It was my first full day at home in Otes, without having to commute to Sarajevo. I feel very rested and relaxed, for once! I was able to sleep through the full night for the first time last night, so I think I’m finally getting used to the time change and the noises that are common around here (barking dogs, trucks, and sometimes even a rooster!) I also am starting to feel like my appetite is back to normal, after adjusting to the different tastes of the foods here and the odd eating hours. Most importantly, I was able to talk to Ross for the first time via Skype at the local internet café! I can finally stop feeling anxious about finding a way to connect with home J. The internet café is not ideal, since it’s not very private, there was no webcam for video chatting, and I have to use their computers (which means that I can’t post these blog entries saved on my laptop until I get wireless downtown). But, on the plus side, the internet café is less than a five-minute walk from my place, and only costs 1KM per hour (roughly 60-70 cents).
I also am feeling more settled in now that I have arranged my room. When I first got to my apartment, my “fully funished” room was completely empty except for a sort of strange couch/bed hybrid. However, there was an unused room in our apartment with another couch/bed and a closet. Matt and Tim, the two American guys here, came up and moved the closet and extra bed into my room and I put together a set of metal shelves. Yay for shelves and a closet—now I have finally unpacked my suitcase!
I made Matt, Tim, and Sara lunch for helping me out. I also practiced, Skyped, studied my Bosnian textbook, made reeds, and did a bunch of laundry before it was time to call it a day and go out to eat dinner. I went out with my big group of international friends to a restaurant in Ilidza. To get there, we walked through a very nice park, which I had heard/read about but hadn’t yet seen. I will have to explore the park later by daylight, since it’s very beautiful, with spring water coming out of public drinking fountains. (Bosnian Capon Springs, Robbins family!) For dinner, I had a yummy creamy pasta dish with mushrooms, and my first taste of Croatian wine. I had a white wine, and it was exactly the kind of white that I like, buttery and not too sweet. As much as I like the Sarajevska beer that everyone drinks all the time, wine was a nice change of pace. All of the restaurants we have been to have huge portions, so tonight I learned how to ask for a take out box in Bosnian…haha. Molimo ponjete kuci, or something like that…
I am going sign off here and get some rest so that I’m ready to play tomorrow afternoon at our first rehearsal for the next concert. It’s quite a demanding program: two Turkish pieces with some tricky technical and rhythmic demands, and Brahms 4. I’ll let you know how it goes. Laku Noc.
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