Yooohoooo Elemental..

I was at a casino Saturday night and watched these guys play. The atmosphere was simply: Wow! I couldn't believe it and even disregared the fact that I didn't win anything when gambling :P

World Cup Vs World Poverty

I know we all love the World Cup – it is world class entertainment and we all know the good old: “Live football, breath football, drink Coca Cola” ads which are on during every WC.

I have shown a great amount of interest in the previous WC held in Germany and have been recently looking at stats…

I will leave the judgment up to you…

WC 2006: approx. 72.000 people watched the Japan-Brazil game

Real world: During the above mentioned, 90 minute game almost the same number of children died in Eritrea from AIDS and hunger

WC 2006: NIKE paid 16 million USD to the Brazilian country team to wear their football dresses during the Mundial

Real World: NIKE factories in Indonesia and Thailand pay 47 Euro Cents per day to women who sew the same clothes mentioned above from 7 am to 11pm.

WC 2006: About 60.000 people paid approx. 200 EUR for tickets to see Croatia – Australia

Real World: For 12 million EUR, Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Nigeria and Liberia would all solve their hunger problems for the next 10 years.

WC 2006: ADIDAS is the official deliverer of half a million balls for this World Cup

Real World: ADIDAS fired 250 workers in Indonesia because they formed a syndicate and complained about their work time (18 hours per day and 0,6 USD per hour).

WC 2006: FIFA donated 15 million USD worth of equipment to the American country team for the Cup.

Real World: FIFA closed a factory in Cipukat (Indonesia) which hired 3.486 workers (80% of these were women) because they were young and there was a great possibility they might become pregnant and therefore seek a maternity leave.

WC 2006: FIFA has paid a total of half a million USD for the country teams of certain politicians and ‘authorities’ for the WC 2006.

Real World: For the same money ‘invested’ over the years into politics and football the world hunger problem would be solved and cure for various disease could have been found.

WC 2006: PUMA, ADIDAS, NIKE, LOTTO, FILA, REEBOK are companies which sponsored national teams which participated this year.

Real World: Approx. 79% of the workers who work in the factories of the companies above and are stationed in Indonesia, Thailand, China and other Asian countries, are minors and 67% of those are under the age of 12!!!

Think about it.

Pancake story

No matter how gorgeous and beautiful this country is, from day to day I get amazing at the service people provide.

Someone once said: it is so much easier to get used to better than to worse!

I agree especially when it comes to comparing countries, people, servicing…

Let me get to the point: i have already mentioned the passive character of people living in this country and therefore I do not get amazed when they get crappy service and don’t complain about it and just keep getting it in the future.

I am talking about all kinds of services, in the stores, at the cosmetics salon, in the café bars… don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t imply to the entire country just some places (I seem to be visiting).

Some examples: you ask for spaghetti in your favorite restaurant and get cold noodles made half an hour before you arrived, you order coffee and a glass of water and they never get you the water and when you ask for it (over and over again) they just roll their eyes and give it to you right before you leave (if you are lucky).

People don’t complain about this, and they are not bothered at all by such crappy service.

Then I come along (some in Bosnia might call me spoilt and stuck up for this) and complain.

I love to complain when I know that I am the one paying for their service and their salary and that “the customer is always right!”.

In the UK, where I just seem to spent most part of my childhood this is more than appropriate behavior where as here… No!!!

People ask me: “Why don’t you just shit up and deal with it, you cannot

change the world! They are like that just leave them alone!”

I go mad at just statements.

Today I went to eat pancakes with my sister. I was dying for pancakes. I ordered chocolate pancakes with Nutella, fruit and chocolate ice cream. Instead I got vanilla ice cream and cold pancakes which had been made 3 hours earlier and just heated up.

I got mad, got our pancakes and went to the bar. Complained! Wow, I complained!! The people were gob smacked, shocked, amazed, some where afraid, looking at me in suspicion.

Even the waiter got scared. He called the cook. I explained I wanted new pancakes. People around us were still in shock. Goodness, no one in Bosnia complains about things like these! (in fact no one complains about anything).

You know what?

I got new pancakes.

Maybe I cannot change the world but seems like I can change crappy cold pancakes for new freshly made ones. :)

Isn't this a gorgeous country?

This is a video filmed to promote tourism in this lovely country and show off it's amazing nature and culture. I think you might like it. It really does look like this. I swear, even though I have been living here for 7 years and still haven't seen all of it.

Post election spirit

Yesterday I voted for the first time in my life. Yuppy!!!
Even though I was old enough to vote in the last 2 elections I, like most of the Bosnian youth, was very passive about political life. Very sad to admit that. :S

What changed my mind?

GROZD did. GROZD is a people's platform signed by almost 500.000 people in Bosnia (remember this country has approx. 3 million people).
This platform seeks accountability of the elected government and for the political parties to fulfill the national goals untill 2010: (these are the main things that need to be implemented in Bosnia as soon as possible)

1) 150 000 new work places in B&H;

2) Exterminate extreme poverty;

3) For the minimal pension to be 250 KM (125 EUR);

4) For every citizen in B&H to have access to the basic medical and social care;

5) For standard of life in the country side to be more reasonable according to the general life style;

6) For B&H to be a country with equal opportunities for young people;

7) Decrease the administration costs;

8) To complete the education system reforms in B&H;

9) To decrease the level of corruption in B&H;

10) For the country to fulfill the necessary conditions and gain a status of a candidate country for membership in the EU;

11) For public enterprises to be better regulated and more effficient in servicing;

12) To double the foriegn direct investments (FDIs);

GROZD is an NGO which has been established reciently to promote the elections and fight the aparthy among young people in Bosnia today. I was one of the first of the 500.000 people to sign the petition for the implementation of the above.

I am sure something will change, for better. :)