The Balkan Chronicle

It is said that Americans have a genius for simplification. Gradually, however, the quest for it has become a global trend, one that continues to conquer new territories, just as blue jeans once did.

The speed of our daily life is visibly increased – and not for the better – by this unstoppable evolution. The tyranny of pragmatism seems to mark all of the complex dilemmas of our time. Too many valid choices are ignored or skirted through the routine of short-cuts.

The word ebru (cloud, cloudy) or abru (water face) means in Turkish the technique of paper marbling. The term is derived from the word ebre which belongs to one of the older Central Asian languages and it means the "moiré, veined fabric, paper" used for covering some manuscripts and other holy books. Its origin might ultimately hark back to China, where a document from the T'ang dynasty (618-907) mentions a process of colouring paper on water with five hues. Through the Silk Road, this art came first to Iran and picked up the name Ebru. Subsequently it moved towards Anatolia. Specimens of marbled paper in Turkish museums and private collections date back as far as the 15th century, but unfortunately there is no evidence to show at what date the art of marbling paper first appeared in Anatolia.

Arben Zharku actor and producer has been invited by the European Film Academy to become a voting member for the European Film Festival Awards.
With acceptance of Zharku, automatically, Kosova becomes member country in this academy, which gathers over 2400 professional members.

"It's a distinct honor to be a member of the academy, we believe that membership in the academy will promote film and film industry in Kosova", reads the communiqué of Skena UP festival, where Arben Zharku is director.

Moussaka is one of the most loved Bulgarian dishes. There are similar versions of this dish in most of the Balkan countries, but generally ingredients vary largely. Traditionally Bulgarian Moussaka is a mix of cubbed potatoes and flavoured ground or minced meat. The meat usually consists of three parts beef and two parts goat, but many other combinations are possible depending on your taste. The whole thing is topped with milk and egg sauce and is served warm. Moussaka is eaten as main course.

This is a very informative video on raw milk in the form of an interview with Mark Mcafee, owner of organic Pastures dairy in California. There is a lot to be learned from it about nutrition, immunity etc., alongside the issue of fresh, natural, raw milk.

By the way did you know that there are many ahaadeeth in the Sunnah establishing the curative and healing properties of fresh, pure milk? The Prophet (sallallaahu alayhi wasallam) has explicitly stated that milk and clarified butter (samn), otherwise known as ghee, are both a cure (shifaa) and a treatment (dawaa) for disease.