Random Thoughts for Random Places

Only one question crossed my mind while Enis – a 120kg, 2m Turkish guy – rammed me and threw me down: “How did I end up here?”

I am a guy who really enjoys a lonely evening with a glass of wine and some Anethema-style music. Reading a book, writing an article and generally, staying within my comfort zone. But this was not where I was. I was standing in the middle of a battlefield between two sworn enemies. You might say that I dramatize the situation. After all I was just playing in a football match in Kosovo, 340km away from my home. But if you were there, you could have felt it. It was not about a match. It was about pride. It was about sense of honor and duty. In the end, it was about 2M Euros!

It was a sunny evening when Mr. George, an old friend of mine, called me to invite me in his new project, the Kosovo highway. You see, while writing is the best job in my world, engineering project management is the most profitable. And as much as you enjoy staying in your comfort zone, there comes a time when you seek the thrill of an adventure. So, there I was, taking a ride towards a new international project.

A few things about Kosovo that I learned on my way there:
1. It is NOT an official country
2. It does NOT have an official currency
3. It does NOT have an economic crisis!

While Greece is facing the worst economic crisis in its history, life is Kosovo continues peacefully. And, thankfully, exchange rate allows me to live there as a king! On the other hand, things on project were not so peaceful. Some serious budget deviations were the reason for a heated meeting between the Turkish team that were constructing the road and the Kosovo team that were supervising the Turks. Things got even more out of hand when nationality differences showed up.

In fact, things got so heated that the meeting was rescheduled for the next day. Unfortunately, it was Thursday. And like all Thursdays there was the “friendly” Thursday match that was like a tradition for the project. And of course no team wanted to back off from what it seems a continuation of the previous “dialogue”. And of course, it would be a dishonor for me, as a guest, not to play.

Street-football is a poor phrase to include the violence and the tension between the two teams. Without a general manager – or even a referee – to keep the balances, the whiner was just a loser. Fortunately, match ended a draw with 7 goals for each team, as many as the bruises I counted before I sleep that night.