Just stuff

Well it has been few weeks since I last blogged so here is the update:
With one of the Couch surfers from Canada took a hike to the castle. Actually climbed inside for the first time. Still untouched by modern engineers and tourists.

• I went to the local school and advertised for the Outdoor Ambassadors.
• Outdoor Ambassadors had a great first day 16 kids
• In my quest to find stuff to do, I went to the water company who had a meeting to show the progress they were making. The person in charge, while didn't need help (he speaks english well and writes the grants himself, he did offer to be a guest speaker at our Outdoor Ambassador Club the next week.
• Had serveral new volunteers come to Lezhe to learn about how to start OA Club, Kysha and Jonathon from my group, helped with the 5 hour seminar and stayed at my place...the perfect couple together. The weekend consisted of: Dance party with friends, PC volunteers, Albanians and couch surfers. About 15 total. Good fun...Next morning Leslie cooked a great breakfast (french toast) for the gang of about 10. Then the 5 hour seminar, followed by rest. After dinner we all went to Bethanys and watched a movie in the open air on her porch. One of the couch surfers had a projector some movies. Add fresh watermellon, wine and raki with good company...life cannot get much better.
  
• Sunday went to the beach for about 6 hours with Leslie and Bethany....life is so hard
• Monday to Tirana for PC interviews
• Wednesday tought juggling at the private school. While it started fine, put heat, water and balloons together, why would the kids want to waste a balloon by filling it with sand and juggling it????
• Friday...Outdoor Ambassadors again session 2. 7 showed up this time, hopefully because of the heat and since now summer time all have headed to the beach.
• Trying to help a Local business get going...While I have showed them many things, cannot seem to motivate them to do the foot/think work on their own.
  
• Today, I was supposed to go the the castle with the private school...after I made sure my day was clear, and showed up, they cancelled the trip...why they did not tell me and save me the trip?????? Just another reason why I likely will not teach there next year.
• Neser I have a meeting with the Blind soccer team trying to get them a grant.
• my computer is comming soon
• After this, I may just go to the beach...gotta go...have a drink and think about it.
  

Need a change

The last couple of nights here have been like college. The 2 remaining PCVs Leslie and Bethany have dragged my butt out for nights of Drinking and Dancing. At about the time I am having dinner and ready to hit the sac, they text me for cafe that later turns into a night of drinking and/or dancing. All fun for a couple of hours, but more than that the next day really sucks.
Work: we finally had a company wide meeting on the survey we did several months ago. I am not sure how it went, and as I had expected, "the report" was scribbled on one piece of paper with only the results. Even though I sent the "report team" websites on writing a report and using the information, she/they just stated the results, then the team just nodded and in their minds thought, interesting...that was done.... When I tried to actually address the concerns of the farmers or what we can do, all blame was put on the farmers and "Tirana Dof A" main office, and felt that nothing can be done at their level. Actually they are content in feeling nothing can be done at their level because that would be more work. But it was good to know that one of the Extentionist uses the information he gained from the "how to do a business" seminar with the farmers he works with.
As for my job here, I am pretty sure I have done all I can. When my computer comes I will change offices and hope some other departments "work"will trickle down to me but as of now I keep reminding my counterpart and director of things they can do to keep moving forward and neser or next week is always the answer. What is frustrating is they are in such a position to do so much good for the farmers and make a difference but don't. I too, if I spoke Shqip, could do so much but am stuck relying on people to translate who spend hours on personal stuff.
I have made a connection to get Outdoor Ambassador going, but she is a teacher and is insistant that kids will do nothing during the summer unless it is affiliated with the school and that they are required to go. The concept that kids will volunteer to participate...as over 100 kids around Albania are doing is totally out of her understanding. While I can rely on her to expose me to the kids, that is about all she will help. As for the school I am at now, I am glad that I am on my final days teaching there....My teachers assistants totally love helping me, but the kids/boys are just punks. I walk down the halls and can only hear the other teachers in the classroom yelling at the kids. While the teachers are 49% of the blame, the parents and culture are 51% to blame. All parents just say, "they are boys" and in a home the girl and mom or sisters clean the house study and cook while the boys play, men drink coffee and a few work...only to come home and have mom or sister clean up and feed them even if they too have jobs.
Anyway, after the teaching is done, I will having nothing to do so hopefully something else will fill the void.