Fields of Gold

Some ruins from an old Castle that overlooks the divided city of Mitrovica

On the way home from a hike yesterday with some Finish friends from Church

This week Luli and I went and checked out one of the world’s richest towns, Trepca. In this small mining village, gold and an array of other valuable metals rest several feet below the streets, yet many people in Trepca are living as refugees. The local theater, library, and school remain vacant, standing as silent reminders of a war where the value of gold outweighed the value of life. So, this once neat little town is now more of a ghetto village…yet ironically it’s sitting on billions of dollars of metals, minerals, coal, etc…Many people believe that this mining town was actually the catalyst for the war in Kosovo…that it had nothing to do with ethnic cleansing or religion, but economics.

Heading up to Trepca was definitely a good thing…we got some great footage and we’ve since done some brainstorming regarding the little mining town. It looks as though we will be incorporating it in the film…it plays such a key roll in Kosovo that I feel we have to bring it into the story.

We also made some new friends…it didn’t take long for all of the local kids to discover the camera…it’s like a kid magnet. I then made the mistake of asking them who their favorite actors are. From there on out they were all actors, hungry to be on camera. After a few timeouts we were able to continue our filming and interviewing.

The boy on the right had to have a timeout a bit later…I should have never asked him who his favorite actor was…Jackie Chan…

Luli…my friend and local filmmaker from Kosovo.

"You can be in my dream if I can be in yours"

"You can be in my dream if I can be in yours"
My mom reminded me of this line...it doesn't have a lot to do with Kosovo, but it's another great Dylan quote, which with the bi-monthly dreams I have of meeting Bob, I thought I should post it. (If you're personal friends with Bob, would you mind asking him if I can use "Ring Them Bells" in the documentary?)

"You're gonna have to serve somebody.
Well it may be the Devil or it may be the Lord,
But you're gonna have serve somebody"

These simple words from Dylan's song "Gotta Serve Somebody" transformed the life of a woman I went to school with in Chicago. It's amazing how powerful a few simple words can be!

My buddy Rob has added a few more noteworthy Dylan quotes…

"In the time of my confession,
in the hour of my deepest need
When the pool of tears beneath my feet
flood every newborn seed
There's a dyin' voice within me
reaching out somewhere,
Toiling in the danger
and in the morals of despair.

Don't have the inclination
to look back on any mistake,
Like Cain, I now behold this chain
of events that I must break.
In the fury of the moment
I can see the Master's hand
In every leaf that trembles,
in every grain of sand."

"Now you stand here expecting me to remember something you forgot to say?"

Re: Quote of the Day - Bob Dylan

I had a dream last night about my dad...I've had many lately...this one was especially memorable, as I knew in my dream that he had died, but he had somehow been raised from the dead, and what do you know, he was playing a beautiful Dylan'esque song on guitar, and I was singing along. My dad always loved Dylan and he instilled within me a love for his music and his thought provoking lyrics. So, rather than dwelling on the anti-artists that are out there polluting the airwaves...I can't wait for the next Dylan or U2 who is starting out, just getting ready to get us singing their songs, and thinking about their lyrics.

Also, your prayers would be greatly appreciated as I am heading out to Pristina on Friday with my fellow filmmaker Luli to meet with a person who I hope will be willing to be a part of the documentary. Their story is beyond my comprehension. You can here some audio discussing what they went through at: www.kosovofilm.com (it begins playing automatically once it's loaded).

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A friend of mine posted this on their blog...I thought I would repost it over here as it is just too great...and too thoughtful!

Bob Dylan Quotes:

"Each of us has his own special gift and you know this was meant to be true. And if you don't under estimate me, I won't under estimate you."

"I was so much older then, I'm younger than that now."

"May your hands always be busy, may your feet always be swift. May you have a strong foundation, when the winds of change shift."

"You breathed on me and made my life a richer one to live, when I was deep in poverty you taught me how to give. Dried the tears up from my dreams and pulled me from my hole, quenched my thirst and satisfied the burning in my soul."

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I was thinking about Bob today because a friend of mine, Isaac, is a Dylan fan. Isaac posted a really cool blog dedicated to his father who recently passed away so that's why he was on my mind.

A few years back Isaac and I went to see Bob in concert. I remember asking him (he's in his 20's) how he came to like Dylan. He told me about how his parents listened to Dylan as long as he could remember and they instilled a love of music in him...and a special appreciation for Bob D.

Anyhow...these 2 quotes are to honor the memory of his dad, Skip."

Recording...

