Changing Perspective

Through many ups and downs throughout my service here, I have come through the fog with a different perspective on things.  Saying that the Peace Corps is the “toughest job you’ll ever love” is certainly an understatement.  From the tough side there is sickness, loneliness, the cold, feeling overwhelmed with culture change, the feeling of “what am I doing here”, and thoughts of what comes next after this journey is over.  On the flip side, in the past few months I have experienced things that only a short time ago I would have thought impossible. These things are not only momentous occasions/events, like finishing my first marathon.  They are things that shape our personalities, build character, and create new beginnings,such as:

• Learning from mistakes
• Knowing who you can really count on
• Understanding that people (including yourself) are who they are for a reason, and accepting that
• Finding good in situations, even when it might take a little bit longer
• Spending the extra time to listen to those who really need to be heard
• Sparing judgment – and opening your mind to learn new things
• Appreciating the effect you might have on one person, for one minute

 With all these things, I see the potential to not only succeed in my work here, but to finish these 2 years having grown inside – to fulfill and take advantage of the short time we are here for.   

From Albania To Athens

Here is an article I wrote for the Fall/Winter edition of the Peace Corps Albania newsletter:

When I left America, I was unsure if I would be able to continue my running routine. Adapting to life with a host family for 3 months, a different diet, the language barrier, the road conditions, and the stray dogs were enough to divert my focus from exercise. Upon being assigned to Elbasan, I began to formulate my plan - the Athens marathon was just 6 months away, a historic course that I thought most appropriate for me to conquer my first 26-mile feat. What I discovered was that I could not only incorporate running into my life here, I could also learn about culture along the way. Albanians have offered many things to me during these months of training:

• Support - I have spoken to many Albanian men and women who have seen me out running in the community, and they have told me how it is such a good influence for females here.
• Hospitality - During my long weekend runs, I stop along the road at different locales for water, where I have met very friendly people who not only offer me water, but encouragement to continue on.
  
• Motivation - The mayor of Elbasan connected me with a local trainer here who conducts workouts at the stadium. The workouts consisted of sprints, stretches, and timed long runs. This was exactly the variety I needed in my training.

With this I extend my thanks to all the people here who have waved hello, given a thumbs up, or offered me a cold glass of water on the hottest of days. I will think of those times when I cross the finish line.

End of the first summer...

It’s hard to believe that I’ve already been in Albania for 6 months – the time has flown and I feel that I’ve gotten a true 6-month warm up to what lies ahead for the next 21 months. Then of course the question always in the back of the mind is “so what about after Peace Corps?” Let’s leave that for future blogs.  

studying

The past month has been relatively busy between the work at the Bashkia, language lessons, and marathon training. Not to mention other events – there was an earthquake here (lasted for 15 seconds, but long enough so that some sheetrock fell off my wall), I attended my first Albanian wedding, celebrated my 33rd birthday, had some time at the beach, and went back to visit my host family, where I killed dinner for the evening (poor chicken).

the beach of Golem 

Post-chicken kill with my host mom 

The summers can be fairly slow here for volunteers, as most people are going on vacation (usually for 2-3 weeks) and many projects are put on hold. It’s a great time to focus on language learning and cultural adaptation, as the workload increases in September. This has proven true since every day I feel I am making more progress in my speaking/understanding of Albanian.

Orthodox Church in Elbasan

I attended a USAID (US Agency for International Development) Best Practices conference last week, where local government offices throughout Albania presented ideas for development and survey results in areas such as infrastructure, social care, and finance. At the expo, our booth showcased the work of the Bashkia over the last year – road reconstructions and other improvements throughout the city, including successful partnerships with outside organizations. As a volunteer it was a great opportunity to meet Albanians from other cities that have a strong desire for making Albania a better place to live (and to eventually succeed in getting into the EU). It was also interesting to see what other cities are doing in the area of tourism, since one of my projects here has been to work on an approved tourism grant that will provide a tourist map in the center of the city and will also train University students to be tour guides.

Booth at the USAID Conference

For the next four weeks the Bashkia of Elbasan holds Participatory Budgeting meetings – these meetings are town hall style, where citizens come to voice their opinions about what infrastructure enhancements are needed in the city of Elbasan. From these meetings the 2010 budget is formed – thus giving the citizens an opportunity to have a voice in what the government is funding and where improvements are being made. I attended the first meeting last night, and although it only lasts an hour, it was very interesting to see the level of intensity. These people (specifically the older generations) have been through hard times, witnessing the fall of communism and struggling to form an identity as a small and poor Eastern European country. I hope to capture and post some video from these meetings, so you can see first hand what it’s like.

My sister and I at the wedding

Also coming up I will be teaching beginner English at the youth center here in Elbasan – a first for me but I’m looking forward to it. At the end of October our Group heads to the city of Pogradec for a language refresher 3-day training. And then… November is here and I’m heading to Greece. 26 miles, tons of hills, original marathon course…what a feeling it will be to cross the finish line in the Panathinaikon Stadium. Here is some history of the event:

The 42,195m Marathon Race became one of the most competitive events when the Olympic Games were revived in 1896. A Greek athlete by the name of Spyros Louis, running what has ever since been referred to as the 'Original Course' from the ancient city of Marathon to the Panathinaikon Stadium in Athens, won the gold medal of the first modern Olympic Games and became a legend of Greek and international athletics. The Marathon Race has always had a prominent place in the hearts and minds of sports enthusiasts, as it represents the highest effort where the human body, soul and mind are tested to their limits as the runner presses himself/herself to the finish line.

