Travel Adventures

2009-05-30T01:32:00.002-05:00

I'm mostly packed. My flight on Sunday departs at 6:10 AM....21.5 hours from now. I'll probably be up by 3:45 and out the door by 4:30 AM. I had my last Hotel President/Hotel Imperial breakfast today. It was the usual: sliced cucumbers, cheese, tomatoes and bread. Coffee but no juice. Instead, I had a glass of San Pellegrino sparkling water in honor of my bride.

I have been hearing more in the news here--via SkyNews and CNNi--about the British MP expense scandal. What a pleasant change to not hear about U.S. political problems.

More tonight perhaps, if time permits.

gp

2009-05-29T01:33:00.002-05:00

Dinner the other night. I scribbled this entry on a napkin the other night. I've just gotten it into a more useable file format. :)

Linda Ronstadt blared on the corner radio—not really a stereo system—in the restaurant I dined in tonight. The place looked nice enough but the waiter neither spoke nor seemed to understand English. The menu had a few English words but most importantly, it had a few pictures. Grabbing my attention was the picture of a dish combined with that all enticing word, special. I pointed to it and ordered vasser with gas. Vasser was my attempt at wasser, German for water. Follow wasser with the word water and I figured I’d get lucky.

It’s one of those restaurants like so many others in Tirana-a small storefront that has been expanded by taking over most of the sidewalk in front of the store. The really bold places, after having grabbed much of the pedestrian space sometimes push a few more tables out front to add still more seats, reducing the sidewalk to about a three foot wide path. Most of the sidewalk intrusion doesn’t bother anyone. After all, everyone benefits at one time or another from the expansion. This place wasn’t that bold but they had built a covering over the seating area and had probably doubled their seating area to accommodate more than 100 people. I was having an early dinner so there probably were no more than two-dozen people dining or having a late afternoon coffee when I was there. I was surprised to notice a group of three motorbikes for home delivery. In my mind, the restaurant moved into a fast-food category instead of the casual dining place I sought.

Still, it was a wonderful evening, pleasant and mild. I was reminded all the more of what Americans lose by being a vehicle dependent society. I want my yard, my little patch of property but having a chance to enjoy city life and being able to walk somewhere is a nice addition to life that I enjoy when I travel. Friends greeted each other as they passed on the street or as the sidewalk walkers and sidewalk café sitters mingled.

Most of the customers, when I first arrived, were men. But over the course of the evening the clientele will change as women with children—those same sort of good moms needing to feed the kids as are at home—fill the tables as they wait for dad to join them. I’ve noticed over the years the productivity drain that seems to hit male workers. They just spend too much time in the cafes in the afternoon, smoking, drinking coffee and talking. Then they complain because everyone stays late at work and arrives tired the next morning. People tell me the cafe is just an extension of the workplace. I don't believe it. It's not an especially productive extension at least.

I’ve already figured out my dessert. There’s a gelato stand just a few doors up the street. I don’t know why but I discovered lemon gelato on a trip to Albania several years ago and it has become a trip tradition. I’m watching my weight, actually planning to return a few pounds lighter so I have promised myself to keep the gelato cravings under control. Why lemon? It’s hard to find lemon ice cream in the states. The gelato is sweet but tangy, with a sharp lemon flavor. I just like it.

This is my seventh or eight visit to Albania over a six-year period. I was last here in March 2008 where I worked with Vizion+ TV and Top Channel. They’re the two most widely viewed television stations in Albania though Top Channel is a strong number one to Vizion’s second place. This project will have me figure out whether Vizion is still number two. They’re programming this last year has been weak and they lost their popular news anchor to the number three station. I’ll do an audience survey, as I’ve previously done, to help them figure out what’s going right and wrong.

2009-05-27T14:05:00.004-05:00

I'm traveling again in the Balkans, Albania specifically. This is probably my eighth time to visit Tirana since November 2004. I am again working with Vizion+ Television, a privately owned TV station based in Tirana but they have about 90% national coverage with several repeater transmitters.

Tirana has both changed and stayed the same since I was last here in March 2008. There are small businesses that have been successfully in business since 2004 or 2005. The streets are generally better--there's been some paving and street improvements. There are more cars but traffic seems a little better organized. Some things are the same. The smells of fresh produce sold by sidewalk vendors, the pungent smell of the white cheese that's so common here. It's somewhere between yogurt cheese and feta. Imagine slightly mild feta cheese and you'll have the taste of it. I have previously written about the city and my habits.

About the only significant change is that the TV station sends a car to pick up my translator and I. This is the first time I've had a translator. Altin (pronounced like Al-teen) is an interesting guy. He's a former TV journalist and has spent time in the US through a journalist exchange program sponsored by Voice of America and the Embassy. The morning ride means I don't take a taxi. I miss the interaction--not that the drivers spoke much English.--but we we could exchange greetings and grimace at some of the crazy things other drivers did. As I've walked along the street in the afternoon to stretch my legs, I've seen familiar faces of the same drivers from previous years.

Mr. Chicken is still in business. It's a favorite fast food restaurant. The serve sufllaqe (Greek souvlaki), roasted chicken and sandwiches. Albania food...whatever traditional food is supposed to be...is a little hard to find. I've not seen very many things that seem unique. Lots of the food seems to reflect the Turkish conquest.

I'm staying at Hotel President...but renamed Xheko Hotel Imperial. Xheko is the last name of the two brothers who own the hotel I'm in a fancy room.....really very nice...compared with the other basic rooms. There's a shower and tub. The bed has a real kingsize mattress. The plasma TV has CNNi and SkyNews. Check it out at: http://www.xheko-imperial.com/al/index.html

This isn't a very interesting post...will try to make time to do something better.

2009-03-28T03:59:00.005-05:00

I'm back in Belgrade, my last day here before returning home.

This has been a good trip. Perhaps it's that I finally have a better understanding of what and how to do in my instruction. Maybe there is a realization among participants that it is time to implement changes and the changes I'm advocating are a good place to start. I'm here as a media management and sales trainer. For many of the participants, they've entered a media career by chance. They have on-the-job training but that may be based on non-competitive circumstances. In old Yugoslavia/Serbia, there were no private stations. Once municipalities were authorized to operate newspapers and radio/TV stations, the firms soon became bloated with employees--patronage appointments in a society with universal employment. A weekly newspaper might have 100 employees and only 70 to 75 would routinely show for work.

Privatization has now taken place. The staff of 100 has shrunk to 25 to 40 in size--which is still too large. But it's a great start. The challenge now is to develop a generation of employees and managers who are more entrepreneurial than their predecessors. Simple management tools help: job descriptions, employment applications, performance reviews and employee performance recognition. I talk about Jim Collin's Good to Great approach to leadership. This time, I've added some thoughts from The Carrot Principle as to how to acknowledge employee performance. Common sense? Common sense is not so common.

Is all of this the same stuff I do back home? Yes and no. It's simplistic to say I'm just here to give lectures. I spend 8 to 9 hours everyday with my group. I don't think many of my colleagues at U.S. universities could make it through the first couple of days. And many would have no interest in trying. Some lack practical application of the materials they teach. Others couldn't dream of traveling to another country, especially one where the people don't speak English. Making the jump across cultural, political and economic differences is the single greatest challenge. There are 500 or so mass communication/journalism programs in the U.S. While the program sizes vary, there must be between 8,000 to 10,000 faculty. I don't think I know of more than 100 people who have made two or more trips outside the U.S. for teaching, training or research projects.

Unlike my U.S. students, there often is no common ground between the participants and myself. My challenge is to present the information as something that can be implemented in their workplace. There's some theory, there's lots of practical advice and there's an encouraging dose of enthusiasm. I meet wonderful people, many of who have high aspirations. I know that it is the circumstances of birth and life that have me on the side of the table opposite them. I am reminded to be grateful for what I have.

2009-03-25T05:07:00.005-05:00

I am in Nis, Serbia. Last night, I was the featured speaker for a group of journalism students at University of Nis. The journalism program is about five years old. While enrollment is strong--250+ students--facilities and faculty could be improved. I was invited to talk about journalism and media from the U.S. perspective. I felt some dread because I increasingly find the quality of journalism in decline. Newspapers are shrinking in number and edition size. Reporters seem to be less experienced than ever. Television focuses all too much on visual stories at the expense of important stories that don't always have accompanying visuals. Worst of all, until the financial crisis, we seemed to be shifting increasingly away from issues of substance and toward shallow subjects. If anything positive comes from this crisis, perhaps it will be a slap in the face reminder that conspicuous consumption is not the goal of life.

As we started the discussion, there were 75 to 80 students in the room, I discussed a free press as one of the essential elements of a democracy. The other two elements are competition in elections and the marketplace, and participation in government and society. Journalism, strictly speaking, is part of the third element--civil and political freedom, which includes free speech and free press. I laid the old trap that I've often set for my students in the U.S. They agreed that some journalists are not responsible in their reporting and that wages are too low. They also agreed that they want to be professionals, just like doctors and lawyers are professionals. I snapped the trap shut by telling them that a regulated press, with professional standards--minimum education standards, perhaps licensing--is no longer a free press. What is important, however, is a press that strives to be professional--responsible, fair and accurate in conveying the news. My goal for the thousands of students I have taught is to help them learn to gather, evaluate and convey information. I owe Russ Shain, my former dean, with helping me understand this when I was a new member of his faculty nearly 20 years ago.

My comments were translated and this added to the length of the presentation. After about 40 minutes, we took questions. And, my were the questions great. I realize they used an encounter with a foreigner to get some answers they might not ordinarily hear. It's just like the class speaker in my class who could repeat my previous lecture but would have so much more credibility.

I wonder whether my students would have been able to engage a visiting journalist from Serbia or even the U.K. I'd like to think so but I struggle to find students who are inquisitive about news events. One of the best questions came from a 4th year student who asked how journalists avoided endorsing or manufacturing consent for government actions. While he was thinking about U.S. media failures to question intelligence estimates of WMDs in Iraq (weapons of mass destruction--have we forgotten that acronym?), I also discussed President Obama's efforts to secure media and public support for his economic policies.

It was an enjoyable event.

2009-03-20T01:10:00.003-05:00

Hello from Belgrade. I'm back in Serbia for the first time in three years. It's a joy to be back. The city looks good. There's been additional building throughout the city and traffic in the city is more chaotic than before. While I see progress, it comes with a price. The cost of living continues to rise and food is almost as expensive here as in the U.S. and my U.S. salary is much higher than media counterparts in Belgrade. When I ask people my stock question, is like better today than one year ago, the answer I get is no. The world economic crisis is a big part of their answer. It is no consolation to know that most Americans would have a similar answer.

Facebook and general Internet access has taken some of the introspection out of blogging. I started this entry Wednesday night. I am finishing it on Sunday and I'm even in a different city. I am now in Nis, Serbia, to the south of Belgrade about 220 kms--if you never remembered the conversion, 100 kms equals 65 miles. So, we traveled about 143 miles to get here.

When I first came to Nis in 2003, with my friend from the Embassy, we stayed at the Ambassador Hotel--a multistory official hotel from the old government days. It was a sad mess. No renovation or any sort. Just worn out and dirty. For the subsequent visits, I stayed in small private hotels. The sort of place with a couple of dozen rooms and accommodating staffs. Poor Ambassador still hasn't been renovated. I staying at The Regent Club--Google it if you must. I had a nice meal in the restaurant this evening. I'll start my sessions again tomorrow at Media Center Nis (MCN).

2008-11-18T14:55:00.002-06:00

Wow. I spent the night in the Singapore airport. I went from a 5-star hotel to a cot-and-TV room in a transit hotel. But I'm in a 5-star airport. I'm not referring to shopping and restaurants--though they're here--but to the amenities. Free Wifi is not a big deal but how about free video game playing rooms to pass the time, numerous fast-connecting email statioins and free movie theaters to pass the time. It's also just a lovely airport to walk through.

That transit hotel wasn't bad either. For $40, I had an air conditioned room, comfortable enough bed and a place to take a hot shower the next morning. I can't add Singapore to my "places visited" list (to count, I think you have to go through immigration).

Talk about irony: As I'm checking in at the transit desk, the waiting area is full of young women (teens to early 30s) who have slept on the floor or in chairs. They're all Muslims. There's in traditional clothing for the region, including having their heads covered by hajabs. While they sleep, the TV is blaring Rachel Ray's talk show. The segment I see focuses on new bra styles to enhance or better show a woman's cleavage. I'm glad the women were all asleep.

There's irony everywhere.

2008-11-18T03:38:00.002-06:00

Where does the time go? It's Tuesday afternoon, 4:40 PM in Surabaya, Indonesia. I've been on the road for about 10 days and what a wonderful trip it has been. I've conducted two media workshops for radio managers, covering broadcast journalism and news management. The participants were a joy to meet. They're business people but they've built radio station in a somewhat hostile environment. There are cultural and religious issues, government censorship, a sometimes chaotic economy, a lack of adequate human resources and of course a basic need to also support community development. It's a tougher environment than US stations face.

We also talked about the continuing challenge for radio to remain relevant in a world dominated by television news and increasing levels of Internet access in Indonesia.

The trip has been mostly work but I've had fun with the people I've met. As always, I've tried new foods--including jellyfish and chicken feet. Perhaps the greatest was trying durian, a large and smelly fruit grown in much of Southeast Asia. Durian is covered with sharp prongs on the outside. You break open the fruit and pull chunks of flesh from the oversized pod. It's a different taste--I really can't describe it. Go to Youtube and watch one of the videos for a look and description of what others have said.

As always, the trip has left little time to ponder on the blog about the people I've met and things I've seen. Indonesia is an interesting country--clearly not the sort of transitional place I have previously visited. But outside of the major cities, fundamental issues of development remain. The press is reasonably free but there's still a free speech chill from criminal libel complaints. I hope that I can come back.

I suppose that's enough...it's almost time to board.

Safe travels to all. I'll overnight in Singapore at a transit hotel then catch my morning flight home.

2008-11-11T08:47:00.000-06:00

What day is it? I feel like I have been in travel mode for a week. How strange also to look at a map and marvel at how far from home I have come. It’s Tuesday after and I know that only because my computer tells me so.

I spent a restless Monday night in Taipei. My fear always is that an alarm won’t sound or a wake-up call won’t come and I’ll miss my flight. I’m looking forward to Thanksgiving and Christmas because I’ll have a couple of days to sleep in. I was impressed enough with Taipei.

The U.S. influence is there. Freeways are called freeways; signs have a green background—just like in Peoria. The city appears more vibrant than some American cities, mostly I think because there must be no municipal control over signage. There are neon signs almost everywhere. There are so many that I wonder how a sign can break through the visual stimulus overload to be meaningful to anyone. I would have liked to have talked with someone about the local economy. Everything I read suggests the ripple effect to Republic of China (and PROC) to the slowdown in the U.S. and Europe.

I flew China Airlines to Jakarta. I think China Air is the principle airline in Taiwan. It was a wonderful flight. We were on a very new Airbus 330 than included a personal video system for those of us in economy. It was a comfortable flight—though another long flight, about five hours.

Jakarta
I sometimes write about smells hitting my senses when I travel. Sometimes it’s the smell of trash fires smoldering in the late evening or early morning and it’s the first significant smell that hits me as I leave an airport or arrive in a city. Other times it’s been the sharp, pungent smell of cheese. Still other times, it’s the smell of an open market where you smell not just foods for sale but literally the smell of the people who are working hard to make a living and provide as best they can for their families.

I’m in the Jakarta airport and I don’t have any particular smells that are hitting my senses. I smell fried food—including Krispy Kreme donuts (who would have thought?). The KK store is just across from Starbucks here in the airport food court. There are other familiar foods as well….Hagen Dazs ice cream. It’s a bit humid—at least compared with Peoria and warm also. I bought a Coke Zero, canned in Indonesia to cool off.

I’m now a millionaire (I exchanged one Ben Franklin at 10,700 Ruppies per dollar and received more than a million Ruppies in exchange). I’m struggling to get use to the pricing structure. I was surprised to find that I paid about 70 cents for the Coke Zero. I suspect bottled water or a local drink would have been half the price.

Just a few quick thoughts….will get more posted soon.

2008-11-11T08:34:00.002-06:00

Wow! It has been eight months since I last posted. Shame on me. In that time I traveled domestically and internationally--it's usually just the international stuff that I blog about. The international trip was a return visit to Kyrgyzstan. Really enjoyable. Domestically, my family and I took the Great American Summer Roadtrip and traveled to Mt. Rushmore, Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. Fantastic. Those trips are sufficiently past to keep me from doing a legitimate entry but I am now in Indonesia and will post about that trip.

2008-03-20T03:15:00.002-05:00

Alternating Days:

We may have sunshine today. We've alternated each day between rain and sun--which I suppose still beats successive days of rain.

The weather pattern is also a good metaphor for the media conditions in Albania. Some days things work and some days they don't.

Newscasts routinely do not end at a fixed, scheduled time. One night the newscast runs 35 minutes. Another night 45.

The Prime Minister blasted the media at a news conference yesterday--accusing two of the stations of having "commentators" on a late night political talk/discussion show who were drunk and making wild charges. These sorts of things are the kind of charges that cause owners to lose licenses and citizens to lose alternative voices to state media because the private owners get sloppy--which happens partly because there is no training, including training to establish ethical standards of conduct.

Because the newscast runs long, on some nights commercials must be dropped because the program time would run long and the late news--10:30PM--would begin late.

Sales people enter a clients office and the first thing the client asks is, "How much is my discount?" Never mind that no discussion has begun as to what the client should buy and for how much. The order takes--they're not SALESpeople when they do this--immediately say, "How about 20% (or 30%)?"

How much does it cost to produce that program I ask television station people? They have no idea. People are assigned to the production staff and paid but there's no cost accounting. If we don't know how much the program costs, how can we make a logical (business like) decision to run the show and how much do we price the ads for?

Can a TV station in Albania make money from a show that costs them $1 million to produce for a short TV season--13 weeks? No. I don't know the value of the TV ad market in Albania--though probably somewhere the data exists--my guess is that all the TV and radio ad spending probably totals between $13 - 16 million--about 9 - 12 million Euros.

Ok....time for the days adventures to begin.

2008-03-14T02:14:00.002-05:00

Just Exhausted: Maybe it is both the miles and years? It's been a tiring trip so far....long work days for the TV station and then back to the hotel to work on my projects.

I went for breakfast a few minutes ago...not knowing whether it was to be served in a downstairs dining area or on the rooftop. It was the rooftop and my-oh-my...my Albanian hosts are tougher than I am. I had on a jacket but still felt cold. I suppose the best part is that it led me to come back to the room to warm up and take a few extra minutes to make this entry. The sun is shining so perhaps we'll have a really nice day.

My breakfast has been the same as in previous years....a couple of cheeses, olives, bread, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes. There are other things as well....some fruit--fresh and canned, almonds, dry cereal and some sweets--packaged cakes/cookies and also a tasty orange pound cake. The coffee has been good--filter coffee. (Somewhere in the blog--probably around April or May 2006, I think there's even a picture I made of a breakfast plate.)

An American friend, here doing news training, is staying at the Sheraton. They serve a typical American style breakfast buffet. I may actually go over there one morning just to have something different.

Tirana is much improved from two years ago. Street construction has been completed in the center of town. There are more shops open--and, more importantly, many of the places that were open before are still in business. I regard that as a mark of economic health. There's a grocery chain operating in the city called EuroMarket....it's pretty nice. The stores have good lighting, are well stocked and are clean. There are so few things to buy that I typically resort to a grocery store trip to find some presents for my family.

Politically, things are generally improving as well. The government moves slowly to reform but at least there is some movement. People tell me, "Yes, life is better today than two years ago."

My TV station has a new investment company that is building a fiber-optic ring around the city. They already offer high speed Internet but, by September, they will offer Internet, cable TV and telephone service. While the hardware and software for the system can be expensive, the labor and installation is somewhat cheaper. I suspect they'll build the company and then sell to a global telecom company once it has a market presence.

2008-03-09T08:20:00.002-05:00

I'M BACK: After almost two years away, I'm back in one of my favorite cities, Tirana, Albania, at Hotel President. I'm here to work with a couple of privately owned television stations in Albania--Vizion+ and Top Channel.

Tirana has changed--the first thing I've noticed is that the streets are mostly paved...though there's a lot of construction going on still, including an effort to build a gigantic traffic interchange that will improve the routing of vehicles at a couple of major intersections in the city. I've come to believe it's just better to build the interchange than to try to put in place traffic lights and conventional intersections. People here just don't seem to obey those conventional measures.

Commercial broadcasting gets taken for granted in the U.S. All we want is to watch our favorite entertainment shows but where would we be if we didn't have those stations covering local and national news? Life for most Americans is so good they don't worry much about the news--indeed, network news viewing is declining and has its highest audience among persons 55 and older. But, we can turn on the TV and see a newscast that we can believe is truthful and fair. There certainly are partisan stories from time to time but generally we get a balanced look at the world.

What about newspaper you say? Yes, newspapers really are more important to the coverage of routine local news--city council and local gov't stuff that isn't visual enough for TV. And, they're sometimes the sort of stories TV people are barely smart enough to know how to cover when you consider that a local TV reporter in a small market has little connection to the town.

It's different in Albania. There are many newspapers being published but many sell very few copies and they are expensive for the local readers. Television is the news voice that is free for the audience and it does serve as a check against government actions. Private television is especially important. Government TV was (and is) the voice of the government and that seldom means it's a free, independent, fair/accurate news voice--though maybe that can/will change. Anyway, I'll spend time offering ideas to help the stations run more effectively to improve their service and perhaps improve their profits.

2007-11-19T02:55:00.000-06:00

Manas Airport

I rarely sleep well before an early morning flight and this morning was not an exception. I just worry too much about oversleeping. My wake-up call was for 4:30 AM. I awoke about 3:15—I did get to see an interesting news story on BBC about the Rory Peck Trust. The Trust exists to support freelance newsgatherers and their families worldwide in times of need, and to promote their welfare and safety. Often these times of need include death, kidnapping or injury of freelancers. (See http://www.rorypecktrust.org/ for information.)

It’s an hour before departure and time to sit and sit and sit. The good news is that I’m heading home and while this has been a good trip, I am ready to get back.

Kyrgyzstan has been interesting study—it’s such a different location from past trips. The people officially speak Russian—though on the streets I could probably hear Kyrgyz if I were in the right location. The Kyrgyz people have such as Asian look that it seems so odd that they’d speak Russian. Kyrgyzstan shares a common land border to the east with China but it is surrounded by other countries that were part of the U.S.S.R.’s Central Asian Republics—The ‘Stans.

The government changed about a year ago with the Tulip Revolution—protesting citizens, frustrated with an unfair election forced the president out of power. The new guy, some people say, hasn’t really done much to advance the country except give a new segment of the population a chance to get rich. The person who told me this was quick to add that at least another segment of the population was able to get wealthy. The poor, as always, are still poor. Whether the U.S. or Kyrgyzstan, there’s little “trickle-down” wealth as Ronald Reagan once claimed of his economic policies that bolstered incomes of the wealthiest.