Yesterday I felt like I turned on my camera and that there was a purpose behind hitting record, like I might actually use the footage…this is a good sign! Tomorrow this could change, but for now I’m feeling like the story is revealing itself – it's just being deligent in capturing it. One of the stories might take me to Turkey in the next couple of weeks, another story would reunite me with somebody I interviewed in Kosovo six years ago…we’ll see what they think about the idea this Friday.

It’s difficult, because I want to tell the story of Kosovo, but without offending the masses in this region, without getting too deep into war stories, and within the next two months. I think the three stories I’m looking to tell will allow me to do this, but you don’t really know until you’ve committed a fair amount of time, and by then it would be too late to turn around trying to find a new story. My largest sponsor just emailed me and put the heat on as far as deadlines. I think the pressure is good, as long as the story is there, but if in a month it looks like one of the stories is dying….I need something to fall back on…maybe I could turn this into a reality show – “The Kosovar Bachelor”

(As I type this I am being graced with the song “ F… It ” by Eamon – wow…American music…I think these people are actually anti-artists – their music stifles creativity. It’s this slow poisoning of the mind that leads to other forms of corruption…at least I have over 15 hours of Bob Dylan on my laptop!)

Rush-hour on the Kosovar Autobahn

Clinton Boulevard...

The people here love Bill Clinton…for some, it’s borderline worship. They absolutely adore him! The four-story picture of the former president – which has been up for quite a few years now, is a good example of the local appreciation for his support during the war. He’s also got at least one street named after him in the capital city – Clinton Blvd – I’m sure there are many more. In this shot we see a nice new American car, the almost politically titled medical clinic, and the 40 foot picture of President Clinton.

Parental Advisory…

Due to Billy’s quick response, little Gustaff should soon be back on the streets playing with his friends.

I’ve never seen so much American television as in Kosovo…most often it comes in the form of music videos. It’s actually embarrassing…like that feeling when you’re watching a film with your parents – when the innocent couple’s level of affection takes on a life of its own. Well, today was Eminem’s birthday, so my 12 year old Albanian brother was watching Slim Shady videos all day…as the room with the two TVs is the only one with heat, I found myself being accosted by shady videos all day while working on my laptop. To Eminem’s credit, he does have a couple legit songs, but boy, let me tell you, I was ashamed today as these raunchy Jr. High productions were saturating our house and once innocent minds. Some song just finished playing by another “artist”, before the power went out, that was talking about, “Don’t you wish your girlfriend looked like me…acts like me…blaa, blaa, blaa…?” Not only are they filled with poor grammar, the message and images are animalistic…makes the George Michael music videos I use to secretly watch seem like an episode of Little House on the Prairie. I think I’m going to write Dr. Dre a letter when I get home…

After a few more tea times with Luli, dinner with his family, and a movie night (we watched “Bella Mafia” - if you have the chance, don’t see this film), I feel like the story is starting to come together. The frequent power outages seem to really inspire creativity...it must be the candles…or the lack of local television playing at all hours. The next step is asking the central character to be a part of the film…if they say no, Luli and I will be drinking a lot more tea (10 cents a glass in the local cafes). So, I feel good that the ideas are starting to gel, although I have no clue as to how we’ll be able to realistically tell this story with no budget, crew, or consistent source of electricity. Just a few minor details that need to be ironed out!

Also…I just found myself humming an advisory laden Eminem song…I might have to find a warmer jacket.

Reflections from the window of a local seamstress shop.

Tea with Luli

Every few days I get together with a friend of mine from Kosovo for tea…technically I usually order some sort of juice product and he orders a caffeinated beverage, but when we do our inviting, it’s always, “do you want to grab some tea?” Don’t get me wrong, I will occasionally order tea, but when you are offered 3-10 miniature glasses of tea a day, juice sounds pretty good.

Yesterday, Luli and I went out for tea (I had blueberry juice), and as usual we had a great conversation. While talking, a guy walked by who I knew from previous trips to Kosovo…we’ll call him Trutchka….we said our hellos, and then he mentioned having seen a short clip about Kosovo I had posted online last year. Let’s just say Trutchka was not exactly happy with the content of my short clip…he became noticeably enraged as we were talking…I went into, “how can I get out of here alive” mode…I tried to calm him down and explain the video clip, but my diplomacy was sub par. I then asked if he had time to sit down and talk with Luli and me…he thought about it – you could tell he didn’t want to – but then said yes.

