A Day in the Life

A lot of people have been asking me "What do you do everyday?" or "What's a normal day for you?" so I am going to hopefully answer those questions with a description of an average school day.

7:30- My alarm clock goes off to begin my day.

7:50- I head downstairs to eat breakfast which usually consists of thick pieces of delicious bread topped with meat and cheese or jam. To drink, I usually have homemade cherry, raspberry, or blackberry juice.

8:15- Start my 8-10 minute uphill walk to my bus stop. I wait at the bus stop and look around at the overlooking view beautiful city I live in, try to figure out what an elderly woman is trying to tell me, and relax before the long day ahead of me. Since the bus schedule is not very reliable I never know when it's coming so after five-seven minutes of waiting, I continue walking. I walk down the hill, past the market, past the cemetery, past the park, and I arrive at school.

8:45- I arrive at school and go inside and wait for class while talking with friends by the two benches inside the school.

8:50- The ear piercing bell goes off and we head off to class. Once in class, we wait for the teacher to walk in. Sometimes we stand up out of respect when the teacher comes but sometimes we don't. I basically just follow what the Bosnians do :) Each class is 45 minutes long but usually we have two consecutive classes of each subject.

9:35-The bell rings again and we have a five minute break before the next class of this same subject starts. Usually we stay in the classroom and just talk but sometimes we go outside for a little bit of fresh air.

9:40- Back to class for another 45 minutes.

10:25- The bell rings and since I am not in the next class I have a break. This one will last about two hours, Usually I will go to a cafe and drink tea with some friends or do homework. There are a plethora of cafes to choose from. Bosnia definitely has a strong cafe culture. During longer breaks 4+ hours, I sometimes go to the gym which is about a 15 minute tram ride away in Old Town.

12:25- I am back at school for my next class. I have classes for the rest of the day with five minute breaks every 45 minutes and a couple twenty minutes breaks in place of the 5 minute breaks.

1:10- After my class that ends at 1:10 I have a twenty minute break. In this time I will go to a bakery and buy a burek or kormpirusa for a snack. Burek is a traditional Bosnian food which is made by wrapping meat in layers of phillo dough. Krompirusa is the same but with potato instead of meat.

What a bakery looks like

6:00- My last class of the day is finally over and by this time it is already pitch dark outside. I go outside of school to my bus which is conveniently located right outside my school. I wait 10-20 minutes for my bus to come and then I ride home. Sometimes during the wait I am reprimanded by an old lady for sitting on the cold concrete ledge because it will freeze my ovaries.

6:30- I arrive home and lunch/dinner is on the table(lunch is typically served at 3 so this is kinda in between lunch and dinner). An average meal would consist of small chunks of chicken baked in a gravy like sauce and rice or potatoes, and some sort of vegetable like peas or beets. And no Bosnian meal is complete without delicious bread.

Another common Bosnian meal: Stuffed peppers with rice, meat chunks, and somevegetables

7:15- What I do during this time changes all the time. Sometimes I'll play with my young host sisters, sometimes I bake cake with my host mom, sometimes I watch Turkish soap operas, and sometimes I just relax.

10:30- I head upstairs and get ready for bed.


**Although this is labeled as an "average day", I don't really have any "average days". My schedule changes every day and I have 2 different schedules that alternate each week. This is a Thursday in my "Morning Schudule" which is one of my longer days. Most days I am not at school this long**

Prvi Snijeg! The First Snow!

On Wednesday Sarajevo had the first snow of the winter. It was a magical day. The it started falling when I was on a long break at school so when we noticed it, Ewea, our friend Andrea, and I ran outside to experience the wonder. There wasn't much snow at the time but it was just the beginning. I little while later Racheal was out of chemistry for a 20 minute break so we went outside and danced around in the snow while wearing just sweaters(everyone else had long, wool jackets) and took pictures because by this time there was a lot of snow and it was sticking!! Even though we are both from very snowy states(MN and VT) we were both super excited and just wanted to run around outside like eight year olds all day instead of sitting in school.

Rachel and me loving the snow



Rachel and me with our friend Tino

After my last class, which was biology, we had our weekly Bosnian lesson. We listened to a song and tried to figure out the lyrics. It was a pretty uneventful lesson but it was fun. The lesson ended at 7 and Rachael, Dan, and I had to be back at school at 7:20 to meet one of our friends to go to a play. On our way, it was snowing big, beautiful flakes of snow and that put us all in the Christmas spirit(even though it is October) so we started belting out all of our favorite Christmas/winter songs such as "Let it Snow", "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer", "Jingle Bell Rock", and "Frosty the Snowman". We were half running cause we were going to be late and completely out of breath from singing the entire time but it was so much fun.

A quick selfie on our way to the theater

We eventually got to the theater and we were excited but not quite sure what to expect. All we really knew was that this play would be in Bosnian. So basically we wouldn't be able to understand much of it. When we got inside the actual theater part we were kind of surprised/confused. There were no seats, just bean bags on the ground. So we found a nice spot and sat down. Then we were looking to the front where a screen was waiting for the play to start. To our surprise, that was not where they performance would happen. The entire play was ABOVE us. They stood on platforms on the ceiling while we were lying down on comfy bean bags. It was a very unique experience.

