Heyy to All!
So I am pretty sure most of you who have ever watched tv have seen these commercials before; you know the ones where Tide is participating in the 'Loads of Hope' campaign where any proceeds that they receive go to families who have been affected by disaster. Well I thought this would be the perfect place to stand on my soap box to promote this campaign and all of the great things that it has done for the many people affected by disaster in our own country. Basically, this campaign travels around with a mobile laundromat and the volunteers wash, dry, and fold the clothes for individuals affected by the disaster the team is responding to. You can support this campaign by purchasing any yellow cap tide product or a vintage tide t-shirt! Which I don't know about you, but those vintage tees look pretty cool! :D So here is the website below. Check it out! I know it's sometimes annoying to put the effort in, but I mean we all do laundry, and just think about how much you could be helping out with a simple purchase.
http://www.tide.com/en-US/loads-of-hope/how-you-can-help.jspx
I love and miss you all!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
some pics
The first pic is of Bree and I getting ready to go to the rap concert. The second pic is of Christina and Bree at the concert, the third is the concert itself, and the last one is Tuzla at dusk! Enjoy!
winding down.
Well, it certainly feels like a Tuesday, that's for sure. This week has been pretty good so far and it can only get better! I only have 2 more days of work & then to Dubrovnik I go, to lay on the beach and relax before I head back to USA! This past weekend was pretty eventful, which I wasn't expecting. Friday night, as I mentioned in my last post, the girls and I went with our friend Samira down to the river where there were rappers performing. It was actually a pretty good time and there were a ton of people there! It was pretty crazy.. lots of kids and teens... lots of underage drinking. However, when I asked Samira what the legal age to drink in BiH is, she said it wasn't really enforced. Hmm interesting. It just goes with the statements Alma and Amir have presented to me that under-aged drinking is a serious problem here in BiH... no kidding? However, I think a big part of that is just kids being kids, but that's just me.
Anyway, so the show was great and we got home pretty early. There's only so much rap a person can take... especially when it's in another language. HAHA! I was planning on just laying out at the Salt Lakes, however, Bree's coworker Jennita invited us to her parent's cottage on Saturday! It was adorable! And none of her family members speak any English, so she had to translate, but it was such a great experience and her family were so kind and adorable! Bree and I took a bus (about 30 min outside of Tuzla) and she picked us up from the bus station. Jennita's mom made a ton of food! She had this vegetable soup, these pies with what I think was something similar to a turnip, but it was delicious! And lots of coffee! :D It was so relaxing out there and Bree and I had the greatest and most relaxing time. After we ate, Jennita, her cousin Alma, Bree and I took a walk through the land that they grow all of their crops on. It was such a beautiful walk through nature. And we got to see the area where Jennita's grandmother was born and raised. Now her grandmother lives behind her parent's cottage. She was a great woman. Jennita described her having been 'sick' recently.. which was interesting to me that she used that language, because in first meeting the grandmother you could immediately detect that she had suffered a stroke because she had no control over the right side of her face. She knew we didn't understand the language, but it was funny, she kept talking to us in Bosnian.. that was a bit awkward, haha because Bree and I could only imagine what she was trying to say. But we did get a couple of things, which I was happy about!
We left their home later in the evening and left with a bag full of pears and apples that had been grown on the parents farm! They just kept filling the bag! So thanks to them we have lots of fruit for the rest of the week! :D Then Sunday came and Bree an I just went to the Salt Lakes to relax by the water. I started my 9th book of the summer.. can you believe it?! 9 Books in 8 weeks.. me.. ridiculous. I got a bit sun-burned.. I know, I've already been reprimanded *(hehe love you Frank!)* and I know I should know better. I'm working on it. : ) So all-in-all it was a pretty eventful weekend and very relaxing one too!
Yesterday was my last day working at the hospital. It was a bitter-sweet thing. I am so very glad to have had that experience working there. It was cool, once we were all finished with the groups Dr. Esmina and the rest of the staff took us on a tour of the hospital. It was great to see; kind of sad, but still important. At one point we stopped back in the office for them to show us pictures of a what the psych clinic looked like during the war.. honestly, I would love to see those pictures displayed in a museum.. they were heart-wrenching...The conditions these people had to live in.. was unbelievable. They had taken all of these photos and blown them up, because at the time they used them to petition to get a new building after the war because of the conditions these people were forced to live in. Some of the pictures showed the patients having to eat dinner on the floor because they didn't have proper furniture for them... the walls were water-stained and rusting out.. I wish the rest of the world could see these pictures.