Freedom House proclaims the media as unfree though within the region, Kyrgyzstan has more political and social freedom than neighboring countries. I’ve heard interesting stories of other countries where the secret police actively watch the people. I’m sure there are secret police on the streets here but my little visit was nothing to draw their attention.

I just heard the clink of bottles. A Kyrgyz businessman, neatly dressed, is carrying a bag loaded with booze of some sort. Even though it’s early morning, the bar was busy with people having a morning drink of something other than coffee—perhaps to fortify their nerves. A guy just sat down next to me with a Baltica 7. (The numbers reference the strength of the beer—a number 3 that I’m bringing home is a nice lager.)

It has been interesting to look at the disparity in the country. There’s an Ikea store here as well as United Colors of Benetton. I even saw a sign for a Baskin Robbins. And, local inventions, McDs Burgers and New York Pizza (I had a couple of slices of their pizza….very good…though I would have liked some tomato sauce.) Who can afford these things? There are lots of casinos. Flower shops sell imported roses and other flowers. There’s a construction boom as well. Local talk suggests that between 500,000 and one million Kyrgyz work outside the country and send a lot of money home. This is pretty common and takes place throughout South American, Africa and Eastern Europe. So why should it be any different in Central Asia.

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Update:
I'm in Moscow. The flight from Bishkek departed late but made it with time to spare. It's nice to have the WiFi access though I was unable to get into the Crown Room--even when I offered to pay. (Though I wouldn't have actually paid...not $25 for for a Coke and snacks. I'm across the hall borrowing their WiFi.

I will sleep in my own bed tonight.

2007-11-17T05:00:00.000-06:00

Oh The Things You’ll See:

It is Saturday morning. I’m waiting for the instructor to arrive to open the classroom door so that we can start the morning class. After this class, I’ll meet with about 18-20 university students.

This trip has been hectic; the schedule busy but productive. I’ve not quite gotten into the swing of the time change—12 hours. The good thing is that I’ve adopted a strategy my friend Bojan recommended in Serbia: when you get back to you’re hotel, lie down and rest—sleep if you can. Then start your evening activities.

Last night I had a rare social experience. I met up with two AUCA faculty members and some of their friends for an evening of food, beer and conversation. There were seven of us—one Kyrgyz, a German and five Americans. Originally, we were going to a rock club a short distance from town but when were arrived—Sam, Aiday and me—we found out the band playing that night, a group of Russian Rockers, commanded the high price of 500 Som to stand and 1,500 Som to sit and listen. That’s about $15 to stand in a crowded, smoke-filled room and have your eardrums melt. I was glad we picked another option.

We went to a restaurant-club called “Sweet Sixties” that featured a cover band that knew about 10 songs. Smoke on the Water, Blue Suede Shoes and Cocaine were three of the songs that I remember. There were some other ballads that I vaguely knew. Even though the songs—Blue Suede for example—are almost 50 years old the crowd of young and old Kyrgyz danced and sang along as though they were current hits.

The restaurant's menu was glued to old LPs. The flip side of one record didn't have amenu page so you could see the Russian LP title which roughly translated, "We're proud to be Communists." Oh the irony of this record now being used to present the menu of this capitalist restaurant featuring Western cuisine and rock music.

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Ultimate Frisbee
I tagged along with Sam to the AUCA Ultimate Frisbee Team practice session after class. (A few months back, the team played another school for the Central Asia Championship and won both matches. Of course, there are only two CA teams so I suppose the defeated team hold second place.) Sam tells me the game is especially popular in Central Asia. When he was a Peace Corps volunteer in Turkmenistan, people played the game and thought of it as American. Like football, there are end zones for scoring. There’s a throw-off (kick-off). The Frisbee possession continues down the field if your team successfully throws the Frisbee from person-to-person without a drop. If dropped, the other team gets possession and reverses course down the field. It was fun though the guys I played with (and against) were less than half my age. They were great to meet and really impressive not just in Frisbee but they were smart, articulate and well traveled. One journalism grad of AUCA had completed a semester at Syracuse and a Scripps-Howard internship in D.C. (Trust me, that’s a highly competitive internship.)

I met the son of an American missionary couple—they’re in South Africa--he's here and part of the Frisbee team. Todd was born in Zimbabwe and is working on some youth recreation projects in Kyrgyzstan. We compared thoughts about Robert Mugabwe. I can’t imagine finding someone in my usual circle to have this kind of talk with.

2007-11-12T06:56:00.000-06:00

The People You Meet:

I enjoy meeting people when I travel. The opportunity for conversation with an extended meeting. Finding out how they've lived and what they think. My extended meetings will take place once I'm in Bishkek.

There are also the chance meetings. I met Mike, a retired military person who's from Texas but now lives near Atlanta and is going to Tashkent to see an Uzbek women he met through the Internet. He was there about a year ago. The paperwork to enable her to travel to the U.S. has taken longer than he expected.

I met the odd business traveler--with some sort of investment firm who is traveling to Delhi, India; Korea, Hong Kong, back to Korea, Minneapolis and finally back to Atlanta. This entire trip is a quick one...11 days for all of those cities...and his only luggage was a pretty big carry-on bag.

I met the guy from Canada, who in a Political Science Ph.D. program at U of Florida, also going to India but to gather dissertation data.

There's Alex and Alex--husband and wife with variations of the same first name. She's from Moldova and he's from Uzbekistan--where they're in transit to visit his family. They both live in the U.S., in Springfield, MO, after immigrating to the states 8 years ago for her and 11 years ago for him. Alex speaks Russian so she was helpful in getting a person to move us through the transit-with-no-visa line.

Lastly, I met Steve...one of the millions of American citizens working on our behalf to ensure we can live safely. Steve's a "nuke hunter". He's made over 30 trips to Russia on behalf of the U.S. government in an effort to locate and secure nuclear materials. Some of the material is from dismantled nuclear weapons. Other materials comes from medical or other research facilities. There's always a risk that someone with money and the desire to hurt someone will steal or buy this sort of material, whether to make a nuclear weapon or create a dirty bomb. We had a great conversation about national and world politics--including Pakistan....a scary place now that the country may be imploding. Sunday was Veteran's Day and I'm proud of the sacrifices veterans have made but I also think about the millions of others who put themselves in odd circumstances in an effort to keep us safe.

Not to sound too much like Forest Gump but when you travel, you never know who you'll meet.

2007-11-12T06:33:00.000-06:00

I'm in Moscow but just in transit...meaning, I'm waiting on my connecting flight.
You need a visa to enter Russia from the U.S. and apparently anywhere else. While it might have been possible to try for one, I didn't worry about it. It's a long day of hanging out at the airport but I can handle it--I think.

The last time I had a layover like this i was a lot younger...1994...my first trip to Zambia and the layover was in London. I caught the Tube and spent the day at a couple of museums. Even if I could have gotten in, it was about 27 degrees outside when I arrived and it just looked cold.

2007-11-11T10:46:00.000-06:00

I'm off again. of course some people say I'm "off" because I travel where I do and enjoy it. I last blogged about a trip to Romania. It proved to be an especially worthwhile trip.

I consulted with Radio Bucharest and Radio Constanta about programming, sales, personnel, branding/station marketing. Lots of good conversations and with two stations that seemed interested in learning new things.

Today, I am traveling to Bishkek, Kyrgystan. Kyrgyzstan is in Central Asia. I fly to Moscow, directly on a Delta flight then connect with Aeroflot for my flight to Bishkek. I'm sitting in the Peoria Airport awaiting departure.

In Bishkek, I'll be working with American University Central Asia, a Soros Foundation supported university. It's awazing to read about the number of Soros funded projects around the world. They range from universities to community development projects.

They've given us the call to board. I'll try to add more comments along the way.

2007-10-02T14:58:00.000-05:00

Romania bound:

I leave next week for Romania, my second trip in about a year. I'll be working with managers of local/regional radio stations--all part of the old national or state radio broadcasting service in Romania. This was the government voice that controlled the citizens in the days of dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

Even now, Radio Romania is not completely free of government influence--and you can understand why. If you're raised in a country where the media system is controlled by the government, it's difficult to give it complete freedom even when you're part of a newly elected, emerging government that strives to be democratic. Who in U.S. government wouldn't want to have a say in news coverage or news agendas--if they could get away with it under the laws of the country and past traditions.

Thank goodness for the First Amendment and its ability to create a wall of separation between government and media.

Freedom House (freedomhouse.org) reported in the 2006 Press Freedom report:
"The constitution protects freedom of the press, and the government is increasingly respectful of these rights. The Parliament adopted a new criminal code in June, under which libel is no longer a felony and slander is still considered a criminal offense but is no longer punishable with imprisonment. However, the new code has yet to be enacted. In October, the justice minister proposed further amendments to completely decriminalize slander."
AND
"The number of media outlets and news sources increased in 2005, and media are becoming more active and self-sufficient. But media still face significant economic pressure thanks to ownership concentration, lack of revenue, and a limited advertising market. Most media rely on government-funded advertising. In May, in consultation with media groups, the government adopted reforms to make advertising allocation more transparent, a move intended to prevent officials from distributing advertising to favored media outlets. Concentration and lack of transparency of media ownership remain serious concerns. "

Romania is regarded by Freedom House as FREE...though both the political rights and civil rights scores are 2. The lowest possible score is 7, a Not Free society. The U.S. and Western Europe rank one in both categories. While many things still must be done, Romania has made substantial progress. As recently as 1995-1996, the scores were 4 and 3; from the 1970s until 1990, Romania typically scored 7 in both categories.

More about Romania from the road...

2007-09-06T18:34:00.000-05:00

Are things better in Zambia than they were 10 years ago?

It's tough for a foreign visitor to know whether things are truly better in Zambia but at first glance, some things are clearly better. Roads are paved and have been widened. New retail businesses have opened. More people own cars than before--traffic can be pretty bad in the afternoon. I saw a couple of sidewalk vendors selling cut flowers--not the sort of fancy stuff that might be marketed to foreigners....but simple handfuls or small bundles of flowers that an ordinary Zambian could buy. And, I could see that the sellers had been successful. That's a real statement about the quality of life when people have money for flowers--a luxury good.

How about press freedom and media? Are things better? I would say yes. More private media firms are operating--there are around 30 on-air commercial or community radio stations around the country. Ten years ago, besides ZNBC, there were only three FM stations on the air in the country. All three of these are still around and prospering.

The Post newspaper, now more than 10 years old, looks successful. The print reproduction quality is very good; it's full color. The Daily Mail routinely has spot color. The Times of Zambia seems to be the weakest paper of the big three. And, let me clarify and tell you the news content of The Post is still strong--yes, there are some sensational stories and they've learned to package some stories that will sell papers--such as the recent and continuing controversy in Zambia over whether it's appropriate for women to wear two piece bathing suits in a beauty contest. The Post made a point to include contestant photos in the event people had not made up their minds.

Both The Daily Mail and The Times continue to carry the burden of the MMD, the ruling party, when it comes to selecting newspaper stories. But, newspaper coverage still seems better than 10 years ago. Newspapers are expensive--more so now than before. A paper costs about 75 cents...up from less than 50 cents before. And, the number of ad pages--at least in The Post--has increased. (The Post will let you read headlines online but you must now pay for full content access. Go to www.zamnet.zm for access to the newspapers.)

ZNBC TV looks as tired as ever. Production value in the television programs I saw was weak. The news content and delivery needs help. Basic skills seem to be lacking among some of their staffers--though realistically it may also be that management simply doesn't want individual doing too many things. Even 10 years ago, ZNBC seemed to be a tough place to work.

I haven't seen specific figures on Zambia's fight against AIDS but a couple of people told me they're making progress. Still, it was so sad to hear of the many people I'd met before who were now dead. Ten years ago, I heard an estimate that one media employee in three was HIV positive--media people, with some degree of celebrity status plus simply a job--were believe to have a higher infection rate than the general population. Perhaps that estimate was true. I use to imagine what it would be like if every third person I shook hands with was positive. Ten years later, I have an idea.

A sad note certainly but what a joy and pleasure to be back in Zambia. I learned so many things 10 years ago and have continued to learn about Zambia, the world and myself because I was there. I don't want my next visit to take 10 years for the return and am now working on a project that perhaps will get me back much sooner.

2007-09-03T17:25:00.000-05:00

I'm back from Zambia. The flight home was easy enough--an hour's delay in Atlanta but otherwise easy enough. I slept A LOT on the plane and have felt good this afternoon....I hope to get a good night's sleep this evening.

What new in Zambia: Retail space—lots of new stores. Most of the places are chains that were based in South Africa (Bata Shoes, Shoprite and Mr. Price are three.) The good news is that products sell for less. The bad news, much of the sales revenue leaves the country—although all the retail developments employ people and the consumption opportunities give people a reason to aspire for middle class or higher status.

My friend Muwana took me to a couple of local Zambian social clubs. Our first stop was the BP Club—literally run by British Petroleum for the employees but available for others to visit. The BP Club is located near ZNBC’s Mass Media Complex—Muwana’s office location. It was a good place to be because it was off the beaten path—no mini bus routes were particularly close so if you didn’t drive yourself or take a taxi, you’d probably select another place. The room would likely hold 50-60 people but there were probably no more than two dozen patrons when we arrived.

Muwana introduced me to several friends, including Joshua who upon hearing my name was Greg, told me he had a nephew named Greg and that for the evening, he’d be calling me Nephew. I called him Uncle. A doubting friend who walked up questioned us on the family relationship. As quickly as I could I said, “Look at our smiles and the sparkle in our eyes—you’ll see that we are related.” It was a good time for all to laugh.

Later we went to an Irish pub—the sort of place you’d see in the U.S. with all sorts of plaques or signs saying things like, “Liquor kept the Irish from conquering the world.” The bar, McHags, is located in Manda Hill Shopping Center.

Food: It was great to have N’shima again. Made from boiled corn meal, the thick paste is the Zambian equivalent to bread. I enjoyed lunch with two friends at a restaurant called Food Fayre. During the week, they have a buffet style meal. Saturday, when we were there, we ordered from a menu board. The three of us had village chicken (a Zambian equivalent to free-range chicken), rape (a green similar to kale), okra, and lowanbi (a local vegetable that’s boiled and cooked with some peanuts mixed in.) Delicious! The meal cost about 15,000K per person—that’s a little less than $4.00. While it seemed like a bargain meal for a hungry worker, I found myself thinking later that I often spend only about $1 for lunch by bringing something to work or keeping some cans of soup in my office. The simplest option in Zambia would be to walk a little further to an open market and buy some bread, fruit or vegetables from a seller’s stall.

Zambian Phrases:
“It’s just there.” A location reference that could mean 100 feet away or several miles.
“Where do you stay?” Where do you live?
“I’ll just pass by on my way to . . .” or “I’ll pass by at 18:30 hours.” I’ll stop by while I’m on my way. Or, I’ll stop by at 6:30 PM.
“Do you take ______?” Do you eat or drink or consume something.

Things I brought back:
Baskets—a suitcase full of them. A tablecloth with a guinea fowl pattern. Some small animal carvings. A bottle of Mosi Beer, made by Zambia Breweries, a company once controlled by the government but privatized and then purchased in full by SAB-Miller—the combined South African Breweries and Miller Brewing. And, renewed friendships and wonderful memories!

2007-08-30T10:46:00.000-05:00

Lunch Today:

They served rice but I ate N'shima, and likely surprised some people. N'shima is Zambian "bread" that's made from boiled cornmeal and is a staple for most meals. The texture is a little like Play Dough--though N'shima is really very tasty. N'shima or shima is served with meat and vegetables. The veggies, slaw, various greens, tomato...whatever...are usually referred to as relish. The best part of Shima is that you eat with your right hand. Lunch was delicious.

The conference I'm attending is a global ethics conference, though much of the discussion focuses on media ethics in Zambia in relation to the what's going on around the world and in neighboring African countries. Press freedom today is generally greater than 10 years ago--certainly there are more print publications and now about 35 non-government radio stations, compared with only five non-gov stations 10 years ago.

I've kept in touch with several people I knew from my Fulbright days. But, as I've tried to find out what has happened to others, I've been told they're dead. Victims of AIDS. Many companies now make available ARV (anti-retro viral drugs) for HIV-positive employees. It's been a slow process but it's beginning to happen. Part of the reality of AIDS in Africa is that many of the most highly-educated members of the workforce are infected. Without ARVs, they'd be dead--some may still die.

2007-08-28T08:36:00.000-05:00

MyAdventures:

I sometimes have a feeling about a trip…that something will go wrong. This is one of those trips. Everything was generally fine as I left home, though my daughter was excessively dramatic about my leaving. That settled down as we talked about a present that I would bring home.

But things went in the wrong direction when I reached Atlanta. I fly Delta Airlines whenever I can. I’d rather fly through Atlanta than Chicago—typically fewer interruptions and an easier airport to navigate. This time, the southeast weather interfered with my travel. A thunderstorm cell delayed our departure for about 40 minutes. Then came the really bad news. The co-pilot was sick and would have to be replaced. Because it was an international flight and we’d already pushed back, we couldn’t go back to the gate. All we could do was wait for the arrival of a replacement crew member. The good news is that I was tired and slept during part of the wait. Then I read. The flight attendants served water. People were in a generally good mood. And, out pilot frequently gave us updates to keep us apprised of the situation. Finally we departed at 7:41PM Atlanta time—about three and one-half hours late.

Though the pilot said we’d make up some time going to Dakar and likely spend less time on the ground there than we were schedule for, I had my doubts about making my connection. I had called my friend Twange from the plane in Atlanta to have her alert her sister and to get her local phone number. Twange’s voicemail picked up. My other alternative was to grab the number from an email. I have a new computer, a Mac. Unfortunately, the email program I’m using has a habit of not fully downloading email messages and attachments. And, there was no signature with contact info on the emails I did find downloaded.

In our world of instant everything, some people would be especially bothered by all this. While I hate to miss a night in Lusaka and hate to cause disruption for the Kasoma family, this is just the way it goes sometime. What’s my alternative? If all goes well, I’ll spend the night in a J’burg hotel, rather than the airport, and the hotel room will be paid for by the airline.

-0-
Update: I did spend the night in Jo'burg, courtesy of Delta Airlines and had a wonderful hotel breakfast--great bacon, coffee--my first caffeine in more than 34 hours--and broiled tomatoes topped with cheese. There were other foods but these were my favorites.

I arrived in Lusaka at about 2 PM, local time...then stood for almost an hour in the Immigration line to get a visa (Note to Zambia Immigration and Tourism officials--You must speed this along...it's a bad first impression for tired visitors, after a long flight.) After grabbing my bags, I headed out the door and was greeted by my friend Muwana. I met Muwana the first time I visited Zambia...he was part of a workshop I did back in 1995. We've been friends since then and I like and admire him so much.

Impressions: The city has made some significant infrastructure improvements--a major four-lane, divided highway into the city. I saw some new construction. I also saw familiar sights that are etched in my memory....people using bicycles as means of transport for four or five over-sized bags of charcoal they're taking to the market to sell. They're tied to the bike and I cannot imagine how difficult it would be for the rider if he had to come to a dead stop.

I'm staying at a private hotel/guest house called Mika Lodge The room is very comfortable and they have wireless Internet!!!! I've already called my bride--via Skype--to let her know I'm here.

2007-01-22T10:10:00.000-06:00

I've just returned from 8 days in Las Vegas where I attended the National Association of Television Program Executives 2007 Conference. What an event it was...part technology forecasting, part media usage/trends discussion platform, and simply part circus. NATPE is a sales event for media programming--historically, the sale of programming to local TV stations. The distribution platforms have changed over the years but it's still an exciting and educational conference. It's also such a marked extreme from some of the other trips I've taken. On the exhibition floor, vendors are pitching their programs with showmanship and real gusto. (That's why I made the circus reference above.)

Also attending NATPE were 30 college professors who had a chance to learn first-hand what's going on with the TV business and 39 college student interns, who likewise received access to an event that's not open to the public.

NATPE is a far cry from many of the development issues I often discuss here. While there are some news and public affairs programs being introduced, most of the programs seek to attract the largest audience share available to enable the broadcasters to sell ads in a commercial marketplace. It's one thing to talk about the need for mass communication as a tool for development but as quality of life improves....as audiences become more sophisticated....their attention moves to entertainment and not development information. And, free content can't be sustained...advertising (versus government funding, receiver license fees, or subscriptions) seems to be the logical method to pay for media content--print, broadcast and online.

I'm happy to report that not just US or Western European media executives attend NATPE. There was a healthy mix from Latin America, China/Asia, Eastern Europe and even a few attendees from Africa.

2006-11-21T05:02:00.000-06:00

I'm back home. Here are some thoughts that I put together during quiet travel breaks on the way home.

The trip to Bucharest should have taken about 9 hours….if you want to arrive by 5:30 PM, you leave by 8:30 or so….or that’s what I thought at least. With a Romanian colleague and driver, our trip started not at 8:30 (as we had agreed the day before) but more like 10:45….we had to make a few stops in town to pick up a few things for the Romanians. I do understand this. Transportation, when under individual control, is a scarce resource. People just aren’t as mobile as they are in the US. When you have a car at your disposal and you’re just supposed to be home by the end of the day, you take advantage of this personal taxi.

Of course, the American in me would have gotten up early and run those errands so we could have hit the road by 8:30 or 9 AM at the latest. We even stopped to buy some braided bundles of “special” red onions. Coming back, I lost count of the number of horse drawn wagons I saw. Easily, there were more than 50...loaded with wood for winter, crops or stone. Or, simply transporting people from one place to another. Driving at night can be dangerous and not because of horses and wagons but because of poor road conditions and fool hardy drivers.

It was almost 9 PM by the time I was in my room at the Hilton. So much for my plans for an early evening and good night's sleep before getting up at 5:30 AM to be ready for my 6:30 pickup.

Why is Romania being admitted to the EU? Even the Romanians wonder. Most seem to say the country should just take advantage of the offer and not worry about it. Still, there are probably some very tough economic times ahead. I’m not sure the EU can strong-arm the Romanian gov’t into taking decision economic actions that will be needed. After all, look at the reluctance of the French. My Embassy driver to the airport, as I tried to bait him to comment on EU membership, just kept silent. I think that's a telling comment.

I asked him about a meal from McDonalds and whether he and his wife ever ate there. No he said…the food is nice but it’s too expensive. This from a guy who has what is usually a plumb job…good benefits and pay….and McDonalds is expensive. A meal for one person could easily cost $4-7 in Bucharest. That's about the same as in Peoria--which means in their economy it is expensive. Even when I dine at McDonalds, I have a tendency to get the $1 double cheeseburger and a $1 drink. I eat a few fries from my kids' Happy Meals because they never finish them--and I avoid taking in too many extra calories. My driver did tell me he liked KFC better, though he usually didn’t go there either.

