{"id":109058,"date":"2024-10-29T12:33:21","date_gmt":"2024-10-29T11:33:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kosovotwopointzero.com\/per-nanin-tim-diken\/"},"modified":"2024-10-30T15:52:16","modified_gmt":"2024-10-30T14:52:16","slug":"for-my-nani","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/for-my-nani\/","title":{"rendered":"For my Nani"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"109058\" class=\"elementor elementor-109058 elementor-108969\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c5c4eb4 elementor-section-full_width elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c5c4eb4\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-background-overlay\"><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-no\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-a8b1a2c\" data-id=\"a8b1a2c\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-83083fd elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"83083fd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1080\" height=\"383\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/K2.0-BLACK-LOGO.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-101429\" alt=\"Llogo e Kosovo 2.0. Butoni p\u00ebr tu kthyer n\u00eb faqen kryesore.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/K2.0-BLACK-LOGO.png 1080w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/K2.0-BLACK-LOGO-300x106.png 300w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/K2.0-BLACK-LOGO-1024x363.png 1024w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/K2.0-BLACK-LOGO-768x272.png 768w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/K2.0-BLACK-LOGO-326x116.png 326w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1080px) 100vw, 1080px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-59f1649 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"59f1649\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-2bc2adc\" data-id=\"2bc2adc\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-73228a0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"73228a0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h1 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">For my Nani \n<\/h1>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-38cf6ec elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"38cf6ec\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">In memory of Nani and many other Bosnian women who died in \u2018exile.\u2019\n<\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-feee3d6 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"feee3d6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/My-Grandmothers-Story_Feature-Image-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-109062\" alt=\"A collage of five old photographs.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/My-Grandmothers-Story_Feature-Image-1.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/My-Grandmothers-Story_Feature-Image-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/My-Grandmothers-Story_Feature-Image-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/My-Grandmothers-Story_Feature-Image-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/My-Grandmothers-Story_Feature-Image-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/My-Grandmothers-Story_Feature-Image-1-326x183.jpg 326w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Photo: Zaskoku family archive. <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-637daff elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"637daff\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-88a9e71\" data-id=\"88a9e71\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c112dc5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c112dc5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d88773d elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d88773d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\"><div class=\"elementor-widget-container\"><p><em><b>Below is a read-aloud version of the entire article.<\/b><\/em><\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-1d2bc8a elementor-widget elementor-widget-wp-widget-media_audio\" data-id=\"1d2bc8a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"wp-widget-media_audio.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<!--[if lt IE 9]><script>document.createElement('audio');<\/script><![endif]-->\n<audio class=\"wp-audio-shortcode\" id=\"audio-109058-1\" preload=\"none\" style=\"width: 100%;\" controls=\"controls\" target=\"_blank\"><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Donika-Gashi-Narrated-in-English-Feature.mp3?_=1\" \/><source type=\"audio\/mpeg\" src=\"https:\/\/kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Donika-Gashi-Narrated-in-English-Feature.mp3?_=1\" \/><a href=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Donika-Gashi-Narrated-in-English-Feature.mp3\" target=\"_blank\">https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Donika-Gashi-Narrated-in-English-Feature.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-d6520e7 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"d6520e7\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4320bcc\" data-id=\"4320bcc\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0d5cbb3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"0d5cbb3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When I think of happy places, only one comes to mind. It\u2019s not the beach, the mountains, my parents\u2019 house, or any other beautiful place I\u2019ve been fortunate enough to visit. When I need to calm down, I imagine my Nani\u2019s house \u2014 my grandmother on my mother\u2019s side. Although this house now exists only in my memories, it\u2019s the one place where I can find peace when I\u2019m stressed.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nani, or Dikica \u2014 we used to call her Dika for short \u2014 and my grandfather, Rexhep Zaskoku, who we called Baba Rexha, built a one-story house in the early \u201860s in Ferizaj. The house was built in a typical style of the past century: three steps leading to the entrance, a balcony on the left, the front door on the right, and inside, a wide corridor connecting two bedrooms, a living room and a bathroom. Despite having two bedrooms, we always slept in the living room, especially during the cold winters, as it was the only room we could heat. What I loved most, though, was the yard.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My Nani&#8217;s yard was filled with trees \u2014 walnut, hazelnut, apricot and apple \u2014 and an abundance of flowers. My favorite flower grew right in front of the balcony. Each spring, it bloomed with pink, heart-shaped petals, unlike any other flower I\u2019ve seen. Nani had brought it from her birthplace, \u010cajni\u010de, in Bosnia and Herzegovina.