Kosova’s Independence Day Celebrations

I am still getting used to the idea of being surrounded by Albanian speakers, after spending such a long time in an English-only community. At yesterday’s Kosovar independence anniversary celebrations in London, I was literally overwhelmed [in a good way]. I was invited to a function organized by the Kosovar Embassy in London, where, it appeared, staff from various embassies had come to socialize and of course, take advantage of the drinks and munchies [My Albanian-Canadian friend who is also in Oxford said the wine was very good]. What was even more comical was the fact that representatives of states that have NOT recognized Kosova as an independent state were sipping wine and greeting the Ambassador.

Then there was the second irony of it all: The Serbian Embassy organized a special event, inviting the members of embassies of various countries that had planned on coming to the Kosovar Embassy cocktails. It was not surprising that the Serbian government would do this, but that the staff of these various embassies would feel compelled to go to both – Kosova is celebrating a one-year anniversary, Serbia is hosting a guest speaker. It’s disproportionately important, no?

Nevertheless, this minor issue did not matter much in the grand scheme of things. The room where the reception took place was so full, one could not even notice the consular staff who snuck out every few minutes.

There is something sweet, something bitter, something heartwarming in hearing one’s mother tongue spoken in a group of people who are randomly talking about their last shopping trip, the awkward man they saw in the tube, or how disappointed they were at the 0:0 result of the Malta-Albania soccer game. I preferred to stand aside and listen to the random words pronounced and thrown around, until random passerss-by greeted me and we introduced ourselves.

My Albanian friend and I spent part of the afternoon meeting Kosovars and internationals, and then went to the Victoria & Albert to see various permanent exhibitions. A couple of hours later, we met his sister for dinner and had steak sandwiches in a pub in South Kensington, where a member of the staff was, you guessed it, Albanian.

We met a couple of other Albanian friends from Oxford at a tube station and made our way to an LSE party that featured live Kosovar folk music. IT WAS AMAZING! Men going crazy on the stage and kissing the flag, women belly dancing and performing traditional Kosovar dances, drunk young guys breaking glasses at random, the whole room echoing the lyrics of the songs sung – what else can one want?

I had such a wonderful day. I spent the declaration of independence glued to the TV, witnessing a moment that my grandfather could not have imagined would happen. I was honoured, pleased, happy, joyous, nostalgic, sad that I couldn’t be in Kosova then [I was writing my Honours dissertation]. This year, I am in Oxford and had little chance of being in Kosova once again, but going to London and meeting Albanian friends was a great alternative. Life is good.

Last week in St. John’s

This summer has flown by and I am still scratching my head, wondering where the time went. With the exception of some fun and required course reading, I engaged in very little academic work.. Rather, I spent the summer relaxing, seeing friends, taking some photographs, engaging in my new project of learning Arabic, and, among other things, volunteering here and there for various events.

The last day of my contract with the Department of Justice ended on Friday. I had a wonderful time working with some of the brightest minds in the justice system of the province. Everyone was friendly, welcoming, helpful when I asked the silly and sometimes naive questions, or when I pressed the wrong button on the shredder. I truly felt I was among friends! I met some incredibly fascinating and inspiring people, individuals who share their passion for justice in their job. 

While many expected that this summer would be a deterrent for my plans to study law, it actually further reinforced my desire to become involved. It was food for further thought and consideration!

The division I was involved with held a going away social at the end of the day on Friday, where they gave me a beautiful framed photo of St. John’s and the Narrows, taken by Brian Ricks. I will take it to Ox. with me, so I am not too homesick while away

Tom, a friend and lawyer in the division, organized a going away event for me at his house, invited many mutual friends, and made a wonderful evening out of it. It was a great way of saying goodbye to friends I won’t be seeing for a while . Thanks, Tom!

“Take Back the Night” was also on Friday night, and as member of the Men’s Auxiliary, I found it important to take part this year, as well. The event was incredibly well organized, there were many participants, and as always, lots of food (served by men!). 

As every year, I am taking part in the AIDS Walk tomorrow. Friends were really generous this year – I raised over $380, when I had, in fact, made plans for only $200. Thanks, everyone! The Walk is taking place at Quidi Vidi lake and should go well – The weather forecasters are calling for a partly cloudy and sunny afternoon…

This summer, I have been working to get my driver’s licence, and try 2 is on Monday. We’ll see if I actually get it or end up waiting a whole year before I come back to do the test again.