My flight today started really well. TAROM airlines, the official airline of Romania, does code-sharing with Air France and Delta. As luck would have it I was on a TAROM flight from Bucharest to Paris. They couldn’t issue my boarding pass for Paris-Atlanta but I didn’t worry. The TAROM flight was to depart at 9:25. They actually closed the door at 9:17 and pushed back minutes later and we were in the air by 9:29AM. WOW! That’s effiecient. Or maybe we were just lucky that day. The plane was clean and the flight attendants were friendly. I couldn’t ask for more. Well, how about a seat in Paris for Atlanta? Apparently there was some sort of computer snag and about 20 people didn’t get seats, though they were in the computer. Again, go figure. I have a seat now….it’s 47E….a middle seat on the VERY LAST row. Probably the worst seat on the plane because it's a middle seat and doesn't even recline. I’ve never had this sort of seat before. To top if off, CDG is a MESS. I’ve never seem such a goofy, comical and sad organizational situation. I took a bus from the TAROM fight to the terminal….another bus to get to another terminal….still another bus, after a security check, to get to the gate area my flight would leave from. I like the French…I think we’re more like each other than any other people. The French are just as prideful and full of themselves as are Americans. Of course, there are differences in the objects of our pride. I’m drafting this while I wait to depart. (It's almost T'giving and I don't want to sound ungrateful for what I have in life. I am so blessed with family and opportunities.)

Speaking of McDonalds: Apparently U.S. kids have decided they’re too good to work at McDonalds in the summer or at other times. There is a guest worker program that, last year, allowed about 6,000 college students to travel to the US for the summer and the Romanian kids can stay until after Labor Day because of their school terms start later. All they have to do is prove they’re students and will return to school after the summer. I met the father of a student who spent his summer in Vermont, working at McDonalds, and then he and several buddies bought an old Toyota for $700 and toured the US. They spent most of their money but had a wonderful adventure. I don’t recall how they disposed of the car.

I keep telling my Bradley kids they should do something like that in Eastern Europe....it's cheap and safe...and offers a lot of adventure opportunities.

I made notes this morning about comments I wanted to include in my next entry. Included was the observation that I sleep pretty well on airplanes. I hope this stays true. I’ve had very little caffeine today and I’ll get a glass of wine with dinner. I’m praying that the Air France flight attendent will be able to find a better seat for me. (She does...I move to 43A, a window seat and I'm seated next to a nice French guy and enjoy conversation with him.)

Luggage: As usual, there wasn’t much to buy on this trip. How many icons can you buy? Or perhaps little carvings?

Update from Tuesday morning: My luggage spent extra time in Paris....finally reaching my house round 8 AM Monday. My son was elated to see the Pokemon cards I brought him--this was the fifth or sixth trip where I've looked for the cards. My daughter and wife liked the chocolates.

Enough for now.

2006-11-15T12:35:00.000-06:00

I don't have time tonight to add cutlines and might not tomorrow either but here are some pictures from Transylvania.

2006-11-15T10:26:00.000-06:00

Observations:
Romania is more paradoxical than other Balkan countries I've visited. Romania will join the EU in January 2007 yet the country struggles with issues of procedural transparency and the "can't do" or "someone else should be responsible for doing it" attitude. I am perhaps overly simplistic when I say that Romania suffers not just from the legacy of Communism but from the despair created by legacy of President Nicolae Ceausescu's world of rationed Communist existence. Perhaps it was the simple act of trying to survive in harsh times that makes people unwilling to be more proactive today. There are certainly entrepreneurs here but the employment laws make it difficult to fire employees, perform relevant employment performance reviews and offer productivity or merit pay increases. Much of this is true elsewhere in the region but the challenges surprise me because of the EU membership.

I spoke for an hour today with a trade unionist who insisted the problems with Radio Romania lie with the government--including influence of former Communists who are too close to the seat of power. I'm sure there's truth in what he says but he was unwilling to acknowledge that the trade unions appear to be stonewalling any changes that they don't fully support. There are about 2,500 employees with Radio Romania in Bucharest plus another 800-900 at the eight regional stations. How many of the Bucharest employees are mere ghost employees, put on the payroll by a brother, father, uncle or mother, and none of the ever show up for work? It is strictly a wild guess of mine but when I examine the amount of programming that seems to come from Bucharest, I can't help but believe that several hundred people may be ghost employees. I could go on but friends tell me they'd rather read about the adventures of travel and not the politics.

The drive from Bucharest was easy and comfortable. Two drivers made the trip...one as far as Sibiu....the other drove to Cluj. The didn't take unnecessary chances when passing and kept their speeds to reasonable rates. I traveled to Tirana, from the Albanian border with Montenegro, and practically saw my life flash before my eyes with the "aggressive" driving.

For dinner tonight I had a wonderful meal of cabbage rolls...cabbage leaves stuffed with meat, rice and spices and baked at a low temperature. I talked through with my host the preparation steps and will repeat this at home. Also, I ate polenta and white cheese as an appetizer. Very good (and traditional) as well.

Last night's dinner included baked cheese--a hard cheese dipped in egg or milk, covered with bread crumbs and fried, and chicken liver and onions served with country potatoes. The country potatoes were first boiled and then grated, mixed with some onion and paprika and fried. Very tasty. Both meals have included Romanian red wine and sparkling water.

The good news is that I only eat two meals a day....breakfast and lunch. Breakfast has been similar to meals I've eaten elsewhere in the Balkans....that means tomato wedges, cucumber slices, and sharp white cheese. Again, wonderful!

I've not seen much of the city. My hotel is a short walk from the radio stations and too far in the early night of November to walk. Tomorrow I will have a chance to see some of the city.

There's a small grocery store a short distance from my hotel. I'm going to walk over there and see what's on the shelves!

2006-11-14T14:46:00.000-06:00

Whew. It's been a long day and I need a night's rest but it has been a successful day and I just have to make a few comments. I'm visiting a regional Romania Radio station in Clij, Transylvania. The people have been great. I've met with the management team and we've had good discussions. I'm impressed with the station's operation....they accomplish a lot given their circumstances--tight budgets and a typical post-Communist mix of employees, some you can't fire or otherwise get rid of and others who are pretty good to very good employees.

In most of the countries I've visited, former government enterprises are stuck with all of the former employees who worked at the business and there's no way to fire them--even if they show up for work and do nothing. There's also no way to give performance pay increases to employees either--not unlike my own work situation.

I've had interesting insights into the nature of people in Romania. It's said that one generation was sacraficed in the fighting of two world wars. Another generation was lost to Communism. Now the question is whether the next generation will thrive or be lost in years of transition as the country tries to get on the right path.

Romania Radio is a national radio service that covers almost all of the country--probably 98%. The service produces programming for listeners but doesn't actually own the broadcast transmitters that distribute their programs. Those are held by the national telephone service. It was all part of the paranoid former dictator's plan to decentralize control and avoid potential threats by groups who might try to take over the radio system. At one point in the late 1980s, Romania Television broadcast for only two hours per day--and that was mostly news about the president. A Romanian joke was that the first hour was a reminder to watch the second hour for news about the president.

I'm pleased to be here. It has been a good learning experience. I hope tomorrow to be able to talk with the station management about ad sales, employee performance reviews and job descriptions....plus a discussion about audience research.

Enough for now.

2006-11-14T01:23:00.000-06:00

Greetings from Transylvania! I'm in the heart of Romania and it's a rainy and cold morning. What's the difference between Romania and the U.S.A.? In the U.S., a city named Transylvania would be filled with tourist joints playing on the Dracula theme. In Transylvania, Romania, there's minimal tourist play on the Dracula name--though the regional history is a prominent part of the region and heritage. I will add that I did see a billboard for one Dracula-themed motel.

On the way here (I'm in the city of Cluj), we traveled by car from Bucharest and passed probably 20 horse or oxen drawn wagons on the highway. I saw probably another 15-20 in the fields. Agriculture is a hands-on business as it was in the U.S. 100 years ago. People heat with wood instead of electricity or gas in the small villages and rural areas.

I'm standing at the front desk of the hotel using a wired Internet connection...their WiFi is down and my room connection doesn't work....over my shoulder is a television set with an English language soap opera. It's "The Young and the Restless" and airs on a station called ProTV.

More later...have to start the workday.

2006-11-11T01:53:00.000-06:00

I'm on the road, in Bucharest, Romania. This is my first time here, which is always a great experience...arriving in a new country...getting one more stamp in my passport....and getting a look at how other people live. Romania is in Eastern Europe and shares a common border with other countries I've visited, including Bulgaria, Serbia and Ukraine. Already, I see some parts of the country that are familiar--typically, the look of a formerly Communist country that has been shaking off its past to become a free-market society. But, the people, language, and even the feel of the place aren’t quite the same as Belgrade. I walked a bit last night and enjoyed what I saw.

Romania is usually referred to as a poor country but it seems to have the extremes....Bucharest is thriving and construction is going on everywhere. I passed both Jaguar and BMW dealerships and saw VWs that came from Romania VW/Porsche. There are more cars trying to maneuver around the city than the roads can handle. Car ownership is one sign of prosperity and individual independence--you can buy a car and travel by yourself, in the privacy of your own vehicle. Never mind that you won't travel very quickly because traffic moves so slowly. Yesterday, coming in from the airport--16 kms from the hotel or 14 miles--took about an hour. That's how slowly traffic moved. My Embassy driver told me, yes, he had a car too...a Nissan SUV...but he often took the bus or walked because it was faster. I wanted to ask more about why he had a car--and that particular vehicle--but his English didn't seem strong enough for me to engage him as I might have wanted. Gasoline costs about $1.25 per liter...that's $5 per gallon.

I will travel by car to some other cities and will soon see the extremes. More about that as it unfolds.

I left the Hilton to see part of the city on foot. I think I have an ear infection so I stepped into a pharmacy and bought an antibiotic. No prescription was necessary for me to purchase a five-day supply of amoxicillin. My doctor at home would likely cringe over questions of purity, especially if I told her I paid only about $1.50 for the 15 capsules. I found one of my favorite stops when I travel....an open produce market. It always seems to me to be a good indicator of the economy to see what's for sale in the market. Much of the produce had the "factory produced" look of American produce....clean and shiny....some of it even in plastic containers similar to what we have. Of course, the pineapples were imported...with Delmonte tags attached...as were the kiwi. But the carrots, potatoes, various fall squash, wonderful cabbages and other leafy crops looked to have been grown locally. I went upstairs in an old building that was sort of a shopping mall....full of small booths, each about 10 X 10 (or 3 meters by 3 meters). There seemed to be about four predominant types of shops....clothing--mostly women's clothing, hardware, toiletries, and canned goods. The mix of merchandise seldom varied. Why would someone go to the booth in the back corner to buy when for convenience safe, they could buy from a ground floor vender? I'm always amazed to see these sorts of shops and wonder where their customers come from.

The time difference is 8 hours...it's a little past 10 as I post this. I'll add more shortly but must stop now for a meeting and initial orientation.

2006-09-29T20:46:00.000-05:00

I wish I were traveling so that I'd have some encouraging observations to post. Instead, I suppose I could talk about the students I teach....many of whom would have trouble finding Canada on a map. And, don't even think about asking them to name a world leader other than G.W. Bush.

Their dismal knowledge of the world, combined with the even more dismal outcome from U.S. foreign policy, suggests it will be a lonnnnnngggggggg time before the U.S. recovers from its recent blunders.

Many newspapers have carried this story:

Forbes.com http://www.forbes.com/business/energy/feeds/ap/2006/09/28/ap3053440.html

Associated Press
Hughes: Fixing U.S. Image May Take Years
By ANNE GEARAN , 09.28.2006, 05:42 PM

It may take decades to change anti-American feelings around the world that have been aggravated by war in Iraq, U.S. policy toward Israel and America's "sex and violence" culture, the State Department official in charge of dealing with the U.S. image abroad said Thursday.

"The anti-Americanism, the concern around the world ... this ideological struggle, it's not going to change" quickly, Undersecretary of State Karen Hughes said in an interview with The Associated Press. "It's going to be the work of years and maybe decades."

Hughes, a longtime adviser to President Bush, has worked for more than a year to retool the way America sells itself overseas, but she acknowledged that success can be next to impossible to measure.

A June poll by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press found that America's image in 15 nations dropped sharply in 2006. For example, less than one-third of the people in Egypt, Pakistan, Jordan and Turkey had a favorable view of the U.S.

According to that poll, America's continued involvement in Iraq was seen as a worse problem than Iran and its nuclear ambitions.

In the bleak National Intelligence Estimate portion declassified this week, the government's top analysts concluded that Iraq has become a "cause celebre" for jihadists, who are growing in number and geographic reach. If the trend continues, the analysts found, the risks to the U.S. interests at home and abroad will grow.

Hughes said the three-year-old Iraq war "is the most recent excuse" for anti-American grievance in the Muslim world.

"Much of the world did not agree with our decision to go into Iraq," just as there is long-standing disagreement with U.S. support for Israel, Hughes said.

Answering those complaints and defending U.S. policy is part of Hughes' job heading the broad category of U.S. outreach known as "public diplomacy." Although her job involves all regions of the world, Bush asked her to concentrate on reframing the U.S. image in the Islamic world.

"All you have to do is sit in a hotel room in the Middle East and watch the media and you see there is a lot, there is a big drumbeat out there going against our interests," Hughes said.

"I'm trying to approach this as putting in place the type of things that over the long run will make a difference for our country, because I don't expect that in the two years and ... three or four months of the president's administration that we'll see a significant shift."

Hughes has sent Arabic speakers to do four times as many interviews with Arabic media as in previous years and set up three rapid public relations response centers overseas to monitor and respond to the news.

Asked whether America's critics have any legitimate gripes, Hughes said yes.

"One of the things that I hear a lot, particularly in deeply conservative societies, is that parents feel kind of assaulted by American culture," Hughes said. "The sex and the violence that they see on television and movies ... some of the lyrics of our music."

The fact that American culture is so pervasive and accessible around the globe is "a double-edged sword," Hughes said. "Obviously, a lot of young people find our pop culture very appealing."

Hughes said the United States must be careful not to cast its fight against extremism and terrorism as a confrontation with Islam as a whole. She would not say whether she and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had advised Bush to stop using the term "Islamic fascism" to describe the ideology behind terrorism.

Bush and his spokesman used the phrase several times in August, but it has apparently disappeared from the White House lexicon since then. A check of transcripts on the State Department Web site indicates Rice, who is Hughes' boss, has apparently not used that phrase.

Hughes said that while she would not reveal private conversations with Bush, "that has been a subject of great debate within the administration."

"It's difficult to know what to call the ideology that we're up against, because it is a perversion of Islam," Hughes said.

"I use 'violent extremist,' because I think they are extremists, they are violent, they are actually mass murderers who pervert their religion."

Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

2006-08-25T13:27:00.000-05:00

Helpful Hints:

Whether leaving the U.S. for a Fulbright experience or simply traveling abroad, I've posted here some information that might be helpful in preparing for your trip...esp if you're traveling to a transitional country or location that is particularly distinctive in some way.

We do live in a world where travel--even with security concerns--is easily accomplished but for anyone traveling abroad, remember: you are in another country and things won't work or operate as they do in the United States. Sometimes things will function much better; often, things will move at a much slower pace. The slow pace isn't a bad thing either, as long as you prepare yourself to respond accordingly to the different pace.

What would I take with me if I were leaving the U.S.? In no particular order....though for reference purposes, I have numbered the items.

1. An unlocked, multiband cell/mobile telephone. An unlocked phone accepts a SIM card. The SIM card is the circuit card that can be obtained from any mobile phone provider in a country you visit. Unlocked means the phone is not dedicated to a particular cell company. Can you buy a phone once you're there? Yes...though sometimes they're even more expensive than in the U.S. And, they might not always be unlocked. Buy a local SIM card...it will come with a phone number, some prepaid minutes...and more time can easily be bought. Check the frequency the phone will operate on...there are several frequencies used for mobile service around the world. A phone with tri-band or quad-band service capability should work in almost any circumstance. Ideally, the phone's charger will work on any voltage--though you may need a plug adapter for it. Also, expect to learn to text message--if you don't already text message. This website has more information: http://www.thetravelinsider.info/roadwarriorcontent/quadbandphones.htm

2. Pack at least a small quantity of a comfort food that you enjoy and don't think will be available. I took a 20 ounce French Press coffee maker, some "Eight O'clock" brand Columbian coffee, and a small jar of peanut butter. I knew from experience that U.S. drip coffee wasn't likely to be available...nor would I find peanut butter. If you drink decaf coffee or tea, pack some...it probably don't be available.

3. If you take a laptop computer, don't expect to find WiFi service--unless you're in a hotel or major city. Dialup should be available. Create at least one alternate email address. If you have a webmail account from your workplace or a home university, some browsers in Internet Cafes have block-up poppers activated and you won't be able to change the setting. Find an alternate email service and open the account before you leave. Even if you never use it, it's better to have it as an option than to struggle with creating it while on the road. Do download a VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) program for your computer before leaving home. The most common service is probably Skype. Go to www.skype.com for info. You can actually get a telephone number with a local area code and prefix that your family can use to contact you. Skype works pretty well with a dialup connection. I've used Skype in Montenegro, Serbia and Albania. There are other services besides Skype...do get one. The calls are much cheaper and it is often difficult and expensive to call from your country back to the U.S. Most services even allow you to create a mailbox where someone can leave a voicemail for you. You might also look into DSL service in some countries...also, some universities have pretty good connections. In Montenegro, I found the university's bandwidth to be limited and connections slow.

4. Orient your spouse/family/friends on how Skype is used if they also open a Skype account or plan to contact you at yours. Many VOIP systems, like Skype, will let you call another account--computer-to-computer--for FREE. Calls to a regular phone number or your Skype number will cost a little something but the cost is modest.

5. Take along a good voltage converter and buy a surge protector once you're there. The quality of the electrical service can vary...esp in the rainy season.

6. If the climate is rainy, get some really good rain shoes. Perhaps my experience was atypical but I walked a lot and did so regardless of the weather. Even a 20-30 minute walk in the rain was better than a 30-40 minute wait for a taxi...but there's nothing worse than having wet feet all day. I took some hiking boots which also protected my feet from uneven sidewalks or hidden obstacles.

7. Pick clothing that's easy to take care of and that will blend in with the population...also know that you can buy locally many things you need. Ask a local contact about an open market where the local population shops so you'll buy what they buy and get better prices. You'll know you're dressed appropriately when people stop you on the street to ask directions--they happened to me a lot in Montenegro and Serbia. Buy a couple of small, cheap plastic ponchos...the kind that are made from thin plastic...like a trash bag...and plan to tuck them away in your travel bag or coat pocket. When you're caught in the rain, you will be really glad to have it. Years ago, I was in Zambia during the rainy season and it was an essential item. I only used my poncho a couple of times in Montengro but I never had to worry about being caught without some sort of protection.

8. If you're in a place with good Internet technology, a webcam and Instant Messaging might be useful. I don't want to go too far afield on tech stuff to keep you in touch with the U.S.....you are, after all, there to experience another culture and country. But, mailing contact is comforting to family. Do take a digital camera but be sensitive about snapping pictures.

9. A flexible disposition, a heaping-helping of patience, and a willingness to enjoy adventures... whether presented through food, travel, daily experiences or interpersonal encounters.

I may update this post in a couple of days as I think of other matters...but this is a start. Email me if you have questions or comments.

2006-08-21T14:40:00.000-05:00

I'm back...I've been back in the U.S. since June 1. Yes, I'm tardy in adding another post to my blog but not because I haven't thought about things I wanted to talk about. Since returning from Montenegro, I've spent most of the summer with my family...it has been a time to make amends for my absence and the many things they had to do without me. I needed the time away and regret that they did not travel with me...I hope that I can arrange something for them in the future so they will see the beautiful places I've visited and get to talk to the people I've met.

Being back in the U.S. has been both wonderful and challenging. The first month I was back, the sheer overstimulation I felt from the pace of life and conspicuous consumption in the U.S. was stressful. I was almost immediately walking less and eating more. I'm still not walking more but I have begun to control the eating--I've added back four of the six pounds I lost. I also feel like I'm ready to travel again outside of the U.S....somewhere, anywhere...but not for such a long period of time. Perhaps the day will come when I get to travel again.

2006-05-30T08:30:00.000-05:00

In transit: I am in transit....on my way back to my home..and have stumbled upon FREE Internet access at Hotel Spendid. Hotel Splendid is my transit hotel of choice. It is reasonably inexpensive and in a part of town where you can walk and explore if you want. It's no five or even four star but the people are nice and the room is clean--though there's a stale cigarette smoke smell present. I like to think that just this once, it adds to the Hotel's charms. Google Hotel Spendid, Belgrade, for a look at the hotel....sorry, I don't have the website handy.

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I have made it through one hurdle...flying from Montenegro to Belgrade. No problems...I thought Montenegro Airlines might give me a hard time about the weight of my suitcases. They's right at 50 pounds each....you're allowed 20 or 22 kgs....which converts to about 50 pounds, the present US weight maximum. Tomorrow, I will probably be ok...I'll be sure to whip out my Gold Skymiles card when I check in....that usually helps. I will fly Delta, via Alitalia. Montenegro Air, departed only five minutes late....a record, I would say.

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Flying in the Balkans is a nice opporortunity to see sights that are particular to this part of the world. The mountains of Montenegro and Serbia are not quite like the Alps or mountains in the U.S. In Belgrade, I've enjoyed seeing rows of stair-stepped apartment buildings. Built, I'd say, in the 1960s. A little run down in appearance from the air but fun building design to see. Outside of Podgorica, you see Skodra Lake....a beautiful sight. The water is surprisingly clear.

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It is cool and cloudy in Belgrade. I've walked around a bit but will head up to my hotel room in a bit and try to go to sleep around 5 or 6...it is 3:35 PM now. My taxi will arrive at 4 AM. Flight leave at 6:05 for Milan...then Atlanta...then Peoria. By the way, I am typing on an ancient HP desktop that originally came with Windows 95, but now has the ultramodern Windows 98 operating system. The really good news: a cable modem and decent connection speeds.

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As I did some post-referendum visits in Montenegro, I kept asking people: will things be better or worse in the next 2-3 years? That is an interesting question. Montenegro now needs to help the citizens understand what it takes to have a civil society....free and fair elections, a chance for any to run in the election...civil liberties (protection of human rights and freedom of speech, among others)...and somewhere in this mix is an appearance of transperancy, not only in government but in economic matters also. I think it will be tough and wonder whether the government has a real plan for conveying the importance of these issues. If there's no plan, things will get worse before they get better.

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2006-05-28T01:50:00.000-05:00

The time is ticking away. It's Sunday morning...I start the trip back to Podgorica in about an hour. The trip will take about three hours, including border crossing time. I've been pretty lucky with collecting job satisfaction surveys at the TV station and I had a good meeting with people there also, including doing a brief sales workshop for their marketing people. It was similar to the things I've done in Niksic and Plevjia.

My time in Montenegro is almost up. Monday will be my last full day in Podgorica. I'll catch a morning flight to Belgrade on Tuesday, spend the night--at Hotel Splendid--and then catch my early morning flight to the U.S. So little time but still many things to do. I'll start washing clothes when I get home to Podgorica today...just need to take care of a few things to ensure clean clothes for the plane ride. And, of course, I'll pack my bags. With luck, everything will fit into the two bags I came with.

