Settling In

I have now been living in Albania for three weeks, or around 500 hours.  My emotions have leveled out and I feel at home both in Albania and with my host family.  I live in the small village of Thanë with six other trainees.  (We are not considered volunteers until we successfully complete training and swear in at the end of May.)  My host family has a spacious two-story house and a 3-ish acre garden.  Thanë has only about 1200 inhabitants and everyone knows everything about each other (and probably us as well).  I lucked out not only in regards to my splendid host family themselves, but also because in the past they have only hosted married couples.  SO – I have a king sized bed, a balcony, an adjacent sitting room, and my own bathroom.  And adorable little kittens who are currently living under the sofa in the sitting room.  Shumë mirë.   

A volunteer in Bajram Curri in the far north made this video.  It reveals a lot about the next two years of my life.            http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx2rsSj5udQ 

PC staff dramatically revealed our weekend site destinations by unfurling a giant map of Albania with our photos stuck on it.

a chic cafe near our village where we have lunch (when we can afford it)

a night view from my balcony.  :) 

still super cute and fluffy

The Family

Babai Ilir* drives a furgon (private transport van) every day.  It’s by far the nicest furgon I have seen yet.  (He bought it new in Germany last summer and the daughters thoroughly clean it every night.)  Babai Ilir works a lot.  He is usually gone by 7:00 or 8:00 and returns home sometime between 19:00 and 22:00.  He is a hefty jovial man who adores his family and makes me feel welcome in his home.  Most nights he falls asleep on the couch watching TV with his hand resting under the elastic band of his sweat pants, just like my own dad.  

Mamai Albana* is the backbone of the family.  She is a doting wife, supportive mother, and tireless worker.  She cooks delicious food, keeps an immaculate house, cares for the family, tends to the garden and various yard birds, sews delicate little doilies, looks after gjyshe (grandma), runs a small shop, and brings joy and smiles to the house every day.  My strongest current motivator to learn Albanian being able to better communicate with her.  

Gjyshe (jew-shah) is the heart of the family.  She is the mother of Babai Ilir, and they have the exact same round little nose.  She always dresses in black (in perpetual mourning for gjysh who died 10 years ago) and covers her long grey braid with a white handkerchief.  She seems very bold and independent and lives on her own in a house nearby.  She is always cracking jokes; I smile and laugh even though I have no idea what she is saying.  By trying to speak Albanian and washing dishes I have endeared myself to her.  Each time she sees me she kisses my face at least six times.  I love it. 

The oldest daughter Mira* is 23 and recently moved to Tiranë with her fiancé Aleks*. (I suspect this generated considerable gossip in the little conservative hamlet.)  I met them only once, but was struck by their kindness and attractiveness.  They graciously invited me to stay with them whenever I’m in the capital.  Perfect.  That means more lekë for the important things like travel, gelato, and beer.  Perhaps a ridiculous pair of heels and some quality eye liner as well.  After all, blending in is important.  :) 

The second daughter Zoica* is 20 or so and studies accounting at the university in Elbasan.  She is inquisitive, personable, beautiful and proficient in English.  I hope that in time we will become friends.  For now, it is mainly through her that I communicate with the family.  She and her siblings seem happy and well adjusted.  I will learn a lot from them.     

The youngest daughter Drita* is 17 and attends high school in the neighboring town of Cerrik.  She is fashionable, observant, charismatic and light-hearted.  She is a dutiful daughter who spends the night with gjyushe each night.  I look forward to getting to know her better when my Albanian improves.  

The little king of the family is 12 year old Erion*, the only son and light of the home.  He is expressive, intelligent, helpful, vivacious, and pleasantly incorrigible.  Even though I have a lot of experience with kids, there is only so much bonding that can go on between us without a common language.  Despite that, we laugh a lot together.  It (almost) makes me wish I had a little brother.

the cafe by the school where we have language class - if only the school was in such good condition

Us with the kittens (there isn't a lot do do in Thane)  I will not reveal how many days I had been shower-less.

Alex is a self-described cat lady.

Random Notes

 

Someone from group 14 was served a lamb’s eyeball at a holiday feast.  Apparently it was “chewy like calamari” and “projectile squirted.”  Absolutely no way will I eat one.  My utmost apologizes to legendary Albanian hospitality.  Uuulch.  Nasty.  

My favorite Albanian expression so far is “kë të duash” or “as you wish.”  This is said frequently and reflects the shqip approach to life.  

Funny story:  One day last week, Luis, Liila, Alex and I stayed late in Elbasan to socialize and decompress after hub day sessions.  (Another post describing my weekly schedule – I know you can’t wait! – will be coming soon).  All the furgons had left for the day, so we got a cab in old town.  We were stoked that is was only going to cost 100 lekë ($1) each.  The driver was very “charismatic” and in usual fashion I (tried) chatting with him in very limited Albanian, totally oblivious as to where we were headed.  After about 10 minutes, Alex said “Uh, I think we are going the wrong way.  I just saw a sign for Librazd” (a town in the complete opposite direction of Thanë).  The driver had apparently thought we wanted to go to Qafë Thanë, a picturesque valley town on the border of Macedonia.  I guess he could not imagine that four young Americans would possibly want to go to the tiny village of Thanë.  But we got a tour and a great story out of it, and he still only charged us 400 lekë even though the typical fare to Thanë is 1000 lekë and he drove an extra 20 minutes out of the way.  It just goes to show that being friendly pays off.  Or at least that is what I am telling myself.        

Albanians don't "spend time," they "pass time."  

My host brother helped me put up and label Albanian sticky notes around my room. 

PC Albania group 15

  Random Notes, continued

Albanians keep very clean homes.  Shoes are to be taken off at the door, and the host has plenty of slippers.  I like this policy.  Shoes track gross things into the house, especially in Albania.  

Albanian girls live a life balanced between two worlds.  On any given day, they may paint their nails, watch music videos, pluck feathers and gut chickens for dinner, text their friends, secretly call or meet a beau, serve house guests, cook dinner, take care of their siblings, do their homework, weed the garden, and many other tasks of which I am not yet aware.

 

The term “economics” does not directly translate here.  Half the students and workers I met told me they were economists or were studying to be economists.  For about a week I thought Albanian was ludicrously overrun with economists.  After a while I ask Zoica to tell me more specifically what she studies, and she described accounting.  Slowly Albania is beginning to make sense.