Bosnia

Wednesday 7th August 2013

Got up really really early (2:30AM!!) and finished packing. Then left around 3:30AM to go to the airport. We got there around 5:00ish.
Checked our luggage in and found out that our flight ha been moved to an earlier time, 5:50. Lucky we got there early!! By the time we got through security etc., it was pretty much time to head to the plane.
I slept for most of the first flight, which I think was around 1hr30, waking briefly to eat breakfast, a sort of cheese and ham toastie, and drink an awful coffee.
Once we got to Munich we found the next departure lounge, which was confusing and took a while. Thankfully, we found it eventually.
Whilst we were waiting we saw a family having an argument with security over whether or not they had tickets. That delayed things. Once we finally got on board, there were further delays whilst they found missing passengers. Flight was an hour late in total!!
Flight turbulent but uneventful. Got to Sarajevo and the heat hit us straight away. So so hot!! We went through passport control, then got our luggage. On the other side we were meant to meet W (in charge of the link-up), but we weren't sure if he'd send 'his boys' instead.
Waited for quite a while, getting worried because we had no way of contacting him. Finally he came over, and Mum recognised him. Thankfully!!
Drove to Zenica, which took around 40 minutes, with W and E, one of his boys (they live on the farm, paying through work, generally from troubled backgrounds).
It's very pretty; lots of mountains that look almost Swiss/German!! However it's very hot and the grass is dry, so we saw a fire caused by the two.
Stopped briefly at the farm, then continued to the day care centre. We had lunch there. There are people from Sheffield here, but we haven't met them yet- they had taken the day care kids out on a picnic.
Once we'd eaten (the bread is delicious!!) we went to P's apartment and met P* herself. She's very nice and very welcoming.
Spent evening relaxing, had spag bol for dinner. Very nice!!
I was too tired, and felt very very low. Thankfully I was able to go to bed. Just hope it doesn't last! 

Thursday 8th August 2013

Not too early a start today! Got up leisurely and had breakfast- I had Coco Pops! ;)
P said we'd be going for a walk in the morning, then to the church in the afternoon to set up for the kids club on Saturday. However, W came to get us mid-morning and we went to the day care centre.
As it was Eid the day care was shut, and the Sheffield lot were out. We did some of the farm washing up- they have no water- whilst some of the boys filled up lots and lots of bottles for drinking/washing water.
Then they went off to the farm whilst P went to W's apartment (where some of the Sheffield lot are based) because a couple of them are ill.
Mum, Roo and I were left at the day care to clean, per P's instructions. That involved watered down bleach, a cloth and lots of floors. It took ages, then people WALKED ALL OVER THE CLEAN WET FLOOR. Huh.
Had a break for lunch, then carried on. I got very tired, and felt very very low.
Mum was put in charge of cooking (not even forced exactly!- Walter just said decided she was cooking) but she wasn't happy because the chicken she had to cook wasn't defrosted properly and P wouldn't take no for an answer. So she cooked it as well as possible, but wouldn't let my sister or I eat it.
ES, the Sheffield girl who was ill at the apartment, came over, with R, who is another of the Bosnian team. P's friend S and her two children also turned up. They played with my sister but I think she found them quite hard work!!
I chatted to R and ES. We were waiting for the Sheffield group to come back from Sarajevo so the food could be sorted out. It took them ages- 'W time' is very like Gambian Maybe Time; the only thing guaranteed is that the time you're told won't be the time things actually happen!!
Once the group got back (between 9:30-10) we had short introductions, then sorted out the food and left. Scariest thing- one of their leaders, LS, looks almost identical to Miss A; at first I thought it WAS her!! Sooo weird.
The walk home was lovely- very very busy. There are so many people and bright lights!!
Home and bed.

