First night of basketball open gyms!..

The boys wrote a grant through "Friends of Albania" and got 13 basketballs so the kids will
have somewhere to play during the winter months. Through the snow and ice, 7 degree below
temperature and ended by a power outage. We just want to play basketball!

We've got cabin fever..

For some reason when the power is off it feels colder. Not because it actually is but because when you go for 4 straight days with a total of about 5 hours of power your mind begins to do strange things. Neither Garrett nor Eric have wood stoves so for the last few days it’s like I’ve had roommates and we’ve taken turns cooking on my woodstove by candle light. Sure the first night is fun, the second night is annoying and it’s that third night that you begin to loose hope. I don’t remember last winter being like this. Were we just naïve? Had I lost all tolerance? No, last year power outages lasted one night max, but 3 straight nights is too much for anyone!

The only place that had power in the entire town for almost 5 days was the hotel and it was standing room only during all hours of operation. They had a generator going so not only did they have power but they had electric heat. After waiting in line to get a seat I got to charge my computer and phone and hang out inside a warm, smoke filled room instead of going to work.

We were sitting in my apartment yesterday, with out power, in the middle of the day, the schools were closed, work might as well have been closed and there was nothing to do. It was as cold in my house as it was outside and watching our breath show up in the air reminded us of that every second and laying in bed underneath all the covers was the warmest option. Huge snowflakes fell from the sky when I looked out of the window and I saw people bundled up walking around under umbrellas. Why did I love snow days back in the states? Oh, because I got out of school and could come back inside to a warm room and hot chocolate. I’ve decided I don’t like snow days anymore.

I was loosing my mind. I began to wonder if there was life outside of Bajram Curri at all. Was this the beginning of the end? Were the Mayans right and this was the start of the end of the world!? None of the buses went to the capital for 2 days. Last year that only happened once and it was in February… this is going to be a long one. All of us became very ornery and quick to snap at each other around the fourth day, making fun of everything, trying to find some sort of control in our lives. Then suddenly on Monday, the power came back on while I was cooking dinner on my gas bumble. I screamed and scared Eric in the other room but hallelujah! “The Lord giveth and he taketh away” had never felt so appropriate a few hours later because right before I laid down to go to sleep the lights flicked out again.

Today, I’ve had constant power since last night around 5:00pm. I actually got to cook dinner on my oven, talk to my parents and even download a movie! I’m sitting in a warm office with an electric heater to my right and typing with warm hands. I’m supposed to leave out on Sunday but they’re calling for more snow. I can’t wait to stay in a hotel, take a warm shower and sit in a room that I can’t see my breath in. It’s the small things.

Views without electricity..

Outside coffee and hammock time..

Creating an online presence..

So, one of my big projects recently has been redesigning the committee "Gender Equality" for Peace Corps Albania's logo, making a website and just getting a strong presence online for resources for Volunteers and Albanian's alike to help teach on gender development and make it applicable to Albania. I honestly just feel like I've been doing freelance work but I get to do whatever I want which is nice. I started with the logo, built up an entire package from that, thankfully we already had a pretty active Facebook page with Volunteers and Albanian youth, built a website from scratch (not my favorite work but I used it as a learning experience) and now I'm working on what I've titled "Gender Role Shorts."

Last year I, along with other Volunteers, interviewed over 20 Albanians, men, women and children, all with differing opinions on women's place in Albanian society, gender roles in the workplace, etc. One documentary was put together but I wanted to use these interviews to their fullest extent (a lot of the interviews weren't used in the documentary either). I thought this made a perfect opportunity to use these interviews and build our online presence even more by making 1-2 minute Youtube videos of all these amazing interviews and opinions from people all over the country.

Thankfully I've had a lot of help with the translations because I made it a goal to make all the videos in English and in Albanian. So far I have three videos uploaded and I'm working on making one every two weeks with the footage I already have. I think having these resources for students and Peace Corps Volunteers is a great way to help develop the movement of gender equality. I also believe that listening to Albanian's with varying opinions on the matter is a great way to learn and relate as well.

