So this past weekend I was able to spend some time with another volunteer who is placed in Berat. It was a FABulous weekend for learning what to expect in the next 2 years, though I did feel entirely spoiled from eating vegetables, drinking large mugs of tea, being able to read the NY Times in my inbox, and sleeping in a double bed! It was about a 2.5 bus ride to get there from Elbasan, but Berat is beautiful! It is cleaner than Elbasan and slightly smaller in size. I spent the weekend hanging out with other volunteers placed there and the 2 that went down with me (in various other sectors of Health, Community Development, and TEFl). Sunday we got a chance to tour the castle and had our own special Albanian tour guide who was able to unlock some of the Byzantine churces that were up at the castle. It's kind of fun to explore a castle that isn't really restricted by the administration running it...because we were able to explore everything and climb on top of everything and it was fabulous! It's also crazy because apparently only .1% of the site has been excavated...so I'm sure there is a cultural/architectural treasure trove that's waiting to be opened!
The girl that I stayed with is in Community Development and I got to go into work with her on Monday. She works at the Bashkia (the equivalent of our city hall/municipality) and helps with various projects. Her Albanian counterpart just got a promotion to Director of Tourism, so she will probably get more involved with that in the coming year...which is something that she initially wanted to work with anyways. She is also helping a Health volunteer develop a community garden outside of a home for mentally disabled children. Similar to other post-communist countries (and it was the same in the Czech Republic), people with mental and physical disabilies were marginalized under communism. And while conditions are better now, it still seems like they don't have the capacity or trained staff to support special education.
It DEF was helpful to realize how much of my future job is going to be unstructured and that I will have to measure success in very different standards than I would if I was in America. However, I'm excited to know my placement so I'll have an idea of where I'll be for the next 2 years! ...I will find out next Friday where I'm placed!
Otherwise, everything is great! Check out previous post for full pictures. Me and my site mates are working on our community project that we're hoping to implement in the next 2 months so I'll keep you posted on our progress. Love you all!
1 comment:
Keep up the great work posting. We are all reading every word and checking out each picture that you can make time to post.
Spring is certainly here in VB as the pine and oak trees are turning everything that springy yellow that you remember so well.
I heard on some biology channel that the there are more species of trees in one acre of the Applachian Mountains that in all of Europe. Enjoy the ones you have. I know you will appreciate the shade this summer.
Stay safe.
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