Interesting

[Dinner]

I just decided to eat a chocolate bar I had bought in Kosovo in 2000. The funny thing is that it marketed itself by having a picture of KLA soldiers (mostly hot young female KLA soldiers) on the wrapper yet the chocolate itself was made in Russia. The wrapper had a label written in English, German, Russian, Arabic, Bulgarian, Serbian, French, and Turkish but it was specifically marketed to Kosovar Albanians by having pro-KLA pictures on the wrapper. Interesting is it not?

6 years later the chocolate was still good though a bit generic. I have to wonder why I kept three bars of it for so long (even if I only ate one of them).

[Jon Miller]

I wuoldn't have ate them

I would have kept them to show to people

JM

[Jon Miller]

but than I have heavy packrat sensibilities

that is the reason I like to play RPGs

JM
(I want to get everything!)

[Gangerolf]

Very interesting

I hope you didn't throw the wrapper away

Actually I was this far from going to Kosovo back in 2000 too (KFOR), but I got an other job offer at the last minute.

[Pekka]

I was also THIS close going to some peacekeeping mission right after the army, but then I decided I'd stay and go to cadet school, become an officer, but then I decided it's just for paper pushers, decided peacekeeping was just for gun carriers, and wanted to go on some real conflict.

Then after few years, I didn't anymore, because I have other opportunities. Quite weird, something I never tell to possible employers about past ambitions

[VetLegion]

I was also THIS close to going... to some web forum about peacekeeping

Just kidding, too dangerous

Oerdin, any chance you can scan the wrapper and post it here?

[Zkribbler]

Right! Hot KLA chicks.

[Gangerolf]

If KFOR had needed field artillery officers I would have gone. But they didn't for some reason. So in the end I decided to stay home instead of becoming a patrol grunt in Kosovo. But the money and of course the adventure factor would have been better.


I imagine the chocolate was sold all over the region to raise money for the KLA. TerrorChocoLOL.A bit weird that it was made in Russia though.

[VetLegion]

Think again Gangerolf. I've seen some movie (or was it documentary?) about Brits who served as peacekeepers in Bosnia. Some have "lost it" and had trouble integrating back into civillian life. Trauma, stress and all. I think war affected regions are best avoided if one can.

Especially the feeling that someting bad is going on, and you're not allowed to do anything about it, and the locals don't give a **** about you... not a situation I'd like to be in.

[Gangerolf]

Yeah.. Well Bosnia was different. I suspect the Brits you are talking about were there as UN soldiers during the war. That must have been pretty nasty. Like the Dutch who were supposed to protect Srebrenica.

But Kosovo after 1999 is a bit different. I know plenty of people who have been there. Their only complaints were that it was boring. Basicly patrol duty and making sure the Serb kids got to school without being attacked by Albanians. But still as you say not a cool situation to be in.