Tootsie

Last week I found another dog, a little puppy just sitting on the sidewalk waiting to be taken in and loved. I couldn’t resist. I knew right away it was a good idea because Albi bonded with him, playing the role of big brother and protecting him. Unfortunately “Tootsie” had a flea problem. I took him to the vet and she gave me some medicine for him, and I continued to shampoo him with a special medicine over the next few days.  
Last night, I woke up at 3 AM because I heard Albi barking. I thought someone was in my yard so I took my flashlight and knife and prepared for the worst. Albi was barking at Tootsie, who was hiding under the leaves of one of the trees. I thought maybe Albi was just trying to play, or that perhaps Tootsie was holding one of his toys. Little did I know what would happen in a few hours…
This morning I woke up and Tootsie was outside by his house, sleeping. He seemed very lethargic and when I tried to give him some food he wouldn’t even open his mouth. His eyes were glazed and his gums and tongue were white. I took him to the vet where I have taken Albi for his shots. She just stood there, asked what was wrong, and continued to help other customers. At this point Tootsie’s breathing was short and he seemed very weak. Ervin met me there, and he said he knew of another vet that would help. So we left (and I don’t think she is really a vet btw, because she proceeded to take a book out and try to look up what could possibly be wrong with the puppy), and walked to another vet “farmacie” – that is what they are labeled here, as most of them just sell medicine for animals. The man there told us about a dog and cat specialist in Elbasan that is from France, located near the castle, which was about a 10-minute walk. The clock was ticking.
Upon arrival, the vet was not there. Tootsie was starting to groan, obviously in a lot of pain. The vet’s wife came out from next door, and said that her son would go look for his father. So we waited. About 10 minutes later and after I banged on the window and yelled, “Please help, this dog is dying!!” the daughter of the vet opened the door. I laid Tootsie on the table, and waited yet another 10 minutes for the vet to show up. Unfortunately, it was too late. The poor little pup lost his fight, and died in my arms.

Brothers

Tootsie had parasites, and the first “vet” that I had gone to last week told me to bring him back in a week to get his vaccines. Who knows if he would have made it if he had gotten those vaccines sooner? However, for one week in his short life, Tootsie had a big brother, a yard, and even a little house. He played with toys and drank milk and ate food. He experienced love.

What good comes of this? Well, in talking to the vet from France I discovered that he has written a project to propose for the city of Elbasan to address the treatment of dogs. The project would help to spay female dogs to reduce sickness and help with the large dog population here – the majority of which are not taken care of, and many are eventually shot. He told me that my care for little Tootsie is very admirable and that he would love to work with an American Peace Corps volunteer to help change the views of the people in regards to animal cruelty and help save dogs’ lives. He also is taking care of burying Tootsie in a proper place. RIP Tootsie, you will not be forgotten.

"Are you looking to buy a new pair of shoes?"

Each day here in Albania, you never know what you might encounter. In the past 2 weeks, I have seen Albi dig up 6 eggs from the ground and eat them (it was quite the sight, every time I thought he was done, he’d find another one), I walked right over a full set of teeth on the ground on my way to work (?), found a turtle and baby turtles in my yard (see photo), and walked by a cat in full rigor mortis lying on top of a pile of bricks and rubble. I also got flagged down while I was running by a girl around my age who told me she has seen me running and wants to join me (such a rewarding feeling to provide women here the chance to do things for themselves and for their health).

One of the most interesting events though, occurred on a Sunday afternoon while running errands. I had been out for a while and of course was sweating profusely (there aren’t many moments here in August that one ISN’T sweating) Out of the blue, I heard a man say “Are you looking to buy a new pair of shoes”? Since it’s not usual to hear people speaking English, I was taken aback. After a short conversation, we went to have a coffee. Turns out it was one of the most interesting and enlightening coffee breaks that I have had here.

The man was born in Elbasan, and he was in the second group of students that were taught English at the University of Tirana. He went on to be one of the first teachers of English in Elbasan, and started teaching at Alexander Xhuvani University in 1965.
He has traveled to America to visit New York State University at Fredonia, where he was offered a job to teach English for one year. He said the people at the University were the most welcoming people he had ever met. They opened their arms out to him.

At 68 years old, he said that when you get to be his age, you do a lot of looking back. His dad owned the first olive oil factory in Elbasan, and was a very serious man who never smiled…the first time he saw him smile was when he held his first grandchild. But his dad made his living and strived to do well to pave the way for his children.

He is proud of the fact that in his life he has taught thousands of students to speak English, and they have gone on to do great things, some even in America. He has received many letters from his former students thanking him for teaching them English and giving them the opportunity to live rich and fulfilling lives. 

He also is fluent in Russian, Swedish, English, Italian, German, and Albanian. His views as a native Albanian were very inspiring, because of his passion for education, literature, and being true and honest in his life. It is well worth having a coffee with any Albanian who should ask. You never know what wonderful people you will meet, and what their past holds that you can learn something from.

