On April 5th, Honors students in Professor Faye McMahon’s ANT300/HNR340/HNR360: “Aesthetics Across Cultures,” spent the afternoon with Bosnian community members in Syracuse. At the Bosnian Eurobazar, they learned to “ćejf” with our very own Samir Malovic, who is the Data Administrator here at the Honors Program. Samir gave an engrossing and informative talk about the history of the Balkans and the culture of his native land, Bosnia, and introduced the students to ćejf-ing. Though the term is untranslatable in English, according to Bosnians, it is a very important part in understanding the everyday aesthetics of Bosnian culture. In a way, it is about enjoying life. The students experienced one form of ćejf by eating savory Bosnian foods, indulging in traditional homemade sweets, and listening to Bosnian music while drinking Bosnian coffee to their hearts content–all made and served by our Bosnian hosts, Kasim and Mrs. Muhovic and their children, Selma and Almas. To learn more about Bosnian ćejf-ing, stop by Samir’s desk on your way to class!
