Letters from Friends

Cleaning my room today, I stumbled upon my collection of letters I have received over this past year and a half. I was reminded what an amazing community of friends and family I have back home. Love and miss you all.

Albanian Men, Now Taking Their Chauvinistic Cues From European Pop Singers

"you were just a sexy girl, nothing but a sexy girl."

Is this song out in the states? I HATE this song. Since November this song has been in regular rotation in Albania. I hear it more or less every time I go out to a club or bar. It’s indicative of gender relations in this country. Far too often women are just objects to be stared at and commented upon. At least once a day I’m whistled at or receive a catcall. It’s possible Wendi and I get more attention than the average female, as we usually stand out as foreigners, but no women seems able to avoid unwanted attention completely. Of course for some women the attention is desirable. During the summer xhiro, or promenade if you will, the younger women will dress to the nines and parade up and down the street, while the men park themselves at cafes along the xhiro route and ogle the ladies. The whole thing frustrates and disturbs me to no end.

The End of 2008/Why I Haven’t Written in Three Months

Isn’t it great how all of my blog postings have turned into excuses for the long delay between postings? Oh well, I’m back now. I’d like to say my New Years resolution is to keep in better contact via this blog, but I’ve finally learned not to make that promise, as I seem unable to keep it.

The end of 2008 was eventful. There are too many highlights to cover in full, so below is a brief overview. If your dying for more in depth information on any particular topic let me know.

The beginning of November brought much opportunity for celebration. We witnessed the election of a president I actually voted for (or at least I hope I did, that absentee ballot process is tricky and could definitely use an upgrade). Also my sitemate Rob and I both celebrated our birthdays.

The middle of the month brought a mini Macalester reunion. After spending much of the summer searching for other Macalester alumni in the area, I finally gave up, only to be contacted in September by Brittany, class of ’06. Brittany is here temporarily, working with a few NGO’s in Tirana. Prior to her departure she was introduced to Warren, another alumni who graduated in the 70’s and would soon be teaching at an international school in Tirana. Once at the school Warren met the other American teachers including Christina, who attended Mac from 2002 – 2004. Small world, no? And so the four of us had a small get together in mid November to reminisce. Despite the various debates and conflicting views presented on campus, I find there is a set of values and beliefs shared by most members of the Macalester community. This connection and common understanding allows for the fast formation of friendship. Much as I love my fellow volunteers, it’s definitely refreshing to have some non-Peace Corps friends around.

Warren, Christina, Me, and Brittany

The latter half of the month was consumed by my first trip back to the states. It was great. I was a bridesmaid for the wedding of my dear friends, Catherine and Arlen. I took the GRE. I spoke to several classes at my high school. I celebrated Thanksgiving with all of my immediate family and some of my extended family. I even got to go to a Husker football game. My only frustration was that because it was necessarily busy, I constantly felt distracted by the next task at hand (the exam, prepping for my presentations, getting ready to come back to Albania). I felt like I was never able to be fully present with people. And sadly there are many people I was unable to see or call. But all in all a good trip, and thankfully my greatest concern was not realized. I had some trepidation that once I arrived back home I wouldn’t want to get on the plane to come back to Albania. This is a common concern for volunteers, and a sizable portion of volunteers in fact don’t return or decide shortly after their trip to terminate their service. Fortunately, though I loved being home and spending time with friends and family, I felt no trepidation the day my return flight came.

The Happy Couple and I

Go Big Red!

I arrived back in Shkodra December 1st, but in less than a week I was back on the road, traveling south for a mandatory training with all the other volunteers from my group. The first three days were focused on technical training in our respective sectors; the latter three days were devoted to language. It was great seeing everyone and nice to be at a comfortable hotel with ample heat, but we were all ready to head home by day four, so we were pretty irritable by the end of the training.

Super engaged...

After training I had a few days to recover, then the madness of the holiday season set in. We coaxed a number of volunteers to join us in Shkodra for Christmas and several of us convened in Tirana for New Years. I’ll save the details for another entry devoted solely to the holiday season.

