Bosnia Youth Leadership Spring 2013: Seeing Seattle

Students from Bosnia share their insights on different aspects of their experience so far in the Pacific Northwest - at baseball games, volunteer projects, tourist attractions, and more.

Students from Bosnia have been with FIUTS for over two weeks now, participating in our Youth Leadership Program with Bosnia and Herzegovina. Now that they've had a little bit of time to adjust, they are starting to see the many different sides of the Seattle experience. The following blog posts from Nermin, Sara, and Arsen describe their participation in a few special parts of Seattle life and culture, including a Mariners game, an environmental restoration project, a visit to the top of the Space Needle, and a morning lending a hand at the Ballard Food Bank.

Baseball and Bosnians - by Nermin Delic

Nermin Delic at a Mariners Game

Our second Sunday in Seattle was not like the first one. For today, we could just stay at home and talk with our host families, but almost everyone decided to go to a Mariners baseball Game. My host mum told me that it is always something special when the Mariners are playing. So, all day you could see euphoria in the air, you could just enjoy a good atmosphere that the baseball players always bring with them.

To see a lot of Bosnians in a stadium and how they support the Mariners is not so usual. So, when I saw my friends and smiles on their faces, I already had a reason to be happy. And then the game started. At first it was really exciting and uneven, you could just watch and pray for the Mariners, but then...then they started to lose. It was just for a short time because in the next part of the game they scored twice, so they won the game.

Something that I am trying to realize from this day is that you do not need to be a loser to lose something, you do not need to be loved to love someone, something and somewhere and you do not need to be American to love baseball. You can be Bosnian and have it all.

Look from the Sky - by Sara Petrovic

Today is the 13th day in Seattle and this day really opened my eyes. I’ve been so long in Seattle that right now I realize that I’m actually here, so Seattle, welcome to my list of visited places and you are also one of the nicest places I’ve ever been.

So far, I felt like I’m dreaming and this day showed me the realty of the place where I’m staying. Just like in every dream…well, in most of them, you dream about nice things and you only see nice things and today I saw one sad side of Seattle. So many people who need help and they go to Food Banks…We've been there today, doing some volunteering and seeing so many people coming for food which may not be that good made me think: “Do we see this side of our cities, and how can we help about this problem?"

Sara Petrovic

This Food Banks help a lot of people and we really see that, so I would like to suggest you to go over there and do some volunteering. It doesn't cost you anything, and you can bring smile to someone's face. Banks are local helpers, we can call them in that way, and there are also some big foundations that help people all over the world. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest funder of health and education in the world and we saw some projects they have done. We learn about their work and also left some ideas that could actually become real.

When you think of Seattle, the first thing that crosses your mind is Nirvana, Bill Gates and Microsoft, and then the SPACE NEEDLE! That big symbol of Seattle is one very, very tall building and getting to the top can be little scary. When you are up there you feel totally free. You can see all of Seattle and that look from the sky makes you realize some things, watching those “small cars” driving under you….uh, haha. This is an experience of a lifetime and again, this day showed me reality. We are all growing up into so-called “leaders” and we are also the future Bill and Melinda Gates, so start learning while you are young and when you grow up, change things for the better! It helps you, some other people, everyone!

Appreciating Nature - by Arsen Vukovic

On April 28 we were volunteers for EarthCorps. I was impressed with nature so we were there to help nature. Beside that forest is a magnificent beach with beautiful view of Puget Sound. The weather was nice and it didn't rain and that was perfect to work.

Arsen (center) with Borna (right) and Stipe volunteering at the Ballard Food Bank

Our job was to remove the invasive species so there were a lot of tools for that. Because the forest was old and big we had to help it to "stay in shape." Green is my favorite color,and it was everywhere. I wish I could stay there for the rest of my life. The air was cleaner and I felt so much better just for standing there, and helping the forest made me proud of myself. After  hard work we had barbecue and snacks. My heart was filled with joy when I saw how much good we have done for nature.

Then I went to a soccer game with three of my friends from this program, against kids from Bellevue high school, and we won. The rest of the day I spent with my hosts having dinner in campus.