The end of 2006

It was the last sunset of 2006 and I was in Tel Aviv, Israel. "Don't ride the buses," and "Are you Jewish," were most of the responses I got when I told people I was going to spend the New Year in the always conflicted Holy Land. I had been to Jerusalem over 10 years ago on my abroad trip through St. Olaf. An old city where the three converging religions all have an obvious historical presence. From the wailing wall to the moaning mosks and sacred churches marking the steps of Jesus Christ, Jerusalem holds a story for three faiths with a history of disagreement and violence. Tel Aviv, on the other hand, represents the Israel of today with its modern buildings, buses and stores.

Then it was off to Bansko, Bulgaria for a ski weekend with 4 other friends. Along with Romania, Bulgaria has been a member of the EU now for 11 days! Quite the exciting event for all of them and it showed. Crossing the boarder, the blue EU banner with yellow stars - didn't actually count to see if 2 new stars were depicted - were waving everywhere. The signs of communism were still apparent, especially with the 6000 Russian touring skiers being bussed in. But the freshness of a new beginning with the EU could be felt.

And now it's Kosovo's turn . . . or so think some. The status of this place that was supposed to be determined by the end of 2006 has been postponed until after elections to be held in Serbia this month. And then there are proposals, presentations, votes and more talks that have to happen. The native Albanians are getting restless and I can't blame them. I knew politics was always a bunch of rhetoric, but now I'm having beers with some of those doing the talking and realizing that it is literally all talk and diplomacy. As long as you sound good saying what everyone wants to hear, your actual actions aren't all that important. The native Serbians, on the other hand, are beginning to admit defeat. There are so few of them and this problem has been going on for so long that you'd think those left would just say, "here, take it. we'll just move to Serbia." More difficult things have been done. But for some reason it's not that easy. The history of claiming an area as belonging to an ethnic group - that's the Balkans, and it won't change easily.

2006 brought the change I needed. Let's hope it brings to Kosovo the change these people need.