To Tirana...

Greetings:

I know, it’s been quite a while since my last post – been pretty busy – and this one is brief. Since that post I have moved to the Tirana, the capital of Albania and started this semester teaching at Beder University - http://www.beder.edu.al/.

Early morning preps from my apartment balcony.

Time in Vlora was great; wonderful people, some good colleagues at the university, and I made some new friends. But at the end of the term last spring, with a new university rector, new department head, and a bit of misguided pressure to pass a student (“Now, tell me again, who is this guy?”), I was out of work again. Bummer. So, with the help of Mitesh I kept my fall busy teaching private lessons at my various coffee shop offices. Had a great time doing that – good kids.

Then in December I got a call from the Vice-Rector at Beder University in Tirana who had gotten word through the Albanian academic pipeline (thanks again, Mitesh) about a stranded American academic looking for a new place. So, a face-to-face meeting, a tour of the facilities, all the right answers to my questions about the academic environment, and BAM! – a new home, a new experience, and back at it again. Yay!!

The term started in March but they wanted me on campus in January for conference talks, video voice-overs, workshops, visits to local high schools (near and far), and of course I really appreciated the time to prepare for three new classes: American Studies, Academic Writing, and Stylistics. Undergraduate work in Albania is completed in three years, and the English Language and Literature Department has a total of around eighty students – I get to teach every one of them.

Kickin' with my American Studies class

After living in a hotel for about a week, the Vice-Rector found an apartment right across the street from the university – five minutes door-to-door. The neighborhood is great and the locals are friendlier as hell: a great outdoor market around the corner for sundries, fruit and vegetable, another perfect barber, cleaners, mani-pedi shop (welcome to Tirana!), dentist, pasta dishes and the pizza as good as anything this side of the PIE in Salt Lake City.

Dinner at the International Hotel and the Skanderbeg Square makeover

Faculty dining room with Sami - who always serves me an extra portion; and one of the professors with the Islamic Studies Department - the collegiality around here is as good as it was back at the University of Utah - nice

The big difference at Beder compared to my experience at the universities in Elbasan and Vlora is quite remarkable. Are you ready for this? The professors have offices where they can work and meet with students! Yeah, I still have a coffee office for the early morning double cappuccino, and the gang at the Aba Bar makes me feel right at home.

One of my Stylistics students and a few of my first year Academic Writing kids

And without question, the two most important pieces in my day: Krisien, the IT guy who keeps things running smoothly; and Pulon, who gets me running every morning at 7am with my "dopio" Cappuccino - BAM!

With my new attorney, Julian, and Gazi

 ***

On the “Clubbing” front – only a quick note: finally (!!), a hearing a couple of weeks ago in Tirana, and another next month. Whatever the outcome (yeah, everyone is hopeful), Seattle this summer to make contact and get things rolling in the states. What a trip. (And I promise, these guys on the right do smile - but serious stuff, huh?)

Later, munchkins. My best to all of you.

XOXO