Scenes from Mostar

Beautiful Mostar-- the river Neretva, mosques and churches, and its famous Stari Most ("old bridge"), destroyed in 1993 but now rebuilt.

Where I work

The Youth Cultural Center Abrasevic was on the "front line" during the war and sustained much damage... Youth worked to clear out the debris themselves and then the German embassy donated funds for a new roof. Last year the center held 148 events.

Over the river and up the hill

Walk up the hill to the red metal gate and come into the courtyard, where the kiwi vines grow...



















Post for a picture by the front door.





Welcome to my humble abode!

Prekosutra

Geneva consisted of three whirlwind days of jetlag, watching BBC documentaries on the fall of Yugoslavia and the conflict in Kosovo, and finalizing travel details. We did manage to squeeze in cheese fondue and drinking coffee by the lake, however.

Since coming to Mostar, I have: set up a bank account, bought a cell phone, gotten documents for my visa, gone to the visa office, found out I don't have all the documents I need, gone to cultural events organized by Abrasevic (two concerts and a film) and consumed copious amounts of very delicious espresso.

There is a logic to life here. If it rains, we don't go to the visa office. If we don't have the necessary documents, we get coffee and then go out for lunch. In the words of Enniskillen's own Oscar Wilde-- I never put off till tomorrow what I can possibly put do the day after.

I have more to say about the town of Mostar and the characters I am meeting here... I'll write up those thoughts tomorrow. Or the day after.


*prekosutra is the Bosnian word for the day after tomorrow

In the beginning

I've just spent the last three weeks at the Brethren Volunteer Service orientation (unit #277) in Missouri! We lived on $2.25 a day for food, picked up trash in parks, discussed social justice issues and sang just about every pre-meal camp song that there is.

On October 22, I'm flying out for a three-day mini-orientation in Geneva. After that, I'll take the train to my new home for the next two years-- Mostar, Bosnia-Hercegovina! I'll be working at a youth cultural center called OKC Abrasevic as a program assistant. Basically, the organization exists to provide cultural outlets for youth-- film festivals, concerts, art workshops and more. These events are an opportunity for Bosnian Muslim, Croat and Serb youth to spend time together in a non-sectarian environment, as well as giving them something to do (the local unemployment rate is very high.) I can help by writing grants, editing project proposals and reports in English and hopefully coming up with some projects of my own. I have a lot to learn-- language, history, culture-- and I am so excited for the challenge. The center has a website: www.okcabrasevic.org

Now I need to work on packing! hopefully this blog will be a good way to keep in touch with all of you over the next two years. Thanks for reading. :)

love,
Katie