High on the list of Albanian cultural values is their sense of hospitality and keeping homes open to friends and visitors. While this sense of mik pritus has traditionally always been one of the highest held values, it seems even more so today for an american peace corps volunteer. Not only do Albanians always invite guests and visitors into their homes ordinarily, but Albanians love Americans so needless to say I've gotten a bit of the special treatment in my new community.
My first visit to my community was a bit shocking because it was the longest I have gone without seeing or talking to another American (it was only one week). However, my new neighbors made sure that I felt at home. In my first week, I received many small gifts from extended host family members and other neighbors. Some gifts received include bars of soap, three pairs of panty hose (from three different people), chocolate, and a big necklace.
Since Albanians some Albanians can't afford to go out that often and since women don't frequent the cafes as often as men do, most entertaining is done in homes in the afternoons. Practically every afternoon since I have been in my site I have gone to a collegue, neighbor, or family members home for a visit. In Albanian tradition, the guests are served in the homes and as previously stated, Americans get the special treatment. First, the hostess brings out a tray of some sort of fruit juice (normally peach) and a dish of chocolates. The guest takes a glass off the tray, selects a piece of chocolate, and then starts the gezuars or cheers for everyone in the room. I normally just say 'gezuar', but normally people add on many other cheers such as 'to your health', 'to you mother, father, sister, brother, past, present, and future family', or 'success in work'. Depending on how long the visit lasts, the hostess will bring out fresh fruits, cake, ice cream, or cookies. In one visit I was given a bowl of melons, bananas, and apples cut up followed by a very large serving of ice cream (and I can eat a lot of ice cream). After I filled up on fruit and ice cream, the hostess brought out large pieces of cake made of mostly sugary icing. I like sweets as much as the next kid, but I might have to claim to be on a diet soon so as not to overdose on sugar.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Some photos from the past couple months:
Most of my times is spent with my training group and Shqip teacher in the village. It's been great getting to know each of them through our projects, being silly in class, and taking long walks in the hills and fields.
....speaking of long walks, fields of poppies like this one are common sights while walking in the springtime.
I've spend lots of time these past three months at this school in the village.
The oldest and youngest pictured here are my two host sisters. They look like sweethearts in this picture all dressed up for a school party.Wednesday, May 16, 2007
May 10, 2007
First a note on Albanian classes...
I've spent the past two weeks teaching English classes in the middle and high schools as part of my training practicum. Albanian classes are very different from any other class I have ever been in. The classrooms in my village are small, don't have electricity, and are packed full of 40 to 50 students. Some students share chairs or others sit on completely busted ones. As you might imagine, a class of 50 students is hard to manage. Many high school students talk the entire lesson and teachers have to talk over them or knock on the desks with their pens in order to get them to quiet down. In some English classes, only 4 or 5 students participate and follow along with the lesson. This is typical for most high school classes.
On the flip side, teaching Albanian middle school students could quite possibly be the greatest ego boosting experience ever. While observing classes, students with fight over who gets to give up their chair for you to sit in. I cannot count how many flowers I've received in the past two weeks. Spring time in Albania is very vibrant and dozens of varieties of roses grow in the village. Students bring roses to school and give them to their friends or teachers. While teaching at the middle school students gave me flowers everyday. In the afternoons after school children from the village that I've never seen before would rush up to me and give me more roses. Serveral classes lined up after their lessons in order to get my autograph and one girl even asked if she could kiss me. I've never felt so much like a rock star in my life.
May 14, 2006
Since I was in the mood to make some lists, here are several top tens:
Best of Albanian food:
1. gelato - my favorites are banana, pistachio, kiwi, coconut, and tiramisu... I eat gelato about 3 times a week
2. byreke - flaky pastry dough stuffed with cheese or spinach
3. patate - Albanian french fries served with cheese
4. fresh veggies - they have great cucumbers and tomatoes here
5. fast food sandwiches - stuffed with french fries, veggies, and cheese
6. cherries are in season and are incredibly red and delicious
7. fig jelly - I eat this with bread almost every morning
8. I can't think of ten... sheep brains next maybe?
Things I do in my spare time:
1. take walks in the village - you never know who will invite you over for coffee, when you will stumble upon fields of poppies, or when the wind will blow and send a snow storm of dandelion-esq fuzz.