I took this picture in Mostar when I went rafting. I just came upon it when we were walking around Old Town. It means a great deal to me and I wanted to share it with you all.
Anyway, so the show was great and we got home pretty early. There's only so much rap a person can take... especially when it's in another language. HAHA! I was planning on just laying out at the Salt Lakes, however, Bree's coworker Jennita invited us to her parent's cottage on Saturday! It was adorable! And none of her family members speak any English, so she had to translate, but it was such a great experience and her family were so kind and adorable! Bree and I took a bus (about 30 min outside of Tuzla) and she picked us up from the bus station. Jennita's mom made a ton of food! She had this vegetable soup, these pies with what I think was something similar to a turnip, but it was delicious! And lots of coffee! :D It was so relaxing out there and Bree and I had the greatest and most relaxing time. After we ate, Jennita, her cousin Alma, Bree and I took a walk through the land that they grow all of their crops on. It was such a beautiful walk through nature. And we got to see the area where Jennita's grandmother was born and raised. Now her grandmother lives behind her parent's cottage. She was a great woman. Jennita described her having been 'sick' recently.. which was interesting to me that she used that language, because in first meeting the grandmother you could immediately detect that she had suffered a stroke because she had no control over the right side of her face. She knew we didn't understand the language, but it was funny, she kept talking to us in Bosnian.. that was a bit awkward, haha because Bree and I could only imagine what she was trying to say. But we did get a couple of things, which I was happy about!
We left their home later in the evening and left with a bag full of pears and apples that had been grown on the parents farm! They just kept filling the bag! So thanks to them we have lots of fruit for the rest of the week! :D Then Sunday came and Bree an I just went to the Salt Lakes to relax by the water. I started my 9th book of the summer.. can you believe it?! 9 Books in 8 weeks.. me.. ridiculous. I got a bit sun-burned.. I know, I've already been reprimanded *(hehe love you Frank!)* and I know I should know better. I'm working on it. : ) So all-in-all it was a pretty eventful weekend and very relaxing one too!
Yesterday was my last day working at the hospital. It was a bitter-sweet thing. I am so very glad to have had that experience working there. It was cool, once we were all finished with the groups Dr. Esmina and the rest of the staff took us on a tour of the hospital. It was great to see; kind of sad, but still important. At one point we stopped back in the office for them to show us pictures of a what the psych clinic looked like during the war.. honestly, I would love to see those pictures displayed in a museum.. they were heart-wrenching...The conditions these people had to live in.. was unbelievable. They had taken all of these photos and blown them up, because at the time they used them to petition to get a new building after the war because of the conditions these people were forced to live in. Some of the pictures showed the patients having to eat dinner on the floor because they didn't have proper furniture for them... the walls were water-stained and rusting out.. I wish the rest of the world could see these pictures.
I took this picture in Mostar when I went rafting. I just came upon it when we were walking around Old Town. It means a great deal to me and I wanted to share it with you all.
Friday, July 24, 2009
tgif
Well, it's finally Friday. I wasn't sure if it was ever going to get here. Nothing really new going on over here in Tuzla, except that by 5:30pm I will be home in 13 days! :D This week was pretty slow. The hospital was pretty interesting this past Monday. We were actually able to talk with the clients, via translator of course. But it was great because we were just talking about life things and, I don't know it was just nice to have that opportunity to talk to them in a clinical/therapeutic way. I wish I had gotten to spend more time there...
Throughout the rest of the week I was pretty busy at CRP. I completed all of the workshops I put together for students in secondary school. It ended up coming to 5 workshops total and I put together all of the slides with all of the info related to each topic; 1. Looking at schools in Bosnia Heryegovina, 2.Finding Financial Aid, 3.How to produce an effective and strong resume and cover letter, 4. How to prepare for an interview, & 5. Writing a personal statement. Most of these workshops were designed to make the students more confident in their capabilities when applying to college, but I also wanted to reach the kids who were in that in between, of going to university or working first. I was really happy with the way it all turned out! And it was great, yesterday I met with Alma *(not my sup, a different Alma)* and she really loved all of the work that I did and told me that hopefully in the near future they will be able to put all of the info that I gathered into a booklet to provide for the students, aka, these workshops are really going to be implemented into the school systems here!!!! Even though it may not happen right away, it was just great to feel like I contributed something of significance to the organization and to the community, even if it is on a smaller scale, I am entirely satisfied with that and really happy. I still have one more piece of the project to complete (writing letters to a student and to a politician of why they should go to college, or get involved in the program), but I think this will be a pretty easy piece.
