2008 Republican National Convention to be held in the Twin Cities?! That just might have ended my considerations about moving myself back to St. Paul. I was in New York City for the last one of these things the Republicans held and it was hell! If I'm in 'Sota for the next one, I might be accused of ghastly things . . .St. Paul being called, "The House the Norm Build." Yea, when he was a democrat! Now that sucker is riding the torn tails of the Republican party to DC. Why couldn't the democrats been a bit quicker with their bid?
Out with the international ultimate Frisbee crowd last night. They are all government employees - UN or other country's missions - and these conversations are hard to keep up with in this crowd. These people make lives out of discussing global politics and history, they speak multiple languages and have been living abroad for most of their adult lives. More often than not I find myself sitting back in my chair eating my pizza in fear of being engaged in the conversation. I like to think I'm relatively intelligent - granted, I'm not the best speller, but I can hold a fairly intellectual conversation. But with these folks I often feel like I must have missed some serious school days or didn't watch BBC News enough. Are these people normal representatives of their countries - probably not the average. They hold this diplomatic positions because they know diplomacy. But I do believe that the average American does NOT get the global education that people of other countries get. The Americans who are up on these things have to find their sources and seek them out. Our general media do not encourage the US public to be up on these things. I didn't miss any days of school and I do read the New York Times and listen to NPR, but I don't think like these people do. I wasn't raised to, like a lot of people in The States. So, if The Twin Cities and the Republican convention come up next time, I'll engage. Might be my chance to show that I at least read the newspaper.
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Mission of Ethnic Diversity
My first weekend here and was a long one due to the start of Ramadan. Most of the folks I've met so far had plans already to head out of town, so I stuck around Prishtina. Haven't been here long enough to justify a trip away, yet there really isn't enough to do here for three whole days. Adria came up from Prizren for a couple of nights. She said its even worse down there. So here we are. The weather is absolutely beautiful, though. About 70 degrees, sunny, light breeze, good for our own little cafe crawl through town. Good thing I had someone to talk to because, despite the modern appearance of my apartment, the utilities maintain a sort of war-torn status. My internet connection has been about as reliable as a cell phone connection in the New York Subways. The cable literally goes out my window to the utility pole down on the street. When I close my window I'm kinking the hose so the connection goes in and out. Without internet, all I have is E! Europe, BBC World News and a whole lot of low-budget porn channels on my TV. God help me and get this internet working right!!
As of this morning, I am the proud recipient of a State Department Grant through the Public Affairs Office of Prishtina Kosovo for the purpose of organizing and holding a regional English Language Conference. It was something I wanted to do eventually, but didn't realize I'd have the money this soon. The fiscal year 2006 ends this week so I had to open a bank account here yesterday in order to receive the money in time. From what it sounds like, I could be expecting to have around 200 participants from around Kosovo, maybe even reaching into Macedonia and Albania. One big goal will be to include Serbian teachers of English, which will be a challenge. The government in Belgrade does not encourage the Serbian population to get involved in Albanian/UN promoted events. Local teachers of English as a whole don't have opportunities to participate in professional conferences so it's a great opportunity for them to get the exposure and experience. My goal will be to offer the opportunity to both the Albanian and Serbian teachers of English in the area.
In attempts to be pro-active and avoid dying of boredom, I went out to KIJAC - the MA Journalism program - in order to meet with Willem, the director, and find out about the classes I'll teach. A driver picked me up in his BMW and on the way out there we were stopped by the Kosova Police. The road to KIJAC is also the road to Mitrovica - the northern region of Kosovo that is ethnically divided between Serbs and Albanians and where ethnic conflict is pretty hot. All the news surrounding Kosovo lately talks about the seemingly inevitable decision for Kosovo independence and the backlash that may result from the Serbian population. The increase in security and UN activity has been evident. When the driver was pulled over today, he mentioned this increase in security and how he saw it as a necessity rather than a hindrance.
