Kosovo - A Land In Transition

As many of you know, I was in Kosovo from the 6-12 of March. Despite people asking me if I really thought it was safe, and the warnings about being abducted (too many people have seen the movie Taken), I was so excited for the trip. When one of your majors is World Politics and Diplomacy, being able to go to Kosovo is absolutely amazing! I can not even put into words how my experience was, besides that it was incredible.

(the view from our hotel room's balcony)

Being in the country, you are able to fully grasp the reality of the situation in a way the a textbook would never allow you, from observations on the street, to meeting with international organizations helping to stabilize Kosovo, meeting with local NGOs working to rebuild the society, listening to locals tell of their lives in Kosovo, and seeing some of the tensions first hand, the experience is most assuredly something that can not be encapsulated in the classroom.

(one of the many areas of road construction)

Kosovo is a self declared (and therefore contested) state which was formerly a part of Yugoslavia. If you take the Albanian viewpoint, Kosovo broke away from Serbia as a result of the Kosovo War. After the international community intervened to stop the war Kosovo was under control of the United Nations for a time (UNMIK- Security Council resolution 1244) and finally was able to Declare independence in February of 2008. The official Serbian view is that Kosovo is still a part of Serbia that is currently being administered by the international community. Like many areas in the Balkans, Kosovo has seen many tragedies within its borders particularly during the peak of the war in 1998-1999. It is these tragedies, tensions, and the recent progress in the rebuilding of the state that we came to study.

(this wall in the city center is one of several covered with the photographs of those missing from the war)

Wandering around Prishtina you notice the construction and the traffic before anything else. Since the war had been very destructive, efforts are under way in most areas of the city to rebuild. Though at the current moment such construction makes the area appear devoid of the typical city ambiance, it is a wonderful sign of the progress that has come to the region. I hazard to guess that within a few years Kosovo will be highly evolved from what it was this past week, to a place that is the vacation destination of many.

(Prishtina Skyline)

There are many things that still need improvement, such as the enforcement of traffic laws. When rebuilding a country and trying to preserve human rights, giving individuals a ticket for illegal parking or running a red light seems utterly absurd. As such I saw things like driving on a sidewalk, cars parked in incredibly bizarre places, people jumping out of cars’ paths, yet thankfully I saw no accidents.

An underlying theme throughout Kosovo is the issue of sovereignty. Serbia does not acknowledge Kosovo as a sovereign country, so when flying to Kosovo the plane ride is actually around an hour longer since one must fly around Serbian air space. Even at the different international organizations you see a great division between pro-Kosovo and neutral member states of organizations such as EU-LEX, K FOR, International Civilian Office, and European Union Special Representative. Sometimes it becomes so divided that one person has to assume a pro Kosovo position at certain times, and a neutral position at other times, which to be truthful, just makes the situation of Kosovo being aided in stability endeavors from the international community even more muddled than it already is. Yet, as with the construction, there has been much progress in this area. The international force here is slowly decreasing and more responsibilities are being given to the Kosovo government every day.

In talking to the different international as well as local organizations working towards stability in Kosovo you got a great sense of the need to heal and look towards the future with hope. While there are still missing signs around Kosovo from during the war, the feeling amongst the people around the country leans towards the creation of a peaceful future, one in which the past is not forgotten but is learned from so that it does Not repeat.

A Day Spent At Copenhagen Police Facilities

This Wednesday I had another field study with my Danish Politics and Society class. Not one to ever let us down, my professor Jacob took us to the headquarters of Denmark’s police equivalent of SWAT.

Walking up to this locked down facility where armored trucks sat outside, I knew that this was going to be an interesting experience. And the next several hours fully lived up to my expectations.

As soon as we arrived, we were briefed on procedures surrounding things such as anarchist groups, drug busts in Christiania, and football (soccer) hooligans. It says a lot for the safety of the area when the biggest map found in the briefing room is of Parken the football stadium, and the immediate area. Since I really have an interest in Danish society I thought it was really nice to learn all about their usual procedures and what they do for special events, such as the climate summit that was here in 2009.

