As I've mentioned before, women in this country do not have the same lifestyles as the men do. Men and teenage boys have pretty much free rein to go down to the river, drink coffees all day with their friends and cousins and stay out late at night. The women typically are responsible for making the meals, aren't allowed to go to the river without their families and can only go to specific lokals with their friends or families for coffee.
I've acquired this weird satisfaction when I see women doing things out of the gender norm, even if it's bad for them.. I know, I know.. strange things are happening to me. Example #1: Seeing an older woman smoking a cigarette. Women typically don't smoke and if they do they smoke in the privacy of their homes. Back in the America, I would look at an elderly woman smoking a cigarette and wonder what her intentions where exactly. Example #2: Seeing a produce woman drinking beer during the day while she sales her produce. Women also typically don't drink in public, except for weddings or special occasions. I actually wanted to high-five her for drinking on the job.When I reflect, this cognitive dissonance is kind of backwards, but I can't help it. Anything I see or hear about girls or women here doing things 'out of the social norm' for girls here makes me happy, even if it is something not necessarily good for them. I've heard the comparisson of Albania ideals compared to America in the 1940's and 50's, where women are in the kitchen, etc. but I still can't help feeling some since of woman power seeing an older women smoking a cigarette at a lokal with only men, drinking her coffee alone.
I know this sounds crazy but even for it to be older women is a big deal. The younger generation here is making strides in gender equality, slowly, but it's moving at least. It's said that 80% of the students attending universities in Albania are women. You can definitely see progression in bigger cities and in the South of Albania. It's been so much of their culture for so long that it's not even questioned by most.