This week in the office

As part of the local government in Elbasan, the office of Economic Development partners with non-governmental organizations and other local government offices throughout Albania to work on projects that enhance the community. This week I was able to work on a few projects – one that has the potential to provide a cleaner environment in Elbasan and the other a case study for a USAID (U.S. Agency for International Development) conference, where a total of 25 government offices will present best practices.

The environment project is part of a cross-border initiative with Macedonia – if the grant application is approved we will develop a campaign to raise awareness in the city of Elbasan about the effects of littering/pollution. Unfortunately, Elbasan (and most other cities/villages in Albania) have a major trash problem – citizens throw trash on the ground and in the rivers with no regard for the effects. The grant will also cover signs and garbage bins throughout the city, along with continuous awareness education. What a great opportunity to serve the cause of environmental protection, and to help create a higher quality of life for the people here.

The case study is Elbasan’s Social Area Plan – Elbasan is the first city in Albania to have such a plan, which aims to analyze the socio-economic situation of the most exposed social groups to poverty and social exclusion, to identify reasons of the situation; to propose interventions at social and economic levels to improve the situation; and to seek planning of needs for financial and human resources to face the related costs. As part of the plan a new office was opened at the Department of Social Care of the Municipality, which allows for constant follow–up of the problems of all the vulnerable groups, such as disabled people, minors, women, the elderly, and minorities.

Working on these projects serves as a reminder why I have chosen to commit to be a Peace Corps Volunteer for the next two years. I can not only build capacity of the people in my areas of expertise, but I can contribute and be a witness to the transformation of a government and country that faced the fall of Communism in 1992 and the crisis of the pyramid investment schemes in 1997. Today Albania is a part of NATO and is working to become a part of the European Union. There is much promise here…

New Place

And I thought Phoenix was hot

The second month of my service has not only brought temperatures soaring above 100 degrees (with no central air to relieve the discomfort), but it also has been a roller coaster. I started the month off going to Tirana for the 4th of July celebration hosted by the U.S. Embassy. With over 1,000 Americans present, it was a mini America – hamburgers, hot dogs, and of course fireworks to cap the night off. It was also a good time to catch up with other volunteers that I haven’t seen since swearing in. After the 4th, I returned to Tirana on the 16th for Warden training. There are 8 regions in Albania and each region is assigned a Warden and Assistant Warden to be volunteer contacts in case of an emergency – natural disaster, political unrest, etc.

      July 4th party in Tirana

Back in Elbasan, my sitemate that had been working at the Bashkia before me broke her ankle and was sent back to America to have surgery, which shortened her service by two months. As a result, I have a few projects to finish up that she had started. One of them is a tourism project where we will train local University students to be tour guides and develop informational brochures about Elbasan. I am also looking forward to teaching English to one of the coaches who has been running at the stadium. The months of July and August are slow here because most people are taking long vacations. This provides a good opportunity to continue learning Albanian and develop connections in the community for possible side projects.

Other random events: I am continuing to train for the Athens marathon (15 weeks to go!). I had a minor setback and had to take a week off due to a minor concussion, but am starting up again this week and am up to 30 miles a week. I know it is a big challenge ahead since the Athens course is very hilly…I’m looking towards that finish line! Ervin is now up to running 6 miles in the park and he runs every day. I am thrilled that I have been able to have a positive influence on his health habits. Hopefully I can continue to instill my passion for running in others here and educate them about the importance of exercise and nutrition.

Ervin learning to stretch!

Reflections

This past weekend I went to Shales to visit my host family – it was so great to see them. I arrived to find that my host mom has kidney stones – yet she is still going out to the fields and mountains to work. I have so much fun with my family when I see them – and now that I can have longer conversations in Albanian it’s even better. My sister and I stayed up late Friday night talking, then on Saturday I went to visit her at the local government office where she works. After drinking coffee (I can not get enough coffee here – ever) and having lunch, I headed back to Elbasan, despite my family telling me numerous times they didn’t want me to go, and they couldn’t believe I had waited 3 weeks to come back to see them! I noticed a big difference going back to “village life” after living in Elbasan for 3 weeks. Living in the village does not provide the opportunity for much work (most families have farms/gardens), and basically the people that live there stay there all their lives, unless they leave to go work in Greece or Italy. Family units are the foundation of life in the village – almost every person that my host family introduces me to is a “kusheri” (cousin). The aura of village life is one of appreciation and contentment; there is not much complaining, and days are filled with genuine hard physical labor and talking with family and neighbors. One of the first things my host mom did when I got there was take me out to the garden, where we picked cucumbers (because she knows they are my fave!) and peaches off the tree (she had ulterior motives of course because I am tall enough to reach the ripe peaches)

My host dad, working in the field

Upon coming back to Elbasan I realized I had been attacked by flies – there were big red bites all over my legs and arms. No wonder the Peace Corps gives us mosquito nets to hang over our beds – they are killer here. I was able to enjoy some downtime on Sunday, starting off with a 6 mile run (Athens is only 20 weeks away – yikes!). The roads here are a bit complicated to run on (which is why I’ve been running in the park – but since one lap of the park is ½ mile, it can get a little mundane to run in circles). So needless to say I explored a side road only to be met by large rocks under my feet and construction vehicles passing me, leaving huge piles of dust in my face and eyes. (Thanks Mom and Dad for the Visine – it has come in handy!) My Sunday (and any downtime I get) was spent exploring, drinking coffee, spending time with Albi, reading, writing, listening to/downloading music, and dare I say it, cooking. The cooking part has been a bit difficult since I didn’t budget properly this month and am left with about 15 dollars for the next week.