 Friday 9th August 2013

Early start today!- we had to get ready for 8:30. Roo and I did NOT want to get up!
S and her children came over to get us. We thought we were going to the day care but instead we went to the church. Like 'W time', there are also 'W plans'- we get told one thing, and do something totaaaally different.
When we got to the church we met some of the Sheffield group- JS, SoS, SaS, LuS and LiS. They were setting up craft activities (making cards) so we joined in with helping. Then, P told Mum that W had rung- there were no cooks at day care, and someone needed to cook lunch for everyone, so Mum went there. R (my sister) and I stayed; we finished setting up, then sat in on the kids club. Two more of the Sheffield group also turned up because apparently there were no kids at day care!
We sat in on the 'service'- lots of singing, then some Bible stuff in Bosnian I didn't understand. After, we did the craft activities; I helped JS's group whilst Roo joined with the younger group.
Once they'd all made cards, they went back to the main room for games and dancing. I stayed to clear up, then joined them. We played a game called 'Day and Night' which involved standing up and sitting down at the right time. Then chairs were set out and all the children had to go and wash their hands.
Every child was given a sandwich; however, as they had some spare, the helpers (us!) we're allowed one too, ditto for the drinks and crisps.
Once the food had been eaten, some presents were given out to children who had behaved well (I think? It was all in Bosnian. Seemed that way, anyway). A lot of them were functional- eg, flip flops and sunglasses- but some were more fun as well.
Next, they brought out a big cardboard box. Inside we're loads of the 'Christmas boxes' we make in England and send to countries that need them as Christmas presents for children. Every child at the kids club was given one, including R and RF (an 11 year old from the French camp).
It was so so weird seeing the children open them; I've never really thought about the people who benefit.
It was also very moving. The children were sooo happy with the boxes!! It was a truly amazing experience, watching them open them.

 Box Time!

 More Boxes

 

Even weirder was when one of the boxes was from Sheffield- the Sheffield group were practically hysterical!

The Card In The Sheffield Box

Everyone, including us helpers, got an ice lolly thing, which was nice. Then we all played with the children and their boxes.
The Sheffield group went back to the day care, so R and I tagged along with them, which was nice. We chatted quite a bit. It was really funny- they all thought I was 20 and R's mum!! Crazy!! They even asked me if I was sure I was 16. As sure as I can be! ;)
Back at day care I flopped on the floor in the hallway by the kitchen; though I got on very well with the Sheffield girls at day care, I didn't feel confident enough to go through to their area.
One of the girls who wasn't at daycare, LCS, came and sat with me, so we chatted for a while. Eventually the lunch was ready, so Mum and I sorted that out. However, I was too hot to eat anything and I'd had a sandwich already, so I sat back in the hallway. It's a good place to flop!!
A (one of the Bosnian team), R and RF (11 year old from French team) were also there.
A while later SaS saw me, and invited me into the Sheffield quarters. We played card games and did quizzes; very fun!
Their leader, DS, said that they were going to visit the orphanage. Mum, R, RF, A and P all went back to the apartment, but I stuck with the Sheffield group- I wanted to go to the orphanage, and it was soo good to have fully English conversation!!!
We were meant to go at 3:30, but of course W time meant it was more like 4:20! We couldn't all fit in the van; we tried, and we managed with a huuuge squash- S (yet another of the Bosnian team) was all for going like that, but DS said no, so LiS (the one who reminds me of the teacher at school) drove W's car with me, SaS, EsS and JsS in. It stank of milk :(
At the orphanage some of the group played football; the rest of us played with the orphanage children. It was interesting- at first they were all very hesitant, and stayed away from us, but eventually they came over and demanded attention. The orphanage is huge, and it was obvious that they don't get quite the amount of attention they need :(
We mainly pushed them on swings/see-saws, and also gave piggy backs/shoulder rides.

Waving At The Camera!

 

The most annoying thing was that they chatted away, and we had no clue what they were saying, which was frustrating for them and us. Eventually they went in, and it threatened to rain, so we went to a sheltered side and watched the football. I chatted lots to the Sheffield group, which was very nice.
After, we went to the farm for a BBQ!! There were all the Sheffield people, all the French people, the Bosnian team and us!- so probably over 70 people of loaaaads of nationalities and languages!!

Sheffield Group, A Couple Of The Bosnian Team And Moi

We chatted to the French people a lot; I made friends with two women called LF and NF, who both speak good English. LF is half-English and NF half-Canadian (so she speaks English with a Canadian accent!) but they grew up in France and aren't fluent in English.
We chatted for quite a while, and they took me up to see the digging they'd been doing.

View Of Mountains!

The Hole The French Were Digging For Water

 The Farm Itself

 

When we got back I met lots more people!! Then Mum etc. turned up as well. We took some pictures, and got a WHOLE GROUP one!!

Huge Group Picture!!

