This week all that has happened work wise is one other person has giving me some information for the website. Even after the director has told them to get their butts in gear.... Nobody here is worried about losing their job, but do worry about getting yelled at. Since the director is gone 4 of 5 days to meetings...he usually forgets anything that he may have told them that week....so why do anything???????
For fun, I played some pingpong with some guy that has spent 2 years in England...We split 3 games to 3 games and by then I had played for over 2 hours and was wiped out. I played for over an hour before he got there.
This weekend for the Super Bowl, the US Marines stationed in Albania have invited the PC volunteers to their place to watch the game....It is on the Embassy property. The game starts at 11:00 pm so we wander the streets of Tirana until 10:30 pm when they will let us in... then we cannot stay the night so at about 4:00 am we head off to Freddies Hotel and sleep until 6:00 am where I head off to work at 8:00 to teach 2 hours of English.
As for other stuff at work....I just got an email from the director of Rural Development in Lezhe...I told him of the How to start a business seminar and he /wanted an Outline. Hopefully he is a little more proactive than D of A and will participate....
Computer is having bad days
The Road to work/the hospital had a huge hole in it...for 3 days not covered/or fixed...and finally on the day 5 was fixed...Why they did not fix it before it broke...something I have been watching and waiting for for 6 months...who knows...They fix only when things have to be and not a second before and then and only then...it may take a few days, weeks months etc....
My Lights went out...they made a mistake and turned them off...and if I did not complain...they would have have never gone on again. Since lights go out daily here I had to give them some slack...not knowing if it was normal or a problem..after 2 days and one real cold shower on a real cold day I figured it out. Gotta love this place.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Friday, January 23, 2009
American Week
This week was spent in Elbasan, taking last weeks seminar in English. This one was much better and had a good variety of participants 8 Albanians and 4 PC volunteers. One participant was from World Vision in Lezhe (a non government, non profit organization) and I hope to work with him to try to get my Department of Agricultures butt in gear and teach farmers how to start a business. Something the D of A should have done 17 years ago when they started the program. Argggg...I tried to see a movie at the movie house also...there were only 2 of us and they said they needed 4 to have the movie...I guess that is way there are not many movie houses in Albania.
I still have yet to get the information I needed from my Coworkers for developing the Webpage... This went from a 2 week project to now a 3 month project and still have only recieved half of the information I need. While I enjoy the coffees I get , it kills me when I hear they don't have time or will get my information next week and it never comes...I know you ask why don't you just ask them or make them or smack them around a bit... Keeping work and social relationships mean the same thing and going over their heads or going somewhere else to get things done would be insulting. Two, them doing my stuff add work and they will not get paid more or recognized or fired if they do or don't do anything beyond their day...As of now I remind them once a week and the director once every 2 weeks.
Anyway, I am back from Elbasan and home in Lezhe tonight after sleeping in another PC volunteers house for the last 4 nights. Lots of movies, saw the swearing in, made me feel proud and that we made the right decision this year.
I still have yet to get the information I needed from my Coworkers for developing the Webpage... This went from a 2 week project to now a 3 month project and still have only recieved half of the information I need. While I enjoy the coffees I get , it kills me when I hear they don't have time or will get my information next week and it never comes...I know you ask why don't you just ask them or make them or smack them around a bit... Keeping work and social relationships mean the same thing and going over their heads or going somewhere else to get things done would be insulting. Two, them doing my stuff add work and they will not get paid more or recognized or fired if they do or don't do anything beyond their day...As of now I remind them once a week and the director once every 2 weeks.
Anyway, I am back from Elbasan and home in Lezhe tonight after sleeping in another PC volunteers house for the last 4 nights. Lots of movies, saw the swearing in, made me feel proud and that we made the right decision this year.
Monday, January 19, 2009
American Style
Jan 18, 2009 So I thought that I would have more time these last 2 weeks to write in my blog...Albania showed me...each time I had time to write, the power went off...or had an unexpected coffee to drink...so much stress......
What took up much of last week was a seminar conducted by Opportunity Albania...A micro finance, institution that wanted to show bee farmers how to write a business plan, apply for a loan and start/run a business. The class content was actually put together by one of the Peace Corp Volunteers who had worked for 3M for 17 years as their one of the Accounting Mangagers. The class was exactly what I was trying to do with our Department of Agriculture but never got the approval to start. Anyway it was good, and I can now apply that information to the D of A and I hope bring it to the community as well. It was all in Albanian so there was an interpreter there for myself and few others. This week the seminar will be given again in Elbasan and it will be in English...I will go to that also.
