What have you been up to lately?

By Anna Wiman | Published: September 3, 2010

No blog posts the last 2 months. I’ve been busy living…

…I attended the 2-week course ”EU Foreign and Security Policy towards Western Balkans” at the the Prishtina International Summer University 2010. The majority of the participants were from Kosovo and the rest from other Balkan countries like Albania, Bosnia and Serbia. For a while I wasn’t even planning to attend even though I had been accepted… I was so close to calling everything off but I am so happy I went - I met some truly amazing people there. This is our class outside the Faculty of Philosophy where classes were held.

…I got even more impressions from Prishtina. 1) The National and University Library. 2) View from the student dormatories from what is called the “Sunny Hill” neighbourhood. 3) Construction on Bill Klinton Boulevard 4) Rain in Prishtina. 5) A Serbian-orthodox church in the middle of Prishtina.

…I went swimming with friends in the swimming pool at Germia Park just outside Prishtina. At the entrance one could see all sorts of flags that are of importance for Kosovo – not just the Kosovo flag (second from left), but also the Albanian and American flags and the flags of NATO and EU.

…I travelled around Kosovo A LOT. Last summer during my internship I didn’t get the opportunity to travel around Kosovo as much as I would have wanted. I was blessed to have my own car and more time on my hands this year which resulted in many small trips around the country.

…I had a minor car accident with two friends driving from the capital Prishtina in the east to another city in the west. We were in a traffic jam moving considerably fast and I wasn’t paying attention to the road for half a second which was enough to bump into the car in front of me when he suddenly hit the breaks. They were Serbs with Serbian license plates. Their car wasn’t damaged one bit but I had to take mine to an car repair shop to get it fixed… 25 euros and 45 minutes later, it looked as if nothing had happened to it. : )

…I spent many nights on my balcony. I absolutely loved my apartment! The sunset was always so nice and in the evening it was a perfect place for socialising.

…I had to buy bread whenever I had guests. Albanians have a tendency to eat bread with everything – with one hand they hold the fork and in the other a piece of bread. ; ) To the right, Kosovo wine from the Rahovec region.

…I threw a party for my Albanian friends at my apartment. I put a tiny Swedish flag on the table in the living room and a friend brought Albanian brandy… the night ended at one of the night clubs in Prishtina. Now that I look back on the summer, I realise I went out very few times in comparison with last summer.

…I celebrated the ICJ decision on Kosovo’s declaration of independence. On July 22nd, the International Court of Justice in the Hague delivered its opinion about Kosovo’s declaration of independence from Serbia on February 17th 2008 – “it did not violate international law”. Of course the Kosovars were happy about this decision and I got a surprice from my Albanian friends. They decorated my car in the evening and we drove around Prishtina like this. : )

…I participated in an amateur documentary. Unfortunately I can’t tell more than that. We went to the city of Gjakova for some scenes. I really enjoyed it there, it reminds me of a smaller version of Prizren, Kosovo’s third biggest city. My friend Valdet is the producer and director of the movie.

…I spent a lot of time in the countryside. Most of the end of July and the beginning of August I wasn’t even in Prishtina but instead exploring the rest of Kosovo. I fell in love completely with Kosovo nature.

…I went to two concerts in the end of July. Elita 5, an Albanian rock band from Macedonia performed in Klina on July 27th. A few days later, Albanian singer Alban Skenderaj sang at a concert near Klina on July 30th. It was the middle of summer and we were happy, young and free…

…I was invited to an English language summer camp held in the Rugova valley for children age 9-16. Most kids came from the nearby city of Peja and some of them came from mountain villages. Classes were held in nature. I stayed in a private home during my stay in the mountains and the last picture shows the view I had from the balcony. The family I stayed with were farmers and also bee-keepers. The bees are in those colorful boxes on the forth picture.

…I ate excellent fish at the restarant “Trofta” in Istog in northwestern Kosovo.

…I was invited to my first Albanian wedding in Mitrovica. My friend’s brother got married. This is me and his little sister. We danced traditional Albanian dances and my feet were bleeding at the end of the night, haha.

…I went to the hair dresser to freshen up my hair a bit. I look completely different in straight hair, don’t you think?

…I went to Durrës, Albania for about a week in the beginning of August. The highway in northern Albania is finished and makes it a whole lot easier to travel from Kosovo to the Adratic Sea these days… I managed to also get some work done and in the evening, I had excellent food and enjoyed good company.