I was able to meet t the class of first-year students at KIJAC and they all had great energy. I could tell some had excellent spoken English skills. I've already received an email from one, however, saying that he is really struggling with English and wants to spend as much time with me as possible. This class will be the first academic group that has Serbian students together with Albanian students. This is a BIG step and I'm sure adds a very interesting dynamic to class discussion and interaction. A mini Mitrovica, in a way, and it's up to those of us working at KIJAC to make sure ethnic diversity is successful on our own small scale. So I'll take my baby steps and do what I can to contribute to the efforts here.
As of this morning, I am the proud recipient of a State Department Grant through the Public Affairs Office of Prishtina Kosovo for the purpose of organizing and holding a regional English Language Conference. It was something I wanted to do eventually, but didn't realize I'd have the money this soon. The fiscal year 2006 ends this week so I had to open a bank account here yesterday in order to receive the money in time. From what it sounds like, I could be expecting to have around 200 participants from around Kosovo, maybe even reaching into Macedonia and Albania. One big goal will be to include Serbian teachers of English, which will be a challenge. The government in Belgrade does not encourage the Serbian population to get involved in Albanian/UN promoted events. Local teachers of English as a whole don't have opportunities to participate in professional conferences so it's a great opportunity for them to get the exposure and experience. My goal will be to offer the opportunity to both the Albanian and Serbian teachers of English in the area.
In attempts to be pro-active and avoid dying of boredom, I went out to KIJAC - the MA Journalism program - in order to meet with Willem, the director, and find out about the classes I'll teach. A driver picked me up in his BMW and on the way out there we were stopped by the Kosova Police. The road to KIJAC is also the road to Mitrovica - the northern region of Kosovo that is ethnically divided between Serbs and Albanians and where ethnic conflict is pretty hot. All the news surrounding Kosovo lately talks about the seemingly inevitable decision for Kosovo independence and the backlash that may result from the Serbian population. The increase in security and UN activity has been evident. When the driver was pulled over today, he mentioned this increase in security and how he saw it as a necessity rather than a hindrance.
I was able to meet t the class of first-year students at KIJAC and they all had great energy. I could tell some had excellent spoken English skills. I've already received an email from one, however, saying that he is really struggling with English and wants to spend as much time with me as possible. This class will be the first academic group that has Serbian students together with Albanian students. This is a BIG step and I'm sure adds a very interesting dynamic to class discussion and interaction. A mini Mitrovica, in a way, and it's up to those of us working at KIJAC to make sure ethnic diversity is successful on our own small scale. So I'll take my baby steps and do what I can to contribute to the efforts here.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Academic Extremes
I met with Leo today, the woman with whom I will be teaching English at the University of Prishtina. She said she has been teaching there for 11 years. It's not her full time job. According to her, the university pay is worth peanuts. She's got a full-time gig working for an NGO on the that conducts political science seminars for young local politicians. She tells me that UP has a lot of problems and that the students not only don't speak much English when they enter, but that the university doesn't impose much of a need for them to learn it. Classes are meant to start on October 1. She and I will most likely be taking that first week to test the students and place them into different leveled classes. She wanted to make sure I understood that things would move slowly and be quite unorganized at first and that I would have to be patient. I don't know, sounds a bit like September at Brandeis High School a couple of years back.
Now I must share about the Kosovo Institute of Journalism And Communication (KIJAC). It is a MA program here in Prishtina that is funded my the Royal Norwegean Minestry of Foreign Affairs and is this year partnering with the University of Nebraska's journalism program. Apparently they used to be housed in central Prishtina, but had to moved for some reason. In the drive out there, Wendy, Ardian and I were talking about how I would get myself there and back. As the drive continued to drive toward nothing, our conversation started turning to whether or not I'd go there at all. The closest thing to the building was a cemetary. Everywhere else was wasteland. When we arrived at the building, we were met by a Dutch man that was at least 6' 4" wearing a rainbow-striped shirt with glowing blue eyes and a platinum smile. His name is Willem and his CV covers media work all over the world. He escorted us into the front door and we were transported into this man's rainbow world. Winding staircases, track lighting and walls geometrically painted with colors that must have been inrpired by the shirt. He took us on a tour of the most high tech academic facility I have ever seen. Audio and video editing equipment, classrooms hooked up with video conferencing, LCD projectors and computers for students that I know I never had access to. And this is in KOSOVO?! The professors here consist of a former executive producer of the BBC, journalists from Australia, Norway, the states and they hve worked in Cuba, Vietnam, Venezuela, Etheopia,Spain, Bosnia and God only knows where else. I suggest you check out the link.
