Kosovo Journal

This past week was spent on a bus traveling through the Balkan regions of Albania, Greece, and Macedonia. Our group immediately got a feel for what an adventure our trip would be once we began driving up the abnormally narrow, windy, and incredibly bumpy roads that went up the mountains leading to our destinations. Though our bus driver was clearly a pro (seeing as he was able to drive the bus backwards up a hill through a traffic jam without hitting anyone) I was still convinced we were going to die several times.

Ever since we arrived at our first destination (Krujë, Albania) I was in awe with the beauty of the region. I have never been exposed to such magnificent mountains and crystal blue water before. Heck, I’ve only seen the ocean once in my entire life and let me tell you, it was not nearly as beautiful as any of the water I saw on this trip.

 

Though every single place we visited was wonderful and gorgeous, Saranda, Albania was by far my favorite. Our hotel was located on an adorable street leading to the downtown area, and overlooked the water, showcasing the regions killer sunsets. We spent most of our time there on private beaches that were only accessible by (a very sketchy) boat, bonding as a group by playing “chicken” or attempting to do cheerleading stunts in the sand. We spent our nights eating dinner quite late (between 9 and 11pm) laughing together and watching futbol games. We were almost always the most obnoxious group in the restaurant, putting together 4 or 5 tables just to seat us all, and taking about 40 minutes to figure out the check.

 

The food was incredible even though being vegan left me eating salad and grilled vegetables practically every day and night. I once tried to be adventurous and order a cheese-less pizza, however due to the language barrier I ended up with a very cheesy, sauce-less pizza instead. Lets just say I was not “food-adventurous” again.

 

The entire experience left me wanting more. I felt that a week was nowhere near enough time to really see three countries and learn their stories. I plan on going back for sure and finishing my journey.

Hello everyone

I would like to share with you some impressions of the documentary class. Since I’m RIT student and one of mine major concentrations is web and media so I find very interesting this class. Lot of international students attend this class which is about documentary of Kosovo in different fields. After meet each other, we start conversation with the professor about ideas for this project. One of my colleagues come up with the idea that she wants to work with minority especially Serbs because she has only met one in the US for the first time and she was excited about meeting that person,and she goes on and on with her idea while I was siting next to here and with the smile waiting for her to finish with her idea. When she finished with her outline, for the moment it became silence and I faced here and I said “I’m Serbian, nice to meet you”. Situation created a pleasant laugh and after the class we went in the campus and we exchanged our experiences.

Hello everyone,

I added this class last friday after I dropped a Management class that was beyond my capabilities: That’s the first time I don’t feel bad about my shortcomings…

I am originally from Prizren, Kosovo – a city in the south, which I don’t believe anyone will end up not visiting. (I am thinking about having everyone down for lunch at my terrace some weekend coming ahead)

My terrace: 

For the last 4 years, I have been studying Vocal Jazz Performance at the New School in New York. This summer I’m here so that I can graduate with a light semester this Fall in NY.

Back to my impressions…

First of, I would like to congratulate Meredith and Jeta for putting together such an incredible goal and doing a great job leading us. I have read all of the postings and have been getting goosebumps reading through your experiences pre and during this trip. It might be the chilly weather too… (just kidding). Some of the people left me curious about their nationality and I hope that I will meet everyone in person instead of using technology to do so. The idea of the journal is brilliant, though.

The first two sessions so far have been both very informative and inspiring. They had me focused 100% of the time – the time that felt too fast, as it usually does in engaging classes. I wish that we all will take everything we can from this beautiful opportunity given to us and I leave you with a picture of my hometown, Prizren.

(The picture is from Google and the photographer is not credited).

 

Getting a guided tour through countries like Albania and Macedonia was something that I never knew I would be doing. They were never places I had planned on going, but I leapt at the chance to go and experience this new culture. Albania’s landscapes were beautiful to drive through and I loved seeing the mountains and lakes that are so different from my own home. Throughout the trip I was constantly amazed by how beautiful the country was. The first night in Albania, some of the group went to view the soccer game between Albania and Romania. After Albania won, the crowd erupted in cheers, song and dance. Albanian flags waved high while strangers linked arms with one another to dance. The energy within that outdoor space was filled with celebration and upbeat music. It was a great feeling to be so welcomed into the culture and get a glimpse into something that means a lot to the Albanian people.

Another highlight of the trip included the trip to Skopje, Macedonia. We had the chance to sit with the leader of the RDK Party, Prof. Dr. Vesel Memedi. We listened to him speak about the country’s current situation and what has come to be known as the “Colorful Revolution.” Learning about issues that were previously unknown to me made me realize that there is so much more going on in the world than what we get in our daily news. It is important that we are able to make these issues known in order for the general public to care about the problems.

 

 

 

“Shqipëri! Shqipëri! Shqipëri!”

Before I knew how to say hello, thank you, or any basic language concept I knew how to say ‘Shqipëri.’ The word echoed the streets of Tirana, the color red painted the sky, and traditional folk music filled the air. Albania had just won their very first goal in a major tournament against Romania on June 19, 2016. You could feel the joy, the relief, and the unity the community of Tirana felt after Armando Sadiku scored the only goal to seal his country’s first ever win at a major competition.

It was an experience to say the least.

Viewing the event 75% through the lens of my camera I found myself drawn to not only loud, emotive expressions but quieter moments as well. I was drawn to the light, color and the smoke from fireworks let off by fans. I was entranced by the handmade gigantic banners over the barricades that read as revolutionary statements. Above all, I was fascinated that age was nothing but a number that night. Fans from as young as three years old to sixty cheered on for their country.

That night I did not only leave with images to look back on, but a true sense of what a strong community is and can be.

