KOSOVO ON THE FLY
by Katie Gow-RES - Kosovo, Albania and Macedonia
When I was given the monumental challenge of a three month Temporary Duty to Kosovo last spring, I thought to myself, "well, there can't be any better introduction to the Department than a quick 'tour des Balkans'." And in many ways, I was right-but my time spent in Kosovo was so much more... everything... than I could ever have anticipated.
Stepping off the plane in Pristina, any preconceptions I had formed about Kosovo as a war-torn, devastated region quickly evaporated. I, like many other internationals who have travelled of late in the Balkans, was very surprised and, dare I say disappointed, to see that Kosovo is almost "back to normal". Not ones to wallow in self-pity, the Kosovar Albanians (who make up ninety per cent of the population) have been quick to accept help offered by the international community since the end of the war in 1999. They have rebuilt their homes and shops, their schools and community centres. Despite the few bombed and burnt-out structures that remain, Pristina looks just like any other busy, noisy, lung-cloggingly polluted Balkan city. I was in for a good time!
Being relatively new to the Department of Foreign Affairs, I was given the "hold her up by the ankles and plunge her naked and head first into the deep-end" treatment. My job description in Pristina could have read: "You will be required to write an endless stream of reports, on anything from the (not so stable) Serb-Albanian situation in Mitrovica, to violence against women and Roma rights. You will interview vast numbers of people, many of whom are Canadians working for international organizations in Kosovo (and making tons of money). You will be scared, feel intimidated, and will learn more in three months than you did in four (long) years of university." The human capacity to adapt to change and adverse situations never fails to amaze me. Eyes closed, nose plugged and holding my breath, I accepted my challenge.
The first few weeks in Kosovo were rough. Away from family and friends, I was transplanted to a new (yet quite congenial) region where electricity is a prized commodity and hot showers are, depending on the day, hard to come by. The staff (all thirteen of them, including gardener, handyman and drivers) at the micromission in Pristina were wonderful. Slowly, as I climbed out of my "ohmigod what have I done" shell, I was shown all the hot spots Pristina has to offer by the girls at the office, who have become "you've got me for life whether you want me or not" friends.
Weekends were spent recovering from sixty-hour work weeks at one of Kosovo's magical shrinking reservoirs, trying to keep cool, or on UN-bus mini-holiday (48 hours of fun and sun in Thessaloniki, Greece, including a trip to the ER for painkillers-sad). Opportunities to visit the region, whether on business or pleasure, were plentiful. One memorable weekend was spent in the Serbian Preshevo Valley, holed up ex-commie style in a windowless office with a dozen chain-smoking Serbs and Albanians, watching them count and re-count mayoral ballots. Another week found yours truly and my good friend Dave (who was using up two of his precious holiday weeks visiting) in Macedonia and Albania, me in an endless stream of "get to know the region and the players" meetings (all extremely useful, by the way), while Dave gallivanted around Skopje and Tirana, playing football with street kids, sampling some of the cities' finer cuisine and taking seventeen rolls of film-no exaggeration. (Note to self: this is why my Dad never took my on his business trips!) Many a "Pectopah" later, Dave arrived home a newly-enlightened Balkan traveller. I, on the other hand, am still recovering....
What can I say? To put a twist to the old proverb: That which does not kill you makes you a better foreign service officer. As a very junior person, the lessons I learned (and friends I made) in Kosovo are invaluable. A three month Temporary Duty is an opportunity that no self-serving FSDP should pass up. In one fell swoop, I have had a mini-posting experience, simultaneously learning how to interview (everyone from the head of World Vision in Kosovo, to the leader of the Serbian Povratak Party, to the director of a beer factory-and yes, we got not only free beer but some beautiful beer mugs); how to write reports and keep the faith right through the fourteenth edition (the fifteenth always killed me); how to find my way home along pitch-dark streets and alleyways without being eaten alive by a pack of wild dogs; and, last but certainly not least, how to make the most of such a wonderful personal and professional opportunity. I now go (bravely) forth into the secret, fast-paced, high-teas world of modern diplomacy, fully armed with my newfound knowledge, expertise and attitude. Anybody looking for a new Head of Mission?