Ibanezgirl's Blog

• About Bosnia and Herzegowina

  1/24/08 0 Comments

  About Bosnia and Herzegowina

  Dear friend

  In the heart of the Balkans, in the North and East of Bosnia and Herzegovina,there is Republic of Srpska.

  Although territorially small,Republic of Srpska has rich,but remote natural resources.They represent its main characteristic and a great advantage, since the climate zones spread from the Mediterranean, in the southem Herzegovina, to moderate-continental one, which prevails in the northern parts.

  Nature, the great creator, has generously given bounty and beauties to these people who love and respect their land as the most sacred thing.If we have to choose the most precious jewels from the natural wealth of Republic of Srpska, those will certainly be its high mountains of Zelengora,Treskavica,Jahorina,Romanija, then Grmec,Kozara, Ozren and many others, rich in forests and wild game

  In the lowlands of Republic of Srpska there are fruitful cornfields of Posavina and Semberija,and Lijevce polje.The hilly area of Potkozarje and Podgrmec and karst of Herzegovina, with its fields like green brooches, represent the varieties of natural beauty.Water flows of the powerful rivers Una,Sana,Vrbas,ukrina,Drina and Tara,most certainly,the clearest rivers in the whole Balkans,and rich in all fishes.

  History has,since the Roman times and slav settling,to the constructive,and also destructive 20th century, left numerous cultural-historical monuments and traces of rich spiritual inheritance of the peoples who have lived and survived on this meeting point and crossroads of the cultures and civilizations in the Balkans,the cradle of Europe.

  The first picture post-card,sent to you too-you have just read.

  When you come to the Republic of Srpska,dont let the way lead you far from the mountains and forest.And,remember this- they make the heart of this country.there is a folk song,whichpraises the forests and mountains,thanking them for giving shelter to these people and being a shield from enemies in the wars:today, we are proud of them for their rich beauty,well known in the world.

  Everybody has probably heard of the white beauty Jahorina Mountain,where the unforgettable 1984 Winter Olympic Games took place.Have you ever thought about staying in the luxurious hotel Bistrica, on the very top of Jahorina,and bathe in its swimming pool, surrounded by the mountain landscape?

  In the heart of Krajina region,there is Kozara Mountain,also well known for its forests,both deciduous and coniferous,with green pastures and mountain springs. Kozara offers many possibilities for hunting deer,boars,hare,pheasant and wild duck,which makes this mountain a hunting reservation of rare quality in this part of Balkans.

  On the mountaintop-Mrakovica,there is a memorial monumentMrakovica,dedicated to the numerous World War II victims from this region. Potkozarje,in the foot of the Kozara Mountain,is a fruit-growing area.Few rivers surround Kozara:emerald green Una-Pearl of Krajina,Sana,wide river of Sava and fast waters of the Vrbas river.

  Republic of Srpska has the National Park Sutjeska,a unique one in Europe,which long ago,had been a deep,thick forest.The remaining of that very forest is today the Perucica,a thousand years old forest that covers 1.291 hectares. However ,this National Park has got its name after the mountain river of Sutjeska,which has made its way through the heights of the mountains Zelengora (2.014m),Lelija,Maglic and Volujak.

  Tjentiste,a tourist resort on the banks of the Sutjeska River, should be in every itinerary,because of its motel,sports-recreational centre and an artifical lake,which give this place an extraordinary beauty.

  Even if you dont know about the river Tara,you must have heard about the Tara Canyon,1.300m deep,the first in Europe and the second in the world-right after the Colorado Canyon. In its depth,the Tara river,rich in all clear water fishes(especially in huchen and golden trout) has made its way.

  For those brave ones,looking for adventure in an authentic ambient of virgin nature,there is a possibility of rafting on the wild waters,through sraits,surrounded by the cliffs of the Durmitor Mountain.

  Therefore, if you come to the BH (RS) SCG border.between Brstanica and SCepan-Polje,and go rafting,you will experience the unforgettable adventure that you will remember for life.Go for it!

  In the embrace of this wonderful nature,villages and towns have grown,very often on the riverbanks and in fruitful lowlands,but also,on the mountain heights.

  The biggest city of the Republic of Srpska and its administrative,economic and university center,Banja Luka,settled on the River Vrbas,is well known by its hundred years old alleys.

  In the Sana Valley, in the middle of fruitful Potkozarje region,there is the town of Prijedor.Going east of Banja Luka, you will pass through Doboj, busy crossing of main railroads and roads,and an industrial center.

  Further on,via Brcko,we come to Bijeljina,economic and agricultural center of Semberija Region.Towards the South,the way leads us to Zvornik,lovely town on the Drina River,then Srpsko Sarajevo and Srbinje,down to the heart of Herzegovina-the town Trebinje.

  Bardaca is a unique birdland in Europe. Along with other gifts that Nature has given to Republic of Srpska,there are mineral and thermal water springs,which were known in the Roman times.These springs have become spas,recreational centers and sanatoriums,equipped with most contemporary diagnostic and physiotherapy equipment.

  In the vicinity of Banja Luka,there are few spas: Laktasi,Slatina,Srpske Toplice,amous spa Banja Vrucica with its hotels Kardijal(A categoty) and Posavina,Hercegovina, Krajina and Srbija(high B category).Thermal-mineral water of this spa is very good for treating heart and vascular diseases,nervous system and digestive tract problems,all with sport,recreation and active resting.

