So in the first couple of weeks that I’ve been here, I’ve been trying to find structure and potential project ideas as I meet a ton of new people and put my roots down. I’ve had more coffees than can be imagined (and thank goodness “coffee” doesn’t mean I actually have to drink coffee…just the act of going is “coffee” and I can drink juice or water if I want to….or else I prob would have had a heart attack from the record 6 coffees I managed to go to in 1 day). I am working partially at an alternative school and partially at the Bashkia (Albanian version of city hall). Surprisingly, I find myself teaching A LOT more English than I ever would have expected. I am teaching about 7 classes now, and it will be 10 once I start English classes at the Bashkia. And I’m also teaching 4 computer classes a week at the alternative school. While I don’t feel fully equipped to teach English (not what my training was in for the last 3 months), it is good for me now to have structure and something to do in the summer when everyone else sort of takes a big break from work. Though none of the classes will continue in August because I think the whole country goes on pushime (“break”).
The alternative school is like a vocational school and is an alternative to the high school. Since students aren’t required to attend high school, they can go to the alternative school and learn a useful skill such as cooking or sewing. The school is part of a larger NGO based in Tirana that is called Useful to Albanian Women. My first week here I got to go to their first graduation which included a fashion show. The students made both traditional Albanian and modern Albanian clothes. This gave me a chance to see the cultural palace (insert your own air quotes since it’s a great rendition of communist architecture), which I’m hoping will be a potential venue for many projects and community events and hopefully provide an opportunity for me to teach some dance classes in the future.
Otherwise it’s been kind of crazy for the election that is coming up on June 28th. My city is definitely majority Democratic which is in support of Sali Berisha (current Prime Minister). The other dominant party is the Socialist party under the leadership of Edi Rama (current mayor of Tirana). It’s kind of typical election hype…both Berisha and Rama have made it to Burrell in the last week. And almost every day there’s a DP for the PD (my abbreviation for “dance party” for the “party democratic”). Everyone always asks what party I support and I don’t support any since I’m supposed to be non-political in the Peace Corps. …though I am considering revising this to “I support anyone who is of the dance party.” But I honestly don’t know enough about Albanian politics anyways to make an informed decision. It’s just frustrating because neither party really has a party platform except “change for Albania” but no other major divisive issues or obvious differences. And both parties blatantly use America to garner support when America doesn’t officially support either party (seriously…American flags are flown alongside the Albanian one and the EU flag). It’s also frustrating when people ask me if I’m a democrat in America and I say yes because here the democrats are more like the Republicans in the U.S. and the socialists more like the American democrats (but people here don’t understand that).
It’s been fun getting to explore the city…which mainly means staking out grocery stores and good coffee spots. Me and my site mate Kristen (who is an English teacher) have been cooking wonderful meals since we’ve been here! We both LOVE to cook and we’ve already had some interesting experiments with food! I’ve also gotten the chance to make chocolate chip cookies, cherry cardamom scones, pesto grilled cheese, and soynut butter and banana sandwiches for my office (they didn’t quite understand the last one…they don’t do bananas on sandwiches here). I’m hoping to also teach the cooking kids at the alternative school how to make various ethnic foods…Mexican, Indian, Thai, etc. in the future.
Time is already flying by and I can only imagine that these 2 years will pass like nothing.
The alternative school is like a vocational school and is an alternative to the high school. Since students aren’t required to attend high school, they can go to the alternative school and learn a useful skill such as cooking or sewing. The school is part of a larger NGO based in Tirana that is called Useful to Albanian Women. My first week here I got to go to their first graduation which included a fashion show. The students made both traditional Albanian and modern Albanian clothes. This gave me a chance to see the cultural palace (insert your own air quotes since it’s a great rendition of communist architecture), which I’m hoping will be a potential venue for many projects and community events and hopefully provide an opportunity for me to teach some dance classes in the future.
Otherwise it’s been kind of crazy for the election that is coming up on June 28th. My city is definitely majority Democratic which is in support of Sali Berisha (current Prime Minister). The other dominant party is the Socialist party under the leadership of Edi Rama (current mayor of Tirana). It’s kind of typical election hype…both Berisha and Rama have made it to Burrell in the last week. And almost every day there’s a DP for the PD (my abbreviation for “dance party” for the “party democratic”). Everyone always asks what party I support and I don’t support any since I’m supposed to be non-political in the Peace Corps. …though I am considering revising this to “I support anyone who is of the dance party.” But I honestly don’t know enough about Albanian politics anyways to make an informed decision. It’s just frustrating because neither party really has a party platform except “change for Albania” but no other major divisive issues or obvious differences. And both parties blatantly use America to garner support when America doesn’t officially support either party (seriously…American flags are flown alongside the Albanian one and the EU flag). It’s also frustrating when people ask me if I’m a democrat in America and I say yes because here the democrats are more like the Republicans in the U.S. and the socialists more like the American democrats (but people here don’t understand that).
It’s been fun getting to explore the city…which mainly means staking out grocery stores and good coffee spots. Me and my site mate Kristen (who is an English teacher) have been cooking wonderful meals since we’ve been here! We both LOVE to cook and we’ve already had some interesting experiments with food! I’ve also gotten the chance to make chocolate chip cookies, cherry cardamom scones, pesto grilled cheese, and soynut butter and banana sandwiches for my office (they didn’t quite understand the last one…they don’t do bananas on sandwiches here). I’m hoping to also teach the cooking kids at the alternative school how to make various ethnic foods…Mexican, Indian, Thai, etc. in the future.
Time is already flying by and I can only imagine that these 2 years will pass like nothing.
1 comment:
:o) start a dance class! you make me smile all over! i hope you get to start one! i'll be praying for it!
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