Sunday, June 26th

What is the correct spelling of the word “zig-zaggedly”??

Wednesday at the Embassy saw the arrival of 30 to 40 Albanian school children between the ages of 11 and 16 who had been invited to participate in a good, old-fashioned American spelling bee (such fixtures of our school system don’t exist in countries like Albania, where spelling is strictly phonetic). I was asked to help out – which, alas, didn’t mean much.  My role didn’t extend much beyond that of observer – which was fun anyway.  The children were so excited to be at the Embassy, and many parents were allowed to come as well.  I sat at the back next to two proud moms; I quickly rifled through my basic dictionary so I could ask, “bijë ose bir?” Daughter or son?  Both women pointed out their daughters .  One mom started to ask me some questions; I pulled out my by-now familiar phrase, “Nuk flas Shqip”, (I don’t speak Albanian), to which the woman smiled and responded (in English), “I know.”  She proceeded to tell me, in Italian, that she speaks some Italian, and I was able to nod and smile comprehendingly and understand maybe 15% of what she was saying.  Better than Albanian, anyway!!  So back to the spelling bee – the kids did great; you could definitely see who the advanced students were – as well as those who are more inclined toward languages.  I really wish I could have taken pictures, but no cameras allowed at the Embassy.  Some kids got up and rattled off the spelling as methodically and confidently as a robot; others struggled and got all tangled up in words like “exaggeration,” “lampoon,” or “villain,” but some words were ridiculous in their lack of real-life application, like “zig-zaggedly.”  I mean, really?  Even Microsoft Word doesn’t recognize it as I’m typing now.  Oh well.  The handful of really strong spellers in three age groups duked it out and the suspense was as thick as the American Idol Finale.  The three winners were lauded; the Deputy Chief of Mission (the Embassy’s #2) congratulated them in Albanian and English, and they were loaded down with all kinds of gifts and an official U.S. Embassy Spelling Bee Medal.  Very fun.

The Embassy occasionally plans events/outings for anyone who is interested, and this Friday was Bowling Night at the “Taiwan Center,” a large recreational-type center with video games, bowling, and I’m not sure what else. 600 lëk ($6.00) for an all-you-can-eat appetizer buffet and bowling from 7:00 to 10:00.  The Center is well-known for its colored fountain and park; it definitely appears to be a destination for many Tiranans in the evenings, when the temperatures get cooler after the heat of the day.  It’s about a 20-minute walk from my apartment; just far enough to be drenched in sweat upon arrival!  About 20 Embassy employees showed up; I had met most of them earlier during the week but it was great to hang out and get to know people on a social basis.  We actually bowled until close to 11:00; I walked home with no problem and didn’t feel unsafe.  Lots of people were out in the streets, and the streets were fairly well-lit.

Pedestrian pitfalls

Yesterday marked my first day actually exploring on my own and visiting some shops.  Priority #1 was to find some mosquito repellent, since I have discovered that Albanian mosquitoes, much like their American and Russian cousins, love me.  People don’t have screens on their windows, so the mosquitoes have no trouble accessing my unresisting, sleeping self. My friends Ned and Jorid told me exactly what to say to the store keeper:  “A keni ilaç mushkonjesh?” – Do you have mosquito medicine? The man looked at me rather haughtily and answered, in English, “Sure – we’ve got some over here; several kinds.”  After I made my selection and paid, I said, “Faleminderit shum” – Thank you very much, to which he responded, “No problem, have a good time.” !!  So much for my trying to assimilate…  At another store, Euromax, where I bought some olive oil and balsamic vinegar and gummy fish, the cashier rattled off a total in Albanian – she astutely noted my blank expression and wrote down “752” on a piece of paper, indicating what I owed.  Well, being in Albania is a lesson in humility if nothing else!  For more on that, read on…

As I was walking home, snapping a few pictures (shown here), I was approaching my street, Rruga Riza Cerova.  I stepped off the curb and the next thing I knew, I was sprawled out on the street!  It was such a surprise, I hadn’t even had a chance to break my fall.  I quickly scrambled up and glanced over at the little café 50 feet away where a half dozen men were sitting around presumably drinking their afternoon coffee; the chatter let up for a second and then continued; no one made a gesture.  So… I slunk into my apartment building and made it up to my 8^th floor apartment where I doctored up my “road rash,” a nice scrape on my knee/upper shin.  Nothing that some soap & water, hand sanitizer (ouch!) and Neosporin couldn’t handle, but it will be an unavoidable conversation piece for the next couple of weeks, conveniently located as it is – just below all of my dresses’ and skirts’ hem lines L.

Today, Sunday – as I left for church, I stopped to see what in the world could have caused me to fall flat like that.  Sure enough, right in the spot where one’s foot would naturally be planted after stepping off a curb was a nice, unobtrusive, foot-sized pothole.  So much for not watching every step, walking too fast, being distracted by taking pictures and carrying groceries…  Anyway – I met up with a woman named Sherry whom I’d met a week ago; she took me to her church, the Tirana International Assembly. The pastor is American and the sermons are translated from English into Albanian.  The congregation is pretty mixed between foreigners (Americans, Canadians, British, Indians, South Koreans, etc.) and Albanians.  After church, I got to know some new people as we went out for coffee (the local summer  coffee beverage is called a frappé). Then home; made a quick stop at the outdoor market next to my building to buy some tomatoes, cucumber, garlic, yummy-looking Albanian cookies and something that resembles baklava but apparently isn’t since when I asked, “Baklava?” The shopkeeper rattled off something long and complex until she saw that I wasn’t getting it J.

All for now!  Another work week starts tomorrow.  And next weekend, I may drive to Greece (Thessaloniki) with an Embassy co-worker who is headed to the beach with her son. 

Exchanging the day's gossip

Streetside bicycle shop and repair

Streetside furniture shop - chance for a leisurely game of checkers!

Jorid's amazing cactus with 24-hour blossom

View of Rruga e Elbasanit