scribble without a cause

Pets over humans?

2008-12-03T13:45:00.001-08:00

I've recently been challenged to think of how highly we think of our pets at times. A couple of my Albanian friends have mentioned that pals of theirs treat their pets better than them. I thought about it for a while and thought how true it really is. Why is it that some of us love up on our animals and treat other humans like trash? We get excited & call out to an animal when it enters the room, but sometimes ignore a friend who walks through the door. I'm not saying that we shouldn't appreciate our cuddly critters, but let's put our priorities back in the correct order!

Driving!!

2008-06-26T13:23:00.000-07:00

Can I just say that I am absolutely loving driving here in America?! I love just rolling the windows down, cranking the music up (country, usually) and letting the wind blow through my hair as I sing at the top of my lungs like I'm the only person in the world. I love it. When people complain of traffic, I tell them "B-b-b-baby you just ain't seen n-n-n-nothing yet!" God hooked me up with a great reliable Nissan Altima with tinted windows & satellite radio! :)

Loving funky foods

2008-03-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

So I'm loving eating all the American foods that got the nose crinkle in Albania...things like sweet meat (that includes BBQ, ketchup, anything sweet that we don't even realize is sweet), a little bit of salt in our sweet cookies (I tried explaining that we use it to activate the rising agents, but the response was "They were good, but make them without salt next time."), french toast and pancakes that are not deep fried or eaten with salty, sour cheese, and hamburgers that do not have cucumbers or yogurt sauce on them. Some of the food there was quite a challenge for me, especially since they eat "salad" daily that consists of tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, olive oil and some salt. Anyone who knows me at all knows my avid appreciation for tomatoes. And then there was all the sour yogurts, cheeses, and something that resembled cottage cheese, but it was sourer and drier. Things that are not available in Albania include: brown sugar, peanut butter, chocolate chips, caramel, maple syrup, salsa, only three kinds of cheese (only one kind that melts), McDonald's!, fountain pop, free refills, and until recently cheddar cheese, pecans, and limes. There are probably more that I can't recall at the moment, so I'll have to update the list later. But there are some foods that I do miss from Albania...like sufllaqe (a pita with rotisserie chicken or pork, french fries, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers and yogurt) and byrek (phillo dough with an assortment of fillings (the cottage cheese stuff mentioned eariler, meet and onion, spinach, or tomato and onion. Very flavorful.

Rupdate

2008-02-09T19:11:00.000-08:00

This update is in honor of my beloved friend Marianne who just reminded me that it's been way too long since I've posted anything. But part of that is because I had problems getting into my account. What can I say? I have been thoroughly enjoying living in Ohio, despite the lack of sunshine (it only shines like 1/3 of the year) and wretched cold (-20 with the wind chill occasionally). The whole time I was in Albania, I thoroughly missed the snow. After all, I'd rather have the beauty of snow over the gloominess of daily rain that goes on for days at a time. However, it's no fun when I'm running late for work and realized it snowed and now have to clean off my car! :) But I do really enjoy central heat and having it a comfortable 68 degrees in my house! And I enjoy the bathroom not being freezing cold when I have to go into shower. Ahhh...America!

Home for the holidays

2008-01-03T08:10:00.000-08:00

There's nothing like being home for the holidays, although the term "home" is taking on new meaning as I "mature". One thing I loved about being home was the almost palpable anticipation of Christmas. It hangs in the air. There's Christmas music EVERYWHERE you go, some stations play nothing but Christmas music, the lights, even my least favorite part (the shopping) gets you looking ahead to December 25. And then trying to make the celebration last as long as possible once the day finally arrives. Some of it is just plain disappointing though. All the emphasis these days is on buying gifts. Where did that concept even come from? I know some people say it comes from the wise men bringing gifts for Christ, but they had to walk so far I'm sure they didn't haul a whole sack of "stuff" with them. And at least at the house where I celebrated this year, we prayed before ripping the paper off the gifts. But sometimes I just look at what we've made it into in our materialistic society. It makes those of us not raking in the big bucks feel a bit pressured to buy something with wow factor for the whole list of people we know. I would never want to receive a gift given out of obligation, and giving one doesn't invoke the kind of feeling that giving a heartfelt gift presents. So while I thoroughly enjoyed being with people I love for the holidays, there are parts of how we celebrate our best friend's birthday that utterly annoy me.

Black Friday, Whacked Friday!

