Sunday
Don't be afriad.
We left the most touristic place of Albania, the beach of Durres, 70-degree weather and sun shining, to go to the tiptop of the Tropoja region of the Albanian Alps. From Durres we went back to Tirana to catch a furgon that we traveled through most of Albania, parts of Kosovo, then finally arriving in the BC around 7:30 that night.
Garrett’s (or Gerti’s, his Albanian name) counterpart is actually my neighbor in my apartment building, which made the transition a little easier when we got off the furgon. I will live on the 4th floor of a complex that is directly across the street from where I’ll be working and right in the center of town. Just like Peace College and getting to classes, I’m still getting a little pampered when it comes to getting to work. One of my site-mates will be living on the 1st floor of the same complex, which is comforting and just downright awesome.
Apartamenti im eshte shume i madh or my apartment is very big. When you walk in on your left is a sitting room with couches and a coffee table, surrounded by ivy and Albanian pictures of kittens. To the right is my bedroom with two twin-sized beds (I’m convinced I’m sleeping on an Albanian cloud it’s so comfortable). The living room is bigger than my living room at home, with a couch that could fit about 10 or 15 people on it so I better make some friends fast.
The pictures don’t do it justice because it’s my digi cam but I’ll take better ones when I go back in a few weeks.
From living in Bajram Curri for 3 days the people were very friendly and actually talked a little slower than they do in the south, which was helpful for me to understand them easier. The three of us weren’t stared at as much as we are in our sites now but I think that’s from BC getting tourist (mostly German or Italian), so they just assume we’re tourist for now I’m guessing.
It’s already a little chilly up in the Alps but hopefully it won’t get too much colder before the summer. My site-mates are planning to start growing out their beards September 1st in order to become “maltores” or “mountain men.” I’m a little jealous I can’t participate. Don’t be afraid. Two more weeks in my host family’s home and then to the BC. I’m going to miss my host family but I’m ready to start working and gain a little more independence.
I will be the first female Peace Corps Volunteer (possibly female American) that has lived in the Tropoja region of Albania…ever. This is the first year that this region of Albania has been open to the Peace Corps and we’ll be opening the site that is a pretty big deal. BC is a traditionally conservative town (most are in the North) and is the home of Sali Berisha (the prime minister of Albania) so it is a Democratic town (in Albania, Democratic means our ideas of “Republican” or “Conservative” and the Socialist party is like American’s “Democratic” party).
Off to the wild blue north!
I just got back from my site visit with my future sitemates. It’s crazy to think that exactly one year ago from this weekend I was graduating from college and now I’m visiting the my first apartment by myself…in Albania. My first apartment I’m living in by myself is in Albania… I thought I would reiterate that just incase you thought it was a type-o or something.
We traveled from Elbasan as a group to Tirana for tours given by current PCV’s and then went to Durres for our Counterpart Conference. We were spilt up into region that we would be living/working in for the next 2 years for our tours which was nice because we got to spend some time with our future sitemates and get to walk around the capital for a while. Tirana is unlike anywhere else in Albania. A few highlights, well restaurants, of the tour: a place called “Albanian Fried Chicken” or AFC, the Mexican restaurant and a Chinese restaurant (if you want sushi you have to order it two days in advance). We chose the Mexican place and it tasted exactly like what you would think Mexican food would taste like in Albania.
After Tirana we went to Durres to meet our counterparts who traveled from all different parts of Albania to meet us for the first time. My counterpart was unable to make it (every Bashkia across Albania is going crazy right now because elections are May 8th) but a guy named Endrit, who I had met before when I went to Bajram Curri and also works in the Bashkia, stepped in and it was an easy night because we had previously met. We had a huge seafood dinner with our future counterparts and sitemates and then left for our sites the next morning after some meetings.
My counterpart, myself, Eric, his counter part, Gerti's counterpart/my neighbor, Gerti at the seafood dinner in Durres
Lending a hand..
My Health Volunteer friends Emily and John had a presentation on cervical cancer in the village and I lended my markers and hand to help them with their poster. The presentation was in Shqip and I'm so proud of them for being able to teach women about their bodies. Even though John couldn't actually stay for the presentation because he is a male.
C.O.D. Group Presentation
Finally a picture of all of Bishqem and Pajove PST-ers together!
Awesome job!
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