Apartment Hunting In Pristina

Ah, I meant to say hello earlier but alas, it slipped my mind!  Let me give a warm greeting to the new American contingent who arrived early last week.  I got to go flat hunting with a friend who was previously here and boy-oh-boy are people seriously trying to rip-off the internationals!  Eastern European friends say that it's worst when you are from the US, Germany, or other Western European states...they really want to stick it to us for some reason :(  We looked at a one bedroom place where the guy was asking 700 Euros and I had to hold back the laughter...did we really look like we were born yesterday???  Unless you possess fantastic bargaining skills I would estimate that a flat in Dragodan where the landlord isn't really trying to take you for a ride would be around 500 Euros for two bedrooms.  For a one-bedroom pad (which is a little harder to find with the mega buildings) it shouldn't cost you more than 350 Euros all inclusive.
Make sure that you sign that rental contract and specify who will be paying what (all inclusive is best so you know that you won't get stuck paying someone else's power bill!) And the three most important questions to ask in Kosovo when looking for an apartment are 1.) Is there a generator 2.) Is there a water tank (don't fall for the "oh we have water all the time, don't worry" line!) 3.) Is there central heating?  And naturally, if you don't want the landlord coming into your apartment uninvited, make it clear to him from the very beginning that you like your privacy and while you are renting the place, it's yours and he and his family should have permission to enter the place!

I think I have previously expressed my dismay (ranted, raved) at people traveling the wrong way down the one-way streets in Dragodan where I reside...so last week I decided to tell a few of the law-breakers what I thought of their illegal travels...I got very similar answers from both that just had me shaking my head (blood pressure rising...must control Fist of Death!)  The first guy I stopped expected me to back-up out of a line of parked cars so he could pass.  I did so but partially blocked the end of the lane and rolled down my window to have a "friendly chat".  I asked the law-breaker if he realized that it was a one-way street and that he was going the wrong direction.  The reply I got had me fuming..."it's okay," he tells me, "I just live down the street a couple of houses".  My response to him was "if you live on this street then you should know better than to drive down it the wrong way" :-P Gaaaaa, how does living on the street justify breaking the traffic laws?!  It's almost as good as telling the police that pulling them over is "against their human rights" (read 28 May's entry for that story!)

The big news in Kosovo today is that UNMIK and the EU have signed an agreement that paves the way for the UN mission to begin transferring assets, buildings, but not authority in police & justice over to the EU mission.  The document signed is not what the media has heralded it to be but more of a technical agreement between the two organizations.

The EU is due to bring more staff in the coming months (currently only approximately 350 of planned strength has been deployed) as the UN continues its downsizing exercise to bring it staffing levels to 30% of the current mission.  100 new EULEX staff are expected to deploy to Kosovo each week until the full 1900 international staff are on the ground.  The planned timeframe for the reconfiguration with the eventual handing over of authority is four months.  Serbia's foreign minister stated the UNMIK was "making a mistake" in turning over policing in Kosovo to the EU mission without the consent of the Security Council.

MTCowgirl's Kosovo News

• Kosovo miners go on strike over pay
• Swiss court tries Kosovars for drug traficking
• UNMIK orders wiping of hard-drives of Kosovo Trust Agency
• Kosovo inflation rises to 14% in July

MTCowgirl's Interesting Articles/Commentary

• Kosovo hackers strike again
• 6000 year old script found in Kosovo
• Report: Tourism in Kosovo
• Kosovo independence: the diplomatic state of play, lists countries that have recognized, are against, or expressed reservations
• Kosovo softball federation wins international recognition
• An American blogger shares a story of Sunday in Kosovo

UNMIK Begins Downsizing

The spokesman for UNMIK has stated that the mission will downsize by 70% starting yesterday.  Staff are expected to begin receiving contract termination notices and those whose contracts are expiring will not be renewed.  It is expected that the 70% downsizing will happen progressively over the next four months and then a follow-up mission of UNMIK will begin with the remaining staff.

The news paralleling South Ossetia to Kosovo continues with great debate if the two are alike or not.

Kosovo and Georgia: What Gives?!
These articles are mostly commentary expressing the viewpoints from around the world. Articles posted do not necessarily reflect my own opinion.