The Christmas Gathering

And that brings us to the New Year. Winter was rumored to be a pretty depressing time of year in Albania. I figured December would be busy enough that it would pass fairly quickly, but January and February would probably suck. That conjecture thus far has been more or less true. December, though stressful, kept me too busy to be blue. January though has brought few highlights. The sun sets by five and until this past week, the rain has been nonstop, leaving buildings dark and dreary pretty much all day. I’ve had the sniffles since November, but January brought an illness that kept me in bed for nearly a week. The cold weather and lack of sufficient heating have forced me to wear four – five layers at all times. But that’s enough griping for one blog. The plan to travel in mid February suggests a shake up in the doldrums of winter and even if February proves equally bleak at least it’s a short month. Before you know it, it will be March, a new group of trainees will be arriving, and I will be celebrating my one-year anniversary in the Peace Corps.

Halloween in Elbasan

Reader beware, the following post reflects the wilder side of Peace Corps. Nothing too scandalous, but there are references to alcohol, drag, and sexual innuendos. As promised, a report on Halloween, Peace Corps Albanian style:

Halloween is slowly gaining recognition in Albania. Parties have begun to spring up in the bigger cities, including several here in Shkodra on or around Halloween. But while Halloween is increasingly an international affair, I still think of it as a traditional American holiday, and for such occasions you simply want to be with other Americans. Historically Peace Corps Albania has held a conference the week of Halloween, allowing volunteers to be together on Peace Corps’ dime, while of course learning important new techniques for capacity building. Due to recent budget cuts the conference was bumped to December, so we had to make our own arrangements.

Elbasan, being the most central location (i.e. relatively easy for everyone to get to) and the site with the most couches to crash on, won out as the party site. So on Halloween night we all descended upon our former training site. Finishing touches were placed on costumes, libations were purchased, and the party got underway. There was a costume contest, as well as a baking contest. Despite being a crowd favorite, my cookies could not contend with the chocolate chip banana bread. Upstairs there was lively conversation, downstairs a full-blown dance party.

Many of the costumes had an Albanian theme. There were several Albanian Gyshes and Gyshas (grandpas and grandmas.) Maggie rocked an awesome Suflaqe costume. For those of you not hip to Albanian cuisine, suflaqe is a type of fast food very similar to a Greek gyro. It is one of the mainstays of a PCV diet. Before settling on my costume I contemplated going as an Albanian river, by dressing all in brown and taping plastic bags and bottles all over, as a type of commentary on the unfortunate state of the environment in Albania. Other volunteers drew inspiration from the pending election. We enjoyed the company of Sarah Palin and a “John McCain supporter.” And of course there were the old standards: a ghost, a zombie, and a kitty cat.

I went a slightly different direction with my costume. I have long disliked Halloween and really any other theme party necessitating a costume. Rarely can I think of an interesting costume. On the occasions when I can think of something entertaining I am lacking the time or money to put together said costume. But as the invite for this party stated, “costume required,” it seemed I had no choice. Lacking inspiration and distressed by the amount of money I had just seen spent by Wendi on her costume, I was feeling unmotivated. I asked my sitemates for their suggestions. During the brainstorm, Rob stood up to tell a story, complete with his bizarre “Captain Morgan-esque” stance, his exaggerated gestures, and his colorful language. Then it hit me: I should go as Rob. It was perfect. It was a costume all of the volunteers could appreciate, it would cost me little or no money to produce, and perhaps most importantly it gave me unlimited opportunity to poke fun at our dear Robi.

Rob of course was a sport about it. As he put it, “imitation is the highest form of flattery.” He loaned me several clothing items, his Guinness hat he wears EVERYWHERE, a favorite t-shirt, and the pair of boxer shorts and tie he notoriously wore on his head for the beer fest in Korce. He answered my numerous questions, “How do you stand when you’re talking to someone?” “What would be your beverage of choice at a Halloween party?” “What greeting do you most frequently use?” etc. I was committed to my character. There had been much shared disappointment amongst volunteers, that Rob would not be at the party (he was in Poland celebrating his anniversary with his girlfriend), so I felt it was my obligation to bring a little bit of Rob’s spirit to the party.