At the Cross Border Institution Building Seminar

Ahh the joys of being a volunteer – it’s actually very satisfying to live like this, one because you really have to stick to a budget, which definitely means creative cooking, monitoring your travel, and thoroughly thinking through the shopping list (I have given up Diet Coke for this reason, and also because you can only find Coke Zero and Pepsi “Max” here – I would pretty much do anything for a cold Diet Coke right now). What you also realize though is that money distorts true visions of a satisfying life – we can easily live without many things that we “think” we can’t do without. Good ole consumerism – having a million choices staring us in the face every day doesn’t really leave us much choice but to jump on the bandwagon to keep up, even if we don’t have the means to. Being here has provided me the opportunity for me to focus on the service I came here to do.
The speed of life at times forces us to walk quickly, not listen to others, and not see those who are in need of help. Here in Albania, the people may need language help, technical help, or they may just need to talk with someone from a different culture to give them some hope for their own future or the future of their kids/grandkids. Taking part in these activities is the most rewarding part of being here.

“Our greatest mistake, as individuals, is that we walk throughout life with closed eyes and do not notice our chances. As soon as we open our eyes and deliberately search we see many who need help, not in big things but in the littlest things. Wherever a man turns he can find someone who needs him." – Albert Schweitzer, philosopher/theologian/musician/doctor

Counterpart

Yesterday I went to the beautiful town of Pogradec (pronounced Po-gra-detz) for a Cross Border Institution Building seminar. The CBIB is an EU-funded project designed to help fund cross-border developmental projects in the areas of economic development, tourism promotion, environmental protection/promotion, and social interactions. This seminar provided the opportunity for organizations in Albania and Macedonia to meet and discuss potential projects. As it relates to this example, my role as a volunteer is to work with Ervini (my counterpart at the Bashkia – more about him later!) to build capacity in the area of project proposal writing. This would include methods of communication with the outside partner, collaborating for project ideas, preparing the proposal strategy and goals/objectives, identifying what financial needs are necessary, and analyzing how the project will be sustainable and provide added value to both countries. There also has to be capacity to manage the project if it is approved for funding.


When I first walked in and saw the translator at the head table I was relieved – until he started translating from Albanian – Macedonian and vice versa ☺ It’s a great exercise to listen to people speak Albanian, but with 2 foreign languages for a whole day it gets just a little overwhelming. During lunch we went across to the lake and took some photos (some you see here).

That brings me to my counterpart – who upon looking at my blog was shocked to see there were no photos of him. Ervini is my second brother here – he is a language teacher for the Peace Corps so I had a bit of an advantage in that I knew him in the 2 months of pre-service training. Since we started working together, he has started running with me in the mornings, we have our morning coffee ritual, he has helped me deal with my landlords and go to stores to translate, and he even brought me to the “coach” that is going to help me train for the Athens marathon. As a sidenote, when I had lunch with the mayor on my first day of work, we talked about the marathon and then he told Ervini to bring me to this coach that works out with a group at the futbol stadium. Well, Monday was my first day, and the coach runs a session with kids ages 7-16 (plus me, the 32 year old American girl) consisting of sprints and other variations of running drills. They do this 3x a week for an hour. Next week it looks like Ervini will be joining us (and I’m secretly hoping to convince him to run the marathon with me).

One of Ervini’s goals is to get a MacBook – he LOVES computers and anything technological – and is addicted to facebook and youtube. We talk about computers, music, movies, culture, and of course I try to speak Albanian with him as much as possible – even though sometimes he will only speak English – I don’t blame him since I can’t understand a lot of what he says! In the next two years I’m sure we will be able to learn a lot from each other – one thing that is so nice is that he comes into work every day with a smile on his face no matter what the situation. It is a refreshing feeling to get to work with someone so positive that really loves life and embraces every opportunity presented to him. Here’s to a great two years Ervini – but if you play that Michael Buble song one more time…Unë jam duke shkuar për të goditur ju!

First week at site

I’ve finally started to settle into my new apartment here in Elbasan and am now an official Peace Corps Volunteer! The first week has been very interesting. First, it was a bit overwhelming to be at site on my own to do shopping and other things and have to speak Albanian – talk about immersion…when I speak the language sometimes I get tongue tied and forget words – which is especially awesome when I’m in the grocery store asking if they sell veal, which in Albanian is “mish vici”. I didn’t remember what it was, so I just said I wanted some “baby lopa” (baby cow). The clerk took me over to the baby bottle section. Needless to say it was a time consuming first trip to the grocery store.