What can I say? I’ve been on standby in Sweden for 2 weeks. It feels great to know that I’ll be back in about a week. : )

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Exkursion to Theranda region village and Prizren, third biggest city of Kosovo

By Anna Wiman | Published: July 9, 2010

A friend of mine invited me to his house the other day. He lives in a village between the cities of Prizren and Theranda in southern Kosovo. I had passed by this beautiful region where he lives several times by car but never really visited it. Travelling with locals is always the best way to travel a country in my opinion. The Albanians are amazing with guests and open both their houses and arms wide open. Like with almost everything in this world, keeping an open mind and having a nice attitude gets you far. :)

We travelled to my friend’s house this weekend, on July 4th. In Theranda, one could see American flags along the main street to congratulate America on its independence day.

Photo taken on the road from Prishtina to Theranda. Simply beautiful.

My friends lives in a quiet little village in the country side. His family is currently building a new house. We drove there with my car… The little brother asked if he could wash my car for me… too sweet!

My dear friend Ardian to the left and his childhood friend Faton.

Ardian’s mother prepared a delicious lunch for us.

The white cheese was made by Ardi’s grandma and most vegetables came directly from the family garden. I loved how everything was homemade. I still dream about that cheese…

The family has a beautiful garden outside their home. This excellent photo is taken by Ardian’s cousin Adratik (yes, his name comes from the Adriatic Sea). :)

Berries in the garden. Adriatik also took this one.

Ardi’s mother prepared Turkish tea for us.

This is the primary school in Ardi’s village. The playground to the left was a gift from the Austrian KFOR (Kosovo Force) last year. The school has the same name as the Albanian hero, Gjergj Kastrioti Skënderbeu.

Ardian’s little brother Arianit in the car.

We went to a café by a swimming pool in a village called Mushtisht.

It was slightly humid so my hair curled up even more.

Faton. This photo is taken by Adriatik. Great portrait.

The mountain area south of Theranda and Ardi’s village is called “Sharr”. The sharr white cheese is very famous in Kosovo.

Faton and Adriatik in the car on our way to Prizren for an evening walk. Prizren is the third biggest city in Kosovo with a strong Turkish minority. I’ve been there several times – it’s a really nice city.

I love making portraits, especially when you snap that special expression.

Evening in Prizren. Ardian took most photos. I was busy exploring. :)

On one of the bridges crossing the river in Prizren.

We decided to walk up the hill to the old castle above Prizren.

Half way up… already a really nice view!

Prizren from above.

Three young people with a beautiful view behind them.

Little brother and big brother in Prizren, Kosovo.

Prizren from above. Absolutely gorgeous.

Faton pointed and said:

…the road in these mountains leads to Brezovica. Brezovica is a nice place to ski in the winter time.

Photo by Ardian. I really like this one.

Couldn’t get enough of the view and the evening sun!

And then curiousity takes over eventually… “What’s down there?” My friends said “Kujdes, Anna!”. Haha, that means “Watch out!” in Albanian. Photo taken by Ardian.

We were being silly and established diplomatic relations between Sweden and Kosovo on top of castle hill that evening.

Prizren has an Albanian majority but also a strong Turkish community. This is an old Serbian Orthodox church on the hill above Prizren. 6% of the population are Kosovo Serbs.

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Exkursion to Mitrovica via Adem Jashari memorial in Drenica region

By Anna Wiman | Published: July 8, 2010

I never went to the city of Mitrovica when I was in Kosovo last summer. Mitrovica is a divided city and considered the most unstable city in Kosovo due to tentions between Kosovo Albanians and Kosovo Serbs. The northern part of the city is inhabited by Serbs while the southern part of the city is inhabited by Albanians. It was an interesting day…

Discovering Kosovo July 3rd 2010: Destination Mitrovica – via Adem Jashari’s memorial in the village of Prekaz (Drenica region).

I went with my friend Ivan from the US and my friend Ardian (in picture) who comes from Kosovo.

I visited Adem Jashari’s memorial. Adem Jashari, born 1955 in the village in Prekaz in the Drenica region of Kosovo is considered to be one of the most prominent people of the Kosovo Liberation Army, active between 1996 and 1999. Adem and his brother participated in attacks against the Serb forces. The Yugoslav authorities regarded the KLA as a terrorist group.

