Nonsense - Bez Veze
Nonsense - Bez Veze
Things sometimes just don’t go as planned. Add to that a quick burst of creative block, and this weeks edition of the newsletter seemed in doubt.
Hello and welcome to this edition of our newsletter from Čardačani, in the north of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Am I starting to lose it?
Things sometimes just don’t go as planned. Add to that a quick burst of creative block, and this weeks edition of the newsletter seemed in doubt.
I was “WhatsApping” (is that such a thing)? with my sister about this.
I explained that I had had the newsletter content planned in my head and then in a flash -Puff! all gone.
Her advice was to keep a notebook nearby and put my thoughts down as I have them.
Funny old thing that, as I use an app that syncs with my Mac. It’s called Notion.
Does exactly what my sister suggested.
How did I not realise that before?
Could be old age setting in.
This autumn has been different to many I have experienced in the past.
From the start of 2021 and an early cold snap that killed off the fruit blossoms, to the extremes of heat and dry weather that made crops shrivel and die, it’s been a weird time to say the least.
The end of October through November sees a hive of activity preparing for the winter ahead.
This year for example, no baking Rakija. The fruit harvest just wasn’t up to it.
I always enjoyed shooting a Rakija video every year. It became, can I say, a bit of a tradition.
Whether on YouTube or elsewhere the video would stimulate comments, especially from those of the Western Balkan diaspora who follow me online.
Here’s a “Directors Cut” of a previous years video.
Hope you enjoy it.
If you could hit the bell and give it a thumbs up while watching on YouTube, that would be great.
The reason I ask, is so that the algorithm shows the video to more people. More people means a more followed channel.
As I mentioned last week, birds are transiting above our village, as they take part in the annual migration to warmer climes.
One particular sight to marvel, has been to watch local flocks circling above as they get ready to be lead away. Nature is truly amazing, and just to watch how these birds gather in an extremely disciplined way, astonishes me every year.
Do you have anything like this where you live?
Ancient mosque EMERGES from Ramsko Lake
Low water levels in Prozor-Rama, Bosnia and Herzegovina, have unveiled ancient remains of houses, mosques, minarets, and orchards.
During the 1960s, the former Yugoslavia built hydroelectric power plants in the region, creating large artificial lakes with the help of dam reservoirs.
As a consequence, many villages were flooded, leaving their residents displaced from their homes.
When water recesses due to draught or heightened electricity production, the lake unveils the remains of houses, mosques, minarets, and orchards.
Tamara and I drive past this lake often on our way to Montenegro.
You can see more of Rama Lake on this vlog we filmed in 2016.
An update on Bosnian Politics
The Dubioza Kolektiv recently performed at the Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg, France.
A new survey by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) found that 47% of Bosnians - or 269,000 - aged 18-29 are thinking of going abroad temporarily or for good, unhappy with a lack of jobs, poor public services and endemic corruption.
Not long until it’s empty in my adopted home.
World Rafting Championships again for Banja Luka.
Rafting Savez Republika Srpska (Rafting Federation of the Republic of Srpska) have been awarded the hosting rights for the 2022 IRF World Rafting Championships to be held on the Vrbas river, Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, Bosnia & Herzegovina.
WRC 2022 Bosnia – includes:
World Rafting Championship 2022 – Youth
World Rafting Championship 2022 – Junior
World Rafting Championship 2022 – Open
World Rafting Championship 2022 – Master
Vrbas River
Banja Luka, Republika Srpska, Bosnia & Herzegovina
End of May or early June 2022 – first or second week (dates to be confirmed in coming weeks)
R4
Youth (U19), Junior (U23), Open, Masters (40+)
Men, Women.
And finally this week
If you’re reading this for the first time, we hope you’re enjoying, and if you would like to support us, then maybe you can …
If you want to read back editions of the newsletter, listen to previous podcasts (we have quite an archive now), or catch other content, all this is available on the web interface, just like a regular blog.
Oh, and you can also share the newsletter with friends, relatives and colleagues using the button below.
Tamara and I appreciate your faithful readership, your comments, and your generosity!
THANKS SO MUCH ❤️