Wu Wei

An Unexpected Culinary Success

Every now and then I think I like polenta. I buy some and make a lot of mamaliga, a comfort food with cottage cheese on top of the polenta baked in the oven. I first had it Cernovtsy in the Romanian part of Ukraine that my Dad is supposed to come from.

As soon as I take it out of the oven I remember what happened last time: I made too much, had to eat it every day and got heartily sick of it. It seems attractive at first, a small square of polenta with a white layer of cheese on top. It certainly is instant food: 1 minute in the microwave is all it takes. It certainly is filling for dinner when you come home to tired to cook. But I always make too much.

And so I did this time. With a packet of ready made polenta and no measuring jug for the water, I found I had made more than enough for a week. And the small dish available made it into a thicker slab than I would have liked. I had only enough German feta cheese in a packet to cover it very thinly so what to do? I cooked it anyway and when it came out of the oven, I announced the problem to the two women in the house with me.

To my enormous surprise, they pronounced it delicious and within two days it has all gone. Everyone approves of it as comfort food.

Next time we will try syrniki, if I can find proper cottage cheese. I have lived on them for days.

Trip to Belgrade

My work necessitated a three day trip to Belgrade last week, or local travel as my paymasters prefer to think of it.

To travel to Serbia from Kosovo, it is necessary to travel in a UN or EU marked car which you hope is not designed to identify easy targets, or attract friendly fire from KFOR in an emergency. In any case non-official passengers cadging a lift have to sign away all claims to the EU before setting foot in their transport.

So at 7.30 on Wednesday two of us and a driver set off in the freezing cold with the beginning of snow. Because of me it was necessary to travel the long way round: to exit Kosovo and transit through Macedonia so we could enter Serbia "properly" and get an official stamp in my passport. Kosovars have passports issued by UNMIK which allow them to get most places, but I think they have to use their old Serbian travel documents to cross the border into Serbia.

By 9 we were stuck for an hour in the mountains near the border with Macedonia with a very pretty (if gloomy in the photo) mountain snowscape, that is except for the traffic jam ahead of us, waiting for some truck stuck in the snow. After that we drove without problems until Nis when it snowed heavily and visibility was bad. Eventually we made it to the hotel in Belgrade about 3 by which time it seemed already dark.

The Intercontinental Hotel had clearly been refurbished since the last Belgrade In Your Pocket, which remarked that Arkan's blood was still left on the carpet where he was shot.

At the conference, one group of engineers had been so hi-jacked by the Serbs that they managed to produce a map of the region showing reform progress without actually showing Kosovo at all. Luckily our group was more sanguine about it and infinitely better behaved than the Serbs. Our engineer was contented with reporting what progress had been made factually and calmly, and thus made a much better impression.

The high point of the conference was the invitation by Crown Prince Alexander and Crown Princess Katherine of Serbia to dinner at the White Palace, and here's the invitation to prove it.

Prince Alexander came himself and treated us to an explanation of how he had repaired the building. It was actually a bit like having Fergie there to tell us how much her house cost, though he wasn't so vulgar as to say how much he had spent.

Apparently he returned to Serbia after living in London, though his English accent was mid-Atlantic. His Serbian is apparently not up to scratch so he can't be a serious politician, as perhaps he intended. So it seems he hires his Palace out to visiting dignitaries or groups like us.

Anyway the food was good, even if a bit cold. I forgot to collect any postcards on the way out, otherwise there would be some photos here. This is all I can find so far on the internet.

In any case the palace was built in 1925, so it is hardly very historical.

On the way back we came the direct route from Serbia to Kosovo, and I got a piece of paper from UNMIK at the border which is what passes for an entry visa, so there are no awkward questions at the airport on the way out. The Serbian side of the border was a bit like an East German border in Berlin: a load of rough looking soldiers in scruffy premises, who looked like they could get away with anything. The UNMIK side was clean with well-dressed, English speaking border guards who were perfectly polite.

Otherwise the 5 hour journey was uneventful without any snow.

Meeting your readers

Finally I met one of my lurking readers, who had found my blog when searching the internet to look for help in planning some work in Kosovo. To be fair, he hasn't been lurking lately as I have been emailing information and answers to questions, and we had spoken on the phone.

Still, it's pretty weird to sit in a bar in Pristina and find someone from London knows a lot about you from your blog, and you know practically nothing about them. Still my fault for talking about myself and not asking enough questions.

