Thursday, May 15, 2008
Mahmoud Darwish in Sarajevo
I don't read Arabic, my exposure to the works of Mahmoud Darwish was during the course of my mis-spent youth. I got home yesterday from the neighborhood internet club, and saw that and was dancing around the living room all excited, plotting how to go meet Mahmoud Darwish and tell him how much I like his writing!
That was not to be! :). What happened instead was just as I was photographing the article about him, my landlady called and said she was sorry she didn't tell me the nice guys who put in the new cup-board had a couple more things to do. She sounded distressed at having disturbed me which she had! I was having a small party for one! But that was o.k. The guys came in, finished the job, and began packing up their implements of construction in the ultra-huge tool box. One of the guys looks just a little like Gino from Kultur Shock only no dreadlocks! He's the one I gave my ad to. They proceded to deliver in rapid fire Bosnian a series of directions, and do's and don't's for the cup-board, and I had to throw my hands up and explain 'I do speak and understand Bosnian, but please slow down so I can understand you!' They did, basically don't open and shut the cup-board a lot, don't get it wet until the next day, there was caulk and it had to dry off. I thanked them and said that I understood everything!
They said 'Doviđenje!', well the one that is planning on doing English did anyway! And off they went, but that wasn't all, the landlady wanted to come in and inspect the work, and I told her I really love the cup-board and I was sure any future tenants will agree! First off, it allows me to put any really dangerous items well out of reach, it isn't likely to be visited by a lot of spiders. I like spiders, I am a one woman spider rescue committee, but if they get in a cup-board it can be a problem. Nothing in my personal beliefs is against preventing them from going someplace, just squishing or poisoning them when it's not neccessary.
The guys were glad that two very different and picky ladies thought they had done a good job, and the landlady was glad I like the cup-board! It frees up valuable real estate on the counter!
So after they left, I watched the news, and Mahmoud Darwish was in Baščaršija, with a few people in the higher levels of the Sarajevo Poetry Mafija, and he was near one of my regular haunts too! I almost cried! :)
Then I read in the paper he would be interviewed after the soccer game. So I put on the soccer game to avoid missing him. The soccer game wasn't bad value for money either, fans setting off flares and stuff, highly entertaining!
Glad I wasn't any place near the place! :)
Mahmoud Darwish was in Bosnia at least a couple prior times. He spoke in Arabic, and there was simultaneous interpretation in Bosnian. I haven't dealt with so much of that in awhile, not since watching the U.N. non-stop during various Middle East krize!
Speaking of that, they ran on FTV, 'A Woman Called Golda'. I went ahead and watched, it was also a very good film. Not for really young kids, there's some harrowing archival footage of concentration camp survivors. There is one face that is never leaving my mind! So Not For Everyone!
Like here there, there's more than one side to the story. Which was something Darwish was at pains to point out during his interview.
Then I did some follow up SMS's to prior inquiries. That went o.k. The one who was sick is all better, catching up at work, and will call me next week. I can look forward to the first class getting off the ground soon then ako Bog daj! Please keep praying for me if that is what you do! I think it is helping me at least not get too scared! :) I really want to make a go of this, and I need to if I am to stay in this lovely city!
# posted by Katja R. @ 2:16 AM 