-Brittainy Newman

 

 

We have been on a whirlwind bus tour of the Balkans for the past 6 days. It has been non-stop. Our group was divided into two trips. One group went to Greece and Macedonia and the others went to Serbia and Bosnia Herzogovina. I am in that group. We did a visit to Srebrenica on June 23.

The visit was quite powerful. It was hard to look at the rows and rows of family members who were some of the more than 8,000 people killed in July 1995. Our tour guide managed to escape through the forest and his testimony was heart wrenching. The factory where the memorial is housed was the site of the Dutch UN Base where thousands of internally displaced people lived before they were forced to leave and killed.

Typically I’m the type of person who gets nervous before any event in my life, whether it’s something as little as reading a paper in front of my class, or as major as bungee jumping off a cliff. However, as the date gets closer to leave for Pristina Kosovo, I don’t find myself very nervous. My family and friends constantly ask me if I’m excited or nervous to go, and I continuously respond with nervous not because I actually am scared, but because I feel that’s the answer they’re waiting to hear. Not only are my parents (particularly my mother) nervous for me to go, even strangers, (such as the lady who filled my passport at the post office) would hear where I was traveling, then give my mother a concerning look, asking if it was really safe to go there. I realized that they were more concerned about the past, and things they’ve heard about Kosovo, while I’ve been focused on what the future of the country had to offer. Not only would I be getting an experience that not a lot of other kids get, but I would also be able create a body of work that helps capture the essence of Kosovo through the people who live there, to reinvent its image, showing others that there’s no need to focus solely on the negativity of past events that occurred there. I’m so excited to learn about and immerse myself in such a unique culture and I feel so blessed to have this opportunity!

Exhilarated, anxious, and prepared. These are the words that come to mind before departing to Kosovo, a country I am eager to explore immensely during my stay. The research component of this trip struck me with endless amounts of discoveries and ideas and has only furthered my curiosity. Once in Kosovo, I feel as though there will be a gap between the generations, one that you can see physically through architecture, work spaces, and possibly family life. I am extremely excited to start talking to people that I will meet along the way, and will hope to gain important lessons from them, whether it through problem solving such as translation or telling their story with the utmost honesty and respect. I am excited to see the type of light and weather conditions that may differ from the States, and how Kosovars spend their summers. To travel in general brings me so much joy, self-exploration, and life-long memories, and I can’t wait to start it in Kosovo with RIT’s study abroad program. My goal is to return with a body of work that I am proud to present and to share ideas with the people I meet along the way. 

– Brittainy

I am hugely looking forward to the trip as it quickly approaches. I am a little nervous, but that’s to be expected when I know I will be doing something totally new, do a lot of on the fly problem solving, and adjusting to a new place and people. Research about Kosovo and the surrounding areas has done a lot to bring clarity to understanding about the young country.

I imagine a very young population with a ton of potential, that has only just scratched the surface of reaching fruition. I feel as that the people of Kosovo have all this movement, ambition, and energy, but do not always have an appropriate outlet for their progressive qualities. With over 50% of the population under 30, and extremely high unemployment rates, I’d imagine that the people have this sort of youthful energy, but do not have all the opportunities to fully utilize it. I feel that the people of Kosovo are desperately trying to push forward as a country, but are held back by the past, and current limitation in many different ways.

I also imagine that for those who find the correct outlet for their creativity, and talents, that they do what they do really well, and have a big impact on the culture in Kosovo. Those such as
Alketa Xhafa-Mripa, who uses her art to bring attention to war crimes, and the entrepreneurs who pursue their passions in brewing beer regardless of conservative religious traditions, and even the A.U.K for pushing quality education to prepare Kosovars for a national and international presence in the world. I think Kosovo has a lot to offer, and a lot of great qualities to build upon.

A fear I have for Kosovo, not one that I feel threatened by personally, is that I’m afraid the poverty in Kosovo will push the young people to except invitations to destructive organizations as an outlet for their “energy”, for lack of a better word. I hope that young Kosovars do not give in to radicalization as an alternative to the poverty and bleak future prospects that many people may be faced with there. I know it has been a little exaggerated(NYT), and the reasons for this “phenomenon” are extremely complex, but to me, for any amount of Kosovars to make such a destructive choice is a tragedy.

Last thought: I have discovered I really like the research stage of big projects like this. I’ve had a great time researching Kosovo and looking for different story ideas, and I really look forward to putting all the reading to practice in a few days!

(Photo of my usual work station, doing research at my favorite coffee shop back home –Which reminds me: I am extremely excited to explore all the coffee shops and cafés in Prishtina!)

-Daniel

My best friend always teases me when I am getting ready to leave on a trip, she sees my preparation time as preparation for a lift off. I love the idea of being thrown into a new place and letting go of things that I don’t need in that place and finding new parts of myself that do not always emerge in the culture I live in. This time, I am doing it with 8 other people who I am very excited to be working with!! I already see some much possibility for you all and I am very impressed with how you all are dealing with the pre-trip stress- which is normal! I have it too. You all get to be in a new place for the first time and I want you to be very very aware of your first, precious impressions. It’s a special time and will give you a lot of insight. Write it down in your journals. I have already been to Prishtina but there is so much more for me to explore. I imagine very nice evenings looking at your awesome work, talking and running in the beautiful park near campus. Maybe getting a bike and exploring the city. I recall the fresh, simple cooking and am looking forward to enjoying that as well. I imagine the countryside to be very different from the city and am very curious to get to see more traditional Albanian homes and families.

I found this quote that I want you all to read, I wrote in on the cover of my journal from my last trip:
“A journey is a person in itself: no two are alike and all plans, safeguards, policing and coercion are fruitless. We find that after years of struggle that we do not take a trip; a trip takes us.” John Steinbeck

Have a safe trip everyone and find each other in the airports ok. See you on the other side!!!!