Adem Jashari and his family, in total about 60 people, were killed in March 1998 by Yugoslav security forces when they attacked his home in the village of Prekaz. A ring of troops were formed around the house to prevent any family members from escaping. Yugoslav forces attacked the house by firing mortars and later also tear gas. Eighteen women and ten children under the age of 16 were killed.

Adem Jashari’s houses. Since they were almost completely destroyed in the attacks, extra roofs have been built to protect the buildings.

The KSF (Kosovo Security Force) is guarding the graves of Adem Jashari and his family.

Ardian took this photo of a family visiting the Adem Jashari memorial. The man in the family had been permanently injured in the Kosovo war and walked with a stick. He brought his family to the memorial site to tell the children the story of Adem Jashari.

An old tree outside the house – full of bullet holes.

A statue of Adem Jashari located outside the house.

Burned wood and bullet holes in the house.

The sun shines through the destroyed ceiling onto an Albanian flag.

Inside Adem Jashari’s house – bullet holes everywhere.

A hole in the wall caused by a shooting tank.

After the Serbs had killed the family, they put the house on fire.

The yellow lamps symbolize the 58 people that were killed in the attack. On the hill to the right is an old Yugoslavian military base. The Serbian military marched down the hill and attacked the houses.

My friend Ardian.

Beautiful landscape in the Drenica region.

This is a so called “kulla”. Kulla means “tower” in Albanian. Traditionally, kullas were built by wealthy Kosovo Albanian families.

Inside the kulla… Adem Jashari’s photo to the far left.

Inside the kulla near the village of Prekaz.

View from the kulla.

Inside the kulla, Ardian showed me an extra security mechanism to keep strangers away. I don’t remember the Albanian name for it.

Entering Mitrovica – the divided city. Mitrovica is divided by the river Ibar into an Albanian part and one Serbian part.

Young boys in Mitrovica. These flags would never be up if this would have been the Serbian side. Everything on the Serbian side is in kyrillic and only Serbian flags can be seen.

Police officers and a young woman in the Albanian side of Mitrovica.

The day before our visit there was an explosion on the Serbian side, killing one and injuring about a dozen and KFOR was still concerned with the situation so we didn’t walk over to the Serbian side.

French military guarding the bridge over the Ibar river in Mitrovica.

The river Ibar, photographed from the Albanian side of the city. The other side is Serbian.

Serbian flag painted on the other side of the river… NATO-led KFOR (Kosovo Force) are guarding the bridge.

Greek KFOR guarding the bridge.

An old “Yugo” car in Mitrovica.

Renovated train station in Vushtrri. Yes, some trains run in Kosovo :)

“Kosovo Harley”, Vushtrri. These “vehicles” are often used in the country side by farmers.

Crossroads in Kosovo…

Returning in the evening to Prishtina… the mandatory traffic jam to get into the city. :) In the car in front of us are probably Kosovo Serbs (minority, only 6% of the current population in Kosovo). The car is probably insured in Belgrade in Serbia. “PR” stands for “Priština”, the Serbian spelling of the city. This type of car license plates were banned in Kosovo in 1999 but are still used by Serbs living in Kosovo.

Photos: Courtesy Anna Wiman and Ardian Gashi.

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Why we need to realise that life happens right now and not when we think we are done planning for it

By Anna Wiman | Published: July 8, 2010

Looking over the edge is the only way to find out what is there. Prizren, Kosovo, July 2010. Photo by Ardian Gashi.

I think this is a really important blog post and I will try to stress a good point with my own young experience. Thanks Todd for inspiring me and to all of you who read this post to the end – I’d love to hear your thoughts on it and your own stories.

A couple of months ago as I randomly browsed the Internet, I stumbled across www.toddswanderings.com. Todd is American and left home ten years ago. After grad school, he took a job as an English teacher in Japan and ended up staying 5 years. Then he went to Sri Lanka working with international development and also met his future wife there. Todd moved on to work as a conflict resolution and human rights expert in East Timor and now he is based in Kosovo as a consultant in the same field…

I was instantly captured by Todd’s exciting stories and amazing pictures. So I wrote an e-mail, asking him if he wanted to meet once I arrived in Kosovo. Said and done - yesterday I met up with Todd Wassel in Prishtina. We had a coffee in a typical Kosovo café where the macciato never costs more than 50 euro cents. I told him my story, Todd told me his story and as he finished, I said:

“I hope my life is like yours in 10 years.”

