GOOD BYE, SARAJEVO

Well, well, well.....Just as I was getting used to this lifestyle it comes to an end. Mark and I thought we would be staying another 2 years. We thought that he would win the new project, TARA. But it looks like AID had an agenda that was a little different than what the Request for Proposal said.....I guess we were suppose to come home.

Prior to my leaving Sarajevo, I was walking to bridge knowing that it was my last time. I felt sad to leave. I met some lovely people and made some good friends. I was suprised that I felt so sad to leave because I didn't want to go to Bosnia in the first place! I started thinking about the day I left Virginia to go to Sarajevo. Melissa, Megan and Cara took us to the airport and I cried from the time they left us till we were half way over the Atlantic Ocean. I had felt like someone ripped out my heart. It was very difficult leaving Virginia and my daughters, and although it wouldn't be that difficult, it still hurt to leave Sarajevo and the people we came to know. I will miss the people, the friends, playing bridge, being alone with my husband, playing housewife and not earning a living. I won't miss the grey skies!!

TAMP

I know Mark will be so sad to leave this great group of people too! He was the Chief of Party for the Tax Modernization Project (TAMP). This is the door to their office at the Ministry of Finance in Sarajevo.....


Mark, Pero and Dzelila are peeking out from the door at my request. Initially, Mark was giving Pero bunny ears!! You'd never know he was a PhD economist running an important project!! Unfortunately, Ana was out sick this day.





These are some of the people Mark worked with at the Ministry.
Mark, Dzelila, Pero, Hajrudin, Jasmina, Natasha, Nermana.

There were many others on his project, but I thought about taking pictures too late and didn't get everyone together. So, if any of you read this, please forgive me.

My Bridge Group

In September 2005 I met Cathy and her husband Rudy at a restaurant called Fellini's. I told her I hadn't met any women yet and I had been in the country for 2 months! She suggested that I go on Wednesday to the Villa Orient and learn to play bridge. I was getting so lonely and desperate to meet other women, that I got up the courage and went. Well, these ladies could not have been more welcoming. They were all experienced bridge players and I had never played before. They told me I could watch, but what happened was Ina took me aside and started teaching me right then and there. She is a great teacher and I learned everything I know about bridge from her. I met Jane there and there was an instant connection between us and we became fast friends. She was a saving grace for me. I will treasure my time with her.

Well, I learned to play bridge and EVERYONE, I mean EVERYONE, was so patient with me and my bidding and playing the game. If it was a cut throat group I still wouldn't know how to play!!

Since I found out I was leaving for good only a week before my already scheduled plane flight, they gave me a little farewell luncheon at Slick's.

Playing bridge was something I looked forward to every week. There was never an excuse not to play. Sometimes some of us would get together on other days and play. I will miss these ladies and all the fun we had.

Pat, from Ireland; Kazuko from Japan

Anna Metta, from Norway; Sophia, from Cyprus
Jane, from West Virginia; Cathy, from New York

Ina, from Ukraine; Maja, from Germany.

I thank God that I had the opportunity to know these women with this wonderful mixture of nationalities

This is one of the last pictures I got in Sarajevo. It was early morning, May 11, 2006. It was cool and overcast when Cola picked us up to take us to the airport. I won't miss the grey overcast skies or the rain, but I will miss the people. The Bosnian people are just the warmest most welcoming people I have met in a long time. My bridge group ladies will always remain special to me and my good friend Jane, who I hope will visit this summer.

Gorazde

On Saturday, April 29th, Edin, "The Hero of Gorazde,"
one of our IT guys,
had his annual Lamb Roast in Gorazde.





Yep!! A whole lamb is skewered and cooked over an open pit. It's really interesting and very unusual for Americans.


Menso and Adis





Many of Mark's co-workers were there. The weather was, of course, cold and rainy...bone chilling cold and rainy!! I was the DD (designated driver) so I didn't have anything to drink. Everyone else was drinking and warm....uh duh!! The company and food were great.


Nihad







Cola and his son, Harun



Sam and Dzelila (Jelly)

Gorazde is about 1.5hrs from Sarajevo, unless of course, you take the Gallagher short cut, in which case it takes a good 2 hours. We followed the map and the signs that led to Gorazde and it took us through some very lonely and isolated places. There was a tunnel that we got to that had a stop light. A sign said in local language that the light would change every 5 min. It was a one lane tunnel. Looking at the tunnel, which cuts into the side of a mountain, one feels like at the edge of an abyss. You go in and never come out!! The light changed and we started going through. The tunnel was long and dark and a little scary. All I could think about was "I hope we don't get a flat!". Once we passed through, the landscape was really verdant and magnificent. We were in the Republic of Serpska, in an area not touched by the war. There were no bombed out buildings, no bullet holes, no evidence of war. It was nice....looked a little like other areas of Europe.Orthodox Church - the bricks were so unique for this area as well as the colors, just had to get this shot!





Then we followed the sign to Gorazde. We were on a small, narrow dirt road that indicated it was 35km to Gorazde. Mmmmm - hairpin curves up the mountain...the views were exquisite. There were a couple of cars behind us, but none coming in the other direction, and none ahead of us. We were a little curious, is this the road to nowhere? Is this "the long road, maybe the wrong road, the road to God knows where?"

We did stop at one point to get some nice photos. God, if the weather had been nice, the scenery would have been perfect. But as you can tell, the sky was grey and cloudy.

Going back home, I drove and Mark and Sam slept. We took the main road back. It's longer, but it only took 1.5hrs to get back home. Thank Goodness!!



This young man was the star of the day. Harun is Cola's son and is about a year and a half. He is a happy, beautiful little boy who obviously brings great joy to his parents as well as all those around him.


Sam got a great shot of Mark and me. We don't get many of those.