<\/span><\/p><p><b>The story of Nani, who brought the pink flower<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dika was born on May 8, 1940, as the first child of the D\u017eambegovi\u0107 family, followed by \u0160efka, Nura, Sebahata and Kemali. She spent her childhood in a small mountain town, nestled between the surrounding peaks and Sarajevo, the cultural capital known for its many bridges.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In addition to her immediate family, Nani had many cousins who all lived in the same small town about 90 kilometers from Sarajevo. She enjoyed a comfortable lifestyle for the time. Her father, a merchant, ensured that Nani and her sisters had the finest fabrics for their clothes, sourced from Damascus, Syria, which was renowned for its exquisite textiles. Surrounded by beauty and fashion from an early age, Nani developed a lifelong passion for clothes and perfumes. In fact, my last memory of her is tied to this passion \u2014 despite barely having the strength to speak, she asked me to put some perfume on her.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ef1f91d elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"ef1f91d\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3930b1b\" data-id=\"3930b1b\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9ebdfa9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"9ebdfa9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1198\" height=\"1750\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_001-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-109068\" alt=\"The image is a black and white photograph of a woman standing outdoors. She is wearing a dark dress and sunglasses, and her hair is styled in a short, wavy fashion. The woman is smiling and has one arm raised, touching the branches of a tree beside her. In the background, there are hills and some buildings, suggesting a rural or suburban setting.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_001-1.jpg 1198w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_001-1-205x300.jpg 205w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_001-1-701x1024.jpg 701w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_001-1-768x1122.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_001-1-1052x1536.jpg 1052w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_001-1-326x476.jpg 326w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1198px) 100vw, 1198px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Dika in her youth, 1961 or 1962. Photo: Zaskoku family archive.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-f63c29a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"f63c29a\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-ecb7974\" data-id=\"ecb7974\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3fb7fe4 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"3fb7fe4\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nani was always particular about dressing &#8220;her way,&#8221; as she used to say. I remember, as a child in the early 2000s, accompanying her to the tailor, where she was never satisfied. &#8220;It\u2019s difficult to work with you, Dika. You never like what I sew for you,&#8221; a well-known tailor in Ferizaj would often tell her. Even when she found something she liked in a store, which was rare, she made sure to buy two of the same item \u2014 whether it was two identical shirts, two pairs of glasses, or two pairs of pants. She had this habit, believing that if one got ruined, she\u2019d always have a backup.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Nani recalled her childhood, she described herself as a child who always resisted authority and went against the grain. She often told the story of how, after finishing fourth grade, her father insisted she drop out of school, saying, &#8220;Only whores go to school.&#8221; But Nani firmly stood her ground and he eventually had no choice but to relent. Looking back now, I realize that my grandmother never used or even knew feminist terms or language. She didn&#8217;t realize that her actions were feminist but they spoke volumes, proving that no one, not even her father, could dictate her path in life.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Thanks to her insistence on education, her three younger sisters were able to continue their education. But for Nani, life had something else in store.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-af8af9c elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"af8af9c\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5c73435\" data-id=\"5c73435\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cdf13ab elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"cdf13ab\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1327\" height=\"1599\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_007-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-109071\" alt=\"The image shows an old, sepia-toned photograph of a family. The photo is worn and has visible creases and a torn section at the top. It features five people: a man, a woman, and three children. The man is wearing a cap and glasses, and the woman is standing behind him. The children are positioned in front of the adults, with one child sitting on the lap of the woman. The photograph is placed on a pink textured surface, possibly a cloth or paper.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_007-1.jpg 1327w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_007-1-249x300.jpg 249w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_007-1-850x1024.jpg 850w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_007-1-768x925.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_007-1-1275x1536.jpg 1275w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_007-1-326x393.jpg 326w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1327px) 100vw, 1327px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Dika with her parents and two of her sisters. Photo: Zaskoku's family archive. <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ca97ef8 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"ca97ef8\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-676cbaf\" data-id=\"676cbaf\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ba733a2 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ba733a2\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><b>Marriage in Kosovo<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1956, when Nani was just 16, she married a man she had only known for a short time and moved to a place with unfamiliar customs and traditions. My grandfather, Baba Rexha, had close ties to Bosnia. His mother, Emina, was from Mostar but sadly died while giving birth to him, and he often visited her family there. Nani said she liked our grandfather, Rexha, right away. &#8220;He was tall, with blue eyes and curly hair. He spoke Bosnian as fluently as Albanian,&#8221; she recalled.