My apartment is in need of some work – when I arrived and turned on the kitchen sink it just about exploded with a shower of water. I have to plug in the water “deposit” twice a day for 30 minutes to make sure that I have water. The toilet was running nonstop, and every time I flushed it water went everywhere. Then, I went into the guest bedroom and found a neat pile of termite-chewed wood on the floor. I’m not sure what they’re building, but now I’m enjoying the pleasant sound of the busy termites. Hey, we all have to make a living right?

Then there’s Albi, or should I call him “wolf dog”. Because he doesn’t have chew toys yet and since I wasn’t able to properly train him when I first got him, this first week has been a circus of him biting my feet, my legs, my clothes, and relieving himself as many times in my apartment as possible. Petsmart where are you?! Just as I can’t tolerate another cleaning-up session, he looks at me with those puppy dog eyes and I am convinced to make this work.

The good news now is that I got the plumbing fixed, I got internet installed, and I’m learning new recipes so I can actually cook ☺ The washing machine was a crapshoot, since I can’t read the settings or the knobs – but after 2 loads my clothes aren’t destroyed so that’s a good sign. When it gets to be winter it might be a different story - because right now my clothes are hanging outside on a clothesline drying. Apparently in the winter it might take 3-4 days to get the clothes dry…

Traveling around Albania

The past two weekends have been packed – last weekend 3 of us went to a city called Librazhd to visit a fellow trainee, and also to work on the presentation for the photography contest to be held at our counterpart conference. Each trainee submitted 5 photos to be put in the presentation, and we ended up with over 140 fabulous pics – I have posted the link for viewing pleasure. It was a fun project but a time consuming one, especially since each caption needed to be translated into Albanian. It was great being in Librazhd and with friends – we all went for a run Saturday morning, which was nice especially because it wasn’t raining! (I have gotten caught twice running in rain/hail/thunderstorms…not fun with huge mud puddles and cars who seem to love to drive by as close as possible and splash the American girl)

Sunday was packing time, as the whole group left Monday for Tirana for our counterpart conference. This was the first time for everyone to meet their counterparts, me being the exception since I already know him – so I felt lucky and probably a little less nervous for that first introduction (especially for those who have counterparts who speak no English – how awkward those first moments are). We stayed Monday and Tuesday at a beautiful hotel in the mountains – and it was hot enough for us to enjoy the pool. Monday we went on a “tour” of Tirana, which consisted of eating lunch at a Mexican/American/Albanian/Italian restaurant – I think they had trouble picking a theme. And for some reason many restaurants here have birds in them…yes, either birds in cages or random birds that you hear and can’t see. At this restaurant there seemed to be one behind me, in between two walls. Oh – and I also went to one house where they had birds flying in the hallway. And they think it’s odd to let dogs inside…hmmmm.
After lunch we visited an American bookstore and walked around the center of Tirana. I was shocked when we walked through the park and saw a baby who couldn’t have been more than 4 months old just laying on the ground on top of a cardboard box. Sadly, sights like these are not uncommon – the gypsy community here (called the Roma) is extremely poor and they will often use their children to solicit money or food. To use that young of a baby though!? It was disturbing and heart wrenching. (On a more positive note, one of the projects I will be working on is the opening of a new Roma school for these children…) This is just one of many areas that volunteers help with here – keep in mind in Elbasan alone there is an unemployment rate of 37%, there is no waste management system, and the electricity goes out about 3-4 times a week.

Tuesday we presented recaps of our community projects, to give our counterparts an idea of how we can be of service. Our community project was Earth Day – we taught the students at our school the concept of reduce, reuse, recycle – and showed them through educational and interactive sessions different ways they can reuse trash. It was a huge success– we had about 150 kids show up, plus the school director and members of the community (who helped us translate). My station taught the students the effects of river pollution – each student had to write down some characteristics of trash, and then we discussed the impact trash has on our drinking water and the fish in the rivers – that we eventually eat. The kids then made a collage out of trash, representing the decomposition that occurs from the moment the trash hits the river. Since the event we have seen kids in the community stop others who are just throwing their trash on the streets/in the canals – and the teachers in the schools will continue to use our activities in their classrooms.


Wednesday everyone went separate ways to their future sites – I spent 2 days at the Bashkia, getting familiar with my workplace and meeting everyone. The mayor’s office was impressive and he was very welcoming and supportive of me being there. Now more than ever I’m very anxious to speak better Albanian because it will make my job of capacity-building that much more rewarding. Volunteers have shared that the first few months at site build your patience because of the language barrier, learning curve and the fact that a big focus is gaining people’s trust. This makes perfect sense – I don’t know how trusting I would be if a volunteer from a foreign country came into my workplace for 2 years to teach me – the essence of change is always hard enough with people we can understand!

Another highlight of my time in Elbasan was that I visited my future apartment – the landlord was nice, and I’m thrilled to report that she has no problem with me having Albi inside – yippee! It is on the second floor of a house, with 2 bedrooms, a makeshift kitchen (the fridge is a mini – I won’t be buying in bulk), and 2 balconies. Plus I actually have a bathtub and a western toilet – phew…since there is only a turkish toilet in the Bashkia I was more than thankful…

This week is the last week before swearing in. It’s bittersweet in a way, I have grown close to my host family and it will be hard to say goodbye, on to yet another destination in this 2-year journey. I’m sure there will be plenty of visits, since I am only 30 minutes away. But now I’m being sent out into the community, on my own for everything. They say the Peace Corps has its ups and downs and you will be on a rollercoaster the whole time – time to buckle up.

