Monday, April 14

Fishing and off-road driving weekend with a Fiat (summary in English)

On Saturday, soon after I arrived in Prishtina, we set off with Shpetim and his friend Norik to buy a fishing stick for 10 euros and go fishing in a nearby lake. We got worms for free, quite a lot of them but did not catch any fish so worms were thrown in the lake for a big fish party.
But as we always say it: the process is more important than the result. First of all, we had a lot of fun with off-road driving in a Fiat because Norik said he knows a road to the other side of the lake which is closer to the city and more scenic/better for fishing. The road was one of the biggest challenges you could imagine, even for a 4x4 vehicle: big gorges in between, huge bumps, steep ups, downs and turns, sometimes sand, sometimes mud. While Norik was driving, we were mostly walking and running and Shpetim was giving advices how to pass this or the other spot. One time close to the lake the car went with the nose down and one rear wheel up but Shpetim hung himself in the rear doors and they managed to put the car down to all four.
I managed to sunbath a little and we played 2 games of cards before a big wind started to blow all the cards around. Then we had a similar exciting ride/run/walk back.
On Sunday the boys (Shpetim, Norik and another friend of theirs Besi) wanted to go to fish again, but to another place - Sheptim's childhood fishing place. The place and the river would be very nice if it was not used for garbage discharge. The first place we stopped was behind the slaughterhouse, there were many stray dogs around it because they get their deal of food. I was sitting there on a piece of cardboard box and contemplating that this is how I imagine neighborhoods in Africa...
We did not catch any fish, but some sweet-looking puppies yes. One was very active and walking up to all the people who were there. I even started considering my life with a dog and how I could make him EU documents and where to keep him...
We moved to another place and had to cross a real dump ground under the bridge. Then we had to walk along a little stinky river of wastewater. Two Prishtina boys were laughing about Shpetim and his "clean tasty village air compared to the smog in Prishtina". But further way it got more pleasant and we found a very nice fishing spot. To get there we had to pass a metal construction which is used as a bridge and Prishtina boys almost peed their pants and gave all the stuff for us with Shpetim to carry.
With the first or 2nd throw Shpetim caught the first fish! We put her (him) in the Fanta bottle and it traveled with us to Prishtina as a proof that we really caught something. When it was proved, we got a dilemma what to do with the fish because we had started to grow affectionate about it and there is no use to fry one small fish anyways.
It spent the night in a red plastic bowl in the bathroom and today was carried over the Kosovar-Macedonian border in a Coca-Cola bottle and released in the Vardar river. A very lively fish and I wish her/him a long life!