2007-11-26T17:12:00.000-08:00

OK, so this is the first time in three years that I've had to witness "Black Friday", the whacked out shopping spree that takes place on the day after you just gave thanks for all the great things God's given you when you go out shopping for all the things you lack. Does this make any sense at all? The fact that people get up to be waiting outside a store at 4 am is just plain insanity! The only thing that should take place at that hour is sleep! Who on earth would put themself through the torture of getting up at 3am so you can get to the store for the "once in a lifetime deals" just to have to push your way through swarms of people and wait in long lines? Oh, and let me guess you probably put it all on your charge card because you don't really have the money to be spending, but who can pass up a deal like this? Take a step back and evaluate folks, what the season of celebrating hope and joy coming to earth has turned into! It's turned into a season of materialism, debt, selfishness, coveting, and complaining. Not exactly what Christ pictured his birthday bash to be like.

Free minutes?!

2007-09-29T15:53:00.000-07:00

One thing I'm loving here in America is free cell phone minutes! There is no such thing in Albania...you pay for every second you talk and every text you send (roughly 20 cents/minute and 25 cents/text!). So every time I call and it's free or rollover minutes, I have an urge to sit back and say "Ahhh, some of the best things in life really ARE free!" :)

Going out with a wet head!

2007-06-26T10:28:00.000-07:00

One thing I love about being in the States is being able to take a shower and just leave without having to blowdry my hair! If this happens in Albania, numerous people will say "You're going to catch a cold!" even though I try convincing them over and over and over again that there is no scientific evidence of GETTING a cold from BEING cold (after checking with the doctor on our team, of course). They are convinced that things like sitting on concrete, leaving a window open so a breeze can come in, leaving the fan on all night (even if it's 95 degrees), sitting close to an air conditioner, and going out with a wet head (regardless of outside temperature) will cause near death pneumonia! Another favorite home remedy that I heard was for a fever. If you soak your socks in raki (moonshine) and then put them on your forehead, it's supposed to cure fever. I think it just gets your mind off the fever and onto other things (like the smelly socks!).

No subtitles??

2007-06-26T09:16:00.001-07:00

Another interesting thing about being home is having so much TV in English...with no subtitles! Especially when we get old JAG re-runs in Albania with Albanian subtitles. I kept flipping through the stations expecting to see Portugese soap operas or hoochie mama music videos (oh wait, they have those here, too!) :)

The TP thrust!

2007-06-25T14:36:00.001-07:00

One thing that's hard to get used to in America is being able to flush the toilet paper when you go. In Albania, the waste system can't handle it, so there are little trash cans right by the toilet. It takes a few times of doing double takes when you come back before you get used to just THROWING & FLUSHING!

Carpet cleaning

2007-06-13T08:34:00.001-07:00

Vacuum sweepers are a luxury here in Albania (along with clothes dryers, air conditioners, bath tubs, etc.). So how do we clean the nasty carpet? We hang it over the balcony and take the course side of a wet, soapy sponge to it! Just one of the occassions when I wish people back home could see me now! :)

Bushi's watch NOT stolen in Albania!

2007-06-13T08:00:00.001-07:00

The buzz going around town was that Bush's $50 Timex watch was stolen during his visit here in Albania. The record was set straight...Bush removed it himself and put it out of harm's way! For a correction, check out Youtube again!

Bush comes for a visit!

2007-06-11T05:56:00.001-07:00

President Bush visited Tirana, Albania on June 10. Prime Minister Sali Berisha was all smiles! All over town you could find Albanian and American flags, as well as ones reading "We're proud to be partners." and "Welcome President Bush...making history". It was a lock-down secure day. No one shoed up for church except me because most of the roads were closed not only to traffic, but to pedestrians as well. Needless to say, it was a frustrating day to have my very own president here and not be able to get within eyesight of him. Meanwhile, some people had gathered at "Skenderbej Square" to welcome him. However, I felt imprisoned and couldn't wait for the visit to be over just to be able to go out! Had I been able to see or even meet Bush, the day would have been different...

the road to healing

2007-06-06T06:09:00.000-07:00

There are no chiropractors in Albania! I've been experiencing neck & shoulder pain for about 3 weeks now, and decided to finally go get it checked out at the Korean-run physical therapy center here in Albania. It was quite the trip trying to find the place! I went to the road mentioned on their address, rode my bike up and down the road & still couldn't find it! It ended up I had to go off the beaten path down a very bumpy road and wind my way around the "Arab apartment buildings that are sky blue and white" and asked about 5 people along the way. Just as I was about ready to give up, I found the sign. It ended up I was at the back of the building and it was about a city block away from the road of their address. The bumpy dirt road made my neck pain even worse! So long mapquest & google earth, hello landmarks! :)

Driving is crazy!!!

