July 24, 2012
People the world over are concerned with the same things. That night at dinner underscored that truism. Zoran, Ante, and I were scheduled to have dinner at a local restaurant, and Zoran invited along another Skopje businessman to the meal as well. Ivalyo is the manager of a project to bring the first shopping mall to Skopje. He is a on the vanguard of bringing western conveniences to this very Eastern European city. He is like entrepreneurs everywhere, but he must deal with a local culture and society for him the large commercial enterprise is new. So, his very project is changing the nature of business in Macedonia.
We took a three minute drive from the hotel to the restaurant, and I was given my first impression of Macedonian. It is nothing short of spectacular! It blends the cultural cuisines of many of the nations in this area. Zoran ordered so many appetizers that the meal could easily have consisted of only these starters and a bottle of wine. The food kept coming as he wanted to show us the diversity of the region’s offerings. When he finally asked what we wanted for a main course, the general consensus was nothing. But I finally agreed to try a protein and he had a mixed grill plate brought out. Again, this contained more food than could possibly be consumed. But the flavors were great so I did my best to eat enough so as not to look ungrateful.
It was a good thing that the conversation allowed us to burn off a few extra calories. Iliya was very curious to know the US perspective on the world economy and the political hotspots around the globe. I think he was genuinely surprised that I didn’t take an American apologist approach, defending every approach made by our country. As an outsider it was easy for him to see the benefits and the detriments of American intervention in various situations, but I don’t think he expected an American to share his views. He expressed his frustrations with his government’s approach to the current economic crisis just as much as I expressed mine. Finally, he asked me what I thought was the way out of the current economic crisis. I told him that if I knew I wouldn’t be sitting there. But we agreed on the following conclusions. This crisis is far more complex than any of the talking heads or politicians will ever let on. None of them have the ultimate answer. It is not as ‘simple’ as any of them claim. Global and national economies are not simple things. There is a necessary role for governments to play to ensure those on the margins are not excluded. There is a role for business to play to direct the investment that will lead long term economic stimulation. Ultimately, though, we agreed that the people of each country must look out for each other. We must not let either government or business treat the citizens of the world as disposable resources. We must ensure that everyone has the right to participate in the economy and its recovery, and that for that to happen we must care about people not just in our own country but across our borders, as well. And on that note, we toasted on wonderful Croatian red wine.
After dinner, Ante and I walked back to our hotel across the main city square. I was struck by the eclectic mix of old and new, with an LCD display shining brightly above a statue of Alexander the Great. The square abutted the river and the lights of parliament gleamed across the water. As we took a side alley up toward our hotel we passed what looked like a modern church. It was, in fact, the museum dedicated to Mother Teresa, whose place of birth was Skopje, in fact right on the edge of that square.!
That night had been filled with new fond memories and many happy surprises.
And the adventure continues . . .
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