First good day in a while

So the last few weeks I am been really upset with Albania. First:After a 1 hour talk with my director and supervisor, I realized that after 2 years and many conversations about grants, they had no idea that I could write grants and get money for projects for them, nor even comprehend the idea. Unless a project and money came from the main office in Tirana, they felt nothing can be done or is important enough to do that would warrent a change to their daily routine. To make it worse, my supervisor could not comprehend why she should even try to do extra work/projects/good for the community if it did not directly put money in her pocket. Number 2. Two of my favorite students came to me an said they did not want to do a project that we were starting to work on for Environmental Awareness day. and the other one who did want to, did not show up (feeling sick). Three: My key project worker (student)had not showed up for several weeks. When i asked her friends why they said her father would not allow her to come. Why? They would not say but nor has she informed me.
Yesterday I jumped ship and went to Tirana for a day of relaxation and hopefully a movie. The movie was one I had no desire to see so I headed off to one of my favorite locales to read. I saw Mirva there, who was then visited by her friend and Dianna Catci, former PC worker. After 2 hours of coffee, Her friend left, and Mirva and I had a great relaxing lunch and a local pizza joint. In all turned out to be a great day. Not what I had planned but better.
TODAY was a good day. In my business class I had 5 girls who showed to my last class. They ALL did their homework and showed up for class. The class went well and they all talked, participated, and came up with ideas that they had never thought much about. We talked about successful businesses, and bad ones on first and second impressions..etc...I was very proud of them and as of now wish I had met up with them a year ago. While my head is still full of cobwebs like yesterday. It was a good day.

3 more months and counting

It has been almost 2 months since my last blog entry. Since then I have been to Istanbul, Turkey, Sophia, Bulgaria and Orid, Macedonia. While it had snowed and had many storms the days before we got there, it was clear and cold during our days there. On Feb 4th, my birthday, Leslie and I had a very nice dinner just near our hostel. After 4 days we left wanting to see more, the mosks were incredible, especially the Blue Mosk, the history and culture monuments are worth the once in a life time visit and , the grand bazare was all we had hoped. Only one night I ventured out without Leslie. She just couldn' handle the wild life of a newly 47 year old. That night turned out to be my latest night, meeting up with a guy, then going to another pub, ditching him and hanging with 4 English ladies, the bar owners and some other dude until 4 in the morning. There went a healthy percentage of my travel money..to the bar tab and they wanted to go somewhere else, I however was pretty much done by then. At the Grand Bazar I finally bought my watch. A Panarai. Poor Leslie had to shop with me in many shops, giving her input, me only half listening and going on to the next shop. Finally on about the 3rd day, after I bought my watch she then shopped for pants making me suffer nearly equally...In the end, we got 3 teas, a tradition in the stores while we made or did not make decisions on purchases. On our next stop we met up with John a Peace Corps guy from Bulgaria at the youth hostel, and he showed us around town. Sophia has all the fixings. And was not suffering from the lack of anything...especially fast food and girl friends. For the Superbowl he set us up with reservations at a local "Mexican locale" We got there at 10:00pm had a few drinks and met up with another PC volunteer. Slowly other Americans started filtering into the Bar. By 12:00 am there were 30 or so Americans competing for team loyalty...After eating good food, greasy snacks and beer, 4:00 am rolled around and we all staggered out into the newly fallen 1 foot of powered snow. moving to our youth Hostel. It is so fun to find those pockets of America scatered through the world. The other at the bar, all worked for the government, NGO, or as business consultants, and all had good stories. The other highlight was we saw AVATAR in IMAX 3D. We don;t have IMAX or the 3D theaters in Albanai so this too was a treat along with KFC, Subway and Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks. The movie cost us about a day and a half pay but it was worth it. We took the 8:00pm bus to Orid, Macedonia and arrived in Orid at 3 in the morning, cold wet and very tired. After many discussions with Cab drivers we found one who spoke English and asked him to take us to a youth hostel. He took us to one that was clean, had a good location and a kind owner. He showed us our rooms, we got warm and went to bed. In the morning we found a breakfast on the table and no guy...Then we realized we were his only customers in whole place. It was raining and really windy outside so we sat inside and watched hours of TV. While it was raining and still cold we got stir crazy and went out for lunch then shopping in town. A great little town that I am still hoping to go to again someday. Our trip ended the next morning on a cab/bus/minivan excursion lasting about 12 hours and back in Lezhe. The wet and cold and sitting on buses cause a wicked rash on my butt...too much information...to bad. All in a days travel.

Our Close of Service COS was last month also. I felt it was too early but now I am glad we had it then. Before I got there I felt 3+ months was plent of time. Now am glad it was so early. I still have many things to wrap up, many things to think about, and many good byes to make before I go. It will be a sad and fast next few months.
I also took the Foreign Service Exam...I studied off and on for 6 months for it and nothing I studied was on the test. ARG..Next profession.

