Bosnia Does Not Have Hamburgers

Please note the slide show installed on 2nd blog.

Diana and Mike's visit was fun, it was a little cold but never rained.  I went on 3 adventures with them, on Tuesday we took a public bus up the coast to the village of Ston, where there is a giant wall (second longest after China) and they grow mussels and oysters, and farm salt. Farming salt and growing oysters gives them lots of time to built walls.  We walked on the lower wall and that is when I discovered that Diana does NOT like edges. When I return with the students, they will love walking the 3 mile wall, which is rustic at best, not only was it bombed during the war, but also an earthquake did some damage in the 1980s.  The more dangerous, the more attractive to 20 year olds.

We also took a water bus out to the Island of Lopud, one of the Elefanti islands, which was peaceful, sunny, and deserted. Very off season.  A messy old fat lab escorted Diana and I on our wanderings, and was a good guide to all the places the cat food bowls were hidden.

Finally, I got the nerve to rent a car and drive them to Medjugorje in Bosnia, the dubious holy sight where teenagers who snuck off to smoke in 1981, were visited by the Virgin Mary.  What a bleak area, driving in it did not look too promising, lots of garbage sacks along the road, and the town around the church full of newly constructed hotels for the pilgrims that flock there.  The street around the church were full of Jesus Junk.  We did not have time to walk up the mountain where Mary appeared, but we got to see the weeping knee which impressed even me.  There is a big bronze statue of Jesus on the cross, and his knee weeps tears.  Pilgrims bring handkerchiefs and gather a few tears to take home.  Every time I looked at the knee, a ray of light broke through the dark clouds and lit it up!  Diana and I kept looking for a spotlight in the trees!

We left Medjugorje for the Bosnian city of Mostar, which is famous for the 14th century bridge and mosques.  We only had a few hours, but it was a really interesting town, and I am returning with students in April.  The bridge is built without mortar in the 14th century, but the Croatians bombed it in the war and just last year it was rebuilt.  We were very hungry, and Bosnian food is loved by many for the lamb kabobs, but Diana does not eat, I do not eat meat, and Mike eats only hamburgers and pizza.  So he ordered a hamburger, and was surprised to find it wraped in a flat pita bread (pretty sure it was a lamb-burger)! After lunch I could barely drag them out of the bazaar, Daina even bought a Yugoslavian army knife, that should be interesting at customs!

Bad Bora Wind

On Friday my sister Diana and her husband Mike flew to Dubrovnik for a visit. I went to the airport with Miro, a taxi driver to meet them at 7pm. As we approached the airport, Miro told me "No plane, boro wind, plane went to Split, they will come by bus."  I did not really understand, so I walked into the airport to see about 80 people with suitcases standing in line at the Croatian Air counter. Diana and Mike's arrival was displayed as cancelled.  Back at the taxi, Miro called someone and told me "Your sister's plane just landed in Split, and they will board them on a bus, they will arrive in about 5 hours at bus station".  Sooooo, I went home and showed up at the bus station at midnight.  The bus pulled in and Mike and Diana got off. Welcome to Croatia. I guess this occurs quite a bit.

The BORO wind, is a wind from the North, that blows off the Alps in gusts.  Airplanes will NOT land, because the runway here is East/West. 

That night I also got a call from Kevin, Donny's roommate.  Donny decided to climb the mountain (Mount Srg) but started out late in the afternoon.  It got dark, and he tried to take a shortcut.  He called Kevin at 10pm, saying he was lost, and using his cell phone as a flashlight. He said he saw lights, and was going to head to the lights. He ended up stuck in a thicket of woods, and decided to sleep until day break.

He did arrive home the next morning, but the ACMT staff got really upset.  There are still many mines in the mountains,  I warned them when we arrived, to stay on the paths. Never go off the trails and always take a buddy.  YIKES the Bora wind has caused all sorts of weirdness.  Plus it is cold here.

Honor's dinner

The big event this week was the Honors Dinner at the Argosy Hotel.  My students were invited as special guests. The Argosy Hotel is near my apartment, up the hill on Babin Kuk, which means Grandmother's Hip. It is a peninsula that is shaped like a hip, but Zoran told us that the Austrian map makers took great liberties with the translations, and named some towns after unmentionable body parts. All my students showed up and dressed appropriately, one of the girls even went out and bought a Croatian outfit (photo Ellen and Noelle in short sweater dress, and Croatian boots). The Croatian women like to dress up. Some might describe them as Barbie dolls, they are very tall, wear short skirts and lots of make-up.  The men are all very tall, and I have seem a few Chicago Bulls hats in town (remember Toni Kukoc). We Americans are like rainbow slobs, we walk around in all colors, whereas the Croatians love to wear black. 

At the event an ACMT band played. The band is called USB (United States of Balkans) a play on words.  The buffet and bar were all you can eat, and I had my fill of fried calamari. Afterwards there were 2 after dinner parties (which I didn't attend), but on Wed. all my students were once again HUNG OVER!

Week 1 in Croatia

I arrived in Dubrovnik, Croatia, 1 week ago to teach a Study Abroad class from RIT.  Myself, 7 students, and a bunch of video equipment has all arrived safely.  Everyone is set up in their own apartments and we have all adjusted to life in a new country. We have managed to buy food (just look at the picture on the box), make it to class (although Thursday night is student night at the bars, something I did not realize when I scheduled my class on Friday 10am), and get money out of the ATM machine. 

I miss Bill and Maya more than I thought I would! I was so uptight the week before I left, I guess it is part of the separating process, but now, every experience I have, I wish I could share with them.  I can survive without them, but I still feel the missing part.  

Lesson 1 - Love is Stronger than you think.

Sometimes I hang out with the students, and I try to get in touch with my younger self, she is in there somewhere! But it is hard to escape the fact that I am the "Grown-up in charge". I am curious how the experience is going for them, since they have classes with Croatian students. I try to pry bits and pieces from them. Donny slept on the beach, Brian climbs every mountain, Kevin is the expert on olde town.  I give them lots of space to make their own discoveries.

Discovery #1 - Slow down your pace to Croatian time.  The girls apartment had no internet, the land lady said she would get it installed. At the end of week 1, the girls demanded to know where their internet was. Zoran (Study Abroad liason) inquired about it and found out it takes 20 days to get connected.  

Discovery #2 - Croatian students tell a lot of GAY jokes. How should we react? What is totally unacceptable in our culture, is the norm here.