Macedonia and Croatia

Well, after having had less than two weeks to adjust to my new home, (using that word very loosely) off to two other countries to visit a trade show. Still having a very small clue as to what I am supposed to be doing with my new job, I was tasked with taking one of the two locals that will be working for me(a great Albanian man at least 20 years my senior) to found myself jetsetting Zagreb to visit with livestock and agriculture traders from around the region. As it turned out, I was completely useless. Not only did I not speak the language but I was not yet up to speed in knowing enough about the project to clearly identify which vendors we should meet with. Fortunately my colleague compensated for my shortcomings and lead me on an excellent adventure.

So, to accomplish a simple one hour flight to Croatia, one must get in a car and drive two hours to Skopje, Macedonia passing through a number of military (KFOR) checkpoints as well as the border crossing where all the Kosovar refuges we fleeing in droves from the Serbians during the NATO bombing operations. Kind of surreal to be reading very current books on the history of the war (1999) and then driving by the street signs where so many of these massacres took place. Not to mention my business associate survived all the fighting and has written a book on this matter. So he was proving the first hand detailed accounts on getting his family out and himself returning as an interpreter with the first British airborne battalion that went in after the Serbs. Anyway, enough of the brief history lesson. Onto the present.

Skopje is a very unique and intriguing city. Not only does it have a very historic, Albanian occupied old town but across the main river the banks are littered with very sheik outdoor cafe's blaring techno music and many many people dressed in the latest European fashions strolling the plazas and indulging in a gourment icecream or a smoke with 'Makioto' (essentially a Turkish expresso). So we did just that... Checked into our hotel and then my friend Musli showed me all about the city where we did as the locals. Ate, drank, and enjoyed icecream. A great historic fort and a huge hill/mountain commanding a spectacular view of the city scape. Had to call it an early night due to our 4am departure for the airport to fly to Zagreb...

Zagreb is a city still yet to be discovered (well by Americans anyway). As the photos show it is a city right up there with any of those in Europe. Fortunately the Austrian-Hungarian influence was not permanently destroyed during the Balkan war. Some of the most beautiful and flower laden cobbled footpaths, side streets, fountain wielding gardens and statue centric plazas can be found in this city. Although I did spend two days at the trade show and in various (productive) business meetings, I had more than enough time to explore the city. The list of our activities is actually quite long (as most of you know I do not waste time exploring). Our hotel was perfectly situated in the heart of the city with almost everything walkable or tramable. Several of the highlights included taking in a fantastic opera at the Croatian National Theater for about $12.00 (center of the floor seats), visiting some of the spectacular museums, entering several of the many cathedrals (not a Muslim country) and last but not least, spending a day outside the city hiking around the ski resort mountain overlooking Zagreb. A great break to get outside the urban environment.

My New Home...

We're not in Kansas anymore...

Well, aside from the fact that an entire car can fit into some of the city potholes, hundreds of gas powered generators kick on at the same time during the daily power outages and everyone LOVES Americans, it feels like any other major capital city. But seriously, my first 5 days here have been wonderful. Very different from my usual pace of arriving in a new city/country and having to cram in as much activity as possible before I quickly leave. I figure 2 years will be plenty to explore this town that you can basically walk from one side to the other or take a car driving 3 hours from one border to the next. And did you know that to call me you technically need to dial the country code for Monaco since Kosovo is not officially recognized as a country? (so it has to borrow excess capacity from the kingdom)

Logistically speaking, everything has worked out great. My 250lbs of checked luggage made it all the way through the chaos of London's Gatwick although my chapstick did not. 24 hours after my departure I was greeted by a smiling company driver and nice offers from all the young guys trying to sell me a pack of cigarettes for 40cents (Marlboro Red). I have subsequently learned that EVERYONE smokes here all the time. Since the weather is still nice enough for us to sit outside and eat/drink at the cafes, it is not too bad. I've been warned that the winter can be long, hard and hazardous to your heath since no place has indoor filters.

As we approached downtown Prishtina, I felt like I was back in DC during the good old days as I was greeted by a massive poster of Bill Clinton opening his arms to all the clogged traffic paralyzing Bil Klinton Road. And my small hotel offers all the modern amenities including the ever popular pink wall color, a dial-up internet connection and one light bulb to share among 3 lamps depending on what room I'm in. The very quiet street and nice views of the small family gardens were somewhat tarnished by the close proximity to the downtown mosque with its 4:30am call to prayer.

The weekend weather was perfect as I wandered the streets, shopped for apartments, met with my boss and hung out with a new friend learning all about the history and cultural nuances of my new home. I even hooked up with a good group of expats to play a mean game of ultimate Frisbee. Since the government is run by the UN there are more white NGO trucks cruising the city than cars. And with NATO forces patrolling the countryside, most of them basing their R&R in Prishtina has created its own mini-industry of restaurants and clubs for the expats. As most of you know for my earlier travels, I will be embedding myself in the local community and hopefully not frequenting these establishments too often.

If all things go well, I have found a relatively nice flat to rent on the 4th floor of a building up on the hill where I work but looking out over the entire city. Since my balcony surrounds my entire unit I plan on many a sunset cocktails (at least over the next 2 weeks before winter sets in). Aside from having to inspect and question about all the standard apt. questions, I needed to inquire on what electric grid the building was coded (which determines how often your power goes out), make sure a back-up inverter is set-up to provide light for a couple bulbs when there is no electricity and to insist on having gas powered heaters in case we lose power for extended periods of time so I don't freeze during the winter. Sounds great eh? Well I have a full fitness gym in the basement as well as a fresh market across the street so if people really hibernate like they say, I'll be well fed and fit:-)

Work has been intense and intimidating. After 2 days I have been set up in a nice office with a staff of two to assist me in my role as Senior Competitiveness Advisor. The notion that I am going to be advising these farming and livestock experts on anything still amazes me but somehow they think I am going to be the deal-maker to assist the organizations' clients take their products to the next level in regional export. The office is located in a very cool 4 store office with a staff of over 30 locals each running their own programs around the country. I have been told I will be on the road a lot and have already been informed of trade shows in Croatia, Albania and Berlin that I will be attending representing our local clients. I am very excited to step up to the plate and figure this out but I'm not suspecting this to be easy. Especially with the deep seated ethnic hatreds that still permeate the region. Blood is thicker than business and it is not often that the Balkans are known to forgive or forget.

Apparently there are a ton of 3 day weekend coming up so I'll be heading to Greece to scuba dive at the end of the month. And then I believe the mountain resort towns after that to kick off ski season. Like I said, we're not in Kansas anymore... -DH

Welcome to the interactive version of the Dirthead Diaries, live from Kosovo. For those of you new to the DH Diaries, they began back in 1998 during my one year of traveling throughout Southeast Asia. Back then they were rather lengthy, yet entertaining, email accounts of my trials and tribulations from living the life of a backpacker. Since then, anytime I have lived or traveled overseas for a sustained period of time (ie France, Jordan), I have continued the tradition of updating my friends and family on life abroad via the internet. At present, I am embarking on yet another adventure, this one scheduled to last at least 2 years while working for a USAID economic development project based in Pristina, Kosovo.

I hope you will enjoy the stories and photos I intend to update regularly as a means to not only record my upcoming adventures in the Balkans but also to keep in touch with all of you (so please register to post your comments). Stay tuned...