2. drink turkish coffee - for women, most socializing is done over coffee in homes. Turkish coffee isn't filtered, is sweet, and almost tastes more spiced than regular coffee. Albanian women enjoy reading fortunes by looking at the coffee grinds at the bottom of the cup. Its almost like Harry Potter where they read the tea leaves. I got my fortune read and someone in my family is going to get married soon.
3. play cards with my hosts sisters - I taught Briselda how to play 'mano atazo' and she cheats big time. Byorna, the three year old, tries to play too but ends up just throwing cards everywhere.
4. read books.
5. eat gelato.
6. after dinner conversations with my host family that consist of "who is better, Bush or Clinton? Which is better, Albania or America?" and other equally silly questions.
7. make friends with local shopkeepers... sometimes they give me free chocolate, other times they warn me not too eat too much or else I'll get fat.
8. get mail! write letters, email, and hear news from home. Keep the letters and emails coming!
9. read books.
10. hang out with my site mates and have long conversations over coffee, walks, or while watching american t.v. series on laptops occasionally.
Observations on Albanian Culture:
1. Albanians love to dance. Sometimes to the same ten songs over and over. Most dancing consists of holding hands in a circle and doing the same steps for ever song. Its repetitive, but they do it well and sometimes they add in traces of belly dance moves.
2. Women enjoy watching spanish telenovelas which I can actually understand.
3. Every Sunday evening families watch Portokalli which is a quasi Saturday Night Live for Albanians.
4. Most families have a brother, aunt, father, or friend living in either Italy, Greece, Germany, or England who sends money home.
5. Its not normal for people, especially women, to go hiking or camping unless they are sheep herders. My host family was shocked when I returned the next morning after camping without any snake bites and in one piece.
6. It's normal to shower twice a week... which is rough since it is getting incredibly hot outside now and can be quite smelly in a crowded bus or furgon.
7. Albanians are quite frank. They are quick to tell you if you look fat and shouldn't be eating makarona.
8. Families get loud and shout at each other. At first it seems like they are having an intense argument but normally its just over what they should be watching on t.v. and who should hold the remote control.
9. Albanians are incredibly hospitable and will invite complete strangers into their homes for a coffee or raki.
10. When Albanians visit each other in their homes, everyone stands and either shakes hands or kisses. Women kiss each other on the cheek two or three times, old women kiss me up to six times on the cheek.
Strange sights and occurrences in Albania:
1. A white furgon, or van, that is parked on the side of the road by my house that has skinned animals hanging inside to sell. It's the mish furgon, and the reason I plan on becoming a vegetarian as soon as I control my own diet and cook on my own.
2. Small towns that consist entirely of cafes and hair stylist shops.
3. Herds of sheep blocking traffic on the roads.
4. Free range chickens and cows roaming the school yard.
5. bunkers. I still not used to seeing these concrete structures along the countryside.
6. People smoking at gas stations.
7. old women wear only black clothes and white head scarves. Sometimes they are hunched over in the fields or they carry huge loads of hay or greens balanced on their heads.
8. Mixing white wine with coke.
9. Schoolyard game that is like dodge ball except the kids in the middle can’t move and the other students pound them with balls… not quite sure how this game works yet.
10. Sheep head and brains as a delicacy, served to the guest of honor at big meals.
First a note on Albanian classes...
I've spent the past two weeks teaching English classes in the middle and high schools as part of my training practicum. Albanian classes are very different from any other class I have ever been in. The classrooms in my village are small, don't have electricity, and are packed full of 40 to 50 students. Some students share chairs or others sit on completely busted ones. As you might imagine, a class of 50 students is hard to manage. Many high school students talk the entire lesson and teachers have to talk over them or knock on the desks with their pens in order to get them to quiet down. In some English classes, only 4 or 5 students participate and follow along with the lesson. This is typical for most high school classes.
