Bosnia

On a flight from Paris to Istanbul I found myself sitting next to a girl who lives in the United States but travels to the family homeplace in Bosnia. Her parents moved them to the US to escape the ethnic difficulties and war brewing in Serbia. She was born in Doboj, Serbia but her grandparents an uncles now live in Stanic Rijeka, Bosnia. Both towns were seriously affected by the recent flood.

It is sad, the devastation caused by the flood and landslides. The family homes were surrounded by the water but it did not get inside. Those living below were not so fortunate. A huge herd of cattle was wiped out raising cocerns about health and disease. Another serious problem is that landmines from the war, once marked and barricaded, are now scattered. If there could be anything positive from such an event, it would be that ethnic identity is forgotten as people join in the efforts of recovery. 

After an internship teaching English in Turkey, my seatmate traveled to Bosnia where she left a magnet with her grandmother. Once again, the rain was falling and water rising. So far there is not the devastation of the prior floods but surely people are getting worried. 

Canals overflowing and the rain still coming.