"I always loved twilight: it was the only time I had the feeling that something important could happen. All things were more beautiful bathed in twilight, all streets, all squares, and all the people walking through them..." -Too Loud a Solitude
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Twilight on the Beach
"I always loved twilight: it was the only time I had the feeling that something important could happen. All things were more beautiful bathed in twilight, all streets, all squares, and all the people walking through them..." -Too Loud a Solitude
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Getting Around
I’d say in terms of travel, flying an American carrier is probably one of my least favorite things. That the US airline industry has gotten completely out of control with ala carte pricing and ridiculous baggage fees doesn’t make it any better. Passengers need to realize the days of cheap airline travel for a quick weekend getaway are over… and American airlines need to be more upfront about charges. It seems like all the gimmicks have mostly been limited to American companies. Maybe it’s because America is the land of the gimmicks?
By comparison, I was amazed at the quality and price of my flight to Cairo and back. Tirana’s limited schedules made the timing a little inconvenient, but there weren’t any other options. How refreshing to have a bag checked, to have a carry on, and to have a drink and a meal… all without having to wonder how much it was going to cost me. And that’s on top of the fact that I didn’t really need to show up three hours early to the airport. If the botched attack this past Christmas and countless others have taught us anything, it’s that absolute security isn’t possible. And I don’t worry so much about it. It’s just another risk associated with flying, and I don’t need to vomit all the tired statistics about safety to prove it.
Even the flight in and out of Tirana (Rinas / Mother Theresa Airport) was enjoyable and without a hitch. Although it’s situated a half an hour outside of the capital, an express bus runs from the center on the hour for a reasonable 250Lek. There are other hassles associated with Tirana, but the airport isn’t on the list. When I first found out I was coming to Albania, a former professor told me she remembered landing here a long time ago when Rinas was nothing more than a landing strip. A lot has changed since then.
The airport has recently seen a 50 million Euro renovation that meets international standards. It can handle up to 1 million passengers annually. This renovation included a new passenger and cargo tunnel, a 7km road and a new perimeter road. According to the airport’s website, they were miraculously completed on time. A second stage will divide the terminals and cost an additional 20 to 30 million Euros. Hardly the Sunbury Airport that Rinas used to be.
The improvements continue. Maybe there’s some truth in the popular Democratic Party slogan, “Shqiperia po ndryshon” (“Albania is changing,” which we sing every time the power goes on and off). Aside from the airport, the most notable square in the country is getting a facelift: Skanderbeg Square, highlighted by the Ethel Bey mosque, the National Opera house, the National Museum and the namesake statue of Skanderbeg, is now being ripped apart and rebuilt. Unfortunately, it’s also a main traffic artery so you can imagine the mess it’s created. While I was in the area, which is being financed by one of the Middle Eastern states, pamphlets and billboards announced the construction. Unfortunately, there was no discernible building plan on any of the information. I had read a while ago that the square will be redone and a tourist office and a high-rise figures into plans. In my year here, I’ve adapted a defense mechanism to news like this: basically, I’ll believe it when I see it. I wouldn’t doubt there will be a new tourist office and new buildings. But we’ll just have to wait and see: 1. If they are completed within the given time and at the proper standards, and 2. If the tourist office is actually open consistently during its specified hours.
By comparison, I was amazed at the quality and price of my flight to Cairo and back. Tirana’s limited schedules made the timing a little inconvenient, but there weren’t any other options. How refreshing to have a bag checked, to have a carry on, and to have a drink and a meal… all without having to wonder how much it was going to cost me. And that’s on top of the fact that I didn’t really need to show up three hours early to the airport. If the botched attack this past Christmas and countless others have taught us anything, it’s that absolute security isn’t possible. And I don’t worry so much about it. It’s just another risk associated with flying, and I don’t need to vomit all the tired statistics about safety to prove it.
Even the flight in and out of Tirana (Rinas / Mother Theresa Airport) was enjoyable and without a hitch. Although it’s situated a half an hour outside of the capital, an express bus runs from the center on the hour for a reasonable 250Lek. There are other hassles associated with Tirana, but the airport isn’t on the list. When I first found out I was coming to Albania, a former professor told me she remembered landing here a long time ago when Rinas was nothing more than a landing strip. A lot has changed since then.
The airport has recently seen a 50 million Euro renovation that meets international standards. It can handle up to 1 million passengers annually. This renovation included a new passenger and cargo tunnel, a 7km road and a new perimeter road. According to the airport’s website, they were miraculously completed on time. A second stage will divide the terminals and cost an additional 20 to 30 million Euros. Hardly the Sunbury Airport that Rinas used to be.