Kruja

Today our whole group took a trip to Kruja, Albania – it was about a 3-hour bus ride one way. On the way we visited a town called Fush-Kruja – which is the town that George Bush visited when he came to Albania in 2007. They actually renamed the café where he had coffee to the Bush Café (STM). Kruja attracts many tourists (even though so many towns here have huge tourism potential – one of the things volunteers work on). The biggest attractions are the Skanderbeg museum and the castle- we visited both of these and also walked around the town, which had amazing views. There is also a market (bizarre) on cobblestone streets – here you will get your fill of traditional Albanian clothing, souvenirs, and basically anything with the Albanian flag icon on it. On the way back from Kruja we stopped in Durres – one of the biggest cities in Albania, located on the western coast. Everyone loves when we can get some time near the ocean – plus there was a beautiful hotel right on the beach –with an amazing pool and outdoor dance floor/café. Looks like the weekend road trip plans to the beach are starting to come together…


Since we were in Elbasan all week last week, I didn’t get much time to hang with Albi – so I brought him along on the bus trip. He slept a lot on the bus, and he made a new friend – my teacher’s 7-year old son. The two were inseparable and had me chasing after them the whole day (which was quite interesting considering he doesn’t speak any English). At the hotel in Durres I actually collapsed on the ground from exhaustion, until the hotel guard yelled at me for sitting on the grass. On the bus ride home Albi fell asleep on his lap, and I handed him my iPod (which he loved) - he fell asleep listening to music he can’t understand.

Gettin Down to Business

This week we had our practicum – all the Community Development trainees spent the week visiting different government offices in Elbasan to gain a better understanding of the government structure, learn what progress has been made economically during the past few years, and to hear about where the opportunities lie for us as volunteers to contribute. Fortunately for me, being in Elbasan gave me the ability to meet some of my future colleagues, and I was able to spend some time in the Economic Development office where I will be based. I also visited the Tax Department and the Office of Social Services. Although I can understand more Albanian every day, it is still very difficult to be in a work environment and not be able to understand the conversation. As challenging as learning the ropes of a new job is, the added language barrier makes it that much more important that we pay close attention to the surroundings and also to body language.

Each volunteer gets assigned an Albanian counterpart that we work with on projects over the two years. My counterpart is one of the Peace Corps Albanian teachers – so I am lucky to already know him and to be able to spend time with him in these final few weeks before swearing in (May 28 – the big day). He has agreed to only speak English to me when absolutely necessary, to help me reach my goal of becoming completely fluent in Albanian. Speaking English at this point hinders the learning, even though sometimes it takes me 5 minutes to speak a sentence that in English would take me 5 seconds…

Albi

Last Sunday was a big day – I went to Elbasan with one of my sitemates to do some shopping and to use the internet. When we left the internet café, I spotted a small animal across the street, with a few people near it that were paying it some attention. At first I wasn’t sure what it was, was it a huge guinea pig? A baby bear? Or maybe it was a misplaced raccoon. I crossed the street and finally realized that it was a puppy – AND that it was all alone – none of the people that were around it were claiming it to be theirs. I couldn’t believe my eyes – this puppy was so adorable, and so small…and it was all alone walking on the streets, surely to meet its demise sooner than later.

Without hesitation I picked him up and decided to take him home – some would think twice about this, but given the fact that I have been wanting a dog here in Albania since I got here – and I especially wanted a puppy – I felt there was no way this was a coincidence. Here he was.



Taking him home would not be an easy feat. Since most dogs in Albania are not pets, there are different views here. Dogs are often abused and neglected - and they are certainly not trained. Given the fact that this puppy is so young – I would guess he’s probably no more than 4-5 weeks old – I thought this would be a great opportunity to show people here how dogs can be great pets. I also thought it would provide a chance to share a facet of American culture – owning a dog as a pet and taking care of it.



Unfortunately, my host family did not like the fact that the puppy was crying outside all night (they absolutely would not let him in the house) and today I found out that they did not want him at all – inside or outside. I was crushed – but at the same time I can understand that dogs are not for everyone and I need to respect my family’s wishes. There was a big dilemma though – how could I still keep the puppy? (oh – I named him Albi, short for Albania…would love some feedback on the name. I’m also not sure what kind of dog he is??) There was no way I was just going to let him go back out into the streets. I even went to the vet here in town and arranged for him to get his vaccinations. My sitemates joined in my frustration, and rallied together to find a safe place at one of the other houses where Albi can sleep. He will still be outside, but we created a kennel for him with boxes, and he has some blankets to keep him warm. He had a bath and some fresh milk on Monday, and on Friday I was able to get a collar and some food for him.

Every morning I will go get Albi, feed him breakfast, and have him accompany me during the day whenever possible. When I move to Elbasan in 5 weeks he will be able to come with me, and have a warm home. It will be well worth the wait when you think about what could have been the alternative.

