September 4th, 2010
Since Thursday I am in Macedonia and it is nice to be back. Thursday morning I started to climb the Vodno mountain, which is 1066 meters high. I did as a little test for sunday, when I go to limb Korab, with 2754 meters the highest mountain of Macedonia.
I reached the top in 2 hours and 20 minutes, so test accomplished 
I am in Kicevo by my friends after I took the train.I was lucky, because the train trip was for free since I traveled with somebody who could take me for free…
Pozdrav od Makedonija!!!
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August 30th, 2010
Yes 1st of September it is time for me again to go “my beloved Balkans”: I am looking forward to see again my dear friends from Skopje (MK), Kicevo (MK), Kraljevo (SRB) and Beograd (SRB). My bag is packed with books, clothes and presents.
Again in the planning is a lesson about the Netherlands to Serbian refugees from Kosovo. Personally this is very hard for me, but I did it before and I will do it again if anything is going to the plan. I always try cross borders, as I did in the past with AEGEE (=the European student organization), and I want to do it now again: for myself and for the help of others…. There is no other country then Yugoslavia where I have felt so comfortable: I know it is now Macedonia, Kosovo, Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Bosnia and Slovenia but I know that also in a lot if minds the country still exists.
It is not about Yugoslavia anymore, Yugoslavia does not exist anymore, but it is about the European Union: all these countries are or will be part of the European Union sooner or later: if we want it here in the EU or not. The very negative attitude towards this countries I want to break through. Also I want to correct the very negative image they have about the Netherlands ( I am talking about Serbia now). Just be there, behave and talk, nothing more, nothing less. European Union is not about Brussels I told my French friends in the Vendée, last July, no my Serbian friends replied, we are the European Union in May….The European Union does not exist without Brussels, but it also does not exists without interaction between “normal” people …. If people does not travel to these countries and if they never travel to our countries it is never going to be something….
Ok back to the subject: This time I start in Macedonia and will finish in Serbia. Below a draft map of my travel plans (click on the map to enlarge): 
And three mountains are on the program:
Vodno (for 2nd Sept): (click on the map to enlarge)
The biggest will be Korab with 2754 meters a.s.l on the Albanian-Macedonian border (for the 5th Sept). It has a very special meaning for me to climb for the second time, a kind of tribute to somebody… (click on the map to enlarge)
And the highest mountain of Serbia (excluding Kosovo) is on the planning : Midžor/ Миџор, 2169m a.s.l.
(click on the map to enlarge)
Wish me luck ! I will bring a Dutch flag and an European flag Keep following my blog for updates!
Posted in Balkan region, Central and East-Europe, Holidays :-), Macedonia, Serbia, Yugoslavia | No Comments »
August 25th, 2010
I have got some old boxes from my father and I have to admit , it is quite interesting what I have found from my youth. Look what I draw when I was 10 years old… Yes it is the Berlin wall.
(click to enlarge)
Or look this map I draw from Central and Eastern Europe in 1988:
(click to enlarge)
Yeah when we were young…… I have found some more interesting stuff, I hope I can place that later. For now : Laku noc ! (Sleep well)
Posted in "Daily" live in the Netherlands, Central and East-Europe, Yugoslavia | No Comments »
August 13th, 2010
If I may believe Fokke & Sukke “Yugoslavia” still exists. Fokke& Sukke cartoons are one of the greatest Dutch cartoons about daily (political) life in the Netherlands I think personally . Their website: http://www.foksuk.nl
Translation of the cartoon below:
Fokke&Sukke werken graag met lage-lonenlanden (=Fokke&Sukke love working with low-wage countries)
“Het bedreigen van lastige OR leden (=Threatening of difficult members of the working council)
besteden we altijd uit aan een joegoslavische firma” (=we always outsource to a Yugoslav firm)
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July 31st, 2010
This is not a positive blog about Macedonia; actually this is a real sad one: It is about press freedom, and I think this is an important condition for a real democracy.
Yesterday a good contact wrote me something about Macedonia and the Macedonian railways. He wrote me about the fact that today an agreement was signed between the railway companies of Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia. The Macedonian Railways were invited, but they did not respond to the invitation. The result is that they will sign the agreement and that Macedonians will not be there. Result can be that Macedonia will miss some important EU and World Bank grants for modernization of their railways which is desperately needed.
He also sent me an article about this subject which you can find here: http://www.vesti.alfa.mk/default.aspx?mId=37&eventId=25601
Of course you can translate this article with Google translate.
Remember, Macedonia and their railway line Tabanovce-Gevgelija is part of corridor X, main corridor in Europe between Vienna and Greece. Will the Macedonian Railways (=MZ Makedonski Zeleznici) be isolated and become corridor X a missing link? Does the European Union know about this?
More important thing he wrote in his message is that he wrote that 7 (!) journalists were fired by the Macedonian TV-channel 5, because they expressed their critics about the current economy policy of the current (VMRO=Macedonian nationalist) Macedonian government.