The improvements continue. Maybe there’s some truth in the popular Democratic Party slogan, “Shqiperia po ndryshon” (“Albania is changing,” which we sing every time the power goes on and off). Aside from the airport, the most notable square in the country is getting a facelift: Skanderbeg Square, highlighted by the Ethel Bey mosque, the National Opera house, the National Museum and the namesake statue of Skanderbeg, is now being ripped apart and rebuilt. Unfortunately, it’s also a main traffic artery so you can imagine the mess it’s created. While I was in the area, which is being financed by one of the Middle Eastern states, pamphlets and billboards announced the construction. Unfortunately, there was no discernible building plan on any of the information. I had read a while ago that the square will be redone and a tourist office and a high-rise figures into plans. In my year here, I’ve adapted a defense mechanism to news like this: basically, I’ll believe it when I see it. I wouldn’t doubt there will be a new tourist office and new buildings. But we’ll just have to wait and see: 1. If they are completed within the given time and at the proper standards, and 2. If the tourist office is actually open consistently during its specified hours.
Tips for saving money
One of my biggest pet peeves is hearing volunteers lament that they don’t have “any money.” Some of this is probably due to people having to live on a budget for the first times in their lives, but most of it is largely due to irresponsibility and living outside one’s means. The point of Peace Corps is to live like a national of the countries that we’re assigned to. What does this mean? It means we get a salary on par with the average Albanian. We all know how money leads to inequalities, so getting similar amounts keeps things even (despite the fact that Albanians seem to think that Americans are all rich).
On a recent school trip to Croatia, I tried to explain to a colleague that I’m a volunteer and that it annoys me that people assume I have money. I can explain over and over again that I don’t get paid any more than they do or try to explain the intricacies of the education system in the US and all the debt I have, but it’s still outside some form of comprehension. This colleague actually told me that I’m not really a volunteer because I’m not here on “my own money.” Maybe so, but neither would any other college graduate be here if they had to pay for their volunteer service with their own money.
So here are a few tips, based on my observations:
1. Don’t leave site every weekend. To begin with, Peace Corps has a rule that we get 8 days out of our sites a month. Although it’s more than reasonable, it’s still not enough for many people. We are PCVs assigned to a specific site and aren’t here to spend two years traveling and partying in-country. Regular Albanians don’t spend their free time traveling (in fact, many people I know haven’t been to the places in Albania that I have) and that’s accounted for in the money we are given each month.
2. Don’t drink and/or smoke every weekend. Although cigarettes are an average of about $1.25 a pack, when you’re getting paid in Albanian Lek, you can really dig into your money fast. A pack a day habit will cut into roughly 18% of your monthly allowance. And although alcohol is cheap (and varies wildly in quality), it’s the same as with the cigarettes. Unfortunately, a common coping mechanism to the ups and downs, as well as a large social element of Peace Corps life revolves around drinking in excess and partying. And although we know that drinking is not the best way of combating depression and stress, it doesn’t stop people from trying.
3. Learn how to cook on your own instead of going to restaurants all the time.
4. Avoid the “European” grocery chains for your daily groceries. I remember the first time I went to EuroMax in Elbasan during training. It was like being in a regular grocery store again. Most Albanian dyqans, or stores, are small and stocked with basic items. Finding items outside the range of everyday items can be difficult and expensive. The western chain stores, while helpful in getting us some more obscure things, import from the west… and are priced accordingly. Conad actually brings everything from Italy, even the produce. Our budgets can’t accommodate constant shopping at these places.
5. Resist the urge for pets. When I first signed up for Peace Corps and found out that I’d be sent to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan or Turkmenistan, I had this fantasy of getting a big dog for company and protection out there on some Central Asian steppe. And I probably would have done it, too. But it’s a completely different game here: cultural norms usually indicate an aversion to dogs. If you want to get a great reaction, tell an Albanian about the dogs that you keep in your house, in America, and you’ll probably get the typical click of disapproval. It’s not like you can really blame them, considering most dogs are rough ones that roam the street and eat on a diet of nothing but trash while their barks and fights can be heard in the distance at all hours of the night. I thought about getting a dog when I got here but the more I observed the culture I decided it was more of a hassle than a positive thing. That’s not even talking about the cost of feeding them. And it doesn’t just stop at dogs: cats also cost money which isn’t figured into our living allowance. Pets can give you their own brand of support and can help boost your morale. Petting a dog releases the wonder chemical oxytocin in both you and your pet, and dogs are recommended for humans suffering from all kinds of adverse conditions; including depression and social anxiety. Animals are not without their positives, but financing them is tricky.
On a recent school trip to Croatia, I tried to explain to a colleague that I’m a volunteer and that it annoys me that people assume I have money. I can explain over and over again that I don’t get paid any more than they do or try to explain the intricacies of the education system in the US and all the debt I have, but it’s still outside some form of comprehension. This colleague actually told me that I’m not really a volunteer because I’m not here on “my own money.” Maybe so, but neither would any other college graduate be here if they had to pay for their volunteer service with their own money.
