addicts. The program is amazing. The participants must commit to 2 years at the therapeutic community in addition to counseling before and after. I was incredibly impressed by the program, both by how long and how comprehensive it is. The community is set outside of the city, in the hills and isolated from other people. The residents work in a farm setting and are amazingly self-sufficient. The picture shows both the area where it is set as well as a garden the residents maintain and eat from. In addition to the garden, the residents bake their own bread, raise and butcher their own animals, and manage their entire household. While the organization serves both genders, this therapeutic community is specifically for men. During my visit the residents were amazingly open to sharing about their experience and how the program works. I was also surprised to see residents mowing hay by hand and then bringing it back with a horse and wagon. Although, according to a mechanic in Michigan, this wagon probably had better wheels than my car.

Mulberries

Yeah! For only the second time in my life I have encountered mulberries. As a kid, we used to have a tree house in a mulberry tree, as well as several trees around the house. There were also some mulberry trees in the grove of trees between my and Brian's house. I used to eat them on my way to play shark attack or whatever the day's fun was. Since then, however, I have seen no mulberry trees whatsoever. Until here, that is. Dee, Sandy, and I stumbled across one on our walk to the "fortress". Since then I have seen them all over. I must admit, I could not contain my excitement and had to eat one. It was definitely as good as I remember (despite the look on my face). I also ran across some with my colleagues from the mental health center here. They warned me that mulberries would stain me and my clothes and didn't seem to think they were good for anything else. Little do they know.

They Should All Be Spanked

My supervisor at the Community Mental Health Center makes it a point to share with me specific cultural reflections, which I appreciate greatly. When I went in yesterday, he wanted to make sure I understood the nuances of the Serbo-Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian, and Croatian languages, as this is somewhat of a sticky wicket for the region. As you may or may not know, these all used to be the same language, and depending on who you talk to, they still are. Since the end of the war, regions are attempting to differentiate their language, and have been successful to some degree. For example, depending on where you are, coffee may be kava or kaffa. However, regardless of which of these you choose, you will be understood everywhere. According to my supervisor, the European Union told the Balkans that they would not recognize multiple languages from the region and would acknowledge only one. My supervisor also said that people from Croatia protested quite rigorously, even getting television coverage. In his words, all of these people are incredibly spoiled and need to be spanked. As he sees it, it is the same language. I find it incredibly significant that people are so invested in trying to differentiate themselves in this way. Maria mentioned that schools in her area of the country have different classes for students of the differing languages. My supervisor also told me that in some political situations people from Croatia, Serbia, and or Bosnia use translators when they speak. I cannot imagine what that looks like. My closest approximation is having a translator for someone from Nebraska speaking with someone from New York.

Brokedown Palace

I was incredibly disappointed to find out from my mother that I once again am having trouble with my passport. Apparently, they finally got around to processing my original application. In all their wisdom, they completed the process and issued me a passport. Except that I already have one. So, I am now carrying an invalid one. Good grief. Additionally, the US government takes no responsibility to get my new one to me. Too bad for me, I guess.

Class Reunion

I and almost half of my class spent the past weekend in Sarajevo. Only two people in Bosnia in our class didn't make it. We had super good times. I realized that parts of my situation really aren't as bad as I thought while other parts could really be better. There is no denying, however, that Sarajevo is a good 10 degrees cooler than Banja Luka at all times.

Maria, Dee and I went to the Tunnel Museum. It is run by a father and son, and commemorates a tunnel the Sarajevans built during the siege to transport people, supplies, water, and eventually electricity and even oil. It is a pretty real experience.

The one problem with the museum is that it is located at one of the ends of the tunnel, which is in a very remote area far from public transportation. Getting there is no problem, because any taxi drops you off. We found, however, that taxis do not wait there, and when you exit you have no way back. This put us in quite a predicament. Being the adventurous folk that we are, we began walking back. It became pretty clear pretty quickly, however, that we had no sense of where "back" was. Accepting that we were lost, we stopped walking to try to add some sense of direction to our efforts. This did not work. Just as we had given up hope, the curator of the museum pulled up in his car. Three lost Americans is a pretty conspicuous sight, and he recognized us as having just left his museum. He generously gave us a ride back to the tram station, after laughing justifiably at our mistake. Saved.

Could it get any hotter?

It is so hot here. I really don't think that can be stressed enough. We are sweating all of the time. Almost no buildings have air conditioning, and most serve as their own little greenhouses, trapping heat and making things hotter. It's hard to decide which is worse - sitting in the rising heat of a building with no air movement or walking around outside with a slight breeze combatting the blazing sun and exercise of walking. Never thought I would long for cool air of San Antonio in the summer.