Dinner was sausage with a special name and goat, which I didn't like- tasted of lamb, but much chewier.
Eventually, everyone grouped together. S and R played guitar and everyone sang worship songs in loads of languages. Though the worship side meant nothing to me, it was still a beautiful, moving experience.

The View From Where I Was Sat!

There was lightening behind the hills, which was very cool to look at!!
We left at around 9:30. I said goodbye to everyone- it's weird how close you can feel to people (the Sheffield lot) just in a day!!
Dropped ES and DS (her brother) off at Walter's apartment, and went back to the apartment. Bed! A brilliant day!

Saturday 10th August 2013

Late start. We were waiting for P- she had told Mum she would take her to the salon to get her hair done. However, of course, things didn't go to plan!!
When P finally got back, we went shopping. We had lunch in a pizza place- one between the four of us, but it was so huuge we didn't finish it!
Then we got essentials and fruit. Things are very cheap here!!
After, R came to walk me to the church for youth group.
I hated the youth group :( They mainly ignored me, and just spoke/joked in Bosnian, which was frustrating. They sang, and I was given words, but not knowing pronunciation or tune that wasn't so helpful. At the end they prayed for ages and ages. Not a good experience!
When we got home I was tired and got upset over something small, so Mum had to calm me down, as usual. Tea was chicken. Then relaxed and to bed!

Sunday 11th August 2013

Up at 8:00ish for Church! When we got to Church (9:30) we found out that the service didn't start till 10, and that was Walter time.
A couple of the local children turned up- Ezra (who I know as Taz because of the group that came last year- they called him Taz short for Tasmanian Devil as he never stayed still and was always getting into trouble!) and his sister Elmena (I think?). Mum's best picture from last year is of a girl's eyes, taken accidentally- the girl is Ezra's older sister, which I guessed once I saw Elmena.
Half of the French people (not enough room for all!!) turned up at 10; that included Rachel and Laura, who asked what we'd done on Saturday. When I said I hadn't enjoyed the youth group due to the language barrier, she gestured at all the French and said 'You have us now', which was very sweet!
The service began with lots and lots of singing; again, projected words but we didn't know the tune. The singing took ages, then the children were taken to two age-appropriate kids clubs.
One of the French men preached in English, and it was translated into Bosnian. However, any Bible parts weren't read out as everyone had either a Bosnian or a French Bible to follow from. There were no English Bible's, so we couldn't follow and the service made little sense.
At the end, more singing, then it finished and there were drinks and crisps.
I chatted a little to Laura, who I found out lives in Lille with Rachel and her family; however, she's moving to the south in September. Then I met Sara (spelling might not be right- pronounced Sahar) who speaks sort-of good English, so I spoke to her for a bit.
Penha went back to the apartment to change and the French went back to the farm; Mum, R and I stayed at the church with Sandra and her children. Sylvan, Laura's boyfriend, came in the red van to pick us all up, and Penha on the way, so we could go to the farm.
At the farm, there was lots of chatter- I spoke to Naomi and Cecile, who I met yesterday, as well as Charlotte. They are all so lovely!!
We had stew for lunch- the chicken and potato stew that is fairly staple here. Dessert was stewed plums from the trees that are everywhere. Nice- unfortunately, the wasps thought so too and I almost ate one!!
I was really really thirsty, so Mum said I could have some of the water that had originally come from the taps. So far we haven't been allowed that as it has impurities (or something?!) that could make us ill. However, I was soooo thirsty, I took the risk!!
After lunch everyone just relaxed. The French people were very tired as they had been working so hard, and they were glad of the break, though Laura said that it was only when she got the chance to relax that she realised just how tired she was.
Naomi went back to the church to work on the windows, and various people went to other places. I joined in a game called Ninja, which was both fun and funny (though I sucked at it)!
After more general chatter and relaxing, Sara asked if I wanted to go for a walk with some of the others. I think around 10 of us went, though I'm not sure of the names. We walked up the mountain a bit, and found a tower thing with a ladder (probably not for public use but oh well). We climbed up to the platform, which was fun; three of the men climbed all the way up. Scary!!

Tower!

A couple of people went back once we came down, but 5 of us (including me) carried on. It got very very very steep, and the ground was dusty so footholds were weak- awful in a dress and ballet flats!! We carried on like that for maybe an hour? We were hoping to find a really good viewpoint, which we didn't find :( Still, I got some good pictures at some points, so it was worth it!

 The View

A Different View!

