Christmas

I know its been half a year, but I am finally sharing a few photos - these are all from the past few weeks.

First, our Christmas tree. This year I went all gold and white - with a snowflake, star and bird theme:

It might be Christmastime, but its been in the 60s and 70s for the past few weeks so it hasn't been too wintery. Here is me grading papers on the front porch last week in a t-shirt and capris:

And Miran putting lights on the bushes on Christmas eve, also in a t-shirt:

Though its been warm, we've kept in a festive mood by lighting a lot of fires. Miran loves making them and it does get cooler inside at night. We are already out of firewood and will get some more before our company comes this week.

 Here we are opening gifts on Christmas. I got a handheld scanner from Daddy and Miran got a handheld clothes steamer from me. 

We both really enjoyed our low-key, very quiet Christmas at home. Though it was a little weird to think this was the first Christmas ever I haven't been with any of siblings, and in fact, that none of us were together on Christmas day. I'm so glad almost everyone will be here in a few days. When I am in a madhouse full of people and activities - that will feel like Christmas.

Trip 4 - Mostar

 Miran and I went to Mostar for a couple of days this week to visit friends and the city and to do a little research - mostly picture taking, but also gathering a few books and documents. Here is a picture of me in a cafe with Senada and Sule Demirovic and their spouses. Sejla is behind me, and Piga is by Senada in the front.

One of the gifts we brought was a copy of "The Little Prince" for Sule's daughter Neira. Here she is practicing her reading for her mother, me and her cousins, Senada's daughter's Esma and Azra. Neira is in 2nd grade, and has now had two years of English, so I asked her what she had learned and to say something in English. She said "crocodile"! Not "hello" or "my name is Neira", but "crocodile". Pretty cute!

We were also in Mostar for Senada's son Hamza's third birthday. We gave him the quilt Mommy made him for his birth. Three years late. The year he was born, I brought it to Bosnia, but left it in Sarajevo when I went to Mostar to visit. Then I took it home and forgot to bring it back to Bosnia at all the next year. Last summer I didn't come here at all. A few times I've come across it in the closet and thought about mailing it, but felt too foolish to send it too late. This time I finally managed to deliver it. Senada says they still use the one's Mommy made for Azra and Esma as beach and picnic blankets, so Hamza's isn't too late, even though he isn't a baby anymore!

One night while we were in Mostar we went to hear my friend Jesenko's band play in a bar, which was really an open garden. That night they were playing covers of old pop-rock songs from ex-yugoslavia in the 70s and 80s and so Miran, and even I, knew most of the songs. We had a really nice time. Here is a picture of Jesenko and I during a break in the playing, as well as a picture of Miran and I enjoying the music and the night out.

Trip 3 - Sarajevo part 2

We had lunch with the two guys who work for Miran at a restaurant called Park Princeva that is up on a hill with a fabulous panoramic view of Sarajevo. I took a company photo ... Haris is next to Miran, and beside him is Adem, along with his wife and two daughters.

As long as we were up there we also had a picture taken of ourselves ...

Last week we went to watch the Bosnian national soccer team play Albania. We wore all our gear, plus some new stuff we bought on the way. Fortunately, Bosnia won this time, which was nicer than when we drove to Atlanta to watch them lose against Mexico.  For reasons we haven't yet figured out, the game wasn't in Sarajevo, and we drove about an hour to another town, Zenica, to watch the game. Here we are walking from the car to the stadium ...

Because we weren't sure how long the drive would take or how crowded it would be, we ended up arriving 2 hours early. The stadium eventually filled up, but here is Almin (and Azra behind him) while we waited for the game ...

And here is Azra, Almin and I as well as Miran's co-worker Adem and his wife (again, 2 hours before the game started) ...

Trip 2 - Sarajevo Part 1

 Me enjoying some bosnian pie in the center of Sarajevo ...

Senada, Senka and I on a tour of an tourist eco-village under construction on a mountain near Sarajevo ...

Us with Azra and Almin and two of our good friends here, Elmir and Medin, preparing to go out to a party at a huge club for which you had to dress as tackily as possible ...

Here is Miran with Medin and Elmir in the taxi on the way. As you can see, Miran is really enjoying hanging out with his old friends. He went to high school with Elmir (on the right), who was also the best man at our wedding, and Medin on the left he has known since his first year in college here ...

We have seen Miran's grandparents a few times as they are also here in Sarajevo this summer. They split their time between Denmark and Bosnia, and have apartments in each place. Here is Miran's mother Milada and grandmother Cerima on the balcony of their Sarajevo apartment ....

And here are Miran and his grandfather watching some crime show on TV after dinner. We've all decided Miran looks like this grandfather, especially after we saw Gijo's (Short for Angijad) army picture from when he was a teenager. And in this after-dinner pose, the resemblance is clear ...

Trip 1 - Belfast

the main building of Queen's University, the location of the conference I participated in in Belfast:

A "peace wall" (big green thing on the right) cutting through a neighborhood in belfast - this view is on the catholic side ...

the City Hall, Belfast's most impressive building ...

Senada and I inside the city council chamber of the City Hall ...