Sarajevo

The department of MoMA gave several awards to young artists who successfully sold their work. I feel very lucky to be one of them. Now I will start working in this Museum as well as study the works of famous artists in France. We are also entitled to a Fine Arts education scholarship at the Paris College of Art for 2 years.

I never thought that the talent that I had passed on for many years turned out to have such great potential in my life.

Allaire, the woman who worked in the gallery with me, and who previously studied at PCA (Paris College of Art) are now my friends at work and at university. Several times went to hang out together.

After three months passed and I was busy with my gallery and university, I decided to send my first painting to Bosnia.

An address and telephone number Mr. Semir took me by train. The journey takes about 24 hours by train. This trip turned out to be so fun because I was going through several other European countries.

Around ten in the morning take the Paris Metro to Gare de i'Est station. Then to Central Stuttgart station takes about 2 hours.

The long journey of about 8 hours is about to begin. From Germany to Austria. Most of the buildings are visible only the roof, which is very typical of German design adorns my view, interspersed with beautiful hills and high and low arches.

During the trip I changed trains at each different station.

The final station is in Vienna, Vienna Eichenstrasse. Around 21.00 to be exact.

The journey will continue by bus to Sarajevo using FlixBus towards Istocno Sarajevo.

But it hasn't reached the center of Sarajevo yet, I still have to take one more train from Kranjčevića station A to Skenderija B station.

To get to Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina I had to walk about 130 meters and at about half past eleven my journey ended.

" Hello.. Mr. Semir, I'm Juliette from MoMA. Do you remember ? I've arrived in Sarajevo with your Painting. Is there anyone who can pick me up "

" Yes my daughter, just wait a few minutes. My son-in-law will come to pick you up "

After several calls and he finally answered.

I waited for half an hour when a middle-aged man with a height of about 180 cm, clean white with a cap on his head called me.

" Juliett .. kako se zoveš Juliette ? "

( Is your name Juliette ? )

" Yes I'm Juliet "

I answered as if I understood the language, he must have said your name in between the sentences.

For the next thirty minutes we just sat there in silence. Since it was just the two of us, I took my seat in the back seat.

A large mosque named "DZAMIJA KRALU FAHD BIN ABDUL AZIZ AL SAUD" or more generally "King Fahd Mosque". The design of the building is very grand and beautiful. The beauty of the architecture is thick with Islamic nuances. In the courtyard there is a fountain embedded in the floor in a beautiful shape that resembles a flower.

When we got there immediately two adults and a boy greeted us, namely Mr. Semir and a woman who I believe was his daughter.

The beautiful woman in her white hijab hugged me warmly. As she introduced herself she greeted me and said her name.

" Ja sam Tevhide, ja sam jedina kćerka gospodina Semira, a onaj koji vas je pokupio bio je moj suprug Emrah, a dječak koji se igrao bio je moj sin, Fariz "

( I'm Tevhide, I'm the only daughter of Mr. Semir, and the one who picked you up was my husband Emrah and the boy who was playing was my son, Fariz )

" Yes I understand. You are very beautiful "

She just smiled at my answer.

Mr. Semir and his family took me to his house which is right behind the mosque building. This is the mosque where Mr. Semir preached and taught how to read the Qur'an.

Before resting they served a variety of traditional Bosnian food. Some of them are sarma, begova corba ( chicken stew ), stuffed peppers, teletina ( veal ) and sitni cevap ( veal stew ). Rice and pasta dishes are popular. And Tevhide also makes a special soup called Trahana.

Because Bosnia is still part of Europe, so I can still enjoy this delicious food.

Several times they left me to worship or pray. Meanwhile, Mr. Semir came home very late because he read the holy verses of the Qur'an in the mosque for several hours.

The atmosphere here is very comfortable and warm, reminding me of the figure of a man who was born here with the same warmth.

I suddenly miss him so much. I hope to find it easily later.

~~~~~~~~~

This beautiful chanting sound that reverberates throughout Sarajevo called the Adhan woke me up from my sleep.

All the members of the house including Fariz are awake, it turns out that Muslims are very diligent, maybe this is the reason some Muslim countries are very rich like Dubai and Qatar.

Men and women flocked to the big mosque, men wearing caps on their heads, mostly older people and almost all women wearing long headscarves dominated by white.

They left me alone again.

About half an hour later people were seen again. Including Tevhide and his son.

Tevhide rushes to pack and clean the house. I play and keep Fariz around. Then the beautiful woman was seen carrying her shopping basket and invited me.