Not all accounted for

KOSOVALIVE
Government and UNMIK set up a joint task force for KEK

"The Government in cooperation with UNMIK and Kosova’s Energetic Corporation (KEK) International Management set up a joint task force on electricity supply, billing and revenue collection. This joint task force will be responsible for coordinated implementation of support to KEK revenue collection, including the necessary support by the police and justice.

Minister of Energy and Mines, Ethem Ceku will head the Task Force, whereas it will also involve key UNMIK and Government decision makers, such as the Head of UNMIK Pillar IV Joachim Ruecker, Head of Pillar I Jean Doussord, Minister of Economy and Finance Haki Shatri, Minister of Work and Social Welfare Ibrahim Selmanaj, and other UNMIK, KEK, KPS, and Courts officials.

Prime Minister Bajram Kosumi said that the task of this group is to work on KEK revenue collection and elimination of illegal connections to KEK networks. Prime Minister Kosumi said that they have registered all the social cases and the Government will pay their debts, but he said that all other cases should pay.

The Head of UNMIK Soren Jessen-Petersen said that the joint task force will go hand in hand with introduction of the strict user compliance policy which will oblige electricity users to normalize their relations with KEK.

“This means that people will have to pay for the power they receive. If they do, the future will be brighter, if not then we could face a very dark winter,” said Jessen-Petersen. The Head of UNMIK said that there is no money for investments in the new power plants, which Kosova desperately needs, and under these circumstances, KEK is obliged to manage the existing power equipment, based on the support of the Kosova Consolidated Budget and the payment of the clients.

John Ashley said that the problem is so large that KEK alone cannot handle it. “KEK needs the support from the PISG. This joint task force has a huge task in front, and I am confident that with support of everyone they it will mark progress,” said Ashley.

The Head of UNMIK Pillar IV Joachim Ruecker said that people need to pay their bill before any investor will seriously consider coming to Kosova and invest in the electricity sector. “The Joint UNMIK-PISG Task Force will now coordinate the support which KEK needs,” said Ruecker. Ruecker announced that KEK supplied € 270 million worth of electricity to consumers in Kosova, adding that KEK was paid only €75 million, or only 28% of the electricity.

“KEK has about 335.000 customers, of those only 60.000 pay their electricity bill, whereas around 38.000 customers are regularly stealing electricity and approximately 40.000 electricity users are illegally connected to KEK network,” said Ruecker.

Minister of Energy and Mines, Ethem Ceku said that establishment of this group will help the stabilization of the energetic situation for individual consumers and industry, which represents a major priority. "

Officially KEK has been managed by UNMIK and the Kosovo Trust Agency for the last six years. The Ministry of Energy and Mining as part of PISG (Provisional Institutions of Self-Government) has only recently become involved.

If there are 335,000 customers (and about the same number of households) and only 60,000 not paying, I don't understand what the rest are doing.

Coincidences

used the new scanner to load up some old photos. Talking to D in Kosovo about our past visits to Kiev, he was remembering a trip to Gydropark, an island on the Dniepr river, where all Kievans go for walks and general recreations. He remembered a trip where he had met some cheerful pensioners out for the Russian Orthodox Epiphany, including one doing the baptism immersion naked into the icy water. Plus some pensioners walzing round in the open air to some ancient tape-recorded music. Finally I have got the English name Epiphany, for the Orthodox celebration "Christ's christening" which was puzzling me in an earlier post.

I used to go to this very spot regularly, and took photographs to record the seasons. The photos show the pensioners dancing, though this time to a brass band in summer. Also a small train which took visitors round the island. No photos of the rusty fairground which I remember as well. But there is the massive "titanium lady" statue of Mother Russia, whose height (335 ft) was only limited by the nearness of the golden domes of the Lavra monastery. For more photos by others see here. According to D, a museum on the Afghan War has now appeared at the foot of the lady, together with the existing concrete bunker of a War Museum dedicated to the Great Patriotic War. It seems this is the only Afghan War Museum in the whole of the former Soviet Union.

TGIF

Should be working on my list of things to do while in the UK, but as most of them involve paying out money and ringing up and complaining, am losing interest.

I did manage to put in a bill to get paid, and realised that the next one is due in January, so can spend it all before then if necessary. So we can have a happy Christmas without me going round whinging about being broke. I can delay that till after Christmas, as yet another potential job bit the dust due to Kosovo rules about working on two jobs at once.

Still I've managed to do my bit towards conspicuous consumption and bought a freeview box, (working nicely) and an all-in-one printer/scanner/copier. The logic of the last purchase is not clear since we already had a printer and a scanner, all we needed was a cartridge. But these days, by the time you have bought two sets of cartridges, you could have had a new printer.

