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.

St. Antony’s College – Party Central!

The last term started with a “Welcome” Bop in the first week…and the partying hasn’t stopped since. We’ve had 3761863 bops [aka parties] since last October, including a cross-dressing, ultra-popular bop where people showed up 30 minutes before the party was about to start.

The interesting thing is that St. Antony’s is known for two things – the amazing intellectuals who frequent the college and come to speak from around the world to the students in the college, and of course, the bops the college organizes. There are three social secretaries who come up with the most creative ideas on how to get people to the Late Night Bar to buy as many drinks as they can drink.

In November, the Turkish Society organized a Turkish night with free munchies, belly dancers, and great DJ music. In January, as we all just got back, sad that the break was over, parties awaited us – Bollywood Night, 80s Night, and most recently, the Aussie Bop, where Australians and New Zealanders joined forces to organize one of the biggest bops in the University. Last week was the Hip Hop Night, which Avi Shlaim addressed as the “Flip Flop Night” [the Warden and he dropped by on their way home from their High Dinner]. I have started to avoid the bops a bit and being slightly selective in deciding which one I attend.

Next week is the Toga Night, which makes me think of undergrad days. I will, of course, go, but there’s something in me saying  “you’ve outgrown this.” Maybe I have. But I still intend on going.

Google Party?

I just got an invite to an annual party that Google apparently organizes every year for the Rhodies in central London. This sounds like an entertaining evening:

We don’t want to give away any secrets quite yet, but you can be sure of a fun and informational evening whether this is your first year, or you’re a seasoned pro.

Something else to expect when in Oxford…