Oh The Places You Will Go...Day 2 – December 23, 2009

After getting about 3 hours sleep, it was time to hit the town.  The development of the city was amazing, or so it seemed since I’m not used to seeing street signs, regular traffic lights and – dare I say – McDonalds! Of course that was the first stop, and even though the menu was in Cyrillic I don’t think anyone can misunderstand “fries”.  It was heavenly and although it was quite a shock to the stomach it was worth every bite.  After that we wandered over to a fabulous bookstore, followed by a walk around Skopje, viewing Christmas decorations, the old bazaar, mosques, churches, and the dominant landmark in the city, a huge fortress called Skopsko Kale, which was built during the rule of the Romans.

Towards the end of the day we found an Irish pub, but they were out of Guinness. At first I couldn’t believe it but since it was Macedonia and not Ireland it was a bit more believable.  The menu was filled with large varieties of food, from Mexican to Indian to chicken fingers (again, not your typical Irish pub). It was quite a change from the pizza and pasta options that are the staple menu items in Albania. 

In search of a particular shopping center in Skopje, we ventured down one of the main streets since we were convinced it was towards the end, and not too far (on the map anyway).  After about an hour of walking, we stopped in a café to have a hot chocolate, only to be told that the store we were looking for was all the way back near where we had started.  Taking a taxi to retrace our steps, it turns out the store was literally right around the corner from the bookstore we had been in earlier.  My navigation skills were put to the test during this whole trip and it turns out they need some polishing…

Back at the hostel, there was another guest that had arrived.  Strangely I never met the guest, only heard “its” voice outside in the sitting area.  The interesting part was, I couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman.  Just when I thought it was going one way, the voice would either get higher or lower in pitch and throw me off even more.  After a while I made it a point not to see “it” so that I could continue the sound test.  Unfortunately the answer was never discovered. What was revealed however, was a random black sock on the back of the toilet seat.  Was this a sign? A warning? Had “mystery guest” known all along it had been subject of a guessing game?

Oh The Places You Will Go…

Over the holidays I traveled to Macedonia and Bulgaria.  The trip was full of surprises and adventures. Thanks to Sofie for the fabulous notes that were used to formulate this blog (on a café placemat no less). I want to share all the stories – so I’m going to split my entries by day. Enjoy…

Day 1 – December 22, 2009

It all started in Elbasan the night we were scheduled to leave on a 9 PM bus to Skopje, Macedonia.  We were getting everything together to leave, when the power went out in my house.  Usually this is something I can just fix by flicking the switch outside, but not this time.  The finishing touches of packing, getting the dogs fed and out, collecting the garbage and making sure nothing was forgotten was done in the dark.  We walked to the bus station; you have to realize that transportation here in Albania is not as easy as going to a transportation hub with boarding announcements every 5 minutes.  There are no posted schedules.  There are no central stations and buses going to the north, south, east and west can all leave from different locations.  And buses going to other countries?  Well you have to catch the guy at the travel agency to then telephone the driver to tell him to come pick you up.  Then you are given the phone number of the driver in case they forget. The bus station was empty except for a few guys having coffee at the station café.  No information counter, no office for the travel company. Just the hopes that the bus wouldn’t forget us.

After drinking a coffee, it was time for a last bathroom break.  The toilets were down stairs, and the women’s side was locked. (Plus you could see right into the toilet area of the women’s – not sure how that works during the day).  So I went into the men’s, which was a big open room with urinals and toilets, with no light.  Well equipped with my pocketknife, I was prepared for any peeping Toms since there was a wide-open window in the bathroom making for great views.  Upon returning to the café and being saved by anti-bacterial spray, the bus still hadn’t arrived and it was after 9:00.  Luckily one of my neighbors showed up in the café and gave the other guys a heads up that we were waiting for the bus. No more than 2 minutes later the bus was outside.  And we were off. 