So here are a few tips, based on my observations:
1. Don’t leave site every weekend. To begin with, Peace Corps has a rule that we get 8 days out of our sites a month. Although it’s more than reasonable, it’s still not enough for many people. We are PCVs assigned to a specific site and aren’t here to spend two years traveling and partying in-country. Regular Albanians don’t spend their free time traveling (in fact, many people I know haven’t been to the places in Albania that I have) and that’s accounted for in the money we are given each month.
2. Don’t drink and/or smoke every weekend. Although cigarettes are an average of about $1.25 a pack, when you’re getting paid in Albanian Lek, you can really dig into your money fast. A pack a day habit will cut into roughly 18% of your monthly allowance. And although alcohol is cheap (and varies wildly in quality), it’s the same as with the cigarettes. Unfortunately, a common coping mechanism to the ups and downs, as well as a large social element of Peace Corps life revolves around drinking in excess and partying. And although we know that drinking is not the best way of combating depression and stress, it doesn’t stop people from trying.
3. Learn how to cook on your own instead of going to restaurants all the time.
4. Avoid the “European” grocery chains for your daily groceries. I remember the first time I went to EuroMax in Elbasan during training. It was like being in a regular grocery store again. Most Albanian dyqans, or stores, are small and stocked with basic items. Finding items outside the range of everyday items can be difficult and expensive. The western chain stores, while helpful in getting us some more obscure things, import from the west… and are priced accordingly. Conad actually brings everything from Italy, even the produce. Our budgets can’t accommodate constant shopping at these places.
5. Resist the urge for pets. When I first signed up for Peace Corps and found out that I’d be sent to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan or Turkmenistan, I had this fantasy of getting a big dog for company and protection out there on some Central Asian steppe. And I probably would have done it, too. But it’s a completely different game here: cultural norms usually indicate an aversion to dogs. If you want to get a great reaction, tell an Albanian about the dogs that you keep in your house, in America, and you’ll probably get the typical click of disapproval. It’s not like you can really blame them, considering most dogs are rough ones that roam the street and eat on a diet of nothing but trash while their barks and fights can be heard in the distance at all hours of the night. I thought about getting a dog when I got here but the more I observed the culture I decided it was more of a hassle than a positive thing. That’s not even talking about the cost of feeding them. And it doesn’t just stop at dogs: cats also cost money which isn’t figured into our living allowance. Pets can give you their own brand of support and can help boost your morale. Petting a dog releases the wonder chemical oxytocin in both you and your pet, and dogs are recommended for humans suffering from all kinds of adverse conditions; including depression and social anxiety. Animals are not without their positives, but financing them is tricky.
World Cup
The NHL season ended a few weeks ago when my Flyers lost game 6 in overtime. It was tempting to feel bad about the loss, given the weak goals that cost them the game and the Cup, but there are a lot of positives going forward. They’ve shown resiliency in playing through all kinds of injuries, they’ve shown the ability to fight even when many “experts” predicted a Chicago rout, and most of the team will be around next year. Chicago played a great series and was the stronger team, although both goalies were human in the series. Congratulations to Chicago and all its young guns who will be in this league for the next twenty years.
It’s normally the time of year I hate: the few months where there is no sports news of interest. The NHL draft and awards come, then free agency, then a month or so of nothing as teams get ready for the new season. Luckily, this is one of the off-seasons where I have something else to focus on: soccer.
The World Cup is one of those things that I could watch all day, every day. The story lines and the drama are as top notch as the skill. The tournament starts with 32 teams in round-robin play before moving to single elimination games. The New York Times has had some great coverage not only about the games but the cultural, social and financial aspects of the African continent’s first World Cup.
The World Cup is a time for unity. All fans are united in the joy of the game, and watching and sharing these historic moments are probably my favorite part of the tournament. It’s something so huge that you want to share it with everyone, friends and strangers alike. The viewing parties were always a lot of fun when I was back in Philadelphia, and I’m looking forward to going to some here in Albania. The city of Durres has an outdoor screening area that shows the games along with numerous bars. I spent a week watching the initial rounds with some other volunteers in the southern town of Corovode, and now one of those friends is visiting me at my site to continue the viewing.
The last two nights, we’ve watched games beachside at a really nice outdoor restaurant with a swimming pool and dance floor, shaded by trees. The first night we saw them bring out an HD flat screen and almost died, given that the TV quality in Corovode was so bad we could barely see the numbers on the screen. But how would we get good reception, given all the trees? In true Albanian fashion, one of the waiters climbed onto a table, put a 6’ long bench on top of a table, stood on the very top of said bench with both feet (which would have made the fall at about 10’), and threw the antenna over the lowest available tree branch. So much that could have gone wrong there, but luckily it didn’t. We see tons of gravity defying moves like that on a regular basis.