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unlike Nani, Baba Rexha was much calmer. He spoke little and spent most of his days playing chess. I didn\u2019t have the chance to spend much time with him, as he passed away in 1998, but my memories of him are always tied to chess. When I think of him, the image that comes to mind is of him playing chess with his friends, Sami and Milazim, under the shade of the trees in Ferizaj.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Baba Rexha and Nani married, she knew almost nothing about Kosovo. Geography had never been her strong suit, she told me that it was the subject she hated most at school. She recalled how, whenever the teacher asked her to point out places on a map, she always struggled to find them. Kosovo was no exception, even though it was part of the same federation.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ea1b53d elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"ea1b53d\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-bd5233c\" data-id=\"bd5233c\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cd2971d elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"cd2971d\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"1406\" height=\"1956\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_008-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-109074\" alt=\"This is a black and white photograph of a family group. There are seven people in the picture, standing in front of a house with a tiled roof and some foliage in the background. In the back row, there are three adults. On the left is a man with short hair, wearing a light-colored shirt and trousers. In the middle is a woman with dark hair, wearing a light-colored blouse. On the right is another man with short hair, wearing a light-colored shirt and a tie. In the front row, there are four children. On the left is a girl with short hair, wearing a patterned dress with a collar and buttons. Next to her is another girl with glasses and a similar dress. To the right of her is a boy with short hair, wearing a sweater and trousers. On the far right is a young child, possibly a toddler, wearing a light-colored top and dark shorts.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_008-1.jpg 1406w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_008-1-216x300.jpg 216w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_008-1-736x1024.jpg 736w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_008-1-768x1068.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_008-1-1104x1536.jpg 1104w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_008-1-326x454.jpg 326w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1406px) 100vw, 1406px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Dika with Rexha and their five children somewhere in 1974. Photo: Zaskoku's family archive. <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-fcc6d0e elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"fcc6d0e\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3fee72f\" data-id=\"3fee72f\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-7f82797 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"7f82797\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Nani struggled with geography, language was a different story. Determined to adapt to her new place as quickly as possible, she learned Albanian within a year. My grandfather, who was a teacher by profession, took it upon himself to teach her and he succeeded. However, Nani had another reason for learning the language.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At first, Baba Rexha sent Nani to his native village of Rubovc in Lipjan, where his stepmother told her she should serve the guests. In those early days, while serving tea, the women in the kitchen played a trick on her. They told her to say &#8220;here\u2019s your tea, like excrement,&#8221; instead of \u201cenjoy your tea.\u201d Unaware of the language, Nani repeated the phrase each time she served tea. &#8220;All the guests laughed at me and I just left the tea and ran away crying,&#8221; she told me.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From that day on, Nani was determined to learn Albanian, including how to read and write. And she succeeded. Within a year, she could speak, read and write Albanian fluently, although her accent still revealed that it was not her native language.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With her subtle and distinct Bosnian sense of humor, even though she spoke Albanian constantly, some words still led to funny misunderstandings. For instance, one day a colleague called my grandfather on the home phone and Nani answered. The colleague said, &#8220;Please tell Rexh\u00eb that I\u2019ll come and pick him up with a cart.&#8221; Not knowing the word for cart, she mistook it for an offensive term and complained to her husband, saying, &#8220;I don\u2019t want that friend of yours in our home anymore.&#8221; Since then, I\u2019ve had a soft spot for all Bosnians who speak Albanian. They remind me of her.<\/span><\/p><p><b>Closer to exile<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nani was a born storyteller. Her stories were far more interesting to me than fairy tales about kings and queens.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nani always spoke fondly about \u010cajni\u010de. I couldn\u2019t understand how a person who had spent 50 years in another place, raised five children and had 13 nieces and nephews could still speak so fondly about her hometown. She shared stories about the rivers, mountains, her childhood and youth. In my naive understanding of the world around me, I thought of Bosnia as part of a different continent. This perspective likely stemmed from Nani&#8217;s inability to return there after the 1998-1999 war in Kosovo. In my childlike innocence, I told myself a truth: fewer miles between countries did not necessarily represent proximity.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nani always talked to me about her three sisters but rarely mentioned her brother Kemal. I often begged her to share more about him, but she always found ways to sidestep the question. She also expressed how much she missed speaking her mother tongue. Although all five of her children spoke Bosnian, they always spoke Albanian with her. Nani would tell me that she missed herself when she spoke her mother tongue. &#8220;I think and dream in my language,&#8221; she always said.