As for the the Weather here...so cold that after dinner I go right to bed and watch Sopranos, I am warm and asleep by 9:30. I hope I can keep this sleep pattern when I am back in the States. It is nice waking at 6:30 each morning and not needing an alarm clock. What's life in the winter compared to the summer.
In the summer:
All your free time is spent walking in town until 9:30pm or 10 then slowly making it back home. Between 12 and 5;00 much of the town shuts down because of the heat and often the water is off citywide. If your a young guy, you hang out after 10:00pm...the women however are in their homes by 9:00. During the day the locals spend much of their time at the Beach, 6 kilometers away. After a day at the beach, many walk around the town of Lezhe.
Winter time:
Free time is spent in the house or if you are a guy, in the pubs. Women only go out to shop for food and supplies. This takes place between 9:00 and 5..after that the town shuts down. Pubs are open and only men are there. The women are home for the day at 4:30 not to be seen again until the next day. Streets are empty by 6:00 pm.
For me yesterday was great. I started the day going to Tirana and read a bit of Mark Twain in a coffee shops...I then went to see "Body of Lies " at the local movie house. The girl at the ticket window remembered my ability to speak shqip from several weeks ago and said "enjoy the movie" in English"...Man that pissed me off...Here she was trying to be nice and I wanted to smack her for remembering my "outstanding" shqip abilities. The movie was great and worth the $3.00 or $11.00 including coffee and transportation.
Back in Lezhe, I went to how private home with the other PC volunteers for Snacks. It was the home of an American Missionary and he and his family (wife and 4 kids )have been in Albanian for just over 2 years. There were 10 of us all together for lots of American style deserts. We played a few board games (apples to apples) and (telephone pictionary). At 9:00 pm myself the 3 boys a few of his friends, and one of the PC volunteers headed to a bar and watched the NFL playoffs Cardinals vs Eagles...great game and the first football game I have watched since march of last year. The pub stayed open for us until 12:00. Only in Albania can a kid stay out til 12:00 at night in a pub...The oldest kid was 17 the youngest about 11. The game was broadcast from the internet onto a big screen for us..Needless to say we were the only ones that cared about it. An All American Day
Back in Lezhe, I went to how private home with the other PC volunteers for Snacks. It was the home of an American Missionary and he and his family (wife and 4 kids )have been in Albanian for just over 2 years. There were 10 of us all together for lots of American style deserts. We played a few board games (apples to apples) and (telephone pictionary). At 9:00 pm myself the 3 boys a few of his friends, and one of the PC volunteers headed to a bar and watched the NFL playoffs Cardinals vs Eagles...great game and the first football game I have watched since march of last year. The pub stayed open for us until 12:00. Only in Albania can a kid stay out til 12:00 at night in a pub...The oldest kid was 17 the youngest about 11. The game was broadcast from the internet onto a big screen for us..Needless to say we were the only ones that cared about it. An All American Day
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Lucky to be Alive
I am lucky to be alive today..It is not because of the unathourized and unsupervised use to fireworks in town...or the wild drivers in bad wheather who drive just as fast in the rain as they do in the summer...but because I survived my New Years Dinner. One of the locals had a few people over for dinner. 4 types of sausages, some local fruit\vegetable plate, appetizers, byrek, and a huge turkey....All seems good so far right...the person who invited us over, and who cooked was sicker than a dog...for the last 3 days I had seen him get sicker and sicker as the New Year came closer. At 8 we started dinner and true to form, as for the last few days, he was still sneezing and coughing...and did so ...While serving..while talking...will cutting...while cooking...while bringing out...while, while, while......no mouth covering...even if he did...he would still be using his hands...I ate about 1/2 of what I would have anyway and hoped for the best in a couple of days...as of now..I am not sick...It was a great spread...tasted okay....but could not take advantage of the hospitality in which it was meant.....
As for the New Years Eve in Lezhe. It consists of a freeforall of fireworks....people all over town...focused in the center however, shoot off home fireworks...Shooting at cars driving...parked cars, into 5 story balconies, into crouds..etc....It was about 1 hour of excitement and ducking for cover occassionally. It was great to experience, but next year...I will try the New Year in another country. As far as I know, there were no deaths or injuries....It was then I realized that Lezhe does not have a firedepartment....But who needs one? The buildlings are made of brick and cement...the trees were lumbered during communism for wood and so that the country could use the land for agriculture. It was never replanted...
NYears in Tirana I heard started at 1200 midnight for the parties. Before then they all stay with their families and celebrate like Christmas...Most people stay out until sunrise...