The Commander who was touring us around then took us to the equipment area, where we got the opportunity to look at the various pieces of equipment the police have available to them. I thought it was interesting that the majority of equipment utilized by this group is defensive in nature. It is unfortunate but true that usually on occasions that these officers are utilized more of the officers get injured than participants in the occurrence.

After lifting the woman’s vest, trying to pick up the riot shield and looking at all the other equipment each officer would have on their person, I can confidently conclude that I would never be a member of this team as I would not be able to move. With the equipment weighing more than I do, it would be quite comical for me to be placed as a riot officer outside of Parken during the Brønby FCK game. I assume that is why all the people I saw working at this facility are a lot taller than I and incredibly fit. Needless to say, I have a new appreciation for riot police and their struggle to move quickly to counteract malicious doings of others.

The grand finale of our tour was a demonstration put on by some police officers being trained on how to function on occasions where all the gear is necessary. As we were watching from above, you could tell that the demonstration would be action packed when the ‘suspect’ (also a police officer) was sitting with a baseball bat laying across his knee.

Sure enough it was action packed. The bat ended up in two pieces, and the ‘suspect’ got foam strayed in his face just as he was tackled by the police officers.

Needless to say this trip taught me not to mess with the Danish police!

Vi Ses!!

Next Stop... KOSOVO!

True Patriotism in the Streets

While I am abroad I have these moments where I think...only in Denmark. This Friday I had one of those moments, one in which I felt so lucky to have come to live in Denmark and get to know the Danes.

Only in Denmark could one leave class to find yourself walking next to a brightly uniformed man atop a horse, with an actual sword hanging from his side. After a moment of thinking that Copenhagen had been invaded by a blast from the past, I realized that something was happening on Stroget  (the pedestrian street in Copenhagen).

With soldiers parading down Stroget as people by the hundreds cheered and waved Danish flags, it was not an enemy invasion but a home coming for Danish soldiers involved in the war. Watching everyone there was so heartwarming. I have never seen such pure patriotism like what was displayed in my life. 

I am sure the soldiers really appreciate when their fellow countrymen show support for their efforts. For me, it was beyond wonderful to see the Danes' display of patriotism.

 Even the little ones proved to be extremely patriotic!

As you can see the Firefighters did their part to contribute to the patriotic and supportive atmosphere. And what is amazing about seeing the fire truck there is that it was the first one I had seen in Denmark. (which should tell you how amazingly safe Denmark is)

 I was happy to be a part of the procession as everyone followed the soldiers to the square in front of city hall. There the soldiers stood in formation as anthems were played and speeches were made. 

I have grown quite attached to Denmark, so it was really nice to see Danish pride in themselves, their nation and their fellow Danes.

As I said before, these images could only be Denmark! I shall remember this day for the love of my adopted country that it showed me.

Vi Ses!

As Winter Slowly Turns to Spring

I can tell Spring is on its way to Copenhagen, despite the cold weather that is still here. The sun is out, the sky is a bright blue, the light during the day is longer and one can see plants preparing themselves for spring. Having been here since August, I am so excited for Copenhagen in the Springtime!

Due to weather reports of the cold temperatures here, people back home have asked me why I am so crazy as to think Spring is on route to Denmark. During a walk today with Ole and Birgitte I took some pictures demonstrating just how pretty Denmark is despite the cold, and others as evidence that spring will be here soon.

Our walk commenced at Holte S-tog station, consisted of going through some nice neighborhoods, and through the woods to finish at Birkerød S-tog station. Though still a tad cold outside, with enough layers and the sun shining above, it was a great day for a walk.

Here is one of my favorite types of house in Denmark. A house like this appears so warm and inviting that I don't know why anyone would not like it!