Because of the international faculty, the classes are taught in English. For the first time, this year's entering class - 25 students - has 5 serbian students enrolled. Now this is a big deal and something they are very proud of. Their ultimate goal is to be a media center for all of Europe and opening their doors to all kinds is crucial. And I am going to be a part of this! These students need to write an MA thesis in English by the end of their second year, so my job will be to strengthen their academic writing in English. This becomes more important to them having Serbian students in the class because English will serve as the culturally unbiased common language in the classroom.
Now I must share about the Kosovo Institute of Journalism And Communication (KIJAC). It is a MA program here in Prishtina that is funded my the Royal Norwegean Minestry of Foreign Affairs and is this year partnering with the University of Nebraska's journalism program. Apparently they used to be housed in central Prishtina, but had to moved for some reason. In the drive out there, Wendy, Ardian and I were talking about how I would get myself there and back. As the drive continued to drive toward nothing, our conversation started turning to whether or not I'd go there at all. The closest thing to the building was a cemetary. Everywhere else was wasteland. When we arrived at the building, we were met by a Dutch man that was at least 6' 4" wearing a rainbow-striped shirt with glowing blue eyes and a platinum smile. His name is Willem and his CV covers media work all over the world. He escorted us into the front door and we were transported into this man's rainbow world. Winding staircases, track lighting and walls geometrically painted with colors that must have been inrpired by the shirt. He took us on a tour of the most high tech academic facility I have ever seen. Audio and video editing equipment, classrooms hooked up with video conferencing, LCD projectors and computers for students that I know I never had access to. And this is in KOSOVO?! The professors here consist of a former executive producer of the BBC, journalists from Australia, Norway, the states and they hve worked in Cuba, Vietnam, Venezuela, Etheopia,Spain, Bosnia and God only knows where else. I suggest you check out the link.
Because of the international faculty, the classes are taught in English. For the first time, this year's entering class - 25 students - has 5 serbian students enrolled. Now this is a big deal and something they are very proud of. Their ultimate goal is to be a media center for all of Europe and opening their doors to all kinds is crucial. And I am going to be a part of this! These students need to write an MA thesis in English by the end of their second year, so my job will be to strengthen their academic writing in English. This becomes more important to them having Serbian students in the class because English will serve as the culturally unbiased common language in the classroom.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Issues
For the past couple of nights I have been able to get together with a group of internationals living here in Prishtina. It is safe to say that every one of them - about 30 so far - is here working for some government's mission, the UN or an NGO working on the development and for the most part working toward independence of Kosovo. From privatization of businesses, security and police to trouble-shooting technological issues, they are all here for generally the same purpose, applying their expertise in whatever way they can. Like myself, most of them had no special interest in the region. They were given a post and took it with curiosity. Many of them have been here 3 or 5 years, done the work they could and are ready to get out. It's almost like they have reached a standstill with the progress they've been able to make.
The perception of the Kosovar Albanians in regards to the presence of the UN and foreign missions varies depending on age. Those closer to middle age genuinely believe that there would be no Kosovo without the United States. "No Bill Clinton, no United States would mean no Kosova," said one 50-something man I met on the airplane. Ardian, who is in his mid-thirties believed that good progress was made with the presence of the international community up until 2002/03. Citizens' freedom was returned. Restaurants and cafes opened, consumer selection and variety increased and an energy was given back to people who had been living either under communism or persecution for the previous few decades since the end of World War II to endless bouts ethnic conflict decades prior. When the UN bombing stopped in 1999, it seems to me as though chains were broken and the Albanians of Kosovo were suddenly told to be who they wanted to be. With the ideas of democracy and capitalism, the international organizations assisted these people in finding a life for themselves.