 

Going back down was a lot quicker but a lot steeper and faster( due both to steepness and easier to run downhill). We got back to the tower we'd found before and went down from there.
Back at the French camp, Rafael told me that Mum, R etc. ha gone back, but I was fine to stay and Walter would take me back when I was ready. I watched the French people playing a very (!!) intense card game, then Walter took me back around 6:30ish. We didn't have any keys, so Rafael phoned Penha and she threw them out of the window to us!!
Quiet night; had chicken for tea and relaxed. Then to bed!!

Monday 12th August 2013

We were meant to go day care at 9 today, so we got up at 7:30. However, Penha phoned at around 8 with a change of plan- of course!- and told us to meet her somewhere at 9:30 to go to the embassy to show our passports- and declare ourselves legal! Apparently we should have done it on Friday... Whoops...
At around 9:10, just as we were about to leave, Penha came back. Her sandal had broken, so she had to change her shoes. We then all walked to the embassy.
Validating the passports was quite quick and not really anything to write home about.
Then we went to the day care. It was quiet; only four kids, including Taz (Ezra) and Alemena. Laura, Sahar and Rachel were all there as well, to help.
We played a few games, like Jenga and Dominoes. Eventually we went outside to play games- Dodgeball and a colour game they taught us that involved running away when 'your colour' was called. When we came back in it was lunchtime for them, so the kids ha lunch. The morning children have lunch 11:30-12:00 and the afternoon have theirs 12:00-12:30 so that time is kind of the crossover period.
I met a little girl called Ajna (pronounced Iy-na) who is absolutely adorable. She speaks a little English as well; her older brother is very good at English!
There wasn't much for us to do, so Laura, Sahar and Rachel went home. Mum, Sandra, R, Eveline and Samuel all had lunch & ice lollies, then Sandra said we should go home, and come back at 4:30 to help prepare for the little kids camp next week. Mum, R and I walked back to Penha's apartment, stopping on the way to get ice cream. I got another watermelon ice lolly instead- they are perfect :3

Nom Nom Nom

 Relaxed for a while; I was feeling pretty rough due to lazy bowels -_- It really isn't fair :(
Walked back to day care and met Penha and Rachel's mum (not sure of her name!). We went to a room attached to the day care where a couple of women are working on 'up cycling'- at the moment they're making old jeans into bags to sell, which is really cool!!
We helped load up Rachel's mum's car with food and water for the farm, then left. Penha took the bus to Sandra's apartment whilst Mum, R and I walked to the park near Penha's house.
Sandra, Eveline and Samuel met us there later. The kids played for a while, the adults supervised and I did some writing on my iPod. I'm finally actually writing again! Long may it last!
Went back to Penha's apartment and changed etc. Then had cheese and ham toastie's for dinner.
After we went out to the 'walking street'- the main street of Zenica that people walk up and down every night. Mum thinks it's weird, but I'm used to doing the same in school every lunch, so it just seems normal! You start walking, get engrossed in conversation and just keep going with both!
The walking street was very busy and bright- it felt like a carnival or something, with people selling illuminating toys, kids rides etc. We walked part way, stopping for everyone to get an ice cream (except me- anything much more than sorbet tends to make me feel ill!). We stopped at a small amusement area for the kids to go on go carts, Noddy rides and trampolines. Then we walked back. It was very nice!
Back to the apartment and to bed!

Tuesday 13th August 2013

Today we had to be at the day centre for 9. When we got there it was very quiet- just Ezra, Ajna and Elmena, and they were all having breakfast. Rachel turned up with Marc, who speaks very good English, and Lisa, who's birthday it was. I was very glad to see them- I had been told the night before that between 2-4 I'd be taking a 'class' of 13 kids as there would be no teacher.
The kids all went swimming. I thought Rachel went but later she had dry hair, so I'm unsure. Marc and Lisa were supposed to go, but there wasn't enough room in the van so in the end they didn't.
I started preparing the activity for the kids later on. I decided I would do paper headbands for them to decorate. However, things were slightly hindered by lack of glue and paper, as well as only one pair of scissors. Two trips to the shop and a little improvisation later, we were all set!!

Our Equipment!

 

Demo Headband

 I Was Proud!