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-414f934 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"414f934\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-208ecdb\" data-id=\"208ecdb\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3b0fda8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"3b0fda8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"709\" height=\"1095\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_005-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-109077\" alt=\"The image shows a photograph of two men. The man on the left is seated and appears to be older, with gray hair, wearing a light-colored suit jacket over a dark sweater and a light shirt. The man on the right is standing, with his hand resting on the seated man&#039;s shoulder. He has short gray hair and is wearing a light-colored jacket over a light shirt. The background of the photograph is a solid blue color.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_005-1.jpg 709w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_005-1-194x300.jpg 194w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_005-1-663x1024.jpg 663w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_005-1-326x503.jpg 326w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 709px) 100vw, 709px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Dika\u2019s husband Rexha, with her father.  Photo: Zaskoku's family archive. <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-f2eb7ef elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"f2eb7ef\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-94a07d7\" data-id=\"94a07d7\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-032b54c elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"032b54c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nani hadn\u2019t returned to her homeland since shortly before the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Before that, she and her family made annual visits, spending every summer vacation there. Baba Rexha had a car, and most of the time, they took three of the five children with them. For Nani and my mother, those holidays were some of the most beautiful times in their lives, but everything changed when the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina began.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To escape the war, Nani\u2019s father, brother and sister-in-law Hadija, along with their three daughters \u2014 \u0160efka, Sebahate with her daughter and granddaughter, and Nura with her daughter \u2014 stayed in Kosovo. But Nani\u2019s brother Kemal and the other sons and men of the family did not. Just a few weeks after the war started, the Serbian army rounded up all the men from \u010cajni\u010de and loaded them into a truck one by one. In total, 16 men from Nani&#8217;s family were taken, all under the age of 40. Among them was Nura&#8217;s son, Sebahudi, who was only 16 years old. Nura ran after the truck, begging them to release her son, but they hit her with the butt of a machine gun and knocked her unconscious. They left immediately afterward.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They stayed in Kosovo until 1995, when the war ended and Nani&#8217;s family returned to Bosnia, but not to their homeland. According to the Dayton Agreement, \u010cajni\u010de and the surrounding region were designated as part of Republika Srpska. None of Nani&#8217;s family returned there again. In December 1995, Nani said goodbye to her family, unaware that it would be the last time she would see them. She only saw Sebahate once more in 2008.<\/span><\/p><p><b>\u2018I will die in exile\u2019<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">On her good days, Nani hoped we would visit her homeland together. She often said, &#8220;I will show all the places where I grew up.&#8221; However, during moments of weakness and sadness, she would say, &#8220;I will die in exile.&#8221; In those moments, I could only hug her in response. In 2008, when Kosovo declared independence, Nani almost went. She quickly packed suitcases and documents after someone told her that she could travel. What stopped her going was that the bus to Sarajevo passed through Serbia, which she associated with Serbian forces. Her fear of them also prevented her from visiting the graves of family members who had been killed by Serbian forces.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I will never forget the moment she realized she would not be able to return to her homeland. That night, she cried a lot, which was unusual for her. She didn\u2019t even cry in 2006 when they found the remains of Kemal, her nephew Sebahudin and 14 other men from her family. It was as if she had convinced herself that their deaths would only become real if she went to their graves and saw with her own eyes that they were truly gone.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-0ca08d6 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"0ca08d6\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-62950da\" data-id=\"62950da\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-35a938b elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"35a938b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"964\" height=\"1509\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_004-1.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-109080\" alt=\"\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_004-1.jpg 964w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_004-1-192x300.jpg 192w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_004-1-654x1024.jpg 654w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_004-1-768x1202.jpg 768w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Granmother_004-1-326x510.jpg 326w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 964px) 100vw, 964px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Dika with her cousin. Photo: Zaskoku's family archive. <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-62ac7c2 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"62ac7c2\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-68493a9\" data-id=\"68493a9\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f220f9f elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"f220f9f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For me, seeing Nani cry was a significant turning point. At that moment, the illusion I had created about her a few years earlier shattered.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a Bosnian woman, Nani did not have an easy life in post-war Kosovo. She often needed to see a doctor due to her high blood pressure and on one occasion, I accompanied her. When a member of the medical staff heard Nani talking and learned her name, they refused to treat her. They said &#8220;You&#8217;re a shkije, [pejorative term for Serbs] and you&#8217;re lying. You are not Albanian at all. You don&#8217;t even look Albanian,&#8221; as if a person\u2019s appearance could determine their origin<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Aggravated by these comments, Nani almost got into a fight with them. Her persistence was unmatched and the doctors had no choice but to attend to her. I must have been eight or nine years old at the time, and from that moment on, Nani became my heroine.