lists

so i've been pretty unimpressed and unmotivated in my blog writing..turns out, i'm not much of a writer if i can't even get through my posts...so i'm thinking of trying something new..summarizing better and keeping it short and simple...

today's list..things to get used to in albania
1.  sweating in the morning, at work, in the afternoon, and at night - the summers are hot, and there isn't much ac around...just one of those things i've gotten used to...it's not uncommon to show up to work and litterly have to wipe sweat from my brow for about 15 minutes before i cool down, and wait for the next sweat session to begin..

2. extra long handshakes - it is not uncommon for an albanian to hold your hand for an extended period of time after shaking it and talking...this can be awkward, but i'm getting used to it..

2a. the bro shake - this is the handshake where each party invovled fingers are pointed toward the sky rather than parallel to the ground...sort of like a grip for an armwrestling match...this is only awkward when i don't know it's coming and i motion for a regular shake and get the bro shake..it's especially unexpected when it comes from an elder, although that's not uncommon here..fortunately i have plenty of practice with awkward handshakes in the states, and i can just play the american card here...

3. sitting, waiting, wishing - there can be a lot of downtime in albania...sometimes i'll go to a cafe with my counterpart and we'll sit for a bit in silence after we finish our drinks..typically, i like to get up and go do what's next, and i initially thought we only sat in silence because of my relatively limited shqip...but after sitting with my counterpart and his friends, i noticed this is common...just something to get used to..after long it won't be awkward silence..it'll just be time to think...

4. buying fresh vegetables, fruits, and bread - back home i'd go to the grocery store about once every two weeks...here, it's necessary to go about once every three days..but this isn't a problem since everyday when i walk home from work i pass all the food stands i need to stop at...and i'm actually getting fresh, organic food for cheap...(i think)....my diet has changed a bit..and there isn't much fast food here, but this is something i can grow to love...

5. understanding half the words of a sentence, and trying to decode it as soon as possible...if you've read my blog posts you know i constantly talk about studying..even so..no matter how many words i know, my ear hasn't quite caught up to my brain..when an albanian speaks at a normal speed the word tend to blend together..so i do my best to pick out the words i understand and decipher the meaning of the sentence...this tends to work most of the time, but i need to be careful with certain conversations to make sure i understand...in due time though..i will understand everything...or i'll waste all my time trying..

sunny daysss

It’s been a bit of time between blogs so I figured I’d hit you all up with the latest happenings in gramsh and Albania in general…got to do a little bit of camping last week on a beach in a town called divjak with some fellow peace corps friend…about 12 of us..it was a good time..we had our mini 4^th of july party complete with sparklers and even some fireworks..it was cool to do something to celebrate the 4^th although it is hard to live up to the traditions I’ve gotten used to in el Segundo..pregaming at drews…finding a way to Hermosa and making it back to el Segundo to see the awesome fireworks show…blurry or not….

Anyway, that was last weekend…things at work have been going pretty much the same..i spend the days studying the language and interacting with my Albanian collogues…I’m picking up more and more of the language, and feeling more and more comfortable using it…I’m thinking when I come back to visit for haas’ wedding in august I’ll give you guys a little taste on what I’ve aquired so far…

I guess that’s the next piece of major news..i was granted special permission to leave the country a bit earlier than the “3 months after training” policy thanks to my program manager and our country director…it comes with a slight penalty, but it’s bearable and I’m excited to make it back for the wedding… and see as many people as I can in the short 5 or 6 day window I’ll have in the states..planning on making it down to the tavern on Friday, august 6^th if you want to catch up for a minute..haha

I’m getting more and more settled into my apartment and slowly but surely it’s becoming my home..i’ve also been trying to establish some sort of routine..peace corps says it helps with the homesickness/sadness/etc. during the 1^st 6 months of service, which are supposed to be the worst…I’ve fared pretty well so far and am thankful of that…living and working in another country is hard enough as it is without the added sadness of missing home…so, that’s been going well…

Soccer is huge all over the world, and it’s pretty huge in Albania as well…all the café’s/restaurants put up tvs especially for the world cup..you might not think that’s such a big deal, but keep in mind that a tv here is a lot more expensive relatively than a tv in the states…so I’ve done my far share of watching the world cup..it’s unfortunate that the US lost, but it just didn’t look like they were ever really ready to play…from an amateurs perspective at least…

Gonna try to post some pics on facebook and update the blog more regularly so keep checking back!