Yes, there are some things I am leaving and of course, I am returning with a few things also. My most interesting item is a food processor I bought at a junk market. A food processor, you ask. Why would you buy that? Because it's a mortor and pestle, both made from brass. Yes, it's heavy but I think it's interesting enough to bring home. Supposedly, it's 70-100 years old. In the old days, people would use them to crush salt or sugar--sold in solid lumps. Also, to grind spices, pound coffee or pulverize anything else. It's about 8 inches tall and looks like it would hold at least 12 ounces of liquid. I'll try to post a picture at some point. Though my time is about up, I'll post some photos...once I can do some editing.

2006-05-25T15:30:00.000-05:00

Finally, my Atlas Television pictures have posted! That's Atlas Program Manager Meliha and me, in their master control room. All video events are stored digitally and the station runs much like a giant MP3 player--though with pictures and sound and programs and commercials airing at scheduled times. On the plasma monitor are scenes from "Fashion Television" a channel featuring fashion models walking down the runway in designs from Paris or Milan or some other location and with pop music playing in the background. Once in a while, they actually have a few seconds of interview with a designer, model or celebrity. Atlas uses FTV to fill blocks of vacant program time.

Here's their neat little Canon camera with a firewire attached harddrive. The audio connection is wireless...though you also see an attached camera shotgun mic. They were shotting a wraparound for a show while I was there. Then they unplugged the harddrive and connected it to a computer for editing. Editing is done with Adobe Premiere. It's a known software in the region...easy enough to find people who are experienced users...and it will do what they need to do. And did I mention, it's cheap to buy, install and maintain?

Here's a slightly tighter shot of master control with people blocking the view.

2006-05-25T11:26:00.000-05:00

Johnnie Walker: It was like a scene from a John LaCarre or Tom Clancy novel. When I arrived at the border crossing from Montenegro to Albania, the Montenegro side seemed to be just starting their day…everyone wasn’t quite awake, though it was 8 AM. I was ordered back outside the border control building by a fellow holding a bottle of Johnnie Walker Red…an open, half-empty bottle of Johnnie Walker Red. He stepped across the room and out of sight. When he returned, he had a glass in one hand and the bottle in the other hand. Now, I can’t say for certain that he poured a glass of JWR for breakfast but that’s what it looked like to me. I promise; I’m not making it up. The officer who appeared moments later and took my passport was a nice looking, young and clean-cut guy. He was polite, professional and wished me a good day. I’m in Albania today. I’m here collecting some job satisfaction data for a research project.

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The Picture I wish I could take: When you travel, there are always pictures that you wish you could take. Sometimes you just miss the shot because you’re not ready, or the shot you get is poorly framed or something else prevents you from getting it right. Then there are the shots you imagine but can’t quite figure out how to get into a position to take. I keep imagining a shot with two Montenegrin or Albanian women….one elderly and one young, 18-23. The elderly woman will likely be wearing a black dress that goes almost to her ankles, black socks, and her head will be covered with a scarf. She is a peasant woman, use to hard work and a modest life. The young woman might be her granddaughter but her appearance will provide a 180 degree change. Her hair will probably be bleached or dyed—and could even be a shade of purple. She’ll be wearing blue jeans and a tank top and both jeans and shirt will look like they’re at least one size too small. And, she’ll probably be walking with high heeled shoes. Life here is such a contrast. The grandmother was alive before Communism and lived her most productive years under Communist rule. The granddaughter has only a little more memory of Communism than might her American counterparts. She may well be an only child—though Albanians often have large families. Now she is struggling to find her way in the world and in many ways has a tougher environment to live in than her grandmother because the granddaughter receives so many conflicting messages. There are the traditional roles of woman caring for home and children plus doing household and homestead chores. There’s the potential message of new opportunities for women, if her father will permit her to get an education. And, there’s the pop culture world of sexuality that has already changed her self-image, just as it changes the lives of young women in the U.S. But at least in the U.S., the changes have not produced the cultural gulf that is present in the Balkans. What sort of life is ahead for this young woman in her difficult and vastly differing world? Why would I want this picture? Because it presents this contrast and is part of the ever complicated situation of life here.

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In my time in Montenegro, Serbia and Albania—since early February—I have encountered only a dozen native English speakers. Three were only brief pass-bys as we walked past each other on the sidewalk. Seven were Embassy or US-AID (Agency for International Development) people. I encountered my 13^th native English speaker tonight; he was American and I would have preferred to have never had the contact. The guy walked into the restaurant where I was having dinner. His tattooed right arm was wrapped around his Albanian girlfriend. I though he might actually be a local mafia guy. Instead he was a drunk American and every tenth word out of his mouth was something offensive. Apparently he’d had a bad day at work—I think he worked for a contractor, probably with some sort of infrastructure rehab project. I didn’t talk to him and though I spoke a few words to my waiter, I doubt that he realized I was also an American.

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I have tried multiple times to post the Atlas Television pictures but have not been able to get them to load. I will keep trying.

2006-05-23T08:01:00.000-05:00

Drooling with envy. I mentioned in Sunday's blog my chance encounter with a past workshop attendee; she's working for Atlas Television, a new privately owned television station in Podgorica and has used job descriptions and performance appraisals in hiring employees (that's from my management workshop). I visited her station today. All I can saw is WOW! My friends in the TV business would be drooling over the equipment and installation. It's an entirely digital facility. Their control room monitor is a big plasma TV with an added software option to allow the screen to be dissected for use in any desired way.....as one single screen or up to 20 individual monitors. Audio is wireless throughout the facility. Their video field cameras have firewire connected harddrives to store the raw video. And, their cameras are a smart choice....the Canon XL2...with an improved lens....a good picture at a good price.

I will transfer the pictures from my camera and try to get them uploaded shortly.

My only beef with the station is the lack of local news--though at the same time, the other private stations and state television do such a poor job with news that Montenegro doesn't need another struggling newscast. Atlas has purchased a movie package of top titles and the series Law and Order: Criminal Intenet for local airing. As explained to me, they hope to avoid ad sales to small businesses and instead focus on larger clients. Their studios will wow any visitor. If they're able to attract a reasonable audience with their movies and local efforts, they may do ok but I think they will soon be surprised by how difficult it is to both sustain the programming efforts they envision AND to effectively sell to agencies and larger clients. There are sooooo many stations in Montenegro and each wants a slice of the ad market. I heard an estimate last week that the ad market in Serbia was between $72 - $100 million. I can't imagine that the entire ad market in Montenegro (print, broadcast and outdoor) is even $15 million. Yes, I've pulled this number partly from thin air....but it is also based on some real observations and market knowledge.

One ace they have up their sleeve is their owner....Atlas Holdings, an investment group that owns a large bank group, Atlas beer, has involvement in tourism, and owns small private college that offers a graphics program. Those are just a few of the things they own...the station will of course help promote all of their ventures.

2006-05-22T07:42:00.000-05:00

These photos haven't been cropped or reduced with Photoshop, so the files are quite large and slow to load. But, I wanted to give you a look at some of the Pro Independence celebrants from last night/this morning. I left my apartment about 11:30 PM and didn't get back until about 2:30 AM. And, the streets--though with thinning crowds--certainly weren't empty as I headed home. Police were out but the crowds I saw were in a good mood. I also saw journalists from a number of countries covering the event. Journalists from Reuters, Finland, Germany, Slovenia, Albania and Serbia were present. Earlier I saw a BBC crew but I could not confirm their presence last night.

By a whisker, the referendum has been approved. The Electoral Commission has reported approval by 55.4% of the voters--this is above the EU's 55% threshhold but hardly a decisive victory. If it's appropriate to think of the glass as "half full" instead of "half empty" then we can also think of Serbia as now being free of Montenegro. Perhaps the Serbian government will think harder about their desire to join the EU and they will finally turn over over Mladic. Serbia, with a substantially larger population and considerably more entrepreneurship thanMontenegro, has a lot to offer the EU.

Celebrations have continued today. At the university, there is a noticeable gulf among the faculty. Probably 75% of the faculty supported continuing the union. At least 50% of the staff also appears to support the union. Students have been given an option to delay their final exams, scheduled for today, until Thursday.

Some of the exams that I know about are simple oral exams. "Let's spend 5-10 minutes with you answering some questions about an entire semester of work so that we may determine your competience in the coursework." This is hardly a rigorous, appropriate and ethical approach to educational assessment. I am sure there are countries where the European model of education works very well but I will forever have doubts about the quality of any graduate degree work I encounter from a Balkan region university. There is little rigor or review of the educational process.

"Estavisti" emailed me to take exception to my characterization of Montenegro as now being free. First, thank you for your email. Though you've disagree with my comments, I appreciate the fact that you read them and emailed.

I think you and I are in greater agreement than perhaps you believe. My characterization of freedom is based on Montenegro not being "amalgamated" into a relationship with other countries by threat or sheer size and power domination. In that regard, Montenegro is now independent of external relationships and in that way it is, as I said, "On the brink of becoming an independent republic." I would agree that Montenegro has not made the sort of political/economic/social progress needed under the Dukanovic government and that is why I went further to acknowledge the difficult times that I believe are ahead for Montenegro. I also think the Pro campaign ran as an extension of government policy and not as an independent election issue. I don't know if you were here in Montenegro following the elections or getting reports from the web. I can tell you that at one point in the evening--my translated report--indicated that at least one opposition leader was not willing to concede defeat and the report indicated a call to go to the streets...not necesarily for confrontation but to simply not accept defeat, yet.

If you don't like my report....check this short story:

http://euronews.net/create_html.php?page=detail_info&article=360107&lng=1

2006-05-21T16:16:00.000-05:00

The Little Engine That Could: It isn’t often that you have a chance to watch a country gain independence—from ground level. I have just done that. Montenegro is on the brink of becoming an independent republic. Unofficially, I’m told the approval vote for the independence referendum was 56 or 57%, with approximately an 86% turnout; the referendum needed 55% approval for recognition by the EU. (Too bad Americans can’t achieve an 86% turnout for our presidential elections. I suppose when you live in a democracy, that also means taking your freedom for granted.)

The last time Montenegro was mostly free was nearly 100 years ago but wars in the Balkans ended their monarchy and led to their absorption by Serbia. I watched the initial returns with some local friends and then walked back to my apartment. As I returned, cars were pouring onto the streets, each car packed to capacity with youthful enthusiasts, waving the flag and yelling, “Viva Montenegro” as they raced down the highway.

Opposition leaders are not yet willing to recognize the results. There is word that the opposition parties are calling on their followers to go onto the streets and not yield to the independence movement—not until the official vote numbers come out tomorrow. If this happens, I think there could be some scuffles. I don’t know that they’ll be bad…maybe some rock throwing and fist fights. I hope this is all. I suspect there’s a greater risk of a fatality from an auto accident or pedestrian being hit by a passing car. There’s been some gunfire…just shots into the air to celebrate, including two bursts from an automatic weapon—with tracers. The police are on the streets so order should be maintained.

The celebrants on the streets are mostly young people—perhaps 16-30 years old. I wonder if they know just what they’ve gotten themselves into? Montenegro has a long way to go before they will be ready to join the EU. I’m not an expert on their government or economic policies but many reforms are needed to rid the country of the gray economy and a significant push to improve university education is needed. There’s little commitment by the faculty at the University of Montenegro to actually educate the students. Courses in law, political science and journalism have few written assignments and lectures are often cancelled by the faculty. Final exams are often oral and are completed in 5-10 minutes. I've also blogged before about cheating by students--it is a problem. How can you be a functioning, independent country if you don’t have qualified people to fill needed jobs? And, the brain drain continues to be a problem. The best and brightest know they don't have to stay here, if they don't want to stay.

I like Montenegro…I like the people….and I am happy they have approved independence in a peaceful, democratic election. But for all the donor money that has come into the country so far, I think it is only a small percentage of what will be needed to help the country begin to function independently. I'd like to think the proud Montenegrin heritage will encourage them to pursue reforms on their own. I won't hold my breath.

Viva Montenegro!

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Side note: As I was walking to town today, I met a young woman who attended my management and sales workshop in Podgorica in March 2004. She’s now the program manager for Atlas TV—the newest private TV station in Montenegro. She beamed as she told me she has used two specific ideas she learned from my workshop: Create job descriptions for all employees you hire and have the employees read and sign a copy of the job description, and let them know they will be evaluated through a performance appraisal process that is based on the job description! I will give her a call Tuesday and go by the station for a tour.

2006-05-18T12:00:00.000-05:00

On the road, again. I'm in Belgrade, attending a seminar on media management and advertising, sponsored by the University of Georgia and the University of Belgrade. Part of the seminar includes a discussion of the role of media management and advertising sales in the curriculum of a journalism/mass communication program. We also visited Politika, a privatized newspaper that is a joint-venture between Serb owners and a German firm. It has been a fascinating and educational day for me. There were plans to offer a similar workshop in Podgorica but timing of Montenegro's Independence Referendum has interfered with the schedule.

I arrived here yesterday after driving from Dubrovnik, Croatia, back to Podgorica to catch a plane to Belgrade. My trip back to Podgorica took me through Bosnia. It was an easy enough drive but I must say, I had some mild concerns. Here I was traveling through a country where Serb aggressors (Bosnian Serbs, if I have my details correct) were the impetus for much of the ruin that beset the country. I was in Southern Bosnia, an area sparsely populated because of the rocky slopes and simple inability to make a living from the soil. As I passed abandoned stone houses, I could only guess whether the occupants had fled because of war or the poverty of the area...or a little of both. I drove through areas that seemed so remote I would have suspected no one lived there but then I'd see muddy tracks entering the highway from a hidden road or see cow manure that was deposited on the highway by grazing livestock. Fortunately, there were no cows on the road and on the entire trip through Bosnia (a 1.5 hour drive), excluding Tribija--I think I have spelled the name of the Bosnia town I traveled through correctly, though the name in Bosnian looks very different than this--I met fewer than two dozen cars. I even saw one warning about possible landmines along one area of the road. Don't worry, I had no plans to stop for photos. Before you think me foolish or crazy for traveling through here, know that these are the remains of war....not the current condition. And, what about the last time you traveled through an area of your city where for economic and social reasons, you would not be welcomed by the residents because of your race or perhaps it's only because of the big shiny, new car you drive?

I should add that in Dubrovnik, I visited a memorial to the citizens of Dubrovnik who were killed by Serb artillery shells that destroyed parts of the city. My Montenegrin friends kept telling me my rental car would be keyed when people saw the license plates of my parked car. None of this happened. While I suspect much of their fear falls into an urban myth category, I also was smart enough to pay for decent parking and to have no reason to put myself into stupid situations where there could be problems.

A tourist comment: Dubrovnik is a WORLD TREASURE. It is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever visited. I stayed within the city in an efficiency apartment located in a refurbished building. I usually don't put commercial plugs on my blog but I highly recommend this place. It's early in the season so the rate was wonderful....50 Euros a night. Check this website to see what the place looks like: http://www.dubrovnik-online.com/apartments_placa/html/contact.html

I will try to post some photos here in a few days...just need to do some Photoshop work to make the files smaller and more manageable.

2006-05-12T13:09:00.001-05:00

An assortment of comments and observations.

The Independence Referendum election is now less than 10 days away. The two sides are more aggressive now. I've seen some defaced billboards of the Pro side. I actually have not seen any Pro Unity signs. People routinely drive through town in their cars honking and waving flags...either the flag of Montenegro (Pro Indep) or the flag for Serbia/Montenegro (Pro Unity).

Electricity shortages. Montenegro apparently has some electricity shortages in the summer, as demand for air conditioning increases. I guess the old Central Planning Committee never imaged that the masses would have air conditioning.

Lunch. People don't seem to take lunch breaks....or if they do, it's to discretely step away and have something quick and cheap from a bakery...pizza rolls are a good example. There actually aren't very many places where lunch is a purchase option. At 4-10 Euros, even at a modest restaurant, it's a big part of a typical worker's paycheck. Yesterday, I sneaked out of the station and bought some sort of roll with a fruit filling. Today, at 8:30 PM, I've had nothing since breakfast except coffee, fruit juice, and a couple of small pieces of taffy. Will get a pizza in a few minutes.

The drive. I've been at TV-Radio Niksic everyday except Tuesday. The station drives me back to my apartment and picks me up. It's been a good experience although they desperately need to downsize the staff--or, more properly, right-size the staff. My driver knows only a few words of English but knows his car horn well. He's from the nearby community of Daniograd and uses his horn to both greet friends and warn not so attentive drivers and walkers. He's a good driver...he slows down early, doesn't tailgate, actually slowed considerably on Thursday when it was raining heavily...and he only scared the heck out of me two or three times with some wild passing moves.

Utility Trailers. Today, coming back, my driver passed a small station wagon pulling a trailer...the sort of two-wheeled, open and lowside utility trailer you once commonly say in the U.S....before everyone decided they needed a pickup truck. In the trailer were two cows. I marveled that they would stay in this small trailer. Then I saw that their heads were pulled all the way to the bed of the trailer and the halter was tied securely. They had no choice but to take a ride.

Rides. My driver stopped this morning and picked up a woman who was a teacher and dropped her at the school. She was someone he recognized as we passed. It was a nice gesture. Then he picked up a policeman he knew. Also a nice gesture in a country where cars are few and buses are often crowded. This afternoon, he picked up three women. I could tell from the conversation he told them he was going to Podgorica. They climbed in. I was dropped off first but I wonder: he didn't seem to know these women. Did he charge them a Euro for the trip? That would have been cheaper than the bus and he could pocket a little extra money. I'll never know.

The fig trees are covered with plump green figs---it will be a couple of months, I'd guess, before they're ripe. The grape vines have bunches of grapes--each grape looks smaller than a pin head. AND, best of all....some of the vines that looked like grape vines when they were dormant and actually kiwi vines! And, they're covered with fruit, also.

Media Blackout. There's no First Amendment/Press Freedom concept in Montenegro. Before the election--I believe it is 48 hours before the election--there will be a media blackout of all referendum coverage. At least there's supposed to be. There's no way to keep Serbian newspapers, sold in Montenegro, from publishing stories. The Montenegro papers and broadcast media can be sanctioned. There's also nothing to prevent websites from covering the story, either. We'll see how it goes.

2006-05-11T12:44:00.000-05:00

The Great War: Wherever I’ve traveled in Eastern Europe (Montenegro, Serbia, Bulgaria, Albania or Ukraine), there are monuments to The Great Patriotic War. We simply call it World War II. Many of the monuments commemorate partisans—local civilians who were captured and shot by the Nazis. World War II marked the end of independence for many countries in Eastern Europe after they were swallowed by the USSR and would have to wait 40 years before Communism collapsed. Now they are waiting for economic reforms, political reforms, and social reforms. And, it’s always the fault of someone else—a person, political party or government—as to why things don’t move faster. Meanwhile, Tom Brokaw identified the WWII generation in the U.S. as the Greatest Generation. They certainly put the U.S. on the world map—politically and economically—with our confident outlook about life and certainty of success. This mark still pervades American culture today.

I have spent the last two days in an uncertain circumstance. I’ve been at a municipal television station in Niksic. The people I’ve met are very nice and many seem committed to their jobs and the station. But, in a meeting with the general manager and sales manger, I asked about monthly station expenses…then took that number and reversed engineered to demonstrate the sort of advertising rates the station needed to be getting. Jaws dropped when they saw the number. The manager is new and seems to be a sharp guy. But the sales manager has been there so long that I do not believe she understands what it means to price something at an appropriate market price. They’re selling some spots now at about 50 Euro cents for a 10 second ad. They need to be earning around 10-12 Euros per :30 spot, not to pay all their expenses, but to cover about half their costs, with the municipality covering the rest.

Here’s another reality dose about life in Montenegro and, for that matter, many other places in the world. Employees sometimes work without getting paid. And, there’s little immediate recourse. Two years ago in Uganda, Monica, the manager of an FM station, asked a workshop colleague and me, for advice on how to get her station’s owner to pay salaries that were already two months late. The Niksic station was off the air for two years—there were political squabbles in the multiparty municipal government, the previous manager was ineffective, workers were not motivated (the station’s physical space was in shambles and much of the equipment wasn’t working), and of course, it was Montenegro…with the many larger problems weighing in on the operation of one small TV station. The station went off the air and no one was paid.

The obvious question is why should they be? And, perhaps that’s the answer. The station needs to dig itself out of this salary debt but apparently is prohibited by law from doing so. Even workers who aren’t working can expect a paycheck. And, that’s part of the problem with Montenegro and why it will take substantial reforms, if they win independence, before they can expect an invitation to join the EU.

But wait, there’s more to life in Montenegro. What did those workers do in the two years the station was off the air? I don’t have a ready answer but I know they did something. Were they part of the grey economy—selling goods but not paying taxes? Did they work somewhere else and only rejoin the station because they expected to get their “salary arrears” as the missing pay is called here? No one has told me stories of famine.

Land and property: My apartment was apparently a political patronage gift to its owner. The owner was a faithful supporter of someone in power who simply took this apartment and another one in the complex and gave them away. Today, this apartment is probably worth $60,000….perhaps a little more. When you attempt to reform a country, how far back do you go in your reform effort?

I'm going to make a trip to Dubrovnic next week. I will spend about 165 Euros for a rental car plus gasoline expenses (currently equal to $5.40 per gallon). I will spend more to rent this car than the average worker in Serbia and Montenegro will make in one month.

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Note: I don’t consider anything I’ve revealed here to have been confidential in nature. The station information is generally available information that has appeared in the newspapers and is part of street talk about city activities. It is also the exact same situation I’ve seen in other countries I’ve visited.

2006-05-09T10:17:00.000-05:00

Niksic: I will spend Wednesday - Friday in the nearby town of Niksic (pronounced Nick-sheets). The city is Montenegro's second largest municipality and can trace it's roots to a 4th century Roman camp. I'll spend my time at Radio/Television Niksic, where I'll first do some observing and then offer some recommendations about management and sales. I had a good meeting there on Monday afternoon with the Managing Director (general manager), the news director and program director.

The station was literally off the air for TWO years due to management and financial problems. Among other things, the previous manager seemed to have been a political appointee with no knowledge of broadcasting--or much of anything else. There was an employee strike of supporters when the local government tried to remove him and then a strike by workers who didn't support him and opposed the other workers' strike. What a mess. On top of that, people apparently have not been paid--even though the old manager made a public commitment to pay everyone.

The people I met seemed pretty sharp and motivated to solve problems. This is the only TV station licensed to the city--which is about a 40-50 minute drive from Podgorica. They do receive signals from national TV and the many private TV stations that are based on Podgorica but the local station is working hard to be a local voice. TV Niksic was the first municipal TV station in Montenegro. By law, the station may air up to six minutes of commercials every hour. Private TV station may air up to 12 minutes.