Of course it is not all perfect. During this time of growth, unemployment and poverty continue to exist. Minority Serb and Roma enclaves exist in Kosovo which inherently leaves the cloud of ethnic conflict hanging overhead. One main hurdle in the negotiations of Kosovo status is the treatment and integration of these minorities into the general population. Serbia wants to make sure they are treated well and Kosovo wouldn't mind if they just left all together. In the past month, as the status talks seemingly progress towards Kosovo independence, lightening has shot from this cloud in the form of bombings and deaths in the minority enclaves. And they are ready to fight back.
And in the mean time, the infrastructural progress seems to have hit a stand-still. Power-outages still prevail. Left-over buildings - either intact and empty or bombed out - still remain. A university exists where corruption prevails from top to bottom. Those thirty-somethings at the age of making a difference and creating a place for themselves in society seem to believe the international efforts have reached a plateau in the past 3 years. Their confidence in the international presence is getting less and they are starting to wonder when will they truly be able to live independently.
Once I meet with my students I will have a sense of how the younger generation sees it all. In addition to the udergraduate and graduate classes I'll be teaching, I will also have a class of minority Serb and Roma high school kids that will be bussed into Prishtina for an English class getting exposure they are not given in isolation from the majority Albanians.
The perception of the Kosovar Albanians in regards to the presence of the UN and foreign missions varies depending on age. Those closer to middle age genuinely believe that there would be no Kosovo without the United States. "No Bill Clinton, no United States would mean no Kosova," said one 50-something man I met on the airplane. Ardian, who is in his mid-thirties believed that good progress was made with the presence of the international community up until 2002/03. Citizens' freedom was returned. Restaurants and cafes opened, consumer selection and variety increased and an energy was given back to people who had been living either under communism or persecution for the previous few decades since the end of World War II to endless bouts ethnic conflict decades prior. When the UN bombing stopped in 1999, it seems to me as though chains were broken and the Albanians of Kosovo were suddenly told to be who they wanted to be. With the ideas of democracy and capitalism, the international organizations assisted these people in finding a life for themselves.
Of course it is not all perfect. During this time of growth, unemployment and poverty continue to exist. Minority Serb and Roma enclaves exist in Kosovo which inherently leaves the cloud of ethnic conflict hanging overhead. One main hurdle in the negotiations of Kosovo status is the treatment and integration of these minorities into the general population. Serbia wants to make sure they are treated well and Kosovo wouldn't mind if they just left all together. In the past month, as the status talks seemingly progress towards Kosovo independence, lightening has shot from this cloud in the form of bombings and deaths in the minority enclaves. And they are ready to fight back.
And in the mean time, the infrastructural progress seems to have hit a stand-still. Power-outages still prevail. Left-over buildings - either intact and empty or bombed out - still remain. A university exists where corruption prevails from top to bottom. Those thirty-somethings at the age of making a difference and creating a place for themselves in society seem to believe the international efforts have reached a plateau in the past 3 years. Their confidence in the international presence is getting less and they are starting to wonder when will they truly be able to live independently.
Once I meet with my students I will have a sense of how the younger generation sees it all. In addition to the udergraduate and graduate classes I'll be teaching, I will also have a class of minority Serb and Roma high school kids that will be bussed into Prishtina for an English class getting exposure they are not given in isolation from the majority Albanians.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
In the community
I had a good chunk of this morning off, so I took a walk with the camera. So here they are . . . Star Wars just a few hours ago in this galaxy. The one with the spikes represents eagles, a national symbol. It's actually the sports facility and has the football stadium next to it. The one that looks like bubble wrap is the national library where I'll be teaching one of my classes. I was told it was meant to symbolize white hats traditionally worn by Albanian men. So, this is what the brilliant architects came up with.
I've got to start meeting with the deans of the universities where I'll be working, but Public Affairs Officer at the Mission sets it all up and needed to go as well and apparently they were all in morning budget meetings. Oh darn, free until two. I took a bit of a walk around in the morning. There is a long staircase that leads up Sunnyhill to the US Mission compound so I headed that direction. You get a great view of the Eagle from there. On the walk back I wanted to stop and get some thing for breakfast and stopped at this little market that was stuffed full of some pretty good loot. They had Wasa Rye Crisps and some beautiful fresh produce. I've been told that doesn't last into the winter, though. Might have to resort to frozen veggies.