Long story short, we ended up having a very positive conversation with Trutchka, and it was yet another amazing example to me of how sensitive everyone here is…to being misrepresented…hypersensitive to a biased media who have painted a picture of Kosovar Albanians as being extreme fundamentalists. This turned into a very profitable tea time – I was again reminded of all that these people have been through and how careful I must be to tell their story with extreme sensitivity. So what is that story? This question still remains, however I think I’m on the right track. I pitched my latest idea to Luli yesterday and he seemed to be on the same page…I think we may be onto something…I hope!

Here’s some random shots in Mitrovica…just down the street from our house. They don't have anything to do with chi or Trutchka, but hopefully they'll inspire you to have some tea with an old friend...or at least some milk out of the carton...

Local Couch Dealer - Everyday he takes his homemade couches to various markets.

Another couch salesman...

Text messaging Florita...

Mobile auto part sales...

reposted pictures...

Families are typically very close here…relationally, in proximity and in dependency. Instead of moving out, it’s common to see a son build a new house on their father’s lot – or to just add a second, third, or fourth story to the existing home. Dinner is also a family affair, which is nice…the mom does all the work, and the men do most of the eating. When I try to help clean up it’s borderline offensive…I almost feel more guilty when I try and help. The other day I tried to help clean a pan in the kitchen…this was a no-no…my Albanian mom laughed and Habib told me to get out of her kitchen…I could get use to this!

Auntie on the internet using the new webcam…

Dinner with the fam…

Eating …always very communal…

…and always very hands-on!

A few pictures from yesteday...

We're one big happy familje! (family)

Here's our quaint garden as seen through my bedroom window...did you know Morning Glories change color from morning to evening?

My bedroom - notice how organized and clean it is mom!

The way in and out of the yard.

The neighbor kids...I was able to beat three of them at arm wrestling...the one on the left barely beat me...he's stronger than he looks.

More kids...they love having their picture taken...and then following you for blocks.

And some more kids...they were a bit disgusted when I told them I had been wearing the same clothes for the last 4 days. (My bags are in London...I think)

What I would consider a local equivalent to Sears.

An aqueduct down the street...it also acts as a landfill.

Some apartments across from the aqueduct.

The Kosovar equivalent to 7-11

And back to our house...in time for mashed potatoes...so good!

Merdita...

(Habib...my Kosovar Dad - aka Bab in Albanian)

After flying from Seattle, to Dallas, to Orlando, where I spent the night on the floor - to Miami, back to Dallas, to London, to Kosovo, I've made it. I'm not sure, but I feel fairly confident that this was not the most direct flight to Kosovo. After my flight filled up from Seattle to Dallas which caused me to take the next flight out, which ended up being delayed 1.5 hours, causing me to miss my connection in Dallas, meaning I had to spend the night in Orlando - I felt fairly confident that the rest of the trip should be cake. Then when finding out my bags were in Peru, I had to wonder. When I picket up my bags the next day, which were sent to the wrong continent, it looked as though they had been dropped out of the plane...on the bright side everything was still in them.

The day after my bags arrived to Miami, my wonderful friend Seth put me on a plane back to Dallas - turned out this was a better way for me to get to London. Well, my flight to Dallas was delayed, so my already tight connection to London was getting tighter. Before landing I told the flight attendant my story, explaining that if I were to miss my connection I would be spending the next two nights in the airport, due to infrequent flights to Kosovo. She told me to discreetly grab my bags and follow her to the front of the plane - she had no idea that I had six carry on bags, as well as several layers of clothing and my camera strapped around my neck. Needless to say, I was not able to discreetly do anything...I felt like some sort of in-flight freek show circus act. The stuardess started making trips for me, hauling my gear to the front of the plane where another passanger had given up his seat for me...we'll call him John.

Long story short, I lugged my 100 pounds of gear off the plane, hauling buttock to my gate, praying that my plane was still there. God heard my prayers, and thanks to John, and the flight attendant, they had not yet shut the door at the gate, they let me board, and they didn't say anything about my extra carry on bags. They did tell me that my check-in bags would not make the flight, but I didn't care, I just wanted on that plane. Once onboard, the stuardess started cracking jokes about all of my gear, then people around her joined in, but I didn't care, I was home, at least for the next nine hours.

London Gatwick proved to be my most stress-free flight. They didn't say anything about my excess baggage, and I sat by Ilir Idrizi, a nice Kosovar who married a woman from London. The chicken and mushroom pilaf was to die for, as was the ginger sprinkled cheese cake. Before Ilir had ever had cheese cake, he thought it sounded disgusting..."Why would anyone want cake made from cheese?" he asked. Now that he knows there is no cheese in cheese cake, he really likes it. Anyway, after four days in a plane, I'm in Kosovo. I'm not sure where my check-in bags are, but hopefully they will arrive soon.