The accountant seems to think I could manage to remain non-resident if I have a few holidays in the early spring. I suppose the tax not paid would be money well spent on a holiday. Why does the thought of spending time in Moldova working seem more attractive?

Work in the Middle East

Spent most of the week trying to decide about an offer of work in Syria.

On the plus side 3 years full time (security!) creating a gas market for Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, and Jordan. Interesting places about which I know nothing.

On the other hand, its not an easy place to work, and we are just settled down in the UK and I don't feel like uprooting again. Bee just settled to do GCSEs and it would mean boarding school as the school in Damascus is American, not even with IB.

Women friends give conflicting opinions about what its like for women, though everyone agrees it is a great place to live.

Not awfully convinced that the Syrian gas company wants to be bothered by EU style reforms and I can't see any carrots or sticks in it for them. If they have got gas and can sell it to their neighbours what do they need new laws for.

Finally resolve it by chance by asking a colleague in Baghdad. It seems he has also been offered it and wants to accept so he can escape Baghdad. What a relief that I don't have to make a big thing and turn it down.

May be I will go later. 3 years full time seems just too much in a new region. But short term or the end of the project when we can see what is being achieved, would not be too bad.

Or am I getting old and just want to settle down again in the UK. Even though I'm not spending much time there even when I live there!

Birthday in Kosovo

Very good trip via Ljubljana on Adria airways. Luggage no problem and there was decent food. shall definitely do it again.

Decided that I would have a birthday party here early as lots of old friends (at least that;s how they seem even if I have only recently met some) are here this week. Also there is the Bajram holiday on Thursday to mark the end of Ramadan so everyone has the day off, with the usual pre and post absences. Not a lot can be done this week.

I planned the menu before I came so brought some of the food with me and foraged for the rest. Bee scanned the recipe which I forgot to bring and so we had Javanese chicken with avocado without the avocado. This is a dish I often make for parties since it is very forgiving of missing ingredients, and I have made it in Ukraine and Lithuania so seems to suit all pallettes.

Just beginning to panic about the state of my laptop battery but lights have come on again (only 45 minute cut this time).

So 7 of us round the table drank rather a lot and a good time was had by all. We were one Canadian, one Italian, one Bosnian, three Brits and one Irish. One Greek had to go home early so couldn't come.

Still managing on the leftovers, as the four in house are reduced to two.

Now we are planning our Christmas party when we shall have more old friends and Sloph is planning a trip too.

Off to Ljubljana for the weekend for another birthday celebration then home for a week on Sunday.

Visitors

Just managed to check my visitor statistics as I usually do on Sunday evening.

Last week I didn't blog at all yet the number of visitors was twice as high as usual. Who are you out there and what made you visit last week?

Frantic week

If spelling isn't up to scratch its because I'm typing by candlelight in Kosovo. It seems I can touch type provided my fingers are propwely located at the beginning. Why the internet works when the power is off is a mystery, but we should be thankful for what we get.

Managed to set up wireless internet, have instructions on how to manage plumbing, set up many standing orders and direct debits to keep bills paid, and make second trip to IKEA to get missing items, Now defintiely suffering from shopping angst and never want to go to IKEA again.

But house is more or less straight and have emptied at least 100 packing boxes into the street where they cannot be recycled partly because they have been rained on. Managed to get books into bookcasesm and Bees bed made. The missing bolts turned up one hour before the new ones. They had been helpfully packed into the Monopoly box. I guess we might have found them at Christmas but luckily she tipped the box on to the floor while making space.

Now she arranged her bedroom with a Turkish corner under the sloping roof: Persian carpet and small table and candles; a Greek corner: her fourposter bed complete with mosquito net and fairy lights; and a working corner with a desk and bookshelf. The new bookshelf nearly defeated us, as it seemed determined not to assemble itself, and resulted in many hammered fingers and dented chipboard. But she was v ery pleased.

Sloph has also been decorating her room in college, but I haven't seen the results yet. She has been snowed under with work, trying hard to settle down to reading and suffering from the usual student procrastinations.

No time to make friends, no time for shopping for me, so will have to take out same old winter clothes as before. Overheard in the street in Oxford: passing man into mobile phone: I'm glad you rang, I think he's got rather the wrong end of the stick. In the reign of James I, ............. A better class of mobile phone conversation in Oxford. Samn can't find the exclamation mark in the dark.

Finally managed to get off on a plane on Monday via Ljubljana for a change.