Bridges and inner-conflicts in Sarajevo

I met this nomad in the middle of night. At first I thought him to be a homeless with his torn clothes and shoes, but he was smiling - 40 something year old guy licking his ice cream, with shaved and clean face, talking perfect English - he declared him self the happiest man alive. "I travel on a 25 EU a day budget challenge", he explained, "and last place I visited, in the hostel (mixed dorms, of course), all the travelers we're whispering, as if being possessed - Sarajevo, Sarajevo, you must go and see Sarajevo. I changed my route, and here I am."

These "ketchop-like" stains on the pavements are becoming more and more rare; elections are coming and city pavements are being renewed with concrete. these "Sarajevo Roses" are scars of war - mortar results filled with color, as monuments - only those conflicted, looking for every small detail of pain, will notice.

My inner conflict is inherent. Layers of experiences, cultures manifesting themselves in buildings, meaningful encounters of all sizes and shapes, leave their marks and scars for ever. You see this crazy one standing next to the classic. The mix looks natural for an outsider visitor.

But this yellow and green building is considered the ugliest in the city. It's called "The parrot building" Zgada Papagajka. I actually like it, it's all manic. Eclectic and Communist architecture mixed; The building was designed and introduced in 1982.

At some point you choose to deepen the inner conflict. Let's contradict ourselves even more, enjoy the pain mixed with happiness, chew it like a gum until it loses it taste; until feelings lose their meaning.

The academy of fine arts building was originally designed as a church, opened to the public on Nov. 1899. Next to this Austro-Hungarian architecture , connects a post modern bridge designed by an art student, opened to the public in 2012.

And to think that 10 minutes walk from that bridge, I step into stone and copper - old town Ottoman era Sarajevo . Like , a minute ago you we're on top of the world, looking at everything with a god-like perspective; and the next step - back to my old non-confident self, staring at stone pavements, scared to look you in the eye.

Honesty is not truth. The truth, if there is one, can be aggressive, tries to impose itself on the other side. Honesty stays subjective, humble, showing a portion of the self, wishing to bond with the other, by shedding light on self weakness. Is grafiti honest or truthful? When it puts new colors on old buildings; When they paint on walls, they break the law, but promote urban art.
Is the inner- conflict good for self growth, or bringing me down?

This is the latin bridge. it is famous for being the location of the assassination of the archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, on June 28 1914. This assassination triggered events that led to the World war I , first modern era war. Following that war, on 1918 The Kingdom of Yugoslavia is formed, and re-formed on 1945 after world war II as The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia . The 90's wars I remembered as a kid watching the news? between 1992-1996 Serbian forces put Sarajevo to siege in what is known today as the longest modern era siege. The city is up in the mountain, what makes it an easy target.

One can get confused, how many wars Sarajevo has witnessed, how many conflicts have wounded the city. Monuments of war, pain, and death are all over town - salient. graveyards, improvised cemeteries, in every corner.

But talking to locals, all I heard was how tolerant the people of the city are- how co-existence between religions is most honored.
It's been conquered again and again, external forces tried to dominate their own cultures, and in the end- just blended in.
The inner conflict is thriving, and balanced.
Perhaps, that's what makes her so interesting, complex, unique.

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Posted from my blog with SteemPress : https://thisisjourney24.com/2018/09/15/bridges-and-inner-conflicts-in-sarajevo/

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