Olympic Mountains

We have finally finished our first cycle of rehearsals and performances for Eugene Onegin, and now my schedule is a little bit lighter, just in time for a series of warm, sunny days.  Sarajevo is looking more beautiful than ever, as all of the flowers and trees are in full bloom.  The city streets are much more crowded, with everyone eating and drinking outside the restaurants, bars and cafes.

Outside the National Theater last week

I spent a day off this Friday with Sara and Adi, visiting Bjelasnica and Igman mountains for the first time.  We went to Bjelasnica first, where we took a short walk up part of a trail before eating some lunch near the ski resort.  It was quite odd, because the weather was very hot (about 25 C, or 80 F) but there was still snow covering the ground.  The only other time I’ve comfortably walked around in the snow in shorts and a t-shirt was stopping by the continental divide in Colorado, on the way to Aspen.

Crocuses blooming on the still snowy mountainside

Adi and Sara on Bjelasnica

After eating some “pura” (polenta) with yogurt and cheese, which has become my go-to comfort food in Bosnia, I rode with Adi and Sara to Igman mountain, just to see the ski area, made famous by the 1984 Winter Olympics.  There were two ski jumps, which look much bigger and steeper than when watching the sport on TV.  I can’t imagine having the guts for it!  We also noticed the remaining Olympic podiums, which made for an excellent photo op. J

Ski jumps on Igman

I couldn't resist...

I felt so happy in the warm sunshine, wishing the day would never end.  So when Adi suggested we get some dessert before calling it a day, Sara and I happily agreed.  We drove back from the mountains, and went to sit on the patio of a “slasticarna” in Sarajevo.  I am trying to think of a good way to translate “slasticarna” into English, and I guess the closest I can get is the old-fashioned term, “dessert parlor”.  Google translate says, “patisserie”, which is funny because that’s not really an English word.  Basically, a slasticarna is a restaurant/café that only serves desserts, coffee, and sometimes alcohol.  I’m not really sure why we don’t have more of these types of places in the US!

Sarajevo Traffic

After writing in my last post about how I’m having trouble thinking of new blog topics, my mother-in-law sent me an email pointing out that I haven’t yet described Sarajevo’s traffic and driving etiquette.  There are a few small quirks that make driving (well, riding for me) and navigating in Bosnia a little bit different that in the US.

First of all, the majority of the cars in Sarajevo are manual transmission.  So the ride is usually a lit bit “jerkier”, but I guess that the drivers like having something to do and using less gas.  Generally, most of the cars in Sarajevo are pretty fuel-efficient.  There are a lot of small 2-door cars, which are extremely rare in the US.  I think that lack of space might motivate drivers to buy small cars, as well as the cost of gasoline.  I have calculated that gas here costs almost exactly the same as in America.  So, it’s not as expensive as in other parts of Europe, but is still costly considering that the average income is much lower. 

I bet that the percentage of the population in Sarajevo that owns a car and/or drives is much lower than in a comparably dense city in the US.  Much of the working class cannot afford to drive, and travel by public transit instead.  Moreover, there seems to be a large gender gap: I think that at least 2 out of every 3 drivers I see are men.  So, the typical Bosnian car owner is an upper or middle-class male.

As would be expected, I see more European-made cars, and less American and Asia-made vehicles.  I think that Volkswagens are the most common in Sarajevo.  Also popular are European luxury cars, like BMWs, Porsches, and Mercedes.  There are a few makers that are virtually unheard of in the US that I see every day: Renault, Skoda, and Peugeot.  There is a Renault model called “Megane”, which is constantly being pointed out to me.  J

I am glad that I don’t have to drive in Sarajevo.  I’m a little bit intimidated by driving generally, even with an automatic transmission, and I think it would take me a lot of time to learn to drive stick shift.  On top of that, the roads are not always in the best condition or clearly marked, especially in the more rural areas of Bosnia.  Sometimes, in the Republika Srpska, the road signs are only in Cyrillic, which I can usually read, but takes extra time and concentration.  Even if I was only driving in Sarajevo, where I know where I’m going, I think it would be difficult to navigate around some of the more aggressive drivers.  However, I’m not sure that they are any worse than some of the drivers I’ve encountered in cities on America’s East Coast.  There seem to be an abundant number of traffic police in Sarajevo (maybe without enough to do, since I’ve already lost count of the number of times I’ve been in a car or cab that’s arbitrarily pulled over) so the driving isn’t as crazy as it might be otherwise.