By my assessment the costume was a hit. Nearly all of the volunteers from our group could identify me based on appearance alone. For those members of group 10 or the newly arrived Georgian volunteers, a little acting proved necessary. Big gestures or a few vulgar comments usually did the trick. Once people realized who I was, I like to think most were amused. Perhaps Wendi explains best, why the costume was particularly entertaining, “You could probably find two people more opposite than you and Rob, but it might take a couple years searching.” Rob is tall, skinny, and tan. I’m pale, and…well…not tall and skinny. Rob has a Masters in Business Management; I nearly flunked my only econ class in college. Rob thrives on spontaneity; I crave structure, rules, and a schedule. Finally Rob throws around terms such as “babe” and “chick” as signs of affection, I am an ardent feminist who spent most of her college career speaking out against the patriarchy and male chauvinism. And yet despite our differences I love Rob as if he were an older brother, and I like to think if he could have seen me at the Halloween party he would have been proud.

And now a sampling of costumes:

Rob, ready for the party

Wendi as a “disco ball.” Side note: all aspects of the costume were found in Albania and Wendi was the only member of our group not to draw odd stares as we walked down the street in our costumes. Her outfit, though extremely gaudy by American standards, would be totally normal for an Albanian female, Wendi’s age.

Kevin and Amy as an “American plug and European outlet.” Careful you two! Be sure to use your “adapter.”

Tauschia as a “The-saurus”

Bumble Bees

The Gysh and the Gysha

“Rob” later in the night, hanging with the “The-Saurus” and the “Suflaqe”

I'm 24!

Thanks to everyone who sent birthday wishes. I'll write about how I celebrated later this week.

The Election From This Side of the World

The official quote for the week: “He WON! Hewonhewonhewonhewon!” Often accompanied by a little dance performed by my sitemate Wendi and I. The man in question is of course our new President Elect, Barack Obama. The feelings felt this week were nothing short of euphoric. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more pride or hope for our country. I’m confident that when I come home in 19 months, America is going to be a better place than when I left.

I asked my parents to call me “the second” a victor was announced, no matter the hour. Unfortunately due to phone difficulties no call was received. So, when I woke up at 4 AM I couldn’t fall back asleep, anxious to hear the results. Little did I know my host father had yet to go to sleep, as he was up, perched in front of the television, eagerly awaiting an announcement. Finally at 7:30 AM I wandered downstairs. I found my host mother and asked if they had announced a winner. She said yes and turned on the television. There on the screen were the most beautiful words I’ve ever read in Albanian: Barack Obama President i SHBA (i SHBA is Albanian for of the USA).

Albanian television in all its glory.

A little bit later I wandered over to the internet café to look up state races. All of the news websites had the map with red and blue states. I was floored to see all the states Obama had won. Florida? I would never have called that one. Even Nebraska contributed an electoral vote. The reddest of red states helped to elect a democratic president. I was literally crying tears of joy, as I skimmed reports of election day. Fortunately it was early and there were only a few Albanians to stare at me. Of course a full day of grinning like an idiot and dancing in the streets probably convinced at least half of Shkoder that Americans, or at least this one, are crazy.

I then wondered over to Will and Wendi’s to enjoy a celebratory champagne breakfast. We agreed the night before we would either celebrate with Mimosas or do shots of hard liquor and call in sick to work. Luckily the latter proved unnecessary. This week was the first time in a long while that I wished I could be home. Absentee voting was nothing short of a pain and I still question if my ballot made it to Nebraska on time. On Tuesday I wanted to be plunked in front of a television, watching the returns via CNN. On Wednesday we watched footage of people dancing in the streets and chanting, “Yes we can!” and I longed to be part of it. But having three wonderful, like-minded sitemates to celebrate with was still a blessing, as we basked in our newfound pride for our country together.

Wendi shows her pride for her home state of Indiana, which ultimately went blue.

