IOU

So... I want write about our tour to Sibenik (a small city on the Croatian coast), and the travel complications that led to a bit of chaos, but several funny moments.

I also want to write a little bit about Bosnian "pita", which I just learned how to make :)

And of course I want to reflect on my final few days in Sarajevo.

But I am just so busy right now!

Stay tuned and I will definitely put up a few posts within the next week or two.

Worries

           It’s now my final week in Bosnia, and so far it feels a little anticlimactic.  I suppose I didn’t expect anything specific, but I thought I would be very busy and very emotional.  So far, everything has felt so normal, maybe even a little bit boring.  Ross’s flight left yesterday afternoon, and since then, I’ve just been practicing, cleaning, packing, and watching some TV.  I like being able to follow my own schedule, without having to consider my roommate’s plans, but it’s very unsettling to have the huge apartment to myself.  It’s been so nice to have a great roommate and a big group of friends this year.  I guess I forgot how much I hate being alone, even for just one day.

            The calm had allowed me to reflect on my time here, and start making plans for what I want to do next year.  Of course, all sorts of worries keep creeping into my head: will this be my last week as a professional orchestral musician, will I make it in music, do I even want to make it in music, will I fit in when I get home, will I feel lonely?  The worst question, one that is hard to suppress, is whether I will remember what I’ve learned here.  I hope that I am more open-minded, friendly, and patient than I used to be, but I am not sure that I can avoid feeling more shy and anxious once I’m settled back into Chicago.  Without any certainties about the trajectory of my career, I feel very nervous, though I reassure myself that if I am patient and work hard, everything will be okay.

            It’s hard to accept the reality that after I leave, it will be impossible to stay closely connected to all of my friends here.  While I hope we will remain in touch (hooray for facebook) I know that over time, our paths will diverge.  It’s just a fact of life that people come and go, that some friendships fade, and some relationships end.  More than ever, I am grateful to have found Ross, and to have someone willing to commit all of his life to me, even through some big changes and hard times.

            So, tomorrow, the orchestra travels to Sibenik, a small city on the Croatian coast, to play a children’s opera as part of a festival there.  I’m hoping that I feel more upbeat and optimistic once I’m busy again.  Really, how can you not be happy at the seaside?

It won't be long now...

Time goes so fast when Ross is Sarajevo, but somehow we had a very relaxing week anyway.  Last Saturday was my roommate’s last day in Bosnia, as well as my birthday, so our friend hosted a celebratory barbeque that evening.  Lots of beer, meat, and, naturally, some grilled eggplant and pineapple for me.  I had fun attempting to play one of Sara’s goodbye gifts, a Turkish instrument, called a “ney”.  It is said that only those with pure souls are able to play it.  I could barely make even a faint sound, so I guess my soul isn’t so pure.

I was sad to see my roommate go, since we’ve shared so many experiences together this year, being the only two American girls in the orchestra.  At least I have Ross here to keep me company, but once he leaves, the apartment will feel way too empty.  We’ve been in a three-bedroom place all year, so I’m starting to work my way through cleaning, throwing away unwanted items (there’s not really a recycling program in Bosnia, unfortunately) and packing stuff for Ross to bring home early.  The slow trickle of goodbyes, final performances, and packing makes leaving much less stressful than trying to do everything at once.  But it’s also harder to ignore the fact that I’m leaving when I just want to focus on enjoying what’s left of my ten months here.

Since Saturday, Ross and I have been alternating between chilling out in Otes, Ilidza, and the city center.  On Sunday, before the temperatures climbed, we walked out to the source of the Bosna river.  Starting on Monday, it got unbearably hot, so it was hard to avoid just laying around the apartment all day.  However, we managed to get out to the Park Princeva, a fancy restaurant with a hilltop view, on Tuesday night (an excellent birthday present, courtesy of my in-laws) and to my friend Arvida’s final degree recital on Wednesday morning.  We also had a lot of fun with the “Otes” family, having beers in Ilidza and showing off Ross’s Ninetendo Wii in our apartment.

