Mr Toads Wild Ride.

What is public transportation like in Albania. They are called furgons...Mini vans that take you places. The furgons hang out together but not at a station. A station would mean a schedule...that would mean the drivers would have to work each day and that would mean they had to be regulated...the way they do it now, they show up if they want, leave when they want and pay taxes as a business..register ???? maybe..but if they don't, and get caught, its nothing that a few leke $ to the cops cannot handle. The Drivers claim income but nobody knows how much they make. If they want to make more money..sometimes we are sitting very very close to sticky old men..or unshaved women. Once in a while we are standing in the minivan. The roads suck and and the drivers are wild...they pass all the time..all two lane roads, and many times there are 3 cars moving side by side on a two lane road . Lots of real close calls each ride/day/ minute....Each furgon has a supply of barf bags...they don't stop for sickness....not important enough. At times you see someones head down, making noises in the back..or front. I am used to it now..... but 7 months ago...when I got on, I just had to let go, and think, they do this everyday and are still alive. I have been numberous times on the mountainous road to Elbasan, a 3.5 to 5 hour ride. 3 times the furgon has breaken down and we had to wait for a "friend" ...As I said before, if anything can be used one more time before it breaks , it will be tested.

But Why

So it has only been a few days since my last entry so I figure since not much has happened I will give the reason why Albania needs is still a developing country. Albania, has it all...enough natural resources to sustain itself, internet access, plenty of cars, primitive but functional transportation system, beaches that rival any where, lots of mountains for skiing, and lots of areas for golf courses. What is the problem...dirty beaches, no sky slopes or golf courses, and power outages for hours at a time, no water for hours at a time, broken window and dark offices...etc
Starting from the top, most of the government officials have their own agenda which is not usually in the interest of the area they represent. Since after years of nothing ever changes, expect ions of government employees are now nearly "0". Since expectations are such, it creates the perfect opportunity to use money, and other assorted opportunities for personal agendas.
Those same expectations then flood, not trickle down, to every part of everyday life. Plans, laws, programs are created and often financed, but there is not an expectation of it ever getting done...so nothing does, and a few get a little more wealthy in the process. This goes for school books, to buildings, to garbage pick-up etc. There are laws for driving, and "CHPs" but few if any tickets are issued and many laws are broken in front of the Police station while the cops are outside talking. Contracts are not enforced by law or by the enforcers so all parties are on their own to police themselves...What does get done, is done poorly, and only to look good, and usually has little or no means of sustainability. This country has all the pieces for progress but just not the desire or have expectations to think beyond today....

Is is safe here with as both an American and Shqiptar?...people mind one an others business affairs and family affairs too too much, so as long as no-one is hurt or killed...all else is up for grabs.

Arrggg again.

Today, we had our monthly staff meeting. Last week the Director said that he will mention the website again a that I could do my presentation on How to use the Web, and Why it is important to have one a website...maybe not now but in the future.........Since I speak Shqip so well I was going to rely on a co-worker to conduct the meeting. Wednesday ...I gave the co-worker my outline of topics to cover and tried to pin them down to work on it....Thursday the response was...shume pune...(too much work, cannot today) for 2 hours we did not have power so we sat and talked and drank lots of coffee with co-workers...It was the middle of the day...plenty of light and I had hardcopies of all work ready ...She said "neser"...Okay..now its Friday....we start working on it at 12:00 ..then got distracted...by 2:00 nothing was done...and then we had to prepare for the weekend..talk because we won't see one another for 2 days....The meeting is not until 8:45 am so we will have 45 minutes..to set up projector and plan the meeting....OOOkayyy...8;30 I felt nothing is understood and the projector still has to be set up.
Meeting time: problems with the projector until 8:50. Coworker says that she completely understands the meeting and what to do..Huuuummmmmm
Meeting starts.
She is sitting down. Away from the computer .... I ask if she was ready?? yes but there was no movement...towards the computer
Why did I discuss with her all those issues and the presention itself if she was just going to translate what I said. ...to add to the problem the "Monthly meeting was about the website", and was not a small part of it as I was lead to believe. Needless to say, my 10 minutes turned to 30 minute meeting off the cuff.
The good: the Director felt that it was a good meeting...I now know...that meetings are 100% me and all I can do is ask for translation..not help.....but that is not the PeaceCorps way...Other good is My project seems to have some importance to the Director.
The Bad, I cannot rely on anybody....and I know that no matter how well I explain, even if they explain back to me what is expected...Albanians will do what they want...ARG they tell us this in training but you always think you cover your behind.
Sorry could not proofread above...gotta go

No time no money

Work Update: I can feel the energy starting to happen...My co-workers have had my email for 2 days now about projects...I just know they are almost ready to read them...neser ...it will happen. In the meantime last weekend I went to our Peace Corps Halloween Party. I went as "Trash Talk"...Being on a budget we all had were similar minded costumes...A guy with a black eye with "P" on his shirt (blackeyed peas) etc...Mine was you guessed it, I was covered with trash and had trash talking sayings taped all over me....Not a good costume for sitting but I did make a dent in the garbage around here..yeah right.
As for my health........not good as of today...I got one of those colds where your hair and teeth hurt. My nose is running non-stop and I am sneezing a lot. My co-workers think I am sick because I seldom where a jacket and wear short sleeve summer shirts in the fall. I think it is because washing hands are not important here..for food, restroom etc...how can washing be important if the water in town is off 6 hours a day and most all the night. What you don't see will not kill you...just don't think about it.
Our youngest PC volunter and my site mate Leslie had her Old Lady Birthday...22 years old...She is the one that speaks Shqip well and make me looks bad in Albanian social situations...She finished HS in 3 years and College in 3 years...compare that to my accademic background..Ouch...Again because of budget limitations..she got presents like a coke with a bow made of foil wrapping...........etc..
As you can tell, I am a little mad at our budget. We had to fill out a survey on how much we spend each month...it only took about 2 hours to do...If we got an extra $10 a month for 12 months that means we would have made $60 per hour....to fill it out..........ARGGGG!!!Since only 43 percent of us filled it out.. there will be no raise, and there has not been one in 4 years, where cost of living up about 30% in the last 2 years.