The play ended at around 11 and I live about a 30 minute walk away and my busses were done for the night so I took a taxi home, went up to my bed, and fell asleep listening to Christmas music. Rachael and Dan, on the other hand, live a 2 hour walk away but their trolleybus was still running(they thought) so they had an interesting experience that one of them might blog about soon. Overall, the day of our first Sarajevo snow was an unforgettable day


For more pictures follow me on Instagram: @liliazubar



Mostar and More

On Saturday (9/20) the YES Abroad Sarajevo group had our first trip out of the city. We all woke up bright and early around 6:30 to start our drive to Mostar. The ride was around two hours and it was really great to be able to see the beautiful Bosnian countryside. Since Mostar is in Hercegovina, we drove through the "i" or "and" bridge that is in between Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosna i Hercegovina).

Before we went to Mostar we stopped at a small town called Pocitelj. First, we got coffee at a café and an adorable little kitty joined us. Next, we climbed up the Pocitelj Tower which was built in 1383 by King Tvrtko I of Bosnia. It started to rain a little bit while we were climbing up but it wasn't too bad. When we got to the top, it was an amazing view so we took lots of group pictures and selfies. On the way down, it was basically pouring and since the "stairs" were made of stone, coming down required some major concentration.

Our next stop was the Blagaj Tekke. The Tekke was built around 1520 and is considered a national monument in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Here, we enjoyed the view of the beautiful Buna River and took lots of pictures.

Our last stop was Mostar. First, we went to get lunch at a really cool restaurant in old town Mostar. On our way there we walked over the famous Stari Most which also required some concentration because it was very slippery. The restaurant was really cute and pretty. At one point, because of the rain, the power went out and they actually started bringing out candles for light! Soon, they regained power and all was good. After lunch, we went in front of the bridge to take pictures. We were planning to visit a lot of interesting places in Mostar but since the rain was basically a torrential downpour, we were unable to and we headed back to Sarajevo.

Why you should apply to YES Abroad

The YES Abroad application was recently released so I thought I would give you a couple of great reasons to apply.

YES Abroad is a program that offers 65 competitive, merit scholarships for high school students to study in one of 13 countries (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Macedonia, Malaysia, Morocco, Oman, Philippines, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey)

1) Because the goal of YES Abroad is important. YES and YES Abroad were created in response to 9/11 to promote understanding and cross cultural awareness between Americans and countries with significant Muslim populations.

2) Because you will make lots of friends from around the country and the world. From the YES Abroad Facebook group (K-L YES Abroad 2015-2016), to IPSE, PDO, and being in Bosnia I have met so many wonderful people who I definitely would not have otherwise met.

3) Because you have nothing to lose. Seriously, nothing negative comes from applying.

4) Because next time this year you could be here! Just think about that! Next year, right now you could be in Bosnia, Thailand, Indonesia, Macedonia, or any of the other YES Abroad countries. Exchange is one of the most challenging, unique, and rewarding things you can experience in your life let alone in high school! I have only been in Bosnia for a month and I have already learned so much.

Me halfway down one of Sarajevo's surrounding Mountains

Brandon- Thailand

Victoria-Indonesia

Faber- Macedonia

Basic Eligibility Info for 2015-16 Year
-U.S. citizen
-15-18.5 years of age at start of program (birthdate between March 5, 1997 and June 29, 2000)
-Currently enrolled in high school (including home school)
Click HERE for more information about K-L YES Abroad!
Click HERE to start your K-L YES Abroad application!

If you are a Bosnian reading this apply to K-L YES!
Click HERE for more information about K-L YES!

The Beginning

Today is my 11th day in Sarajevo and it's great! Here's a little run down of the first couple days. Sorry this is so late but my internet wouldn't let me
post for a while.

Thursday August, 14th- I left my house for the airport at 4AM for my 7AM flight. I ended up getting there way too early and I got bumped to a 5:45 flight. They said it was because I would miss my connection at O'Hare with my 7AM flight but that totally was not why considering MSP-ORD is a 1 hr and 15 min flight and my connection was at 11:15. They probably overbooked and were trying to cover it up. Since my luggage was checked with the 7AM flight I was a little worried they might lose it. I sat next to a guy in a John Kerry blue suit so that was funny. So I arrived at ORD around 7, ate a gross chicken ceasar wrap, and waited until around 11 for my flight to Dulles. I arrived at Dulles around 1:30 and met with the other Bosnia and Macedonia YES Abroad kids and Skye. We all sat at the Munich (Bosnia's layover) gate until about 4 when we said goodbye to the Macedonia kids and they headed off to their gate for their first stop, Vienna. We boarded our plane to Munich at 4:50PMish.I got on, found my seat (window seat!!), and sat down. Soon, a man came and sat next to me and started talking to me in rapid German so that was interesting. That flight was long but not much to tell you about.