Fishing stories from Kosova in Latvian

Si nedelas nogale izvertas piedzivojumiem bagata makskeresanas un bezcelu brauksanas (ar mazu Fiat) nedelas nogale.
Sestdien,
ap vieniem devamies par 10 eiro nopirkt makskerkatu, maisu pilnu ar tarpiem dabujam par brivu. braucam uz kaut kadu ezeru netalu no Pristinas. 30 min brauciens. Shpetima draugs Noriks saka, ka vins zina citu celu, ka piebraukt ezeram no otras puses, kur esot daudz labak. Ok, turpinot pa sasaurinosos asfalta celu garam n-tajam Latinamerikas serialus atgadinosajam privatajam amerikanu un 3.mileeniuma vidusskolam, atduramies strupcela un tur stavosie viriesi mums liek braukt atpakal un tad pa zemes celu nogriezties pa kreisi. Pirmais zemes cels ir tik stavs, ka nobistamies. Otrais, tresais, ceturtais izskatas, ka ved uz jaunuzceltajam privatmajam. Izvelamies piekto. Pec 50 metriem ir pirmais pagrieziens ar slipumu un augstu gropi pa vidu. Mes izkapjam lauka un ar komandas darbu pirmo miklu atminam bez paliksanas ar vienu riteni gaisa vai sasistu karteri. Bet tas ir tikai sakums... kadiem 5 kilometriem celam ar milzigam gropem un pusmetru vagu pa vidu, dubliem, smiltim. Mes ar Shpetimu parsvara skrienam pirms un pec masinas un labi ja 30 metrus pabraucam lidz nakamajiem lielajiem dubljiem vai cinjiem.
Netalu no ezera esam nedaudz atpalikusi un soferitis paliek ar purnu nobrauciena uz leju un pakalejo kreiso riteni gaisa. Shpetims iekrajas kreisajas pakalejas durvis un nobraucam leja pie ezera. Tur ir diezgan daudz makskernieku jau prieksha. Vel vairak ir plastmasas maisinu un citadu drazu. Ok, kaut ka mums si vieta neapmierina un nolemjam padoties vel nedaudz talak. Noriks vairak neriske masinu dzit augsa pa mazo stavo celu, tapec pie darba keras Shpetims. Es saku, kad jums puisi saks palikt garlaicigi, dodiet masinas atslegas man:)
Pec daziem metriem tur augsa izlemjam tomer masinu tur atstat un doties ar kajam talak, jo sakas megadublji, kuriem pat ar kajam sudigi tikt cauri. Atrodam diezgan skaistu vietinu. Masinu no turienes sen jau vairs neredzam, bet tapat no sejienes nekur ar vinu neaizskriesi. Ar kajam noteikti zaglus panaksim.
Tiek ieprovets jaunais spinings, bet musu pieredzejusakajam makskerniekam nav nekadas pieredzes ar tadam makskerkatiem ar tadam spolem un nav ari nekadas pieredzes ar makskeresanas ipatnibam ezeros. Zinam, ka jasviez maize, lai piesaistitu zivju uzmanibu. Tarpi ari negrib no sakuma list uz akjiem. Lidz pusei vinju uzdur, a shis, maita, shmok nost. Nekadu zivi mes todien nenokeram, bet es apdedzinaju plecus un izspelejam 2 karsu partijas, pirms sacelas liels vejs un saka visu nest pa gaisu.
Atpakalcela soferitis divreiz paskrapeja celu ar karteri, bet citadi bez ipasiem starpgadijumiem.
Svetdien,
Dodamies uz musu pieredzejusaka makskernieka Shpetima dzimtajiem makskeresanas laukiem - upiti pie bernibas ciema. Upite nav nekada mazaa, bet piedrazota nenormali...kadus 30 gadus visi atkritumi tiek sviesti tur pie tilta. Ari en-taas nenormali smirdoshas notekas no kanalizacijas tiek novaditas tur. Sakam makskeret aiz pilsetas slavenas lopkautuves, no kurienes nak Kosovas labaka gala visiem Pristinas restoraniem. Hmmm... ja jau es lidz shim esmu dziva, tad nevajadzetu but tik traki. Pie lopkautuves stav barins aitu. Gaida savu rindu. Skumjs skats. Ap lopkautuvi klist daudz ielas sunju, kuriem no tas atlec savs labumins. Pie uzberuma cela malas gul 3 smuki kuceni. Viens ir loti aktivs un nak ar visiem izrunaties un visiem izlugties, vai varbut vinu var adoptet. Tik smuks kucens, ka tiesam saku domat, varbut kaut ka varu vinu iekombinet sava dzive...izkartot Eiropas Savienibas papirus...eh, skumja, druma ta dzive te.
