Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Rainy and warm in Sarajevo
Today there is changeable weather, I was forced to carry an umbrella, it's a nuisance to have to do that, but oh well!
On the bus, not fir the first time either, I was witness to something I love about the people here. My bus passes the hospital on it's route, and of course that means often people who are not well, and elderly come on board and at a point when most seats are taken. What I love is that if people see such a person, they offer their seat to him or her. A lot of times you will see a middle aged lady not in wonderful health herself probably give her seat to a frail old man, sometimes you will see men with disabilities they plainly got in the war, and people always offer their seats to these people. Sometimes the guy refuses, because men here like to offer their seats to ladies, even very old men will do that. If that happens, that seat is likely to stay empty for the duration of the run, or until at least the next stop where people exit and enter the bus!
I have benefited from the very nice habit of people offering seats to those older than themselves or in less than ideal condition. There was one day when both ankles were giving me trouble, and I could not avoid going into town, It was crowded more than usual, I think it was one of the poor abused mini-buses, and someone immediately offered me a seat, bless them forever!
Buses here can be very crowded indeed! I am lucky, I live at the end of the run, and I can usually get a seat either way, because of that fact, I sit WAY in back, there are three doors on most buses, so no trouble getting out. I try to sit by an open window. Buses here are not air conditioned and it can be miserable if you are not near a window.
On the bus, not fir the first time either, I was witness to something I love about the people here. My bus passes the hospital on it's route, and of course that means often people who are not well, and elderly come on board and at a point when most seats are taken. What I love is that if people see such a person, they offer their seat to him or her. A lot of times you will see a middle aged lady not in wonderful health herself probably give her seat to a frail old man, sometimes you will see men with disabilities they plainly got in the war, and people always offer their seats to these people. Sometimes the guy refuses, because men here like to offer their seats to ladies, even very old men will do that. If that happens, that seat is likely to stay empty for the duration of the run, or until at least the next stop where people exit and enter the bus!
I have benefited from the very nice habit of people offering seats to those older than themselves or in less than ideal condition. There was one day when both ankles were giving me trouble, and I could not avoid going into town, It was crowded more than usual, I think it was one of the poor abused mini-buses, and someone immediately offered me a seat, bless them forever!
Buses here can be very crowded indeed! I am lucky, I live at the end of the run, and I can usually get a seat either way, because of that fact, I sit WAY in back, there are three doors on most buses, so no trouble getting out. I try to sit by an open window. Buses here are not air conditioned and it can be miserable if you are not near a window.
# posted by Katja R. @ 12:27 AM 
