Where are you from?

I recently traveled to Macedonia, to get some rest and spend some time in much cooler weather. (Tirana was averaging 96 degrees, 50% humidity, lows of 80 at night)

Whenever I travel, I am asked..."Where are you from?"
(Single, older women do not travel alone in this part of the world)

This trip made me laugh several times...

• One lady said I was "Italian" 
• I told her I was from Albania, she continued to speak Italian to me...? 
• The hotel owner where I was staying, said I was "German"
• Well....I do have some German heritage on my dad's side of the family.
• Here I am in Macedonia...and they speak German to me?
• One server asked me if I was from "Poland"... 
• The weather was cold, rainy, high of 60 and winds.
• I was in a light t-shirt, capri pants, and sandals
• Everyone else was in long pants, sweaters and coats!
• One man asked me if I was from "Australia"
• maybe because of the hat I was wearing?

~~~

I guess after 11 years of living in the Balkans, Kosova and Albania, I no longer look "American"...???  

But... when I tell people that I am "American"...they don't believe me. 

I am thankful that "hand gestures" and pointing work well for communication...! ;-)

Going how FAST...???

Last Wednesday, Edisa my physical therapy intern, and I were returning from our weekly trip to see the babies in Elbasan. I have driven that road many times in the last 6 years. There is a newly completed highway, really nice. I was near Tirana, just coming down from a rise in the highway.

Yes...I got waved over by a "camera/speed trap".  Really...???

Edisa was upset that I still had a piece of pizza in my hand and that I would get a ticket for driving while eating. ok...so we hid the pizza. 

When the officer came to the window, I said hello, said good day, and asked him how he was...in Albanian. (this is customary with everyone here, so I did it with the police officer) He asked me in Albanian if I knew how fast I was going?  The posted speed is 90kph (55mph). Then he asked me where I was from, Edisa and I both told him that I was American.  Then he started speaking "Italian" to me. In Italian he told me that I was going 125kph (77mph). "uno, due, cinque"

I said, "ok". I didn't argue...just said "Ok..." (what do you want to do?)

Then in Italian still, he told me to drive slower to be safe, and follow the posted signs. 

He did not ask me for any documents.

(later I discovered that my car insurance was expired by about a week...YIKES!, that would not have been good for him to see that)

Later I learned from a friend who just got her driver's license...any speed over 110kph, results in  automatically taking away the driving license. YIKES!  (I am leaving on Monday for a rest in Macedonia...driving)

I normally travel the speed limit. Often, Mercedes or BMW vehicles pass me like I am standing still. I drive a 15 year old Toyota Yaris...if I wasn't going down hill...could I get it going that fast...???

Grace...and Mercy...and favor because I am an American.  Thank you Lord...! 

Yes, I have renewed my car insurance.

Yes, it is illegal to eat while driving. 

Yes, I will be more aware of the posted speeds. The roads are normally so bad, who would want to go that fast...but this is a very nice, new highway.

There is much laughter from my Albanian friends when they hear this story...especially that the police officer started speaking Italian to me when he heard I was American. 

life in Albania...always an adventure! 😃

Easter in Albania~~~ Twice

Good Friday, April 19

Holy Saturday, April 20

Easter Sunday, April 21

Easter Monday, April 22

~~~or~~~

Good Friday, April 26

Holy Saturday, April 27

Easter Sunday, April 28

Easter Monday, April 29

So...

•  According to the Gregorian calendar, the Catholic and Protestant  churches celebrate Easter on April 22. 
• According to the Julian calendar, the Orthodox church celebrates Easter a week later. 

The thing that makes me smile...is that Easter Monday's are a "national holiday" and banks, etc are closed. For a nation that was declared "the only atheist nation in the world", from 1944 until 1990, and  58.79% of Albania's population adheres to Islam, (2011 census). 

In February, I was invited to attend

the graduation ceremony for the 

Physical Therapy students

from the University. It was a "general"

celebration , as the individual 

departments had already had their

specific celebrations. 

It was an honor for me to be able to attend. 

Try this drink...

Tall machiato, Popcorn Latte

for only 100lek. (about .91 cents)

Please Forgive me...

I have been very busy, and to be honest...I forgot about this blog site.  So...I will catch you up on some things that make me laugh...and I will try to post a little more often...;-)

Currency Confusion...

Albanian Currency...???

The "official" currency in Albania is the Lek, (ALL), and this is where the confusion starts...not just for me, but every "foreigner". 

One ALL is roughly equal to one US penny. (pretty simple)

So...100ALL = 100 pennies, or one dollar.
       1,000ALL = 1000 pennies or ten dollars.
       10,000ALL = 10,000 pennies or one hundred dollars. 
       100,000ALL = 100,000 pennies or one thousand dollars. 

Shop owners will say the price one thousand, two hundred ALL for an item that is about $12, or 450 ALL for an item $4.50. 

BUT....
       There is also "old Lek" which adds to the confusion.  
       100ALL = ten pennies  (old ALL)
       1,000ALL = one dollar (old ALL)
      10,000ALL = ten dollars (old ALL)
      100,000ALL = one hundred dollars (old ALL)

The re-valuation of the Albanian Lek took place in 1965, before 40% of the current population was born. So...why is it still used?  In the big supermarkets and the malls where items are rung up in the register, the current new lek is used...but in the smaller "mom and pop shops", old lek rule.

I go to the market, and buy 4 apples, and the shop keeper tells me 1,200 Lek.  Now either apples got really expensive, $12 for 4 apples, or it really is $1.20.  Hmmmm.....? Most vendors do not distinguish between old lek and new lek...the customer has to figure that out. Sometimes I am not certain; like a wonderful bread/pizza/calzone thing I buy at the local bakery is 300lek or 30 lek.  Well, my American brain thinks $3 for this is ok...but it is really only 30 cents.  I do have my regular places for produce, bread etc, so those shopkeepers know I get confused and tell me new lek prices.

Ok...one more step of confusion that has been happening recently as I look for a place to rent for the Training Center. One landlord told me the price in US dollars, he would not accept ALL, but I had to pay in US dollars. Another landlord tole me the rental price in Euros...and I must pay in Euros. My comment was, but we live in Albania, I will pay in ALL, the landlords walked away.

So...what is the "REAL" currency in Albania...???
Yes, often while walking home I smile at the currencies in use in this little country in eastern Europe.