Ari te neesam vienigi makskernieki. Laikam jau kaut kadas zivis saja notekaa dziivo. Radioaktivas un trisgalvainas. Gribot negribot saja vieta sezot pie sis upes ar plastmasas maisinkokiem abos krastos, iidoso suni, svilstosas miesas, adas, matu smardu no lopkautuves negribot nakas domat par sis vietas tuvumu Afrikai attistibas zina.
Viens makskernieks ir loti izpalidzigs, nomaina mums aki uz mazaku (esot par lielu), iedod mums tarpus (vakardienas salaidam ezera - for the fish party:)), sniedz padomus... Sunjukam vins ari patik, shis paliek gulot pie vinja velosipeda - sak', izvelejos sev saimnieku. Driz noguris tur pavisam atluzt, ka tikai berni to mak.
Atkal nekas nekeras, un Shpetims nolemj pavirzities vel tuvak savai bernibas makskeresanas vietai. Atkal vins dzen masinu augsa uz uzberuma, jo Noriks atsakas. Un talak pa to celju (lasit, taku). Zem tilta sakas atkritumu kalni un izbraukt nav iespejams. Atstajam masinu tur, bet driz brauc traktors ar jauniem atkritumiem un masina ir janovirza mala. To darot, atkal paliekam ar vienu riteni gaisa, bet viens no traktoristiem soreiz uzkaras un atkal dabujam uz cetriem riteniem.
Solojam talak kajam, gar noteku ar smirdosu kanalizacijas udeni. Un Sheptima draugi (soreiz esam 4: Shpetims, es, Noriks, un Besi) vinu velk uz zoba par "labo vinja lauku gaisu, ko nevarot salidzinat ar Pristinas smogu". Otrpus kanalizacija un uzberumiem sak klut patikamam. Nejut vairs to smaku, neredz upi ar atkritumiem, tikai zaljus un brunus uzartus laukus, zilus kalnus un sarkanus dakstinu jumtus, un vienu baltu minaretu. Mums ir japarapjas pari saubigam tiltam, ja to ta var nosaukt. Viss ekipejums tiek atdots Shpetimam un man, jo "pilsetas puikas" Noriks un Besi rapjas tricosam kajam un rokam. Tilts ir diezga augstu un sastav no dazam sarusejusam, nestabilam margam, metala karkasa un briziem esosam briziem neesosam metala plaksnem uz ta. Otra puse tiesam ir ljoti jauka makskeresanas vieta ar ljoti minimaliem plastmasas drazas apjomiem. Otra puse ir aitas, dazas pavisam apaljas vel stavokli, citas ar jau palieliem jeriem. Uz pirmo vai otro metienu IR PIRMAA ZIVS! Maza, bet tomer zivs. Sakuma es vinu ielaizu atrasta plastmasas pudele, bet Noriks ar Besi piebeidz 2L Fantas pudeli, izskalo un es viniem par prieku zivi parcelu uz jaunajam majam. Tas ari todien bija viss musu loms, kaut gan redzejam dazas palielas zivis tur lekajam.
Atpakaljcelja ir isaks cela gabalins lidz lielajam celjam, izlemjam braukt pa to. Ir dublains, bet ir normalas cietas gropes abiem riteniem, ta ka vajadzetu but ok. Tomer Noriks nav tas labakais bezcelju rallists un vins nobrauc no gropem dubljos, iespole un apmeta visu masinu ar trekniem dubljiem. Labi, ka blakus ir benzintanks, kur pasi varam par 1 eiro izmantot sluteni, lai masinu atmazgatu, pirms ar to radities atpakal "pilsetaa".
Ta viena nabaga zivs netika ielaista atpakal dzimtaja upe, jo bija vajadzigs pieradijums, ka tiesam kaut ko nokeram. Tagad ta dzivs dzivo sarkana plastamas bljoda un Shetims apsver iespeju samaksat Norikam par benzinu, lai aizved uz nedaudz tuvaku upi un palaiz briviba. Jo vienu zivi nav verts cept. Un bezjedzigi nogalinat vins nespej. Bet radioaktiva, trisgalvaina zivs ir diezgan shprauna. Ik pa laikam tiek atvesinata ar jauna, vesa udens salti...bet ir pieteikusi badastreiku - negrib ne tarpus, ne salo cepumu drupacas.