The biggest problem with advertising sales is the lack of local clients to sufficiently support local media...or national media, for that matter. A vigorous economy, free of illegal (grey) economic practices--untaxed or unreported income--would produce a substantial, positive difference in the societal structure of Montenegro.

For more information about the town...and there's not that much to include....go to:
http://www.niksic.cg.yu/ETurizam/EIzletista.htm

A friend tells me I should always post some sort of picture as an eye catching device. Unfortunately, the Internet connection isn't running well enough to make that happen. I will try later.

2006-05-08T04:07:00.000-05:00

Lectures: Today is my last lecture to a small core of faithful students from law, political science and journalism at the University of Montenegro. My class, because it is taught in English, is an elective course. The students are as interested in an interaction with a American as they are in the topics I discuss. Because the group is so mixed, I've generally discussed the role of media in society, including some discussion of media theories to explain how people use or react to media content. My class will have to end a little earlier than usual today. Though I've been in this room, meeting at 10 AM until 11:30 AM all semester, another class has been schedule to use the room at 11 AM. Why or how this happens, I do not know. Schedule planning is one more area needing overhaul at the university. It seems to be a scattered, random system of assignments.

Police Presence: The newspapers reported Saturday morning of rocks thrown at vehicles leaving a referendum rally the previous night. Three or four cars were struck by rocks but there were no arrests. During the day Saturday, as a friend and I walked around Podgorica, we were surprised by the number of police officers we saw on the streets. Was this an effort to prevent any referendum-related clashes between proponents and opponents, I wondered aloud? Fortunately, the answer was no. The police were on the streets to prevent soccer/football holligans from causing trouble before or after Saturday's game. Fans get roudy in the U.S. but it's nothing compared to some of the trouble that breaks out in Western Europe at football matches. Serbia/Montenegro apparently is beginning to copy those actions.

Manicured: In the U.S., they'd be weeds if they sprouted in the manicured, chemically-treated lawns of a suburban neighborhood but here in Montenegro, they are wildflowers. White, yellow, orange, pink, violet, blue, purple and red colors add to the feeling of spring. Even here, some of the wildflowers aren't always welcomed....especially as they reach a foot or more in height. Then the weedtrimmers do their work. Here that means a man with a traditional scythe will cut them, by hand and with the sweat of his brow. This is the same sort of scythe Americans might see in a picture with the Grim Reaper....a curved blade about three feet long and a wooden handle about five feet long. In the Green Market, you can buy a new scythe handle or new blade. The handle costs about 2 Euros and a new blade about 10 Euros.

English Creep: It is always interesting for me to hear or see English words that enter the vocabularlies in non-English speaking countries. "Marketing" does not have a Serbian equivalent term so the word has been added to the vocabulary. "Super" for great or excellent, is a commonly used word in Montenegro. On my to-do list before I leave is to take some pictures of some of the uses/applications of English words. Here's one example:

2006-05-05T10:44:00.000-05:00

Finally, a new post. I am back in Podgorica after spending time in Serbia for workshops and a conference in the U.S. and yes, a quick family visit. My time in Montenegro is coming to a quick end. The semester at the University of Montenegro is almost over....the last lectures will be this coming week. I don't get to/have to give a final exam because my class was an optional elective for students--because it was taught in English. I regret that my teaching assignment was approached rather haphazardly by the Political Sci/Journalism Department. While I have enjoyed my time in Montenegro, the teaching assignment would have been more fulfilling for the students and me if the department had acted more responsibily. Oh well...or as a Montenegrin friend would say, "That is our reality."

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I have sent a questionnaire to the Secretary General of Parliament to attempt to collect some data from Members of Parliament about press freedom and responsibility. There are only 78 or 79 MPs....we'll see how the survey goes.

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What would you do if your state in the U.S. were to decide to take a vote for independence from the U.S.? The last there were independence efforts by states, the U.S. fought a civil war. That is part of what happended in old Yugoslavia. In a couple of weeks, Montenegrins will vote on whether to end their relationship with Serbia--and become independent. If they support independence, it will be an absolute, final end to old Yugoslavia. Other parts--Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Macedonia--are already independent.

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Friends, who initially thought the independence initiative would not pass, are now saying it will pass. We will see.

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If you moved to Montenegro from Serbia 10 years ago, are you Serbian or Montenegrin or??? Or, suppose you moved from sleepy Podgorica to the big city of Belgrade six or eight years ago to take a job. Are you Montenegrin or Serbian? If you were born in Podgorica in 1955 or 1960, from parents who trace their family history to northern Serbia, are you a Yugoslavian, Serbian or Montenegrin? The point I am struggling to make is that family and regional history makes the independence question murky...there are even splits of opinion on the independence issue in families. And no, there are no rumblings of a civil war over the independence issue.

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Lost connections: I met a fellow in Belgrade whose grandmother was born in the U.S. but married a Serb and they moved to Belgrade in the early 1930s. Her children could/should have had U.S. citizenship rights--as would their children. But, the citizenship was never sought because of World War II and then the communist government in Yugoslavia. The grandmother is dead, the son is dead....and I have met only the grandson who laments on the loss of a life he might have had, if U.S. citizenship could have been established.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch....I take my citizenship for granted. I was lucky enough to have been born in the U.S. because my ancestors pursued life in a new country. In the future, I should never complain about paying taxes....and I should make certain that I vote in every election. How lucky I am.

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I have lost my only English news channel. BBC changed its satellite distribution from an analog channel to a digital channel and apparently the cable company has not kept up with the change. The space BBC once occupied is now static. Who will set my news agenda? What will I think about? Will I watch DVDs for the sort of "visual stimulation and companionship" often provided by television? Or, maybe I will just read more. I will keep you posted.

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The swallows have returned and are building new mud nests on my patio. I'd be willing to bet that they migrated here from Northern Africa....did they bring bird flu? Not that I am aware. I have heard no reports in the news....of course, my BBC channel is no longer available. :)

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“You must be nuts traveling to all those foreign places,” some of my friends an acquaintances think. But let’s look at the facts. Rank the following countries according to their risk of threat from terror attacks, from one (low risk) to five (high risk). I have visited all of these places.
____ United States

____ Serbia & Montenegro

____ Albania

____ Uganda

____ Germany

The information in this quiz comes from Aon Crisis Management and was reported in Wired magazine, June 2005, pages 56-57.

The greatest terror threat risk comes in Uganda. The article doesn’t report specifics but I suspect this risk is primarily in the northern part of the country, bordering Sudan, and the threat comes from the Lord’s Resistance Army, a violent group that has, for more than a dozen years, kidnapped children to turn them into child soldiers or slaves. (Participants in workshop I helped with, in safe Kampala a year ago, were talking about a radio station in the north of the country that was destroyed by rebels. They marveled at the fact that the rebels didn’t shoot the announcer on duty at the time, instead letting him go before they burned the control room.)

There is a three-way tie next between Germany, the United States and Serbia & Montenegro—all belong in the elevated threat category. Germany and the U.S. are at risk from far right and Islamic extremists. Serbia & Montenegro have some risks from nationalists/separatists and organized crime violence. The safest country on the list, Albania, is in the guarded category. One of my favorite countries—Zambia—is in the low threat level.

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Friends in Nis, Serbia, were asking about my travels. I told them that I barely travel anywhere compared with my friend Sam, who travels 5-6 time a year. They were not impressed though when I told them about the guard who traveled with him in Angola, 5-6 years ago. The guard's primary job was to watch the vehicle when it was parked to ensure that no one planted a bomb under it.

Why did the story have no impact on them? Because they live only 3 hours from Kosovo....where violence still raises its ugly head.

When was the last time you read anything in a U.S. newspaper about Kosovo? For many journalists, it is old news....there is "fresh" violence to report in Iraq.

2006-04-19T11:55:00.000-05:00

Foot traffic. When you don’t have the tradition of automobile ownership, the arrival of private car ownership creates some challenges. I’ve mentioned the parking issue—there are few organized parking lots and people routinely park on sidewalks, right in the way of pedestrians.

There’s no driver’s ed program in the schools so learning to drive often means enrolling in a private driving school. Driving is chaotic but I often think that people are actually better drivers because of the chaos—the potential dangers cause drivers to be even more watchful. Driver manners vary considerably as well, causing pedestrians to be ever watchful as they cross the streets or walk along the right-of-way.

Foot traffic also means the downtowns have not dried up as have those areas in U.S. cities. (A friend of mine, visiting the U.S. on an exchange program, was surprised by how dead Kansas City's downtown was when he visited the city.)

Here’s a shot of the pedestrian plaza in Nis. The shot was taken at about 4 PM from the balcony of Miedia Center Nis. Traffic will actually increase substantially after 5 PM as people come out to shop, window shop, and socialize. I’ve seen this same scene in Belgrade and Podgorica and Tirana, Albania. The charm of the evening walk is one of the things that attracted me to Podgorica. Some people, right after work, take an afternoon nap to ensure enough energy to enjoy the evening out and it is not unusual to see the plaza busy on a weeknight until midnight. My American habit, of early to bed and early to rise, make it hard for me to take the afternoon nap but a cup of coffee or espresso around 3 or 4 PM gives me a boost to help me stay up at least until 9 or 10 PM. Many of the coffee shops also have tents or awnings that offer protection from the summer sun or a spring shower.

Another feature of the foot traffic is the abundance of small kiosks that sell newspapers, snacks, magazines and cigarettes. This is the primary sales outlet for newspapers. They're stacked horizontally across the front of the stand. There actually is someone inside the stand to collect money.
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A note about Big Brother. It is not, to my knowledge, a co-production with anyone in Bosnia or anywhere else. It's my understanding that B-92 is pursuing the Big Brother project by itself. The move to license national networks is part of a broader effort to decrease the total number of television stations--a source told me a couple of days ago that there are about 300 stations in Serbia--including municipal and private stations. There was a description a few years ago, that I had forgotten, that referred to car wash and garage stations. These were literally small time stations that might have been put on the air by the owner of a very small business. These stations often had few legitimate local programming efforts other than perhaps going to the local video store to rent a movie for airing.

By the way....need a copy of an Oscar winning movie that's not yet available on DVD? You can find it on the streets of Nis. Walk the Line and Brokeback Mountain are both here for about $2.20 each.

2006-04-17T00:57:00.000-05:00

Thank goodness for Phillip Morris. I don't smoke and have even called cigarette manufacturers merchants of death but Phillip Morris has been a welcomed addition to the city of Nis (pronounced like Kneesh). About 2-3 years ago they purchased a failing government cigarette plant, employing more than 2,200 people; they paid about $1 billion for the facility. Today, between 1,200-1,300 people work at the plant. They make Marlboro and Marlboro Lights for domestic and export consumption plus make some other domestic brands.

My hotel--though not built exclusively to cater to Phillip Morris--offers great service in part because of that market. I'm staying at Hotel Panorama Lux Garni. As the name suggests, they're on a hillside, overlooking the city.

Today, I start another management and sales workshop, this one at Media Center Nis, an NGO founded to offer media training and press support, including a work center/support facility for local reporters and a place for press conferences. They are similar to Montenegro Media Institute.

I like Nis. The city has struggled greatly with unemployment--not only did the tobacco plant close but a big appliance manufacturer--state owned and employing about 4,000 people--has closed and there's little reason to believe it will reopen to make stoves, TVs and washing machines. The people, at least the media people I've met, work pretty hard, are ambitious, and are nice--and that is something I should not always expect. Nis was the location of "collateral damage" during the NATO bombings. Let me be specific: a U.S. plane, armed with cluster bombs, mistakenly dropped its ordinance on civilians at a vegetable market, killing 4 or 5 people. All sorts of questions remain unanswered--more than 6 years later--as to why it happened and why the plane has cluster bombs since its real target was supposed to be a chemical plant nearby. No, I'm not making this up--nor is it the product of selective local memory. After visiting here two years ago and hearing this story, I asked someone at the Embassy and then did an online search of U.S. newspapers. It was hard to find coverage but I found a few things. I've also seen local coverage in a military museum in Beograde. My memory may be somewhat distorted also--it's been a couple of years since I read the specific details--but it happened.

Media news: News Corporation/Fox TV/Rupert Murdoch, is an applicant for a national TV license in Serbia. Five will be awarded--probably within the next 30-45 days. Murdoch owns a channel/station/license in Bulgaria for a very successful station.

"Big Brother" won't be appearing on B92 until September. They've offered excuses that they've had technical problems with show production but the latest reason is that they no longer wish to counter-program World Cup Football in June, their most recent time when the show was to air.

B92 is also an applicant for a national TV license as it Pink. Channel 5-Nis, a private station here, is an applicant but is thought to be a dark-horse because of its location. Still, people in the city that I talked with on Sunday, were proud they were applying.

2006-04-13T14:31:00.000-05:00

"Rain Drops Keep Falling on My Head." Not only has that been the weather condition since Tuesday evening, it was one of the songs played, as I ate dinner tonight. I dined at a restaurant across from my hotel--identified as a four star establishment--I wasn't that impressed by the food. The band consisted of an acoustic guitar player, bass, violin, accordion and clarinet player. Besides rain drops, I heard two 35-year-old songs from the movies...the Godfather theme and Love Story. The musicians were in their sixties and I can't help but believed they were young, hip guys when they first learned these tunes.

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My workshop has gone very well this week. The participants have asked good questions, they've been attentive, we've started on time each morning, and we've actually stayed a few minutes past our official quitting time. All of these are remarkable, given my experiences with other workshops I've done.

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My translator, Masa (pronounced as Masha) has been wonderful. She is a delightful person and an excellent translator. Ten of the 13 participants understand English quite well--they probably don't need a translator to achieve understanding but she is certainly needed they need to ask questions. I know she's good because they never offer to correct anything she translates. I had dinner with Masa and her husband--his name is Alexei--and also a great guy. We dined on steak--horse steak. No kidding. I had a fillet. Nicely cooked and amazingly good. I'm not sure why this local restaurant serves horse--perhaps because of the opening date....around 1994 or so. Was it the meat most readily available at the time? People in France and Belgium also dine on horse. The Wall Street Journal carried an article about processing houses in the U.S. that sell to this market.

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I stood on a traffic island, waiting for the light to change so that I could complete my street crossing, when a fellow next to me asked a question. I'm sorry I replied in English. He answered back with an apology in accented-English. "What did you ask me?" I wanted to know. He told me he wondered if I knew where the Czech Embassy was. Oh, I do....I told him and gave him directions. We were just a couple of blocks away and I had noticed it on a previous trip. What are the odds that he's asked me a directions question, that I could give him the answer and that he's speak English so we could communicate.

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People: Most people in Serbia don't like George Bush but they typically dislike Bill Clinton even more. Clinton backed NATO bombing of Serbia in 1999. There are buildings that still show signs of the bombing. A secret police building has never been repaired and sits abandoned as a reminder of the past. (Yes...I know it seems odd to talk about knowing the location of the secret police building.)

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I had previously met on of my participants, when I visited his newspaper a couple of years ago in . "We're out of the porn business" he told me. To support his legitimate and independent newspaper--which struggled in a very competitive market with limited advertising revenue and a soft economy--his company published some soft-porn and horoscope magazines. Thinking that he had seen the light as to the ills of the porn business, I congratulated him for focusing his energy on his newspaper. "Yes, we had to because we were getting all of these claims of copyright violation against us because we were just downloading pictures from the Internet that we published." Oh well...his newspaper is doing well and he is ontrack to purchase his competitor--a municipal newspaper that must be privitized. If he's lucky in the bidding, he will inherit 200 employees. His paper, publishing the same number of issues, has 20 employees.

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I'm a small town kind of guy but it has been so very nice to be in Belgrade. It is a beautiful city, especially when the weather is warm and sunny. The cloudy and gray of winter can be pretty depressing.

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The cable television system has not only local Serbian stations but also channels from the U.S., England, France, and Germany.

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Cheap Chinese goods are standard fare in the U.S. and they are common here. We have dollar stores; Serbs have 75 dinar store--that's about $1.02. They sell kitchenware and the usual array of cheap junk.

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Flooding is taking place as three rivers overflow in Serbia. The Danube and Sava Rivers in Belgrade have already caused traffic routing problems. Things will get worse not only because of the recent rains but because the mountain snows still haven't melted.

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A to Z. I have now seem car models beginning with almost every letter of the alphabet....from Alpha or Audi to Zastava. Zastava is a Serb built car from the city of Kragujevac--pronounced like Krag-uh-vitz--might be better know to you as the Yugo. There's a deadlership along my route to NUNS. I glanced in the window today and might stop in, if there's time tomorrow.

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More news on Big Brother. I have a meeting tomorrow with someone who can probably tell me more about Big Brother and other broadcast issues. I'll update when I have more info.

I hope you've found these comments reasonably interesting...will try to add some pictures soon.

2006-04-12T15:41:00.000-05:00

In a blog post, “Seeker” from Spain asked me these questions about media in the Balkans. I thought the questions asked justified a blog post instead of just a reply. My comments follow the questions.

Seeker said...

Hi! I just read your post. It's very informative, thank you!
I have some questions for you:
- What free TV stations do you have in Albania? and in Serbia and Montenegro?

All of these countries have many stations…really more than they can support with advertising. That’s also true for newspapers and radio stations. Media firms often are connected with a political party. Independent media—with fair, accurate and balanced news content—are the extreme exception, not the rule.

Without turning over every rock to find precise answers, here’s my approximation of the situation. There are two government channels each in Serbia, Montenegro and Albania. In Tirana, there are approximately 14 or so stations….plus other stations in cities throughout Albania. The top three stations, are Top Channel, Vizion+, and Klan TV. Top and Vizion+ have websites—in Albanian—but the sites are worth a look. Not sure about Klan.

In Montenegro, there are 8 or 9 channels in Podgorica and most of these cover other cities as quasi-national networks. Government TV is probably the most watched service—for news. Four private stations carry news but the on-air look is pretty weak….content, as well as I can determine, is lacking also. Several municipalities also operate stations.

In Serbia, there must be more than a dozen stations in Belgrade along. Pink—it also operates Pink-Montenegro—is probably the single most popular station. Other stations include B-92 (they have a website with some English content), BK, Serbia TV 1 and 2…..plus others. There are also private stations in the country and municipal stations. Serbia also has a number of “garage” stations. They may have an actual license but they’re a low budget affair operated by people who seemed to think it would be great to own a TV station.

Government broadcasting in Serbia and Montenegro is being pushed to become public service. They do carry ads—about 6 minutes per hour, maximum. Most private TV stations may air eight minutes of ads.

- Do they (Montenegro and Serbia) share the same TV stations?

Some are shared…but generally not as specific planned efforts. There are individual stations in each country that only cover the specific country. Government TV, from the other country, is available in each country. Pink runs its Serbian channels but also Pink-Montenegro.

- Do Serbia and Montenegro or Albania share TV stations with Bosnia Herzegovina or Croatia, too? Which ones?

They don’t share any channels with Albania….though Albanian stations do broadcast in Kosovo. Kosovo has some of its own stations—not sure how many. There’s a Montenegrin station that broadcasts to Albania and to Montenegro’s Albanian minority.

Some Bosnian stations do have rebroadcast rights with at least one station in Montenegro—that I know of. A station in Pljevlja, called Panorama, airs programming from a Sarajevo station—I’ve actually watched their morning show rebroadcast.

Broadcast signals don’t stop at country borders—they keep moving and traveling according to the power of the transmitter and local terrain. I am sure people along the borders in all of the countries likely receive signal spill-over.

- About Pink TV. What countries does it cover? I mean in which countries they can watch Pink TV freely, not talking about satellite services. I read somewhere Pink TV has 3 different channels: one for Serbia, another for Montenegro and a last one for Bosnia and Herzegovina. Do these three broadcast the same? I mean, people from these three (or two, if we count Serbia and Montenegro as only one) countries watch the same in TV?

People in North Montenegro or South Serbia, might be able to receive cross-over signals but generally, these are distinct channels for the local populations of each country. It is my understanding that you are correct about Pink’s channels…Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia. I think there are some shared programming purchases and some local content likely airs between Serbia and Montenegro…perhaps in Bosnia but I am not sure. There is certainly an economy of scale that is achieved by running stations in three countries.

- B92 is preparing a Big Brother show. Which countries will be able to watch it free? Is it possible that Pink TV will broadcast it for Bosnia and Herzegovina?
In Albania, Top-Channel is preparing their own adaptation of Big Brother after signing a deal with Endemol. What countries will be able to watch it free?

I would be surprised if either of these Big Brother shows is available via Internet streaming—because, as you indicate, they are licensed versions. There are probably territory limits?? Top Channel might be available on satellite.

- What about the other reality adaptations in Albania as Kafazi i Arte, Syri Magjik or To Sam Ja?

Syri Magjik (Magic Eyes) was a Big Brother knock-off that aired on Vizion+. I think they had a pretty substantial audience for the show but as is often the case, selling ad time or other placement sponsorships was a challenge and they probably did not profit from the project. I watched Magic Eyes…like all B’ Bro’ shows,they can have their moments but much of the show is not compelling.

- How is the TV stations situations between Albania and Macedonia?

I’m not sure….have not traveled to Macedonia, I am sorry to say.

Well, that's a lot of questions. I'll be thankful if you could help me a little.

Thanks for making an interesting blog like this one! Keep up the good work.

Greetings from Spain (and sorry if my English is not good enough)

NEVER, NEVER apologize for your language skills…it is so impressive for me to meet the multi-lingual people I encounter. I took Latin and one brief Spanish course in college. I wish I at least understood another language and look forward to finding time to improve my skills at some point. (Spanish will probably be my language choice.) Thanks for looking at my blog! How on earth did you ever find it??

2006-04-11T01:14:00.000-05:00

Belgrade. I am in Belgrade today...actually arrived Sunday...and began a workshop Monday for middle-managers with local media--print and broadcast. My topics include management and personnel issues and ad sales and media marketing.

A media reform bill is supposed to be enacted shortly in Serbia. It would push through privatization of most municipal media companies--television and radio stations and newspapers that are owned by local governments. One of my participants, who currently owns a small private newspaper, is considering buying his municipal competitor. What does he get for his purchase? Basically the name/masthead of the paper. Few real assets beyond that. Some minor examples of used equipment...low-end computers, nothing special. His biggest liability: more than 300 employees--for the WEEKLY PAPER--in a town of 70,000. And, he can't fire anyone in his first year of ownership. At the end of one year, he can see that workers he wants to fire are put into a government program to "train" them for new jobs.

His current weekly newspaper employs about 20 people.

2006-04-08T10:34:00.001-05:00

The mosque in Pljevlja. I took these photos in Pljevlja....this mosque was built by a Montenegrin--actually from the Pljevlja area--who became a prominent general/regional governor in the Turkish empire after the Turks gained control over much of Serbia-Montenegro, around 1680, if memory serves me. As a young man, he was sent to Turkey to be educated and then started his rise in prominence.

