Sometimes I get really frustrated with living here because it can take a long time to get things done. However, paradoxically, the laid-back atmosphere is also one of my favorite things about Bosnia.
Last night I was pretty cranky for no good reason. I was sad that Ross's visit was over, but all in all, life it pretty good right now. So, before going to bed, I vowed that I would better attitude today, and not sweat the small stuff.
Little did I know that I would have a rather challenging day. When I woke up, it felt quite cold in our apartment. I decided to take a nice hot shower. I turned the water on, and noticed that the water heater had broken. We have steam heat, so when the water heater doesn't work, we also don't have any heat. Blech. So I nixed the shower, and decided it was okay to be a little smelly today. :)
When we got to rehearsal, the rehearsal room was quite cold. The heat was broken in the theater too! Some of the orchestra members were very upset. I was willing to go on with the rehearsal because it wasn't dangerously cold. It was above 60 F and not too dry, so I didn't have to worry that my oboe would crack. However, one of the orchestra members suggested that we refuse to play in protest of the conditions. Disagreement ensued. The ultimate solution was to take a 30-minute break ("pausa" in Bosnian) while space heaters were brought in to heat things up a bit.
Starting the day with a 30-minute coffee break was quite nice. However, we needed the rehearsal time, so we had to make up the 30-minutes at the end of rehearsal. Boo.
I told Alisa about our problems with the water heater in our apartment, and she tried in vain to get a plumber to come out and look at it. I had done a good job staying calm and happy throughout the day, but I got very frustrated and anxious when I found out that we might have to go a night or two without heat. Fortunately, Flobens, a friend from my building, managed to fix the heater after he fiddled with our water pressure. (I was afraid to do so, since I caused a flood last time I touched the water pressure knob.) Things always seem to have a way of working out.
Tomorrow is a new day, and another chance to try to be more patient and optimistic. My back, neck, and shoulders have been quite sore lately because I've been too tense. Ross brought me my yoga DVD, so I intend to start the day with yoga. Maybe the exercise will help me be both physically and emotionally prepared to do my best tomorrow. If I can stay focused and positive, I will be very proud of myself, because tomorrow will be a very long day with two full-length rehearsals. Wish me luck!
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