Guest Blog: UNT Professors in Kosovo Day 6
Jun 17, 2010
Day Six in Kosovo:
Miri and Vlora Teaching Singing at Yll Marina School with Vigan on Guitar
This morning was very busy. School has not yet dismissed for the summer so most of the SMF classes were held today (Saturday). In Gjakove they are held in two different locations with the volunteers spread out across classes. Some of the children have only begun in the last couple of weeks, but others have been in the program for years. We’re really impressed to watch the teen volunteers make sure that each child is met with instruction appropriate for their level.
Vigan Teaching Harmonica Small Group at Yll Marina School
We move among the penny whistle, harmonica, and singing classes at both locations and see each of the volunteers contribute to teaching large classes while also providing individualized instruction tailored to specific needs. As professors ourselves, we understand how difficult it is to instruct students in need of a challenge alongside students who need scaffolding support to get up to the basics. We embarrassed to admit that we each know faculty who have yet to master that ability, while the teen volunteers are so well trained and dedicated that they make it look easy.
We’re starting to feel like locals! We’ve been working on learning an Albanian word each day. We’re up to yes (po), no (yo), good (mir), bathroom (vuht see), music (moo zee ka), and thank you (fall e mean dare it….but all crammed together with emphasis on the dare part). Obviously, we’re not working on Albanian spelling. Probably we should have prioritized and learned bathroom day one, but that came late in day five instead. We notice very few people our age in Gjakove and learn that many have left to obtain work in other countries so they can send money home to Gjakove for the rest of the family. The unemployment rate in Gjakove is very high, about 70%, and the men that cannot find work spend the day offering social support to one another in sidewalk cafes. The cafes are very gracious and let you sit for hours undisturbed. Twice this week we have had cappuccinos brought to us on the house and the wait staff never bring a bill to signal customers that it’s time to leave. In Gjakove the concept of hanging out is taken to an art form. We were really proud to outlast some of the locals last evening and have dreams of closing down the café some night before we leave Kosovo
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