I've been looking at properties in Bosnia Herzegovina and also in Serbia. I'm wondering why you chose republika srpska over the federation of BiH, is there much of a difference? Did you also think about Serbia? I'm looking at Serbia but I haven't had much success yet in getting replies from agents or individuals that I've emailed about their properties 😆 I've had a bit better response from agents in Bosnia Herzegovina though. Regards David
Also, you say below that power cuts are frustrating. From what I understand, you live quite a bit outside the city center--are there just as many power cuts in the city center? What about the internet? If your home internet is cut with the electricity, can you hot spot your laptop on your phone?
Power outages in rural areas are for sure more commonplace than in built up areas. Planned outages are announced though through local radio and also social media platforms. Personally I always have data on my device so I can fire up a hotspot. I use my laptop normally, so I don't lose power there.
I was just looking at Pimsleur to see about lessons in Serbian and was shocked to only find Croatian. So, are the languages close enough that it wouldn't make a difference?
Here, Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian are now looked at as 3 separate languages, however you would be totally understood, if you spoke Croatian. For you and me, its the same as my dialect and word usage is slightly different to you.
Hi David, How are local authorities enabling people to do their bit for the environment. Can you recycle your waste? Andy do you see people reducing plastic use or generating their own electricity?
Hi Christian, to be honest, its a bit of a mixed bag. I say this as Bosnia and Herzegovina is still a very dysfunctional country. 27 years after conflict, it is still stuck in the "transitional phase". There are still more important things to get right. Having said that, there have been really positive steps forward in the recycling space. When I first arrived back in 1998, people just dumped things almost anywhere. Now not so much at all. In my experience it is very much on a town by town or municipality case. In our local town there are two recycling locations for plastic, glass, cardboard etc. We have to get to the colour coded bags yet 😉. There is also a clothes recycle unit. Here in the village we have our household waste taken on a weekly basis, however there are no specific collections for recycling. Old washing machines etc are collected by the Roma community and, often appear at flea markets a little later 👍. We at home, are very conscious of plastics and take our bags full of old containers on a monthly basis into "town". How many others do this? I am not sure. Plastic containers though are the dominant here, that's for sure. As far as electricity is concerned. our prices are increasing BUT Bosnia and Herzegovina generates massive amounts (more than required for domestic consumption) due to the abundance of water sources that are used in the Hydro industry. The reason we have price increases at the domestic level, is that electricity is a major export for the country. Solar panels are slowly being seen and in fact in a small city 50 km away from us, an entire medium sized factory is fully on solar due to the foresight of its owner. In a nutshell, we are a "work in progress".
David not a question but more of a thank you. Yours and by that I mean yours a Tamara remind me of the good times I had in BIH. It is the people that make the country and I agree with your sentiment that the younger generation are questioning the direction they are going in. Your VLOG and BLOG gives many a useful insight into the customs and traditions of the people not just one but all. Stay safe and Stay healthy above all keep publishing it is a joy to read
Marko, who follows on Instagram, left this comment "What was the hardest adjustment you had to make when moving here".
Marko, I think it was adjusting to the culture of very close families and that "family" dominates almost everything. Something I had fought against all my life. I value personal independence. I can handle that now, although find it frustrating as anything.
Paul, a touchy one. Bosnia and Herzegovina is an autocratic environment. Any form of democracy is a "stretch" here, as all 3 ethnicities are "controlled" by extremely strong ethnic narratives. I can only talk to where I live, in the Serb entity. My experience, and purely anecdotal, is that older, middle-aged people have (again in my opinion) been "gaslit" into leaning heavily towards the Russian perspective. The younger generations though seem to be questioning a lot. There is an absence of independent media throughout the country and a total lack of any balance from "journalists".
Thanks for the reply. I suspected that there would be a misleading narrative in favour of the Russian side. Disappointing that journalists are unable to report in a balanced fashion.
What are your feelings of "belonging" and cultural identity as someone who lives in a foreign country and has admitted to not "feeling the vibe" of the country of your birth at the moment?
