Host family introductions and my first village

This last Saturday morning we had our final meeting before getting handed off to our host families. At the welcoming I met the mother and the son. My Albanian is pitiful but fortunately I grabbed one of the trainers, Megi, and she stayed with me the whole getting-to-know-each-other lunch time – I tried my best to convince her to come with me for the next three months but not a chance. My family consists of Sali the father, Rezarta the mother (in their forties), Renato the son (20), and Franchesca the daughter (17). 

The father works seasonally between Albania and Italy exchanging food goods, the mother keeps the home and the bit of land and the gardens, the son is unemployed and helps with the work around the property, and the daughter is in her last of three years in high school. Their home is very pleasant and comfortable. 

 

A view from the porch

They made me feel at home immediately and I was struck by their affection not only for each other but for me, a complete stranger – lots of hand-shaking and kisses on the cheeks. Our dinner Saturday evening was quite the fare: beef steaks, pork chops, vegetables of all kinds, and plenty of bread. Before dinner Sufi poured me a glass of raki, which I told him I had declined in my first week because I wanted to have my first glass with my host family. BAM!! This drink has a kick! I made it clear that one glass a day (or week, for that matter) would be plenty for me! The televizer is always on – which is fine with me: keeps my vocabulary needs to a minimum and gives us all something with a bit of preparation to comment on.

With Rezarta and Sali - I know, we look pretty serious

Before dinner I gathered up my presents for the family: University of Utah sweatshirts for the kids, along with a locket and a soccer ball – and a university fleece blanket for Franscesca. I gave a silver-plated bowl to Rezarta and Sali. Utah Senator Bob Bennett gave it to Shelly, Abby, and me as a Christmas present about twenty years ago and given Albania’s affection for America I thought they might like it. After I told them the story of the bowl – with pictures – I thought Rezarta was going to tear up, it was quite moving.

We had been told in orientation that families eat late – as late as nine or ten at night. I was going to do the best I could not to disrupt the family in this (we were also told we could request an earlier meal), but to my great relief dinner was served at 7pm, its normal time for the family. I am the sixth Peace Corps volunteer to stay with them so maybe I can thank those that went before me. Nonetheless, I had no idea how I was going to manage eating or even staying up that late. I watched a bit of reality TV (I will never get away from it, will I?), a bit of soccer and went to bed. The next day was Sunday and my first day off for the last twelve days! I slept solid for fourteen hours! It was almost noon by the time I got out of my room! And my dreams – all night, dreams of language study, Albanian phrases, and Albanian conversations; the language seems to come together when I am asleep!

With some of the locals

After a bit of fruit I went exploring the village. I quickly found the local hangout: foos ball, dominoes, cards, chess, raki, coffee, television… I got some attention immediately, offered my greetings (mire dita!), ordered coffee (well, to be accurate I think I said “I am coffee”), and pulled out my lessons. I met a few of the patrons and headed out to explore some more. The currency I had was too large for the proprietor to change and he told me just to pay next time! Try that in the USA. I wrote my name down on a piece of paper with my tab and I had him put it on the counter – I then headed out.

Hoxha's pillboxes

I walked out into the light rain headed to another section of the village, pictures of Hoxa’s pill-boxes (amazing defense expenditure with few enemies in sight), and after about a kilometer down this road, Sardi rides up on his bike. 

Sardi's fishing hole

After he had given me directions in the café he asked if I wanted him to join me on the walk. I had said no, but here he was. He had seen me traipsing through the fields (with my umbrella – what a sight that must have been) and he offered to show me the river where he liked to go fishing – another two or three kilos (kliks?) and we arrived at his favorite spot. When spring comes he will take me fishing for catfish – mmm. Sardi left the university after a year and bakes bread with his father which they deliver daily to buyers in the village. Back to the café, some fruit juice, cigarettes, and home for another great meal –Senator Bennett’s silver bowl placed in a prominent position on the counter. Things are going quite well, thank you (faleminderit!).

This is not chess - and my winning was a local's gift to an American

Yesterday was a full morning of language study with the rest of my small group of volunteers – we work on this for another two months and then off to our permanent sites for a few weeks and then back again to wrap things up.

Hanging with the kids before class at the village school

Lunch was a walk to a near village – really right next to our village – and then more cultural safety tips and questions. I hit the hangout again and lost a game of chess to Sardi’s brother Erion – one bad move and the game turned! I didn’t know it was his brother until Sardi walked in later and introduced us. I pulled up my family pictures and Facebook for a few more (wifi available) and now he and I are FB friends – I told him the best way to keep track of me over the next two years after Pre-Service Training (PST) is when I post a new entry on the blog (which I’ll note on FB). There is a soccer game in Elbasan this weekend which a few of us are going to hit – I invited Sardi along and now it looks like he is going to drive us – Albania v. Armenia.

I have to say that I have never felt my age as much as I have in the last couple of weeks – sitting in class all day, studying all night, with a lot of walking in the mix of everything – so the knees and back are aching a bit. I’m sure I won’t have any problems; it’s just a matter of a serious change in routine, getting used to the weather (which has really been pretty good) and being in the Peace Corps 24/7 – an expression the kids know I can’t stand, but it’s absolutely true in this case. My enthusiasm has not diminished; it just seems to get greater with each day, if that’s possible. This morning we studied a bit in our village with the small group and then traveled back to Elbasan to the Peace Corps Office (“the hub”) to meet up with the entire group – it was good to see them, seems like a week but only two days!

With my small group of volunteers waiting for the "furgon": Mike, me, Megi and Erion (our teachers), Nate, Cristin and Adrian, Juli, and Polly

More language, more culture, more health and safety. We spent quite a bit of time discussing relationships with Albanians; it seems that one cup of coffee indicates interest, two dating, three engaged, and four…well, my head was hurting by then. When I told my friends at the club I was going to quit drinking coffee they just laughed. Another good day.