Another New Kosovo

Last year, my impressions of Kosovo were as follows: war torn country with the UNHCR in the middle of town, KFOR walking around, NATO with their guns, empty streets with a clear view of Mother Teresa and Bill Clinton, optimistic youngsters with new business plans, disco-disco clubbing girls, a multi-ethnic society, the world's best kept legal secret (well, obviously not so secret, but for students, hell yea!).

In some ways, my impressions still hold true, but there are many things I see completely different, having changed, or just a difference nuance that I did not see.

A list (I like lists) of new or different things:

--Prishtina has busy streets, no lie. I was here on the weekend last summer (no one is out on weekends) so I never really saw a busy city.

--NATO is leaving, so not as many guys with guns (though some Portuguese NATO/KFOR guys did try to pick my friend and I up today. As Anastasia, my hard as nails/soft as cotton/funny as hell filmmaker, journalist Canadian Russian buddy, says, Prishtina may not be quite as "badass" without NATO, but it definitely does not feel like a warzone anymore. This is the general consensus of most journalists who are packing up for Gaza, Afghanistan, or Iraq... and Turkey.

--Not every man looks like they are on the Yugoslavian basketball team, despite some people thinking so.

--Muslim Fundamentalism is on the rise.

--Kosovo feels even safer than it did last year. Not only that, it is safer. The economy may be corrupt, but the crime rate in Prishtina is lower than most American cities.... though keep your wallet in check. This rate could just be that the retired NATO officers living here know how to keep their shit together (forget Boca Raton, Prishtina is cheaper and more interesting to retire to).

--Albanians are a minority in a sea of Canadians, Americans, Germans, and international acronyms. Like the Jews and Israel, there may be more Albanians in NYC than there are in Albania or Kosovo.

Naturally, there are many new things I am encountering. Like any new kid to town, my eyes are starry eyed and I look inquisitively at everything. More "enlightened" analysis will come later as I begin my mile high stack of books in my new apartment here. Thought I would give the update though.....

Simply put. Mom, I'm safe.