Roger, as I alluded to in an earlier post somewhere, yes, I didn't feel the "vibe" when back in the UK recently. For context, I arrived here in Bosnia and Herzegovina back in September 1998. Never ever thought life would pan out as it did. I have never "lived" back in the UK since, only dropping in for visits to family. I am a Baby Boomer, and grew up in a post WW2 family. I had certain views about the UK (pretty arrogant ones on reflection). I was fascinated by the world outside the British Isles. My uncle had married a French lady and upped sticks to France never to return. That had an impact on me. I travelled extensively as a soldier for nigh on 30 years. I have always felt that exploring other cultures was so exciting. There's something about where I have decided to live from now till the end. Although technically an immigrant in Bosnia and Herzegovina, I feel more of an "inbetweener". I am a resident of BiH. I refer to myself as "British" rather than "English", I still find locally culture and traditions here exciting and continue to explore. My life, if truth be told, is anything than boring. I am blessed in that. I am the odd one out, as foreigners are still the minority here. I am not sure about belonging. But being away from the UK and viewing it from afar, especially politically, is a disappointment if I am honest. You know, when I cross that bridge over the river Sava, which is the natural border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, I always feel a weird sense of relief that I have "fallen off the radar". Oh and I am married to a local girl, so enjoy the full family experience. As a footnote: During some discussions I am still viewed as "western". But the "vibe" for me at least is here 😄
Before the former Yugoslavia split into the 6 individual countries that now exist (based on the 6 republics that constituted Yugoslavia), there were 3 languages: Serbo-Croatian, Slovenian and Macedonian. Bosnia and Herzegovina has been formed with 3 constituent peoples: Serbs, Croats, and Bošnijaks (muslims). Each now claim to have their own languages (Srpski, Hrvatski and Bosanski). As a foreigner the most simplistic explanation I can offer is that they can 100% understand and converse with each other. There are unique words to each but the difference is like English, Australians and Americans conversing with each other. As I said that's a simplistic explanation and we could see some more detailed responses from other readers about this. Me? I am no way fluent. I have a "working" skills base. I can speak very good German, but to be honest, the languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina I find difficult. I can get about on my own, so .....
Hi Tom, strangely, it's that when I talk to non Balkan people, there are still a lot of folks who still think there is a war going on here, even 27 years after the conflict ended. Totally Bizarre! Secondary is a concern if the country is safe to visit. Which it most definitely is.
I think, for me, power-cuts are the most frustrating. I know that in the greater scheme of things, I should not get as irritated as I do. I admit that I sometimes scream at the top of my voice as everything stops (washing machine and other appliances). On reconnection we often go through and "off-on-off-on period", which has on occasions over the years caused damage to sensitive equipment (like w-fi routers 😟). The power grid infra structure here is what it is.
Dai, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a Tourist Dream. The cost of living is far below anywhere else near northern or western Europe. Hotels can range from "uber luxurious" and yes, maybe comparable with European prices, but normal 3 star etc are just as professionally run and with the 3 star facilities, at considerably less price. Booking.com will give you a feel for that.
Food, is definitely cheaper and offers much more value for money. Shopping locally will surprise you especially regarding the freshness and quality of produce. Local food is a must to try. But maybe a good example of eating out, is a recent visit we went to a local Italian restaurant (run by Italians). 3 of us. Lasange, a large house Pizza, Tortilla, 2 Cappuccinos, 1 normal Coffee, 2 Schweppes tonics and 3 Ice Creams = 61 BAM (Bosnian Marks). That's €30/£25.
Car Hire is very reasonable (we have a great contact for that), but fuel has increased for obvious reasons to €1.50/£1.27 for a litre of Euro Diesel. Public transport is cheap though.
I've been looking at properties in Bosnia Herzegovina and also in Serbia. I'm wondering why you chose republika srpska over the federation of BiH, is there much of a difference? Did you also think about Serbia? I'm looking at Serbia but I haven't had much success yet in getting replies from agents or individuals that I've emailed about their properties 😆 I've had a bit better response from agents in Bosnia Herzegovina though. Regards David
Hi David, could you send the best email to reply to, to david@anenglishmaninthebalkans.com? I'll get back to you very soon with answers. Bests, David
Oh, sorry, just saw it said one question per person... Argggg....