Enjoying the wine and the views at Park Princeva

Last night, I had my last performance in the National Theater, a final rendition of Eugene Onegin.  True to Sarajevo Philharmonic style, there were a lot of strange moments, and some bloopers, as we struggled to follow our even crazier-than-normal conductor.  Even though I enjoy the challenge of playing with American orchestra that are usually comprised of focused groups of perfectionists, I will miss being able to laugh, experiment, and have fun my colleagues here.  Looking out at the audience in the ornately decorated hall for a final time definitely felt bittersweet.  But, I still have a trip to the seaside and a concert in Bascarsija to prepare for next weeks, so it’s not quite time to get nostalgic.  I will just try to enjoy, and maybe drag my heels a little bit hoping to make the time go slowly.

Bjelasnica

Ross is back in Bosnia for 10 days.  We were hoping to spend some time on the Croatian coast next week, but my rehearsal schedule is too limiting, so we will just hang out in Sarajevo.  Of course, I really want to revisit all of my favorite places in the city before I have to leave, so I’m looking forward to having my favorite companion by my side.

Ross arrived on Thursday afternoon, and by Friday morning we were on the top of Bjelasnica, the second highest mountain near Sarajevo!  My roommate has wanted to climb the mountain all year, so she arranged the hiking trip for all of our interested friends.  I was a little bit nervous, because I had heard that the hike is quite difficult and I haven’t been very good about exercising to stay in shape this spring.  However, Sara met with a guide who reassured her that we could all make it to the top.  So, we made an arrangement with the guide, rented a car, and Ross, Sara, Matt, Mattia, and I set out toward the base of Bjelasnica early on Friday morning.

The hike was indeed difficult, but also a lot of fun.  I did okay, despite being out of shape, and Ross did great, despite being jet-lagged.  It is much easier for me to hike in Sarajevo than in Colorado because I’m sensitive to altitude and Bjelasnica’s summit, at 2067 meters, is much lower than even the starting points of most Colorado trails.

We started the hike in Babin Do, the mountain’s ski resort.  It is full of beautiful lodges, restaurants, and bars, but in the summer is virtually deserted.  However, there was one small café open, where we could have a coffee before heading up.  We started on some relatively flat, wooded trails that wove toward another side of the mountain.  As we emerged from the woods, the guide pointed toward the observatory that sits on the peak, and said, “We’re going there”.  I thought, “Well, duh”, not realizing what he meant.  We were going directly there, up the very steep face of the mountain! No trails, and no switchbacks, just straightforward ascent.

We realize what we are in for

Going straight up to the top!

Fortunately, it was steep, but not a sheer drop.  No climbing equipment necessary—just strong legs, some water, and a lot of willpower.  If anyone had fallen, they would have easily been able to stop from sliding down.  I still wouldn’t recommend the climb for anyone seriously afraid of heights.  I personally liked the new challenge (I’ve never climbed anything so steep before) and the spectacular views.  We panted our way through the ascent, took frequent “pausas”, and everyone managed to make it up within three hours!  Our guide had predicted that it would take us about 4, so I guess we did pretty well.

At the top of Bjelasnica is a small observatory, as well as some abandoned Olympic buildings.  Of course, the first thing we did was take pictures and check out the views.  As you circle around the peak, you can see all of the surrounding mountains and hills, lots of small villages, and Sarajevo itself.  It is a great way to orient yourself and learn more about the local geography, if you aren’t too tired to concentrate (which I was).  Before heading back down the mountain, we ate some lunch and got a stamp from the observatory confirming that we had made it to the peak.  I brought enough peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to share, which was a good idea, because Mattia had never had one before.  So, I am slowly spreading the word around Europe about the deliciousness of peanut butter and jelly, hehe.

2067 meters

View from the top

Tasting the peanut butter and jelly sandwich

The whole group in front of the observatory

I thought that going down would be a piece of cake, especially since we were taking a different trail that wasn’t quite a steep.  It was fun to run and climb at first, but I learned that going sharply downhill for an extended time is almost as hard as going up.  It is hard on the knees and feet, and takes a lot of muscle to keep from falling.  However, we kept chugging along, and made it eventually.  There are still a few areas of snow on the mountains, and traversing one icy patch was a nice challenge that broke up the monotony of walking.

