By Berna Tuvay
Today we had our two-day reunion on the company boat. We went on the holiday package after-party boat trip through the Amsterdam canals, courtesy of Anne and Erik Travel Agency, Inc. It was incredible just stepping out of the bubble and going into the city with the whole gang. After the essential gossiping sesh, we had the time to talk about our experiences in Kosovo and our projects. It was tremendously relieving to not have to think about this course as another abstract construct like other non-field trip courses (which is basically all courses at AUC). The fact that we actually went to Kosovo, saw what was going on and engaged with the different voices, shows that we actually attempted to understand the situation.
Today we had our two-day reunion on the company boat. We went on the holiday package after-party boat trip through the Amsterdam canals, courtesy of Anne and Erik Travel Agency, Inc. It was incredible just stepping out of the bubble and going into the city with the whole gang. After the essential gossiping sesh, we had the time to talk about our experiences in Kosovo and our projects. It was tremendously relieving to not have to think about this course as another abstract construct like other non-field trip courses (which is basically all courses at AUC). The fact that we actually went to Kosovo, saw what was going on and engaged with the different voices, shows that we actually attempted to understand the situation.
Cruising
through the canals, with our new Albanian jams blasting through the speakers, was
interesting. It is remarkable how different the cities of Amsterdam and
Pristina are, how different the attitudes of the people are. If in Pristina you
walked up to someone you do not know, nine out of ten times you will have an
interesting conversation. If you did the same in Amsterdam, you would get
puzzled looks and the occasional ‘wat mot je?’ or ‘wat kijk je kill?’. In Kosovo, if you say that you
are a European, the locals thank you. People often tell me that Northern
Europeans are generally cold and distant. I tend to agree with them.
Nevertheless, I still cannot get my little brain wrapped around it. It appears
that Kosovars idolize Europeans. After all, foreigners have been present in the
region for almost two decades to ‘stabilize’ and ‘democratize’ the area. Two of
the most frequently heard terms during our meetings were ‘rule of law’ and
‘visa liberalization’. But where are the results? EULEX has been extended once
again, UNMIK is open-ended anyway. When is Kosovo going to be truly ready to
take care of herself?
While
contemplating these questions, my mind runs back to that first morning in
Kosovo and the vibrant coffee scene it had to offer. I am craving one of those scrumptious
cappuccinos once again…
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