My friend, Tringa, is a classical guitarist, and I got to hear her play this week! She's 19 years old and incredibly talented. Classical music isn't popular in Kosovo, so she's spent the past several years working really hard in hopes of getting a scholarship to go study in Germany or Austria.
I visited Tringa in Mitrovica, a town an hour north of Prishtina. Mitrovica is very interesting because it's split in two by a river that runs through it. In North Mitrovica, the community is ethnically Serbian. In South Mitrovica, the community is ethnically Albanian. Even now, 20 years after the war in Kosovo ended (see my first Journal for more info), tensions remain high, and it's rare for Serbs and Albanians to cross the bridge and visit the other side. It's truly a city divided.
I just finished an article about teachers striking across Kosovo. Last March, when West Virginia teachers took to the streets to demand a pay increase and liveable wages, I wrote about it for The New York Times. Now, the same thing is happening in Kosovo. It's a reminder that similar problems exist and similar battles are had, no matter where you are in the world.
Not many... but I did go and see the National Ballet Company perform in the National Theater. Tickets were free!
