Experience Albania: Travel, Pictures, History, Culture

 This man was set, with his little plastic stool and a nice view of the action along one of the main roads in Berat.
He was singing a tradiational Albanian tune and I couldn’t pass it up.

Here’s a look around my apartment, having lived in it for five months now.
The walls are a bit more decorated:
 
Plants are growing:
 
Shoes are piling up:
 
And here’s the rest:
 
 My latest to do list.

Stop and have a coffee, stop and chat with your neighbor, stop and visit your friend/cousin/grandpa/etc.
 
I ran into three of my students after school on Friday. I had time, they had time. We stopped to sit down, chat, and drink something together.
I learned more about them, they had a chance to ask me new questions, [...]

I experienced my first earthquake early last week. It wasn’t a rictor scale breaker, but I definitely felt the shaking and saw the books, tape player, etc. move and teeter around on my counterpart’s shelf.
I attended my very first aerobics class with my friend Ersa yesterday. I can’t believe I hadn’t discovered this gym before. It’s for [...]

I’m not tiring from taking photographs anytime soon, even after a year and even while I’m in my hometown of Berat. There are too many scenes I want to capture throughout an ordinary day or walk, etc.
So here are a few of my latest over the past week. There’s nothing extraordinary about any of these [...]

I can’t help but think it’s June when I walk around these days:
 The flower markets are out.
 Gardens are growing - here’s a look at James’ landlord’s garden.
 Clear skies with a few scatterd clouds hovering above Mt. Tomori.

The view when standing on the new bridge in Berat.
 
It’s good to be back, althought a bit daunting to be in the ’sink or swim’ position. One year down, one to go. I’ve been thinking a lot about what I’ve just accomplished (March 2006-present day) and what lies ahead (the rest of April 2007-June 2008). [...]

 We had a crew of new trainees visiting Berat last weekend. They arrived in Albania about four weeks ago and in order to give them some context for information they get in training, a weekend spent with current volunteers is a great chance for them to see things in action. I vividly remember mine last [...]

My Albanian readers will appreciate my bringing up ‘the gabi.’ I am always sure to get a giggle out of anyone when I tell them that this or that article of clothing was purchased at the gabi.
The gabi refers to the section of outdoor markets where people sell used clothes, shoes, toys, you name it. [...]

Here’s a quiz for you:
Where in Berat can you find these animals?
 
Hint: One over looks the city, while the other roams around the main streets.