On the flip side, teaching Albanian middle school students could quite possibly be the greatest ego boosting experience ever. While observing classes, students with fight over who gets to give up their chair for you to sit in. I cannot count how many flowers I've received in the past two weeks. Spring time in Albania is very vibrant and dozens of varieties of roses grow in the village. Students bring roses to school and give them to their friends or teachers. While teaching at the middle school students gave me flowers everyday. In the afternoons after school children from the village that I've never seen before would rush up to me and give me more roses. Serveral classes lined up after their lessons in order to get my autograph and one girl even asked if she could kiss me. I've never felt so much like a rock star in my life.
May 14, 2006
Since I was in the mood to make some lists, here are several top tens:
Best of Albanian food:
1. gelato - my favorites are banana, pistachio, kiwi, coconut, and tiramisu... I eat gelato about 3 times a week
2. byreke - flaky pastry dough stuffed with cheese or spinach
3. patate - Albanian french fries served with cheese
4. fresh veggies - they have great cucumbers and tomatoes here
5. fast food sandwiches - stuffed with french fries, veggies, and cheese
6. cherries are in season and are incredibly red and delicious
7. fig jelly - I eat this with bread almost every morning
8. I can't think of ten... sheep brains next maybe?
Things I do in my spare time:
1. take walks in the village - you never know who will invite you over for coffee, when you will stumble upon fields of poppies, or when the wind will blow and send a snow storm of dandelion-esq fuzz.
2. drink turkish coffee - for women, most socializing is done over coffee in homes. Turkish coffee isn't filtered, is sweet, and almost tastes more spiced than regular coffee. Albanian women enjoy reading fortunes by looking at the coffee grinds at the bottom of the cup. Its almost like Harry Potter where they read the tea leaves. I got my fortune read and someone in my family is going to get married soon.
3. play cards with my hosts sisters - I taught Briselda how to play 'mano atazo' and she cheats big time. Byorna, the three year old, tries to play too but ends up just throwing cards everywhere.
4. read books.
5. eat gelato.
6. after dinner conversations with my host family that consist of "who is better, Bush or Clinton? Which is better, Albania or America?" and other equally silly questions.
7. make friends with local shopkeepers... sometimes they give me free chocolate, other times they warn me not too eat too much or else I'll get fat.
8. get mail! write letters, email, and hear news from home. Keep the letters and emails coming!
9. read books.
10. hang out with my site mates and have long conversations over coffee, walks, or while watching american t.v. series on laptops occasionally.
Observations on Albanian Culture:
1. Albanians love to dance. Sometimes to the same ten songs over and over. Most dancing consists of holding hands in a circle and doing the same steps for ever song. Its repetitive, but they do it well and sometimes they add in traces of belly dance moves.
2. Women enjoy watching spanish telenovelas which I can actually understand.
3. Every Sunday evening families watch Portokalli which is a quasi Saturday Night Live for Albanians.
4. Most families have a brother, aunt, father, or friend living in either Italy, Greece, Germany, or England who sends money home.
5. Its not normal for people, especially women, to go hiking or camping unless they are sheep herders. My host family was shocked when I returned the next morning after camping without any snake bites and in one piece.
6. It's normal to shower twice a week... which is rough since it is getting incredibly hot outside now and can be quite smelly in a crowded bus or furgon.
7. Albanians are quite frank. They are quick to tell you if you look fat and shouldn't be eating makarona.
8. Families get loud and shout at each other. At first it seems like they are having an intense argument but normally its just over what they should be watching on t.v. and who should hold the remote control.
9. Albanians are incredibly hospitable and will invite complete strangers into their homes for a coffee or raki.
10. When Albanians visit each other in their homes, everyone stands and either shakes hands or kisses. Women kiss each other on the cheek two or three times, old women kiss me up to six times on the cheek.
Strange sights and occurrences in Albania:
1. A white furgon, or van, that is parked on the side of the road by my house that has skinned animals hanging inside to sell. It's the mish furgon, and the reason I plan on becoming a vegetarian as soon as I control my own diet and cook on my own.
2. Small towns that consist entirely of cafes and hair stylist shops.
3. Herds of sheep blocking traffic on the roads.
4. Free range chickens and cows roaming the school yard.
5. bunkers. I still not used to seeing these concrete structures along the countryside.
6. People smoking at gas stations.
7. old women wear only black clothes and white head scarves. Sometimes they are hunched over in the fields or they carry huge loads of hay or greens balanced on their heads.