2007-05-24T03:32:00.000-07:00

If you think traffic is crazy where you live, consider that in Albania, the first thing to go out in an electricity outage are the traffic lights! And although there are several traffic "laws", not many of them are actually followed. This makes biking the best mode of transportation, since you also avoid the hassle of trying to find a parking space! However, there are times when you just need a "makina" (Albanian word for car that we use even while speaking English since it's a bad work in Albanian). But not a lot of foreign women drive, because, well it's just plain stressful! I ventured out to a local port city this past weekend with three of my teammates in a Land Rover. At the end of the trip, my teammates chimed, "We think you're ready for the Hummer!"

Lights out!

2006-11-27T05:56:00.000-08:00

I was teaching English this week, and the topic was "Jumping to Conclusions". The students were all given a scenario and they had to come to their own conclusion about what had happened. The scenario went something like this: Carol lives alone and came home to find her TV and radio on. Carol knows she hadn't left them on when she left. One of my students raised his hand and said, "Maybe there was no electricity when she left, and it came on while she was gone." I just had to laugh! That probably never would have came to my mind if it were not for having lived in a country with frequent power outages. :)

"Personal space"

2006-11-21T07:48:00.000-08:00

We as Americans value our personal space. For example, you walk into a restaurant and try to choose a space away from the rest of the people. Albanians are the exact opposite. I experienced this just this morning. I went to a Christian-owned restaurant to work on something that required some peace and quiet. There was hardly anyone there when I went in, so I chose a quiet corner table. About an hour later a couple of girls walked in. I could tell by where they sat that they were Albanians. Out of all the tables, they chose the one RIGHT NEXT TO ME! I've experienced this several times. We like to go into a restaurant and choose a place with no one around, whereas they like to be close to people. Another cultural difference!

from the homefront

2006-05-30T08:07:00.000-07:00

Being home has made me realize how different my two world are! It was so nice to come back to street signs and house numbers when trying to find someone's house for the first time the other day. In Albania, directions involve finding the nearest known landmark, then going close to it and making a ring on the cell phone (just a ring since it's so expensive to use your cell phone) and then the person comes to meet you and show you how to get there. Then you're expected to find it on your own the next time! I've also enjoyed little things, like being able to flush the toilet paper and being able to say the word "car" without looking who's around. In Albania, "car" is a really bad word, so even when speaking in English, we usually still use the Albanian word "makina" instead. I've enjoyed driving so much! I've only driven about six times in the last two years I've spent in Albania, and it's so nice to get in the car, roll the windows down, crank the radio and just drive with the wind blowing through my hair! Two words--air conditioning! I've really enjoyed the green color here. There is very little grass and greenery in Albania, and since Ohio has had two weeks of rain, it's so green here and the trees and grass look beautiful. There are things I miss about Albania, but I'm just really enjoying being home!

don't forget your change

2006-05-10T08:30:00.000-07:00

I love that the majority of stores in Albania usually don't have change to give you. So the simple solution--a piece of gum, a single teabag, a box of matches, etc. You can even buy cigarettes individually here!

special offer!

2006-05-04T06:22:00.000-07:00

So I went to the EuroMax yesterday with my two best friends. This is the newest, best shopping center in Tirana (doesn't even close to a Wal-Mart). While there, I stumbled upon a special offer that was so hard to pass up. They were offering Kraft mayonaise with a free cosmetic kit! Check that out! Or maybe they were thinking of lice removal--mayonaise with the little eyebrow comb??? Who knows!

The Canal

2006-03-17T10:09:00.000-08:00

The distinguishing landmark of Tirana is the canal that runs through the middle of it. It's known for its unmistakable smell since a lot of sewage runs off into it. If I could put it on a scratch and sniff sticker and send it to you all, I would! The other humorous? part of this scenario is that it's where the majority of Tirana's men choose to relieve themselves. It's humorous because the road that runs parallel with it (properly named "the ring road", as it's similar to the Campus Loop) is one of the most busy roads in Tirana, and they are right out in the open doing their business. One of my friends even saw someone pop a squat the other day. Another interesting aspect is that there are public restrooms here, but since you have to pay the equivalent of about 20 cents. However, I can't really blame them because I know the conditions there CAN'T be pretty. I guess stage fright is not an issue for them!