Starting our descent

Trying not to slide down the mountain when crossing the snow and ice

Halfway down: herd of sheep in the foreground, and Babin Do in the background

We make it back to the cars and can see how far we came

When we made it all the way back to the café, we stopped for an obligatory beer.  One of the best things about a hard hike is that it makes food and drink taste extra delicious.  The beer was so refreshing, but made me pretty sleepy.  Our guide suggested that he could also take us to a cave that was only ten minutes away.  I agreed, thinking that he meant we would go by car, but later realized that in fact, I had just signed on for another 3-kilometer hike.  Oops.  Fortunately, the terrain was only a little hilly, and I had Ross to keep me company as I moseyed along at a slower-than-normal pace. 

I’d never been inside a cave before.  This one was small, and not so dark or scary, so a good way to start.  We just went a few feet inside and then used our phones and camera flashes to take a look around.  The guide made Sara and I wear ropes around our waists for security, and I held onto the walls so I wouldn’t slip on the mucky ground.  The walls were quite slimy!

Inside of the cave

After we returned from our “spelunking expedition” (yes, of course we discusses how “spelunking” is a very strange and funny-sounding word) our guide took us to Igman so that Ross and Matt could see the ski jumps and Olympic podiums.  Sara, Mattia, and I had been there before, but it was nice to go back and get some more silly pictures before calling it a day.  We finally got home around 5pm, and I think everyone slept very well that night!

The guys on the Olympic podiums

Happy Birthday To Me

I am turning 28 today.  It’s funny: although I might look a bit older than I did one year ago (too much cigarette smoke exposure, sleeping with my face smushed into a hard bed, and lots of oboe playing=wrinkles) I feel younger.  When I think about how much can happen in just 10 months, I feel optimistic that I still have so much ahead of me in life.  Maybe I will succeed in establishing a stable career as a professional musician, or maybe I will explore a new field.  I am eager to get back to Evanston, live with Ross again, and finish my doctorate.  After that, I have no idea what I will do, which makes me a little nervous, but also excited for the endless possibilities.  So...cheers to an uncertain future!

Ajvatovica

This week, the Sarajevo Philharmonic prepared a unique program to perform in Travnik and Bugojno as part of the Ajvatovica Festival.  (Ajvatovica is an Islamic festival celebrated in central Bosnia.) The concert was led by our music director as well as by a guest conductor from Istanbul, so we prepared some traditional pieces from both Bosnia and Turkey.  Additionally, we played some well-known Western classical pieces, such as a Strauss waltz and Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite.  The orchestra is tired at the end of a long and busy season, so we aren’t playing as well as we should, but I tried to enjoy learning such a unique program, one that I would never have the opportunity to perform back in the US.

So, Friday, Saturday, and Monday were filled with rehearsal, travel, and concerts.  At least on Saturday night and Sunday I had time to relax and celebrate with my roommate.  She is leaving a little bit early, and now only has 5 days left!  Time seems to keep moving faster and faster…

On Saturday night, I went with some of the “Otes family” to watch a Euro cup match in the city center, and then to Sloga, a nightclub with live music every Saturday night.  I am going to miss having such a large group of friends who are always willing to make time to have fun.  We stayed up very late, but for some reason I still had plenty of energy on Sunday.  I was glad that I didn’t feel tired, because I had some reed-making and practicing to do, but I also wanted to get a haircut and watch my friends make some baklava.

My friend Arvida went with Sara and I to the hair salon in Ilidza, to translate for us.  I was a little bit afraid of getting my hair cut in Bosnia, but I’ve seen so many of my friends get great cuts for not much money, so I decided to go for it.  My hair was so long and out of control, it was literally choking me, haha.  Fortunately, Sara and I both got fantastic haircuts for about 1/3 of the price that they are in the US.  On top of that, I got my hair styled, so I can feel extra glamorous for a few days until it washes out.  The hairdresser didn’t have any rollers big enough to handle my hair, so she used about 20 round brushes to set some large curls…and interesting and very amusing technique!