I cut out lots of strips of paper (bought from the shop) so scissors wouldn't be an issue. Ditto cutting bits of foam into small squares.
After I finished we had lunch etc., and soon it was time for the activity!
Though Penha had said 13 children, there were only 5, and only 2 who made headbands- the older ones made books with Mum. It was initially very hard to get the children interested; they are so used to doing nothing at day care that any structure is unfamiliar to them. However, we made some headbands and books- the children I was working with also decided to make ninja headbands.

Woo!

NINJA!

 

Once we'd finished, the older children decided to go home. Penha had to go somewhere, so Mum, R, Rachel and I were left with the 2 younger children. However, they decided to go home as well, so it was just us.
R, Rachel and I did some more creative stuff. A little later Sandra, Samuel and Eveline turned up, so we made them headbands as well.
In the evening Rachel went home and we went back to the apartment. Good day!

Wednesday 14th August 2013

Today we had to be at the day centre for 9 to look after the children as there would be no teacher. We got there exactly on the dot.
Of course, it was a Bosnia schedule- there were two teachers, and when we arrived they were all having breakfast so there was nothing for us to do.
A little after breakfast Penha asked one of the teachers to let me do an activity with a class. Not too thrown in the deep end!! I was going to do headbands again, as we still had strips of paper and it was a different group to before, but they were older. In the end we made a paper chain.

Making The Paper Chain!

They decorated the chains very very nicely! I was so impressed at the effort!!
Rachel and Marie (speaks a little English, assistant to a professor at a college, not Christian) turned up, so they joined in too.
The paper chain itself was as tall as Rachel. We also added chains with the name of everyone who helped and the date, so it was taller than me!!

Before We Added The Names

Once it was all done some of the kids went to play; some stayed to make cards.
After, Rachel, Ruby, Penha, Mum and Rachel's mum (so also Rachel's soon-to-be brother!) had lunch. It was very nice, though Penha insisted that I don't eat enough.
After lunch we had little to do. Rachel's mother went back to the farm, but Rachel stayed with us.
As we had little to do, Mum, R, Rachel and I went back to the apartment- supposedly until 2:30-3:00 (it was around 2ish?).
We all had a watermelon ice lollies then painted our nails. After, R and Rachel watched TV whilst Mum and I just relaxed.
Penha came around 4 I think, with Rachel's mum, who drove us all to the Gypsy 'village'- Penha had to get forms signed for the camp next week, and she wanted us to see some of the areas that are more worse off.
There, we all got out except Rachel's mum, who stayed- I think partially to look after the car and partially because of foreign germs and the baby.
The houses were very small; however, they all had TV and radio and we think wi-fi and phones. There were lots and lots of children who were very affectionate, hugging us and wanting to be picked up etc. That was nice, they were really lovely.
Penha and Mum had a little more trouble with the adults. The adults were all talking in German, so Rachel's mother came over- she is actually German, so could help. She said after that they just wanted money, and called Penha a bad woman for 'only giving money to the rich'- nonsense! I don't think Penha gives money to anyone, just food/activity/clothes etc., which is exactly the right thing to do. The Gypsy families think money will solve everything, and cannot see that there are other problems: for example, they aren't actually trying to find jobs!
Lovely as the children were, even they were after money, though more subtly- telling us that the baby was ill, and needed to go to the doctor. It's hard, they don't mean to do wrong by asking things like that- it's just the way they've been brought up.
Overall, though the conditions at the Gypsy village were bad and the children adorable, I still feel there are many people worse off who are actively trying to change their situation- so, I'm afraid, my heart goes out to them a little more.
The next house we visited was a lot more shocking. Rachel and her mum stayed in the car. The rest of us got out, and were instantly hit by the smell of poo etc., which was absolutely awful. We had to walk up a hill to meet the family, who lived at the top.
The family were nice, though I have to say that R and I were more interested in the tiny, adorable kitten!! Penha was horrified when she saw us holding it- the conditions and the people were not clean!
That family have 10 children, all boys; I was told later that they keep trying for a girl. Why? So that she can work on the streets or be sold for marriage. It's so so awful. Neither of those should ever be the reason a child is born, it's morally wrong for all involved!!
We went back to the day centre after that. We had some corn on the cob to eat, then Mum, Penha and Rachel's mum went to climb a mountain to pray. Rachel, R and I found some coloured mats and a ball so we played games with those- Twister, One Knee Two Knee, Colour Game (new one!) and Piggy In The Middle. It was very good fun!!!
When the adults got back we helped to load up the car to take food to the farm, then Penha and Mum did a little cleaning.
Home, though Penha went to Sandra's. By then it was getting late. Quiet evening & bed.

