Welcome to Pristina!
Since I arrived about a week ago, the weather has taken forever to warm up, usually the mornings are a bit chilly, but the weather quickly warms up during the day. I assume the low humidity is partly responsible. The one thing I can never get used to is how much it randomly rains. The skies can be clear and rain droplets will start falling with almost no warning.
Seeing as I spend most of my summers in Albania, there wasn’t a huge culture shock for me once I arrived here. Despite me having a different accent, people understood me, and they were as warm and welcoming as if they were addressing one of their own countrymen. Interestingly, I found Kosovo to be more culturally Western than Albania which I attribute to their history of being a part of Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia allowed much more freedom compared to Albania under Communism and I think that their growth was not stunted as much as Albania’s.
I’ve met my colleagues Anton, Edona and Nedzad, and my initial impression of them is that they know how to enjoy life. Much of the planning of the day and work is done over coffee and cigarettes, and a stark contrast I noticed between Albanians of Albania and Albanians of Kosovo is that the preferred drink of Kosovars is espresso while for Albanians it’s macchiatos. I don’t think I’ll ever give up my love of macchiatos here, because the macchiatos here are excellent. I will say, one thing I’ve added to change up my morning routine is occasionally I’ll order a shot of raki to sip side by side with my macchiato. Raki is a type of unaged brandy that is most commonly distilled from grapes, but other fruits can be used. I’ve never been big on alcohol, but the varieties of raki here are large. The bulk of raki in Albania is derived from grapes, but in Kosovo you can find raki made from grapes, plumbs, and even quince. There is something about a nice, chilled shot glass of quince raki with a macchiato that pairs well.
My first assignment was to attend a meeting to address the problem of unlicensed Serbian attorneys practicing in Kosovo between some Albanian and Serbian judges. Before the meeting, we waited for the judges outside of the courthouse. Albanians and Serbs intermingled over cigarettes and jokes. It was quite jarring seeing as this area was an active war zone less than twenty-five years ago with countless war crimes having been committed. In Kosovo, the war is still in recent memory. Whenever I speak to Kosovars, they always divide time when talking about the past; before the war or after the war.
My second assignment was to research the Constitution, the judicial structures of Kosovo and to be trained in how to handle domestic violence cases. Many of Kosovo’s laws and regulations mirror those of the E.U. presumably to aid in their transition into the E.U. Coming from Albania, the judicial, political and economic structures are much more robust in Kosovo, and the corruption and prevalence of organized crime is much lower. I think Albania can learn a thing or two from Kosovo.
Seeing as I can read, write, and speak Albanian, they didn’t waste any time getting me more involved in their legal work. I was able to sit in and contribute during consultations with clients and Anton had me draft a Motion to Dismiss a criminal accusation against the state’s prosecutors. Most of our cases involve sexual harassment, domestic violence, child custody, criminal defense and the like. I look forward to the increased responsibilities that come with understanding the language.
On a lighter note, the food is something I can definitely get used to. Kosovo shares many of the same dishes with Albania, but there are a few that are unique to Kosovo and many ex-Yugoslav states. The two I ate most recently was suxhuk which is a dry type of sausage, and it can be eaten by itself or sometimes as a topping on pizza. The other food I ate was pljeskavica, which is essentially a flattened hamburger typically served with salad and bread. Since Kosovo is a Muslim-majority country, it is hard to find pork products. I usually have to go to chain supermarkets or Serbian areas to find any pork but given the options I have available within walking distance – I'll gladly lessen my pork intake for the time being.