Working 9 to 5!

My partner, Joy, and I received a list of tasks to be completed by the end of the summer today and we could not be more excited. Our boss, Seida, asked us to focus on the new website, selling Zene za Zene's products that are created but their beneficiaries (i.e. rugs), enhancing their social media presence, and of course raising money. Though it seemed like a lot at the moment that it was handed to us, Joy and I chatted and figured out where our interests and skill sets lie, thus we will both be working on communications, and I will be more focused on the website and doing marketing for the products that the organization is trying to sell.

A step away from the logistics of the work we will be doing day to day this summer, I want to appreciate the work environment that I observed today in Sarajevo. Everyone is independent and productive, but we came together to share lunch and to drink coffee. I appreciate my coworkers and thank them for their patience as I try to expand my vocabulary in Bosnian. I also greatly admire all the hard work that the four staff members do and the sheer quantity and quality of programs that they are able to run well.

A highlight of my day was afterwork when my coworker, Nermana, Joy, and I went for some Čevapčići at Ćevabdžinica Petica Ferhatović restaurant in Old Town Sarajevo. Wow! Best dish I've had so far without a doubt. This dish comes with 5, 10 or 15  beef sausages inside of some delicious bread and with a side of onions. The flavor was so rich and it had so many delicious spices mixed into the meat. I left with a full stomach!

However, the most memorable part of my way was walking with my friends to the Yellow Fortress (a 15 minute walk from Old Town Sarajevo) for Iftar. While we were not fasting, so we did not break fast with the Muslim families there, it was so beautiful to not only have such a gorgeous view of the entire city and belong, but also to be in the company of so many others. There were young and old people, male and female, but everyone was there either for the gorgeous view or to break fast as one community. When the clock struck 8:24 (when the sun set), a man lit the canon off the edge of the fortress and Iftar began! Children began to chug their Fanta sodas from thirst built up throughout the day, husband and wife took a bite of bread before giving a piece to their baby, and young men sat on the brick wall eating sandwiches together. There was a magical energy there, and I was happy to bear witness. 

I look forward to continuing my work tomorrow and to continue exploring the city!


If you'd like to keep learning Bosnian with me, see some common words/ numbers below: 


Hvala = Thank you
Izvinite = Excuse me
Molim = Please/ You're welcome
Kako Si = How are you?
Dobro = Good
Čevapčići = Delicious food with meat and bread and onion (see 2nd image above)


Numbers 11-20:

eleven	jedanaest
twelve	dvanaest
thirteen	trinaest
fourteen	četrnaest
fifteen	petnaest
sixteen	šesnaest
seventeen	sedamnaest
eighteen	osamnaest
nineteen	devetnaest
twenty	dvadeset