Bosnia and Macedonia waiting at Dulles

Friday August, 15th- We landed in Munich around 7AM and waited at our gate until we boarded at 10:45AM. This flight was only an hour long but it was Lufthasana so we pretty much got an entire meal. We landed in Sarajevo at 12:30PM, met Selma, Lela, and our new families, then went home. When I got home I basically ate so much that I could not physically force myself to eat more. It was all amazing. We had soup, cabbage rolls, bread, potatoes, cake, and something else. A couple hours after that we went to Old Town Sarajevo, ate cevapi and walked around where the Sarajevo Film Festival is. After that we went home and I went promptly to bed.

 The plane that took us to Bosnia

Saturday August, 16th- Saturday morning the YES Abroad kids had the beginning of our arrival orientation where we learned all about Bosnia and Sarajevo. After that we exchanged our money and went out for lunch. Then we walked around a bit and it started raining so we all went home. When I got home I fell asleep I think(Saturday was kinda a blur)

Sunday- On Sunday there were no scheduled YES activities but I did a lot of things with my family. First, I went walking around Novi Grad and Old Town Sarajevo with my sisters. It was nice because I got to explore Sarajevo a bit more and I figured out how to get to my school. A little later my mom, two sisters, and I went to this street that they close on weekends and my sisters rollerbladed up and down the street. When we went back home we went to this walking path behind their house on the mountains and it had a great view of Sarajevo. After that we ate dinner, watched TV and went to bed.

Meeting our host families at the airport!



Monday- Monday was our first day of Bosnian language classes with our super awesome teacher. We learned a bunch of words and we learned some conjugations. After the language class we met up with Selma again and went to a synagogue, a Catholic church, a Mosque, and a Orthodox church. We then went to a café and walked around Old Town some more.

This was probably pretty boring so sorry about that. Most of my posts won't be like this.

One Month

In exactly one month I will be in Bosnia. Trying to envision that is exciting, scary, and extremely difficult. There are so many things I wonder about; "How will I learn Bosnian?" "What does Sarajevo sound like?" "How will I navigate Sarajevo when I frequently get lost in my own town, where I have lived in for sixteen years?" "What will school be like?" "What about the weather?" "Am I bringing the right clothes?"

My one biggest, most burning question of "Who is my host family?" was answered this week. YES! I GOT MY HOST FAMILY!

I have two, younger host sisters, a host mom, and host dad! My host mom and one of my host sisters speak "intermediate" English and my host dad and my other host sister speak "some" English. I'm not exactly sure what "intermediate" and "some" mean but I guess I will find out! I am hoping once I have the Bosnian basics down that we will talk in Bosnian:) My family also has a dog which I was really excited about. They live in a house about a mile away from my school, so it is a nice walking distance. My family is so perfect for me. They like to go on hikes, do sports, and spend time together(they also like chocolate cake which is a plus!). Also, my host mom used to be competitive swimmer and now she swims occasionally so maybe I can join her!(I'm not exactly sure who reads this but for those who don't know, I swam competitively for a long time, like 11 or 12 years, and I recently "retired") I have emailed my host mom and talked to one of my host sisters on Facebook. They both seem super sweet! I am so excited to meet everyone!

My future school

PDO

About a week ago I got home from the YES Abroad National Pre-Departure Orientation (PDO). It was a crazy busy four days but we all sure learned a ton!

The first day of PDO consisted of dinner and two workshops, which are pretty much informational seminars. At the workshops we all got to meet our group leader. For most groups the group leader is a YES Abroad alum from their future hot country. The Bosnia group was really lucky because our group leader was Katie! (Blog here- http://katieelise27.blogspot.com/) Katie was super great at answering all of our questions and it was also just really fun to meet her after stalking her blog for so long. So after the workshops we had a little bit of free time so that meant IPSE family reunion!!!

The next day consisted of sitting, and more sitting but it was EXHAUSTING. We had probably eight workshops and it was SO MUCH information all at once but it was nice to know we are a little bit more prepared for the coming year.

The third day was by far the best day. First, all the American Councils kids (Bosnia and Macedonia) went to the Wilson Center to learn about the Balkans! It was super informative and actually very interesting. Next, we split up and went to our respective embassies. The Bosnian ambassador was out of town so we talked to the Minister Counselor! He was really nice and answered all our our questions super in depth. The embassy smelled really good and Katie said that that is what Bosnia smells like!! After the embassy we had a quick lunch at good ol' Dunkin Donuts and I burned the roof of my mouth. Next we went to the State Department and we heard stories, asked questions, and received lots of information. The last thing we did was walk over to the Lincoln Memorial. We took lots of pictures, got a YES Abroad group picture, and then we left to go back to 4H for quite a bit of free time! This was a very physically active day but it really wasn't as tiring.

YES Abroad Bosnia-Herzegovina 2014-15

The last day we had one workshop and then it was off to the airport. It was really sad to think this was the last time YES Abroad 2014-15 will be all together. But we are all really excited to begin our journey!

YES Abroad 2014-15