Monday, September 13, 2010

Unintended nonobservance

Internet is sparse and expensive, it is late, and umorna sam (I am tired) so I'm going to merely describe a thought of today:

While eating a delicious chocolate croissant that tastes like a melting chocolate chip cookie - according to Jill - I realized it was September 13th, 13/9 as Europe writes. It was only then, only this morning, that I noticed perhaps the most tragic day America witnessed during my lifetime had passed and it had gone completely unobserved. No American flag pins; no news specials; no words of hope, prayer, or mourning; no commemorative comfort. It was just another day in Serbia and I treated it as such which framed today with guilt and excessive thoughts of hope and mourning as I was disappointed in myself to have ever forgotten such a day. This primarily made me realize that even though the world is shrinking through technology, it is all the more vast than I could ever comprehend. And what a heavy thought to cap off my already guiltridden day! (This thought wasn't merely derived from the nonobservance of 11/9, it also came from my multiple difficulties in navigating the relatively small city of Novi Sad.) But in a happier tone my day was very busy with three hours of language, seven hours of service, and two hours of playing with my little (host) sister so I was often distracted from these discerning deductions.

More on my service placement, the Serbian jezik (I think this means language, though it is 11pm and so perhaps I'm mistaken), and my wonderful host family later this week!

Laku noc

1 comment:

  1. Thanks for the perspective and the extremely poignant description. It reconfirms that you are immersed in Serbia's vibrant life, where occurrences in the US are not front and center. I expect that you will learn of Serbia's dates which commemorate their own sad occurrences. I'm enjoying your blog - thanks for writing. Aloha, Jodie

    ReplyDelete