Bisedat
If you want to build character, try working in an office without any air conditioning. And if you really want to build character? Then try working in an office without any air conditioning during a heat wave. I remember back in high school when I took a business class, and they mentioned that certain changes in a work environment can greatly increase worker productivity, such as say, having lights, or a consistent comfortable temperature like 70 degrees. Seems obvious.
Although it’s hard to draft legal documents and analyze cases when it’s in the mid-90s and there’s no A/C, the work is still very interesting. I expected to only be helping indigent clients when I started working at CLARD, and that’s only partially true, we have an incredibly diverse set of clients. I am not exaggerating by saying that we have clients from all levels of education and income levels. Additionally, we have clients from the city, suburbs, and rural parts of the country. Since I can partake in client meetings and consultations due to knowing Albanian, I’ve really learned to sharpen my communication skills with many different types of clients, and it’s been invaluable. It also helps that I sometimes can just sit back and observe the more experienced attorneys handle communication and understand exactly what is going on, including all the subtleties in communication. I learn a thing or two during those types of meetings. I’ve noticed, at least when dealing with individuals, they appreciate a casual approach to communication. They obviously expect you to be the legal expert, but they enjoy small talk, and talks about philosophy, or life experiences. It keeps the interactions human.
I always get an uncanny feeling when I read a legal document published just before 1998. The thought always runs through my mind, “Were these people prepared for the turmoil that they were about to experience in the next couple of years?”, it’s just a weird feeling. I was told here that once Kosovo lost its autonomous status under Milosevic, then everything was in Serbian, and I totally believe that. I’ve read a few legal documents that were created before the 1990s, and they were in both Serbian and Albanian, and they referred to Kosovo as an autonomous province. As soon as you see legal documents written in the 1990s, then it completely changes, everything is in Serbian, and it does not make my job easy. I’d say my Serbian skills are that of a three-year-old Serbian child, so I doubt I can translate any legal documents and thank God they’re not in Cyrillic, as I’d be in real trouble then. We’ve had some Serbian speakers come in, but I’m glad they were kind of enough to speak Albanian as there would be no way I could understand them. It’s no shock that they speak Serbian, as we’re only about 40 kilometers (about 25 miles) from Mitrovica.
I think given this heat, me and the street dogs have a mutual understanding. We both pant, sweat, and lie in cool places. The street dogs here are pretty funny, I picked up croissants at a local bakery and walked out with a bag, and the two dogs relaxing outside were expecting a handout. Since the croissants I had had chocolate in them, I think those dogs should be grateful I didn’t poison them through my own negligence. I wouldn’t recommend petting them as they are on their guard (through no fault of their own really), but they mind their own business. If it’s not too hot, you’ll typically see them napping in the sun, and if it’s too hot, then they lay on tiles in the shade to stay cool. I got to say, and I will preface by saying I do not understand their thought process, but for some reason, they sometimes lie in the highest traffic areas. It’s like they’re asking to get stepped on. Maybe they’re running an insurance scam or they’re trying to file a tort claim; get ready to see Spot v. Hoxha.