We were congratulated by various Albanians throughout the day, many of which shared our feelings of joy and support for Obama, all of which were impressed by McCain’s concession speech. In Albania, a concession speech generally entails accusations of voter fraud or false reporting, and all too often those accusations are accurate. Furthermore it is unheard of for the member of one party to offer support to the member of another party. As my host mother said this morning, “Obama or McCain, both are good. Both are for the American people, not just themselves.” Of course she’s right. I believe either man would have strengthened our country and offered an improvement over the past eight years of leadership. But I truly believe the American electorate has made a wise decision this week that will go a long way to securing a bright future for our country.

Final Recap: HIV/AIDS Conference

Immediately following my parents visit, my presence was requested at a conference in Tirana. The conference was a part of a worldwide Peace Corps initiative to address HIV/AIDS in the developing world. I had my reservations: while HIV/AIDS is a serious problem in many developing nations, particularly those in Africa, the numbers are relatively low in Albania. Furthermore there are health issues I find to be of greater interest and concern here in Albania. But over time I was persuaded of the value of the conference. As one friend pointed out, if greater public awareness was raised during the onset of HIV in Africa, perhaps the extent of the current epidemic could have been prevented. The low incidence of HIV/AIDS in Albania is largely due to its isolation for 50 years. But now that the borders are open, emigrant workers are traveling to other parts of Europe, and sometimes bringing back drugs and STIs. While numbers are low now, if preventative practices are not embraced, Albania too could face an epidemic. Additionally discussing HIV/AIDS and prevention provides a nice foray into issues of greater interest to me such as, contraception and family planning, gender equality and female autonomy, and the destructive and counterproductive nature of discrimination.

So by the time the conference arrived, I was actually pretty excited. One of my counterparts, Marjeta attended along with me and also looked forward to learning new teaching methods. Unfortunately I think we were both disappointed by the conference, along with many of the other volunteers. By the end of day one, the volunteers agreed the information sessions were aimed at our Albanian counterparts as they contained info that all of us learned in school while in the U.S. Information such as “HIV is the virus that causes AIDS” or “HIV is not transmitted by holding hands.” Even the more advanced information was covered in our pre-service training. So the first day was more or less a waste for us volunteers. The way the information was presented was also unfortunate. The conference was intended to train us in new teaching methods, so that we could better engage our audiences, but nearly all of the conference was delivered in standard lecture format, making the conference incredibly un-engaging. At one point my counterpart spoke with the conference organizers. She told them the content of the conference was almost insulting. These were health professionals they were training, and their time should not be wasted with such basic information. It was a proud moment for me. I’m not sure that Marjeta spoke for all of the counterparts, but I’m glad she made it clear she was there to learn how to do her job better, and these sessions were not accomplishing that goal.

I too found myself offended by parts of the conference. One of the rules of the conferences was that we should not correct participants when they make a mistake. I understand the problems with being unnecessarily critical or argumentative, but when it’s your job to know the facts, it doesn’t help if you’re allowed to continue believing misconceptions. So despite the “rule” there were two points in the conference when I couldn’t bite my tongue. The first came during a session called “Gender and HIV/AIDS.” The session was literally a discussion of gender stereotypes presented as facts, i.e. Men are strong, women are weak. Men like to play sports, women like to shop. Men are lazy and sit around all day, it’s the women’s job to do all of the housework. The session even included a poster of men and women in their standard roles. If you know me even a little you can imagine my outrage. To add insult to injury, the discussion was never connected to HIV/AIDS or prevention methods. Just blatant sexism and heteronormativity for the sake of continued ignorance.

My second outburst came when the trainer attempted to facilitate an exercise where we were to rank the danger of various risky behaviors. For example, ”which is more dangerous: having intercourse without a condom or having oral sex without a condom?” Does anyone else see a problem with this question? As I tried to explain to the trainer, describing a behavior as “less dangerous” creates a false sense of security and a belief that the behavior is “safe.” Her response was to explain why oral sex was “safer” than intercourse (Which incidentally her logic was completely flawed. Even if the acids in your stomach can kill the HIV virus, if you have a cut in your mouth you can still become infected.) I then responded that I did not need a biology lesson. I understood that some behaviors were statistically more likely to result in an infection, but a risky behavior is a risky behavior, and preventative measures should ALWAYS be used. As a side note this entire disagreement was carried out through an interpreter. I believe we agreed to disagree. My fellow volunteers patted me on the back for attempting to point out the many problems with the exercise.