A little later today Christina and I have to present our findings on the other workshop that we have been working on (the CPR and first aid trainings in remote villages). It's my sup's last day, hence why we are presenting today. I think that should go very smoothly and quickly. And it's Friday.. so you know what that means.. relaxxxxx. Tonight my co-worker from the hospital, Samira is taking Bree, Christina and me, down to the river where there is going to be a concert. Apparently, this person is a rapper, and he was born and raised here in Tuzla. He started out here in Tuzla, rapping at the very place we are going tonight, and that's how he got his 'stardom.' So this should be interesting...
My plan for the rest of the weekend is to get sun! I am going to be lounging at the salt lakes all weekend and also in town getting some last minute souvenirs and things. Also just preparing for my trip to Dubrovnik, Croatia! I am really pumped about that! The girls and I are going to be taking a direct bus from here this coming Thursday night. The only reason we are cutting out of work a little early is because everyone is going on holiday in the office. Actually, I think there are only going to be like 2 people here in the office all next week too. But yeah so we leave at 9pm Thursday and we should get to Dubrovnik around 6am Friday morning... I know.. a 9 hr bus ride... I booked a room for us at a hostel, but it's really just someone's house that has apartment type rooms off to the side of it and that's how these people make money, off tourists like us :D Needless to say, next Thursday can't come quick enough! Then back to Denverrrrr! :DDDDDDD
Throughout the rest of the week I was pretty busy at CRP. I completed all of the workshops I put together for students in secondary school. It ended up coming to 5 workshops total and I put together all of the slides with all of the info related to each topic; 1. Looking at schools in Bosnia Heryegovina, 2.Finding Financial Aid, 3.How to produce an effective and strong resume and cover letter, 4. How to prepare for an interview, & 5. Writing a personal statement. Most of these workshops were designed to make the students more confident in their capabilities when applying to college, but I also wanted to reach the kids who were in that in between, of going to university or working first. I was really happy with the way it all turned out! And it was great, yesterday I met with Alma *(not my sup, a different Alma)* and she really loved all of the work that I did and told me that hopefully in the near future they will be able to put all of the info that I gathered into a booklet to provide for the students, aka, these workshops are really going to be implemented into the school systems here!!!! Even though it may not happen right away, it was just great to feel like I contributed something of significance to the organization and to the community, even if it is on a smaller scale, I am entirely satisfied with that and really happy. I still have one more piece of the project to complete (writing letters to a student and to a politician of why they should go to college, or get involved in the program), but I think this will be a pretty easy piece.
A little later today Christina and I have to present our findings on the other workshop that we have been working on (the CPR and first aid trainings in remote villages). It's my sup's last day, hence why we are presenting today. I think that should go very smoothly and quickly. And it's Friday.. so you know what that means.. relaxxxxx. Tonight my co-worker from the hospital, Samira is taking Bree, Christina and me, down to the river where there is going to be a concert. Apparently, this person is a rapper, and he was born and raised here in Tuzla. He started out here in Tuzla, rapping at the very place we are going tonight, and that's how he got his 'stardom.' So this should be interesting...
My plan for the rest of the weekend is to get sun! I am going to be lounging at the salt lakes all weekend and also in town getting some last minute souvenirs and things. Also just preparing for my trip to Dubrovnik, Croatia! I am really pumped about that! The girls and I are going to be taking a direct bus from here this coming Thursday night. The only reason we are cutting out of work a little early is because everyone is going on holiday in the office. Actually, I think there are only going to be like 2 people here in the office all next week too. But yeah so we leave at 9pm Thursday and we should get to Dubrovnik around 6am Friday morning... I know.. a 9 hr bus ride... I booked a room for us at a hostel, but it's really just someone's house that has apartment type rooms off to the side of it and that's how these people make money, off tourists like us :D Needless to say, next Thursday can't come quick enough! Then back to Denverrrrr! :DDDDDDD
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
here's a few more rafting pics!
