August is the June of America. It is around the clock weddings. All of the Albanians who have emigrated to other countries (mostly Italy, Greece, and the US) come home to relax on the beach, visit their family, and get married. There are a couple of Albanian wedding traditions. First, they play music and dance well into the night. They drive through town in decorated cars honking their horns. When I walked to coffee yesterday, I passed two wedding processions and saw four cars being decorated in preparation. Although I love all the joy and happiness, I will not be sad when my town quiets down a bit.
I had parent/teacher conferences at the summer school in Albanian. It actually went pretty well. I had the school director there who can speak some English so if I was missing a word, she could supply it for me.
I saw a bear on the beach. This guy was leading it on a leash. Another friend of mine saw a guy with a big snake so apparently, animals on the beach are quite the Albanian trend.
My parents are coming to Albania on September 1. I couldn’t be more excited… Now I just have to make some exciting plans for them
I saw how roasted sheep entrails are made. I’m not making this up, but my host mother hung the raw entrails on the doorknob and braided them in preparation. As if I needed more reason to avoid this delicacy
I got proposed to. The kid is 13 so it’s unlikely that it is a match made in heaven. I told him he was too short for me so now every day he stands next to me to show me how much he’s grown… it’s so cute.
It’s still pretty hot here, but nothing like it was about a month ago. So it’s definitely bearable.
Thanks to everyone who emails, sends pics, letters, and packages. It is awesome to hear from you all.
August 21, 2007
August 14, 2007
Glamor Shot
So what’s the story on this picture. Couple of things. First of all, I fell in to the trap of Albanian glamour photography. All of my Albanian friends love to get dressed up and take pictures of each other. The funny thing is that a lot of times they don’t smile (especially in wedding photos.) So you end up with a lot of pictures of people looking rather sad. Behind me is the Adriatic Sea. It’s the sea that runs up between mainland Europe (Albania) and Italy.
What’s behind me in the sea you ask? Glad you asked. It’s a bunker. Albania was under a communist dictator for about 50 years until 1991. After he broke ties with the two big communist nations (Russia and China), he started to fear being invaded so he had thousands of bunkers built all over the country. They are everywhere especially along the border areas. Some are little, some are big. And no one really knows what to do with them now. They are really expensive to move so they pretty much just sit where they are. I’ve seen a few creative uses for them. They’ve been made into restaurants or parts of restaurants, used as trash cans, painted crazy colors, or even used to keep their animals in.
This particular bunker is about 100 feet out into the sea. I’m not 100% sure why they would put them in the water… unless the water has risen since it was built, but I’m pretty sure I would not like my family to be assigned to this particular bunker. I’m fairly certain that none of the bunkers were ever used as they were intended (to defend Albania from invasion), but don’t quote me on that.
So there you have it glamour photography and a history of Albania. All in one post.
August 03, 2007
Shkojme ne Party
I went to the local high school’s graduation party which is the equivalent of our prom. It was quite an experience. I mean where else can you dance to traditional Albanian folk music complete with live clarinet, singer, and circle dancing and then next song be dancing to some dirty American rap song. Whenever I hear rap, I’m just happy that very few kids know enough English to understand slang. The songs that they were playing would never have made it to an American prom, but I was probably the only one there who understood why.
Everyone was really dressed up and looked beautiful. The guys all had suits on and the girls were all in super flashy, sparkly dresses. It was great to watch. I was way undressed because I definitely left all my prom dresses at home. I’ll have to get my parents to bring me a better outfit for these types of things.
The party started at 9 o clock and we got served dinner at 12. Then at 2, they served another round of meat. Which was exactly what I was hungry for at 2 in the morning. I stayed until 3:30 and the party was still going strong. I have no idea how late they were out, but this little teacher was tired.
In other news, the heat wave is over. According to the news, it hit 107 in Kavaje. I’m not sure if it was really that hot, but it was pretty miserable here. Especially since electricity is usually out for 6-8 hours a day so no fan. Even at 10 o clock at night outside it was still just sweltering. Thankfully, temps have ulued and it is much more pleasant here this week.
Everyone was really dressed up and looked beautiful. The guys all had suits on and the girls were all in super flashy, sparkly dresses. It was great to watch. I was way undressed because I definitely left all my prom dresses at home. I’ll have to get my parents to bring me a better outfit for these types of things.
The party started at 9 o clock and we got served dinner at 12. Then at 2, they served another round of meat. Which was exactly what I was hungry for at 2 in the morning. I stayed until 3:30 and the party was still going strong. I have no idea how late they were out, but this little teacher was tired.
In other news, the heat wave is over. According to the news, it hit 107 in Kavaje. I’m not sure if it was really that hot, but it was pretty miserable here. Especially since electricity is usually out for 6-8 hours a day so no fan. Even at 10 o clock at night outside it was still just sweltering. Thankfully, temps have ulued and it is much more pleasant here this week.