Projects: Started another business class. First day 15 kids, next meeting 0 but because the school had a party and no-one told me. The next day 4 and my flakey translators were playing volleyball outside and I had to pull teeth to get them in. After 3 weeks of telling the Director that I needed 15 copies of my lesson for the kids, it finally go done but put me behind another week.

OA kids..I am ready to pull their hair out. I am having a difficult time to get them to work together, or to work at all. I said last time no trips unless they completed a section of our project. One day, after our meeting and much having not been done, they went home worked on it and called saying they had completed all that was supposed to be done. The also said they had 10 kids together to go to the beach and wanted me to take them. I said yes, they all had their parents sign the permission slips and were at the meeting place almost on time. I later read their work and when I saw the quality of what they had done, I had to have them do it again. For Earthday, (April 22) I got some of my former and best students together from the OA group who did not have a job to do and were relyable, to do a project for that day. NOW after 4 meeting, 2 of the 4 are too busy....ARG these kids are just like the adults.
Speaking of which.....my director and Kozeta and I had a sit down talk about my experience with them. While I had for the most part a good experience, I have been forever frustrated and felt I was not utilzed. Having found out why, hell there was no way I could have been utilized in that environment. They insised that work only existed if the main headquarters in Tirana told them to. IN otherwords, even if I could have gotten grants, no-one unless headquarters ordered it, would write joint grants or even do what was required to carry out the project. Needless to say, I left the meeting very pissed off at the entire situation. If I got anything done with them, it would have been 100% on my own and that is not the PC way or sustainable. OK... so my latest adventure was March 22...About a 2 hour walk from my house, but just out my window, is a mountain with telephone transmitter towers. Because of its vantage point to the ocean, to the city, to the world, the communist build bunkers with 100s of yards of tunnels to defend it from the Americans. When we (a volunteer and her Albania boyfriend) hiked up to the top and when we got there, we were greeted by the security guard. After about 30 minutes of political discussion, he showed us the living quarters he shares with the other security guard (72 hour rotating shifts) It was an old underground bunker built to hide from the Americans. Cool for me, but not too clean or comfortable . After that little visit, we left him, then headed to the bunkers that I can see from my house. Very cool treat. Inside were several hundred meters of tunnels/caves connecting to one or two or three others....Unlike American caves/bunkes they had little graffiti, and besides being 30 to 80 years old, were in their original state. For that reason I am clad for two things....Albanians are very lazy and would never think of such a hike...and going inside a communist structure is like appreciating a part of their past they would rather avoid. The real reason is the first. Anyway, inside were old instructions on how to fire the cannons once placed there, rooms, and halls going nowhere and I came across about 30 or so bats just hanging out. I got a good photo of them.

On the Road Again

Lots of stuff on my mind. Last week my OA group and I met up and we established a few deadlines for our Video Project. I indicated to them that the group will not go on any trips unless deadlines were met. I then set up 2 very important meetings to get them rolling on our project. One was with the camera man for our video and the other was with the Department of Tourism who had loads of information for us regarding the castle. I reminded them all the day before, and they had help set up both meetings. The kids did not show, and only called to tell me they were not coming after I called them. Since I will be gone next week that puts the project back 3 weeks. I do have a fall back plan set up if the girls don't get their shit together. I asked one of the more mature participants who is not part of the "click" if she would take on the role and she said she would.

While I had just complained about the kids, I cannot blame them 100%. Today I went to the private school, a 1 mile walk each way to teach my 1 hour English class that I had spent 3 hours preparing for. As I walk up to the school, the school yard is empty, and there are no cars driving around dropping off kids. This is 4th time something like this has happened where I show up and there is a holiday or the schedule has been changed or the kids are on a trip etc..... I had recieved no word from the school director or anyone else. How can you blame the kids when the "Principals and Teachers and "Professionals" are the same way.

I will start teaching a new business class at the other HS in March. That will be a 6 week class with other stuff mixed in. Between my schedule and the many school holidays, That will conclude my business classes.

Today I leave to for Istanbul. I am going with my site mate Leslie to spend 4 days in Turkey, 2 days in Bulgaria, and 2 days in Macedonia. Life is difficult traveling the countries with a 23 year old woman. Drinking til 3-4 am takes its toll on a yes 47 year old mind/body.

Yes, a short time ago I mentioned Belgrade and Prague, now Sofia and Istanbul, but in my defence, I have to go now because we are not allowed to travel our last few months of service.

In Istanbul we are staying at a Youth Hostel but in Bulgaria and Macedonia we are staying with Peace Corps Volunteers. Now we will have inside track on cheap bars and places to explore.

