Kosovo: Like over the cultural and you can political divide

The fresh dispute anywhere between Serbia and Kosovo couldn’t stop a beneficial Serbian woman and you can a beneficial Kosovo Albanian people regarding falling crazy. Inspite of the pressures they face, it real time cheerfully to one another in the Kosovar investment, Pristina.

Suzana M. (left) and you may Gent S. inside their apartment when you look at the Pristina; because they fear repercussions to have Gent’s family relations, they will not should tell you its identities Photo: Vjosa Cerkini/DW

Simply a good stone’s toss throughout the University away from Pristina, Suzana Meters. regarding Novi Sad from inside the Serbia and you may Gent S. out-of Ferizaj inside the Kosovo possess setup house together when you look at the good tiny, lovingly provided flat. The two 25-year-olds was indeed several for below 2 yrs.

Theirs ‘s the tale away from a love one right now looks almost out of the question in their local regions. It began on the other side of the Balkans throughout the Croatian vent town of Rijeka for the Adriatic coastline during the .

It had been the holidays are, and you will Suzana got a position because a waitress. Gent is taking care of a homes web site. One day, Suzana and her acquaintances have been using several delighted circumstances leisurely into seashore within the Rijeka.

Gent try seated but a few legs away. He caught Suzana’s eyes. Together with his brown tresses and you will brown eyes, she discovered your in some way some other, special.

Suzana – tall and thin that have enough time, dark blonde hair – immediately attracted Gent’s appeal. The guy envision she was unique, as well. When their attention met, Gent plucked right up their bravery and asked Suzana if he might pick their particular a frost-lotion.

More ethnicities not an issue

“Typically, I would personally never deal with an invitation by doing this,” remembers Suzana, “while the this is the way my personal mothers put me upwards, but my colleagues pushed me to undertake.” The two got talking. The initial thing it discovered they’d in accordance was you to none ones was remotely looking conversations otherwise prejudices relating in order to ethnicity.

You to basic conversation more than a freeze-cream is actually with many others dates. “I preferred him from the comfort of the phrase wade,” claims Suzana. “He could be a genuine, kind-hearted individual.”

A great Balkan relationship

Suzana, the only real youngster from a great Serbian couple, grew up in Bosnia and you may Herzegovina. Following conflicts one to observed the latest breakup of the former Yugoslavia in the early 90s, the household relocated to Novi Sad throughout the Serbian state regarding Vojvodina, where ethnic Hungarians and you can Romanians live next to Serbs. Suzana’s parents wished to reside in an excellent multiethnic, multicultural environment. “It’s no happenstance that I am Suzana. My parents didn’t must render myself an usually Serbian very first title,” she states.

Gent was created the second son off a cultural Albanian family unit members when you look at the Ferizaj within the southern Kosovo. He encountered most other nationalities and you can religions regarding a young age while the his family relations had family relations out-of Bulgaria and some distant affairs just who were not of the Muslim faith.

Reservations gave solution to affection

However nasД±l bir kadД±n bulabilirim, recalls Gent, their dad was not whatsoever delighted whenever their young man first informed your from the Suzana. Non-Albanian spouses try frowned upon in the antique cultural Albanian family. Additionally, since head of the household members, it is the dad who has the final word. Gent risked getting cast out by their household members.

“My father expected as to why I experienced a good girlfriend away from Serbia, when there have been tens and thousands of Albanian girls into the Ferizaj,” claims Gent. Undeterred, he decided to present Suzana so you can his moms and dads. When they satisfied their unique, their reservations dissolved aside in addition they grew fond of her.

Kosovar guys towards look for a great “sweetheart”

Observing a girl in Kosovo is normally a highly various other fling. In summer and you may winter season holidays, of a lot young Kosovar men who happen to live abroad come “home” driving powerful – sometimes German – cars in the hope from impressing the fresh girls, getting to know all of them and maybe even searching for a wife.