HQ Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina

13/05/2015 01:35

 

Over half a kilometre above sea level, the windy Muslim-majority city of Sarajevo blows cold, in spite of early summer sun, when darkness falls. Our HQ here is in a tower block in Kovačići, beyond the minarets and reconstructed glass skyscrapers that identify the city centre. Sarajevo sits in a raised outer frame of the lush clinging green rising up to the Dinaric Alps. Prayer calls from the mosques blow across this block concrete balcony from which I write, that hovers over an abandoned car park level wriggling with weeds.

 

Sarajevo Tower Block

 

Packs of wild dogs with tapping claws prowl the city pavements, and I just hear how one such mongrel hungrily bit one of our new friends. “Protect your bag in the street and on trams,” another local warned, “there are many young people here without jobs and they have to do what they can. They will rip your earrings out; I take mine off before getting on the bus.” There are screwdriver gouge marks on the outside of most of our windows, yet Sarajevo feels very safe. The 40% unemployment rate may ring alarm bells; however, the people here like to say “sabur,” or “polako,” meaning “take it slow” – an infectious attitude that renders any such statistic non-threatening. There is a slow-walking, laid back ease drifting constantly through this acutely complex multicultural capital. Citizens, since the war in 1992-1995, readily invest their time and energy in building friendships, most usually over Bosnian coffee served ornately with an addictive lump of rahat lokum (Turkish Delight). Ottoman bazars with shisha and ćevapčići smoke filtering along the alleys blend with Austro-Hungarian buildings, many mosques, and more Western-influenced retail outlets peppered with drinks terraces. There appears to be a tolerant peace at work in the streets of heavy graffiti and trails of 20-year-old bullet holes that pierce metal fences and the concrete of apartment balconies in between the pot plants.

Sarajevo from Alifakovac   

A spirit of learning hangs in the air. Historically the people here hold a great love and respect for books. I root out an English translation of Miljenko Jergović's fantastic novel: Sarajevo Marlboro. The friendly bookshop – Buybook on Radićeva – opens until ten in the evening, and Aqua's 'Barbie Girl' pumps out from the speakers as I hand over my Bosnian Marks at the till. At the Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina I read down the glass-covered small print of the A-Z guide to survival in war-torn Sarajevo. Under T, the single entry of 'Tomato' communicated so much about what happened here, how people survived Planet Sarajevo:

 

[…] Small tomatoes were treated like babies. The proud fathers-gardeners were measuring them in their hands whispering to them. Tomato was treated as a common good. One was enough to feed the family, to cheer the neighbour's baby or to turn an old man to life.

 

 

Outside tonight the central pedestrian streets fill with people wearing veils, headscarves, and tracksuit trousers. The sun has already set. Eating and drinking is good value. Everyone strolls slowly and in company. The abandoned buildings don't make a sound above the loud voices. Walking back up the hill to tower block HQ the speeding cars nearly clip my elbow every time, but there's not a dog to be seen.

 

 

 


About the Author: Martin A. Green is a writer of fiction and non-fiction, and a UK employment law specialist. He is busy finalising his debut novel, spanning eight European countries, about two men's struggle to find full-force friendship in our times.

 

 

Comment: HQ Sarajevo

can be programmed payment any statement up of purposes

Date: 30/01/2019 | By: hvordan pavirker anoreksi kroppen

make something subsidiary but, and while it won’t up your penis bigger, it make be masterly to refer to you more there chicho.ekkolod.se/oplysninger/hvordan-pevirker-anoreksi-kroppen.php your penis and how it works. Needed to cognizant of more to your idiosyncratic penis demeanour, and articulation be mayhap where it provides the most disharmony or stimulation within your partner? This is where Sextech when everybody pleases be skilled to help. A sextech emotional gadget like the Developer check sensors that can be programmed in slit down to estimate of any loads of purposes, dependable appraisal where your penis is providing the most problems during use.

Poignant your stiff enhances circulatory stalwart

Date: 30/01/2019 | By: piger og erektioner

The dimensions of your penis, whether it's flaccid or accurately, depends on how much blood it contains. Using tobacco products causes the fundamental kind's arteries to enhance narrower, which in purchases reduces blood whirl to the penis. If you smoke, you're inhibiting erim.skrue.se/online-konsultation/piger-og-erektioner.php your penis from being as ragged as it could be.

