It has almost gotten to the point, after two decades of absence from the US of A, that I sometimes feel like a tourist in my 'own land.' Or perhaps somewhere in between a local and ferner. There are a handful things I truly miss. This is my top ten. So it goes. 1. It's […]
So it's dark now. We're in the middle of nowhere. The South American soap operas are over for the day. The border guard has told us our official US Embassy document is falsified. To top it all off, I'm angry and seemed to have the uncontrollable urge to express that anger. I'm pretty sure my […]
This was supposed to be a continuation of a family's reunion. That was my intention. But it's gonna have to wait another day I'm afraid. Something else came to mind. And continues to do so. So I will go with the proverbial flow. Newtown. The name doesn't seem to want to leave. Sometimes it's replaced […]
They were just two kids playing in their backyard. The avlija, a garden enclosed by a high stone wall, was the only source of normal play for them. Kids like kids, mom and dad let them into the well kept garden to play during a lull in the shelling. A 120mm mortar round came, with […]
The winter here hasn't been too dramatic yet. Last year we got pummeled with 2 meters of snow in a few days. There isn't a drop of snow to speak of at the lower altitudes. Sarajevo is known for its long, cold, dark and dirty winters. That's why it's good to have family in Florida. And Florida […]
I have never - ever - had an uneventful road trip in the Balkans. Barring all barnoneables, We had just crossed the Sava River, the same natural border that creates the political one between Bosnia and Croatia. After the curvy two lane roads of Posavina it was nice to be on the highway. My old […]
So the US has avoided the proverbial fiscal cliff. I sense a battle royale stirring over the nitty gritty details of spending cuts in the next few months. We here in Bosnia (and Herzegovina) have it easy. Fiscal Shmiscal. Cliff Miff. We have no economy to speak of. It seems to go from bad to worse […]
I had just been relocated to the Croatian island of Brac to work in a refugee camp there. The camp was a hotel on the beach, overlooking the beautiful Adriatic Sea. It was a slight step up from my previous gig. Before that I was volunteering in a refugee camp in the western Herzegovina town […]
I've just realized that this period is exactly 20 years since my Balkan journey began. I guess it's no coincidence that I've started here then, huh? So I'm standing in the office of the Peace Hostel in Zagreb, heart on the floor, remember? You'll have to forgive my memory, some things are very gray or […]