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.

Home in Winston..

Halloween in Raleigh..

Ashley & Pete's wedding in Elkin..

Rehearsal Dinner the night before the wedding..

Proud parents!..