July 19, 2007
Swing It
This is me being artistic. This is a classic Albanian house. It is made out of cement and only the first floor is finished. Typically, they will finish part of a house and live in it and when they get more money will finish another section.
This is the Albanian train system. I've never actually taken one, but it might be an adventure.
Here is the ampitheatre in Durres. It's second century Roman. Pretty cool stuff. There is a 5th century basilica in here too and it has a a mosaic. There are some great old ruins in Albania that are pretty unexplored because there aren't many tourists. Although the day we went, we ran into a Polish bus tour. Just another random day in Albania.
July 16, 2007
Face the test of world trend
I hate the metric system or maybe I hate the united states for being the only country in the world that doesn't use it. I'm trying to learn Albanian I really am, but it doesn't help when after I translate it in my head it still doesn't help. I do have a converter on my phone, but you look a little ridiculous when someone asks how big your nephew was when he was born and you have to whip out your phone to do calculations.
I have learned that 40 Celsius is really hot. 1/2 a liter is bigger than 40 oz. The turn off for my road is not 5 meters from the center of Kavaje and that its ok to just make up how many kilometers it is from harrisburg to philadelphia. Any guesses? I said 500.
I have learned that 40 Celsius is really hot. 1/2 a liter is bigger than 40 oz. The turn off for my road is not 5 meters from the center of Kavaje and that its ok to just make up how many kilometers it is from harrisburg to philadelphia. Any guesses? I said 500.
July 13, 2007
Albania eshte shume buker
Usually within the first few minutes of talking to an Albanian they ask me if I like Albania and I always tell them the same thing that I really like it here.
So here are a few of the reasons that I like this country. First, it really is a beautiful country. When you drive between the towns, you are surrounded by hills and mountains. It sometimes can be a bit scary taking the mountain curves on a public bus, but it has endless great views. Kavaje is surrounded by small hills because it is on the coastal plain next to the Adriatic Sea. The farther you head inland the higher the hills get and they eventually turn into mountains. The Adriatic Sea is also great. Albania is bordered by two seas: the Adriatic and the Ionian Sea. Both are part of the Mediterranean Sea. The Adriatic Sea has sandy beaches and the Ionian Sea has rocky beaches. I’ve been to both and they are both really nice. I’ve heard that Vlore (the city where the two seas meet) is a great place to visit, but I haven’t been there yet.
The food is good. They have fresh vegetables and great bread. They eat a ton of meat which is something I can pass on, but when you explain it they manage to make some delicious vegetarian recipes. You can eat breakfast byrek (some sort of cheese or meat filled pastry) for 20 cents. And they drink lots of coffee. Recently I’ve been turned onto mocciato’s which are espressos with a little steamed milk in them. Very tasty. I might just come home and only want espresso… Who knows?
Also, the people here are the nicest people I have ever met. They always go out of their way to help a wayward traveler and are incredibly shocked and pleased with any Albanian that I can speak. A random example of the kindness of strangers. I was going to visit my friend in a town south of me for a day. The directions she gave me were a little spotty (sorry Julie) and I ended up sitting at the wrong ring road for a while. Once I had explained to the lady selling corn on the side of the road where I was going, she jumped up at the first minibus that passed and explained my whole situation (including that I was American living here for two years which was probably unnecessary information for the driver to know.) Then she gave me some corn for the road and sent me on my way. The people on the minibus having heard my story made sure I got off at the right stop and the ones that got off with me walked me to the place where I could catch the furgon. Like I said complete strangers.
The other reason I like it hear is that I’ve made some amazing friends. Albanian and American. My Albanian friends listen to my Albanian and make corrections, but sometimes they just let me talk. They ask me all sorts of questions about America and love to hear stories about my nephew. I’ve cried with them because I miss my family just as much as they miss their families in Greece and Italy. They love to look at the pictures I brought and know the names of everyone in the pictures (although they rarely pronounce them correctly.) My American friends know just when to send a goofy text to cheer me up and will listen to me talk about just about anything.
I also love the students. The good students have a thirst for knowledge and love to talk to a real American. They can speak Albanian, Italian, and are now learning English. They encourage me to speak Albanian and tell me about their country from their young fresh perspective.
The PC keeps telling us that we go through ups and downs throughout the course of the two years, but right now I’m on an up. I’m sure that at some point many of you will get an email where you will be thinking “I thought she loved it there.” But for now, I’m riding this wave of love for Albania and hoping that it lasts.
So here are a few of the reasons that I like this country. First, it really is a beautiful country. When you drive between the towns, you are surrounded by hills and mountains. It sometimes can be a bit scary taking the mountain curves on a public bus, but it has endless great views. Kavaje is surrounded by small hills because it is on the coastal plain next to the Adriatic Sea. The farther you head inland the higher the hills get and they eventually turn into mountains. The Adriatic Sea is also great. Albania is bordered by two seas: the Adriatic and the Ionian Sea. Both are part of the Mediterranean Sea. The Adriatic Sea has sandy beaches and the Ionian Sea has rocky beaches. I’ve been to both and they are both really nice. I’ve heard that Vlore (the city where the two seas meet) is a great place to visit, but I haven’t been there yet.
