Mister Sarajevo (Becoming a local celebrity)

I was only a week at home, but I didn't waste my time.

First of all, I was with my family. I saw them after for the first time after 3 months. It really charged my batteries. Especially knowing that I'm gonna be an uncle soon!

I also saw some friends. You're great, guys. Thanks for being there for me once more.

Besides, I started a bright career as a local media star. First of all, I was interviewed in a local radio emission, along with European volunteers who are in my city now. We all shared our personal experiences as a part of European Voluntary Service. It was funny to see that no matter what are you doing, where do you come from or where are you working, we all have been through the same states of mind in the same period.

Apart from this, I am glad because for the first time someone has dedicated me a post on his blog. It only could be one of my most loyal fans, Jose Luis from Carafur. The post it's called "Mister Sarajevo" and it's in Spanish. But if you can't read it, at least you can check the Miss Sarajevo clip he add there. This song was recorded by U2 in 1995, and it talks about a beauty contest held during the war in the besieged Sarajevo. In fact the winner was crowned Miss Besieged Sarajevo. And all of this happened in a place where the sound of mortars and snipers shots where the everyday soundtrack. Where crossing the street was risking your life.

Here you have another evidence of the bravery of Sarajevans. That was a time for beauty queens too. Now it's time to enjoy life. And Sarajevo knows how to do it.




(Thank you Jose Luis).

(Dedicated to everyone that lived in Sarajevo during the siege).

Brand new world

Don't worry, guys. I'm fine. I just was on holidays. But now I'm back in my belowed Sarajevo.

It's been almost a month since my last post and many things had happened in the Balkans while I was having a great time in Dominican Republic and Spain.

Denis, 16, was killed in a tram near Holiday Inn. For no special reason, some guys stabbed him among all the people that were there. It was around 3pm. That caused the biggest civil protests in Sarajevo from the war times. And that happened on February 9th, while I was walking around Madrid with my sister.

I was swimming in the Caribbean when Kosovo declared the independence from Serbia. I was happy although I had a hangover of the wedding the day before. I obviously didn't care about the rest of the world on that day.

I saw on TV how some Serbian nationalists burned American and Croatian embassies in Belgrade. I was having dinner with my parents, and my father asked me if that was the city where I live in. That's Serbia, dad, not Bosnia. He just nod and keep on eating.

It seems that many things have changed during the last weeks. I closed a cycle and I started a brand new one. Just like the Balkans: Kosovo's independence closes a circle that was opened with the Kosovo Albanians protests during the 80's and continued with the Balkan wars in the 90's.


OST Beirut - Elephant gun

(Dedicated to the happy just married guys, and all my friends from Alejandro Bass. I just love you so much. Now... ¿cómo lo hacemos?)