So, please, check out the work I've done so far:
BaraziaGjinore.com
Youtube
Facebook

Saturday walk in a village near Bajram Curri..

View of Bajram Curri from above..

Reflecting on bunker..

Edhe nje qind Shqiperi!..

Celebrating 100 years of independence..

This week was Albania's annual holiday for independence, sort of like 4th of July for America. This year was special because it marked the 100th year of freedom from the Illyrians and recognition as an independent country. Red double headed eagle flags have been but up all across the country, spray painted outlines have been made on the sides of buildings and parties have been happening all week to celebrate this landmark.

In Bajram Curri we had about 4 or 5 huge celebrations in the new gymnasium where students preformed dances and sung patriotic songs and dressed in all red and black. Students also participated in huge parades with flags and songs as they all walked to the gym together. A huge milestone in my eyes is the Google did a 'doodle' for Albania, changing their logo for Flag Day to a double headed eagle intertwined with the number 100 to represent Albania's 100 years of freedom.

Being a part of this huge event was amazing. I got to celebrate with some of my friends and we went to an outdoor concert and saw some amazing fireworks. Albania and Kosovo both celebrated this holiday, even though Kosovo was part of the Former Republic of Yugoslavia there is a very strong connection between the two countries. They speak Albanian in Kosovo and have a very large ethnically Albanian population. They are also two of the most pro-American countries I've ever visited. Albania has a statue of George Bush and Kosovo has a statue in the capital of Bill Clinton, right beside this statue is "Hilary's Clothing" which is pretty funny. But anyways, it's been an amazing week full of friends, food, drinking and dancing so I'm going to take this weekend to catch up on all the sleep I've missed. Urime per festen Shqiperi!

Elementary school parade in town..

One of the parties full of dancing and singing.. I think more than half the town is inside..

Congratulations for 100 years for the Albanian state..

Thanksgiving in Tropoje..

Caught eating!

Appi buffet..

Names of all the cities represented..

Je Befte Mire!

Health fair week in Tropoje..

Health center workers...

Peace Corps staff getting their blood pressure..

Mayor, Vice Mayor and Doctor at the hospital..

New Police Furgons!..

With the Bashkia logo!..

Two projects complete!..

Check out this promotion for Tirana's first ever bagel shop!

BaraziaGjinore.com (Gender Equality)

Ready to attack the winter..

With Christmas stockings for BabaGjyshi or Santa Claus with our Albanian names..

And a photo of my neighbors stack of firewood..

Urime për Obamën!?

The only two elections I've been old enough to vote in were the past two and the last two Obama won. When I was in college I had to do an absentee ballot because I didn't live in the county I was registered in but this year I thought since I was going to be in the states for early election day I would actually experience waiting in line and voting normally. Unfortunately this was not the case. I waited in line in my county of permeant residence only to be told since I didn't have proof of residency (pay check stub, updated license or some sort of bill) I would not be able to vote. My dad said it happened because they knew who I was going to vote for but I'm not sure that was it.

We found out the winner of the election the last night I was in America with my friends from college. Last time Obama was elected it was my junior year of college and I was in a friends dorm room after practice. This year I was with two of those same friends at a bar in north Raleigh as the numbers were being tallied. I sat at the table with 5 or 6 friends from college, all with different beliefs, backgrounds, skin colors and some who's views had even changed since I met them but we all sat there respectfully not really getting too much into anything political but still paying attention closely.

Once I came back to Albania I didn't expect much to be said of the election in America. I mean I know that people know American's just spent billions of dollars on campaigning and the outcome was the same and I know international news on the American election has been constant here for a few months but I never expected to be walking down the street an someone congratulate me on who won the election. In the past two days I've had more than 10 people, some strangers, ask me if I voted, who I voted for and congratulate me for Obama's win. Today the mayor asked me who I voted for and a guy in the office screamed "but he's not white! you're white," so not all the attention I get is positive.

