This marks my first birthday in another country and I celebrated it in Albania. Emily and Kim were here for my actual birthday day and made it as special as they could with being here. I woke up and went to the Bashkia for a while to check in with my office and tell them people were coming up for my birthday. While I was doing this, Emily and Kim decorated my apartment with decorations that Kim had gotten in Durres and homemade cards. Kim also brought up avocados (she lives in the 3rd biggest city in Albania and has access to a lot of things I don't) so we made guacamole for my birthday lunch!
Oh, I found out I had the same birthday as Ron Weasley from Harry Potter, which is amazing. Same year and everything, wonder what he did for his birthday. I got a lot of 'Happy Birthdays' from people in the community, which in Shqip is "Gezuar ditelindje" (giz-oo-ar deet-lean-dee-aye). The phrase that Albanian's say after they wish you happy birthday is 'edhe 100 vjec' (eh-dhey nunt-chin vee-itch) or 'another 100 years' which i got a lot too. Cutest story, this little boy that lives in my apartment complex met me in the stairs and said "Brune, do you have a birthday today?" and I said "Yes Rici" and he said the Albanian "edhe 100 vjec" and it was so cute. He's probably around 2-3 years old and is always playing outside the apartment complex.
Other volunteers arrived the next day on Emily O. birthday, I'm just a day older than her and we had a joint birthday celebration. There were about 15 volunteers that took the journey to Bajram Curri to celebrate our birthdays and we had so much fun. It's weird though, I spend a lot of time by myself and being around large groups of American's is kind of weird now. Just like actually sitting down on a toilet when I use the bathroom is kinda weird...I actually get uncomfortable when there's a Western toilet inside of my usual Turk.
Usual birthday festivities: First and most importantly being with my life-long friends and family, a cookie dough icecream cake from Coldstone Creamery (a tradition since I worked there in highschool), sushi and making my family eat it even though they didn't necessarily like it, partying for a week because it was the first week back from summer vacation, sooner or later eating at Mellow Mushroom, purchasing a birthday dress or outfit to wear to dinner or going out...
Birthday festivities in Albania: Making guacamole because I haven't had access to it in over a month and it was special, recieving AMAZING presents of honey nut cheerios, home made scarves, headbands and Nutella from other Peace Corps volunteers, cliff jumping in the Valbona River, drinking fake Stela and Amstel and eating homemade, stone oven baked pizza at the Hotel in Bajram Curri, having most of my friends in the PC come to my home and enjoy my town, wearing cotton pants and a tshirt to dinner.
Not that many differences and I can honestly
say I had a great birthday in Bajram.
Usual birthday festivities: First and most importantly being with my life-long friends and family, a cookie dough icecream cake from Coldstone Creamery (a tradition since I worked there in highschool), sushi and making my family eat it even though they didn't necessarily like it, partying for a week because it was the first week back from summer vacation, sooner or later eating at Mellow Mushroom, purchasing a birthday dress or outfit to wear to dinner or going out...
Birthday festivities in Albania: Making guacamole because I haven't had access to it in over a month and it was special, recieving AMAZING presents of honey nut cheerios, home made scarves, headbands and Nutella from other Peace Corps volunteers, cliff jumping in the Valbona River, drinking fake Stela and Amstel and eating homemade, stone oven baked pizza at the Hotel in Bajram Curri, having most of my friends in the PC come to my home and enjoy my town, wearing cotton pants and a tshirt to dinner.
Not that many differences and I can honestly
say I had a great birthday in Bajram.
