Do you love me, Larry?

D-Do I love you?

Yeah.

Well, it depends on what you mean, Phil.

I mean…

If you’re asking, am I willing
to have your children, well, then, no,
I probably don’t love you.

Why do you ask?

It’s just a question.

How could I not love you?
You have good hygiene.
You’re a snappy dresser.
You don’t talk with your mouth full.
What’s not to love about that?

Forget it.

…

“we’ve enjoyed a long
and happy relationship…

I don’t know who I love.

***************************************************

Who raised… the subject of Jesus, honestly?

At issue, Bob, is not your belief in God… Аt issue is what
we’re here to do.

****************************************************

It doesn’t matter whether you’re selling Jesus or Buddha… or civil rights… or how to make money in real estate with no money down. That doesn’t make you a human being. It makes you a marketing rep.

After crossing the unwelcoming Serbian-Kosovar border we jumped into the celebrating Kosovo. We arrived on *THE* Kosovars Independence Day. Events usually just mark the beginning or the end of a complex process; nevertheless an event is when one understands “at once” the purpose/meaning/value of the process. That’s why I am happy I’ve been there on this exact day, when one can see the people celebrating.

There were flags being sold and worn everywhere. Kosovar, Albanian, US’s, here and there British. At first I got a little scared of the nationalistic fetishism ruling the day, but calmed down shortly after we arrived.

New Born

When we arrived in Prishtina my friend Shpatar Morina directed us: “You will see a big “New Born” sign…”. I was looking for the “New Born” on the roofs of the buildings, at the billboards, my eye stopped on regular signs, neon lights, I didn’t see it anywhere. Later my colleagues have shown me the huge yellow metal blocks, stably standing on the ground saying “New born”, the sign was not merely a sign, it was absorbed by the landscape, covered with graffitty and posters, hidden for the naïve eye of the tourist. Simply brilliant and provoking piece of art.

by Iliya Goranov

Optimism

What fascinated me in Prishtina were the intelligence; talent; inspiration and optimistic state of mind of the people I’ve met. I guess I’m that impressed because I imagine that’s how the democracy started, here in Bulgaria 22 years ago.

The tagline of the event was “Design optimism”. Wise slogan for a “New Born”. The lecturers were all carrying the post-war burden, beautifully transforming the grief into belief and ideas of a better future. The focus of every single lecture was not the “what was wrong” or “the look & feel of the bright future”, but on “what I am doing” which sounds pretty much like the right path. I’ve heard constructive and down to earth lectures, a gymnastic performance and a song, that made me believe, dream and feel inspired. Great job done by the starter of the TEDxPrishtina – Ardit Bejko and the organizers.

I had the chance to speak to a few people, living now in Kosovo. I love learning from people. Being under the strong influence of Graham Green right now, I think one can only judge a certain political situation or society, when mixing the historical facts and statistics with personal stories, the moral values and experience of the “one” into this society. Life can rarely be defined by facts, although never without them. Shkamb Qavdarbasha, a young, erudite journalist told me the story of Kosovo, I knew almost nothing about and therefore I took it with no prejudice. He described the problems that the Kosovars experienced in the last decades of the past century, how that lead to a conflict, about the reaction and support of the west.  He left me think without trying to opinionate me. The only emotion he expressed was against Milosevic. Fair enough. I’m not knowledgeable enough to express opinions on the war itself; except for I’m sure I don’t like it. What impressed me is that I saw a person, dramatically affected by the situation, who managed to stay on the safe side of objectivity, while telling the story of his country.

I do…

The purpose of what I have written is to express my admiration of the situation where the “what I do” meets the new gained freedom. I am sure that in the crowds of the “Youngest country” there are the bad seeds, we read about in the news and that problems of not meeting some expectations are still to come but I believe, that having so many believers can only lead to a happy end.

I thank the multi talanted Shpatar Morina who inspired me to go to Kosovo, and took very very good care of me and my colleagues.

Това е една от неговите творби, които можете да видите в нета…

“

I feel like I’mma lose my life for this
I feel like I’mma have to fight for this
I feel motherfuckers they goin’ say I’m wrong
I feel you’re goin’ get buck when you hear my song
I feel you don’t even know how I feel
I feel if you hate me you got to get real
I feel like go to Texas and for me some brick
I feel the policeman making me sick
I feel like I could be the president
I feel like burning up their bodies to leave no evidence
I feel you don’t even know how I feel
Respect my mind I’m just telling you how I feel

Do you feel like you could lose your life for this
Do you feel like you could fight for this
Do you feel like go to Texas and for me some brick
Do you feel the policeman I’m making you sick
Do you feel like you could be the president
feel like burning up their bodies to leave no evidence
Do you feel like they don’t even know how we feel
I feel that they hate us, we got to get real
Got to get real, real

- I thought you agreed … . It’s the law that’s wrong, not the activity.

- I do. But until the law changes, you’re a criminal.

…

- You would use the law to change the law.

- Of course.

- I suppose you would recommend saving a drowning man by teling him to drink his way out of it.

…”