Snot rocket

2006-03-17T09:54:00.000-08:00

Who is with me that blowing snot rockets should be illegal?

Going for a visit

2006-03-10T08:53:00.000-08:00

Albanians are very warm, hospitable, social people. I love that they are very affectionate and loyal. When you go for a visit to an Albanian, you have to take something with you like a kilo of fruit, something sweet, a fruit juice or a bottle of Cola. You have to greet in this order: men first in order of age, then women in order of age, then children. They'll ask you how you are in about 4 different ways, and you're supposed to answer "Good" no matter how you're really doing. Then you can set into normal conversation. You always have to have something in your house ready for guests because it's "turp" (shameful) if you don't. And you never serve what people just brought to you. If you know guests are coming, you usually pull out al the stops (put on the dog, as those southerners say I guess). My outgoing, hospitable personality goes well here!

Streetcleaners!

2006-03-10T08:51:00.000-08:00

The streetcleaners here are gypsy ladies with brooms made of twigs! Just a glimpse of my daily giggles!

Watch out for the manholes!

2006-03-09T09:49:00.000-08:00

Two of my team members have fallen into a manhole while walking within the past few weeks! And another friend fell into one while riding his bicycle (slowly, praise the Lord!) and his bicycle literally snapped in two! The "iron"y of it is that the gypsies "steel" all the manhole covers to cash in for a pettance and then the government has to go buy them back! So there are rarely covers on the manholes here, which causes you to have a bit more focus when you walk or ride your bike, or the bus (I also saw a man step off the bus directly into a manhole and had to have help getting out!) . Just another one of the daily challenges of living in Albania! :)

TWO years today!

2006-03-03T11:42:00.000-08:00

Today is the two year anniversary of getting on the plane to come to Albania! I arrived on March 4th and set out on my new adventure. It's been tiresome and hard at times, but to be honest I wouldn't trade it for the world! God has taught me so much about trusting Him because He's stripped me of all the comforts I could possibly rely on instead of Him! I just talked to my friend AMI at NUMC, and I was shaking because I was so excited just thinking about seeing all my fam again! I love you guys so much and have missed you in ways I can't even describe. Thank you all for being a part of it. May God get ALL the glory!

The infamous plastic bags

2006-02-20T08:54:00.000-08:00

One thing that cracks me up about living in this crazy place is the use of plastic bags for everything under the sun! Their packaging skills are a little limited. For example, go buy a kilo of butter, they slap it into a plastic bag and off you go. A dozen eggs (wait actually 10 eggs because 12 is just a weird number to use!), they go into a plastic bag and it's your responsibility to not let the knock together on the trek home. Herbs, plastic bag. Ground meat, plastic bag. Olives, plastic bag. Now, the quality of these bags is not very high so they also make for wind catchers when people "dispose" of them and they flutter into the wind and land on the nearest tree branch. The slightly higher quality ones also double for a shoulder bag or backpack when you have numerous things to carry from one location to another. I am assured that in heaven there will be no asking "Paper or plastic"!

INSIDE clothes!

2006-02-20T08:53:00.000-08:00

One of the things I quickly learned upon moving to Albania is this part of the culture where appearance really counts. But the humurous part to me is the concept of "inside clothes", which we Americans would call "bum clothes", you know the ones you wear to bum around in. The only thing is, there is a limit to how far you can go in those bum clothes here. I think it's the equivalent of a block. You can run to the corner store in your bum clothes, but if you're going any further, you must put on your "strolling clothes", which amount to our "church clothes". Of course that depends on your church nowadays. And the first thing you do when you get home is take off the nice clothes and put on your inside clothes. Does kind of make sense though when you're cooking and don't want to get oil splattered all over that new shirt you just bought! That's food for thought!

Power to the People!

2006-01-17T01:57:00.000-08:00

Imagine your world for a moment without the following: copyright law, Food & Drug Administration (you worry about what's in your food when there's someone checking it!), Worker's compensation, welfare, even simple traffic laws that are enforced (my favorite is turning right from the left hand lane regardless of whether there is a vehicle in the other lane!). Sometimes I find myself going, "Wait a minute! That's not legal!" And then it hits me that I'm no longer in Kansas anymore! A simple bribe that amounts to $2 can get you out of just about any situation with the traffic police, and corruption still runs rampant in this country. There are students in university that are having a hard time getting their diploma because they refuse to either sleep with their professor or pay a bribe, so the prof just keeps failing them regardless of the grade they deserve. I tell you all this to appreciate the democratic society you live in, as well as to pray for justice to come to Albania. God is the only one that can solve the deeply ingrained mentalities of this country, and a lot of people say it will take the current generation to die off before change will truly happen. Let's pray that God will do amazing things because nothing is too big for Him and He rewards those who seek after justice and righteousness!