For the next 2 years…

After recovering from a week of being sick (that’s a story in and of itself – but I won’t digress), I joined the group again on Friday, the day they announced our site placements for the next two years. We were all like kids on Christmas day –we had to wait until 4 PM, and then our program managers handed out large white envelopes with our site information. My picture was on the outside of the envelope, this was provided so that each of us could take the picture and place it on our site on a huge map of Albania, so that we can see where everyone will be. (Check out the photo) I am going to be right in the middle of Albania – it’s yellow on the map - in Elbasan! This has been where our training sessions have taken place twice a week. It is one of the largest cities in Albania, population of approx. 120,000.  

I will be working at the Bashkia (the local government office), in the department of Economic Development. I’m very excited about this – there is a volunteer that has been working there for the past two years, and she is still here for a few more months so I have the opportunity to learn about all the projects that have been started and see how I can move forward. It looks like I will be keeping very busy – some of the focus areas of the department include business development, tourism, and environmental education.

Most volunteers at some point of their service also teach English – and the volunteer in Elbasan has been teaching at the University. This would certainly be a new challenge – there is a huge demand for learning English here. Fortunately there are plenty of resources for us to use - lesson plans, volunteers that are in the TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) program, and other materials that Peace Corps provides.

The day didn’t end with that – Friday was also my host sister’s birthday. I got home to a house filled of family (cousins, and of course Nona – she lives next door - see her in action here). It was a big “fest” – and we ended the night with a picture-taking marathon.



On Saturday we had “Culture Day” in Shales. It is a cross-cultural day where Albanian and American culture is on display – from food, to clothes, music, games, and lessons on how to make Turkish coffee. Our host families all gathered, and we chose to make apple pie, mashed potatoes, and a sweet salad with lettuce, spinach, apples, candied walnuts, cheese, pears, and raisins. We had to get creative with some of the ingredients, but fortunately we have a few fabulous cooks/bakers in our group so the end results were impressive.

After culture day I went home to work on our community project – which happens next Sunday. More details to come on that event. What was most interesting upon arriving home was the lamb carcass hanging outside – my host mom and dad had been busy that morning. This lamb was being prepared for dinner that night to honor guests – the parents of my host brother’s wife. I’ve actually gotten used to seeing dead animals hanging in the butcher shops here – but to see it right outside my front door was a different experience. The torture continued as my host parents teamed up to hack the bloody meat into pieces – and they also made it a point to come over to me and show it to me while laughing hysterically. To make it even that much more interesting, when I walked in the house and went to the kitchen to get some water, I was greeted by a tray of lamb parts – including it’s head and it’s eyeball staring right at me…needless to say I didn’t have much of an appetite that night. When I expressed my views/thoughts to my family, their response was “Well where do you think meat comes from?” Brilliant – and so true.

Lezhe, Albania

This weekend all the trainees went on volunteer visits - we get split up to stay with a volunteer who has already been working in Albania for a year. I traveled to Lezhe (pronounced Lay – sha) – a town of about 35,000 people about an hour north of the capital Tirana. Lezhe has great mountainous views, plus it’s about 7 km from the beach – so we spent some time by the water (Adriatic Sea). It was great to get perspective on life as a volunteer from those who have been living it…
I stayed with a girl named Leslie who has been working in the Community and Organization Development sector at the Bashkia (the town government office). She works with the director of hospitality and tourism. Albania has so much potential in this area. For example, we hiked up to Lezhe Castle, which is absolutely beautiful and offers some of the best views of Albania – no one was up there (except for the herd of sheep we ran into and the snake that we saw – yikes!). Instantly we thought of how this attraction could make some money for the town – tours, day trips, a gift shop, etc. (is this too American?)
Part of Leslie’s job consists of developing brochures and materials about Lezhe (in both Albanian and English) to showcase its history and provide detailed information about the town features. Apparently this one brochure has been held up because there was some discrepancy on how it would get printed… they couldn’t decide what paper to print it on, what size to make it, etc. And the volunteer and the director also disagreed on the layout of the photos in the brochure - I was having déjà vu of the planner/artist disputes of my past… ☺

In addition to the Bashkia we also visited several places that the volunteers do work with - a center for mentally disabled children, a Red Cross center for the elderly, and the World Vision office – a non-governmental organization that is dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.…. The center for mentally disabled children was very eye-opening, considering these children (I use that word loosely, some are in their 30’s…) are not able to receive the care/education that can help them develop. The teachers are not trained to teach the mentally disabled, and there is a lack of educational materials to strengthen motor skills and expand their learning capabilities. Due to a shortage of funding there is also no available space for the children to get outside and get exposed to sporting activities – and the classrooms are getting more crowded each year. When asked why there were so many boys compared to girls, we were told that the families do not expect the girls to be able to do anything other than take care of the house – however the boys need to be able to grow their minds so that they can thrive in their communities. Very interesting reality here… Currently, volunteers in Lezhe are working on submitting a proposal to get more educational materials to the center.

All in all it was a great weekend – we even visited a café with ping pong tables – who would have thought? And I met my match – Peter (a volunteer from CA) beat me twice – and it was a pretty poor performance on my part. Oh well, at least I have 2 years to redeem myself…

The hills are alive

Yesterday after class I went up to the mountains with my host mom and dad. It was a fabulous experience, as I was able to get warm and to go for a run! There is a trail that I can get to right from my house. I wasn’t sure what to expect when they said they were taking me up to the mountains – so as you can imagine I was surprised when we went over to the grandma’s house (right next door) and I was introduced to Poli (the family donkey) and Unpa (the family cow).. plus the two sheep, who walked right behind me all the way up the mountain. My host dad let me ride the donkey for a little bit – and I almost fell trying to get off, as I don’t think Poli is very friendly.