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No superhero I had ever seen on TV could match her strength \u2014 until the moment in spring 2008 when she finally broke. That night, she cried for her hometown, her childhood, her parents who were no longer alive, her brother, her nephew and 14 other men from her family killed by Serbian forces. She wept for her sisters and Kemal&#8217;s three daughters, who would grow up without her seeing them. That night, she cried because she realized she would &#8220;die in exile.&#8221;<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In exile, without seeing the graves of her family members and without hugging her sisters and nieces who were still alive, Nani died on February 7, 2010. None of her sisters could attend her funeral. Her family now lives in Sarajevo and are not able to return to their hometown, \u010cajni\u010de, as their houses were occupied by Serbs after the war.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I visited Bosnia and Herzegovina four years after Nani&#8217;s death to attend a volunteer camp. I remain the only one from my mother&#8217;s family who has visited Bosnia. The visa process was one of the most difficult experiences I&#8217;ve ever faced. To obtain a Bosnian visa, I had to apply to the Embassy of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Skopje, which required a mountain of documents. They issued the visa in a letter, not in my Kosovo passport.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since Nani&#8217;s death in 2010 and my first visit in 2014, this process has not changed.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-f30d3a3 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"f30d3a3\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-25 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4005fd8\" data-id=\"4005fd8\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9bf39c5 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"9bf39c5\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"3421\" height=\"2070\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Imminent-Exile-1.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-109089\" alt=\"An old woman is sitting on her travel luggage with a photo frame on her hand. She is wearing glasses and has gray hair with a rose flower clip on them. Her look is sad and nostalgic while her eyes look at the photo on her hands. She is wearing a lilac scarf with lines and dots, and a gray dress. She is in the middle of a crossroad with four streets. On the left an arrow sign directs towards the outer part of the image, with the word Kosovo written in it. On the opposite direction, in the right side of the image, a sign writing Bosnia points towards the outer part of the image. The old woman feels like stuck in the middle of these two directions.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Imminent-Exile-1.png 3421w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Imminent-Exile-1-300x182.png 300w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Imminent-Exile-1-1024x620.png 1024w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Imminent-Exile-1-768x465.png 768w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Imminent-Exile-1-1536x929.png 1536w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Imminent-Exile-1-2048x1239.png 2048w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Imminent-Exile-1-326x197.png 326w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3421px) 100vw, 3421px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-25 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-f21da65\" data-id=\"f21da65\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-483a204 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"483a204\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"3421\" height=\"2070\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/The-story-of-Nani-1.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-109086\" alt=\"A light brown hair girl is standing dressed in a school uniform, with her hands holding her schoolbag straps. She holds a rose clip in her hair. A pathway connects her to a one floored villa looking small back in perspective on the right side of the image. A man is standing in the middle of the pathway, on its side, with his hands on the waist. They both look a bit worried. Two military cars are positioned far behind the girl, heading towards the one floored villa.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/The-story-of-Nani-1.png 3421w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/The-story-of-Nani-1-300x182.png 300w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/The-story-of-Nani-1-1024x620.png 1024w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/The-story-of-Nani-1-768x465.png 768w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/The-story-of-Nani-1-1536x929.png 1536w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/The-story-of-Nani-1-2048x1239.png 2048w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/The-story-of-Nani-1-326x197.png 326w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3421px) 100vw, 3421px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-25 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-6b615fa\" data-id=\"6b615fa\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-279fba0 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"279fba0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"3421\" height=\"2070\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/My-happy-place-1.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-109083\" alt=\"A light brown hair young woman with a rose hair clip is resting her chin on her folded arms. Her portrait is in the center of the image. She stands with her eyes closed, in a thoughtful nostalgic feeling, while slightly on the left of the image and in front of her is a candle with a soft light. The candlelight creates a shadow behind the girl\u2019s back and in the right side of the visual. The shadow is not dark but shows a scene of the girl\u2019s memories. Inside the rounded shadow shape behind the girl, and in the right side of the image, two children are playing with a ball, in the garden of a one floored villa. The girl is on the left with her arms open, and the boy is on the right, running towards her with a ball. In the background behind them, the one floored villa has a light color, and the door is open. From the door and the window, comes a warm light, in the same color as the light candle. A woman&#039;s silhouette is slightly visible in the villa\u2019s window. The image gives an overall feeling of nostalgia.