The woman who had my job before me, Michelle, has been great about getting me in contact with people she knew while living here. One of the guys that organizes an ultimate Frisbee team and all sorts of other things gave me a call and I met him for a coffee in the morning near my apartment. Thor and I started into the small talk and he asked the basic questions. "How are things going for you here . . . What did you do before this . . .Where are you from . . . Where did you go to college . . . " When I told him St. Olaf his next question was, "What dorm did you live in?" Yes, Thor is a former Ole. Of course he is . . . he's an American named Thor. There is another American here named Sven and his sister went to Olaf. Go figure. So the conversation went on with all ice broken. Apparently there was going to be a party in the evening with ultimate people and he invited me to join.
The afternoon meeting was good. I met Professor Gashi of the Political Science faculty where I'll have a few classes to teach. My Assistant Public Affairs Officer, Wendy, Ardian and myself were lead down a dark hallway of the Poli Sci building and I could feel the buzz you feel on every college campus the days before classes start. In a large frame on the main wall were the headshots of all the previous years graduates wearing their square black hats and red shirts - the colors of their flag. If you talk to an Albanian Kosovar about the University of Prishtina they will speak very highly of the quality of education there. Speak to anyone in the Public Affairs Office of the Mission and they would tell you not to send your children there. Corruption seems to rule here. Part of the PAO's is to fix these problems, but corruption runs deep. Students don't pay tuition, professors don't get paid the salaries they deserve (the majority have PhDs from what I understand) Many have other jobs and put little time into teaching. More times than not they are paid by the students for passing grades.
The discussion we had focused on what my schedule would be and how the English program worked. A placement test was established last year by Michelle and the other English teacher. The scores on those tests was extremely low, even for those students that were coming from the English lit. department. This year, due to the fact that every other department wanted to take the English portion of the University's entrance exam off, it's predicted to be worse. I'll hopefully meet with the other English teacher soon to discuss all of this.
That one hour meeting was my work day. I said good-bye, bought more grocery necessities and was picked up by Thor and Sophia - a former member of the Swedish national women's soccer team - and we were off to the party. A beautiful home lived in by an Irish man and a Belgium woman who were expecting a baby. 4 other women at the party were expecting too. Quite the "active" international community for sure! Seems to be a rotating crowd with no one staying in Prishtina much longer than three years. It sounded like a lot of them are on their way out come the first of the year. Kind of a bummer to start meeting people knowing they'll be flying off soon.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Resident without an address
Day 3 and it all seems to be coming together. Baggage has arrived, moved into the apartment, using the internet and washing the same pair of jeans and shirt I wore on the flight over and for the first two days here. Drank a bottle of wine and ate a bowl of rice. Haven't managed to find salt and pepper yet, so it was a bit bland. I did get a bottle of red wine though. Makes any ordinary bowl of rice edible.
Today was spent bumping elbows with the big dogs. After being picked up at our hotel by MotorPoll, we were taken to Alpha Gate of the US Mission compound. Literally a village where all the diplomats live and work. It's a bit unfair that these people claim to be living abroad. Other than the fact that they pay in Euro, there is nothing foreign about the way they live. They even admit to living better here than they do back in the states with their mansions, maids, cooks and drivers. All of the Foreign Service Diplomats have taken extensive Albanian language courses and could probably speak it quite well, but they'll be damned if anyone asks them to use it. Every Albanian they work with speaks English, Serbian and at least one other European language, but they can't even bring themselves to speak the local language in the country they call home for at least 2 years.
We had a security briefing where we were pretty much just told which bars to stay away from unless you want to be a "lady of the night." No land mine warnings, no lessons on how to disarm anyone, nothing more than "lock your doors and don't walk home alone too late when you've been out drinking with the other internationals here." Guaranteed I'll see the Deputy of Security out at a pub one night. I'll just make sure to follow her lead.
But now I'm settled into the apartment. The view is amazing and the balcony a real treat. Internet and 150 satellite TV channels but I can't get anything mailed to my front door.