Despite the various frustrations, there were a few high points. At one point we were practicing putting condoms on a model, so that we could do the demonstration for future audiences. I asked if they ever demonstrate how to use dental dams. The trainer said they were not available in Albania, so I suggested they demonstrate how to turn a condom into a dental dam. This resulted in an argument about the necessity of dental dams, and several of the volunteers explaining how they serve a similar, but different purpose than a condom. Pretty flustered at this point, the trainer allowed one of the volunteers to come up and demo how to make a dental dam out of a condom. The chosen volunteer, Eric, did us proud. After the conference several of us agreed that if nothing else, we had built at least that capacity in our counterparts and the trainers.

So where does this leave me in my work? My counterpart and I returned to Shkoder with a commitment to work on the issue of HIV/AIDS prevention. Now we have to convince our coworkers to share this commitment, and get organized enough to actually do something. I believe my office is more motivated than the average health office, but organization is a whole other creature. One other positive from the conference was the introduction of a national project: An HIV/AIDS Film Festival. The idea is that we hold a competition where local high school students submit scripts discussing issues related to HIV/AIDS. The winning scripts will be performed and filmed by the local TV station. Later the short films will be screened at the cinema here in Shkodra. If enough cities successfully organize their own film festivals, a national screening will be held with the best films from each region. I’m really excited about the project but my counterparts are wary of its viability. So my job is to convince them it’s possible, and help them start down the path towards its completion. On my own time I’m working with two local schools. I’m teaching Life Skills lessons at the same school where I helped this summer. Last week I taught a lesson on values. Next week I’m teaching about goals. Also, Wendi and I just dropped off applications for a Girls Empowerment Club at the Foreign Languages High School. We hope to have our first meeting in early November.

Alright, enough rambling for now. Stay tuned for the next installment: Halloween, Albanian Style.

The Search for Autumn Colors

A few weeks ago I sent my friend Kysha the following message: “I’m on the hunt for autumn colors. What does Korce have to offer?” Sadly Kysha said she had only seen shades of muted green and yellow, similar to what we have here in Shkoder, but bid me come for a visit anyways. I decided to wait and instead made a second visit to Rubik and Rreshen, which sadly had a lot pine, but not a lot of the changing colors and falling leaves I was searching for. So this past week, the three-day weekend in honor of Mother Theresa Day, gave me the much-needed push to make the lengthy trip down to Korce.

The trip proved a terrific reminder of the many reasons I’m blessed to be where I am, with the people I’m with. Korce was beautiful. It’s been called the “Paris of Albania”, and while that may be a bit of a stretch, it certainly is interesting and culturally rich. Even with three days I feel that I barely saw the city, and will definitely visit again soon. Jonathan and Kysha were amazing hosts, cooking for me, giving me free reign of their kitchen when I wanted to cook, starting a fire in the wood stove each night, and making sure I was warm and cozy when it was time to retire.

My trip was well timed as I caught the welcome party for Kelsey, one of the Georgian transfers. We had a tex-mex feast, in honor of her Santa Fe roots. It was low key but very fun. I got a chance to meet all the G10 volunteers from the region and enjoy some spice that is hard to find in Albanian cuisine. After the party we went out for a few beers from the local brewery (the best in Albania, though that’s not saying much).

My trip was also well timed, as I arrived just in sync with the fall colors. The first morning I was there, we stepped out the front door to explore the city. Jonathan and Kysha, looked up towards one of the mountains surrounding Korce, and noted the changing colors. They claim it was the first time they had seen colors other than green and yellow and credited me with bringing the fall colors. Additionally the drive home, along Lake Ord was beautiful. Nothing can quite compare to autumn on the Mississippi River, but Korce certainly did have more color than we have here in the north. Though when I arrived home I was greeted by these lovely colors outside my balcony.