Todd just… smiled. I would soon now why. We parted ways - I went home to finish my homework for Albanian class the same night, Todd went home and wrote an excellent blog post, including my quote that I had already forgotten:

3 STRATEGIES TO HELP YOU SUCCEED AND TRAVEL THE WORLD.

Todd writes how he wanted to be “That Guy” when he left home 10 years ago – “the guy who can land anywhere in the world and make a living” only to realise that being “That Guy” wasn’t something he could plan… “The truth is you have to strike out first. Somehow, as I look back on the last 11 years I have become “That Guy” without ever realizing it.”

 Todd lists three things that one has to keep in mind on the journey we all do as “That Guy” or “That Girl”.

1. Just Go (dreaming is not enough)
2. Take Risks and Look for Opportunities (live a bit on the edge)
3. Being Passionate is the Best Form of Networking (do your own thing).

YES – we already are “That Guy” or ”That Girl”. We already are those guys and girls because life happens NOW. Why do we always forget about this? I certainly forget about it all the time. I’m unpatient and blind. When I complain about life to older friends or mentor-like people in my life, they shake their heads and go, “Anna, you’re 22. Take a look at your life. You ARE “That Girl”.

So now I will take a minute to take a look at my own story and try to see the sense in Todd’s list and the meaning of his smile.

1. Just Go. Life in itself is obviously an adventure and I am happy for everything I have experienced and learned til this day, but when it all comes around, going to Kosovo last summer is probably the greatest adventure so far. What brought me here was a guy (yes, life is full of clichées, better get used to it!) and a 3 month internship with NATO.

Professionally I had NO IDEA what I was getting myself into, I was only about half way through my bachelor degree and I had no previous experience of public relations what so ever. Who the hell did I think I was? Some sort of superwoman? But guess what – it worked out fine – I learned extremely much about how to deal with  public relations in these months…

2. Take Risks and Look for Opportunities

Neither did I know a lot about Kosovo and for sure not much about the people and the culture here. Friends and people I knew told me before I went – “Anna, isn’t it unsafe? A bomb might drop on your head”. Kosovo is NOT a war-zone. The war ended more than ten years ago. Fact is that it can be unstable in some parts from time to time, but… if we never go to or near to alien places or places that are strange for us, do we ever really see anything in life?

After 3 months in Kosovo I returned to Western Europe for 10 months. I liked it but… I was bored. Which is why I returned to Kosovo again this year. During these 10 months, I had been looking for opportunities and excuses to come back. I wanted the thrill from doing something completely different.

I am living alone in a 2 bed room apartment in Prishtina. I drove here by myself from Sweden. Both these facts make people go “oh my god, weren’t / aren’t you scared”? I say: If we are scared, we never live. And if we are not careful, we are stupid. Which brings me to…

3. Being Passionate is the Best Form of Networking

Todd writes: “Having a 1 minute elevator pitch or making business cards just to give out wasn’t my cup of tea”. It was never my cup of tea, either. When I look back and analyze how I got in contact with some people that have been really important for both me personally and for my career, its really funny how it becomes obvious that traditional networking seldom works. Todd also writes: “Just remember to help others out for the sake of helping them out.”

__ I wrote a fan e-mail to Elizabeth Gowing, columnist at New Kosova Report in August 2009. 5 months later the editor offered me an opportunity to write my own column for them. I had always dreamed about my own column. Later I personally met Elizabeth in London for a seminar and met a person I had been dying to meet, Tim Judah, Balkan correspondent for the Economist. Elizabeth is now a good friend of mine and is also living and working in Prishtina.

__ I was randomly walking by an office that looked interesting last year in Prishtina so I got curious  and asked to be let inside. I asked them: “What do you do here exactly?” A man told me about their task. He was a lawyer. I thanked the man. Ten months later I sent him an e-mail, “I’m looking for a job, you got any advice?”. “Well…” he said. Opportunity number 1.  Same thing happened on Facebook of all places! Do not underestimate “stupid networking” like Facebook. I stumbled across a wall post somewhere – a guy working in Washington D.C. was asking for help to find a company in Kosovo focused on conducting research and surveys. I knew some so I sent him a simple list of links and didn’t even expect an answer. A few days later, I got an e-mail. “Are you looking for a job?”. Opportunity number 2.

