PSTIII, glasses!!, a breather, some down time, and back at it...

Our final two weeks of Pre-Service Training ended about a week and a half ago. I have to be candid and say that after five weeks at my permanent assignment, going back to these meetings just about sucked the life out of me. It was great to see all the staff and volunteers again, but after some solid work on all those things that I hope will define my PC experience, more meetings on how to do it were simply suffocating.

Genti opening up our first PST III session - "It's great to have you back -  who is this guy taking our picture?"

To make it even worse, on the second day of PST I got out of the furgon from Thane back to Elbasan (the “hub”) and heard a click; I looked around, a lot of people were getting out. A few blocks later I realized that the click was the sound of my glasses hitting the ground – I was wearing my sun-glasses at the time. I must have been a silly sight looking all over for the glasses. Alas, no luck. To my rescue, Evis, my pharmacist friend, connected me with his cousin, Andi, and I got lined up with an optical shop. Andi would not entertain the idea of me going on my own. He and his friend, Arlind, took me to the shop, explained what I needed, and (I think) negotiated a fair price for the American volunteer. The PC cautions us to bring a back-up pair, but since my glasses were progressive lenses (expensive) and I had never lost or broken a pair of glasses in fifty years I thought I’d save some bucks. Ironic, huh? The PC will replace regular tri-focals but I’m used to what I’m used to. A week and a half later, the day after PST ended (!) my glasses show up (all the lenses in Albania are ground in Italy! A great business opportunity.). Plus, what would cost $850 back home was only $275 here!!

"Say ahhhh...." Andi, me, the optical guy, and Arlind

So, the rest of the PST III I suffered through with either my sunglasses (not as cool as you might think) or without – headaches by mid-day, which I used as an excuse to go truant. Now, a few (more than a few, if I’m honest) of our meetings were quite useful. One in particular, on the struggles of the Albania LBGT community was very powerful – it reminded me of the horrible (and sometimes tragic) experiences that some of my friends went through forty and fifty years ago in the States. It also reinforced my understanding of where Albania is in its efforts to come out of its long isolation. I shared with the volunteers (in a far too emotional manner I fear) some lines that I had just read in Solzhenitsyn’s The First Circle: “What is the most precious thing in the world? It seems to be the consciousness of not participating in injustice. Injustice is stronger than you are, it always was and it always will be, but let it not be committed through you.”

Alex: "Seriously, Wally! Why are Nate and Jessie smiling? What are Mike, Jo, and Adrian thinking about? Did Prime Minister Edi Rama finally get back to Cristin? Why does Randolph always sit in the back?"

"Bill! What do you think?" "The hat looks like it was made for you, Paulie." Nate and Mitesh having a serious PST moment.

Will, Silke, Tom, and Wally reflecting...

Spacing with Randolph - truth be told, I was the bad influence -  Wally and Sarah, you can see, still tuned in. The Senior Warden of Elbasan, John, explaining the finer points of CPR to his Junior, in a rare moment of focus.

***

 Midway through our PST III, the volunteers cut lose for some serious down-time: good conversation and rock and roll. Mike, my fellow volunteer here in Elbasan, and I arranged with Duhanmire (our friend/owner of the local Karaoke club – remember? his name means “smokes well” – well, really “good tobacco”), to open the club up on Sunday afternoon for our group. Mike did most of the heavy-lifting and I was the MC/crowd-control officer – a great time.

"Erik! Pier! Is this the song we picked?? Oh yeah!!"

Diane and Brian: "Mike!! You punker!!!"

Yes, you recognize Miles, our keynote graduation speaker...sizzling!

"Holy hell, guys!! That's not how you sing it!!!"

And dancing!! Will, Silke, and Bonnie

Erik, Will, Randolph, Dan, Justin, Silke, Paulie, and Will...tribute to good times!

We celebrated the end of PST and had some funny moments with Iris, a birthday gift for Alex. We sat at the Glasgow and set Iris up with a cigarette and a beer at a table by her/himself for the benefit of the locals passing by (Mike's brainchild).  Quite amusing. She elicited shrieks and photo-ops for Albanian Facebooks. 

Iris!! Really you had to take the last fry? I hear you, what in the hell is that Volunteer Reporting Form all about??

With Randolph, Mike, Dan, Diane, Catherine, Alex, and...Iris

A couple of days later Mike, Barbara and I continued the decompress at a local resort: a fine time with good food, beer, and poolside service. I am writing this blog entry even now at poolside! Disclaimer: Again, mine is NOT the typical PC experience – I just got the luck of the draw to be posted to a university site – I’m not complaining.

***

So, after the PST interruption and probably too much leisure, back to work. The web-paper proposal is moving along. My new friends at the University of Utah have responded incredibly in offers of assistance. The in-class exchanges set for the fall term have been well-received here and back in the States. I’ve been working on my preps for the fall, and I just got final word that teaching my own class in the spring has been approved (International Relations – So cool! seriously, how much damage can I do?)!  

This last week, Ymer and I met with Cristin and Ogerta (Cristin’s counterpart and Ymer’s vice-president in ELTA – Albania English Language Teachers Association). We’re going to schedule small conferences in Elbasan, Tirane, Korce, and maybe a few other locations like Durres and Vloore – this on top of the October annual conference in Skoder. It looks to be a very productive year. 

With Ymer, Cristin, and Ogerta (check out my new, almost Buddy Holly specs)

***

Also, this last week we had final exams at the university. Ymer invited me to sit in for a written final in the Economics Faculty and oral exams in the Languages Faculty. There is an allowance for student to retake the final if they fail their regular course-ending exam. This might be the following semester or the next year. To give a sense of some of the student attitudes, one of these students sat before Ymer and me and simply stated that he did not prepare, but that he needed a passing grade in order to immigrate to Canada. I have no clue regarding the connection, but I was incredulous. I said, “So…even though you did not prepare, you would like a passing grade in order to emigrate?’ “Yes.” “How much do you want this grade?” “I really, really, want it.” I couldn’t help myself – I looked at the student, and then to Ymer “Well, professor, since he really, really, wants it, I think you should pass him.” The student thought I was serious; Ymer just chuckled and allowed me a Martin Moment: “My friend, if this is truly that important to you, how about coming back after you have prepared, pass the exam when it is offered again, and I will congratulate you on your successful efforts, and wish you bon voyage?” He smiled wistfully, said “falemenderit” and left…another moment at the university.

***

Well, that’s about it for now – which is perfect timing since my risotto primavera just got here.

This next weekend I head off to Istanbul for a holiday visit with my good stateside friends Nelson and Yen – thanks to the PC staff for the hall-pass! Then I have a week with a youth camp sponsored by the British Council (an ELTA partner), and a wedding for a near relative of Sali and Rezarta (my host family). Oh yeah, Alex opened up a relationship with the local Rotary Club here, and I’m going to follow up on that. 

What a smile....until next time, "Th–, Th–, Th–, Th–, That's all Folks!"

....and my best wishes to all of you. XOXO