Thursday 15th August 2013

Lie in today- we didn't have to be at the day care centre till 11-12. Leisurely morning, then stopped at bank on the way.
When we got to the day care the children were just going into lunch. There was one little boy who was going towards the dining room but then stopped and went off again- we thought he'd forgotten something.
Rachel, R and I went down to the classrooms to play. R went outside and saw the little boy; she came back in and said that his trousers were falling down.
Rachel and I went outside- we thought he was part of the day care, so wanted to try and get him inside for lunch. Outside, it smelt dreadfully. He had pulled his trousers down and done a poo. We tried to 'sign' about lunch, but he had no clue.
One of the older Bosnian boys came out, and told us that the boy wasn't from the day care. There was nothing much we could do, so we went inside. It was very upsetting to leave him there though.
Inside we decided to play dominoes in one of the classrooms. Before we could start, however, the little boy came in from outside and wanted to play. The older boy treated him horribly, backing away as if he had a contagious disease and telling him he smelt. Okay, his hygiene wasn't great, but he knew no different! He just wanted to play!
As we spoke no Bosnian, there was nothing we could do to help. The older boy told us we must leave the room and he would tell a teacher to get the boy to go. It broke my heart leaving the room; all the little boy wanted was someone to play with him. I really wish we could speak Bosnian- then we could actually have done something!
We set up Jenga in the other room and played that. The kids started coming in from lunch and it quickly got very busy and noisy, with everyone wanting to do something different. I found it quite overwhelming and frustrating; you'd start playing a game with one child only for another to rush in and interrupt. Thankfully, they went outside and then home, so it got quieter.
Rachel went back to the farm for lunch. I started helping with the tomatoes, of which there must have been thousands! We had to peel them and mash them so they could be frozen.

 Tomato Time!

Cooking Tomatoes

Had a break for lunch, then another hour on tomatoes. As we were finishing, Rachel and her mum came back. We had popcorn, then went to do another visit.

Peeled And Peelings

On the way, we stopped a couple of times to order bread and buy meat for dinner (hamburgers, Penha style!) for the French. Then we carried on to the house we were visiting.
It was on a farm; we had to park at the bottom of a hill and walk up, which took a while.
At the top, we met the family- 1 man, 2 women and SIXTEEN KIDS!! We already knew a few from day care.
They were all really really friendly and welcoming; it was a lovely visit! They didn't ask for anything, but did their best to make us all feel welcome. So nice! They wanted a picture with all of us (not all 16 kids were in the pic).

At The Farm!

They also showed us round their house. Three rooms for 17 people!! (A couple of the children have moved out) It must be cold in winter, too.
After the farm, we went back to the bakery to collect the bread, then returned to day care. I helped to prepare the burgers. 'Penha style' meant beefburger, slice of ham, slice of cheese, fried egg and tomato. Apparently she hadn't been able to source bacon! Rachel's mother told us later that the French couldn't believe the burgers and enjoyed them very much.
Whilst we were making the burgers, the electricity went off and a siren sounded- apparently this is an alert mechanism. Thankfully Rachel's mum was able to locate the 'on' switch!!
I had a burger leftover-style (just a bun & burger!) then Rachel, R and I played for a bit- the Colour Game and 1 knee 2 Knee. After, Rachel's mum gave us a lift home.
The evening was quite quiet; I was feeling quite low and stressed.
Skyped Dad and went to bed.

Friday 16th August 2013

We had the morning off today!
Didn't set an alarm but we all woke up around 8:30 anyway!
Had a fairly lazy morning. I was going to have a shower, but we thought the hot water was going to run out soon so it made more sense to have a bath.
R had a tantrum because she didn't want to go shopping. It was a very looong tantrum. Eventually Mum remembered that the day care was in the park on the way for the morning, so said that if we saw them she'd see if R could stay for a bit.
The day care were there so Mum spoke to the teachers and they agreed to look after R. Then Mum and I went on to the shopping centre.

View Of Apartment En Route To Shopping Center!