__ Networking is not always about work or school. When I decided I was really going to return to Kosovo, I realised finding a good apartment could become a hassle. I called some real estate agents without luck. On a random evening when I was about to go to bed I instead asked an acquaintance I had met last summer but hadn’t really talked a lot with if she knew about any availible apartment. Turned out, she was looking for someone to move into her place while she went to work abroad. Win-win situation.

I could go on. Dozens of opportunities pass by every day but only if we keep a very open mind. A lot of it is about being nice. Simple as that. Opportunities come to you because you create them – you just got to have the courage to grasp them. Same with dreams – dreams come true only if you let them.

I’m complaining less and less about simple stuff in life. I live in Kosovo – Kosovo is not a war-zone and people in general have good lives but some are very poor. All my friends here have to go through a disgusting visa process just to get to the Schengen area – sometimes they don’t get more than a visa for 8 days. Bitching about the water being turned off after 10pm and complaining about bad airplane food and waiting in line at the gate… would be… so wrong.

We live our lives the way we are supposed to live them. There is a path for everyone. It makes me really sad when I see people who dream about another life but don’t have the courage to take the first step. Instead, they fall into a boring and depressing rutt that keeps them unhappy. It also makes me sad when I see people who have everything they could ever imagine and still complain.

We are all “That Guy” or “That Girl”. What’s your story and when did you realise you were “That Guy” or “That Girl”?

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Exkursion to Obiliq

By Anna Wiman | Published: July 3, 2010

The town of Obiliq is located a couple kilometres outside Prishtina.

Obiliq power plants provide Kosovo with electricity. Kosovo power plant A to the right.

Albanian eagles protect a house near the city of Obiliq.

I visited Tomb of Sultan Murad I, the Ottomon Sultan who lead the armies of the Ottoman empire in the Battle of Kosovo on June 15th 1389 against the Serbs. The name of the town Obiliq, where the tomb is located, refers to Miloš Obilić, a Serb who killed the Ottoman Sultan Murad I during the battles. The tomb was built 600 years ago and has been protected by the family since then. Around the tomb the graves of all the family fathers are located. The turks have spent good money to keep the tomb alive and well.

A woman was cleaning carpets outside her house next to the tomb… Turned out this was the current wife of the protector of the tomb.

She was happy to speak to us.

The Albanian diaspora family I was visiting the tomb with communicated with her mostly in Serbo-Croatian.

The selamlik in a Turkish palace or home is reserved for men and forbidden for women, just like the harem is reserved for women and forbidden for men. Guests visiting the palace or house never go inside the harem but are greated in the selamlik. The selamlik house at the Tomb of Murad I is being renovated into a museum.

A young farmer with Kosovo power plant A in the background…

Photos: Courtesy Anna Wiman.

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Kosovo Albanian heavy metal in the rain

By Anna Wiman | Published: July 2, 2010

The Kosovo Albanian heavy metal band “Troja” performed in the Germia Park in the outskirts of Prishtina on June 27th 2010. They rarely give concerts because of financial reasons. Visit their website, www.troja-ks.com.

I got inspired by some of the lyrics and turned the concert visit into a piece for my column at New Kosova report: Rain from an Albanian sky.

I went there with my friends Genta and Senton, both Kosovo Albanian.

The rain was pouring down, still hundreds and hundreds of Kosovo Albanian heavy metal fans went nuts in the rain.

Senton told the security guys that I was a Swedish freelance journalist and managed to get me backstage. Here he is with beautiful singer Flaka Krenali. Their hands form the Albanian eagle.

Troja performing on stage in Germia Park, Prishtina, June 27th 2010.

The band Troja and Flaka backstage after the concert in Pristhina.

Photos: Courtesy Anna Wiman.

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A day in the life…

By Anna Wiman | Published: July 2, 2010

9.00 am. Reality check: I live in Kosovo! Korporata Energjetike e Kosovës, the Kosovo Energy Corporation, left an electricity bill on my doorstep. It’s said to be one of the most corrupted places in Kosovo, thus hated by many…

11.00 am. I went to the local supermarket on the corner. There’s a cheaper, bigger market 10 minutes by foot from my house but my philosophy is to always try to “support the local dealer”.

1.0o pm. Went to visit the Ministry for the Kosovo Security Force where I did my NATO internship last year. Had a meeting about thesis work and met some old colleagues, it was good to see everybody again. Lots of things have changed and things are going forward.