Here is a little stream we saw on our walk. It is still cold enough the there is ice in the stream but it is also evident that the sun was shining here. I really think it is amazing that you can be 25 minutes away from the center of the Danish capital and yet be able to walk around woods like this. In many of the sprawling cities back in the U.S. it would be impossible to see such an extensive wooded area so close to the city center.

 

I sometimes think that when people complain about the weather in Denmark they forget just how beautiful it is during winter.

The view from this turn tells of the natural beauty of Denmark, as well as hints to the potential of a Danish Spring.

Both the pictures above and below are my prime piece of evidence that Spring is on its way. With these little flowers  sprouting up, my anticipation the spring will soon be here is assured!

I hope that everyone has a wonderful week, and as time proceeds be on the look out for Spring pictures from Copenhagen!

Vi Ses!

The Carlsberg-ian Method of Learning About Danish Society

At DIS, or Danish Institute for Study Abroad, we have Wednesdays free from class so that teachers can take their classes on Field Studies (field trips) around Copenhagen. This semester I had the most bizarre field study yet...not in a bad way but definitely something that I did not expect to be paired with a class on Danish Politics and Society. That being a trip to Carlsberg Breweries. Though it may sound strange since I have been in Copenhagen since August, I had not yet been to Carlsberg. Despite having learned about numerous local microbreweries (see my birthday post from October) I had not gone to Carlsberg breweries until this field study.

Our teacher for this class, Jacob, is the former minister of Transportation for Denmark, and he was my core teacher last semester for European Politics. He has great insight on Danish politics and keeps things entertaining with funny real life stories at the same time. Needless to say he is a teacher that definitely thinks outside of the box. Our Field Study was a prime example of this.

On that note I should commence on the account of our class’s study tour to Carlsberg Breweries. Complete with a beer tasting, this trip was intended to teach about Danish social culture, and a little about Danish history.

Despite the cold, we walked around the breweries (old and new Carlsberg) seeing what there is to see. Here is our Carlsberg experience!

A sure indicator that you are nearing something that may be slightly important to the world of beer...

If you are lost in Copenhagen,walking up to a very official looking building and find a row of Carlsberg trucks there are only certain conclusions that can be reached. A) The water source in the area is tainted so that it is healthier to drink beer, B) The office specializes in getting people past their fears of Karaoke, C) The Police are using their monetary gain from music to send a Message In a Bottle to every man woman and child or D) the office is part of Carlsberg Breweries. Despite the strong urge to believe I will someday find a Message In a Bottle sent out by The Police, the latter is definitely the most logical conclusion. (Though it must be noted that one of the reasons why beer gained such popularity in the old times was because beer unlike water at the time did not kill you) 

Similar to Budweiser, Carlsberg maintains a stable of horses to pull the Carlsberg wagon, which you may periodically see around Copenhagen on special occasions. Below is a picture of Laura in the stable. She is one of the horses trained to drink Carlsberg out of the bottle. This begs the question of whether a Hauling Under the Influence penalty can be imposed when she is pulling the wagom.

Carl Jacobsen (son of JC Jacobsen who started Carlsberg) was quite fond of art, as is apparent when you see the four massive carved elephants at the Brewery. Build to wish his four surviving children good luck and long lives, the elephants have become "one of the things that is a must see" at Carlsberg breweries.

The old Brewing floor, which is no longer in use. I was quite impressed by the look of the hall, with gold gilding on railings, polished copper, and a general design of elegance.

After the tour, we had a beer tasting session, with 5 Jacobsen brews. (Jacobsen is a special type of Carlsberg) 

 

 

Though the Jacobsen brews are much better than your typical fizzy yellow water, I definitely preferred the beer present at the Valhal tasting. Oh the plight of being a beer snob!

 

Despite this, the trip to Carlsberg was definitely nice and I would highly recommend taking a tour of the breweries to anyone visiting Copenhagen!