We went to the stationery shop; it was so good! Lots of notebooks, very cheap. We spent a long time in there!
Then looked around a little more; it was interesting but I didn't get anything else.
Back to the park- day care was still there, and R came running towards us, crying her eyes out. We eventually worked out that she had had a good time, but had got upset near the end because she couldn't understand what was said.
Walked with day care back to the centre, where they had lunch. We played with the children a bit- Ajna and her brother were there, so I chatted to him whilst helping her with the card she was making.
Lunchtime for us! Then back to playing with the kids. I took my camera down, which Ajna and her brother enjoyed- now got lots of nice pictures! :) Then did some dancing with Ajna and played table tennis with her brother.

Myself And Ajna <3

Mum went shopping with Penha to get sausages for the French dinner whilst the day care kids went home. Ela, Rachel's mum, turned up, so we all waited for Mum and Penha.
When they got back we started to make the hot dogs; Ela went back to the camp. Once the sausages were cooked, Mum, R and I had to take the plastic skins off!
Went to the shop to get vegetables for salsa, then again to get bread. On the way to getting bread I saw Laura and Ela on their way to day care.
Loaded up the car. Then they left, and we waited for Walter, who gave us a lift home.
Uneventful evening!

View From Apartment

Saturday 17th August 2013

We had no work today as Penha wanted us to enjoy our last day!- she often forgets that we're here to work, not relax.
Got up and got ready, did a little sorting out of packing. Penha got back around 11, and we went out to the shops.
I got a spotty top, which I'm not sure actually fits :( And also a spotty purse, which is bright orange and very cool!! We looked around the market, which was very busy with lots to see and cheap fruit- Mum got a kilo of raspberries for 5km (around £2.50- very cheap!!).
Then we went to a pizza place where we met Rafael for lunch. I had carbonara, but the meat was too salty and the sauce more like gone off milk than fully fledged cheese :(
After lunch we went back to Penha's apartment and relaxed/packed/did nothing, which wasn't good for me as I got very stressed.
Supposed to go out for tea, but instead Penha took us to the park. Who knows! Met Sandra, Eveline and Samuel.

Spider In The Park!

Stayed at the park for a while, then home an bed. Once again, I couldn't sleep.

Sunday 18th August 2013

Our last day in Zenica :(
Got up fairly early to finish packing and get ready in general. Then walked to church. We met Sandra, Eveline and Samuel along the way, as well as Taz, Elmena and their two older sisters, one of whom we privately call 'Attitude Girl'- she goes to day care but sits doing nothing.
At church it was similar to last week, with lots of singing. The songs were quite nice. Also the French did a song for us which was really good!
Bit if bother with Attitude Girl and her sister- they were sat together, and at first only her sister (we think she's called Miriella?) would stand up to sing, then when the French sang AG spent the whole time laughing. Penha went over and told them off, then eventually she and Sandra separated them. Still that didn't help- AG kept giggling and looking across at her sister. Penha and Sandra weren't happy.
When it was time for the kids group, R was reluctant to go as she didn't like it last week (language barrier) so I went with her. It wasn't a great experience. R was put on the spot quite a bit, and I can see why she didn't like it. We were both glad when it ended!!
Time for refreshments and to chat with the French, then we went to the farm. Mum said that during the service, AG got worse and eventually walked out, followed by Miriella, followed by a Bosnian boy, followed by Sandra. Five minutes later, they all came back.
At the farm I mainly chatted to Laura, Cecile, Sarah, and Marc which was really nice and quite funny. Almana also dragged as many people as possible into various games of Ninja.
Lunch was sausages, which was nice.

Animal Shed!

 Food Item Of The Week?!

  French Camp

All in all the afternoon was lovely; the perfect end to our stay, and I was reluctant- possibly a tad tearful!- to leave. However I have a few contact details (Cecile, Sarah and Rachel) so hopefully we can all stay in touch. Going to miss the French people so so so much :(
Went back to the apartment with Walter and said goodbye to Sandra and the kids. Will definitely miss them! :(
Got our stuff ready. We have Penha a card and bracelet; she gave me and R cuddly toys each, and Mum a photo album with a few pictures from our stay, which was absolutely lovely. Very very sad to leave!
Walter picked us up. We stopped at the farm en route to change cars and pick up four of the French to go and set up the kids up for next week (it made sense to go on from Sarajevo). However we couldn't change to a bigger car, so we only picked up 3 of the French (Mark, the guy who's good at Ninja and someone else I didn't recognise), and we all got very squashed!!

