Religous Conflicts

Growing up in Albania, I have seen first hand how religion can affect the way that various cultures are perceived.

While I was growing up, I experienced how religion destroyed the relationship between Albania and our neighboring country, Serbia. The majority of our population was Muslim, and theirs, Catholic. A big conflict arose because one of their "religious" structures was on Albanian land and they did not think that piece of land should belong to Albania. Because the structure represented a Catholic view, they began to fight to obtain the land on which it was on, Kosovo.

The war began and hundreds and thousands of people died, mostly from the Albanian side. The war was devastating. Hundreds of women got raped, even more babies were killed, and thousands of homes were destroyed.

During this time, I was only 5 years old. I lived in North Albania, near Kosovo. Many Kosovars (people from Kosovo) sought refugee in Kukes, where I lived. In our house, we sheltered over 100 Kosovars, including babies to eighty-year olds. With the many people living there, I heard many stories of what they had suffered from the attacks. One of the stories that I will never forget was told to me by a thirty-year old woman. She had Kosovo 3 month old son. As she and her husband, baby and many others were escaping Kosovo in the dark, they were approached by Serbians. The Serbians took her child. While she begged and pleaded for them not to do anything to him, they stabbed the child. That night, as she was held captive, the Serbians made them food. They made a soup with noodles and meat...they later told the woman that the meat she was eating was her son. I remember this story so vividly because when she was telling everyone in the household at the time, everyone was crying and they all hugged her.

The stories I heard from my parents are even more heartbreaking.

I heard many more stories about what they did to many Muslims. Those stories I refuse to recall or even remember. The executions were horrific. They were inhumane. They break my heart. Everytime I see or hear about the genocide, I cry at the thought of the loss of many innocent people's lives.

This civil war was based on the simple fact that that the two neighboring countries could not settle disputes on one religious structure. It saddens me that so many people had to suffer because of a dispute that could of been solved in a less violent matter.

Kosova is now independent. After all the people have suffered, they do not deserve anything but the best. All the victims and their families remain heros in my heart, and the heart of many others.

<3<3<3

Restaurant Review

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Shopping!

My favorite hobby is shopping. I love to buy new things. I have an obsession with clothes, especially jeans. It is so hard to find jeans that are just right, and the moment you find them, it is really relieving and self satisfying.

My favorite stores are Guess, Bebe, Charlotte Russe, Pink, and Hollister:)

I have not been shopping in about 3 months. This means that I have gone through 3 months of severe depression. I love shopping so much. I think it helps relieve a lot of stress. Now that I have some breaks in school coming up, I might take advantage of it and go shopping:)

I cannot wait to buy new clothes, shoes, and purses!!

Sharing a Room

In my 19 years of living, I have not had to share a room with anyone. Recently, my family moved. Being the considerate person I am (lol) I offered my parents to share a room with my younger sister. She is in high school and sometimes I feel as though she does not apply herself to the potential she is capable of reaching. By sharing a room with her, I thought I would help monitor her as she does homework. I gave my little brother my TV and radio so that she would have no distractions in ''our'' room.

This turned out to be a mistake. A BIG mistake. She refuses to clean. She leaves clothes all over the room. Although, when she does clean, she manages to rearrange my things, which are neat, instead of her belongings which are dispersed EVERYWHERE.

Things better change soon!

Chicken!

Today was a very bad start to this week. I woke up feeling sick. I had to finish a lab report that I had been stressing over all weekend. On the way to school, I got a speeding ticket on the freeway. Then when I got home, I opened the door to the delicous smell of chicken. My mom was baking chicken in the oven. It made me very excited because I love to eat, and chicken is my FAVORITE thing. It turned my day completely around.

(YUMMMMMMMMMY!!)

Work

I really feel like work is ruining my life. Since I go to school 4 days a week, I have to work on the weekends. Instead of studying or hanging out with friends, I am stuck inside a restaurant serving some grouchy people. Also, my boss is always in a bad mood and it makes me extremely mad. Work just puts a damper on my life.

Track

In high school, I used to be a very good track runner. I held, and still hold, many records there. Unfortunately, I got arthritis and I was told to stop running. The pain that I faced at practice, or just by walking, was unbearable, but I loved running too much to even notice sometimes. I think that was a point in my life where everything turned upside down. I loved track more than anything, and I always made it my first priority. My senior year, I could not even walk without enduring great pain. I had to wear braces around my knees. I could not run track and it was very devastating to me. University of Southern California (my dream school) had given me a scholarship to run for them, and because I was unable, I lost my scholarship my senior year.

Everyday I manage to run a few miles, because running is my passion. Unfortunately, I have to face a sleepless night because my knees will hurt so badly.

Out of anything that I have lost, I truly miss my ability to run without pain the most.

I loved track and running, and I hope one day, I will be able to participate again.

Moving

I was so excited to move at the beginning. Now, I hate it. I loved the fact that I got to decorate my room the way I wanted and I loved the sense of "a new beginning," but now, I am starting to hate it. It seems like there is so much we still have to do in our new house. We still have some painting to do, our old fridge is too big to fit in the kitchen, my dad wants to do some more remodeling! UGH. I just want everything to be finished. And, on top of everything, we do not have our internet hooked up yet, because every time the guy comes to our house to do it, we miss him!