I started teaching in the political science faculty at the university last week. I was told not to expect much as far as English language level or motivation, since first-year students are required to take a foreign language and sometimes get funneled into English when they don’t fit anywhere else. Imagine my surprise then, when I walked into a classroom of thirty enthusiastic and proficient English language speakers. They realize that they are the future leaders of this country and are hungry to learn the language that will help them help their country. We’re having a terrific time. Long delayed Kosova elections will be held on 17 November, so we started our semester doing rhetorical analysis of campaign posters, which will be followed by a focus this week on political speeches. I’m learning scads about the political situation here, both as I prepare for class and during class itself. It’s a good combination: they are experts on the political situation and I give them the rhetorical tools to focus their ideas. I feel increasingly vested in this place as I learn more about the candidates and the back-stories that are a part of the election. This class has also re-kindled my interest in electoral politics, which in the U.S. only leads me into numbing cynicism. It’s an exciting time here – the leader of the party that wins the election will most likely lead Kosova to independence – and people are anxious to talk about the election.