A new idea for Albanian "Dog Walkers"....

Are you a sausage too?

Pick up a bag for "cackles" otherwise there is a fine of 50 euros or more...

You have it in your hand. 

Don't mess up. 

(These signs were in many public areas in Vienna, and no "cackles" on the sidewalks) 

Building Art, Words of Wisdom

 The world is changing fast,

some things will never change...     

 

Shushunja në një kavonoz

 (Leeches in a jar)

Only 2 euros a piece...

( about $2.50)  

I didn't ask how I would get one of those things home...he was very proud, just selling them on the street. YIKES.... 

Traffic in Tirana...

 Each week I travel 126 km, 79 miles, for ministry in a small health center in Patos, Albania. I have been driving this route since Sept, so have it down to 2 hours. 

Yesterday, as I arrived on the outskirts of Tirana...TRAFFIC...like what happened???  

There is a major shopping center just as I come into Tirana off of the highway. It took me 1.5 hours to travel from that area to my apartment, 26 km,  8 miles, away. Heavy rains started when I was about 5 min from home, like flooding rains and insane thunder/lightening, so I was thankful I was close to home. My left knee/quads were killing me by the time I got home and had to climb two flights of stairs...standard cars and TRAFFIC...!!! 

The only explanation I could figure out for the difference...everyone was out shopping before New Year's Eve/ New Year's Day celebrations, which are the most important holiday in this culture. 

The fireworks last for hours, and is all "private" Albanians blowing up the skies.

Here is a video from 4 years ago...turn your volume up to get the whole experience...! 

https://youtu.be/7cJdDxUsbGU

Gëzuar Vitin i Ri

Happy New Year 

Half the onion--Please...

 While traveling for ministry to a new area of Albania our group was referred to a local restaurant for lunch before we traveled 2 hours back to Tirana. Our first visit...the "Greek Salad", was loaded with onions. One of my team doesn't like onions...and to ride back to Tirana after eating all those onions....??? (We discreetly moved all the onions to the side of the plate)

So, the next trip, I thought I would be brave and ask for half the onions on the Greek Salad, in Albanian of course. 

The waiter brought the same Greek Salad as the time before, and a small plate with an additional 1/2 raw onion on it. 

After we composed ourselves from laughing at what I had said...we let the waiter know that he could take the plate with the 1/2 onion on it back to the kitchen, that I had made a mistake.

Now...when we go there for lunch...only a very small amount of onion appears on the Greek Salad. One of my Albanian team members, makes the request when we order... so we don't get another chunk of raw onion. 

Car Diagnostic/Repair adventure

My little Toyota Yaris is 17 years old...and still gets 45+mpg. I take good care of it with regular oil changes, new tires, inspections...it is so dependable. It does have it's share of bumps and bruises...!  
I need a dependable car here...driving to other areas of Albania, usually with a student or other PT with me. There is no such thing a "AAA road side assistance", unless a local stops to help you. Recently, there started to be this high pitched "whine" coming from the engine when pushing down on the accelerator. I was still able to drive to my home visit, no issue with power or anything else...just this new "noise".

I have a mechanic that has helped me greatly with my A/C, and most importantly, he explains things slowly in Albanian so I understand. He is patient with me being a woman, dealing with "manly" car issues.

So...I contacted him about this new noise. This really made me smile...!  One guy was in the car pushing on the accelerator, and the other guy had a  rusty pipe to his ear...checking different areas of the engine. After a few minutes...he declared the A/C compressor is bad and needs replaced. 

Then, the owner told me how much it would cost. I said 20,000lek or more (about $200), he said much more, 50,000lek. (about $500). YIKES...!!! I got out my little notebook to write things on for better understanding when "language" is not working.  He started laughing...he was talking "old lek"...5,000, or $50...!!! I was using "new lek".  (See previous post about currency confusion) 

A few days later, I took my car in to be worked on, the final price...for 4-5 hours of work and a replacement compressor....$55.  I gave him and the other worker a nice tip...because they take very good care of me...and there is no high pitched whine coming from my car...!!! 

Life here in the Balkans, always an adventure...and challenging! 

Is it speeding...

when you pass two police officers...

WALKING???