  In the pine woods near Visegrad there is mineral spa VilinaVlas,Banja Gruber is in Srebrenica,Kulasi near Prnjavor and Mljecanica which is in Potkozarje. For more than ten centuries,Serb people on this territory has been practicing Ortodox religion,and its unique culture and tradition. In this long tradition,the sense o belonging to the ancestors inspired their children to leave traces in this world,by building sacral monuments.

  Herzegovina,the inheritance of Saint Sava, has many churches and monasteries.The most beautiful one is Tvrdos Monastery,an exquisite building from 15th century and the Episcopal residence,thanDobricevo Monastery (15th century),and Lovnica Monastery near Sekovici,which dates from 13th century and is still wellpreserved.

  Thus,throughout Republic of srpska,there are monasteries: on the Ozren Mountain a monastery with the same name,in Banja Luka Trapist monastery,famous for its hard cheese,then,in the krajina Region-monasteries of Gomionica,Mostanica,Liplje and little wooden churches-unique in the sacral architecture,preserved from destruction through centuries.the wars have destroyed many sacral buildings,built by peoples of all religions,but memory is proof that,one day,they will be re-built.

  In the Republic of Srpska there are registred a hundred sport and youth organizations.Their activities are in the field of education in information,foreign languages,childrens right,development of peace activities and tolearnce amongst the young people.

  Youth Forum of Republic of Srpska (YFRS) is active in three sphere: Political Council of the Young People.Association of the Youth Non-governmental Organizations and Council for Childrens Right and Childrens Right Protection. In their work YFRS follow the world trends, in order to obtain the status which it is entitled to.They organize youth camps, festivals ans courses for peaceful conflict resolution.

  Dear friend When you travel through our homeland, pay attention to what you see.Through the centuries, many traveler has traveled around here,leaving the traces of his existence and writing about the beauties encountered on his journey.

  If you come as a friend and in good will, be sure that you will be given plenty in return

  Love,Tanja

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• You know youre Bosnian when...:)

  1/24/08 0 Comments

  You arrive one or two hours late to a party - and think its normal.

  .All your children have nick names, which sound nowhere close to their real names.

  You talk for an hour at the front door when leaving someone's house.

  Your house is full of medicine from your old country and it's probably all illegal here.

  You use grocery bags to hold garbage.

  Your dad ever butchered a pig or lamb.

  You don't use measuring cups when cooking.

  Your parents don't realize phone connections to foreign countries have improved in the last two decades, and still scream at the top of their lungs when making foreign calls.

  It's "normal" if your wedding has 600 people.

  Your 15 year old sister can out-drink any American guy.

  You drive a nicer car than your parents.

  Your parents have gone on vacation ONCE and it was to your home country.

  You base your whole life on the fortune in your coffee cup

  Your parents still prefer to buy cassettes instead of CDs.

  Your family owns a manual coffee grinder

  You take your shoes off when you enter the house, and every family member has his/her own slippers (plus some extra for the guests)

  Your neighbor comes over every day uninvited, for coffee

  You start your day with a cup of coffee and a cigarette

  You have 17 consonants and 2 vowels in your last name

  Your mother won't accept the fact that you're not hungry

  You have "pita" for dinner at least 4 days a week

  You have "sarma" (cabbage rolls) for dinner the remaining 3 days

  A loaf of bread is eaten for lunch every day

  You're 6 and your father sends you out to buy him cigarettes and beer

  You don't speak to your cousins who support "Zeljo"

  When your mom insists you eat something with "kasika" at least once a week

  You chop up some onions and then decide what to cook for dinner

  Your mother insists that "promaha" (too much wind) will kill you

  Your mother tells you not to sit on the concrete slabs, or your ovaries are going to freeze

  Your mother tells you to wear "potkosulja" (under shirt), no matter what the temperature outside

  Your mother tells you not to sit close to TV, and not to use cell phones, because you'll get brain tumor

  Your mother tells you that you'll get sick from drinking cold water

  You tuck in your "potkosulja" into your underwear because you don't want your kidney to get cold

  I'll be back in an hour really means three

  Your parents have "goblene" (croche) on their walls, and "heklanje" (more croche) on every piece of their furniture, including the TV

  Your parents make "zimnica" (prepare food for winter time) every september

  You take a cab to go everywhere

  You begin most sentences with "jebi ga" (fuck), "svega mi"(I swear), or "Tita mi"(I swear in TITOS name)

  You can't explain what "ba" means, but you use it all the time

  You're the only one who gets all the Mujo and Suljo jokes

  Your mother bakes a cake without oil, sugar, eggs, or flour, and she calls it "a war cake"

  The time is divided into "before" and "after" the war

  Your father refers to all politicians with "djubrad" (piece of shit) "lopovi" (Bandits) and "kriminalci" (criminals)

  You have at least one best friend from high school who went to "their side" and you still can't explain it to yourself (as in the opposing side)

  Your remaining friends from high school live in Australia, Norway, South Africa, and Malaysia

  You don't want to talk about the war to anyone, but that's the only thing you talk about with other Bosnians

  You have at least three passports, and have lived in at least 4 countries in the last 12 years

  :) Taca

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• for my Dad who is wathcing me from Heaven

  12/18/07 0 Comments

  A poem for my Dad

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