Today was spent bumping elbows with the big dogs. After being picked up at our hotel by MotorPoll, we were taken to Alpha Gate of the US Mission compound. Literally a village where all the diplomats live and work. It's a bit unfair that these people claim to be living abroad. Other than the fact that they pay in Euro, there is nothing foreign about the way they live. They even admit to living better here than they do back in the states with their mansions, maids, cooks and drivers. All of the Foreign Service Diplomats have taken extensive Albanian language courses and could probably speak it quite well, but they'll be damned if anyone asks them to use it. Every Albanian they work with speaks English, Serbian and at least one other European language, but they can't even bring themselves to speak the local language in the country they call home for at least 2 years.
We had a security briefing where we were pretty much just told which bars to stay away from unless you want to be a "lady of the night." No land mine warnings, no lessons on how to disarm anyone, nothing more than "lock your doors and don't walk home alone too late when you've been out drinking with the other internationals here." Guaranteed I'll see the Deputy of Security out at a pub one night. I'll just make sure to follow her lead.
But now I'm settled into the apartment. The view is amazing and the balcony a real treat. Internet and 150 satellite TV channels but I can't get anything mailed to my front door.
Saturday, September 16, 2006
Day 1 1/2
Well, we're here! "We" being the other new resident of Kosovo. She is here on the same program as me, but will be living in a smaller city in the mountains about an hour from Prishtina. Our Austrian airline plane landed and emptied us right onto the tarmac to walk all of 50 meters into the airport. We pretty much just saw Passport Control and the "baggage claim" area. It was here that we all grabbed our luggage carts and lined up. There was no conveyer belt, no chute, nothing other than a group of people that looked like there were waiting to hear, "ready, set . . . go" before the gates opened and we were set free. And that's exactly how it happened. We filed out to a sidewalk area where baggage was lined-up buffet style. People walked around the bags, grabbing what was theirs. Little by little the selection lessened, until the sidewalk was clear. As I observed the system, I of course searched for the four pieces of luggage that contained my worldly possessions. But, as the sidewalk cleared it became more evident that my possessions did not make it to the buffet. No, my luggage did not join me on the journey. When I checked them back in MSP I was told by a women that clearly had no idea what she was talking about that I needed a Visa to get into Kosovo. I was told before and reassured after that this was NOT the case. Regardless, she did not believe me and marked my luggage so that, in case I was not allowed on the flight from DC to Vienna, my luggage would not be allowed either. Well, the message that I made it on didn't seem to reach my bags. So here I sit in my hotel room, worldy possessions diminished to a computer, one extra pair of underwear, pair of socks, pajamas and a tooth brush. Not bad, really. Just thinking that once I start meeting my other colleagues, my jeans and shirt are going to be in quite ripe.
The Kosovar working in the U.S. Office, Ardian, is in charge of our orientation and he has been a gem so far. He has helped me find an apartment with a great view, shown us around town, given us his perspective on what is happening here, taken us for some great food and as soon as he can get my luggage and me back together again, he will have high ranking status on my favorites list here. I can't wait to post pictures of the architecture in this place. During the communist Tito years, the traditional buildings were destroyed or dwarfed by giant cement blocks with windows. To build nationalism and individuality, they went nuts with their creativity and erected a couple of buildings inspired by cultural symbols. All I can say is that they've made eagles and white hats look like structures George Lucas might create for the Empire.
My bottom line first impression . . . I get some good vibes from this place. There is a lot to discover in Prishtina, Kosovo, and the Balkans that I might not ever see unless I had the opportunity to come here.
The Kosovar working in the U.S. Office, Ardian, is in charge of our orientation and he has been a gem so far. He has helped me find an apartment with a great view, shown us around town, given us his perspective on what is happening here, taken us for some great food and as soon as he can get my luggage and me back together again, he will have high ranking status on my favorites list here. I can't wait to post pictures of the architecture in this place. During the communist Tito years, the traditional buildings were destroyed or dwarfed by giant cement blocks with windows. To build nationalism and individuality, they went nuts with their creativity and erected a couple of buildings inspired by cultural symbols. All I can say is that they've made eagles and white hats look like structures George Lucas might create for the Empire.
My bottom line first impression . . . I get some good vibes from this place. There is a lot to discover in Prishtina, Kosovo, and the Balkans that I might not ever see unless I had the opportunity to come here.
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