--Sunday, 24 September 00--
Tried to sleep late but was up and 7:45. This is election day in Serbia.
Kouchner decided to allow polling in Kosovo but almost as an after-thought
people were being assigned as election monitors so the claim of pro-Milosovich
votes can be kept to a minimum fraud.
At 9 AM I walked up Germia Street past the park. As I went there were
fewer and fewer houses. Further on I came to a small dam that had a large
stream-fed swimming area with diving boards, water slides, shallow and
deep sections and elevated life guard seats. It was dry now and I wondered
where the water to fill it came from. This must be the lake that Smile
had told me about.
I was back at my place at 10:15 but Smile was a no-show. I waited 30 minutes
and then set out to walk along the base of Sunrise Hill and see where
it took me. Along the edge of the old town there are buildings rebuilt
and made over, some with tacky facades, all along narrow streets that
twist and turn with no pattern. I eventually ended up outside the Liberty
Cafe on Marshall Tito Street only two or three blocks from where I am
when I walk down the street my building is on.
Continued on to the Kukri for breakfast. Sat in the sun and read two issues
of the Economist. Then I took the the No. 4 bus back home and watched
the sunset (not very good, consisting of mostly gray clouds) from my veranda.
--Monday, 25 September 00--
I got the following email:
Alastair Gilmour sent the following comment about the Joe's Home Page:
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Found your site fascinating.
I'm doing a bit of research into the Kukri bar in Prishtina - apparently
it's run by a guy called John Foreman. I write an award-winning beer column
for The Journal in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and it would make a fantastic
story - one of the world's most dangerous bars run by man from Sunderland
(in our circulation area) etc. I'd love a description of the bar, its
beers, sense of tension, type of regulars etc. I don't suppose you have
a phone number of the Kukri as well - or the nearby UN building. Can you
help? I'd really appreciate it. Thanks.
Alastair Gilmour (member of the British Guild of Beer Writers).
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I wasn't sure how to respond but finally decided that I had to go the
extra yard for an award-winning member of the British Guild of Beer Writers
so I took the No. 4 to the Kukri and ran into John as I arrived. "Is
your name John Foreman?" I asked in an inquisitorial tone. "Yes,"
he said. "And are you from England?" "Yes," he said.
"In particular, from Sunderland?" "Yes," he said straightforwardly.
Now I was nonplused because I had hoped that last tidbit (Sunderland)
would floor him. "Well there is a guy in Newcastle upon Tyne who
wants to write about you and the Kukri Bar." "Really?"
he said. "Yes, do you have a phone number he can call you at?"
"I have a number but I am very hard to reach there." "Do
you have an email address?" "Yes, let me write it down for you."
So I gave him Alastair's email address and said I would send his to our
beer writer.
John and I continued to chat about the Kukri Bar and he told me that it
was not an easy place to run. "I have been shot at twice by them."
"Them?" "Yah, both the Serbs and the Albanians. That is
why I carry this." He lifted up the long hanging shirt that went
below his waist and I could see a serious looking handgun.
"See the guy at the end of the bar? He is 20 years old and he has
no life. He is a Serb and lives in this building. I am a father figure
to him. See the guy at this end of the bar? He is an Albanian. They work
together everyday and they get along."
"Would you like a beer?" he asked. "Yes," I said and
John told Selma to give me a beer. I had two more on myself and took the
No. 4 back to my apartment.
--Tuesday, 26 September 00--
Another email from Alastair:
Joe,
What a star!
Many thanks for replying so quickly. I'm just about to e-mail John this
morning (Tuesday) with a few questions. I found your site after I keyed
in "kukri, pristina, kosovo", having read several months ago
about the bar and John in The Guardian newspaper. I filed the story away
for future use (as you do) and just remembered about it over last weekend.
I found your diary a fascinating insight into a different world and it
personalized a lot of what has gone on in that part of the world. It's
chilling to think what we do to one another in the name of religion and
politics. I'll catch up with your other diaries asap.
Did you take any pictures of John and/or the Kukri while you were there?
If so, I'd appreciate it if you could e-mail a small selection for publication
- jpeg format. I can't promise you a fee (it would be pretty small, anyway)
but I'll have a word with my editor about it. I'll certainly credit you
with your assistance and use your Kukri experience in the piece.
Thanks again for your help. I'll let you know how I get on. Regards,
Alastair
After work, I left both of Alastair's emails at the Kukri and took the
No. 4 to my apartment.
--Friday, 29 September 00--
Someone remarked that it was easy to tell how little the UN had learned
from its Kosovo experience. They are holding a meeting to discuss "Lessons
Learned" and everyone invited is from the UN. For them, there is
no outside world.
Joe
A Virtual Tour of Kosovo |
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