This shot is from the balcony of my hotel room....back of the mosque...but it gives you a full look at the accompanying prayer tower. Locals, so anyway, call this The Rocket. It is a local landmark and always lets you know where you are in the city--provided you can see it.
The front doors of the mosque. I probably should have snapped a close-up as well. Simply beautiful. Amazing construction and so impressive that it survived. I asked a new friend if many mosques were destroyed after the Turks left Montenegro....he said generally no and characterized the region as having religious tolerance at the time. And, even today, with 15% of the population Muslim, he described tolerance as being part of this particular area. That was an interesting statement given the killings that took place, motivated by religion and nationalism, in the 1990s. It is all part of the Balkan Paradox.

2006-04-06T12:06:00.000-05:00

The road from Pljevjla. These photos were taken on the bus ridefrom Pljevjla to Podgorica. I've tried to include some scale reference in the photos....often this may simply mean looking at the road surface to get an idea of the mountain height.

The road literally skirted around the mountains. The trip took about five hours and 180 kilometers....which is about 105 miles. If you could travel in a straight line, the distance would probably be no more than 45-50 miles. If you looked at the pictures I posted from Niksic and compare them with these, you will notice this scenery is less sparse. Near Pljevjla there were substantial trees...easily 3 feet in diameter (timber is an important industry). Some trees are pine but deciduous trees are also common.

As appears to be common, the rocks of the mountains are in layers...stacked on top of each other. But, based on geological upheavals, the layers are not always horizontally stacked. Layers of rock here vary in thickness from two-10 feet. By the way, don't be fooled by the appearance of the road...it isn't all perfectly paved. We traveled through some stretches that had more holes than existing road. I'm happy to say we met a road crew patching the holes. If I get to return to Pljevjla, I will give you a report on the road work.

Titograd? Podgorica resumed it's traditional name in 1990 or 1991. This sign, near Kolasin, has never been changed--and it is one of three I've seen. Why change it? People here know where they're going, right? I did see many newly installed signs directing visitors to places of interest--hotels, food, parks, monostaries.

2006-04-06T09:10:00.000-05:00

I am visiting in Pljevlja, in the north of Montenegro—less than 10 miles from the border with Serbia and 20 miles from the border with Bosnia. I’m here at the invitation of Radio and Television Pljevlja, the municipal broadcasting stations of this area of 40,000 people. The city includes an electrical plant, coal mines and timber industry as major employers.

What do you say to someone, about your own age, who tells you he lost 10 of the most productive years of his life when Milosevic was in power? This person doesn’t mean he was imprisoned by the Milosevic regime….he’s simply talking about the frustration of living during that time and having so many options eliminated by war, sanctions, inflation and certainly hatred….all kinds of hardships most people in the U.S. under the age of 50 can’t recognize as being part of their existence. The conversation certainly made some of the problems and concerns of my comfortable life seem very small. And to look at this person’s life now, is impressive.

Some people may say this is why you have to go for the gusto, grab the brass ring, don’t look back, plunge ahead in all that you do in life. That’s one perspective. But another, perhaps, is to cherish what you have and have accomplished. Cherish it today because there might not be a tomorrow. I am struggling, as I sit 5,000 miles from home, to determine the course for me.

I met and interacted with my first hardcore anti-American. The man, it turns out, is a normally mild-mannered traffic engineer for the municipality. But, today he was drunk and happy to tell me, in Serbian, how proud he was of Slobodan Milosevic and that those NATO planes had better stay away from Serbia. My new friend, who lost 10 years of his life to Milosevic, does his best to firmly but politely tell him to go away. I don’t want his rambling to continue either. So I tell my host to tell the guy, “This is the beauty of having a democracy. You and I can speak our minds and know that freedom protects our speech.” I don’t know if this got translated but I hope that perhaps the drunk understood enough English to understand. At the least, it was something to say and I feel better for saying it. And, no, there was no reason to fear for my safety.

How paradoxical that I can meet this fellow after having another person discuss with me the lasting damage to Serbia-Montenegro from the Milosevic regime.

How strange that this should be one of my last encounters in Pljevlja, a city I have thoroughly enjoyed visiting. I’ve spent a day and a half lecturing on media sales and marketing and how to do audience research. With a little luck and planning, I will come back in late May to actually help them conduct a listener/viewer study.

2006-04-02T11:08:00.000-05:00

More photos.... I hope you enjoy them. By the way, feel free to post a comment after any entry you read. It's the one way I have of knowing whether anyone actually looks at my blog.

This was my room at Hotel Splendid in Belgrade. I read about the hotel in a New York Times article about Belgrade as a hip tourist spot. The article described Hotel Spendid as a budget option. It was...but I enjoyed staying there. The room was in the corner so it wasn't rectangular. The furnishing were a little worn but the sheets were clean, there was plenty of hot water, the room was warm, and the people were friendly. My room cost about $40 and I would stay there again.
People sometimes ask me, "What do you bring back from your trips?" Often there's not much to bring back. I don't go to tourist spots and some places really don't have a tourist culture yet. On my last trip home, here are things I brought: local wine and a can of beer, handmade lace, candy--yes, that's a Snicker's bar but it's a Snicker's Crunch, paprika, some Orbit mouth drops and a local competing brand of drops, and best of all....wooden spoons! This was one of the few times I've ever found wooden spoons. They were from Podgorica's green market. The wooden bowl also came from the market. They were sold as practical tools but they were a great find for me. I was sorry to see cheap, wooden spoons that were machine made in China or somewhere in Asia. How much longer will the village spoonmaker be able to continue in business? And, there were plenty of plastic items for sale also.
The terrain in Montenegro is fascinating. You see miles and miles of rocky landscape with the occassional oasis of green from a small farm or village. The farm in this photo includes several attractive buildings and the small area of green farm land, surrounded by rocky ground, covered with stunted oak trees. And, that really is one big mountain that overlooks the farm.

This is the Monestary of Ostrog, located near the city of Niksic. The monastery was built by Saint Vasilije of Zahumlje and Herzegovina, one of the four Montenegrin saints, in 1665. His body, covered by a cloth, is kept in the Monastery and people come to pray to him for health recovery or other matters of faith. I saw the remains and said a quick prayer, myself. Wall paintings in the monostary date from the 17th century. I visited here on a Saturday morning...few people had yet arrived. Inside, near many of the artifacts, were bowls with money....including one near the remains of St. Vasilije with about $700--and a watchful priest nearby. Was it the offering of that morning or from the previous days/week, or do the priests set out a little something each morning as inspiration for the faithful? I dropped in a 5E note.
See the monostary? It's right there....on the side of the mountain. Here's a hint. Behind the house on the foreground, you can see the roof of another building. From the point of the roof, go up a little more than halfway toward the top of the mountain in the photo. That's it. Imagine being a monk and walking down the hill to the valley below to work in the fields....

If you were the monk and walked from Ortrog, you might first stop at this second monostary--a recent addition built in the 18th century--on your way to the valley below. That's it in the photo. The walk from one monostary to another, along a winding road, is about 1.5 miles. From there, you'd walk another 2 miles or so. Going down is easy enough but climbing back up would be real work...especially at the end of the day after working in the fields.

2006-04-01T09:13:00.000-06:00

Today's entry consists of a variety of photos...there are minimal connections between the scenes but perhaps my cutlines will be of interest.This is what I call a typical Balkan breakfast. Bread, sliced cucumber, tomato wedges, a slab of white cheese--tastes a little like feta, green olives, almonds and hazelnuts, sausages or ham, juice and coffee. My coffee hadn't been delivered yet. That's the room key from Hotel President. After three previous trips where I stayed in room 102 for some reason they moved me upstairs to room 203 this time.
I live in Peoria, Illinois, world headquarters of Caterpillar, the heavy equipment company. CAT is also well known in parts of Europe for their clothing line with the CAT logo. It's a nice sight to see CAT equipment and it has been a good conversation starter for me on several occasions. A brochure on the desk of a newspaper marketing manager led to a discussion about ad sales. The husband of a university colleague in Ukraine asked about CAT equipment for mining.

This front end loader was working on street construction. You'll notice the head of a fellow who is about to walk from behind the loader. He's not a worker but a pedestrian. As work is done, people continue to take their usual paths. There are few, if any, attempts to block their way. The doctrine of common sense--go if you want but stay out of the way and know it's you're fault if you're hurt--applies.
Copyright infringement, anyone? YAHOO Fastfood sells only sandwiches and nothing having to do with Internet searches. Is this a copyright violation? Of course....but hardly worth the time to pursue. It's becoming more common to see borrowed English words in store names. A store in Serbia that sold blue jeans used the same shade of red and font as Levi Strauss but they avoided the Levi's name and called the store Elvis.

I took this photo on Tuesday, March 14, the day before my flight to the U.S. This guy is a BBC reporter waiting to do a live shot with a morning update on the Serbian government's latest pronouncement regarding burial of Slobodan Milosevic. Besides BBC, a CNN truck was parked up the street, and another unit appeared to be the true "roaming reporter" unit....I saw reporters from four different news agencies/countries do their shots from there. It was snowing lightly and 30-32 degrees on this day. The CNN truck, because of the time difference, was closed up but you could see people inside sleeping or trying to get some rest.

This is an apartment shot from Tirana although the location could be Podgorica or Belgrade--well, Belgrade in another coulple of months. Anyway, look at the plants along the window ledge....lots of effort to add some green to the home and patio....but contrast that with the bars on all of the windows. Life in a green prison? Years ago, in Zambia, I lived in an apartment with an iron bar unit at the front door and bars on all of the windows--even though I was on the second floor. On the advice of a security person, I locked the pad lock on the front door but I never got over the uneasy feeling of wondering how I'd get out if there was a fire.

I've wanted to take this photo for two years.....also in Tirana, just up the street from Vizion Plus and just a couple of doors from my favorite gelato place.... This transmission tower extends into the street nearly four feet and the street isn't that wide. But traffic manages to miss the tower and the approaching vehicles. Interestingly, there is only one wire on the actual tower--and it does not appear to be a major current-carrying line. Most of the wires you see are on a regular utility phone that is on the sidewalk. Also take note of the fruit for sale along the sidewalk....a very common sight.

I wish this photo were larger. I took this photo because it characterizes the chaos of life and the transitions in many Eastern European cities. This is a residential area. You'll see clothing hanging out to dry, the building has some stucco and white painted area but also bare brick showing. An assortment of "junk" is piled out front. Three trash dumpsters sit out front. What you also don't see is a modern apartment building that is just across the street.
I've talked about the cheeses for sale...here is a photo. Taken in Tirana, the prices are in Leke.....100 Leke equals $1. The prices are per kilogram or 2.2 pounds. People eat a lot of cheese. If the prices seem reasonable you should remember that a pretty good salary is anything above $400 per month. How many kgs of cheese can you afford to buy at the equivalent price of $3 per pound on that salary? The bottles on the top of the case are of various types of yogurt--usually plain yogurt, no fruit or sugar. People buy the yogurt and drink it....I've taken to consuming it also. I think the bacteria cultures help my stomach adjust to local foods.

I took some great photos today in Podgorica. I will try to post them tomorrow.

2006-03-30T07:36:00.000-06:00

I'm backkkkkkk! I am back from Tirana. It is good to be in my apartment again and see the calm lifestyle of Podgorica. The drive to the border, at Skoder, was uneventful. Once we reached Skoder, we encountered more potholes than road as we traveled to Montenegro.

I did what I've heard people talk about doing....I literally carried (well, rolled actually) my suitcases between the two countries. At one point, the border guard in Albania let my host drive into no-man's-land so I didn't have so far to go with my luggage. That was an odd feeling....through one border crossing but with another to go.

Technically, I was entering Serbia and Montenegro. Would I have any problems getting back in? Of course not, I had the visa. (See post for around March 17 or 18 for explanation of the visa controversy.) BUT, suppose I didn't have one? Would it have made a difference in Montenegro? I don't know...and will, unfortunately, not get to find out. The next time I leave, it will again be through Belgrade and I will have to get a multiple entry visa....with luck, I can obtain it in Podgorica.

I will go to the Faculty of Law this evening to listen to two teams of students who are preparing for an Int'l Civil Dispute Resolution Competition. I'm no attorney so the best I can do is coach their presentation--English is the required language--and I will receive copies of their arguments. I will edit their writing, a job I am more than comfortable with. My class meets tomorrow. I gave them a homework assignment before I left....it will be interesting to see who did their work.

What have I done so far, since returning? Why I started a load of clothing in my washer, of course.

Oh...and for readers in the Midwest.... Let me tell you how beautiful it is here today! A high of 20 Celsius, which is about 68, I think? Some flowers are blooming. Leaves are showing on the trees. The sky is blue....it is just wonderful. We passed orchards with peach and plum trees, all blooming.

More soon...including some pictures.

2006-03-27T13:59:00.000-06:00

The walk about. I've mentioned before the enjoyment of walking about the cities. There's not much to see in terms of tourist spots but just looking at the shops and people, hearing the sounds, and smelling the smells is joyous.

There are also that elements of good, bad and ugly when you walk around. The bad: trash in abundance sometimes. Dumpsters overflowing, plastic bottles and plastic bags stuck on trees, refuse of all sorts. The ugly: beggers on the street corners....people who beg because they are missing limbs and belong to "marginalized" segments of society. You know there is an even more limited social structure here to help them.

The good: the sharp smells of cheeses--usually white cheeses similar to feta--for sale in small, storefront shops. Bright colors--fruits and veggies of all colors, including some I don't recognize. Plastic tubs heaping with wonderful green olives--buy a scoop for a small sum. The scoop is usually cut from a plastic water bottle. Meat--there's a butcher shop located just down the street from Vizion Plus. I walked past and saw about a dozen lamb carcasses hanging and awaiting final processing. Did I mention the open front to the butchery? It's slightly below ground...the smell is not unpleasant--earthy--and no, there were no flies around. Primitive? Perhaps but certainly not offensive. The smell of people....cigarette smoke, perfume, sweat, laundry detergent...all the smells that are part of being human. Dust in the air--not a favorite part but a realistic part of life. It may have just rained but within a day--maybe two--dust will coat merchandise in roadside stalls. Today, a guy selling bedding was spraying water on the street to hold down the dust in front of his shop. Spices and herbs for sale....many familiar. Some not familiar to my nose but perhaps are familiar to my taste? The rhythmn of conversaton...people laughing, discussing and arguing.

The tone of speech here is hard for me to judge....the flow of words often sound harsh but it is just a different language pattern and people aren't as angry as they sometimes seem to be.

The taxi driver's horn speaks multiple messages but all sound the same: watch out pedestrians, hello fellow driver, don't you pull out in front of me, hey fellow--would you make room for me, speed up/slow down, look out ahead....I've heard all of these as a passenger and while walking the streets.

There are people everywhere selling something. The most basic sellers are the boys dodging traffic in the intersections to sell auto freshening fragrances. And, the old men and women, who supplement their pensions with the sale of roasted sunflower seeds...just a few cents for a shot glass size order. There's also the authentic smell of chestnuts--roasting on a charcoal fire.

I wish most of all that I could convey an adequate picture of the faces I see. They are wonderful. I watched two pensioners (retirees) playing dominos. There was not only laughter on their faces but in their voices and twinkling in their eyes. They smiled at me when they noticed me watching and were probably more amused as they realized by my words that I was a foreigner. Were they curious as to why a foreigner would watch a game of dominos? I was their only spectator in the quite spot where they'd found a cardboard box for their game table and a broken concrete block and a paint bucket for seats. (They were playing the same game my granddaddy taught me to play when I was four or five.)

I do have a camera but I could never take enough pictures to show you all of the intense and interesting faces I see here. Second, I rarely take pictures of people. This isn't a place where people are use to tourists snapping shots. I'm thankful to have a small digital camera for the shots I do take. The faces are rugged....they show the passage of time. I cannot decide if people here look their age or I don't quite look mine. (Although on my last trip home my daughter told me I was turning blond--she was really referring to the silver/gray in my hair.)

Cigarettes and coffee are a part of daily life--especially for men. You see dozens of bars--coffee bars. It is another wonderful place to sit and look as life passes you by.

Are these sights and smells much different than what I might see in the U.S., if I took my time and looked? Probably not but when you're part of another culture, you do take your time.

2006-03-25T15:29:00.000-06:00

The broadcast market in Albania is somewhat better than in Montenegro.

Better is a relative term and has to be explained. First, Albania is a much larger country; Tirana alone has more than a million people versus the 670,000 in all of Albania. Poverty or more importantly, income extremes among the population, are issues in both countries. Both countries have more TV stations that they need but on a per person basis, “station density” is lower in Albania than in Montenegro. Second, program production looks better in Albania. There are some impressive locally produced shows; I would say the programs are better than anything done by local stations in the U.S., but local newscasts are about all U.S. stations do. There is little local program production anymore. Vizion Plus runs a knock-off of “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” called “Quiz Plus” that airs on Wednesday and Friday nights. Their kids’ quiz show called, “Tales from the King” features questions about Albania’s history and pop culture and ends with a contestant being named king/queen of the Albanian terrority. Other local shows included a version of “Big Brother” called “Magic Eyes” and an “American Idol” show called “Friday Night Fever.” These are just a few of the locally produced programs on one station.

For a look at Vizion Plus, go to: http://www.vizionplus.tv/

Why do they produce these shows in Albania? Because the audience wants programming that’s produced in their language. International programming is often subtitled, which isn’t as much fun to watch—especially if the translations aren’t very accurate. Many Albanians understand English, Italian and Spanish, thanks to entertainment programming. But local programs are almost always more popular. (One of the exceptions of this rule are the many telenovelas--soap operas from Spain, Mexico or South America--that air in Albania, Montenegro and Serbia. They are subtitled. Because of Italy’s influence in Albania and Montenegro, many people speak or understand Italian and have gradually added Spanish to their language menu.)

Why don’t American stations produce local entertainment programming? Cost and ad revenue are primary reasons. To produce the sort of high production value programming most U.S. viewers demand, would result in programs that would lose money for the stations. You simply can’t price the ads high enough to make enough money to pay the expenses. Most of the Albanian stations have been learning this painful lesson also.

At one time stations jumped into programming ideas without considering how much ad revenue was available to support the program. That fact, combined with an excessive number of stations, has led nearly all stations to be unprofitable. This is generally true in Albania and Montenegro. Another factor of course is the limited advertising market.

(Side note: I’m watching “Inside Africa” on CNN as I work on this entry. What’s that? You’ve never heard of “Inside Africa”? It’s one of many great public affairs shows that Americans never get to see because it only airs on CNN International.)

The star news anchor at Vizion Plus is Sonila Meco. Vizion Plus hired her away from Top Channel, a competitor. It has been a good move for Vizion Plus. In a survey of about 505 respondents, she was the favorite news anchor of 39% of the respondents. The number two person was Ilva Tare, at 20%. She’s the former Vizion Plus anchor, now working for a competitor. I'd like to do a similar research project for a station in Montenegro.

Here’s are a couple of street shots from Tirana. Road expansion has been going on for more than a year throughout the city. It’s not uncommon to have trenches cut across streets or sidewalks, and there are few barriers or barricades to restrict the flow of traffic. One thing I admire about many of the cities I’ve visited in Montenegro, Serbia and Albania is the clear standard of common sense and personal responsibility that’s exists. Keep your eyes open, watch where you’re going and be responsible so that you don’t fall into a hole. And if you do fall, it’s your fault. To the left you see “Mr. Chicken,” my favorite fast food place in Tirana. They sell a sandwich containing chicken, fried potatoes, cucumber slices and plain yogurt, with a pita bread holding everything. It’s a little like a chicken fajita. The sidewalk in front of Mr. Chicken has almost been finished. I'll try to get an after shot... To the left of the young men in the photo is a long trench, about two feet across, two feet deep and 10 feet long. There are a couple of planks that serve as a "bridge" to cross the trench.

2006-03-25T08:41:00.000-06:00

It’s the little things. I’m in Albania for my fourth time in about two years….It’s nice to be back to a city I know reasonably well and feel comfortable visiting. I’m here conducting audience research for Vizion Plus television, a privately-owned and independent television station that covers most of the country. (Albania shares a common land border with Montenegro….essentially to the southeast. Although I flew here from the U.S., I will return to Montenegro by car.) We’re doing a second audience survey of television viewers to determine what the viewers think about the station’s programming and perhaps generate some information that will help in the station’s ad sales efforts.

I’ve seen not only familiar faces at the station but even on the streets. There’s a spot near my hotel where I normally catch a taxi. The same group of drivers occupies the location. My first day, when I was ready to pay the driver who took me to Vizion Plus, I offered him 500 Leke—about $5—which is about right amount a foreigner should pay for the trip. He seemed to want just a little more so I added another 100. He was very pleased. The next morning, he again took me to the station. I handed him 600 Leke—same fare as the day before—but he would only take 500. And, he thanked me before I could thank him.

I walked back from the station to my hotel last night. I remembered the walk taking about 25-30 minutes. Maybe I walked slower….it took about 40 minutes. Oh, electricity shortages are back. I did slow down a little when the power went out and I only had car headlights to light my way for part of the walk. I had planned to leave with enough daylight to see but conversations ran a little long at the station. I don’t worry about being a crime victim when I walk—even in the dark. I worry about stepping into a drain with no cover or a utility access point with a missing cover. I watched a driver in an old Mercedes back his right rear tire straight into a drain, with missing cover. A group of passersby helped lift/push his car out of the hole.

When I was here in November, Albania had been experiencing electricity shortages for nearly three months. It’s hard for me to know exactly who was to blame for the shortages but essentially, after a presidential election, the outgoing party and new party did not communicate well enough to ensure that contracts were signed to guarantee the import of enough electricity. The current shortages are part of an effort by government to make people pay their power bills. Gradually, the electric utility will suspend service to specific customers. Right now, they cut power everywhere to remind people to pay. The good news is that once side of the street may lose power but the other side will keep it. After an hour or two, the roles reverse.

Speaking of a mess: the streets are a mess from rains, heavy traffic and little road maintenance. Potholes fill many major intersections. There are streets that have been widened and repaved and look as good as city streets in the U.S. It’s an interesting contrast….the past, represented by pothole filled streets….the future represented by newly paved streets and sidewalks.

Mr. Chicken, my favorite fast food place, is still in business. Bird flu apparently has not driven off customers. I haven’t been there yet but probably will go there tonight or maybe Sunday for lunch.

When I walk back to the hotel, it’s a reality check as to the strength of the economy and quality of life. I walk by shops that are still in business after two years. I see some that have closed. I get an up-close and personal look at people on the streets and try to judge their emotional state. Most of the taxi drivers here speak very little English. In other places I’ve been, I find taxi drivers to be full of insights about the economy, politics and life. I miss being able to ask questions of the drivers. The walk helps replace that.

It is Saturday afternoon, shortly past four, as I write this. Most station personnel work six days a week but leave by 3 or 4 on Saturday. I think I will leave also. There’s a gelato place I want to visit on the way back to the hotel.

More later tonight, including some photos.

2006-03-22T14:11:00.000-06:00

Am traveling again....this time to Albania and then back to Motenenegro. Visit with my family was too short...shortened by a day by the Belgrade challenge.

Had an email from a friend in Montenegro who assures me there is NO need for a visa. So, maybe I am right....just busting my chops. A quick post.....will add more once in Tirana at my favorite hotel...Hotel President.