After getting back to the apartments, Arvida and Admir came to our place to teach Sara how to make baklava, a popular dessert throughout southeastern Europe.  Little did we know that there are a few small differences between the Albanian method of preparation and the Bosnian method, so some heated debate ensued. J  How many layers of phyllo dough should we use? How finely should the walnuts be crushed?  Should we add sugar to the melted butter that is spread between layers?  Should cold simple syrup be poured onto hot baklava, or should hot syrup go onto cold baklava? Etc…  In the end we wound up with a large dish of burnt, oddly cut pastry.  Oh well!

Waterfalls

On Wednesday, the orchestra traveled to Jajce, which is a small town about 3 hours drive northwest of Sarajevo.  I’d heard that there is a spectacular waterfall in Jajce, but beside that I didn’t expect much.  After a long windy bus ride, we got out right next to the waterfall, and just across the bridge from the city center.  The waterfall was even more beautiful than in pictures, and the old town was quaint.   Up the hill is an old fortress from the middle ages.  It’s always hard for me to believe the age of many of the structures in Europe, because there isn’t much in the US from before the 18^th century. A lot of the smaller cities in Bosnia do not have much money, and their concert halls can be very run-down.  However, I found the concert hall in Jajce to be quite attractive, with decent acoustics.  There were no clean bathrooms or dressing rooms, but I’ve learned to improvise, hehe.

Jajce Waterfall

Fortress in Jajce

Nice foyer at the theater in Jajce

On the way back from Jajce, we stopped in another small city called Travnik, also with an old castle on the hill.  We had coffee and some small snacks at a restaurant that lies on the intersection between the road and a small river.  Both the restaurant and river are called “Plava Voda”, meaning “Blue Water”.  The scenery is perfect, with a small water wheel churning the cold, crystal clear water that trickles down from the bright green mountainside.  I had some French fries, while Sara ordered a Bosnian/Turkish dessert called “Tulumba”.  I tasted it, and found it to be good but nothing special: just some sweet fried dough rolled into a short cylinder.  The highlight of “Plava Voda” for the group sitting at my table was the Bosnian coffee.  It came with all the works: some sugar, a rahatlokum (Turkish delight), a small container of cream, and, surprisingly, a cigarette with a box of matches!  I’m not a smoker, knowing how much it is a terrible health habit, but I couldn’t help but be a little bit charmed by how much the Bosanska kafa service was so “Bosnian”.

Travnik Castle

Plava Voda Bosnian Coffee

Plava Voda

On Thursday, Sara, Adi, and I hiked to see yet another famous Bosnian waterfall.  Just outside of Sarajevo is a very tall one called Skakavac, meaning “grasshopper”.  I’m not exactly sure how it got its name.  We drove up the hills, along a windy dirt road, and Adi parked at the beginning of one trail, near a small restaurant.  As we started to hike, I noticed that the walk was a little bit steep, but mostly downhill, so I worried a little bit about our return.  However, I was distracted by the dense foliage, unique rock formations, variety of wildflowers, and elaborate calls of songbirds.  We kept up a good pace, and it took us not much more than one hour to reach the waterfall.

Variety of wildflowers

View of Sarajevo from the start of the trail

The waterfall itself was very dramatic, since it’s still early in the summer and Sarajevo had plenty of precipitation over the winter and spring.  There was a small set of boards that we used to cross directly in front of the falls, and the water was strong enough to shower us with its mist.  The cold shower felt pretty good after the hike.  Of course, the waterfalls provided the perfect photo opportunity, so we took lots of pictures before beginning our ascent.

Skakavac Waterfall

Cold shower time

Sara and I are showing our Northwestern purple spirit at the waterfall

The climb back up was tricky, but not as bad as I was expecting.  I had been warned by Adi that we would encounter over a hundred stairs to climb.  However, I found that the stairs weren’t so bad at all.  The hard part for me was the steeper slopes of the trail, as well as navigating around some puddles and steams in order to keep my feet dry.  I felt a little short of breath for a minute or two, but quickly recovered.  Just around the point that I started to feel more tired, we reached the top of the waterfall, and wandered a bit off the main path in order to get the best view. (Before the hike, I read that the area around Skakavac was safe and cleared from landmines, so I could feel safe taking some of the smaller paths.)  I think that many people would feel nervous standing at the edge of the cliff, next to the top of the falls, but I felt perfectly secure, and really loved looking down.  I guess I’m lucky not to be afraid of heights!