Autumn is proving to be my favorite season here in Albania, just as it was at home. Tonight I will be in my element, cooking a fall feast with squash and apple pie, while listening to the most recent presidential debate downloaded from NPR. Not much different from what I probably would have been doing if I were in the states.

Recap #2: Vacation in Austria & Germany

Peace Corps volunteers are not allowed to travel for the first three months of service, so that they have plenty of time to acclimate to their site and service. The first day I was able to travel was September 13th. Naturally, I was more than ready to get away, back to “civilization,” so a brief get away was planned for Germany and Austria.

My parents and I flew in and out of Munich, but three of our nights were spent in Austria. The trip was a bit rushed for my taste, four cities in four days, and unfortunately much of our time was spent in the car. But as one friend pointed out 7 hours driving on paved roads through the Austrian Alps is still a nice change of pace from 7 hours driving on dirt roads in the Albanian Alps. And I certainly didn’t mind the other signs of a more western and developed country such as wireless internet everywhere, ethnic food, and a distinct lack of power outages. Fustratingly, I seem to have completely lost my German. I would try to speak it and all that would come out was Albanian.

The trip was harried but there were several highlights: The breathtaking views in the Tyrolean region of the Alps, enjoying “real” Sacher Torte for the first time, visiting the Sisi museum (Sisi was the nickname of Princess Elisabeta of Austria, so my coworkers have nicknamed me Sisi), and eating Starbucks and McDonald’s for the first time in at least 6 months. I felt a little guilty about that last one, but it’s not like I’m some American tourist that can’t go a week without a white chocolate mocha. It’s been 6 months people. My parents teased me, “You’re in Austria. Don’t you want to eat Austrian food?” I explained to them, “It’s not that I don’t want Austrian food, rather I want everything I don’t have in Albania.” And not to worry, I ate plenty of bratwurst and wiener schnitzel.

And now for your viewing pleasure, some pictures from the trip.

The Golden Roof in Innsbruck

Albania has a strong relationship with Austria, perhaps due to their shared love for two headed eagles

Austrian llamas queue better than Albanians

Skydivers in the Tyrolean Region

So happy!

Recap Blog #1: Mom and Dad’s Visit

Mom in Kruje.

As previously mentioned, September was comprised of three main events: my parent’s visit, our family trip to Western Europe, and the HIV/AIDS conference. Unfortunately, despite the best of intentions, there simply wasn’t time to chronicle these events as they were occurring. So without further adieu, a recap of my parents’ visit.

My parents were here for roughly two weeks, four days of which were spent in Austria and Germany. Most of our time was spent in the capital and here in Shkodra, though we did make a very short trip down to Shtermen to visit the family I stayed with during training. I wish I could say there trip was great and they both love Albania as much as I do, but I’m positive this would be lie. Rather their trip was a reminder that at times, what can go wrong, will go wrong.

To start with their first flight was cancelled, causing them to be re-routed entirely and to arrive about 10 hours after their initial arrival time. Upon arrival, all four of their checked bags were missing. We had to pick them up two days later in Tirana. Both of my parents were sick during their visit, Dad for nearly the entirety. The credit cards companies, alarmed by increased usage in an odd country quickly shut down all but one of his cards. Factor in the typical family bickering that comes with close quarters and too much together time and you’ve got a family vacation that was pretty stressful from time to time. The kicker would have been if Al Italia shut down before my parents left the country, via Rome, as it was threatening to do the entire two weeks my parents were here. Al Italia did eventually succumb to the economic meltdown sweeping the globe, but fortunately not until after my parents returned safely home.

I’ve asked my parents to write their own blog entries to more accurately reflect their views of Albania, but those are pending. I think that they have a better sense of my life here and the difficulties and joys I experience. They met several of the important people in my life here, my sitemates, co-workers, and the family I live with. I hope they enjoyed at least parts of their trip, but they sure seemed happy when we left for Germany, and even happier when they left to go home.

Albania isn’t for everyone. I’m glad it agrees with me most of the time.

Mom with the host family, Agim and Zushi.