Help Thief

After a couple more meetings with the School Director, she said that while there was some interest, those that really wanted to participate were from the villages and had to leave right after school. I then went to the other high school and she is interested and said Thursdays are good. After my vacation I will start a 6 week, changed format class. It will focus on how to create business and not just replicate them. I had a disturbing day today however. One of my former students, asked me yesterday if he could join my Outdoor Ambassadors. I said yes, drop by my office and I will give you some forms describing the program so you can inform your parents. He came in while I was not there picked up the papers, and also picked up Kozeta's wallet. After many phone calls with too many people involved, Kozeta found out his last name, where he lived, and 5 of us went to the poor 12 year old kids house. I don't think his parents know anything but he still was crying and had to deal with Kozeta and a few other angry co-workers. While I hope learned his lesson, I cannot let him join my OA group even if he wants to. My regular kids are the ones who tracked him down after about 30 minutes of calling, and I am sure they will not trust him, nor feel comfortable around him, nor let him play in any reindeer games.
To top it off, my director who has been very good/proud of the fact that so many of my kids feel comfortable in the office....have now banned all kids from the office.
All for now.

Wow, so it has been almost 2 months since my last post.
So last time I had mentioned my sore hips...This week I had an appointement with our Assistant medical officer...She took a bit more of a concern in my sore hips than the regular doctor and so we had a X-ray taken...$10.00...The medical assistant wants to meet personally in the office to discuss further the results..she mentioned something about a reduction of space in the joint area..More info next time.
Christmas, and New Years I spent out of Country. For Christmas I went to Prague with Rachel and Alex....They stayed at Rachels former host mom, when she lived here for a year and I stayed at a Youth Hostel. About half of the time I spent on my own and the other half with them until my phone credit went dead. Prague is incredible and worth the trip...we had good weather so the walking tours and roaming aimlessly was great. At night when I was not with Alex and Rachel, I did the Pub Crawls...5 hours of hanging out with a group of 15 (x-mas) and 40 another day, roaming the streets of prague and spending about 1 hour at each pub...Great way to meet people and get drunk. The bad part was that most of the participants are about 22-30 years old and can drink a lot more than I can ......then survive the next day. With Rachel and Alex we went to the castle and had a great dinner at a local resturant overlooking the city...I had Goolash and Dumplings...pretty darn good and fun. The other night, we went to see the Nutcracker. We sat in the highest seats on the top balcony and paid $2.50 for the tickets. The play was done much better than it was in Albania....which however was also about $2.50...Can you believe it...Less than a movie....And here in Albania I have seen the Nutcracker twice.
Everything was class..the last days my phone credit ran out and could not contact the girls. By then however I was ready to go to Brataslava, in Slovakia...My first and only night there I hung out with a bunch of fun Brits until about 2 in the morning only to have to leave early to make it to a toilet...and did not make it.....I met the guys on the streets, they too were looking for a bar to go to, I was done looking having tried for an hour for someplace that looked fun...an extreamly boring town. We decided to just go into the first one we found and hang out for a while...all in all...one of the best nights on the trip....The next day, went to the castle...Beautiful Castle but undergoing major repairs.
The following morning I took the Train 12 hours to Belgrade, Serbia... In Belgrade, I took a tour of the Military Museum, and had a private tour from Nicola, a young tatooed kid, whose passion was war trivia, but currently was unemployed. Went to Musuem of Nikola Tesla as well as an Automobile Museum ...At the auto museum, I had a good 1 hour conversation with a local on life in Serbia. During the tour of the Military Museum , I met some of my tatoo friends' friends, who I later spent New Years Eve with. They were 3 guys from Slovenia.....On the first of January, I was ready to go home....I went to Scopia in Macedonia, spent the night there, then took the first transportation to Tirana..First the taxi... There I met a couple of locals who were also going and Albania. They were great people who have made the trip often an helped me with the boarder processs. From the border we took a Furgon to Tirana....I went home a few days early, skipping the couple days I wanted to spend in Macedonia. Too Tired and stomach problems....
As for projects, My business class had a couple of good days since last entry, then it just crashed...I went to the school Director again and while she wanted the class, she could not find kids that were interested.
My outdoor Ambassador group is going good until I brought up a topic that caused a big arguement. We went bowling, and Ice Skating...and brought two additional friends. The boys hated it, the girls liked it, then they proceeded in argueing and saying things that were not good. That problem along with the fact that our Movie day got screwed up really put a damper on things...Our movie thing was a go until Besa/the owner of the place we were having it, and his brother, finally talked about it, then his brother backed out. That was after the kids told their friends, and passed out 400 flyers....Our video of the castle and translation of stuff is still moving slow.
So last week I had 2 meetings scheduled and then we get a call from the Peace Corps. They said that Lezhe, Buschat and Shkoder volunteers were going to evacuate do to the possibility flooding. In Shkoker there are 3 dams...Each of the dams were very near flood stage. Since little or no maintanence had been done on the flood gates in years, nor have been tested, the PC thought it better to get us out of the area. We spent 5 days Tirana...Myself and Chris at the County Directors office and the rest scattered around. The movies were fun, food was good, house was always warm and the last night we had dinner out at the Chicken Shack. After 5 days we came home to the Albanians thinking we were a bunch of Chickens for skipping town. I am sure they (the locals) did not know the possibility of the real danger, because all the information they had was from the news. The news is regulated by the political party in power who are the ones who determine the threat. If they tell everyone that there has been no maintence or test on the dams and there is a problem...they look bad...therefore..they inform little and hope for the best.
Today I have another meeting with the School Director.