Host Family 101

So today when I was dropped off at my host house I was greeted by 3 amazing women! My host grandmother, mother, and sister all live at home while their brother and father work in Greece. I was greeted with many kisses on the cheeks and a few chest rubs by grandma. My sister Liza was especially excited and held my hand for at least the first 10 minutes that I was here. She also helped me unpack most of my stuff (which my room is a lot larger than I thought it would be and the bathroom does have a western-style toilet…no crazy turks for me at home at least…and looks like it was recently remodeled). The house is beautiful and much nicer than I thought I would be in. While I unpacked it was kind of funny listening to the sounds of roosters and cows right below my window because I certainly am not used to this living in Virginia Beach.

I probably should be erring more on the side of caution…but I figure if I’m going to get sick at some point, it might as well be in the beginning so I can build up my immune system. For dinner we had a sort of beef stew with bread, custard with biscotti, and fruit. I’m not quite sure where everything appeared from (since I haven’t seen the kitchen which is on the 1st floor…and I’m not sure if I will until I’m not considered a guest anymore). But already I’m pretty sure I’ve drank unpasteurized milk (directly from the cow in the back yard), eaten fruit that’s been washed in the water, and brushed my teeth with the water. We were told that there is usually a time to use water in the morning (from 6-8 am) and in the evening (from 4-6 pm). However, there is running water in my house all the time and I think it’s coming from the well outside…I’m not sure how sanitary it is but I’ve brushed my teeth with it twice…and I don’t have giardia yet! Though I definitely haven’t drank it directly and I did manage to convey to Liza what my water filter was. So I’ll put that into use soon!

My sister Liza has been super excited. Upon arriving she took me into her room to show me her jewelry and make-up and her favorite clothes. She also showed me all of her pictures of friends and her favorite ringtones on her phone (yes, everyone here has a cell phone…even if they don’t have running water 24 hours a day or toilets that flush). It’s kind of sad to see how much of the younger culture here is influenced by American pop culture. Her favorite song is “Right Now” by Akon and of course she knows Britney Spears and Beyonce, etc. But I’m pretty positive that she doesn’t understand most of what’s being said in the songs (and I’m 100% sure that most of the older Albanian women have NO idea of what’s being said or they probably wouldn’t let her listen to it).

Liza has been super helpful though. I’ve spent most of the last 24 hours walking around with the dictionary glued to my hand and I’ve picked up a few crucial words and been able to convey most things that I need. In typical Albanian fashion, since Liza is the youngest daughter all of the chores are left to her. She set and cleaned the table and swept the living room when we were done. She moved all of the dishes away and I helped…but again, the kitchen is still a mystery to me. I would say that the house is pretty comparable to my house back in the states in terms of size, but people just have a lot less STUFF (Jess I think you would enjoy this minimalist culture). Consumerism hasn’t quite set in here yet. Like Hill (our country director) was saying, basic needs in Albania are met…it’s not like Africa where it’s a struggle to just get clean drinking water and other physical needs met. Here they are at a stage where those things are present but there are many other fundamental problems that affect progress. The most noticeable is the lack of a public sanitation/garbage collection system (I still haven’t figured out where the trash can is in my house). There is trash everywhere outside…next to rivers, on the sides of the street, in the roads, etc.

I’m headed in to town in a little bit to check it out with the other 4 volunteers. Today is shopping day…so I’m sure we’ll get our fair share of stares since everyone is out and about…and we stick out like 80s pops stars at a Renaissance fair. And since us girls will be walking around with men!!