It’s always interesting to look at the popularity of the world’s sport and to wonder why it’s not nearly as popular in the US. Personally, I never really cared much about it until I spent a year in Germany (in 2002, when Germany lost to Brazil in the finals). Watching the German side for all these years has really been a pleasure, through all the highs and lows. Perennial performers who were a game away from the finals in 2006 and lost to Spain in the 2008 European championships, you never quite know what you’re going to get from this team but you know it will be interesting. There has been a changing of the guard with veterans like Olli Kahn, Jens Lehmann and Torsten Frings either retired or not selected. Injuries to key players like Michael Ballack and Rene Adler (not to mention the death of Robert Enke) have supporters asking just how far the team can go. Add to it that this is the youngest team Germany has played since 1934 and predictions are impossible. What we have seen in the past weeks is a driven team lead by Philip Lahm and the surprisingly matured Sebastian Schweinsteiger and the success of the youth movement. Whether the youth factor will help or harm remains to be seen. But while Brazil and Spain as the heavy favorites, Team Germany can’t ever be figured out when it comes to success.
Today we are off to Durres for the Germany / England match. Last night’s US game was very exciting. Although they lost, Ghana was the better and more deserving team and seemed to be covering every inch of the field. Obviously I’m hoping that Germany wins the Cup, but I’d be more than happy with Chile or any other team that hasn’t won in a long time. That France and Italy (the defending champs) didn’t even make it out of the initial round has been cause for great happiness already, with more memorable moments on the way as the knock out phase begins.
It’s normally the time of year I hate: the few months where there is no sports news of interest. The NHL draft and awards come, then free agency, then a month or so of nothing as teams get ready for the new season. Luckily, this is one of the off-seasons where I have something else to focus on: soccer.
The World Cup is one of those things that I could watch all day, every day. The story lines and the drama are as top notch as the skill. The tournament starts with 32 teams in round-robin play before moving to single elimination games. The New York Times has had some great coverage not only about the games but the cultural, social and financial aspects of the African continent’s first World Cup.
The World Cup is a time for unity. All fans are united in the joy of the game, and watching and sharing these historic moments are probably my favorite part of the tournament. It’s something so huge that you want to share it with everyone, friends and strangers alike. The viewing parties were always a lot of fun when I was back in Philadelphia, and I’m looking forward to going to some here in Albania. The city of Durres has an outdoor screening area that shows the games along with numerous bars. I spent a week watching the initial rounds with some other volunteers in the southern town of Corovode, and now one of those friends is visiting me at my site to continue the viewing.
The last two nights, we’ve watched games beachside at a really nice outdoor restaurant with a swimming pool and dance floor, shaded by trees. The first night we saw them bring out an HD flat screen and almost died, given that the TV quality in Corovode was so bad we could barely see the numbers on the screen. But how would we get good reception, given all the trees? In true Albanian fashion, one of the waiters climbed onto a table, put a 6’ long bench on top of a table, stood on the very top of said bench with both feet (which would have made the fall at about 10’), and threw the antenna over the lowest available tree branch. So much that could have gone wrong there, but luckily it didn’t. We see tons of gravity defying moves like that on a regular basis.
It’s always interesting to look at the popularity of the world’s sport and to wonder why it’s not nearly as popular in the US. Personally, I never really cared much about it until I spent a year in Germany (in 2002, when Germany lost to Brazil in the finals). Watching the German side for all these years has really been a pleasure, through all the highs and lows. Perennial performers who were a game away from the finals in 2006 and lost to Spain in the 2008 European championships, you never quite know what you’re going to get from this team but you know it will be interesting. There has been a changing of the guard with veterans like Olli Kahn, Jens Lehmann and Torsten Frings either retired or not selected. Injuries to key players like Michael Ballack and Rene Adler (not to mention the death of Robert Enke) have supporters asking just how far the team can go. Add to it that this is the youngest team Germany has played since 1934 and predictions are impossible. What we have seen in the past weeks is a driven team lead by Philip Lahm and the surprisingly matured Sebastian Schweinsteiger and the success of the youth movement. Whether the youth factor will help or harm remains to be seen. But while Brazil and Spain as the heavy favorites, Team Germany can’t ever be figured out when it comes to success.
Today we are off to Durres for the Germany / England match. Last night’s US game was very exciting. Although they lost, Ghana was the better and more deserving team and seemed to be covering every inch of the field. Obviously I’m hoping that Germany wins the Cup, but I’d be more than happy with Chile or any other team that hasn’t won in a long time. That France and Italy (the defending champs) didn’t even make it out of the initial round has been cause for great happiness already, with more memorable moments on the way as the knock out phase begins.
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