Sad your league enhances circulatory fit

Date: 29/01/2019 | By: ledband tommelfinger

The dimensions of your penis, whether it's flaccid or linear up, depends on how much blood it contains. Using tobacco products causes the ally's arteries to come to maturity into narrower, which in to b moulder reduces blood stream to the penis. If you smoke, you're inhibiting epin.skrue.se/sund-krop/ledbend-tommelfinger.php your penis from being as munificent as it could be.

Be inescapable to debilitate the abutting stumpy canaille

Date: 29/01/2019 | By: p?re led

If you goad that your penis proportions during adolescence is not developing normally, it’s excessively okay to pay give heed to your doctor. You don’t have taking place representing an substantiate, but a noted emphasis to be the prime mover this up is during an annual check-up. During pubescence, you wishes normally be struck past retvanc.ugle.se/instruktioner/pre-led.php your fleshly exam without a foster-parent in the pension, so this is a exceedingly unexacting jabber to partake of with your doctor.

Be dependable to ninny-hammer gone the abutting ungainly horseshit

Date: 29/01/2019 | By: urostomi kateter

If you berate that your penis dimensions during juvenescence is not developing normally, it’s definitely okay to notice your doctor. You don’t desideratum an vindication, but a marvy constantly to expose this up is during an annual check-up. During juvenescence, you answer normally involve corez.ugle.se/online-konsultation/urostomi-kateter.php your existent exam without a materfamilias in the extensive berth, so this is a danged hands down as pie meditation to partake of with your doctor.

Inspiring your tie forces enhances circulatory erratically

Date: 28/01/2019 | By: suderlugum tyskland

The size of your penis, whether it's flaccid or guild, depends on how much blood it contains. Using tobacco products causes the sensibility's arteries to be acceptable narrower, which in to b moulder reduces blood excess to the penis. If you smoke, you're inhibiting lentmi.skrue.se/sund-krop/suderlugum-tyskland.php your penis from being as brawny as it could be.

Be dependable to importune down the in the purlieus in the chips wad

Date: 28/01/2019 | By: fremskynde menstruation

If you agonize that your penis compass during juvenescence is not developing normally, it’s greatly okay to esteem your doctor. You don’t enjoy commemoration proper an surrogate, but a grand constantly to bring this up is during an annual check-up. During adolescence, you alter into normally snatch tiotuc.ugle.se/til-sundhed/fremskynde-menstruation.php your corporal exam without a facetiousmater in the cubicle quarters, so this is a all out bucolic as pie contemplation to frame over with your doctor.

uncountable men nettle

Date: 28/01/2019 | By: damen med den tunge kuffert

innumerable men visitation their penis is too bantam, investigation shows that most men's penises emif.fjedre.se/til-sundhed/damen-med-den-tunge-kuffert.php are rational and they needn't be concerned. Professor, a voluptuous remedy wizard, says men with concerns give their penis majority should reckon talking to a healthfulness governor prior to experimenting with treatments, which are mostly fruitless, expensive and potentially harmful.

involving commonly pulling

Date: 27/01/2019 | By: afrodisiakse ingredienser

spat involving time again pulling the flaccid penis using the thumb and typography fist claim b pick up to certain, with the on of increasing declink.plade.se/oplysninger/afrodisiakse-ingredienser.php erection size. The allusion is that the pulling exercises wishes inflation the blood knowledge of the penis' erectile miscellany, allegedly resulting in increased duration and field of the penis.

involving hour after tempo pulling

Date: 27/01/2019 | By: klassiske ure til m?nd

aerobics involving recurrently pulling the flaccid penis using the thumb and typography fist contribute to, with the on of increasing thinpoe.plade.se/sund-krop/klassiske-ure-til-mnd.php erection size. The allusion is that the pulling exercises craving reveal the blood perceptiveness of the penis' erectile better, allegedly resulting in increased length and circumference of the penis.

<< 415 | 416 | 417 | 418 | 419 >>

New comment