4.00 pm. Walked to city centre to meet a friend. The streets can sometimes be a hassle and one has to learn the principle of jumping to the side to not become wet and muddy. :)

Snoop Dogg is coming to town July 10th and EVERYONE is talking about it. I don’t think I will go, I’m not a big fan of his music and not of Snoopy Boy himself either.

Ulpiana neighbourhood in Prishtina. In the background, behind the residential buildings is the “PTK” building, “Posta dhe Telekomi i Kosovës” (Post and Telecom of Kosovo) which controls the post and telephone system and also the first established and most used cell phone operator in Kosovo, “vala”.

A grandfather is playing with his grand children in Dardania neighbourhood on this sunny day.

Dardania neighbourhood – nice grassy field inbetween residential buildings. In the evening neighbourhood kids play football here.

NATO-led peacekeeping force KFOR on patrol in Prishtina. The Swedes have been here since 1999 when the Kosovo war ended.

All the Scandinavian embassies are located in the same house in the Pejton neighbourhood.

This used to be the building of the former newspaper “Rilindja” (once the only Albanian-language newspaper in ex-Yugoslavia). Last year the building was still under renovation and now some of the ministries of the Kosovo government are located here.

8:00 pm. Opening of a photo exhibition at the National Library. The man in the black suit with a black tie to the left is the Mayor of Prishtina, Isa Mustafa.

Prishtina, Oslo, Berlin. Three completely different cities but still under the safe roof of Europe and therefore they have similarities, which this exhibition tried to show in pictures.

Photos: Courtesy Anna Wiman.

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Welcome home

By Anna Wiman | Published: July 2, 2010

The view from my balcony. I live in a 2 bed room apartment in the Dardania neighbourhood, 10-15 minutes from the city center by foot.

Bright, big bedroom.

A decent place to work and lots of storage space.

Living room sofa and the balcony door.

The kitchen has everything one might need, already fully equipped.

I have a WASHING MACHINE! And a TUB! Oh, the happiness…

In my kitchen one can only find locally produced food. Djath (cheese) from Lipjan, water from the Rugova Valley and tea from Prishtina.

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Rain from an Albanian sky

By Anna Wiman | Published: July 2, 2010

Sunday June 27th 2010. Kosovo Albanian heavy metal band ”Troja” performing in Germia Park, Prishtina, Kosovo. The band’s signature song ”Amaneti i Clown-it” was understood among my friends as a clear jab at local politicians. There are some men gone over the edge who have cost me dearly. Their lies are sending me in a place where I can’t find myself. And how many more years will pass by enduring all these men that have taken all my strength away? Can politics change the will to move and live? What is done wrong? Is there any solution? In which end does one start?

New article out at New Kosova Report’s column “Young Kosovo – behind the scenes” by Anna Wiman, focusing on the young people of the Republic of Kosovo: “Rain from an Albanian sky“.

Photo: Anna Wiman.

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Roadtrip to Kosovo: Tirana – Prishtina

By Anna Wiman | Published: June 30, 2010

Last year when I travelled from Prishtina to Tirana for a few days, we had to go through the mountains in northern Albania, driving about 30km/h. It took us about 12 hours in total to reach our destination. Now there is a highway, at least while driving in Albania. A highway will be built in Kosovo to better connect the capital of Kosovo and the capital of Albania. In the future, a highway between Prishtina and Nis (Serbia) will be built and that way, Serbia, Kosovo and Albania will finally be connected with a decent highway.

There are still some parts that are under construction, here in Kukës in northeastern Albania, for example. And somehow a cow ended up in the middle of the road. Would be a scandal in Sweden – here its perfectly normal. :)

I reached the border between Albania and Kosovo. I had to buy a special car insurance for my car since the International Car Insurance, the “Green Card”, is not valid in the Republic of Kosovo.

One flag is not enough – in Kosovo its common to see the flags of the United States of America, Albania and Kosovo all together. Driving in Kosovo is interesting – very much going back to basics. There are no highways, no one really bothers about traffic rules and thank God I drove here last year and had an idea of where I was going – one has to really keep the open for road signs – if there are any. Asking for directions is also interesting – it’s always “drejt”, which means “straight”. But I’ve figured out that drejt really means turning left and right – at some point, haha.

10 km away from Prishtina with the Kosovo flag. I did it! Sweaty, tired, bored of driving. But I did it. Welcome to Kosovo.

Photos: Courtesy Anna Wiman.

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