Don't worry 😀
Also, you say below that power cuts are frustrating. From what I understand, you live quite a bit outside the city center--are there just as many power cuts in the city center? What about the internet? If your home internet is cut with the electricity, can you hot spot your laptop on your phone?
Power outages in rural areas are for sure more commonplace than in built up areas. Planned outages are announced though through local radio and also social media platforms. Personally I always have data on my device so I can fire up a hotspot. I use my laptop normally, so I don't lose power there.
Thanks for your kind response, even though I over-asked!
I was just looking at Pimsleur to see about lessons in Serbian and was shocked to only find Croatian. So, are the languages close enough that it wouldn't make a difference?
Here, Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian are now looked at as 3 separate languages, however you would be totally understood, if you spoke Croatian. For you and me, its the same as my dialect and word usage is slightly different to you.
Hi David, How are local authorities enabling people to do their bit for the environment. Can you recycle your waste? Andy do you see people reducing plastic use or generating their own electricity?
Hi Christian, to be honest, its a bit of a mixed bag. I say this as Bosnia and Herzegovina is still a very dysfunctional country. 27 years after conflict, it is still stuck in the "transitional phase". There are still more important things to get right. Having said that, there have been really positive steps forward in the recycling space. When I first arrived back in 1998, people just dumped things almost anywhere. Now not so much at all. In my experience it is very much on a town by town or municipality case. In our local town there are two recycling locations for plastic, glass, cardboard etc. We have to get to the colour coded bags yet 😉. There is also a clothes recycle unit. Here in the village we have our household waste taken on a weekly basis, however there are no specific collections for recycling. Old washing machines etc are collected by the Roma community and, often appear at flea markets a little later 👍. We at home, are very conscious of plastics and take our bags full of old containers on a monthly basis into "town". How many others do this? I am not sure. Plastic containers though are the dominant here, that's for sure. As far as electricity is concerned. our prices are increasing BUT Bosnia and Herzegovina generates massive amounts (more than required for domestic consumption) due to the abundance of water sources that are used in the Hydro industry. The reason we have price increases at the domestic level, is that electricity is a major export for the country. Solar panels are slowly being seen and in fact in a small city 50 km away from us, an entire medium sized factory is fully on solar due to the foresight of its owner. In a nutshell, we are a "work in progress".
David not a question but more of a thank you. Yours and by that I mean yours a Tamara remind me of the good times I had in BIH. It is the people that make the country and I agree with your sentiment that the younger generation are questioning the direction they are going in. Your VLOG and BLOG gives many a useful insight into the customs and traditions of the people not just one but all. Stay safe and Stay healthy above all keep publishing it is a joy to read
Marko, who follows on Instagram, left this comment "What was the hardest adjustment you had to make when moving here".
Marko, I think it was adjusting to the culture of very close families and that "family" dominates almost everything. Something I had fought against all my life. I value personal independence. I can handle that now, although find it frustrating as anything.
How do the local population view the war in Ukraine?
Paul, a touchy one. Bosnia and Herzegovina is an autocratic environment. Any form of democracy is a "stretch" here, as all 3 ethnicities are "controlled" by extremely strong ethnic narratives. I can only talk to where I live, in the Serb entity. My experience, and purely anecdotal, is that older, middle-aged people have (again in my opinion) been "gaslit" into leaning heavily towards the Russian perspective. The younger generations though seem to be questioning a lot. There is an absence of independent media throughout the country and a total lack of any balance from "journalists".
Thanks for the reply. I suspected that there would be a misleading narrative in favour of the Russian side. Disappointing that journalists are unable to report in a balanced fashion.
What are your feelings of "belonging" and cultural identity as someone who lives in a foreign country and has admitted to not "feeling the vibe" of the country of your birth at the moment?
