Gezuar...

Today not only marks the beginning of 2010, but it also is the first day of my 10^th month in Albania (whoa).  Celebrating New Year’s here was quite the event, and more like a war zone…fireworks are EVERYWHERE. The celebration starts early – in the morning everyone is out doing last minute shopping and live turkeys are being sold for New Year’s dinner. I would equate the streets of Elbasan to those of an area that has just gotten word to evacuate, combined with holiday lights, festive smells and anticipation on the faces of Albanians as they look forward to celebrating with their friends and families.            

Walking from my house to Ervin’s  (where I celebrated with his family), I encountered kids no older than 7 throwing firecrackers in the grass, behind piles of garbage, at each other, and performing the classic “throw and run” move.  Most interesting (and disturbing) was the man who threw one that landed on the top step of a store (then he proceeded to run into his car and drive away).

The New Year’s meal started at around 8:30 PM – and ended at around 1 AM.  It is a feast – turkey, veal, qofta (like a meat/vegetable patty), salad, potatoes, pickled vegetables, peppers with cheese, bread, rice, olives, pickles, and then fruit and baklava to top it off. I’m full just listing all of this!  During the dinner we watched a popular TV show called Portokalli – it’s a comedy show, and I really wish I could understand it all because every single person in Albania that I’ve watched it with laughs uncontrollably. I take the few words I can understand and try to come up with something funny – then laugh even if it’s not the same joke. That works until people ask me what was just said. L

At midnight the sky of Elbasan was lit up as we all said “Gezuar Vitin e Ri”.  I wish all my friends and family back home a happy and healthy 2010. I look forward to this year, as I’m sure it will be filled of the unexpected.

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…