Ramadan

I just like this picture that James took from my apartment. It's Ramadan right now, which means that Muslims are fasting during the day and will eat when the sun goes down. A single firework goes off at sundown above the hills to signal the time to eat. We had a delicious meal at the Mala Kucna, a "small kitchen" with made to order meals and a friendly staff. It's by far the best restaurant in Sarajevo. Black market DVDs and homemade sushi with James' family is in order for the weekend.

Baska Voda, Croatia

Warm weather and fresh air welcomed us to the Croatian coast this weekend, but for us, the most exciting find was the Konzum store that sold curry paste, tortillas, soy sauce, and tofu! Heavenly. We hiked on Saturday through olive groves to a small town with great views of the sea. Our host, Ana, gave us a bottle of rakja (ra-key-uh) and a cup of her homemade olive oil. We swam with the fish in the warm, salty Adriatic and sunbathed with the German and Czech tourists. Only in Europe are the Speedo and bikini a right for all! It was a nice farewell to the summer.

Lisa & Steve: I sent you wedding wishes and love this weekend, wishing I could be there!

Oregon is famous in Bosnia!

The irony of what Oregon is known for.
Look at the name on the chainsaw...

Bosnia v. Moldova Soccer Match

Not a crowded house tonight...

good thing there were so many riot police....

because they actually did set their own seats on fire...

Out & About Sarajevo

A few pictures of Sarajevo. Most of these are taken in Basčarsija, the old town market sector where the city was founded by the Ottomans in the 15th century (thanks Wiki!).

Mostar, BiH

A farmer watching his one cow. Can't let it get away.

Madre Mirjana

Driving from Sarajevo to Mostar

Thomas the class mascot hanging out on the rocks in Neum.

The bridge at Mostar. The original bridge was bombed to pieces during the war.

Mosque in Mostar

Hoping to enjoy the last weekend of summer before school started, we headed to Mostar and the 13 KM of Bosnian coastline known as Neum. In Mostar we met Mirjana who owns the apartment we stayed in. Slightly crazy, but mostly starved for someone to talk to (her husband is deaf), she stayed up late "talking" to us in 4 different languages and imbibing us with rakja, a very strong grape liquor. None of us spoke a common language, but we were able to communicate enough to learn about her family, her mother's death and their move from Croatia. By the end of the evening Mirjana had professed herself our "madre" and asked us to come back to stay, eat and drink with her anytime. She fizzed up some vitamins for us and sent us to bed. In the morning, Mirjana greeted us with cappuccinos and then hopped in the buba to help us get a new headlight for the car. The last we saw of her, we dropped her off into 4 lanes of traffic near her house. She refused to get out anywhere else. Did I mention she did all of this in her nightgown? We will definitely rendezvous with madre Mirjana and beautiful Mostar again.

The second leg of our weekend was a little bit of a letdown. Not having the right papers to drive the car into Croatia, we opted for Neum. Neum is a tiny, sad little bay town sandwiched between the gorgeous Croatia coastline. It could be incredible and lively, however the guests don't seem to respect it the way we should treat our seas. James watched a guy finish a beer and throw his bottle directly into the water. I tried to find a comfy spot on the rocks next to the water, but gave up because of human excrement. I'm not sure on that one...

my classroom

Here are a few pictures of my classroom. I'm teaching first grade this year. The room is a little barren as of yet, but as usual, it will fill up once the kids come on Monday. The majority of my students this year are from the UK. The rest are Bosnian, Irish, Slovenian, Malaysian, American and Austrian. The school is out in Vogosca, a suburb of Sarajevo about 15 minutes away. I'll try to get some pictures of the hills, houses and sheep behind our playground soon.