About 30 minutes out of Elbasan, we stopped for a break.  The motion sickness had already kicked in, and as I came out of the bathroom (which was more than unpleasant), I looked into the mirror and there was a creepy old man standing behind me.  It was right out of a horror movie, you know the scene.  Victim looks into the mirror, opens the mirror/medicine cabinet, closes it, sees killer. Done. 

I rushed outside to the bus, and went to run up the stairs, but was abruptly stopped by a black cat running DOWN the stairs. Was I riding Garfield’s party bus? Or was that a sign for things to come?

Back on the road, as soon as we crossed over into Macedonia, the heat on the bus either ceased to work, or the bus converted into a meat locker.  We sat in tundra for the next 4-5 hours.  You know it’s cold when even the men are bundled up and pacing up and down the aisle looking for some sort of relief.  The word ‘miserable’ doesn’t do it justice.  At the next rest stop, anyone who wanted to get out had to leap over the legs of the guy who decided it would be a good idea to lay down across the aisle, then pass out in a comatose state. After waiting 10 minutes, Sofie decided she had to use the bathroom, so she took the plunge over sleeping beauty. Unfortunately, after about 5 minutes the bus driver started the engine and we were moving – sans Sofie.  I yelled out “Pritë” (wait) but it continued to glide along, grabbing Sofie on the way. Close call. 

Towards the end of the ride, the guy working on the bus asked us where we were headed. We showed him the map and our information from our Hostel booking.  He took it and then 3 other guys proceeded to analyze it for the next 15 minutes.  One of them kept pointing to it saying “Shtëpinë time” (my house).  I’m not sure if they had ever seen a map before, or maybe the guy finally remembered where he lives.

When we entered Skopje, Sofie said, “Imagine if they just drop us off on the side of the road?”  Well, that is exactly what happened.  4 AM, bitter from the icebox ride, and on a random road in Skopje.  We managed to hail a taxi (which happened to be very warm inside), and asked him to take us to City Hostel (remember this name).  He spoke Albanian so that was a plus. It didn’t strike us as weird when he stopped down the road to talk to some cabbie friends to ask for directions.  We continued along, and the driver stopped a few random civilians asking for directions to “City Hotels”, then drove us along a sidewalk and stopped in front of a motel that wasn’t even close to “City Hostel”.  The next 2 people he stopped to ask he yelled out for “Stims hotel”.  Stims????? What is that? Where did that come from? How is that even remotely close to “City Hostel”??? At that point it was a given – this guy was taking us for a ride to get some extra cash. And he had no clue where our hostel was. His ploy wasn’t going to work.  We told him to take us to the bus/train station, and when we got out we gave him 1 Euro.  He laughed and said, “No, 4 Euro”.   We then proceeded to have an argument in Albanian, persisting he was getting no more than 2 Euro. Not only did he not take us to where we needed to be, but also the Hostel had specifically told us that a taxi ride should not cost more than 2 Euro.  The argument got pretty heated, as he asked, “Do kesh problemi?” (“Do you want a problem?”) At that point Sofie dropped the 2 Euro piece in his hand, and we walked away. Lesson learned: do NOT take the cabs that don’t have writing on the side or don’t have meters in Skopje.  It seems that anyone can just throw a sign on the top of their car and pretend to be legit.  It seems to be common sense now; perhaps the brain was still thawing at the time.  It was however good to see that our Albanian is up to par to have a good heated argument.

So at this point we still needed to get to the hostel, and it was about 5:30 AM.  We started walking, trying to follow a map that resembled the hedge maze in the Shining.  There was snow on the ground; in between trying to navigate and avoiding falling and cracking my skull open, I saw a green sign in the distance. Could it be? It was a Holiday Inn!  Who would of thought I’d be so happy to see it.  We went inside and they hooked us up with an honest taxi driver who took us right to City Hostel.  After all that, it turned out I had booked the wrong night.  After the owner proclaimed, “that was your fault”, he paused for a second than followed it by “but we have another room”. At 6 AM on December 23, it was time to sleep for a few hours.

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.