• Russia eats Kosovo cake
• Kosovo redux
• Rejecting false parallels: Why Kosovo is not South Ossetia
• Kosovo rejects rejects comparison to South Ossetia

MTCowgirl's Kosovo News

• Kosovo President not ashamed of K-Serbs plight
• Germany recognizes passports issued by Kosovo
• UN and EULEX clash over customs
• UN begins scale down of mission
• Lack of recognition halts Kosovo's Olympic dream
• Kosovo Serb leader slams international officials on cooperation
• KFOR donates medicine to Kosovo Health Center
• Serbian war vets injured at Kosovo border demonstration

MTCowgirl's Interesting Articles/Commentary
And since it has been a little while, disclaimer time! These articles posted do not necessarily reflect my personal opinion but they are related to Kosovo in some way and information sharing is the name of the game :)

• Kosovo seeks to emerge from a lonely place
• Where Serbs meet the new Kosovo
• Kosovo meets Serbia's offensive with apathy

Kosovo Lives

The BBC has been running a series of articles on people living in Kosovo from Albanians in the North to a trio of displaced Slovenian-Serb women in Ferizaj.  The articles are quite interesting and give a good perspective of the various problems that face people living in Kosovo.
UNMIK has a new Principal Deputy SRSG in the form of South African Nicholas Haysom who arrived last week to help guide the mission's reconfiguration.  Mr. Haysom met with Kosovo officials shortly after his arrival to discuss the reconfiguration and cooperation with the Kosovo government.

There are rumors in the media that the new SRSG, Lamberto Zannier, is in conflict with the EU and Kosovo government particularly in regards to suggestions for bringing Serbian KP (Kosovo Police, I don't know, for some reason and it was explained to me but I forgot exactly why...but they aren't called KPS anymore...something to do with independence...) officers under the umbrella of UNMIK and relations with parallel Serb structures.  In fact, last week it was reported that Zannier could become persona non grata in Kosovo should he continue.

The Kosovo passports have received more recognition in the past week with the US saying that they will accept the documents as well as Turkey and Sweden.  Kosovo has also received formal recognition of their independence from Columbia and Belize.

With the conflict in Georgia over South Ossetia, there are numerous parallels and articles referencing Kosovo's bid for independence.  Some question whether or not it is payback for Kosovo or maybe could South Ossetia become like Kosovo?  Other's say that Georgia, not South Ossetia, is like Kosovo and maybe we could apply a Kosovo Model to South Ossetia.

MTCowgirl's Kosovo News

• Britian critical of UN report on March raid of Mitrovica courthouse
• Kosovo names Defense Minister
• Suspended KPS to receive salaries from Kosovo budget
• Serbian Army Reservists to demostrate at Merdare border
• Police and civilians injured in scuffle in Mitrovica
• OSCE warns of child traficking in Kosovo
• Serbian official slams UNMIK after commenting on EULEX

MTCowgirl's Interesting Articles/Commentary

• How Kosovo created its own form of Liberal Islam
• Kosovo's Dokufest explains why Albanians don't speak Serbian
• A proof of identity, the new Kosovo passports

Reconfiguration Delayed

The new SRSG of UNMIK, Lamberto Zannier, has announced that the reconfiguration of the mission has been delayed and will not be completed until late November or early December.
Last week in the Security Council meeting, Zannier conceded that his powers have been drastically reduced following the Kosovo constitution going into effect.  Meanwhile the UN Security Council has continued to be deadlocked on the issue of changing the mission's mandate to allow the EULEX mission to take over police and justice from UNMIK.  Increasingly there is tension between the two organizations as highlighted by the recent disagreement over the sacking of the Head of Customs by the Kosovo Government.

The Kosovo Government has started issuing Kosovo passports to its citizens and UNMIK has acknowledged that it has stopped printing the travel documents previously given out.  Some countries, such as Slovakia, have stated that they will not recognize the new Kosovo documents but will continue to accept those issued by UNMIK.  Kosovo travelers may still face problems in Europe as it is not yet fully clear how countries who have not recognized independence will deal with the new documents.  Problems were reported at the Macedonian border but Macedonians officials have denied the media reports that Kosovars were denied entrance based on travel with the Kosovo passports.  Serbia said that they will negate Kosovo entry stamps in passports and crossing the border from Kosovo into Serbia will continue to be an issue in which travelers will most likely be forced to continue travel via Kumanova to have a Serbian entry stamp in their passports.

The power situation of late has for lack of better description "sucked big time" with most of Pristina being provided 3:3 (3 on, 3 off) although KEK's website says that the situation is supposed to be better (24/7 my behind!).  It does make me wonder what the winter will be like if there isn't enough electricity supply for the summertime.