Two days ago a few vollunteers Leslie and Amber came to visit me. We spent the day having coffee and pizza and the next day took the train from Mirlot to Tirana to have breakfast at the Stevenson Center (a local that serves American food). I had pancakes with whipcream and strawberries..We then parted...and I went to get my luggage at the Airport. (only 5 days late) After a production with transportation back to Lezhe, I carried my bag, one that is 52 lbs for 1 mile..in the rain and with a head wind..I was so cold that I stopped by the bank..with a 24 hour guard for cover and he invited me in to sit by his heater to defrost. Then with only 100 yards from home, I had to stop again since my hands could no longer carry the suitcase, and with only dirt/mud roads I could not put the bag down every 20 yards. I finally made it home to find that we had no water...
Today is January 4 and for the first time in 5 years it snowed...totally beautiful and only made better that there has been now water for 20 hours and now no electricty for about 16 hours. Who needs to see, heat, drink or go to the bathroom when there is snow on the ground. Today is a day of reading and the internet cafe...on project done...now a day of reading.
As for the New Years Eve in Lezhe. It consists of a freeforall of fireworks....people all over town...focused in the center however, shoot off home fireworks...Shooting at cars driving...parked cars, into 5 story balconies, into crouds..etc....It was about 1 hour of excitement and ducking for cover occassionally. It was great to experience, but next year...I will try the New Year in another country. As far as I know, there were no deaths or injuries....It was then I realized that Lezhe does not have a firedepartment....But who needs one? The buildlings are made of brick and cement...the trees were lumbered during communism for wood and so that the country could use the land for agriculture. It was never replanted...
NYears in Tirana I heard started at 1200 midnight for the parties. Before then they all stay with their families and celebrate like Christmas...Most people stay out until sunrise...
Two days ago a few vollunteers Leslie and Amber came to visit me. We spent the day having coffee and pizza and the next day took the train from Mirlot to Tirana to have breakfast at the Stevenson Center (a local that serves American food). I had pancakes with whipcream and strawberries..We then parted...and I went to get my luggage at the Airport. (only 5 days late) After a production with transportation back to Lezhe, I carried my bag, one that is 52 lbs for 1 mile..in the rain and with a head wind..I was so cold that I stopped by the bank..with a 24 hour guard for cover and he invited me in to sit by his heater to defrost. Then with only 100 yards from home, I had to stop again since my hands could no longer carry the suitcase, and with only dirt/mud roads I could not put the bag down every 20 yards. I finally made it home to find that we had no water...
Today is January 4 and for the first time in 5 years it snowed...totally beautiful and only made better that there has been now water for 20 hours and now no electricty for about 16 hours. Who needs to see, heat, drink or go to the bathroom when there is snow on the ground. Today is a day of reading and the internet cafe...on project done...now a day of reading.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Gone with the Wind
As for my webpage project...Instead of coming home with all this information waiting to get entered into the website, I now have a least another month of "waiting" because of "Shume Pune" or much work. We have our yearly catch-up/ projects to be completed by the end of the year and just got 10 computers delivered to the office...Even though only 1 or 2 people have to partake in the setting up of the computers and the catch-up/wrap-up, as an organization we can only do one thing at time outside daily activities. Arg!!!!!!! Maybe I will get more entries into my blog since I have to wait for information. I could just take all the information I need from the Directory Manual, but then few of my co-workers will find any reason or ownership of its use and development....Speaking of computers...one of the computers in the office went down...We are looking at at least a month before it is fixed.
As for the whether here...man it is cold...I have never experienced gusts of wind like this...you can hear a gust coming from hundreds of yards away as it works its ways through buildings, howling loudly and powerfully. As it get to where ever I am, it comes on loud and is sooooo cold. Thank you for the scarves.......Last night I went to bed about 8:00 and watched a movie on my computer. It sometimes is the only place where one can get warm. California gets cold too, but ones house, work and car are places to get warm...here....only the bed. A long winter is upon us. Today, we have an end-of-the-year party. My first month hear we had a party and, I was so excited about experiencing new things. I danced and drank raki with my co-workers and had the energy to make a good impression. Today, while we will have a wonderful meal with good music, I don't feel like working as hard to make an impression...Wow the wind is still howling....
Albanian Window Moment...Scoop...Just prior to leaving one of the Department heads (former Director) and my current Director got into a disagreement...what kind...only know for sure that ice was involved as an after use....Yesterday, I learned that the person is no longer working here and that his company car is now in our driveway...very interesting...I saw the incident about 30 seconds after it happened and had ideas of what went on, and all this reaffirms my assumptions....
