My new "view" ...

 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...??? 

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???

Just some thoughts....

We are all facing the challenges of Covid-19, across the globe.

I was out briefly this morning...and wanted to share some things that did make me smile, and think a little more about the world I live in....

• Tirana is under strict curfew, we can only be out of our homes from 6am-10am, 4pm-6pm. (Police and/or military enforced)
• The shoe shine guy was out...and people with masks on, were getting their shoes polished.
• Albania is a very social culture...
• having "coffee" is a way of life, long before Starbucks. (addiction really)
• People are not allowed to walk together
• even on normal days...young girls walk arm in arm as best friends
• I did spot a young couple...holding hands. (no police or military were around)
• It is the culture...to stop and speak with your friends, that is still happening, but a distance that is not natural for them is maintained...as they speak...they seem to get closer. (If you don't speak with friends or people you may know...you are rude)
• In order to stay connected...people are speaking to each other from their apartment balconies. 
• I have heard music and singing at times, can't quite figure out where is it coming from...but it is a nice change to the day.
• Watch out for the "BICYCLES"...!!!
• Driving, cars or mopeds, is not allowed...at all...
• So...everyone has dusted off their bicycles
• The bike repair places were doing much business, against the rules of closure, to repair old bikes, new tires, adjusting chains etc.
• Why does someone riding a bicycle need a mask...???
• I think the bicycle riders are less safe than the cars...from a pedestrian perspective
• Only one person in the store, bank, bakery, pharmacy...at a time. 
• So...there is a crowd standing outside waiting...trying to keep "distance" but not lose their place in line.
• Hoarding does not exist...!  
• I think it wouldn't exist in the US if they had to carry it all home in their hands...walking...!?
• Our air smells so good...! and fresh. After a rain the other day...wow...what a difference with no car emissions...! 

~~~

So...from this side of the pond...

Find something that makes you smile...

and let it bless your spirit, 

like the warmth of the spring sunshine...

be blessed. 

Toilet paper shortage, Really...???

On this side of the pond...it is baffling to me, and so many Albanians...that the toilet paper supply is exhausted...in the US, as well as in the UK.

This little store near my house...has plenty...! 

Still "Rockin"...in Albania

Last night...9:15pm....another earthquake...5.1 magnitude.
1...about 16km from Durres (where most of the worst took place on November 26)
There was a short 4.1 shake a few minutes later.

I was not quite asleep...but felt God's protection as slept well the rest of the night. 

NO...this doesn't make me laugh...I have recently met people whose lives were devastated in November...and still have no place to live.

It is quite an interesting thing...to suddenly find myself living in an earthquake zone. That is a first for me.

Pray for our nation...for our people...!

Postal service....

The next time you think about the quality and speed of the US Postal service, consider the Postal services in Albania.
I returned a defective cell phone to Amazon, at the main post office here in Tirana. I did obtain a "tracking number" for verification to Amazon that I did in fact return the cell phone. I did the postal transaction the morning of Jan 20.
Today is Jan 23, and according to "tracking" my package has now been put into a transport bag in Tirana.  It has taken them 3 days to put it into a transport bag...no wonder it take 4-6 weeks for letters and packages to get to the US...if they get there at all.

No...we don't have reasonable access to FedEx or DHL...well we can use the services, but it is not worth paying more money to ship with them than the item is worth.

"Neither Rain, Nor Sleet, Nor Dark Of Night Shall Stay These Couriers From The Swift Completion Of Their Appointed Rounds."

Airlines customer service....

In preparation for my return flights to Albania last week, I decided to check to be sure there weren't any "unexpected changes" in the flight schedule.

YIKES....!

I was booked on an Alaska Airlines flight that no longer existed from Abq to San Francisco. Well, it had an additional stop in Lax, which would put me in San Francisco airport 10 minutes after time my Turkish airlines flight was leaving. After 5 hours, 5 calls to Turkish airlines, and 4 calls to Alaska airlines, a customer service rep for Turkish airlines told me the following:
"have a friend of yours in LA go to the Turkish airlines office there and they can get the problem resolved quickly." My response..."WHAT...???   I don't have any friends in LA!" 

After telling this rep, "if I was your mother....what would you tell her to do?"
Then...he provided an email address to the SFO for Turkish airlines. A very nice young man, with real customer service skills, got me booked on a different route, still 'exit row' seating which I had paid for initially, and very short layovers, in like 15 minutes...!!! (why did it take me 5 hours to get that email...? unknown)

I am back in Albania...so very thankful that 2 days before I was to travel...I checked my flights, again!  ✈

Laughing at Myself...in Albuquerque

I am staying in a lovely home in Albuquerque. One morning it was especially dark as I was sitting outside awaiting the sunrise.  I decided to light two small candles...but not matter how hard I tried...they would not stay lit.  

The owner graciously explained to me that these two candles were actually "battery powered" candles.  

Wow...have I been away a long time...!

Yes...I did replace the two "battery" candles...! 

😊

5.6 Earthquake in Tirana

This doesn't really make me smile, but afterwards, all the streets were filled with "neighbors" checking on everyone. It became a social event.  I have never been in something like this before...well I have felt some "shaking" in the past. This "shaking" knocked books off of my bookcase, toppled all my photos, and knocke over a new bottle of olive oil (yes, the lid was still on).  Always an adventure...!!!

Try me...!!!

Me Provo...! In Albanian means "try me", which is a way to sample watermelon before you buy it.  A common practice with all fresh summertime fruit in the open markets...

 ...but with Bees...???

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).