Being a pedestrian and navigating around the traffic can be a little bit tricky too.  In Sarajevo, there is a lack of parking and the streets are very narrow, so it is common for cars to be parked on the sidewalk.  As a result, pedestrians must zigzag between walking in the street and ducking between parked cars to let drivers past.  It’s not exactly the safest system, so I try to be as alert as possible when I am walking around traffic.  Also, very few drivers stop at pedestrian crosswalks, so I usually have to just wait for an ebb in the traffic flow and then make a quick dash for it.  When a driver actually does stop, most pedestrians seemed awed and confused by the sight…haha.

One thing that seems extremely weird to Americans in Sarajevo is the way that traffic lights operate here.  There are a lot more signals: green for go, flashing green for “hurry up or stop”, yellow, red, and another yellow for “it’s about to turn green”.  I like that there is a flashing green before the light turns yellow, since it gives one a little bit more time to decide whether to keep going or to slow to a stop.  However, I find the yellow before green a bit strange, and also kind of dangerous, since a lot of drivers will start rolling forward before the light is actually green.

I can only think of one more major difference between traffic in Sarajevo and in the United States.  Cabs are in abundance here and quite cheap.  Riding from the city center to Otes takes about 25 minutes, and usually costs about 12-14 marks (about ten bucks).  Going from Evanston to O’Hare is about the same time and distance, and costs $35.  So, it is not an affordable option to take cabs everywhere in the US, whereas they are an ideal method for traveling short distances in Sarajevo.

Taxi etiquette is not exactly the same as what I’m used to.  In the US, passengers only sit in the front seat if there isn’t room for everyone to squeeze in the back.  Here, the drivers expect that someone will ride up front.  I don’t mind, but I hate that they often complain when I put on a seatbelt.  The drivers take it as an insult to their driving, but I just try to explain that I always try to wear a seatbelt, no matter how good the driver.

Frequently, taxi drivers speak little or no English.  And sometimes they are still chatty, even if I only understand a small percentage of when they say.  I always try to make conversation anyway, and get some of my best Bosnian practice in cab rides.  Most cab drivers are very friendly and honest, but I have had a few over-charge me, especially coming from the airport.  The trick is to refuse a ride if the driver refuses to put his meter on.  It's hard to know until you are already in the cab, though.  So, the other trick is to call for a cab.  I've never been ripped off by a cab that I called, only by ones that I've flagged.

So…that’s the deal with driving/riding in Bosnia…

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.

April

            It feels a little lonely this weekend, since Ross departed for Chicago yesterday.  He was here for nearly two weeks, but, as they say, “time flies when you’re having fun”, and it felt like only a few days.  I am trying to stay upbeat and busy, but it’s hard with the recent gloomy weather to keep myself from being a little bit sad, missing the companionship.

            Since I’ve last updated, Ross and I have hosted his parents for lunch, celebrated Passover, attended a solo recital given by Matt, enjoyed the final few concerts of the guitar festival, gone out for some meals, and of course, partied a bit.  Sarajevo is especially fun when Ross is here, because we like to go out for drinks at night, but are usually limited in the US by the expense.  Here, it is not only cheaper, but it seems like every pub, bar, and club is filled with friendly people our age.  I have a much easier time making social connections.  I’m not sure whether it’s because I get more attention because I’m a foreigner, whether there is less technology addiction, or whether it’s just the laid-back lifestyle, but I find that I rarely have any social anxiety, despite the language barriers.  Of course, I will always be a little bit awkward…aren’t we all?  But I intend to make building friendships a priority when I return home this summer.  It is so easy to be happy when you are around good friends.

            In the upcoming few weeks, the Sarajevo Philharmonic is preparing for the premiere of Tchaikovsky’s opera, Eugene Onegin.  I love Tchaikovsky’s music, so I am happy to be learning the opera despite the tedious rehearsal schedule.  I was first exposed to classical music as a ballet student, so I can’t help but smile during all of opera’s the dance numbers.

            Beside the opera premiere, I expect that April will bring some new adventures as the weather gets warmer.  I am hoping that I can go on a hike or two, and look forward to leisurely afternoons at all of the al fresco cafes and restaurants.  However, it has rained almost every day this entire month, and looks like it will continue to rain at least for the next week or so.  Rain, rain, go away!

