PST (pre-service training) defines our first 10 weeks in Albania. We fly into Tiranë and immediately take a bus to Elbasan, a "larger" city about an hour away. We trainees spend four days there at a hotel being briefed and oriented and given shumë information. Then, we are unceremoniously carted off to our host families where we live for the remainder of training. This entry is mostly a factual one about our schedules. A description about how training "feels" deserves its own post.
For future trainees who may stumble across this blog (or stalk it like I did group 14ers blogs' after receiving my invitation for Albania), please note that it is specific to COD volunteers (although the experience is pretty similar across all three sectors).
In Thanë:
The majority of our time the first four weeks is spent at our host sites. There are 13 COD volunteers this year; half are in a small village and half are in a town. (I am in the partially bitter village group. At least my host family and fellow site mates are stellar and supportive.) We have two language/culture instructors who alternate between the two sites. We study in a classroom in the local school, have our coffee breaks at a nearby cafe, and walk into the next village over for lunch and the next town over to use the internet. Other than having to be constantly vigilant so as to avoid becoming roadkill, it's not a bad trek.
The routine varies from week to week, but this is a pretty standard example:
8:30 - 10:30 - studying shqip, "shcheep" (Albanian language)
10:30 - 11:00 - coffee break (I do so love the 40¢ espresso.)
11:00 - 1:00 - study more shqip
1:00 - 2:00 - lunch
2:00 - 3:00 - cultural topics/discussion
3:00 - 4:00 - potentially, time to work on our community project
4:00 - done for the day
(As PST progresses and we get more and more stressed/acclimated/anxious to get to our future sites, our daily routine gets less and less demanding. Thank you Peace Corps. Otherwise we would lose our minds.)
In Elbasan:
Typically we go to Elbasan for "hub days" on Wednesdays and Fridays. It is a nice break from village life and the classroom that is frigid for the first four weeks of training. CODs go to Elbasan every weekday during weeks five and six to learn about project design and management and to visit various governmental agencies and NGOs. And of course then go for beers/coffees/limon sodas and conversation/complaints afterwards. Hub days good for catching up with the volunteers in other sites/sectors. No matter how great your site mates are, everyone is ready for a break and some new faces after several weeks together.
Many of the general sessions are informative and engaging, but some are tedious/mind-numbing, especially when you are already dealing with the general low-level stress of PST. But it is really no different than having to sit through meetings and trainings at work or lectures in college.
Again, the schedule varies, but this is a pretty standard routine for hub days:
8:00 - 9:30 - study shqip
9:30 - 10:00 - coffee break
10:00 - 11:00 - study more shqip
11:00 - 12:00 - lunch
12:00 - 2:00 - technical training
2:00 - 2:30 - coffee break
2:30 - 4:30 - info sessions on health, safety and security, culture, logistics, administrative info, and occasionally old videos you have no idea why the Peace Corps hasn't yet updated
4:30 - done for the day
(We sometimes get done with hub days early. One day we ended right after lunch. I live for those days. Some days we go to Elbasan on Saturdays for class or information sessions. I am not so fond of that.)
Overall, the PST routine is draining but mostly necessary. (I am sure they have their reasons...) It does not help that your every move is tracked. Again, I understand why this is the policy during training, but it takes a mental toll, especially if you are highly independent. Previous volunteers say that PST is absolutely the most difficult part of being a PC volunteer. Thank god. Three more weeks!
Sound track for this post - Float On by Modest Mouse
For future trainees who may stumble across this blog (or stalk it like I did group 14ers blogs' after receiving my invitation for Albania), please note that it is specific to COD volunteers (although the experience is pretty similar across all three sectors).
In Thanë:
The majority of our time the first four weeks is spent at our host sites. There are 13 COD volunteers this year; half are in a small village and half are in a town. (I am in the partially bitter village group. At least my host family and fellow site mates are stellar and supportive.) We have two language/culture instructors who alternate between the two sites. We study in a classroom in the local school, have our coffee breaks at a nearby cafe, and walk into the next village over for lunch and the next town over to use the internet. Other than having to be constantly vigilant so as to avoid becoming roadkill, it's not a bad trek.
 |
| We had to draw an illustration of "what we did this weekend" and then describe it in Albanian. This was the class favorite. |
The routine varies from week to week, but this is a pretty standard example:
8:30 - 10:30 - studying shqip, "shcheep" (Albanian language)
10:30 - 11:00 - coffee break (I do so love the 40¢ espresso.)
11:00 - 1:00 - study more shqip
1:00 - 2:00 - lunch
2:00 - 3:00 - cultural topics/discussion
3:00 - 4:00 - potentially, time to work on our community project
4:00 - done for the day
(As PST progresses and we get more and more stressed/acclimated/anxious to get to our future sites, our daily routine gets less and less demanding. Thank you Peace Corps. Otherwise we would lose our minds.)
 |
| spontaneous camera-photo of Alex acting out something in language class |
Many of the general sessions are informative and engaging, but some are tedious/mind-numbing, especially when you are already dealing with the general low-level stress of PST. But it is really no different than having to sit through meetings and trainings at work or lectures in college.
 |
| Trainees hard at work studying shqip on a hub day. Wait, where are my books? |
8:00 - 9:30 - study shqip
9:30 - 10:00 - coffee break
10:00 - 11:00 - study more shqip
11:00 - 12:00 - lunch
12:00 - 2:00 - technical training
2:00 - 2:30 - coffee break
2:30 - 4:30 - info sessions on health, safety and security, culture, logistics, administrative info, and occasionally old videos you have no idea why the Peace Corps hasn't yet updated
4:30 - done for the day
(We sometimes get done with hub days early. One day we ended right after lunch. I live for those days. Some days we go to Elbasan on Saturdays for class or information sessions. I am not so fond of that.)
 |
| I love post-training meals in Elbasan. So delicious and relaxing. |
Sound track for this post - Float On by Modest Mouse
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