Resealable socks?

2005-12-27T08:52:00.000-08:00

I just received 3 packages of socks for Christmas, all in re-sealable plastic bags. Can someone tell me what that is about? Is that to keep them fresh or is it to put the dirty ones back into so you can contain the stench? Especially when some people in the country I live in go a week or more without changing them! Help me out on this one.

Son of a Preacher Man

2005-12-27T08:28:00.000-08:00

My friend here in Albania was talking about how her sister married a pastor's son and they made all the guests a CD with various songs on it, including "Son of a Preacher Man". The song later popped into my head, and I started thinking how there are little to no pastor's sons available here in Albania! There are very few Christians old enough to have a son my age, let alone to have a Christian son! Think about a whole generation gap within Christianity! Since Albania has been closed off from the rest of the world by Communism for roughly 50 years, everything stopped advancing during that time. They were not allowed to listen to foreign radio or television stations, and everyone was afraid that their own spouse would turn them in. Please pray for this new generation of believers who will set the foundation for new traditions and mentalities in Albania!

Christmas traditions

2005-12-23T06:19:00.000-08:00

Living in Albania has taught me how deeply Christmas is engrained into American culture. Just think of all the Christmas songs that we have to commemorate one day of the year. Christmas is just another day here in Albania--which is a plus when you need to run to the store for that last-minute sack of flour! But it's sad in the sense that this country doesn't even pause to celebrate the most miraculous day in history. Even of the Albanian believers that I've asked, "How are you going to celebrate Christmas?", most of them reply by saying their family doesn't celebrate because they are not Christians. Imagine growing up your whole life not celebrating Christmas! No Christmas cookie bake day, no wrapping gifts and hoping the recipient doesn't find the hiding place, no Christmas Eve candlelight service (my personal favorite), no Christmas caroling (my second favorite), no putting up the tree (or disposing of it, my least favorite), no Christmas shopping with Amy Grant on the loudspeaker, no stockings, and no guilt trip that if you're not good, Santa will bring you a lump of coal. In all seriousness, I grieve that I live in a country that doesn't have that festive, goodwill spirit this time of year. Pray that God would use this time to shine His light upon this people and show them the wonders of His love.

Time on my hands

2005-12-07T02:56:00.000-08:00

One of the things I love about Albania is the slower pace of life. Albania is a relationship-based society versus our American time-based society. This means it's OK if I'm half an hour late to a meeting because I met someone along the road and stopped to have a coffee with them. But this also means that some people stop their cars in the middle of the tangled traffic to greet someone they haven't seen in a while.

Living in Albania has given me the time and opportunity to try new things or develop hobbies. For example, since coming to Albania, I have learned how to cook lots of things from scratch, I've learned to knit (check out the hat I made all by myself!), sewing myself a dress, I've started scrapbooking, and my newest adventure is learning to play the guitar! I feel adventurous, getting to try new things and enjoy the new creation God is making me into!

Muddy Season

2005-12-01T02:15:00.000-08:00

Someone once made the comment that Albania only has two seasaons--dust and mud. We are now entering the season of rain and mud. With the nice potholed roads, it makes walking somewhere without being splashed a big challenge. You kinda have to make a game out of it in order to not get frustrated! We've also been having major power outages (no electricity for 8-10 hours a day) because of the lack of planning. The hydroelectricity plant's reservoir has been nothing more than a puddle for some time now. All these things together makes Albania quite the gloomy place in the wintertime. So please keep praying that God would restore our joy, and that we would still be shining the light to those around us.

Ironing out the wrinkles

2005-11-27T06:04:00.000-08:00

When I first came to Albania, I lived with an Albanian family for three months. This time taught me so much, good and bad, and I would never trade the experience for anything! One thing I learned is that with the lack of clothes dryers here, they iron EVERYTHING! They even iron their unmentionables, towels, sheets, everything. I have done more ironing here in Albania in the past two years than I have my whole life, hands down. I don't have that nice option of throwing something in the dryer for 10 minutes and throwing it on. It gets a little rough in the winter when you either have to hope they dry before freezing or else find a place inside and hope that condensation doesn't cause mold! So next time you pull those nice warm clothes out of the dryer, praise God for the convenience!

the bus stops here!