The food is good. They have fresh vegetables and great bread. They eat a ton of meat which is something I can pass on, but when you explain it they manage to make some delicious vegetarian recipes. You can eat breakfast byrek (some sort of cheese or meat filled pastry) for 20 cents. And they drink lots of coffee. Recently I’ve been turned onto mocciato’s which are espressos with a little steamed milk in them. Very tasty. I might just come home and only want espresso… Who knows?
Also, the people here are the nicest people I have ever met. They always go out of their way to help a wayward traveler and are incredibly shocked and pleased with any Albanian that I can speak. A random example of the kindness of strangers. I was going to visit my friend in a town south of me for a day. The directions she gave me were a little spotty (sorry Julie) and I ended up sitting at the wrong ring road for a while. Once I had explained to the lady selling corn on the side of the road where I was going, she jumped up at the first minibus that passed and explained my whole situation (including that I was American living here for two years which was probably unnecessary information for the driver to know.) Then she gave me some corn for the road and sent me on my way. The people on the minibus having heard my story made sure I got off at the right stop and the ones that got off with me walked me to the place where I could catch the furgon. Like I said complete strangers.
The other reason I like it hear is that I’ve made some amazing friends. Albanian and American. My Albanian friends listen to my Albanian and make corrections, but sometimes they just let me talk. They ask me all sorts of questions about America and love to hear stories about my nephew. I’ve cried with them because I miss my family just as much as they miss their families in Greece and Italy. They love to look at the pictures I brought and know the names of everyone in the pictures (although they rarely pronounce them correctly.) My American friends know just when to send a goofy text to cheer me up and will listen to me talk about just about anything.
I also love the students. The good students have a thirst for knowledge and love to talk to a real American. They can speak Albanian, Italian, and are now learning English. They encourage me to speak Albanian and tell me about their country from their young fresh perspective.
The PC keeps telling us that we go through ups and downs throughout the course of the two years, but right now I’m on an up. I’m sure that at some point many of you will get an email where you will be thinking “I thought she loved it there.” But for now, I’m riding this wave of love for Albania and hoping that it lasts.
July 09, 2007
An Enterprise in your belly
A new one day in the Life of Denise
I am now out of Training so things are very different for me. I wake up around 6 and read books. In case you didn't know, I read a lot so I'm catching up with some great stuff and my wonderful mother sent me a ton to read. I head to the school at 9. Right now, classes are over for the year, but the teachers still report and do grading and other things to close out the year. I usually go to coffee with a couple of teachers. This might not sound like work but it is because I generally only speak Shqip at coffee which taxes my brain. It is also very good because I'm getting to know a lot of the teachers much better which will help me when I start school again in the fall.
This week, I started teaching classes at an organization here. The students are great. its been fun to jump into lesson planning and other things. They are pretty close to being beginners so my Shqip is about as good as their English. Next week, I'm starting a course at the school for teachers who want to improve their English.
After classes, I usually head back to the house for a siesta through the hottest part of the day. Then I go to the internet. I have another class later in the afternoon. After the class, It's back to house for dinner then I go on a nice long walk and explore Kavaje or go for a coffee with one of my friends.
It's definintly a different life than in my previous job. For those of you who work where I used to work. I just heard the news about the budget crisis and my thoughts are with you. I remember the stress that last year caused and can't imagine what it is like there now.
I am now out of Training so things are very different for me. I wake up around 6 and read books. In case you didn't know, I read a lot so I'm catching up with some great stuff and my wonderful mother sent me a ton to read. I head to the school at 9. Right now, classes are over for the year, but the teachers still report and do grading and other things to close out the year. I usually go to coffee with a couple of teachers. This might not sound like work but it is because I generally only speak Shqip at coffee which taxes my brain. It is also very good because I'm getting to know a lot of the teachers much better which will help me when I start school again in the fall.
This week, I started teaching classes at an organization here. The students are great. its been fun to jump into lesson planning and other things. They are pretty close to being beginners so my Shqip is about as good as their English. Next week, I'm starting a course at the school for teachers who want to improve their English.
After classes, I usually head back to the house for a siesta through the hottest part of the day. Then I go to the internet. I have another class later in the afternoon. After the class, It's back to house for dinner then I go on a nice long walk and explore Kavaje or go for a coffee with one of my friends.
It's definintly a different life than in my previous job. For those of you who work where I used to work. I just heard the news about the budget crisis and my thoughts are with you. I remember the stress that last year caused and can't imagine what it is like there now.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