The first pic is the 2nd raft that Bree and I jumped into, going through a rapid. The second pic is of the cliff that I jumped from into the river below! That's me right on the ledge!
what an awesome weekend
Well, one thing is for certain.. I am so glad I listened to everyone else but myself! hahaha! Rafting was so awesome! The experience was truly great! So Bree and I arrived late in Mostar and had a very low -key night with the girls, and probably one of the best pasta dinners I've had in Bosnia yet! With the busy day ahead of us we called it a night to ensure we'd get our butts out the door in time! Which is exactly what we did! Go us! We got to the hostel, which I just have to say is probably one of the most efficiently run hostels I've come across, because they are also a travel agency. Here is the link if you are at all interested in the other things they do: http://www.hostel-miturno.ba/.
So, we packed in to this huge old school van. And seriously it was hilarious... when we stopped for gas, the two guys who came with us who work at the hostel had to get out and push the van to get it to start. It felt like the scene straight out of 'Little Miss Sunshine!' It was rediculous. Needless to say I thought our driver was going to kill us.. these people in Bosnia really like to drive fast. Anyway, we made it to the site in one piece and were served brunch since it was like 11 something. Then we geared up in our wet-suits and water shoes and back in the van we went! We drove about 45 min away to our destination of rafting on the Neretva River, and met the man who was to be our guide... the few words to describe him.. mean & sexist. Apparently he we found out later that he had had a little to much Raqija (which is the local brand of liquor here that everyone drinks) and was a huuuggggeeeee jerk. He apparently felt the need to scream at us when we (and even the two guys from the hostel) weren't doing something correctly. He also felt the need to have the mindset that women are incapable of knowing how to row a boat. Well, FYI, telling 6 women from America who are the liberal, somewhat hippie's (hush Frank), and feminist types, that they are inferior to men at rowing a boat does NOT go over well... at one point he actually stopped the boat and made two of us get out because he wanted 2 more men in the boat... yeah, but excuse my french, he was an asshole. So, Bree and I decided to make life easy on everyone and we hopped out.. which was the best move because our new guide actually spoke English and so did the other two guys in the boat.
I think my absolute favorite part of the trip was when we came up to this one area that was alongside the river that had a ledge about 5 to 6 feet hanging over the river. Since my last trip to Mostar, I had wanted to cliff jump at the waterfalls, but because it had just rained I couldn't.. so here was my chance! I was sooo excited and nervous as all hell! It was hilarious because the second I turned around from Bree and headed up to climb the rocks my adrenaline kicked in and my whole bottom half of my body was shaking! It was so great! When I hit the water a huge rush of cold just hit me! (the water was freezing!.. not long before we hit this point their was a waterfall that flows into the river and that water is only 9 degrees! So it gives you a little perspective, but don't worry it was not that cold!) But the greatest thing about it was when I poked my head up out of the water and saw the rest of the IDP girls had jumped right behind me! I cheered on Bree to jump and in she went! It was such a great moment. We finished our rafting trip on the Neretva and ended up back where we ate Brunch. It was so cool, the staff their cooked us traditional Bosnian meals (which were delicious!) and it was just great!
Needless to say we were all pooped! We headed back to Mostar and just hung around the girls apartment. We called it a night pretty early and slept in on Sunday, which was nice not to have to rush. We got to see even more of Mostar the following day, because Bree and I just decided to take the 3pm bus back to Sarajevo.. which we felt like we were chancing it, but we didn't care. We ended up getting back to Tuzla at 9pm.. it was a really long trip, but it was totally worth it! It makes me want to see what water rafting in Denver is like!! Who knows, this could be my new thing! haha but seriously, it could! : D
So the first picture is the entire group that was in our rickity old bus! The second is a picture of the group on the boat *(please note the guide in the yellow backpack with the cig in his mouth..)* The third, is a picture of Autumn and I in our wet suits! The fourth, is a pic of Abbie and I when all of the groups stopped an hour in to the trip to lounge around on the 'beach.' The last is a pic of the meat that the people cooked for our traditional Bosnian meals!