Serbia Arrests Karadzic

After years of being one of the most wanted people in Europe, Radovan Karadzic was arrested late Monday evening in a suburb of Belgrade.  Karadzic served as president of the breakaway Republic Srpska.  His top general Mladic still remains at large after nearly 12 years on the run.  The arrest was welcomed a sign that Serbia is still willing to work with the West despite differences on Kosovo's independence.  Some wonder what comes next, if the arrest will help Serbia join the EU, if someone has a lot of explaining to do, or perhaps it's just too late to really make a difference.

Kosovo's corruption watchdog has released a damning report of the government's over-spending on non-essential areas, corruption, and conflict of interest.  One example of the government's lack of fiscal responsibility is the spending of Euro 1.3 million in three months on lunch/dinner by government officials.  The total yearly budget of the Kosovo government is a mere Euro 700 million.

MTCowgirl's Kosovo News

• Hundreds queu as Kosovo begins taking applications for passports
• US vows to help Kosovo get more recognition
• Serbia returns ambassadors to Europe
• Ombudsperson finds Kosovo human rights unsatisfactory
• UNMIK SRSG to visit Serbia

MTCowgirl's Interesting Articles/Commentary

• Don't be afraid of Kosovo
• Chinese & other immigrants call Kosovo home
• Kosovo: Tale of fledgling and hawks

Belated Happy 4th of July

I couldn't help but chuckle at a recent article in the Kosov@ Post about 4th of July celebrations in Pristina. The author of the article talks about how many countries celebrate 4th of July to express their gratitude to the US and that Kosovo is one of those countries. Honestly, I don't think that anyone outside the US except other Americans celebrate the 4th of July and it's a bit interesting to see other people celebrating the Independence Day of my country. I'm sure that someone from Germany or South Africa would find it just as odd if I held a celebration for their independence days...but I can't say that I don't appreciate the vigor in which the Kosovar people appreciate the assistance that the US has provided over the years. Also mentioned in the article is something called the "American Corner in Pristina" which is located near the National Library (that funky building that supposedly looks like a human brain from the air). As an American, I never even knew we had a corner in Pristina or even what an American corner is...but I'll be checking into it when I get back that's for sure.
I again have to put a mention in for Pacific Rim Bistro & Wine Bar in Dragodan for providing a kick-@$$ American-style buffet for my friends on the 4th. They simply can't stop raving (and rubbing it in that I missed it!) about how good the food was and how much they enjoyed the meal. As I've been doing research for my articles (oops, I wasn't planning on tying this blog to the newspaper but it wouldn't be easy to keep it separated for long...I'm the restaurant reviewer for Kosov@ Post), I've been frequenting Pacific Rim to try the different food and so far, two thumbs way up for excellent food. I think that I won't need to feel homesick for American food anymore and Tom's Korean Kalbi is almost as good as Mom's (but you know no one ever does it as good or better than Mom!).

MTCowgirl's Interesting Articles/Commentary

• Message from PM Thaci on anniversary of constitutional statement
• What Cyprus, Bosnia, and Kosovo can teach us
• Kosovo Ho!, a reaccounting of a trip through the Balkans in the 70's
• Newborn, symbol of Kosovo
• Vetevendosje complains about ICO & EULEX
• German automotive manufacturer to open plant in Kosovo

UN Begins Re-Configuration

The new SRSG, Italian diplomat Lamberto Zannier, of UNMIK announced last week that the mission will begin reconfiguration and transition of the police and justice to the EULEX mission under the umbrella of the UN.  The Security Council has not ruled on changing the mission's mandate as outlined in Security Council Resolution 1244.  Serbia warned UN Secretary-General against any reconfiguration of the mission without the approval of the Security Council and Serbia.
I will be heading home to the US for a couple weeks on Friday but as I normally can't live without the internet for very long, you can count on a couple updates while I'm away :)  Smokey will be going back to the "doggy prison" as I call it and staying at the Kosovo Dog Shelter near the airport.  Volunteer vets Petra & Toni are again visiting for the summer so watch out for charity events to support the shelter and their efforts!

MTCowgirl's Kosovo News

• Kosovars trust KFOR, then KPS, then TMK/KPC, and last the judiciary
• Kosovo and Macedonia start border demarcation process
• Deputy of Trade dismissed after heated parlimentary quarrel
• Kosovo Serbs form parliament in North

MTCowgirl's Interesting Articles/Commentary

• Kosovo should just say no to UN
• Russia wants to divide Europe through Kosovo
• New Kosovo Serb Parliament raised concerns for EU
• Kosov@ Post celebrates launch
• Kosovo autonomy debate rages, an interesting view from Czech Republic
• Kosovo should play it cool
• UNDP finds Kosovo judiciary is unsatisfactory