Thanks to those of you who have kept an eye on the blog. Am on a borrowed computer but will post some interesting comments when I arrive.

2006-03-18T13:07:00.000-06:00

"I was mesmerized by Montenegro" emailed Kellyn G. at the University of Oregon a few days ago before asking how my experience in Montenegro compared with my time in Serbia and Albania.

It's a good question and recent events there--last 12-15 years recent--have offered very different ways for people to react to foreigners generally and Americans in particular.

My contact has generally been good with people in all three countries. My favorite city is Krusevic in Serbia. A wonderful little town...neat and tidy...with friendly people and generally gracious encounters. The timing of my visits has been quite nice--pleasant weather and productive meetings add a nice touch to a visit. Belgrade, like most big cities, can be a bit cold in the encounters. But it's also large enough to walk the streets and blend in...thus giving you a chance to look at the people and events of their daily lives.

I've been on the streets in both cities, speaking English with Serbian colleagues, and have drawn curious looks--some clearly pleasant and others not.

In Montenegro, I've had only good experiences--though I am sure I could find some negative enounters if I put myself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Negative encounters are more likely to be because I'm viewed as a rich foreigner...poverty is an issue in Montenegro. I would say I have generally been well treated in Serbia and Montenegro.

My best personal experiences have probably been in Albania. Because of the NATO/US intervention in Kosovo--where the people are ethnic Albanians--visiting in Albania has drawn the warmest responses from people on the street--taxi drivers, clerks, restaurant workers. That may change as time moves along and discussions about Kosovo's future deepen. Some of the Albanians seem to imagine independence first and an eventual union with Albania. I understand their motives but Kosovo has deep historic prominence for the Serbs.

Television in Belgrade can be pretty sophisticated. My favorite TV station is B92 Television. They are respected for their news coverage. Pink TV is simply slick. Lots of nicely produced local programming, usually involving a variety show, with singers--usually young women--in short dresses. I don't like the programming but the production value--investment in sets, camera works, staging, etc....well done.

Albania TV is pretty good as well....at least among the top three stations. Vizion Plus does the best job with balanced and fair news coverage. Top Channel spends excessively on program production--to the point of losing money on probably everything they do.

Monenegro TV is good, considering the situation. Readers should understand that the TV market in ALL of Montenegro consists of 675,000 persons...this includes the rich and poor. The poor outnumber the rich and there isn't much of a middle class. There are 8 TV stations in Podgorica, a city of about 170,000 and the capital city. That's a LOT of competition for not only viewers but advertising dollars. The 8 stations include two that are national/gov't owned. The other six struggle for viewers and advertisers. There are municipal stations in other cities in Montenegro as well.

Just as in the U.S., people watch TV and assume it can't be that hard to own and run a station. Little do they know... I know of a station that has not broke-even in five plus years on-air.

In all three countries, radio is not that important, except for breaking news or for mobile entertainment. Newspapers are important but some of the papers are so clearly partisan in their coverage as to only attract readers who back a particular party or candidate. There are some television stations that fit in this category as well.

Kellyn also mentioned the weathered faces of people seen when making a trip through the region. This is one of my favorite things to do anywhere I travel....to just look at faces, especially the old. Even someone as young as 50 has lived through some extraordinary events. I have also been surprised at how young looking people think I am...usually they guess I am 10 years younger than I am. Most people in the U.S. would say I look my age.... Again, it's a difference on how we live....(I'll also add that I don't participate in some activities that might make me look older....tanned skin, smoking, or other apsects of hard living--other than my travel adventures.)

2006-03-17T12:03:00.000-06:00

Blogger’s Note: I've been traveling since Tuesday, 3 AM Central time. Reached my destination last night, Thursday, 11:15 PM. Here is an entry I prepared Wednesday but did not have access to post. Situation update is at the bottom.

gp

Wednesday, 15 March:

My day could only get worse if I don’t make the 5:20 PM flight to Milan. Even if I do get there, I’m still stuck with an overnight there and a flight home tomorrow. It should have been easy to leave. Maybe if I had flown directly from Montenegro to another country, it would have been fine. But I didn’t….I did the normal, logical thing and came to Belgrade, where I was told that I needed an exit visa. This is absolutely contrary to what I had read and understood on the Serbia/Montenegro embassy site and what my US contacts told me.

I’m officially here for five months but if you stay for 90 days or less, you can come and go….all you need to do is leave and come back. If you do this, you'll never need a visa. And, you can just cross the border into Albania or Croatia…that’s fine. But, because I’m teaching at the university (engaged in scientific research and/or teaching), there’s a requirement that says I should get a temporary non-resident permit. Apparently this permit also requires a visa—even though I was looking to leave after being here only about 42 days. I received this news from a young woman Immigration officer in Belgrade who said, “I don’t think you will be traveling today.” I called the Consulate in Podgorica—actually the mobile number of the PAO. That was at 5:40AM this morning. Within the hour, I had the Duty Officer from the Embassy in Belgrade. By 10:00 AM, they had greased the wheels for me to see Petko Boskovic, THE headman in charge of all visa matters for Serbia.

I had one other bit of luck. I got as a taxi driver a fellow named Boban. His spoken English was fair but his understanding was great. He accompanied me and served as a translator/facilitator as I ran the Serbian gauntlet. My time with Mr. Boskovic was short—literally 2 minutes of conversation. He put a specific person in charge of my visa request….which involved getting permission from Montenegro to grant me the visa in Serbia. (Montenegro and Serbia are like two siblings, Serbia the older one. They sort of get along—well, they are supposed to—but they snipe at each other). Bottom line, by 1:20 PM, I had my visa. Now the challenge is to get a flight. I should also add that I paid an arm and leg to Boban—5,500 dinars, which is 55Euros or about $65. It was money well spent. We also spent nearly two hours just talking about life and circumstances. Very insightful. When he quoted me the price—based on something he said later when I asked for a receipt—he was under the impression that I would just expense the cost. That is of course what real business people often do. (He was really impressed that I could get an audience with THE head of the visa office and apparently was mistaken into thinking I really was somebody.) I explained, when I got the receipt, that the best I could do was deduct it from my taxes next year. I don’t know whether he worked any more today or not but he often won’t make that much money in a full 10 hours of work.

I did manage to make a call to Stephanie, where we both almost cried. Worst of all, she leaves Friday morning for a wedding. I am happy she is going. She needs the time and it will be a good weekend for me to bond with the children.

My Alitalia guy is working on my ticket to Milan right now. I am hoping that somewhere I will get a break on something. Maybe I have used my breaks up by getting the visa taken care of. I just want out of Belgrade. Maybe I have caught another break….a fellow just stopped by with a present of chocolates for the Alitalia man. The guy said he was allowed to board at the last minute for a flight to Milan, about a month ago, and my guy was the fellow nice enough to let him do that.

Remember that Tom Hanks movie about the guy who gets trapped in an airport because his Eastern European country declares independence or something? He no longer has a way to enter the U.S. and because he can’t enter, he can’t leave. My situation is not that bad—I don’t think.

I keep asking myself, did I do something wrong? I reviewed the email this morning that told me about the temporary stay non-resident permit. It said nothing about needing a visa. I don’t think I did. Should the low-level bureaucrat in Podgorica, who issued the temporary stay non-resident permit have know about the visa? Maybe she should have but I have no animosity in my heart for her. There’s a strong fatalism that people in this part of the world have. It’s almost as though they look forward to things going wrong. A common phrase I have heard people utter, “This is our reality.”

Why would you ever choose to live life this way? I can’t imagine but I know that in my naïve life, I did not live through the bombings the city took in the 1990s from NATO—deserved bombing because of their attacks in Muslim communities in Bosnia and most recently in Kosovo. I also did not live with the economic sanctions and hyperinflation that the Serbs encountered, where a wheelbarrow full of money would not buy a loaf of bread if you were paid in the morning and waited until the end of the day to buy the bread. And, I can only remember things I’ve read in history about World War II and the invasions by Germans and Italians and later the allies, including some U.S. troops, and of course the local partisans who were shifting to socialism for the country as they fought against the Germans. And, let’s not forget about 400 years of subjugation under the Turks. (The whole Kosovo issue is because Kosovo is the site where the Serb king was defeated by the Turks to begin their 400 years of rule. Rubbing salt in the Serbian wound, Kosovo is populated mostly by ethnic Albanians—who are Muslim—thanks to the Turks.

But all of these things I think would make me want to embrace some new point of view. Why live a life expecting the worst when sometimes just the act of living will mean you naturally receive the worst. Why not try for a better outlook in the hope that maybe things will work out just fine.

If I saw a glass sitting on a table with water filled to the halfway point in the container, I would absolutely declare the glass to be half-full. A Serb and some Americans would say it is half-empty. Life is challenging enough without making it any more difficult by expecting, indeed hoping, for the worse possible outcome. That is my reality.
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Update: Prepared Friday, 17 March, 12 Noon, Central

I made the flight to Milan…had the last seat…got in by about 7:30PM. Spent the night in the Milan airport because there were no nearby hotel rooms available. The ride into Milan by bus was at least an hour…I needed to be back to talk with Delta at 7:30 AM...did not seem worth trying to find a room there. Slept pretty well, considering. Got a flight to Chicago and connection on American to Peoria that would put me home by 5:30 PM—four hours earlier than a Delta flight from Atlanta. Arrived in Chicago as snow started. Flight to Peoria was canceled. Took charter bus home…arrived by about 11 PM. Got up at 4:50 AM to see my wife off. Weather is now fine. Made pancakes for my children and took then to school. The glass is half full.

2006-03-13T15:05:00.000-06:00

The Green Market: When I’m home, I love
going to the grocery store. I like looking at the merchandise on the shelves—colors and smells, the packaging, product displays, merchandising approaches. Similarly, I enjoy going to the grocery store when I travel for the very same reasons. It’s also a good reality check on the quality of life for local people. What can they choose from in the grocery? How much do things cost? What U.S. products or European brands also sold in the
U.S. are sold here? When I see nice
packaging, I immediately see where the item was made. Sometimes I find something made at a local factory but perhaps there’s a logo for P&G, Unilever or Kraft discretely on the packaging. It is encouraging when I don’t find this because the product may be a true example of a local success story.

Many stores in transitional countries are very small—perhaps no more than 10 by 16 feet in size. Montenegrins stop at the market nearly every day to buy food for the evening meal and breakfast the next day. As automobile ownership increases, it is changing the way people shop. Automobiles, along with bigger refrigerators, allow people to buy in bulk,
once a week and store their purchases.

Saturday I had a real treat; I went to the local “green” market—similar to a farmer’s market. I love these. Produce is very fresh. It’s wonderfully arranged. There are vivid colors and intense smells. This market included live trout for purchase, truly fresh fish. I saw tubs of green and black olives, churns of soft white cheese in wooden churns, wheels of pungent hard cheese, specked on the outside with mold, and of course smoked meats. Besides produce, there were gardening tools, clothing and household
items—mostly stuff imported from China, and a few
locally made handicrafts, wooden spoons and some knitted items.

I’ll take some pictures on a future trip. This time, I just wanted to soak in the experience. I have included some pictures from a local market near my apartment. The young lady works the evening shift. She doesn’t speak English but she always has a smile. Notice the shelves behind her. They were filled with fresh bread this morning. Now, a few loaves sit, waiting for a customer. When you buy a loaf, the attendant picks up the loaf with an inverted plastic bag so that human hands don’t touch the loaf, that has been sitting in the open. Bread is very good. Nice texture and taste. In the meat cases, you’ll see some smoked sausages and other smoked meats. The plastic sleeves hold cold cuts—one is basically chopped ham for sandwiches (it’s pretty good). The price labels are usually the price for one kg, which is 2.2 pounds.

In the shot of the jams and jellies, you’ll notice Barilla pasta sauce just below. Beyond the paste sauce, on the same shelf, are jars of picked peppers and vegetables. Oh, and don’t forget to look at the packages of instant soups. I start with potatoes, onions and carrots but add a pack of instant soup to shortcut my preparations.

Next to the register are the snack foods, impulse purchases with high margins. The back shelf contains the selection of spirits. Fresh produce sits outside, next to the Coke cooler. The produce selection is limited—apples, kiwi, oranges, lemons, cabbage, onions, potatoes, carrots and sometimes cauliflower. I’ve probably left out something but you get the idea.

2006-03-11T15:04:00.000-06:00

Tonight, I gambled and lost. When I travel to a country where the “local language” (that’s how many Montenegrins identify Serbian…the language they speak…they don’t acknowledge their connection with Serbia…but I digress)….. When the menu isn’t in English, I practice “blind dining” which means, I order something and expect the best when my surprise meal is delivered. (Once in Munich, a friend was served pickled fish in sour cream; I got pork roast with crackling skin, and roasted apples.) Until tonight, after doing this for 10 years, I had a perfect record of meal satisfaction. Sometimes the food was unusual but it was always good. Tonight, in Café Piccadilly, my dinner plate-sized Piccadilly Pizza (recommended enthusiastically by my waiter) contained anchovies. And not just one or two but seven. I like sardines and could have handled one or two anchovies but seven was a little more than I wanted. Even after I scrapped away most of the fish, some grains of the coarse salt they had been packed in added a distinctive crunch to my pizza.

The good news is that I need to drop a few kilos so leaving some of the pizza on my plate wasn’t a bad thing. I also had a Greek salad that contained some of the best green olives I’ve ever eaten. I ate more than a dozen olives and still left nearly that many. There were black olives also but they’re not as tasty.

A friend emailed to ask about food preparation and hygiene standards. As a transitional country, I would say that food sanitation practices in Montenegro appear very good. More expensive restaurants probably have better sanitation practices—though not always. Usually I order a shopska salad, it’s made with diced tomatoes, cucumbers and onions. Sometimes a little parsley is added, as well. The salad is dressed with a little vinegar and olive oil and topped with shredded white cheese. It’s very good and I really want vegetables when I travel. The carbs from pizza or fat from heavy meat dishes are too much for me. I also figure the shopska is better than ordering a green salad, with lettuce washed in tap water. Tonight’s Greek salad contained lettuce but also had a tart vinegar dressing.

A few days ago in my entry covering Quirky Observations, I mentioned not buying any smoked meats. Many of the grocery stores have racks full of smoked meats behind the counter. It just hangs, preserved by smoke and salt, until sold. I’m sure the microbes are part of the local digestive systems and present no problems. And, when I’ve eaten the smoked ham at breakfast at a hotel, I was probably eating meat similar to what I saw hanging.

I saw an American, whom I recently met, drink a glass of tap water after finishing his espresso. When I want water, I order sparking water—water with carbonation. It’s an easy way to know that I’m not drinking tap water. In 2000, while on a trip to Bulgaria, I got sick from something. Maybe from water? Probably, a marinated, roasted pepper salad. It was delicious at the time. If someone else is paying my travel tab so that I can conduct a workshop, I can’t afford to call in sick.

Being adventurous is one thing. Being dumb is another. By the way, if you’re in a part of the world where you have concerns about water or hygiene practices, DO NOT rinse your toothbrush under the tap in your hotel room. A couple of years ago I was chatting with a guy on a flight from Kenya to Minneapolis (I was coming back from Uganda but had connected in Nairobi). He told me the trip had been miserable….stomach troubles…he said he watched what he ate and drank only bottled water. I asked him if he’s rinsed his toothbrush under the tap and he almost got sick again.

Find a kiosk or "mini mart" (small shops that sell cigarettes, newspapers and bottled water) and stock up so you're not at the mercy of your hotel, where a bottle of water costs $2-3 for 300 ml, about 11 ounces. Usually for the equivalent of .50-.70 cents U.S., you can buy a 1.5 or 2 liter bottle of water at one of the shops next to your hotel.

One more thing, it was another rainy day in Podgorica. My boots kept my feet dry and I didn't get splashed by a passing car.

2006-03-11T11:50:00.001-06:00

Mourning: Former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has died in the United Nations jail in the suburbs of The Hague, The Netherlands. My slug to lead this item says mourning but the reason to mourn his passing is because he won't be convicted of any of the 60 counts of war crimes for which he was being tried. There are people in Serbia--and probably some in Montenegro--who will mourn his death. It is unfortunate that his death will redirect attention away from others wanted for war crimes and again keep many people in this region from recognizing the brutality of his regime.

2006-03-10T03:12:00.000-06:00

Boots: These boots were made for walking, and I do a lot of it. It’s another rainy day in Podgorica—but it could be worse. There were suggestions of snow earlier in the week. The only thing worse than wet feet are cold and wet feet. I owe my bride a sincere “thank you” for convincing me to get these boots! They’re waterproof, lightweight, resist the shock of walking, and offer ankle protection. They're also the sort of shoes I never wear and they feel a little bulky. I wear a size 9.5—my feet aren’t that big—but the style of the boots makes them stick out.

After noticing how dirty they had become, I gave them a cleaning. Recognize Mr. Proper? I’m not sure why Proctor and Gamble changed Mr. Clean to Mr. Proper. Perhaps “Proper” can translate better from country to country much easier than “Clean” could? (But who’s going to expect a bald guy in a white shirt, no matter the name, to know anything about cleaning?) I only used Mr. Proper to clean only the rubber sole.

2006-03-09T11:24:00.000-06:00

Partisans: In the U.S. we celebrate our heroes and historic locations with roadside signs. This sign, from Centije, dates back to Communist days. It commemorates the deaths of a group of partisans (citizen soldiers) who gathered here to plot local resistance to the Nazis. If I understand the story correctly, they were discovered by the Nazis and killed at this location. Montenegro has a long history of citizens rising to respond to invaders. Notice the Communist star on the plaque.

2006-03-09T07:02:00.000-06:00

Why don't we read more news about transitional or developing nations? For most of us, these countries are distant locations with little impact on our daily lives--unless we pause to think how lucky we are to live where we do. For news editors, international news doesn't sell in the U.S. Localism attracts ears and eyeballs.

How do you tell the difference between a transitional and a developing country?

Transitional Countries: Nations with infrastructure, roads, electrical systems, economic development, including manufacturing capacity—though frequently in the form of government owned factories that need to be privatized and along with privatization will come unemployment. Transparency of government operation is needed: how revenues are collected and used by government. Government spending needs to be scrutinized. Media probably involve two levels of operation: government owned and some privately owned print and broadcast media. Many countries in Eastern Europe are or were classified as transitional.

Developing Countries: Countries lacking infrastructure development that may in term impede the nation’s ability to advance economically and socially. Most developing countries are in need of governance transparency initiatives. Where transparency may be present, lack of development may be hindered absence of natural resources to finance infrastructure. Media probably involve three levels of operation: government print and broadcast media, community media—often low power FM stations, and probably some privately owned print and broadcast media. There are countries in Africa, Asia and South America that belong in the developing category.

Discussion:
Chad, in Central Africa, has been a developing nation since its boundaries were designated. In the last decade, oil has been discovered. The World Bank funded the construction of a pipeline to enable the oil to be sold, thus generating foreign exchange (money made from selling goods to other countries) to finance development. Most of the promised development has not yet taken place. The government of Chad has recently announced plans to take infrastructure development money and shift it to military development. Chad, sharing a common border with Sudan, is concerned about civil war spilling across its border. But, does the government have the power to do this? According to the IMF, it doesn’t but can they do anything about it? Probably not. The New York Times has written about this situation.

It can be difficult to know where to place a country. Brazil, a few years ago, was clearly transitional—well, I suppose some people will say developing, if you go back far enough. Today, the country’s economy exhibits vitality and stability, levels of government reform have begun to take root and Brazil has held successful national elections. They are relatively energy independent—Brazil has a highly successful ethanol program. But, poverty remains a significant problem; economic and social development have not been evenly spread throughout the population or geography; there are significant gaps between the most successful and least successful; gender inequality is severe. I’m probably wrong and will be insulting the people of Brazil, but I still think of Brazil as transitional.

Population measures are important in evaluating a country’s designation. Life expectancy, infant mortality, educational attainment, per capita income and average household income are examples. Students in mass communications might also find it worthwhile to examine the number of broadcast stations per person, number of newspapers sold per person, or the number of broadcast receivers (radios and TVs) per person. What do you do with this raw data? Compare it with a developed country. Compare data from Chad with India, the U.K. and the U.S. Or, pick whatever comparison countries you wish. Where do you find this information? Some of it is available from UNESCO. The CIA Factbook can provide additional information. Also, look at Freedom House for Freedom in the World. In the old days, you would have needed to visit the library to actually open books. Now, this information is available online or in downloadable PDF files. And, even in a developing or transitional country, Internet access empowers students to get answers to these questions.

2006-03-08T10:10:00.000-06:00

iChat: Here in Montenegro I am teaching a course at the U of Montenegro, working with private media and looking for other interesting projects where I can be helpful and stay busy. I am also teaching a class at Bradley University via video conference, using a high speed Internet connection and an Apple software called iChat. With iChat, a small, inexpensive iBook computer and iSight camera (it's a little expensive, about $200 or so), you can schedule a very nice video conference discussion. And, the better the Internet connection, the better the video quality will be.

That last sentence--about having a good Internet connection--is important. At the University of Montenegro, bandwidth must be at a premium. On Monday night, 8PM here is truly the end of the day. All classes are over. But there must be someone in the computer services areas who uses the bandwidth for ????. Because it's next to impossible to get iChat to work with both clean video and crisp audio. Interestingly, the audio usually breaks up before the video.

Monday, I held my class at Hotel Podgorica, a 4-star hotel in the city. VERY nice. I used their Internet through the generousity of global journalist Don North, who also served as a guest speaker for my class. AND, he was great. Don is the producer/director of the documentary "Remembering Saddam." This is the story of nine businessmen in Iraq who were sentenced to having their right hand surgically removed for trading in foreigh currency--specifically, the U.S. dollar. *See http://www.rememberingsaddam.com/

Today, I tried to connect with my friend Prof. Twange Kasoma, at U of Oregon, to visit with her class. The connection was even worse than I often experience on Monday night. We finally tried audio-only but even that was not very good. My thanks to Prof. Kasoma and her students for allowing me to visit. I appreciate your patience as we tried to get the connection to work!

What comes from these efforts is a reminder of how communication and media-enabled people in the U.S. are. We have computers, high speed service, landline telephones--if we want them, cell phones....and all sorts of gadgets to entertain and inform us. Here in Montenegro, it's tough to find a reliable and cost effective way to telephone the U.S. As wonderful as the Internet can be, it also comes down to bandwidth. The communication revolution is not here, yet. In the class I'm teaching, I have several students who do not use email. They don't own a computer, so why bother? And, there's no sense of immediacy that we often experience.

My assignment for tomorrow is to visit Hotel Podgorica and strike a deal with them for Internet access for the remainder of my Bradley semester. Or, find somewhere else with a dependable connection. I'll keep you posted.

Check out Hotel Podgorica:

2006-03-06T06:24:00.000-06:00

Quirky observations: Some comments and observations on life in Montenegro.