Sunset Over The Farm

Dropped off at Sarajevo. The hotel was very posh (5 *s!!)- apparently Bosnian prices are a lot cheaper!
Said goodbye to Walter and French then went up to room. Flopped for a bit, then went out to get dinner. The area the hotel is in is beautiful; it's near the bottom of a hill, so all you can see at night is a wall of lights. Beautiful.
Got dinner bits at a supermarket, then went back to hotel and ate. All very tired so bed!!

Monday19th August 2013

Not a great start to the morning- I had nightmares etc., so woke up feeling very very low. Eventually decided to write a letter of complaint to the school, which Mum said I can do. Being able to put my anger into something constructive didn't flip my mood, but did help!
After breakfast, we went into Sarajevo. Went into Deichmann- the cheap shoe shop we found before in Birmingham. It was perfect opportunity to get shoes for R, but of course there were none she liked the feel of! She is very picky about her shoes!
Walked down what we think was a main road, trying to find tourist info as we weren't sure where to go or what to see. We had been recommended the 'Pigeon Square', but had no clue where it was (just that it was in the Turkish quarter- wherever that was!) and it wasn't marked on the map.
On the way we stopped at a book market thing; however, everything was in Bosnian, strangely enough.
Carried on, managed to find a sort of corridor with a cross between market stalls and shops, which was interesting and very nice. I liked the scarves- 5KM, around £2.50!!

Market Corridor Thing!

Looked around the market a lot. It was really nice, with lots and lots of lovely clothes!! R got some hair clips and we all got some badges. Also got a new band/bracelet that says 'LIVE STRONG' and a scarf with sort of explosion flower things on.
Had lunch at a cafe called Rahatlook with a beautiful inspiring menu. Lunch ended up being pancakes. R and I ordered Nutella each, and a while later the woman brought out a plate with two Nutella pancakes, and one knife and fork. We thought it was odd that they were on one plate, but good for washing. Mum gave us her fork, and we had a pancake each. Then, around 10 minutes later the woman brought out a second plate of two pancakes! So we shared that one too. We think she brought them separately to make sure they were hot; still, I prefer the custom of all orders at once as it's a lot less confusing!!
After lunch we carried on looking around. Somehow we managed to find the Pigeon Square!! There were loaaads of pigeons, and a man selling bird food for 1KM (less than 50p). It was very fun to feed the birds- we discovered the best thing to do was to sprinkle a little on the floor so that loads swarmed over, then to hold out some food in your palm so the brave ones would eat from it. Any minute movement, however, and they were off!- so my plans of subtly stroking one were screwed. The best alternative was to wait until one was resting it's neck on my thumb then move my thumb as lightly as possible. Their feathers were so soft!!!

Pigeon Feeding Time!

After Pigeon Square, we walked on and found a very very small Bosnian market, where we bought a little fruit- mainly raspberries, which I absolutely adore!!
Walked a little back through the Turkish market, and to the river, which was nice to walk along for a bit. Then we went back to the road we walked along earlier, stopping first in a stationers to get presents for R's friends S and O, then to browse in a 'Cosmetics Market'- Mum and I got a mascara pack, two for the price of less than £2.50. It is so so cheap here!!
Pauses a while longer in the book market on the way back to look for any English books- I've run out of reading! However the only English books were quite expensive and didn't interest me anyway, so I left it. I can always reread something!!
We passed some fountains on the way back; R was very hot and tired, so Mum stopped with her then and I carried on back to the hotel. Once there I couldn't get the room key to work, so had to get it redone!

Sarajevo

 Better (But Non-Photogenic) At Night

 

 Window. Not Mirror.

 

Found a book on the iPad and read that. Mum and R came back. We agreed to relax a while, then go out for dinner, then Skype Dad on our return.
I finished reading the book I'd started- it was compelling, though I'm not sure I would recommend it; parts felt quite rushed, and the ending was a little naïve, with everyone playing happy families. After that, I had a bath and actually felt clean for the first time!! Painted my nails too :) 'Twas gooood.
Went out to find somewhere to have dinner; however, we couldn't find anywhere suitable, so in the end we went to a supermarket. R wasn't happy with this, and took ages choosing, which frustrated me. Went back to hotel and ate. Then went down to lobby and Skyped Dad.
Back to hotel room- bed!!

 Tuesday 20th August 2013

 Basically.