The Sarajevo Red Line

           Upon leaving the celebrations at the opening of the Sarajevo International Guitar Festival, Sara, Ross, and I made our way toward Titova Street, which is the main street through the city center.  We planned on catching a cab home from there, but discovered that the “Sarajevo Red Line” was being assembled and the street was closed.

            The Sarajevo Red Line consisted of 11,541 empty plastic red chairs, facing a stage just in front of a major city landmark, the eternal fire.  Each chair represented a victim of the siege of Sarajevo.  The rows of chairs stretched across the entire width of the street, and about 4 blocks long.  There were over 600 small chairs that represented the children that died.  On April 6^th, on the 20^th anniversary of the beginning of the siege, a concert was performed on the stage that faced all of the empty chairs.  Additionally, the names of the victims were projected on a large screen above the stage.  In the meantime, thousands of people walked and stood along the sidewalk in order to view the memorial, while some left flowers on the chairs in honor of friends and family members.

Set-up for The Red Line

April 6th, 2012, downtown Sarajevo

            

            After leaving a cheerful celebration with the guitar festival, it was quite sobering to see all of the red chairs.  When we saw that the street was closed, we realized that we would have to walk to the end of “the red line” to get to a place where we could hail a taxi.  That walk felt very, very long.

            There was a bit of controversy surrounding the Sarajevo Red Line.  First of all, as the chairs were being set up, it was noticed that they had been purchased from a Serbian company.  The media questioned whether those who were partially responsible for the siege (particularly Serbian nationalists who financially backed the violent aggression) were now profiting from the memorial.  Additionally, some questioned whether the memorial was an appropriate tribute to those who died, or whether it de-humanized the victims.  It seemed like the memorial was designed to booster international awareness about what happened here, more so than as an event to support those who survived the war, and who lost family and friends.

            Despite the controversy, I found the memorial to be quite moving.  To me, it made the scope of the deaths in Sarajevo during the war more tangible. Maybe because I am a performer, seeing empty chairs facing a stage has a special meaning.  I could easily picture men, women, and children sitting in those chairs.  But then the chairs just kept going and going…

            By the evening of April 6^th, there was quite a bit of coverage of The Red Line and the anniversary of the siege in the international press.  I couldn’t help but read about a dozen articles, and learned more about the international intervention (or lack thereof) as well as more about the divisive politics and ethnic quotas that are creating new problems in Bosnia.  However, what most disturbed me was reading the ignorant comments below some of the online articles.  I was surprised and disturbed to read comments from misinformed Serbian nationalists, who deny the violence against civilians that took place here and in Srebenica.  But I was revolted by comments from hateful and ignorant Americans, who know nothing about Islam, yet believe that any Muslim person is an enemy unworthy of basic human rights. 

So…what can I do?  Nothing can ever change the past, and I’m sure hatred and violence will, sadly, shape our future as well.  But I can try to avoid being ignorant or misinformed myself, by learning as much as I can about other cultures and religions, especially those whose values or beliefs conflict with my own.  And I can encourage others to do the same, to try to understand those who are different.  So, dear blog readers, I have a request: think of a political group, a religion, or a culture that conflicts with your own beliefs, and take at least a few minutes to learn more about it, or to find some common ground.  I know what I’m asking you to do may be cliché, or cheesy, or naïve, but I genuinely care about promoting open-mindedness… so why not try?

Memorial Concert

As the 20^th anniversary of the beginning of the siege of Sarajevo has passed, I have been learning even more about the city and trying to better understand what happened.  At the same time, I have been proudly showing my husband and his parents around, and feel optimistic as I am reminded of what a great city Sarajevo has become despite its tragic history.

On April 5^th, my woodwind quintet performed at the Holiday Inn, as part of a memorial for the journalists who died during the siege.  Also performing were several string players from my orchestra, a men’s vocal ensemble, and Vedran Smailovic, “the cellist of Sarajevo”.  Vedran is quite eccentric, and has a unique way of dressing, (biker-cowboy) talking, and performing.  He can easily draw quite a bit of attention from the media.  I admire the fact that he uses this personal attention to raise awareness about what happened to Sarajevo, and to speak out against war.

