I've decided that trying to work over the next three days would be completely futile as pretty much the whole of Kosovo is getting itself into a drunken stupor. I have also landed myself into an Albanian food coma, and am having a rather hard time actually breathing (thanks to the Krasniqi family), and then sometimes I can't feel my nose, toes, and fingers because it's so cold, sometimes can't see anything because of the electricty cuts-- people are also lighting fireworks randomly and it so happens you go deaf briefly while walking on Nena Tereza boulevard when one explodes right next to your foot, then the Krasniqi kids are lighting their own fireworks on the balcony bang bang bang bang one after the other-- their parents are dancing to full volume Albanian folk music in the living room and are fast getting drunk as the countdown draws nearer... by far it's probably the craziest holiday season I've ever spent abroad, and it hasn't even reached 12am yet!
The Holiday Madness
Supermarket hunger, 29.12
Mannekins
Butrint attempts to pull Joni away from his fixation on the toy section
Little Joni and the shopping
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today is one of celebration, but also of remembrance. The families of the missing held a candlelight vigil outside the Parliament building at 4pm today. As the years go on, the number of people who gather on this day have dwindled as many lose hope of ever finding closure for their loved and lost ones.
The Missing
Press Conference for the families of the missing, Prishtina, 31.12
Families of the missing outside Parliament, 31.12
Ferdane Qerkezi lost six men in her life-- her husband Halim, and five sons, Artan, Armend, Ardan, Edmond, and Vegim.
Minavera lost her son, Gazmend.
Little Joni and the shopping