Playing catch up

New Year has come and gone and we've missed the opportunity to tell some good stories here. Well we have if we enforce a new news policy. However, in the interests of letting you in on the interesting stuff we're going to do a bit of a rewind over the next couple of days. Sometimes there isn't the time to be involved in cool things and blog about them at the same time, so kicking off our retrospective of recent events we'll start with New Year's Eve.

Budo, our Novi Most co-worker in Jajce, decided the town needed an open air concert with fireworks to see in the New Year properly. This is not an unusual idea, similar events happen all over the world, but this had never happen here before. Together with the local Omladinski Centar (Youth Centre) he got the idea off the ground, securing the all-important permissions and sponsorship from the town council, local businesses and Novi Most and the Omladinski Centar.

Budo plays in one of the main local covers bands. They opened up the evening. He also teaches music as part of his work with Novi Most. This has led to him helping young people get a start at playing live. 'Underground' are the first band to form as part of this process. The Evangelical Church, where Novi Most runs its activities from, has provided rehearsal space. Budo has encouraged and coached them through their preparations. Their first concert was in a cafe bar in Jajce on Christmas Day; the second was on the streets, seeing in the New Year. For a young band they delivered an impressive performance and the event was a success. Next year will likely be bigger and better.