The amount of photographers, reporters, videographers, etc, at the Holiday Inn was kind of intimidating.  Between pieces, reporters, poets, and musicians were saying a few words in order to make introductions and tributes (mostly in English to suit the international audience).  Since we were supposed to introduce ourselves in English, my quintet asked for me to do a bit of talking before we played.  Yikes!  I did just fine though, and kept it short and simple.  Afterwards, we joked that, since some of the audience thought all of the musicians were Bosnian, they were probably very impressed with my English.  J

I tried to play my best for the rehearsal and performance, knowing that the event was making international news.  However, I was recovering from a pretty yucky flu, and felt so tired and weak.  I really wish I had felt better this week, so that I could practice and make some good reeds for the performance, but alas…  Playing for such an important event was a big honor, and I was just happy to be invited to be a part of it.

After finishing the performance at the Holiday Inn, I stayed in the city for the opening of the Sarajevo International Guitar Festival.  I went with Ross to his registration, and afterward we met his parents for dinner at a great restaurant in Bascarsija called “To Be”.  We then headed over to the army hall for the premiere concert of the guitar festival, featuring Denis Azabagic on guitar and his wife, Eugenia Moliner, on flute.  Denis is Bosnian, but now lives in Chicago and is Ross’s former guitar teacher.  He is a supporter of the Cultural Exchange Program that sent me here, so it was very nice to finally see him in Sarajevo, and watch him and his wife perform.  I was especially interested in hearing their concert, since they are such a successful husband/wife guitar/woodwind duo.

In true Bosnian spirit, there were a series of three post-concert celebrations: one at the hall and two at nearby pubs.  I had a great time hanging out with Ross, my roommate Sara, my friends that organized the festival, and some of the guest artists and participants. 

Reunions and Commemorations

April, so far, has been great for me: I am meeting new people, playing some interesting concerts, and am happy to finally be reunited with Ross for a couple of weeks.  However, it is a little bit bittersweet as I worry and empathize with friends, both here and at home, who are dealing with loss, depression, and other stresses.  I feel continually reminded of the many people who I love, and who love me, and am so grateful for them, and for all of my good fortunes.  I am resolving to act more graciously, to be more open and generous to those who are different, or who need help.  I can get pretty shy, and sometimes I am not the supportive friend,  helpful colleague, or generous stranger that I wish I could be...

I’m happy to report that it seems like Ross and his parents are having a great time in Sarajevo so far.  In just a few days, they have already found their way around the city, and seen almost as many sights as I have in the course of 7 months.  I showed them the Pivnica and the trail in Ilidza that leads to the Vrelo Bosna, but Ross’s parents have pretty much found everything else they’ve seen (and eaten, of course) all on their own, without speaking any Bosnian.  I'm impressed!

In the meantime, Ross has been practicing a lot to prepare to for the guitar festival that starts on Thursday, and I have had a few philharmonic and quintet obligations. Yesterday, the Sarajevo Philharmonic played two performances of Peter and the Wolf.  I always enjoy putting on my duck earrings and watching young children get so excited about classical music.  Unfortunately, right after the shows, I started feeling a bit sick, and have had to take it easy since then.  I am quite annoyed to be sick for the second time in a month, because there is so much to do!

April 6^th marks the 20^th anniversary of the siege of Sarajevo.  There are commemorations and memorial services taking place throughout the city.  My quintet is playing in a chamber concert tomorrow at the Holiday Inn to honor journalists who were killed during the war.  We are collaborating with some strings players, including Vedran Smailovic, who is known as “the cellist of Sarajevo”.  He, along with other members of his string quartet, became famous during the war for a photograph of them playing in the ruins.  Vedran became even more famous because of a mostly fictional book that uses his identity, titled “The Cellist of Sarajevo”.  A lot of my friends and family read the book, and wondered what really happened to him.  It turns out that Vedran is alive and well, though he no longer lives in Bosnia.  This will be his first performance in Sarajevo since the war!

I finally met Vedran Smailovic at our rehearsal yesterday, and was surprised and amused when he walked in with very long hair and black leather pants.  It’s quite a change from how he looked in the famous photographs.  Anyway, he seemed very nice, and I look forward to playing with him tomorrow.  I feel humbled, knowing it is a big honor to be playing this commemoration amongst so many musicians that have survived the war, gotten on with their lives, and had such successful careers.  I can never truly relate to such experiences, but I am trying to overcome my ignorance and read as much as I can about what happened during the siege of Sarajevo.  There have been some great articles published today, approaching this 20^th anniversary.  I’m including the links to the two that I found the most informative.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/apr/03/life-and-death-in-sarajevo?newsfeed=true

http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report_two-decades-from-war-a-new-fight-to-save-bosnia_1671572