A week ago I moved to my new apartment in Fier, Albania. I have been richly blessed by amazing sunsets from my bedroom window. Last night, my bedroom was filled with the colors of this sunset.
It makes me heart smile...❤
I didn't have any view of the sunset in my apartment in Tirana, only a reflection of the colors on the taller buildings.
A precious gift from GOD each evening...!
A new market opened in my neighborhood, thought I would go see what products they have that are my favorites. I found a few cleaning items that I needed. As I was checking out, one of the clerks said to me, "madam, do you smoke?" I said what? "no I don't smoke, why are you asking me?" She replied, "we have a special on Kent cigarettes for women". I asked her..."why don't you promote healthy yogurt to all customers and not cigarettes?" She replied, "this is what they told me to ask each woman that comes in the store."
In this day and age...promoting cigarettes on sale to "women"...??? Promoting cigarettes on sale to anyone...???
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)
(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....
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...!
Gëzuar Vitin i Ri
Happy New Year
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.
