To be or not to be in Kosovo. Dilemma resolved.

June 17

Pejë/Peć: Kosovo

Whether to finally come or not to Kosovo was a big moral dilemma because of safety reasons. I didn’t want my family to worry.

In the end, I decided to come and I’m extremely happy I did. I’m staying with a Canadian working for the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) and I feel more than safe.

Pejë/Peć (both the Albanian and Serbian names of cities are used simultaneously in Kosovo) was one of the cities most affected by war less than ten years ago. 80% of the houses were burnt. Now, most of them have been rebuilt and the city is in a good state. Bordered by the mountains, Pejë/Peć lays in the Western part of Kosovo, close to the Montenegro border.

I arrived at an interesting time: June 16 was the anniversary of the arrival of NATO troups in Pejë/Peć, who quickly liberated it from the Serbs. The streets were packed with people, a lot of them very young (60% of Kosovo’s population is under 25).

Music and folk dancing created a joyful atmosphere while smoke hovered over the many local restaurants serving grilled meat. The Albanian flag (which I find a bit scary because of the big, blag two-headed bird on a reg background) was everywhere for this celebration.

I thought most people spoke either Serbian or Albanian here. Not true. Most of them speak both. I’ve been thus able to speak with the locals, except that it’s better to say that I’m Canadian and that I speak a bit of Bosnian.

I was warned it might feel scary here. That’s myth number 2. Actually, I’m convinced that Kosovo is much safer than other places I’ve traveled to already.

It’s quite exciting to be in a place which might just became the next new country in the world.

I’ve got many interviews lined up in Pristina/Prishtine, the capital, and in Gjilan region. I’ve spoken extensively to my host, who demystified the OSCE’s work here and to a colleague of his who came to Regina, in Saskatchewan, during the war. He was extremely well-received by Canada.

Like in any place in the world, you have to be careful in Kosovo. But NATO has 18 000 troups in this tiny part of the world… I can sleep tight, no problem. Really.

June 15

Crossing borders, or of the unfairness of having a Turkish passport

A Canadian passport is precious indeed.

I was crossing the border from Croatia to Montenegro yesterday, sitting next to a friendly girl from Turkey. She had studied in Poland during the previous semester and recognized my origins while I was talking on the phone.

They picked up our passports for controlling purposes. Usually, things go smoothly and the bus goes on after 10, 15 minutes.

But they called my friend for some additional questions and I offered to translate. The controller refused to stamp her passport and we went on inside to discuss things over.

Three men were sitting in the office, drinking Turkish coffee and smoking cigarettes. I explained the situation to a very tanned, blue-eyed man; that she was just trying to get home to Turkey, just passing through Montenegro. She wasn’t going to stay long. Just a student…

“And you?” They asked me. “How come you speak our language?”

“Ah, I like to speak the language of the locals… My father studied in Zagreb… I learned from a book…” More explaining about my friend’s situation. She was a bit anxious. Had called the Turkish embassy in Montenegro to make sure she didn’t need a visa.

You’ll have to pay 50 euros, he said. After more discussion: 40.

The man opened his big book filled with rows of names. Wrote in hers.

The people in the bus were waiting. We ran to the office across the street to pay for the visa. Ran back to get the stamp. Trotted to the booth outside for more controlling.

We crossed.

It felt so unfair that this young girl had to pay extra just because she was born in Turkey. She was a student, just like me.

“At times like these, I just want close my eyes and wake up in my own bed,” she said.

She still has a long way home.