Living in Sarajevo

Hello LP,

I'll be living in Sarajevo Bosnia from September till July of next year. I'm a musician, I've been hired by a cultural exchange program to play in the Philharmonic and have an apartment and living stipend all set to go. I'm concerned about bringing my electronics, I've heard Bosnia isn't exactly a great place to have an iPhone... My iPhone got stolen in Paris last year, so I really want to avoid problems like that. I'm thinking of bringing my laptop for home use and getting a Kindle so I can leave the phone at home.

I will have a lot of downtime in rehearsal as well as on the tram, but I've heard that having any device out on the tram is pretty much asking for it. Is this true?

I can't think of any reason I would need my iPhone, if I have my laptop for Skype and other internet functions, and a Kindle for entertaining myself while traveling or waiting for my turn in rehearsal. I am having a hard time deciding between a Fire and a Touch - advantages to the Fire are being able to watch TV shows on long train rides (I plan on traveling as much as possible in the weekend-trip-practical area around Bosnia while I'm there) but I don't want to be singled out as a target for thieves. It seems like a Kindle touch would give me the reading and music without seeming very appealing for theft. For some reason I feel like a color display will make whatever it is more attractive for robbery! Plus the Touch is half the price, so if it does get stolen I'm not out as much.

I'm also interested in finding a laptop sized lock box that I can cable to my bed in the apartment, so when I go out I can leave the laptop in there. Any recommendations?

Thanks!!

Take a cable type bicycle lock, with a combination lock on it.
On trains etc. thread it through straps on all your gear, and through a railing.

If they really want it, they'll get it.

I have stickers and bumper sticker on my laptop. Makes it hard for boogie man to sell. And looks non profesional and probly full of crap.

Which I too.......

Look at the threads on Bosnian Pyramid, on youtube.
It ain't that far from Saravejo.

lol There actually used to be a time, not so long ago, when all this technology didn't exist. And we survived.

Sarajevo isn't that dangerous. I didn't have any problems and no one tried to rob me. The city is a bit rough round the edges because it's not fully been rebuilt after the war but it seemed safe enough.

LOL :) I giggled reading your post.

In all fairness, I think you are panicking for no reason.

"+I've heard Bosnia isn't exactly a great place to have an iPhone+"

Where did you hear this? Having an iPhone, a laptop, or any other device in Sarajevo is the same as having it in any other city in Europe. If you leave your iPhone on a table in a crowded cafe bar downtown Sarajevo, sure, somebody will snatch it, but this will happen anywhere. I lived in Sarajevo and although I am a guy, I felt safer then in many other places in Europe, and I am pretty sure my female friends felt the same. Like in all cities, there are parts of the city that are best avoided if you are on your own at night, but these are rare and most of the city feels safe actually. Plus I am sure that the local kids will have much flashier iPhones and what not else then yours - this is what I used to see around. I don't think there is any partciular reason why you should feel unsafe about this. Vigilant - yes! As everywhere, but overly concerned - definitely not.

It is a beautiful and different kind of city and I am sure you will enjoy it. The food is spectacular, as is the bar scene in Sarajevo. Definitely travel around as much as you can. Make sure you bring some winter clothes for winter as they get pretty cold there.

Enjoy!

Em

I don't rate Bosnian food much, lots of greasy, cheap, meat and not much variety I thought. I like the city though it has a lot of charm, bit of east meets west, old meets new.

I beg to differ Spade.

There is as much variety in Bosnian food as there is in architecture - influences from the East and the West, South and the North. Not sure where you have been eating, but Bosnians prepare their food pretty much boiled or grilled with fried food being less commonly used. And the cheep meat you are referring to - it is probably the most organic and healthiest meet you'll find. Tastes differ, of course, and as the old Latins used to say "De gustibus non est disputandum", but these are the facts.

Facts they may be but every piece of meat I ate in Bosnia (and the general Balkans region) was cheap and greasy and not particularly nice. You don't go to Bosnia for the food anyway, the scenery, history and architecture more than make up for it though. Mostar was a lovely place too.

Beg to differ, again, but it doesn't matter. I love the food there - would have it any day.

You might love it but it's definitely not world class cuisine that's for sure.

What is world class cuisine then?

It is healthy, it is organic and fresh, and it tastes good. I think you will find that most visitors love the food there and in the Balkan region in general. And, it is certainly far better then what we eat in the UK.

The food in the Balkans is not all that great. Cheap and greasy meat seems to be the corner stone of meals, that's not very healthy. Not sure whether it's organic or not, nor do I care. People don't go to the Balkans for food. It doesn't exactly rank up their with Italian, French, Spanish, Thai, Mexican etc does it.

Kidding you in what way? Are you trying to say that Bosnian food is considered world class cuisine?

I don't think many people outside the Balkans could name a dish from the Bosnia let alone have eaten one. It's not internationally renowned food.

Edited by: TheSpade

Spade, drop it. OK?

This argument is pointless - cuisine doesn't have to be world renowned to be good. Just because Indian food is known world wide, doesn't make it good or healthy. I am talking about the quality and not how well it is known.

You keep referring to "cheap meat" - what do you mean by "cheap meat"? The fact is that the meat in the region is more organic and absolutely top quality. The way they prepare it for many dishes is very healthy, as meat can be, and very tasty. I don't what and where you have been eating.

The debate is also pointless because for some reason you didn't like the food there, and you are refusing to acknowledge some facts, but instead you are pushing forward the argument of the Bosnian or Balkan cuisine not being known world wide. That is beside the point.

In your personal view the food is good, you like it and that's fine. Looking at it objectively the food pales in comparison to many other parts of the world is what my point was. I've travelled the world over and Bosnian / Balkan food rates at the bottom. Memorable for all the wrong reasons.

Good, we agree to disagree. I rate it very highly, and would have it any day. :)

You should get out the balkans a bit more. Taste some good food.

Well, I won't follow your advice, for sure!

Yeah you clearly don't like good food anyway so you wouldn't enjoy anything I recommended.

And you know what I like and what good food is?!?!?!

Why are you still replying? You said in post 12 you weren't going to get back into this but here we are 10 posts later and you're still going strong,