My most often consumed meal: Pizza, cheese with a thin crust (only slightly thicker than a tortilla). The pizza has a thin layer of tomato sauce but ketchup is served as a condiment. Sometimes it is literally ketchup, other times it may be plain tomato sauce or sauce with oregano or basil. On a four-cheese pizza, each quadrant of the pie features a different type of cheese.

Best meal: Fresh trout at Restaurant Maraza, a locally owned restaurant that also raises the trout on a farm next door.

Biggest dread: Getting splashed by a passing car as I’m walking to or from the university on one of the frequent rainy days—or even several days after a rain. Drainage isn’t the best. I generally walk facing traffic so that I can anticipate potential splash points.

Pet Peeve: People park their cars on the sidewalks and don’t even try to do so in a common sense way to maximize parking and minimize inconvenience to pedestrians.

Favorite spot in Podgorica: Millennium bridge, opened in Summer 2005. The bridge crosses the Moraca River; it’s a nice view. The wonderful architecture of the bridge is visible throughout the city. It’s my landmark—I always know where I am, or at least how to get back to the university. *See photo above.

Favorite beverages: Schweppes Bitter Lemon and Plantaze Vranac.

Missed food: Chicken, cooked almost any possible way. Chicken isn’t widely available and has virtually disappeared since bird flu began appearing in the news.

Missed beverage: American-style roasted coffee. I like black coffee—no sugar. But the beans here, even when prepared as filter coffee, carry a darker taste that I can’t quite get used too. I did bring four pounds of coffee with me. The supply is holding out quite nicely. I drink Turkish coffee most of the time when I am out and about.

Best habit acquired: Greater patience. Things move at a slower pace. Life poses challenges that are small in the U.S. but much greater here.

Habit I can’t break: Television as companion. Even though BBC World has programming repetition, I still turn on the set. I sometimes watch local television—news or entertainment—just to look at the visuals and attempt to determine the story. Radio is dominated by so-so pop stations. I like “Swiss Jazz”, a local FM radio station that plays familiar American jazz tunes.

Best food bargain: A hamburger. The patty is huge…more than half-a-pound. Freshly cooked, while you wait, served on a bun the restaurant baked, and topped with your choice of 16 or so items. I usually have mustard, chopped onion, pickles, and a scoop of marinated vegetable salad. Cost: 1.5Euros. Add 1 Euro for a Coke or .80 for a bottle of water. If eaten around 2 or 3 PM, it is easy to live on two meals a day.

Favorite tourist site: I haven’t been to enough sites yet to have one. The rugged beauty of the country is impressive.

Favorite phrases often uttered by local residents, “I’m very busy” or “Super.”

Favorite surprise: I needed a haircut last week. I had spotted a couple of places that looked pretty good. I went into a place called, “Unisex Salon.” A young man cut my hair with only scissors—both regular and thinning shears. It was a great cut. I’m a guy how views a haircut as necessary maintenance but this was nice. He gave great attention to detail. There was also something especially rhythmic about the opening-closing of his scissors. He charged me 5Euros. I’m not sure whether that was normal or what seemed reasonable to charge a foreigner. It was sure worth it. When he finished, I immediately said, “Super.”

Think metric: When I was in 7th and 8th grade, we were told everything was going to become metric in the U.S. I’ve had to think in the metric system for several years now, as I’ve traveled, and generally do well. I still struggle with temperature conversions but distance (kilometers), length (meters or centimeters) and weight (kilograms and grams) are easy.

Favorite snack: At my apartment: roasted peanuts and Diet Coke. It’s a familiar combination from my childhood—though back then we only had regular Coke. Now, I need to trim at least a few calories. Favorite snack when out walking: gelato or ice cream.

Things I eat in restaurants but do not buy and take home: Smoked meats. Montenegrin proschutto is very good but when I have seen the smoked meats in stores, I have declined to purchase them.

People I miss: Stephanie, Garrett and Katherine: their smiles, laughter and sparkle in their eyes.

Not so surprising university fact: Faculty take a “we can’t do that approach” or “we’ve never done that before (so therefore we can’t do it now)” point of view. I’ve heard this expressed in the U.S. and with the same conviction in Montenegro.

Style of dress: People dress very neatly—this is true of faculty, students and people I see on the streets. Clothing is pressed. Men are likely to wear a necktie. Fashions for men and women appear to be influenced by Italy. Men wear pull-over sweaters with a 12-14 cm length zipper to make it easier to put on the sweater. Almost no one wears loose-fitting clothing, except me.

Directions: I have been stopped on the street by people needing directions at least a half-dozen times. I’m happy about this because my clothing doesn’t give me away as a foreigner. The last two times, the people spoke English and I actually could give them the travel directions they sought.

2006-03-05T12:15:00.000-06:00

Independent Journalism: How do journalists acquire independence of thought in parts of the world where media are aligned with the government in power or an opposition political party? The end of communism did not herald a renaissance of independent thinking. If anything, the political and social order fragmented into dozens of pieces, each piece often representing not necessarily distinct ideas but perhaps distinct political personalities and individuals. There are a variety of political parties in many transitional countries, many with similar names (Social Democrat Party and the Democrat Social Party are two distinct minor parties in Montenegro). Add to this, the land-grab for an economic stake—through privatization of former state industries and the granting of licenses or business permits to operate radio and television stations, newspapers and magazines. It gets complicated.

In transitional and developing areas, media centers are often funded by donor governments--such as the U.S., UK, Denmark, Germany or others. The media centers offer a haven and resource center for journalists, who may have limited resources through their employer. These include a professional development library, Internet access, and a legislative voice to oppose limitations on media. Media centers are also training facilities where journalists can attend workshops and where NGOs or government officials can find well-organized facilities for holding a press conference. For organizations working to improve the quality of life, it’s not enough to just have a good story. Often you must hold a press conference to create awareness and interest in the story. (It’s part of a research area called agenda building.)

When I’ve been lucky enough to make the training trips that I do, my workshops are usually held at such training centers. In Lusaka, Zambia, I worked at ZAMCOM. In Belgrade, I’ve been at the offices of NUNS (the Independent Journalists Association of Serbia, http://www.nuns.org.yu/), in Nis, at the Media Center Nis (Media Center Nis was initially funded through the U.S. Agency for International Development, http://www.mcnis.org.yu/eng/). Here is Podgorica, I’m making arrangements now to work through the Montenetrgro Media Institute (http://www.mminstitute.org/). The challenge for media centers is to become self-sustaining. The centers are usually organized as non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Eventually, donor funding ends. The challenge: Can the media center find enough financial support from training courses, local media memberships, and projects the center might initiate, to fund its activities. I hope so.

2006-03-04T09:58:00.000-06:00

Where I spend my time: I’ve spent most of my time so far at the Faculty of Law--to the right. In Eastern Europe the word faculty is equivalent to college. The Faculty of Law consists not only of the law program—it is strictly an undergraduate degree program—but also the political science, social work, and journalism programs. The journalism program is in its fourth year. Prior to the program’s founding, some law school grads became journalists. Some journalists have also been educated outside of Montenegro. I met a young woman journalist a couple of years ago who was a mechanical engineering graduate. I asked her about her qualifications for her newspaper reporter job. She replied, “I hadn’t been able to find work as an engineer and I needed a job. My aunt worked here and helped me get hired.”

I won’t say that she wasn’t or couldn’t become a good reporter. (She interviewed me for a story and my local contact seemed generally pleased with the story.) Being a reporter for print or broadcast involves gathering, evaluating and conveying information. The evaluation and conveyance stages are the most difficult. The challenge is to have sufficient education and curiosity to be able to understand and evaluate the information you gather. And, strong language and written skills to report the news. Evaluation also means having an open point of view that isn’t tied to a political party or partisan cause. And, that’s one of the primary challenges facing journalists in Montenegro. Many of their media firms are owned by or allied with political parties, or owners with specific business interests. You may have an open mind but it isn’t always welcomed on the job.

Just as in the United States, journalists occupy a visible position in the community and as in the U.S., Montenegrin journalists are often young and poorly paid. As many as one-third of media employees in Montenegro at parttime workers.

How does a free press fit into a transitioning country? Experts generally say that having a democracy depends on three things: the ability to hold competitive political elections, political participation by the citizens, and political and civil liberties. It is within this last area—political and civil liberties—that we see the importance not only of free speech but also free press, both print and broadcast.

I fear this entry is getting a little long; I’ll talk in my next entry about journalism and media training and my work in this area.

2006-03-03T08:44:00.000-06:00

BBC World. My only regularly available English language television programming comes from BBC World, the commercially supported satellite channel owned by the BBC. (In case you don’t know, typical BBC programming in the UK is commercial free.) BBC started this channel partly because it made sense—why let CNN be the world’s only satellite channel news voice? I’m happy to have the channel but BBC World has undue content repetition—a limited menu of feature programs that are repeated excessively and a limited number of news stories that receive coverage in a newscast. For my money, CNN International (which I believe is far superior to the CNN service seen in the U.S.) offers a better programming mix. Even the commercials on BBC World are repetitive. I’ve counted about a dozen individual sponsors over several consecutive days and the typical sponsor has one version of the spot that airs. A spot break contains only one or two actual commercials followed by promos and graphic/music promo bumpers. I do watch English language programming on the Montenegro channels. Sometimes it carries subtitles. Other times, it’s in English with no subtitle.

I don’t think I’m overly critical of BBC World because it’s my only English language channel. I’ve felt this way for years. I will add: they do a first rate job on the reports and programs that do air.

2006-03-03T01:52:00.000-06:00

Figs and Grapes:
I’m not crazy about the orange trim color on this house and the privacy wall needs to be power washed but I just love the grape vines. Most of the private houses in Podgorica have grape vines—usually on trellises or arbors—and fig trees. The white arched frame is the arbor to support the vines once they’ve started their spring growth.

Grapes are produced on new vine growth each year and the vines require substantial pruning in late winter to ensure a good crop in the summer.
Here’s a closer look at some of the pruned vines.

This fig tree was apparently planted a little too close to the sidewalk. The property owner has cut some thorny saplings that run parallel with the top of the fence. You can’t see them well in the photo but last summer, if you’d tried to grab a ripe fig, you would have gotten pricked by the thorns. The homeowner has also used a tree limb to prop up the fence, probably done before turning to the thorns to keep people away from the fruit. The rectangular objects are salvaged sections of concrete, used to hold in the soil and add a bottom to the fence.

I've also seen olive trees, kiwi vines--they look similar to grape vines, and both lemon and orange trees, loaded with fruit. The citrus trees were on the coast.

2006-03-01T02:01:00.000-06:00

Media and Political Coverage

My assignment in Montenegro comes at an especially interesting time. Montenegro will vote on whether to declare independence from Serbia on May 21. A positive vote doesn’t mean a 50.1% majority. According to a European Commission recommendation, an affirmative vote for independence will be recognized by the Europeans if 55% of voters support independence. (Imagine how you would feel if foreign powers had the ability to determine election outcomes in the U.S.? AND, do a little search in your favorite newspaper and see whether you can find even a tiny blurb about the election and 55% requirement in a U.S. newspaper.)

To an outsider, support for independence might seem a forgone conclusion. It isn’t that simple. The election pits the majority political party against various minority parties. And, support for independence is not exclusively a decision based on party membership. Some residents are native born Montenegrins; others moved here from Serbia or other parts of former Yugoslavia. Kosovo’s political future (Kosovo is now under UN protection) is a potential mitigating factor—at least for the Serbians and European Commission. Serbia’s desire to join the EU might diminish their interest in the election—but they must first turn over suspected war criminals, before the outcome of Montenegro’s independence referendum appears on their radar screen.

So a variety of groups, internal and external, will be issuing statement and jockeying for press coverage. Media outlets are not entirely independent reporters of news. Some newspapers are independent—Vijesti (pronounce the j and a y sound, for Viyesti) is good example. The most watched television channels in Montenegro appear to be the two government stations (CG1 and CG2--CG refers to Crna Gora or Black Mountain or Montenegro) and TV Pink, owned by Serbians. The other Montenegrin TV stations do air news. I will be relying on a small group of people to help me make sense of all this because I do not speak Serbian.

One other interesting element, there is to be a cooling off period, one week before the vote. Apparently this is customary—to avoid excessive and potentially inflammatory coverage before the election. I think this will create the most interesting time for observation. How will elements of the independence issue be subtly worked into other coverage and who will be doing it? I blogged a few days ago about the VOA newscasts. VOA will work to be balanced in its coverage—which might just mean that all sides in Montenegro will not like what they hear.

2006-02-28T05:02:00.000-06:00

Rock Layers

I didn't take geology as an undergrad but I've always appreciated the sight of rock formations and the power of the earth to shift its crust. This photo from Budva shows the rock layers of the mountains that sit next to the Adriatic Sea. These rocks are close enough to the water for storms to easily pelt the rock with water. Look at the stacks of rock layers. For scale or proportion, the thinnest layers are about an inch think...the thickest about 6-8 inches.

2006-02-28T04:39:00.001-06:00

The Budva Riviera

I've started to explore Montenegro. On my previous two brief trips, everyone asked if I had visited Budva. I have finally made the journey. It's still early in the season and not bask-in-the-sun-on-the-beach weather yet but Budva is already preparing for the tourist season. Budva, on the coast of Montenegro, is thought to be the oldest settlement in Montenegro. By the mid-2^nd century BC, the area was occupied by Romans. Stari Grad (Old Town) consisted of the citadel or fortress that surrounded the inner city. You will see in these photos part of the fortress walls that stand next to the Adriatic Sea. The clock and bell tower in the photos are recent--dating to only the mid-1800s--the tower is part of St. Ivan Catholic Church.

2006-02-27T15:17:00.000-06:00

The Shoreline

The shoreline of Montenegro consists of both sandy beaches and jagged rocks. This photo was taken at Budva. The water is greenish-blue and amazingly clear. To get an idea of the size scale of this beach and the rocks, look closely at the photo. You will see a man in a red shirt. Also note the trees behind the buildings. The mountain juts up at about an 80 degree angle.

2006-02-26T00:14:00.000-06:00

The Voice of America:

Saturday moring, I watched a Voice of America newscast, delivered in Serbia, on Montena Television, one of the private television stations in Montenegro. This newscast originates from VOA studios in Washington, D.C.

VOA is a U.S. funded broadcast initiative that began in 1942 to counter Nazi/Axis newscasts during World War II. VOA continues to broadcast around the world through shortwave but increasingly, in the last 15 years, through partnerships with private radio and television stations now on the air in developing or transitional nations. VOA furnishes its affiliates with video or audio segments that can be used in locally originated newscasts and VOA is a source of training for engineers, reporters, and managers. Many of the trips I have made in recent year have been through VOA sponsored training efforts.

About the newscast---the anchor: Darko Popovic
Lead stories, based on the visuals and some words I recognize:
-Bush reaction statement to the Al Queda attempting the oil refinery bombing
-Condaleza Rice arrives for a Middle East visit
-Bombing is Israel
-Hamas march in Lebanon
-Iran nucler program…meetings
-Bird flu outbreaks in Europe
-Voice report with rolling video from Beograd (Belgrade), likely concerning Serbian General Mladic as the likelihood of his arrest.
-Nationalist rally in Belgrade??
-Slobidan Milosovic trail update from Hague
-Voice-over rolling video with references to Bosnia/Herzogovena
-Montenegro Referendum story: VOA correspondent Nebojsa Redzic reporting from Podgorica. Voice report over generic rolling video from Podgorica.
-Reader story on another aspect of the referendum
-Story on Culture. This is an extensive in-studio interview with someone from the Architecture Institute in Belgrade, Serbia but now visiting the U.S.…..w/ rolling video of old churches, some of which have clearly been refurbished as a cultural program. Others sites show buildings in need of repair. Anchor makes references to Kosovo…then cuts to soundbite of someone from Serbia making follow-up comments. Back to in-studio guest. The story runs about 8 minutes. (Personal observation: There are some beautiful churches in the Balkans, all 100+ years old. One small church I visited in Podgorica is over 500 years old.)
-Press conference story about a US/EU trade and agriculture meeting??
-Sports:
-Torino/Winter Olympics
-Celebrity story: Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen visiting somewhere??
-Quick wrap-up from anchor.

Is VOA a propaganda source or a legitimate news provider? There were some concerns during the Reagan administration and presently under the Bush administration about efforts to influence VOA content, but VOA is an important news and training provider.

As developing and transitional nations shift to free-market economies and support of human rights, free speech/free press desires have led to licensing of private radio and television stations. It isn’t enough though to simply have a license to operate. These stations must learn to sustain their operations through effective management, including the sale of advertising.

VOA news training improves not only the factual content of the newscasts but also the “look” or production value of the product. Management and sales training helps the owners/managers improve their business operations so that the program content can continue to be made available to an audience interested in local content from a source other than the government channel.

Yes, I think VOA is a good use of U.S. taxpayer funds. You can also find text, streaming audio and video on VOA’s website—including news in about 40 languages. Visit voa.gov for a look. (By the way, by law—since its creation in 1942, VOA is prohibited from broadcasting to U.S. citizens. That’s part of the safeguard to prevent VOA from being used to influence U.S. citizens.)

But what about CNN and FOX News or even BBC World--my only exclusively English language channel? (I will blog about BBC World in a few more days.) These channels are interested in low-hanging fruit: viewers who speak or understand English, which means either persons traveling from Wesern countries or wealthy viewers in diverse locations. They are commercially sponsored services--and there is NOTHING wrong with ad support for programming.

VOA or BBC World Service (BBC's radio service) are the sources for news broadcasts in local languages and their radio service is still extensive. As ubiquitous as television is in the world of Americans, radio is the leading source of news and information in true developing countries. Radio is portable....receivers are inexpensive....they run on batteries, in places where is is limited electrical service...the time and production skills needed to create radio programming are more manageable than television production.

2006-02-22T06:22:00.000-06:00

Some comments about daily life:

I do not have a car and have no plans to buy one, although I will rent one when my family comes over in the summer. My walk to the university takes 15-20 minutes, depending on my energy level. It's not bad--unless it's raining or my briefcase (slung over my shoulder) is particularly heavy that day. I walked with a colleague to dinner at a very nice Italian restaurant a few nights ago—it took us 30 minutes to get there—but we had a great conversation and there's no better way to see a place than by walking. When we left, at midnight, the people we met for dinner gave us a lift home.

My apartment has a washing machine and solar clothes dryer. For those of you who have forgotten what this means: I hang my wash out on a clothes line on one of the two balconies of my apartment. They are just now starting to sell dryers but they cost about 400 Euros. The washer seems to do a good job but the wash cycle is very long.

Things are done on a smaller scale in Montenegro. Cars are smaller. Offices are smaller--or if not, more people occupy the office space. Interpersonal space is generally less, both when someone is standing near you, you are sitting on a bus, or when you are walking down the street with someone you know.The bathtub is narrower--which means it takes less water to fill it when you want a soak in the tub. But it's a challenge to stand and shower. My refrigerator and stove are smaller but so is my kitchen. Still, the frig is large enough to hold all I need and I can do all the cookig I aspire to do. I find great reason to wonder why Americans let everything get so big? (Including people, who eat more than they should and rarely walk anywhere. And yes....I am guilty of this when I am back in the U.S.)

A friend recently asked in an email whether the living circumstances were like Western Europe or a more transitional place. Clearly, there are parts of life that are similar to Western Europe or the U.S. but there's a much more casual approach to life. Deadlines are arbitrary, or seem to be. Meals are consumed at a leisurely pace. And hours are spent in the coffee bars. For an uptight American%2

2006-02-22T06:16:00.000-06:00

One difference between Serbia and Montenegro is that Montenegro uses the Euro as its official currency. Serbia uses the Dinar. Montenegro is not part of the EU—they simply elected to make the Euro their currency several years ago. I find that most prices are generally very high compared to the U.S. I bought two medium-sized bananas at the market and paid about 51 Euro cents; that’s about .63US. A small sum for me but a middle class Montenegrin family of four might be living on a monthly income of between 500-1,000 Euros per month. One of the challenges for many transitional countries is the foster an economic, social and political climate that will lead to the development of a substantial middle class. It is the middle class--or the ability to live as part of the middle class--that has enabled the U.S. to prosper.

Most people can remember reading the description of the Balkans as “the powder keg of Europe” in a history book. Turkey conquered and held this part of the world for 400 years and only departed about 115 years ago. The Turkish influence, introduction of Muslim religion and subtle ethnic rivalries are reasons for the wars and genocide in the 1990s. Kosovo is still under United Nations control.

Why am I here? And, did I pick this place? I’m here with a Fulbright Research and Lecturing appointment at the Faculty of Law, School of Political Science and Journalism. It’s a long story as to how we finally worked out the arrangement for me to be here. I am teaching a class at Bradley University this semester (COM 415 Global Media) via videoconference. My wish would also be that I could establish a link with my students at University of Montengro and at Bradley so that both groups might know more about the world in which the other live. I've attempted to start this process by giving the students at both schools an assignment to exchange information via email.

2006-02-22T06:03:00.000-06:00

Television: Then and Now: I visited Montenegro in May 2003 and March 2004. I liked the people I met and that is a primary reason why I am back today. The media managers and employees I met were personable and interested in new ideas. Still, they faced challenges.

Here is part of what I said then.

“There are too many print and broadcast media firms in Montenegro and the field will not be thinning very quickly. The television stations seem mired in programming production practices of the past—some of their programs look a bit stiff. Improvements in sales and marketing practices offer some legitimate chances to improve the performance of the firms but it will be a difficult market until the number of firms is reduced either through consolidation or bankruptcy. Competition from Serbian stations will also erode the audience for Montenegrin television stations.”

Now:

I have not yet met with media managers but I have spoken with several authoritative sources and I have my own observations. First, the on-air look of the stations is generally much better. Through both local and syndicated programming, the stations have a better look. And, the government has begun enforcing copyright protections, thus limiting the ability of stations to simply “pluck” choice programming from satellite feeds or the local video shops. Second, advertising sales continue to be limited. Private (commercial stations) are allowed to air up to nine minutes of commercials per hour. I’m not sure that I’ve noticed even half this number—on the busiest hour. Third, Montenegro Television (the two government-run channels) have begun the move to public service status—still, there are far too many employees on the payroll and limited political will to change that situation.

2006-02-16T07:48:00.000-06:00

I have arrived! Well, two weeks ago I arrived. So far I have been getting settled into a routine and trying to plan ahead as to how to use my time. A week ago it snowed. Today we have rain but at least the temperature is warmer. Still, my apartment is a challenge to heat.

There's no central heat--only an electric radiator style heater in the living room. I have slept in the living room which has been just fine. The sofa is comfortable and the room is large enough to be a substantial apartment.

The people here are very nice and accomodating. Tomorrow, I will visit the Montenegro Media Institute, a media training and development center.

I have a mobile phone with a Montenegrin provider! I feel like part of the community. People in the U.S. use their cells phones regularly but it is nothing like the use and social interaction I see here. I am not yet up-to-speed on SMS but will have to learn.

This rather bland and unremarkable entry is my first attempt at blogging. I will try to do better with my next comments.