Wednesday, April 9

ajde da uživam! (let's enjoy!)

I did not go to the dance concert at the end... who knows if it was today and at what time.
I decided to go for a jog and I feel damn good now. I took a bath, still had some bath flakes from Fragonard, Eau du Bonheur. Verrrriiiii naiiiis :)
Now I will go to check if there are any pancakes left for me :)

I just remembered the owner of Le Petit Cafe today when we were sitting outside there with our coffees, actually Albert with his coke and me with my blueberry juice, with our long bored faces, looking kind of sad, silent, out of words, just waiting and waiting... He looked at Anja and she said she is leaving today and he replied in Macedonian: it seems nobody wants to leave Macedonia...pause...except Macedonians :)

The air outside is full of lilac aroma, I am totally enjoying it! And soon there will be time for chestnuts! And the evening outside feels like a normal summer evening in Latvia, you just need a little thin sweater nothing else...+18... and it smells like June in Latvia! It is so hard to believe that it is still snowing in Umeå, Sweden... am I crazy even considering going to study there???

Čekaj i uživaj!

Anja had to leave by car to Ljubljana together with 4 Macedonian guys this morning at 10 o'clock. I told her that probably they would leave by midday because it is Macedonia, but she said that 3 of the guys are Struga guys and they are usually better with time than Skopje guys (just talking about the people from youth NGOs). Yes, the 3 guys were on time but because of the 1 Skopje guy, they left only in the afternoon. Some document was missing, some work was still unfinished... but if you know that, you can tell others so that they can sleep longer.

We got up at 8, I went to Anja's apartment at 9 for breakfast and coffee. Another coffee at 10, more burek, at 11 I went to buy some beer, at 13:00 we went for another coffee at the nearby cafe. Then we went to pizzeria and ordered one golema (=big) pizza (which was one of the smallest pizzas I have ever seen in Macedonia)...at 14:30 I just said bye and I hope you will leave today!

So kind of a screwed day...I feel screwed. Maybe I will go to a dance concert this evening, but it is impossible to find information online about Skopje Dance Fest 2008

And I found this funny add, it made me laugh a lot so I wanted to share it with whoever visits my blog. It is a property advertisement from Kosova and can be found here

FLAT IS IN THE STREET VELANIA IN PRISHTINA.FLAT HAVE 1 LIVING ROOM

3 BAD ROOMS 1 KITCHEN 1 BATHROOM 2 BALCONIES CABLE TV WITHINTERNET CENTRAL HEATING FOR CONTACT MOBILE NUMBER 044 249 379

Wednesday, April 2

April, April

It was not an April joke and my flatmate Viki really left today. It feels kind of empty in the house, but I think I still have not understood that she's really gone home.
There is a girl sleeping in her bed, but she is not my new flatmate. My new flatmate had to arrive today but (according to Albert) her brother woke up from 2 weeks in coma. At least that is better than the previous information from Albert that he went to coma... Anyways I really hope everything is and will be fine for both of them and of course her cat. The girl who is sleeping now in Viki's bed is Katja from Poland, an ex-EVS volunteer who came to a Youth Exchange now. I know her from my first visit to Macedonia, more than a year ago. She still remembered me, which was wow for me. I guess I know more about her than she does about me because of Laura's stories, but I was impressed that she did remember the most important facts from my life 1 year ago (not much has changed actually...).
Welll...after the bye-bye in the airport, some mixed feelings, some tears I came home and cleaned up a bit after the improvised good-bye party with Macedonian souvenirs and Serbian champagne and dirty feet on our kitchen floor. Then I went to the language lesson. After that I went to a Macedonian music concert in the Skopje City Museum together with Urška. It was a crap-crap and we ran away during the break (Pauza). We went to Ramstore for ice-cream (mmm... consumer generation) and to Mala Stanica for a beer, but at the end we took tea and salep. There was crappy French music and good (but very short) puppet show. Other volunteers came (it is a real EVS gathering place, especially French EVS)... so we also got beer finally. Some girls were singing French songs, which was not bad at all except that they did not know how to sing with a microphone and the organizers did not know how to contact the microphone properly...
After Mala Stanica we had a very nice suvlaki on the way to Ploshtad were was a concert and the 1st of April Carnival. They really go crazy about carnivals here. I was thinking today that if I stayed in Macedonia, there would be a point to invest in a really nice costume because I would have many many chances to wear it. Maybe they are really too conservative and traditional, and not liberal in the everyday life that they need these carnivals to go wild. I noticed again that guys here really love to dress in female clothes, walk like females and rub against other guys. And another good thing about these carnivals - you have a chance to wear your wedding dress again! I saw quite many girls in wedding dresses today, some together with their grooms, some not.
***
Lilacs are already in full bloom!!!! I can't believe it is just April 1.