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/My-happy-place-1.png 3421w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/My-happy-place-1-300x182.png 300w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/My-happy-place-1-1024x620.png 1024w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/My-happy-place-1-768x465.png 768w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/My-happy-place-1-1536x929.png 1536w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/My-happy-place-1-2048x1239.png 2048w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/My-happy-place-1-326x197.png 326w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3421px) 100vw, 3421px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\"><\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-25 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-19c3f46\" data-id=\"19c3f46\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-847af81 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"847af81\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"wp-caption\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"3421\" height=\"2070\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Marriage-in-Kosovo-1.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-109092\" alt=\"An old woman is sitting on her travel luggage with a photo frame on her hand. She is wearing glasses and has gray hair with a rose flower clip on them. Her look is sad and nostalgic while her eyes look at the photo on her hands. She is wearing a lilac scarf with lines and dots, and a gray dress. She is in the middle of a crossroad with four streets. On the left an arrow sign directs towards the outer part of the image, with the word Kosovo written in it. On the opposite direction, in the right side of the image, a sign writing Bosnia points towards the outer part of the image. The old woman feels like stuck in the middle of these two directions.\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Marriage-in-Kosovo-1.png 3421w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Marriage-in-Kosovo-1-300x182.png 300w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Marriage-in-Kosovo-1-1024x620.png 1024w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Marriage-in-Kosovo-1-768x465.png 768w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Marriage-in-Kosovo-1-1536x929.png 1536w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Marriage-in-Kosovo-1-2048x1239.png 2048w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Marriage-in-Kosovo-1-326x197.png 326w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3421px) 100vw, 3421px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figcaption class=\"widget-image-caption wp-caption-text\">Ilustrations by Flonia Vasia.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9b513cf elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9b513cf\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-a8695be\" data-id=\"a8695be\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-2b0e003 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"2b0e003\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em>About the author:<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-d567a6a elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"d567a6a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p><em><a href=\"https:\/\/kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/author\/donikagashi\/\" target=\"_blank\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Donika Gashi finished her studies in political science at the University of Prishtina. In 2015 she started working as a journalist at Klan Kosova\u2019s information desk and online news portal. Since 2016 she has been working as a journalist and producer of the TV show \u201cNIN,\u201d which mainly revolves around social and cultural issues. Donika is a K2.0 Human Rights Journalism Fellowship program fellow (2019 cycle).<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c8b0086 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"c8b0086\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img width=\"953\" height=\"953\" src=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Donika-Gashi-1.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-109010\" alt=\"Donika Gashi\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Donika-Gashi-1.png 953w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Donika-Gashi-1-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Donika-Gashi-1-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Donika-Gashi-1-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Donika-Gashi-1-326x326.png 326w, https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Donika-Gashi-1-115x115.png 115w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 953px) 100vw, 953px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-03f74a3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"03f74a3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor elementor-108814 elementor-108539\" data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"108814\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\"><section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-a86e5dd elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"a86e5dd\" data-element_type=\"section\"><div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\"><div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5e9eb31\" data-id=\"5e9eb31\" data-element_type=\"column\"><div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\"><div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-35fbcec elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"35fbcec\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\"><div class=\"elementor-widget-container\"><p><a href=\"https:\/\/kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i>Click here to return to the home-page.<\/i><\/a><\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For my Nani In memory of Nani and many other Bosnian women who died in \u2018exile.\u2019 Photo: Zaskoku family archive&#8230;.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":571,"featured_media":108965,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"elementor_canvas","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109058"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/571"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=109058"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109058\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":109100,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/109058\/revisions\/109100"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/108965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=109058"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=109058"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/archive.kosovotwopointzero.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=109058"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}