Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Beautifully Lost
It has been very hot and muggy. I am probably not sitting in here long, I did not eat before leaving home, meaning I soon will want to tear into some nice čevapi someplace. I try for an indoor place to avoid the attentions of the Roma people who come to Baščaršija. It helps that I almost look local, but they still bother me on occasion, although I must say it is NOTHING like the situation in Dublin!
If Padraic H. Pearse could see what has happened to Ireland he'd weep, and probably tell the English, 'All is forgiven! Come back!'
Here they'll usually take a couple refusals as 'no' and go away. I decline politely. I do help, but what I do is there is in most post offices a collection point for one of the public kitchens, same goes for the Turkish Bank. I donate that way, because I know it goes to FOOD! Not that people who live hard don't have other needs, like shelter, clothing, medicine.
A lot of the Roma here go through the trash. When people throw out something like clothing that is potentially reusable or bread that has gotten too hard, but is still unspoiled they hang it on the handles of the trash bin, so that it won't get dirtier than it has to.
As well, if something big that is still good gets thrown out, I've seen people tell their friends if they happen to know any Roma. I was in the dress shop one day and the lady told a Roma who came to say hello, 'Listen, the neighbors are redecorating, they threw out a really good bed!' and she told her how to get there. Roma here sometimes have proper flats, but usually they have to scrounge to get things like beds, clothes and so forth.
Trash day here can be awful! The bins in some areas overflow. There is only a beginning effort at recycling. The way they are going to do it is have separate bins for separate sorts of trash, but that isn't finished yet. It will take time.
Dealing with such fine tuning has come slowly. So many things seem more urgent.
I got really lost in a very interesting neighborhood yesterday, it was so hot, but I grabbed sips of water from the fountains at mosques along the way. I was trying to duplicate the interesting route taxis sometimes take from Baščaršija to my street, and I wasn't REALLY That Lost. Just enough, though. I saw some wonderful old Bosnian houses, and passes the Svrze house. Several beautiful mosques, which have been restored. Finally I arrived at a store that I know is just a short walk from the bus stop! I rejoiced knowing that I could get cold water and a shower in minutes! Usually when I get lost, it makes me mad, but I knew there was a chance I'd be lost, and I had nothing to hurry for, and it was so beautiful out, and so many wonderful new sights, places the average amerikanka probably isn't going to see.
Oh and for once my ankle didn't give me horrible problems, there were a lot of those messed up stone stairs where I was.
If Padraic H. Pearse could see what has happened to Ireland he'd weep, and probably tell the English, 'All is forgiven! Come back!'
Here they'll usually take a couple refusals as 'no' and go away. I decline politely. I do help, but what I do is there is in most post offices a collection point for one of the public kitchens, same goes for the Turkish Bank. I donate that way, because I know it goes to FOOD! Not that people who live hard don't have other needs, like shelter, clothing, medicine.
A lot of the Roma here go through the trash. When people throw out something like clothing that is potentially reusable or bread that has gotten too hard, but is still unspoiled they hang it on the handles of the trash bin, so that it won't get dirtier than it has to.
As well, if something big that is still good gets thrown out, I've seen people tell their friends if they happen to know any Roma. I was in the dress shop one day and the lady told a Roma who came to say hello, 'Listen, the neighbors are redecorating, they threw out a really good bed!' and she told her how to get there. Roma here sometimes have proper flats, but usually they have to scrounge to get things like beds, clothes and so forth.
Trash day here can be awful! The bins in some areas overflow. There is only a beginning effort at recycling. The way they are going to do it is have separate bins for separate sorts of trash, but that isn't finished yet. It will take time.
Dealing with such fine tuning has come slowly. So many things seem more urgent.
I got really lost in a very interesting neighborhood yesterday, it was so hot, but I grabbed sips of water from the fountains at mosques along the way. I was trying to duplicate the interesting route taxis sometimes take from Baščaršija to my street, and I wasn't REALLY That Lost. Just enough, though. I saw some wonderful old Bosnian houses, and passes the Svrze house. Several beautiful mosques, which have been restored. Finally I arrived at a store that I know is just a short walk from the bus stop! I rejoiced knowing that I could get cold water and a shower in minutes! Usually when I get lost, it makes me mad, but I knew there was a chance I'd be lost, and I had nothing to hurry for, and it was so beautiful out, and so many wonderful new sights, places the average amerikanka probably isn't going to see.
Oh and for once my ankle didn't give me horrible problems, there were a lot of those messed up stone stairs where I was.
# posted by Katja R. @ 12:40 AM 
