...and the party, what else :)

Someting from Pristhina center today

Independence Day

Today, of course, it was even greater. The city center was closed for the traffic. The freshly-made-boulevard was full of people, with flags, with drums, with smiley faces. Many wore the traditional hat - plis or gheg - and flags around their necks to protect them from the strong and cold wind. Picture making, singing, dancing, drinking free drinks (Peja for free!!!) and eating free sandwiches (me too - Peja and meat sandwich). The 30 metres long cake from Ben-af was excellent. I don't know what is left from it now but it will stay in many pictures and in people's memory.
The only pity was that it was so cold. It had been snowing in the night and it was all white, sunny, bright and clean - just like a fresh start should be. But the wind was so crazily cold that I had to search for a sanctuary time after time inside. As today Mother Theresa was closed drivers with flags had to take other roads. Agim Ramadani was the best showing-off place, and Bill Clinton, of course. Today people seemed even braver (or better trained) than yesterday. Sitting or even standing on the car roof was nothing special anymore. Driving next to each other and fighting with big Albanian flags like knights with spears in Medieval days was another popular entertainment today.
The Declaration of Independence was a truly moving moment and I think many and many had tears in their eyes. It took place some minutes after 3 pm local time and was accompanied by loud drums and songs outside my windows. I was at that time inside reading and watching news.
Now it is just shootings and explosions of, I hope, some of those 3000 tons of fireworks that were traded on streets. If yesterday streets looked like a big flag market, then today it looked more like a real weapons and ammunition fair.
So, I am doubting whether I should go out tonight. People are drunk, ecstatic and armed.

Flag parade near Grand Hotel

February 16, 2008

Urime Pavarsia!!!

Welll...sorry, I have been very lazy lately. With blogging it is similar as with jogging for me, when I let myself be lazy for a day, I am lazy for at least a month :)
I was home in Latvia for 2 weeks from Jan 19 till Feb 2. Visited (almost) all my friends, whom I see maybe once in a year when I am living in Latvia. So the plan for year 2008 was done in 2 intensive weeks. And I spent too much money on unnecessary things in Latvia because I had so much time to walk in shops while killing time waiting the next date/appointment.
I also spent 4.5 amazing days in Istanbul. Which also cost some money because it is not a cheap city (anymore). But definitely worth a visit.
So now I am back in Balkans, back to Prishtina at its decisive moment. Unluckily because of family reasons, my boyfriend had to go home for the Independence celebration. So, here is a report from a lonely Latvian girl from the soon-to-be-youngest-world-country Kosova. It is full of journalists, the approximation goes to 2000 accreditations. The latest information I heard was that the independence will be proclaimed on Sunday, February 17 at 11 till 15 o'clock. Don't ask me why it takes so long time. But people are celebrating it already tonight. I think I have never seen so many flags on one day. I would call it not "Independence Day" but "Flag Day" or "Flag Parade" or even better "Flag Carnival". Carnival because there is no flag of Kosova. Kosova is dressing itself in all possible flags except it owns. It is going to be one of the big problems to solve after the independence...
Now the dominant flag is still the Albanian one: red with the double-headed eagle. Number 2 is the USA flag. Number 3 is the UK. Number 4 is Germany. Number 5 is the European Union. Number 6 is Italy. Number 7 is Turkey. I also saw the flags of England, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Switzerland, United Nations (less than the EU, so to say: Bye, bye UNMIK! You have been here long enough! We are sick of your flags! Welcome, EU!)
Flags are everywhere: in shop windows, hanging from balconies, hanging from construction cranes, on cars, on people's backs, hanging out of bus windows, on car fronts, and backs, on sticks in people's hands. There is a big flag trade going on. The best I saw was the Albanian one, but under the eagle it was written "Kosovo Rep..." I really liked those 3 dots :) But the guy wanted 20 euros for the flag (if I understood right, because I can ask for the price in Albanian, but then the guys reply so fast, that I don't manage to grasp it and understand it:P But I could not resist to buy a T-shirt for 5 euros: with a shape of Kosovo on front and a text "Now I have a STATE" and in Albanian: "Tash edhe une kam SHTET". The Albanian version has one word more, which is "Now ALSO I have a STATE".
On the back it says: "Republika e Kosoves eshte shtet i pavarur, sovran dhe demokratik" - The Republic of Kosova is an independent, sovereign and democratic state; and more of text in similar fashion that I don't understand. Probably the main piece of the Declaration of Independence or maybe the new Constitution???
Ok, enough about my new cool shirt.
Fireworks are already being shot and blown outside. People are pulling wires and cables in all possible directions to play very loud traditional music and put more lights. Everybody who has a car is on the streets. They drive with people hanging out of each window and some even sitting on the roof, with a flag in one hand and a beer bottle in the other one. They beep and shout: Prishtina! Prishtina! Prishtina! or Kosova! Kosova! Kosova! or UCK! Kosova! Prishtina! All of them stop near Grand Hotel to wave to the cameras creating quite a big traffic jam and even more beeping. Tonight and tomorrow papers, internet, and TV will be full of drunk, red faces with shiny eyes (from independence and beer).
The faces are red because of the wind. It is terrible and it is very, very, very cold. The day was sunny but now it started to snow a bit again. A few white, almost-independent Kosovar snowflakes. Despite the cold, the party has just started and probably will go on till Republic of Kosova exists de jure.