BLINK!

Today was the third day we’ve spent in Pale (Wednesday), and things were getting a little too routine for the Americans. We have this uno-like card game that I brought, so Lauren and I decided we should make a tournament for the girls. It was a double elimination bracket with a “physical challenge” to determine who got bumped back up into the winner’s bracket. We hyped it up for a little while, so it seemed like everyone was ready to play and of course the whole team was super competitive (that’s the downside of being athletic....it comes with the curse of ALWAYS being competitive). 

We explained the game (with the help of Maja’s serbian translations) and everyone was really into it. It’s only a two player game, but it ended up being that half were helping one person, and the other half helped and cheered for the other. It was so much fun!!

explaining the rules...everyone is focused

things got serious so I was the referee

maja and lauren playing a super intense match

Next, was the physical challenge. We played a “Minute To Win It” game to determine who would advance. It’s the one where you put a golf ball (we used a kiwi from my homegirl Rose at the fruit market in Bar) into a pair of pantyhose, put it over your face and swing it to knock down water bottles. Of COURSE it ended up that I had to take part and I lost by ONE SECOND. sad! 

Maja was the winner of the tournament and chose a chocolate bar as her prize, Anja (a younger girl on our team) won some Plasma --cookies, not blood--- Milica won a lollipop and Cvijo won a different candy. Overall, it was a big success and they said they also planned something for us!!! It was a concert of a song that Maja always sings super over-the-top. Vule tickled the ivory, and Milica, Bojana, Djule and Cvijo did a little choreographed dance. It was a perfect end to the night and they got a good laugh out of everyone.

maja claiming her prize on her winner's podium

 We are officially halfway through our stay, and I think we are going to see part of Sarajevo tomorrow. Unfortunately, I have to go to the physio tomorrow for my shoulder. Hopefully it’s nothing too serious, but it’s really been bugging me lately. I really hope I get to get out and see the city too! 

In other news, 

• I finally used that "toilet" I swore I would never use
• Luka told me and Lauren that we needed to clean our room. Not that it was messy, I would say “disorganized” at worst
• We had “footing” again today, and then we did some conditioning with the team in Pale that we’ve been practicing with.
• I miss the internet like I never thought I would! Luckily, I found an internet cafe, but unluckily its about a 25 minute walk of steady uphill (yes, uphill both ways). 

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I’ll have another post about Sarajevo tomorrow!!