Which takes me back to the last night when I was in America and I asked some of my friends who they were voting for and they wouldn't tell me or I knew not to even bring it up but when I come back here I have complete strangers ask me who I voted for. I've always had an eclectic group of friends and family members and have learned just to lay low when political conversations arise but now I'm being confronted head on, strangers yelling "Urime për Obamën!" or "Congratulations for Obama!" It's not because I think they're avid Obama supporters or think that I am, I think it comes back down to the collectivist society thing again and them just wanting to let me know, they know. I like it. Shows support. Respekt. As a Peace Corps policy were told not to discuss political stances with anyone basically but observing the differences in cultural norms when it comes to voting is pretty interesting.

The Land of Milk and Honey..

My trip started at 6:00am Albanian time where I caught a taxi from Durres to the airport, about a 45 minute ride in the dark because the sun had yet to rise. I got on my flight from Tirana to Istanbul, about 300 miles in the wrong direction from America. My flight was delayed from Turkey to Newark by an hour which cut my layover down to 45 minutes. 45 short minutes to get off the plane, claim my bags, go through customs, recheck my bags and go through security again. Missing flights like this is usually a small inconvenience but this turned into a minor breakdown for me since I was about to see my friends and family that I haven't seen in over 19 months. After busting tale through the airport I made the final boarding call for my flight and had about an hour to rest.

I was met by three of my best friends from college at baggage claim with a Cook-Out chicken strip club sandwich in hand. What a great welcome home meal. Since I barely made my flight it was no surprise that my bags did not, no big deal, got them in the morning. We met up with a few of my other close friends from Raleigh and we celebrated my homecoming. The next morning I spoke at one of my professors classes at Peace (now known as WPU) about the Peace Corps and how I am using my degree from Peace working overseas. Saying it was nostalgic is not describing what I was feeling to the fullest. My dad sat through the class and afterwards we headed down 40-W to Tobaccoville for me to get my hair cut and colored, a long over due treatment. My best friend drove down from Charlotte and met me at my dad's salon. I thought I would have slept on the plane so I would be bright eyed but every time I closed my eyes I was thinking about the next two weeks of my life. After my 3 hours in the salon we went out to my aunt and mom's house to see them! Things just felt so normal when I walked in the house I almost had to remind myself that it had been so long since I'd seen my aunt, uncle and cousin.

I went to Target about 5 times, I actually visited 5 different Target establishments. I went so many times my relatives that were so excited about seeing me now refused to leave the house with me. I went into my first Target with my Dad and became so overwhelmed that I had to leave. Cold sweats set in about the clothing department. I blame this on going 72 hours without sleeping because the next visits weren't so traumatic. I feel like I never left but then I feel like I had been gone for decades.

To say I was anxious to go home would be a huge understatement. When you're abroad for any amount of time I think it's only natural to compare everything to what you know. After a few months you start to idealize everything that you use to know and have dreams about food or begin to think that your life previous to where you are now was some sort of elaborate hallucination. Once I got a full night of sleep it didn't take long to realize everything was more or less the same. "The more things change the more they stay the same" was kind of the feeling I got almost everyday as I met up with a college friend, relatives I hadn't seen in a year in a half or when I tasted the long awaited turkey sandwich.

I got to be in the wedding of a friend of mine. A friend that I've known since 6th grade and a friend who had a fiance (now husband) that without the grandiose gesture of offering to pay for my plane ticket home I wouldn't have been home at all for another seven months. The wedding was beautiful and the reception of NC style barbecue was more than pleasing to my southern palette. I've had a few days to readjust to life here and now it feels like I never left, like the last two weeks were a dream. I'm afraid that's what my entire Peace Corps experience will feel like once I return back to America for good. In other news, I've began to attack the winter.