A new home in Vlora and Ismail Qemali University - Yay!!!

Greetings:

As most of you are aware, I relocated from Elbasan to Vlora a few weeks ago. I had lived in Elbasan for a year and it was more than a bit tough to bid my friends goodbye. I’m spending most of the day there tomorrow so it will be good to see them again. It'll be good to get caught up with Megi and see if the band finished their next song - it's even better than the last! I’ve posted quite a few photos of the city and friends – mostly around my Coffee House office – here are a few more:

My good friend Andi - who took a lot of these pics

With Kristina last year when things were crap - yes, my heart

I met all the family and friends - here Albina is introducing me to her father

Two of Andi's shots - a couple of my favorites

And with Reli, one of the CH owners, to join for Mojitos, some great Cubans, and meet some new friends

And then with Andi - my closest and first friend in Elbasan (remember the lost glasses in PST III?) at our weekly volleyball game - Andi's pics of the whole game in an FB album

I told Klajdi, number 10, that if he didn't crack a smile Andi was going to keep taking pictures!

And then a goodbye to my favorite merchant who supplied me with chips, cokes, candy, and cigarettes. I never knew his name - no English, no Albanian - it was always shoku im (my friend) to each other; in my Albanian sign language I told him I was moving to Vlora, would he please smile? You can see it worked!

And finally goodbye to Mara and Hekuran just downstairs at the Fast Food - I would finally take back the plates I accumulated because Hekuran insisted on wrapping my "take-away" dinners in them!

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Vlora is new for me but I’ve already started to get acquainted. Mitesh pretty much has guided me around: introducing me to people at the university, around town, getting a new bed (!), pushing the buttons on my temperamental washer – my Elbasan next door neighbor Johnnie can appreciate that!

Room with a view - kind of

The main campus of Ismail Qemali is right outside my door - thanks, Mitesh!!

Another couple of blocks and I come to my new office

My first day of school and this is my twenty-five minute walk

Through the Ini Cafe and I run into Farjoli, who works at the Bar Libri right next to the main campus

And then the last couple of blocks to my campus

If I turn to the left from the gate I go straight to my building; but I usually go straight ahead for another coffee!

This last week I asked one of the kids to take some pictures of the class and the students - she got this one of me and a couple out the window! I'll put some up later.

And maybe hit this killer market on the way back to the office

And then back to the Bar for a rest-up. These guys are great - double cappuccino first thing and then singles after that. And they always make sure I'm OK. Though, it's going to be tough to beat Klajdi, Gramos (El Mossito!), Kristina and Marzeta. 

What a great day! A hell of a day!! BAM!!!

With Sidorel and Ervin - check this out: at the end of a very long day I get home to open up an FB message and a photo! "My friend, you forgot the charger." Amazing - it's good to have friends.

One of my new colleagues at the university has also taken her time to make sure I get squared away OK. I’m teaching one graduate course this term – Psycholinguistics. Which is great because my last linguistics course was back when some of us were still making the shift from Middle English to Early Modern English. The kids are great and when I’m not in class I’m down at the new coffee office working on preps.

With Professor Ilda....................................and my little buddy!

All in all, I landed safely. Mitesh told me he needed a break and back in January (before things started to click) he convinced me to come along. With university permission (!) the two of us are headed off to Amsterdam early Sunday morning. I’ll get some stuff up on that when we get back.

My best to all of you. XOXO

Oh yeah, my dear friend in the Aleksander Xhuvani University HR Office translated my teaching contract for me just before my last moving trip – I guess a “Visiting Professor” is somewhere up there in the academic food chain. Cool.