8. Mixing white wine with coke.
9. Schoolyard game that is like dodge ball except the kids in the middle can’t move and the other students pound them with balls… not quite sure how this game works yet.
10. Sheep head and brains as a delicacy, served to the guest of honor at big meals.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Hi friends and family,
Sorry about the long time between posts, training has kept me quite busy these past couple of weeks and finding spare time for writing has been difficult. First a brief overview of the fist five weeks of training...
A typical week of training consists of 5 days of intensive language lessons from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. I have two language teachers that rotate every other day and listen to us butcher their language. I feel like I'm progressing with the language but there are some things that are quite tricky to learn such as declension on nouns that have 6 different cases and are different for definite/indefinate and masculine/plural. If you don't know what that means, don't worry about it. You don't want to know. I am able to communicate basic need and am starting to talk more with my host family.
Aside from language classes I am working on my teaching practicum, developing a community project, and attending sessions on medical issues, safety and security, and cultural issues. I have observed several classes taught by Albanian teachers in the middle and high school and started teaching classes this past Thursday. Generally, classes are qiute chaotic with 40 students crammed in a small room and sharing seats. There are often behavioral problems in the classes and teachers often have to talk over students. Sometimes there are only 5 students in a class of 40 who actually understand and follow the lesson. I was lucky to co-teach my first classes to 12 year old students who were well behaved, attentive, and participated. After a lesson about food and shopping, Julie and I were bombarded by students wanting our signatures and giving us flowers. One girl even asked me "Jenny, can I give you a kiss?"
Living with a host family is a unique experience and even though this is the third host family I've stayed with abroad I still am not used to it. My host family is a young couple with two young daughters who are 3 and 8 years old. I've taught the 8 year old several card games so we spend most evenings playing war after we finish throwing a ball around outside. We also brush our teeth together every night before bed so I like to think I'm spreading the importance of good dental hygiene. It's a big adjustment living with small children since they always want to play cards, draw pictures, or use you as their personal jungle gym. Personal space is smaller in Albania as it is and I feel like its even more so with Albanian children. When I'm not playing with the kids I hang out with my host mother and her friends from the neighborhood. Since the men are always out of the house at cafes, the women socialize in their homes and invite each other over for turkish coffee in the afternoon.
I currently live in a small town outside of a larger city named Elbasan. I spend most days in the village and when I'm not in the school teaching, observing, or attending language classes I go on walks in the area with my sitemates or we hang our in the lokals (small restaurnats) to plan projects. My village has hills on one side and we often explore small paths that are mainly for sheep but go through some beautiful olive groves. The other side of the town flattens out to form a valley with another range of hills and mountains farther off in the distance. Sometimes I go on long walks through the fields surrounding the village where there are several houses spread out and crops growing or fields of poppies. I have lunch in the village at the lokals with my four sitemates almost everyday. Typically we eat either pilaf, salads with really fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and a feta like cheese, or the Albanian version of french fries with some cheese on top. On hub days in Elbasan I meet up with the other volunteers for training sessions. Elbasan has some nice amenities since it is a large city such as fast internet, execellent gelato, and interesting historical sites like the old city walls and castle.
This past week I received my site announcement that told me where I will be living for the next two years. I will be teaching English in a village called Levan which is outside of Fier and on the way to Vlore. It is in the central west part of the country close to the sea. The area isn't as mountainous as the interior which cuts down up aesthetics but also means it won't be as cold in the winter. I will not have a sitemate and will be the only American in the community but there will be two volunteers in both Fier and Vlore which are both less than an hour away. Vlore is a coastal town with nice beaches and Italian influences so I will probably visit the volunteers there a couple time over the summer. I don't get to visit my site until four more weeks so I will take pictures and write as soon as I find out more! Until then I will be busy with my practicum and community project as well as still adjusting to the realities of my service in Albania.
Sorry about the long time between posts, training has kept me quite busy these past couple of weeks and finding spare time for writing has been difficult. First a brief overview of the fist five weeks of training...