Once we got to the top of the mountain, I was greeted by the most amazing views of Albania (I forgot my camera but will bring next time). I could see all the neighbor cities, plus a few lakes and the mountains are just gorgeous. My host dad owns a large part of the land where we were walking, so he went out and was cutting the trees and maintaining the landscape – while my host mom sat and did some sewing. After my run I joined my host mom and took a nap. Remember the scene in the Sound of Music when Maria took the kids out to the mountains, and was playing her guitar while the children played ball? That was us, yesterday – the only thing missing was a guitar and some children running around. Perhaps I need to scope out the curtains to add to my wardrobe…

Here comes the rain...

So it seems I might not be posting as much as I’d like – today I woke up to thunder and rain (and I did not hear the usual wake up call from my new friend, Mr. Rooster, who apparently resides outside my window). There was no power, yet I was still served a fabulous cup of tea by my housemother Shequer – whose name means “sugar” in English. Language training was tough today – we could all see our breath in the class and it becomes difficult to learn when you are losing feeling in your feet and hands. However, it’s all worth while, because on the way to school I am greeted by swarms of Albanian children, all who absolutely love to say (and repeat) “Hello, how are you” each morning. I wonder about the opportunities available for these kids – no heat in their schools, certainly no computers – they all walk to school, they don’t have ipods or extra change in their pockets… yet each day they are smiling, laughing, and thrilled to have the chance to meet someone that could possibly make an impact on their lives. That in and of itself makes this whole journey worthwhile.

In the afternoon I came home to meet more family – my host mom’s sister and her niece. As the family gathered in the only heated room, Kasey and I (Kasey is a fellow volunteer who lives right down the road from me) worked out to the tune of The Biggest Loser – Cardio Max on my laptop. The things we do to keep sane (and fit)… if only I was a fly on the wall, watching the 2 American girls doing lunges in the corridor of an Albanian house, while the family members curiously poked their heads out every so often (I think at one point my mama went out to milk the cow). But hey, we got a workout in…

Even with the workout, I couldn’t manage to get warm until tonight - after meeting my group to do homework I came home to a hot shower (heaven) and dinner with the family. When I offered and insisted that I would wash the dishes, I didn’t realize that my work would be inspected – the niece (who was rinsing the dishes after I washed them) at one point pointed to a dish and said “yo mire” meaning “no good”...doh! Oh well, I think it’s the thought that counts – my house sister was loving not having to clean up…after all, she cooks and cleans all day.

Oh – and did I mention I got a fabulous new “sport and fashion” sweat suit? LOL! Yes, I needed some more warm clothes (have I mentioned I’m freezing my A$$ off?) so I bought this orange and black jacket and sweat pants from the local market. It has some sort of glittery symbol on it, with the English words “sport and fashion”. I wore it tonight for dinner and amazingly got multiple compliments! (Yes, I will be posting pictures as soon as I can).

Yes indeed all in all it was a productive day – my group started discussing possibilities for our community project while we are here in Shales (another 9 weeks) – we are thinking about having a garbage clean-up day where the whole community comes out to help – and tie it into incentives where the kids can win toys/books, etc. – things they might not be able to afford. Shales has great opportunity when it comes to small businesses – one problem is that half of the businesses have no signs – they are just small one-room operations with the bare essentials. Remember when signage could actually bring customers through the doors? Well we might actually be able to reinvent that time. Of course it’s still early so there is a lot to learn.

Shales, Albania

Hello friends! After arriving in Elbasan, Albania last Wednesday, we spent 3 nights in a hotel. Then on Saturday, we traveled to our host family houses (where I will be for 10 weeks). I am living in the town of Shales - population approx. 1,600. Yesterday we had the day free (there are 4 other volunteers in this town), so we walked around town, and caught the attention of all the locals.. and also realized there is nowhere you go without seeing chickens, donkeys, or sheep. In the town there are a few cafes, one internet cafe/pool hall/bar, a pastry shop, a school (where we have our language lessons), a gas station, a meat shop, and several small markets. In the homes it is usual for only one room to have heat from a gas stove - there is no heat in my room (that sleeping bag is coming in handy). The inside of the houses are absolutely immaculate, and the people are very friendly.

My family is great - I have a mom, dad, a sister named Ida (who is 25) and on the first night there were also 4 cousins who greeted me. We had a huge meal, followed by some english/albanian studies and then some albanian dancing.. they love to watch TV, especially the music video channels. The family also has 3 sons, 2 of which live in Italy and one in Greece.

The first 10 weeks are jam packed with language training - we travel into Elbasan twice a week for "hub" days - when all the volunteers get back together and we have sessions on our individual programs.. mine being Community and Organization Development. So.. all in all the first week has been fairly smooth - and I can actually go out for a run (although I am told to be aware of the stray dogs).

This journey is just beginning..I'm definitely learning the meaning of patience - and to live life in the most simple of ways...