Press freedom is a key condition to democracy and Macedonia as a candidate member of the EU should respect that. Due my network of friends I did verify this story and at this moment unfortunately it seems true. I will not say that the press freedom in the Netherlands is perfect, but firing 7 (!) journalists who did criticizes the government seems for me too much. Actually it shocked me, because people who know me, they know that I love Macedonia.
What will be next? Prime Minister Gruevski explaining in Brussels that it is a mistake? That they misunderstood it all and that he has nothing to do with it? Firing seven journalists who were criticizing him? That the Macedonian Railways did not received the invitation?
A decent government does not interfere into the media, a decent government take accountability for their policy and if the media does respond negative to it you have to explain the opposite, that is democracy and for sure not make your opposite side silent by force….
Posted in Balkan region, Macedonia | 2 Comments »
July 24th, 2010
Yesterday the international court of justice the Hague (not the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia =ICTY) gave their final advisory verdict about the case Serbia versus Kosovo. Hisashi Owada, president of the International Court of Justice, said that international law contained no “prohibition on declarations of independence” and consequently that Kosovo’s declaration “did not violate international law.”
This must be a though verdict for Serbia, but not only for Serbia, but also for countries with minorities within their borders like for example Spain, Russia or Bosnia-Herzegovina. Their minorities could be triggered now by this verdict, in theory, to declare independence. The future in these matters is very uncertain now, because territorial integrity cannot be guaranteed anymore (Serbia claimed that the declaration of independence of Kosovo was against their territorial integrity).
It is strange that a Balkan conflict has again consequences on world stage: it feels like if 1389 (battle on the blackbird field/Kosovo Polje, which the Ottoman Empire gave the opportunity to advance in Europe), 1914 (the murder on the Archduke of Austria, Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo, start of WOI), or 1991 (the start of the des-integration of Yugoslavia) is today: A conflict on the Balkan is not predicted, but it can never be excluded: what will the Serbs in Bosnia or Kosovo will do, the Albanians in Macedonia, the Macedonians in Bulgaria, the Hungarians in Romania? What will the people do in the Caucasus or in other parts of the world?
Besides the things I wrote above , this verdict leads also to a lot of personal human tragedies: I feel sad for those (the displaced Kosovo Serbs) who lost yesterday, because they have lost their dream and that is the dream of returning “home” one day. On the other hand I cannot deny the reality of Kosovo, because it is there and the Kosovars are happy about the verdict: maybe for them they can start to work on their future. Question is will it be a common future with the Serbs from Kosovo?
The situation is really complex and maybe that ‘s the reason why the judges came to this verdict. The contradictory is that this verdict does not really solve the problem: Officially Kosovo is still a UN-protectorate under UN-resolution 1244. This verdict is strengthening the independent Kosovar government, but the situation stays officially as it was. Nobody is winning with this situation, not the Kosovars and neither the Serbs: I personally hope the situation will be much more clear, maybe an EU-integration can be the resolution? The way to EU-integration will be a long one and a lot needs to be done to be on the right track. May future will give the answers….
Just a question : what I have to tell those kids (refugees from Kosovo), to whom I gave a presentation about the Netherlands last May in Kraljevo? Can those who are responsible for the whole Kosovo situation look them straight in the eyes ?
Another interesting blog to read about this subject is this one: Kosovo and ICJ rule – a view of one Internally Displaced Person from Kosovo
Picture from http://worldfrontpage.com/kosovo_grenade
Posted in Balkan region, Yugoslavia | 2 Comments »
July 10th, 2010
I have traveled 5200km through Northwest Europe and since Monday I am back. I got a cold and went sick, but I am doing better now The trip was amazing: I did so many great things, I saw so many beautiful things and of course I was really happy to see my friends.
In twelve days I have been in Germany (Kiel), Lithuania (Vilnius and Ukmerge) and France (Vendée) and I have really good memories…. Pictures can be found here. Thanks to all those who made it happen
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June 30th, 2010
From 23th until the 27th June I was invited to celebrate “Kieler woche”(=Kieler week) which is held annually in, yes Kiel. The city is at the end of the “Kieler fjorde” which is on the shores of the Baltic Sea in Northern- Germany. My friend was in the organizing committee and I can say only that he did organize it very well
During the “Kieler woche”there are several cultural activities and of course a lot of parties. I had the honor the get in touch and follow a folk dance group from Kaliningrad (Russia), a folk dance/ music group from Kiev (UA) and last but not least the Slovenian band “ICE”. My friend had to arrange everything for them and he arranged that I and some other friends could join their program.
We visited for example a war monument in Laboe for those who felt during WW I and II on sea (Kiel is a harbor for the navy), I sailed with some friends, we saw fireworks and we did some other really great things.
On Sunday it was time for me to travel to my next destination Vilnius (in Lithuania), but not before I saw the football match Germany- England in the center of Hamburg, where a friend invited me for. A great end of some great days in Northern Germany….and in Hamburg a felt like in a Dutch TV commercial with my shirt, but got a lot of nice reactions
Thanks to everybody Below some pictures more will follow of course when I am home.
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