2005-11-16T02:24:00.000-08:00

I saw quite the site the other day and just thought I would share this one with you. I saw the "Ring road" bus stopped at an intersection where there was no official bus stop, but he still opened the door to let a young, skimpy-dressed girl onto the bus. But afterwards, he slammed the door shut and would not let either an older woman or another young man board the bus. They stood outside the bus pleading with the bus driver to let them on, but to no avail! Chalk it up to lack of laws against discrimination!

appearance counts!

2005-11-05T03:48:00.000-08:00

A hard adjustment to Albanian culture was hearing "You're fat. You need to eat less." Even though the literally means "healthy", they use it with the same connotations. Often, my mental response is "How exactly is that supposed to make me feel?", especially when the comments come from my Christian friends who think nothing of it. And in general, Albanians are not very tall. So needless to say, when I walk down the street, I stick out a bit. And the response is that people strain their neck looking at me, and sometimes making comments like "Mashallah". This means something is really good, and is a saying to keep away the evil eye. But sometimes I want to Mashallah them in the nose when men say it while I'm passing by. Pray that God will affirm to me that my inner is more important to Him than my outer, and that He finds me extravagant.

I'm now a shopper!

2005-10-28T05:39:00.000-07:00

I wish I could show you the anguish that would come to my face when my mother used to say "We're going to the mall!" I would groan and grumble until it was time to go home. The only fun part was getting to drive the 45 minutes to the nearest mall when I got my driver's license. But my recent trip to Athens has shown me that I've been transformed! I believe this is due to the lack of Wal-Mart's. It used to be my one-stop-shopping place. But since there's not a lot of variety or quality here in Albania, every chance I get to see something different or just go window shopping is enjoyable. It seems like I take every advantage I can to get the things that I can't find in Albania (or are way too expensive to buy). I think Mom would be proud!

land of hypochondriacs

2005-10-25T10:51:00.000-07:00

As you've probably heard on the news, the bird flu is hitting Eastern Europe, as close as Romania or Turkey. The reaction of some Albanians is not to eat any more poultry products. So it's becoming much more difficult to find eggs and chicken in the stores. Albanians are typically hypochondriacs, and no matter what ailment you have, their response is "You've caught cold." And you had better not drink cold water or you'll get a sore throat. And if you have a sore throat, don't by any means, eat ice cream or anything cold! My favorite is this: if you're a girl and you sit on the cold cement without anything underneath you, YOUR OVARIES WILL FREEZE! Sometimes I just have to chuckle, but sometimes it gets downright frustrating. Especially when you're not allowed to walk barefoot in your own house! I guess 50 years of limited access to the outside world has had its toll on the medical field as well as everything else! :)

bus cram

2005-10-25T10:39:00.000-07:00

One of the "fun" parts of living in Albania is public transportation. It's usually not a pleasant experience. Not only do they not run on a regular schedule, but just when you think "There is NO possible way more people could fit in this space", they somehow FIND room! You get to hear them yelling "Move up more so people can get on" while I'm thinking "WHERE exactly do you want me to go??" Sometimes they are literally hanging out of the bus! My favorite bus story has to be when I thought there was no room left so I was standing on the stairs when along came a woman who thought otherwise and helped me out by placing her hands on my buttocks and pushing me up the steps. Talk about invasion of personal space!! And then when it's your stop, you have to push by all the people so that you can get out before the driver decides to slam the door shut. And you have to make sure that you keep track of your things because pickpocketers sometimes work in conjunction with the bus drivers! But today was one of my unusual good experiences where I actually got to use my bus ride as a prayer time and just really thanked God for not being stressed out about it. Praise God for small miracles!

scribbling away

2005-10-19T04:56:00.000-07:00

While vacationing away in Athens, Greece and realizing how different life was just across the border, I realized it would be good to let people know the litte idiosyncrisies that make my life so different here. Feel free to comment away if you have any advice or just find humor in my Albanian lifestyle! For example, a few things I noticed in Greece that it was nice having manhole covers so that I didn't have to worry about falling into a big, gaping hole while walking down the street! In Albania, the gypsies steal them and scrap them for the metal, and then the government has to turn around and buy them back! Crazy!