Dee is sporting an amazing sweat spot - compliments of a long bike ride. What a stud for making it in this heat!

Pictures and Teenagers

Given that we are currently using a dial-up connection, it takes about one hour to upload 3 photos. Needless to say, I haven't gotten very many uploaded. However, I am doing my best and will continue to try. I put a link on to my photo page, right above the links to other blogs. You are currently able to enjoy about 4 pictures, almost an hour and half's worth of work.

I found it interesting that almost all of my colleagues here have asked me how old I am. At the same time, Dee and Sandy did not seem to be getting this question. One of my refreshingly open colleagues clarified this dilemna. To the Bosnians, I look like I'm 19 years old. My colleague told me how surprised she was to learn that no, I am quite a bit older than that. She suggested it was my lack of make-up that made me look younger. I, however, continue to blame the four or so weeks I was premature - I'm always behind. Professionally, my "baby-face" has been a real liability, but everyone tells me I'll appreciate it when I'm 50. We'll see.

Snakes

I forgot to mention the incredible perils I am overcoming in order to be here. This morning as I was walking to the support group, my colleague asked me if I have ever seen a snake. Curious as to why she was asking, I replied that I have seen many. She went on to tell me that there are many snakes in the building where the support group meets. Our other colleague proceded to tell me that they were poisonous. I waited for laughter to follow, assuming this must be a joke. Incorrectly interpreting my face of disbelief for a look of fear, my colleague assured me that they have the antidote on site while indicating giving himself a shot in the arm. No joke.

Support Group

Today at my field placement I got to sit it on a support group for adult males with mental illness. I appreciated the opportunity not only to see the similarities and differences in group work but also to hear the stories of these individuals.

It is not always obvious that a war happened here so recently. An amazing amount of reconstruction has taken place, and life seems "back to normal". One of the psychology students we met at the university here challenged whether Bosnia was an appropriate place for our work given that the war ended several years ago. At the same time, the effects of that war seem ubiquitous. It seems to seep into so many conversations and experiences, whether directly or indirectly, and is everywhere. Maybe that is just my view as an outsider. . .

In Honor of. . .

I was so sad to miss the weddings of my dear friend Rachael and cousin Bradley last night [tear]. I was sorry not to be able to welcome Matt and Amanda into the fold in person. I wish all of you the best!

For the mod: in honor of this great occasion I did listen to "Rock the Boat" and thought of all of you.

Mystery Meat

Given the language barrier, we have come to accept that we will not know what we are eating a good majority of the time. This includes both restaurants and grocery shopping. Today Dee picked out what she described as "the least scary looking sausage" for our supper. That is not the most encouraging description I've ever received. I tell myself it's all part of the fun.

One week done. . .

Since my last post I have attended my second field placement. This is at the community mental health center. I was surprised to see how community mental health is similar no matter where you are. The basic structure of services they provide as well as methods seemed to have a lot of overlap with what I know of community mental health in the US. Not that there aren't differences, of course. The biggest difference I noticed so far was their number of clients. I met with two providers who only had one client between them for the day. That is almost unimaginable in the US. I haven't really explored why beyond their explanation that everyone goes on vacation in the summer.

Dee, Sandy, and I took in the local pool yesterday afternoon upon a friend's recommendation. We definitely noticed a difference in fashion sense regarding swimming suits, but I'll leave it at that.

The computer in our apartment was broken for the last few days, so I still haven't been able to post more pictures. I am writing from an internet cafe currently, but the smoke is so thick in here I don't think I could even see what I was doing if I tried to add some. In the interest of my health, I will keep this post brief.

Banja Luka!!

I am finally settled in Banja Luka, and have many things to report. So here goes. . .

Apartment: The apartment is nice, but small. The situation has the potential to be very interesting. There is one bedroom, but when we walked in, presumably no beds. We were not prepared for the power of the hide-a-bed, or should I say, three hide-a-beds (we each have one). Dee and I sleep in one room: living room by day, slumber party by night. Sandy sleeps in the other. Every morning Dee and I wake up, fold up our bedding, and roll up our beds. When the beds unfold, they almost touch, leaving our sleeping heads about one foot away from each other - perfect for late night chats. The shower doesn't have a shower curtain. We're not sure how the original tenant worked that one, but it has caused several wet floors in our experience. Dee also managed to break the toilet within the first three days, but it is under control now.

Field Placement: I am going to be working at several places, and although I have met two of them, I have only worked at one so far. The organization is called "Victory" (when translated). They serve and treat drug addicts. It has been very interesting to learn about their program and how it differs from treatment in the US (I will elaborate more later). What I love about Bosnia already is the relaxed attitude and the emphasis on beverages. You cannot do anything without a cup of coffee, tea, water, or juice in your hand. It does no good to refuse, because you will be repeatedly asked until you acquiese and drink something. I have never drank so much coffee in such a short amount of time. My cohorts have been incredibly welcoming and nice, and are so anxious to share with me. I appreciate that greatly.