As for the whether here...man it is cold...I have never experienced gusts of wind like this...you can hear a gust coming from hundreds of yards away as it works its ways through buildings, howling loudly and powerfully. As it get to where ever I am, it comes on loud and is sooooo cold. Thank you for the scarves.......Last night I went to bed about 8:00 and watched a movie on my computer. It sometimes is the only place where one can get warm. California gets cold too, but ones house, work and car are places to get warm...here....only the bed. A long winter is upon us. Today, we have an end-of-the-year party. My first month hear we had a party and, I was so excited about experiencing new things. I danced and drank raki with my co-workers and had the energy to make a good impression. Today, while we will have a wonderful meal with good music, I don't feel like working as hard to make an impression...Wow the wind is still howling....
Albanian Window Moment...Scoop...Just prior to leaving one of the Department heads (former Director) and my current Director got into a disagreement...what kind...only know for sure that ice was involved as an after use....Yesterday, I learned that the person is no longer working here and that his company car is now in our driveway...very interesting...I saw the incident about 30 seconds after it happened and had ideas of what went on, and all this reaffirms my assumptions....
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Wow, Looking back, it has been well over a month since my last blog...So much has happened, some eventful, most is time filler...
I guess the reason that I did not blog, is that the last few weeks were spent getting ready to leave for the month. I got as much done as possible with the Department website and made a list of things I needed done by my co-worker for the site. I was hoping I they could have them done when I got back. After my preparation for vacation was done, I then headed for Elbasan, the city where we had much of our training at the beginning of the year. There my "vacation started with 5 days of in service training, lots of morning cafe/raki, saw the new Bond Movie and had my language retest...How did I do?....I am no longer required to have a tutor...I said nothing correctly, my sentence structure was challenged BUT...........my instructor/ teacher understood all I said, and was very happy...
After the 5 day inservice activities along with movies at both the movie house and from peoples computers, I then headed off for vacation.
Now my first day back:
My first day back has been filled with getting back into the swing of things, of course coffee, and pizza with my Peace Corps sitemates. One, Leslie, is in Bangkok getting her wisdom teeth pulled...Lucky her...the other 2 are fine now, but one is now sleeping 12-15 hours a day and not feeling to energetic and the other just got over a bad cold....We dragged the Guy that works at the internet cafe along with us for coffee...Poor guy, just had little idea how to handle the free flow of topics discussed by American girls..
I think he enjoyed it however..
As for work, I am here now...I asked my co-workers if they have worked on any of the stuff I gave them...I quickly learned it never got past the first desk...But it was only 3 weeks ago....HUMMMM. Now I have to again get the Director involved so he can light a fire under them ...What I want to do is jump on the desk that it never left and yell but I have to allow things to move at their own pace...arggg...here in Albania. So far I cannot light the fire myself..they complain of having too much work and then spend a large part of the day on the internet in chat or yahoo messager...argggg. I guess it is okay because while I wait I type this stuff.
I guess the reason that I did not blog, is that the last few weeks were spent getting ready to leave for the month. I got as much done as possible with the Department website and made a list of things I needed done by my co-worker for the site. I was hoping I they could have them done when I got back. After my preparation for vacation was done, I then headed for Elbasan, the city where we had much of our training at the beginning of the year. There my "vacation started with 5 days of in service training, lots of morning cafe/raki, saw the new Bond Movie and had my language retest...How did I do?....I am no longer required to have a tutor...I said nothing correctly, my sentence structure was challenged BUT...........my instructor/ teacher understood all I said, and was very happy...
After the 5 day inservice activities along with movies at both the movie house and from peoples computers, I then headed off for vacation.
Now my first day back:
My first day back has been filled with getting back into the swing of things, of course coffee, and pizza with my Peace Corps sitemates. One, Leslie, is in Bangkok getting her wisdom teeth pulled...Lucky her...the other 2 are fine now, but one is now sleeping 12-15 hours a day and not feeling to energetic and the other just got over a bad cold....We dragged the Guy that works at the internet cafe along with us for coffee...Poor guy, just had little idea how to handle the free flow of topics discussed by American girls..
I think he enjoyed it however..
As for work, I am here now...I asked my co-workers if they have worked on any of the stuff I gave them...I quickly learned it never got past the first desk...But it was only 3 weeks ago....HUMMMM. Now I have to again get the Director involved so he can light a fire under them ...What I want to do is jump on the desk that it never left and yell but I have to allow things to move at their own pace...arggg...here in Albania. So far I cannot light the fire myself..they complain of having too much work and then spend a large part of the day on the internet in chat or yahoo messager...argggg. I guess it is okay because while I wait I type this stuff.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
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.
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