A typical week of training consists of 5 days of intensive language lessons from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. I have two language teachers that rotate every other day and listen to us butcher their language. I feel like I'm progressing with the language but there are some things that are quite tricky to learn such as declension on nouns that have 6 different cases and are different for definite/indefinate and masculine/plural. If you don't know what that means, don't worry about it. You don't want to know. I am able to communicate basic need and am starting to talk more with my host family.
Aside from language classes I am working on my teaching practicum, developing a community project, and attending sessions on medical issues, safety and security, and cultural issues. I have observed several classes taught by Albanian teachers in the middle and high school and started teaching classes this past Thursday. Generally, classes are qiute chaotic with 40 students crammed in a small room and sharing seats. There are often behavioral problems in the classes and teachers often have to talk over students. Sometimes there are only 5 students in a class of 40 who actually understand and follow the lesson. I was lucky to co-teach my first classes to 12 year old students who were well behaved, attentive, and participated. After a lesson about food and shopping, Julie and I were bombarded by students wanting our signatures and giving us flowers. One girl even asked me "Jenny, can I give you a kiss?"
Living with a host family is a unique experience and even though this is the third host family I've stayed with abroad I still am not used to it. My host family is a young couple with two young daughters who are 3 and 8 years old. I've taught the 8 year old several card games so we spend most evenings playing war after we finish throwing a ball around outside. We also brush our teeth together every night before bed so I like to think I'm spreading the importance of good dental hygiene. It's a big adjustment living with small children since they always want to play cards, draw pictures, or use you as their personal jungle gym. Personal space is smaller in Albania as it is and I feel like its even more so with Albanian children. When I'm not playing with the kids I hang out with my host mother and her friends from the neighborhood. Since the men are always out of the house at cafes, the women socialize in their homes and invite each other over for turkish coffee in the afternoon.
I currently live in a small town outside of a larger city named Elbasan. I spend most days in the village and when I'm not in the school teaching, observing, or attending language classes I go on walks in the area with my sitemates or we hang our in the lokals (small restaurnats) to plan projects. My village has hills on one side and we often explore small paths that are mainly for sheep but go through some beautiful olive groves. The other side of the town flattens out to form a valley with another range of hills and mountains farther off in the distance. Sometimes I go on long walks through the fields surrounding the village where there are several houses spread out and crops growing or fields of poppies. I have lunch in the village at the lokals with my four sitemates almost everyday. Typically we eat either pilaf, salads with really fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and a feta like cheese, or the Albanian version of french fries with some cheese on top. On hub days in Elbasan I meet up with the other volunteers for training sessions. Elbasan has some nice amenities since it is a large city such as fast internet, execellent gelato, and interesting historical sites like the old city walls and castle.
This past week I received my site announcement that told me where I will be living for the next two years. I will be teaching English in a village called Levan which is outside of Fier and on the way to Vlore. It is in the central west part of the country close to the sea. The area isn't as mountainous as the interior which cuts down up aesthetics but also means it won't be as cold in the winter. I will not have a sitemate and will be the only American in the community but there will be two volunteers in both Fier and Vlore which are both less than an hour away. Vlore is a coastal town with nice beaches and Italian influences so I will probably visit the volunteers there a couple time over the summer. I don't get to visit my site until four more weeks so I will take pictures and write as soon as I find out more! Until then I will be busy with my practicum and community project as well as still adjusting to the realities of my service in Albania.
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Staging
Hi friends and family!
Here's a quick first post before I fly to Albania today. I arrived first to staging on Monday so was put in charge on taking pictures of all 37 other volunteers going to Albania with me. It was a great way to meet everyone in the groups although I still don't remember everyones names. After sorting out all of the papers and going through introductions, the Albanian Ambassador stopped by for a surprise visit to welcome us and prepare us for service in his country. He assured us that Albanians love Americans, almost excessively, and that we were both wanted and needed in his country.
I am very fortunate to have connected instantly with many other volunteers in my training group. We are a diverse group as far as interests and backgrounds but somehow have so much in common. Monday night in Georgetown I went out to dinner with a group of nine other trainees then walked to the mall to see the monuments light up at night. It was a great way to boost positive energy and get pumped for the trip ahead of us.
Today I fly from DC to Vienna and then to Tirana, Albania. I can't wait to get there and see my home for the next two years. I love you all and will miss you tremedously... keep checking for future posts and feel free to post back!
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