Food: While still excellent, we have had some great experiences with food here. Dee got a great pizza that included a sunny-side up egg and pickles. The most highly recommended restaurant in town is a mexican restaruant. . . to some degree. Dee, Sandy, and I ate there on our first night together. We began our meal with chips and salsa, a supposedly innocuous item. What we got was habenero doritoes served with tzatzki sauce and marinara sauce. We didn't quite know how to respond to that. In the end, I must highly recommend tzatzki on chicken fajitas.

Well, that's a start for now.

Day two

Feeling much better after having gotten some sleep, my second day here has been a fabulous journey into the coffee and culinary delights of Sarajevo, both of which I have enjoyed. Nette, you would be happy to know that pizza margherita is as big here as it ever was in Germany. More to the point, I am happy to know that. I also think I have spent over three hours just sitting at cafes and drinking coffee. It seems to be the national pastime here, which I am way more excited to partake in than baseball.

Tom Jones. . .

So, what is one of the first songs I hear when landing in Europe? Tom Jone's Sex Bomb. This is a song I heard all of the time when I was in Germany and after that in London (in a great commercial remix). What is the European obsession with this song? I will never understand it.

I have arrived safely in Sarajevo. The trip was long and exhausting but without incident. I am spending the next two nights in a very nice hostel. Hope to have pictures soon.

We the People. . .

So, now that I actually have my passport I can relate the horrendous adventure of getting it. The passport office is so backed up I did not get mine until the day before I left Colorado. It was quite nerve racking. I had called and talked to someone the week before. She told me that they had moved up my departure date and put a rush on it. I was supposed to get it Tuesday or Wednesday in the mail. So when I didn't have it Wednesday and was planning on leaving Friday, I was quite nervous. I went into the office, cried to the security guards, and got in without an appointment. They told me that the main passport office hadn't even started processing my passport, despite my rush and moved departure date. So. . . I had to completely reapply. I had to go get new pictures, fill out a new application, and wait some more. But, finally I got it - complete with a huge bald eagle, flag, and reprinting of the beginning of the constitution. While the entire process seemed completely frustrating and ridiculous, the security guards were very nice and sympathetic and deserve some props.

I spent last night with the generous family of my friend and traveling compainion Maria. We are leaving for the airport in three hours. Given that I just mailed off my final assignment, I don't think my level of preparation could be higher. The weather in Sarajevo were we land is supposed to be about 69 degrees tomorrow.

Where am I going?

So. . . where exactly am I going to be? The city I will be living in is Banja Luka. It is the second largest city in Bosnia - I think with a population of about 200,000. It was heavily destroyed during the war. It's location can be pinpointed by looking at the very helpful map to your right. I think that's it.

My new domocile

So. . . I got pictures and a description of my summer apartment. 3 girls - one bedroom. It's been a while since I've shared a room. Fortunately, I like both the girls I'll be living with. I'm definitely going to have to break out all the old tricks: sandwiches, easter grass, banana peels, and shoulder pads (which I recently found in my jacket, thank you very much.) Although, nothing beats finding one of them on the floor during lab with Dwight Krehbiel. Although, since we're all sharing one room, the sandwich thing might backfire.

Besides that, I think the apartment looks pretty decent. By far not the worst place I will have lived. At this point in my life, my house and neighborhood in San Antonio takes that cake.


In even more exciting news, I am currently working my last shift. No more overnights!

As part of our orientation, we had a police psychologist give us a two hour lecture on safety. It was by far the most interesting "self-defense" class I've ever been to. He had some very insightful examples, and talked about different kinds of violence/perpetrators and the different response they necessitate.

So, two weeks to go. The page count remains at 70. Hopefully I'll start checking that off soon. It's so hard to work on things when all I want to do is get on a plane.




Oh yeah. . . love that water heater in the shower!

Have I left yet?

Whichever Professor thought it would be a great idea to leave the country during finals week giving us absolutely no time to prepare was sure brilliant. I think one of my classmates counted over 100 pages we still have to write before leaving (this doesn't inlcude the nerds who worked ahead). I am reminded of my favorite (and by favorite I mean least favorite) finals week in undergrad. Sarah and I ended the week at her parents house pulling an all nighter, each with several papers yet to go. Good times.

So it begins. . .

Hmm. . . I am beginning this blog at the same time I am trying to buy my plane ticket. Thus begins the adventure. For those of you tuning in - 'presh. That's for you, Yoder.