View from the top

After reaching the top of the falls, we found wide gravel road that lead all of the way back to Adi’s car.  It was flat and very easy walking from there.  Sara packed some light lunch for us, and we ate penut butter sandwiches as we walked.  Peanut butter sandwiches are not common in Bosnia, and it was Adi’s first time tasting one.  I calculated that I have probably eaten about 10,000 peanut butter sandwiches in my life, and it’s hard to imagine growing up without them!

The first taste

Dirt Road back to the car

Samo Jos Jedan/Only One More

            Many of my postings from September and October regard a series of firsts: first time in Europe, first day in Sarajevo, first concert with the philharmonic, etc.  Now my series of lasts has begun: we played our last ballet performance of the season in the end of May, and our last concert on the stage of the National Theater on Monday.

Final performance of the season on the stage of the National Theater

            Also, when I first arrived in Sarajevo, I felt very excited to travel and try new things.  I spent almost every waking moment of my free time going out to explore Bosnia or expand my vocabulary.  (Well, every waking moment that I wasn’t desperately trying to find internet access in order to connect with Ross!)  After a while, I became a little bit more relaxed, realizing that ten months would give me plenty of time to see what I wanted to see.  Now, I only have one month left, and quite a few things still on my “bucket list”.  But I also want to relax, have fun, enjoy the good weather, and spend time with my friends.  So, I’ll just have to take things one day at a time J

            My sisters left yesterday, and I think that they had a good time, despite the fact that I was busy and couldn’t spend as much time with them as I wanted to.  We did have a chance to go to my favorite restaurant in the park in Ilidza on Sunday night, and to re-visit old town Sarajevo on Monday between my rehearsals.  We then went out to Celtic Pub on Monday night after a philharmonic concert, and had yet another party in Otes on Tuesday night to celebrate some birthdays.  I told my sisters that my friends were a lot of fun, and threw great parties, but I don’t think they could expect how much fun they would have. Everyone was their normal goofy selves, and clicked with my sisters, who also have a rather silly sense of humor.

My sisters on Princip's Bridge in Old Town, Sarajevo

            I think that my sisters had a hard time seeing so many injured and hungry stray animals around my building.  Carrie is in vet school, so she knows enough to realize how many problems each dog has, but didn’t have any of the resources to help them.  She is interested in coming back one day to do more, and I really hope she gets the chance.  I would definitely join her for a visit!  It’s hard to think about leaving Sarajevo (I had a little crying meltdown getting some certificate in front of the orchestra today…so embarrassing!), but I am comforted by the fact I can always return for a visit or two, so I don’t have to consider it goodbye forever…

High School Orchestra

          I am finally recovering today after a very exhausting week.  Even though it was tiring, I am pleased that my time was filled with playing music, meeting new people, and spending time with my sisters and my friends.  I just need to push through another few busy days and then I will have a bit of free time (and finally some good weather I hope!) to enjoy my last month in Sarajevo.

            On Wednesday and Thursday evenings, my roommate and I volunteered to play for two fundraising concerts with the orchestra of Sarajevo’s music high school.  I didn’t know what to expect, so I felt cheerful and inspired when I attended a rehearsal and found the kids to be enthusiastic and focused.  We played a series of popular opera songs, accompanying singers from throughout the region.  Both of our concerts were successful and well attended, especially the performance in Sarajevo.  We played in the army hall, and it was filled to the brim with proud parents, a few journalists, and even some of my colleagues.  Having such a positive experience with a high school group made me hopeful about the future of classical music in Sarajevo.

            In the meantime, my sisters arrived on Monday afternoon.  I used my free time on Tuesday morning and Wednesday afternoon to make sure they got to see some of my favorite places in Ilidza and Sarajevo.  I knew that I wouldn’t have time to spend with them on Thursday and Friday, so I sent them on a bus to Dubrovnik on Thursday morning.  I can finish playing tour guide after they return.  I felt a little bit guilty sending them away, but they love Croatia.  Actually, I am a little bit jealous that they were sitting on a beach, drinking cocktails, while I've been chugging my way through rehearsals.  Oh well... as some of my colleagues would say: "what you can do?"