Routine

            I’ve had a difficult time trying to come up with a topic for a blog post this week, or finding inspiration to write.  I think that the small differences between Bosnia and the US are becoming less noticeable or surprising to me.  Although it feels very nice to be comfortable with the culture and lifestyle here, I want to keep learning and trying new things.  So, even though I only have a little bit more than two months left in Sarajevo, I am still studying Bosnian every morning. (Well, sometimes I slack off, but I always get back to it.)  It’s been worth studying, because every time that I am able to follow a bit of a conversation between strangers, or laugh at joke made in orchestra, for the moment I no longer feel like an outsider.

I’ve settled into some sort of routine during the weeks that we are busy with rehearsals.  I usually get up around 6:30 or 7:00am to skype with Ross before he goes to bed.  Then I have a bit of extra time in the morning, before I leave for rehearsal, to study or exercise, or if I’m feeling lazy, go back to bed for a bit.  The Philharmonic usually rehearses in the middle of the day, so I travel mid-morning into the city center, have some coffee, and try to concentrate through the four-hour rehearsals. (Before coming to Sarajevo, I was used to two or three-hour rehearsals.  Fortunately, we take nice, long breaks, so the four hours doesn’t seem so long.)

After rehearsal, I usually stay in the city center to have a late lunch.  One of the best parts about living in Sarajevo is that going out to eat is not nearly as expensive as Chicago, and I have a variety of affordable options.  I usually alternate between sandwiches, pizza, pasta, and pita (the Bosnian pastry, not flatbread), but the most important thing is the company.  I usually have lunch with one or more of my friends, and I really enjoy taking enough time to socialize and have extended conversations on a regular basis.  In the US, I always feel too busy for such leisurely meals, but I’m not really sure why I feel obligated to be working all of the time.  So, as I’ve written before, I am continually resolving that when I return in July, I will slow down, reach out to others, and enjoy life more.

Because I eat lunch so late, I usually spend the evenings practicing, working on reeds, and unwinding with a TV show and some reading before bed.  I don’t prepare much for dinner, usually just a glass of wine and a small snack.  I think I fit in more with the local eating habits this way: it seems customary to just have one big meal in the late afternoon.  I kind of like having the evening more open for getting work done and relaxing.

So, because we have a tedious amount of rehearsal for the Eugene Onegin premiere next Wednesday, I haven’t done much beside follow my above-mentioned routine.  Commuting from Otes to the National Theater has become even more tiring and time-consuming, because there is construction on the tracks in the city center.  When I saw a large portion of the tracks completely torn-up on Saturday, I realized that the construction might take quite a while.  So, instead of taking the tram to a stop across the street from our theater entrance, we now must get off about a half-a-mile away, and either walk in or get onto a bus.  Oh well.

On a more positive note, there are a lot of fairs/festivals around town this week.  There was a giant book festival, inside a building just on the edge of the city center.  I spent a good hour or two there with my roommate, browsing books in both English and Bosnian.  She was able to find an English-language book to read, and I found a cheap little Bosnian joke book that I can’t really understand, but that makes a nice souvenir.  I also walked around the “gastro-eco” fair with my roommate and some friends on Saturday in Bascarsija.  There were vendors selling a variety of honeys, cheeses, chocolate, bread, and natural supplements and beauty products.  It reminded me a lot of a farmer’s market in the US, especially in the late spring when there isn’t much ripe produce.

About two weeks ago, I noticed a lot of signs advertising an “American Culture Festival” starting on April 18th.  My first thought was “what is American culture”?  I also laughed when I saw the list of sponsors, and noticed that the festival is supported in part by McDonald’s!  Of course…  I was somewhat interested to see what an American Culture Festival entailed, so I looked it up online.  There were nightly events throughout the week, including a step show, some bluegrass music, and a spelling bee.  I kind of wanted to attend the step show, but we had a rehearsal on the same evening.  That’s okay, I’m sure I’ll get enough “American culture” when I go back.