Roger, as I alluded to in an earlier post somewhere, yes, I didn't feel the "vibe" when back in the UK recently. For context, I arrived here in Bosnia and Herzegovina back in September 1998. Never ever thought life would pan out as it did. I have never "lived" back in the UK since, only dropping in for visits to family. I am a Baby Boomer, and grew up in a post WW2 family. I had certain views about the UK (pretty arrogant ones on reflection). I was fascinated by the world outside the British Isles. My uncle had married a French lady and upped sticks to France never to return. That had an impact on me. I travelled extensively as a soldier for nigh on 30 years. I have always felt that exploring other cultures was so exciting. There's something about where I have decided to live from now till the end. Although technically an immigrant in Bosnia and Herzegovina, I feel more of an "inbetweener". I am a resident of BiH. I refer to myself as "British" rather than "English", I still find locally culture and traditions here exciting and continue to explore. My life, if truth be told, is anything than boring. I am blessed in that. I am the odd one out, as foreigners are still the minority here. I am not sure about belonging. But being away from the UK and viewing it from afar, especially politically, is a disappointment if I am honest. You know, when I cross that bridge over the river Sava, which is the natural border between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, I always feel a weird sense of relief that I have "fallen off the radar". Oh and I am married to a local girl, so enjoy the full family experience. As a footnote: During some discussions I am still viewed as "western". But the "vibe" for me at least is here 😄
There seem to be three official languages…how does this work in practice? Are you fluent in all of them? Thanks David
Before the former Yugoslavia split into the 6 individual countries that now exist (based on the 6 republics that constituted Yugoslavia), there were 3 languages: Serbo-Croatian, Slovenian and Macedonian. Bosnia and Herzegovina has been formed with 3 constituent peoples: Serbs, Croats, and Bošnijaks (muslims). Each now claim to have their own languages (Srpski, Hrvatski and Bosanski). As a foreigner the most simplistic explanation I can offer is that they can 100% understand and converse with each other. There are unique words to each but the difference is like English, Australians and Americans conversing with each other. As I said that's a simplistic explanation and we could see some more detailed responses from other readers about this. Me? I am no way fluent. I have a "working" skills base. I can speak very good German, but to be honest, the languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina I find difficult. I can get about on my own, so .....
What's the biggest (or most repeated) misconception about Bosnia and Herzegovina?
Hi Tom, strangely, it's that when I talk to non Balkan people, there are still a lot of folks who still think there is a war going on here, even 27 years after the conflict ended. Totally Bizarre! Secondary is a concern if the country is safe to visit. Which it most definitely is.
What’s the most frustrating thing for you, living there?
I think, for me, power-cuts are the most frustrating. I know that in the greater scheme of things, I should not get as irritated as I do. I admit that I sometimes scream at the top of my voice as everything stops (washing machine and other appliances). On reconnection we often go through and "off-on-off-on period", which has on occasions over the years caused damage to sensitive equipment (like w-fi routers 😟). The power grid infra structure here is what it is.
That would also drive me crazy, here’s hoping the infrastructure will improve in the future
Dai, Bosnia and Herzegovina is a Tourist Dream. The cost of living is far below anywhere else near northern or western Europe. Hotels can range from "uber luxurious" and yes, maybe comparable with European prices, but normal 3 star etc are just as professionally run and with the 3 star facilities, at considerably less price. Booking.com will give you a feel for that.
Food, is definitely cheaper and offers much more value for money. Shopping locally will surprise you especially regarding the freshness and quality of produce. Local food is a must to try. But maybe a good example of eating out, is a recent visit we went to a local Italian restaurant (run by Italians). 3 of us. Lasange, a large house Pizza, Tortilla, 2 Cappuccinos, 1 normal Coffee, 2 Schweppes tonics and 3 Ice Creams = 61 BAM (Bosnian Marks). That's €30/£25.
Car Hire is very reasonable (we have a great contact for that), but fuel has increased for obvious reasons to €1.50/£1.27 for a litre of Euro Diesel. Public transport is cheap though.