So, we packed in to this huge old school van. And seriously it was hilarious... when we stopped for gas, the two guys who came with us who work at the hostel had to get out and push the van to get it to start. It felt like the scene straight out of 'Little Miss Sunshine!' It was rediculous. Needless to say I thought our driver was going to kill us.. these people in Bosnia really like to drive fast. Anyway, we made it to the site in one piece and were served brunch since it was like 11 something. Then we geared up in our wet-suits and water shoes and back in the van we went! We drove about 45 min away to our destination of rafting on the Neretva River, and met the man who was to be our guide... the few words to describe him.. mean & sexist. Apparently he we found out later that he had had a little to much Raqija (which is the local brand of liquor here that everyone drinks) and was a huuuggggeeeee jerk. He apparently felt the need to scream at us when we (and even the two guys from the hostel) weren't doing something correctly. He also felt the need to have the mindset that women are incapable of knowing how to row a boat. Well, FYI, telling 6 women from America who are the liberal, somewhat hippie's (hush Frank), and feminist types, that they are inferior to men at rowing a boat does NOT go over well... at one point he actually stopped the boat and made two of us get out because he wanted 2 more men in the boat... yeah, but excuse my french, he was an asshole. So, Bree and I decided to make life easy on everyone and we hopped out.. which was the best move because our new guide actually spoke English and so did the other two guys in the boat.
I think my absolute favorite part of the trip was when we came up to this one area that was alongside the river that had a ledge about 5 to 6 feet hanging over the river. Since my last trip to Mostar, I had wanted to cliff jump at the waterfalls, but because it had just rained I couldn't.. so here was my chance! I was sooo excited and nervous as all hell! It was hilarious because the second I turned around from Bree and headed up to climb the rocks my adrenaline kicked in and my whole bottom half of my body was shaking! It was so great! When I hit the water a huge rush of cold just hit me! (the water was freezing!.. not long before we hit this point their was a waterfall that flows into the river and that water is only 9 degrees! So it gives you a little perspective, but don't worry it was not that cold!) But the greatest thing about it was when I poked my head up out of the water and saw the rest of the IDP girls had jumped right behind me! I cheered on Bree to jump and in she went! It was such a great moment. We finished our rafting trip on the Neretva and ended up back where we ate Brunch. It was so cool, the staff their cooked us traditional Bosnian meals (which were delicious!) and it was just great!
Needless to say we were all pooped! We headed back to Mostar and just hung around the girls apartment. We called it a night pretty early and slept in on Sunday, which was nice not to have to rush. We got to see even more of Mostar the following day, because Bree and I just decided to take the 3pm bus back to Sarajevo.. which we felt like we were chancing it, but we didn't care. We ended up getting back to Tuzla at 9pm.. it was a really long trip, but it was totally worth it! It makes me want to see what water rafting in Denver is like!! Who knows, this could be my new thing! haha but seriously, it could! : D
So the first picture is the entire group that was in our rickity old bus! The second is a picture of the group on the boat *(please note the guide in the yellow backpack with the cig in his mouth..)* The third, is a picture of Autumn and I in our wet suits! The fourth, is a pic of Abbie and I when all of the groups stopped an hour in to the trip to lounge around on the 'beach.' The last is a pic of the meat that the people cooked for our traditional Bosnian meals!
Friday, July 17, 2009
well... COUNT ME IN!
hahaha! so, I'm sure you can assume from the title of this post that I have decided to travel back down towards Mostar and go rafting! I am really pumped about it! Bree and I are going to be leaving Tuzla around 2:30pm and heading down to Sarajevo, and then catching a bus from there straight to Mostar! Though it is a 6hr trip there and back, I don't even care! I just want to have fun this weekend!
I realized a few things during this whole charade, that even though I was trying to make a gracious and responsible choice in regards to my finances, I feel that I have been doing pretty well at budgeting myself (with the help of Frank and Mom of course, for realizing that). Also, I sort of lost sight of the whole 'this is once in a lifetime' kind of mentality. I think that had to do with the fact that I closely approaching my end date here in Bosnia, and maybe I was just trying to prepare myself for the 'real world' once again. Well, I'll push that task till next weekend! :D Just kidding. But seriously, I think I just need to enjoy the little bit of downtime that I have left in these next coming weekends.
I love you all! I'll update as soon as I can to let you know how the trip went! I'm sure I'll have tons of stories! :D
I realized a few things during this whole charade, that even though I was trying to make a gracious and responsible choice in regards to my finances, I feel that I have been doing pretty well at budgeting myself (with the help of Frank and Mom of course, for realizing that). Also, I sort of lost sight of the whole 'this is once in a lifetime' kind of mentality. I think that had to do with the fact that I closely approaching my end date here in Bosnia, and maybe I was just trying to prepare myself for the 'real world' once again. Well, I'll push that task till next weekend! :D Just kidding. But seriously, I think I just need to enjoy the little bit of downtime that I have left in these next coming weekends.
I love you all! I'll update as soon as I can to let you know how the trip went! I'm sure I'll have tons of stories! :D
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