Those of you who are teachers, have you ever had students ask you to wear a certain outfit for their next class? Yes, you read that question correctly. And because I know what you want to ask, I'll answer: yes, my students did ask me that. lol On Monday at the end of class with the Yellow Group (the one that's all girls between 9-13) a few of them asked me if I could wear my green dress for their next class. Haha! They were referring to a dress that had green and gray circles on it that I had worn a few classes earlier when we were talking about fashion. The dress illustrated a few points of the lesson and apparently this class really liked it. lol I didn't wear it for their next class, but I still thought that it was a humorous request. :)
On Tuesday, I witnessed an accident. From the first time I saw the ridiculous traffic here and found out the "everyone has the right of way" state of mind, I knew I would see an accident sooner or later. I did. I was riding my bike to church on my way to class. I ride in the bus lane because it's safer on that particular road (because it has 2-3 lanes in each direction and is always very busy) for bikes and scooters/mopeds/motorcycles to do that. Anyway, I was going one direction and there was a scooter coming the other direction. There was a cross street between us and just as the scooter reached it, a car whipped around the corner onto the side road from the main road. The driver didn't signal, honk, or even slow down. He just flew around the corner. The scooter driver (SD) slammed on his breaks, I heard his tires screech and saw his back one skid to the side, and then I saw him hit the back end of the car with a crash. It wasn't a really loud crash, but it attracted a little bit of attention.
Mr. SD fell with his bike to the ground. Luckily, the car stopped. I've heard that there are way to many hit and runs here. But the SD got up and just kind of looked around. I think he was a little stunned. I thought about stopping to ask if he was ok. But just as I realized I didn't know how to ask and that he wouldn't understand me, the car driver got out to check things over. I decided it would be best if I just kept riding, so I went passed. But I was thinking to myself, "Holy crap! I can't believe that just happened!" The last thing I saw was the SD kind of shake himself off and look at the car driver like, "What were you doing?" Then the car driver started talking and he didn't look happy. I figure they argued. Most people who get in accidents do from what I'm told. I didn't exactly want to witness that. No need to get the foreigner involved, right? ;)
I had one class that was particularly fun this week. On Wednesday night with the Blue Group (the intermediate/advanced students) we were practicing asking questions like "Will I....?" and answering "I will have to....." or "I won't have to...." and using that same structure for you/he/she/we/they. Our example from the lesson was a little skit with a guy talking to an army recruiter. First of all, things got funny when one of the questions in the example mentioned cleaning latrines. They thought latrine was a funny word for toilet. I agree. lol :) But things really took off when I gave them situations. I picked a student and said they were recruiting for something and they had to tell us what we would have to do. They had to convince us to do it.
The two boys, Ledio and Eraldi, had to recruit us to go camping with them. We had to sleep in a tent, go hunting, go fishing, make a fire, play lots of fun games, we would be gone for three days, and we were going in the winter. lol Kesi recruited us to work at her amusement park. We could ride as many rides as we wanted, we could be loud and crazy, we'd have lots of fun, we couldn't break anything, we had to clean up, and we wouldn't be paid. lol Olsa recruited us to come to her party. There would be good music with a DJ, great snacks, only people over 18, it would go from 7pm-11pm, there would be alcoholic drinks if people wanted them (drinking age is 18 here), there would be no smoking and no drugs, and there was no dress code. She recruited everyone. :) We did a few others too. It was fun because for as many things as they told us, there were also other questions to ask so they got lots of practice asking the form question and answering with the form sentence that were the target structures for the lesson.
Talking about everything that goes on at church--classes, Activity Night, church, etc.--brought me to a realization: I have not yet described our facility to you. Our church is really more like store front property that's on the ground floor of an apartment building. So we only have that one room of space. It's just one open room and it has to be converted from a church to a classroom. We leave everything up and put our marker board in front of the alter and use the "lectern" (podium) to hold our rosters and lesson plans. Since the altar is hidden, we use it as a desk to hide the rest of the stuff we'll need for class. Behind the alter is a dark green curtain. It provides a better backdrop for the church and there is a cross hanging from the ceiling against the curtain as well. Behind the curtain is our storage area (buildings and homes don't have closets here) along with the bathroom.
In the front, near the altar there is a keyboard and a guitar. There are 4 small tables set up facing the front of the church. There are three chairs at each table. Behind the tables, there is a little bit of space so it's not super crowded upon entering. On one side wall is a large bookshelf packed full with plenty of books, Bibles, lessons, and coloring books. There are cupboards on the bottom of the bookshelf which hold the communion supplies, extra alter candles, lanterns for when the power goes out, extra computer supplies, and coffee supplies. On the same wall, next to the bookshelf is a desk with the computer and a small printer/copier. Along the back wall, next to the door are two extra chairs. And across from the computer, on the opposite wall, there is a coat tree/umbrella stand.
On that same wall, since there was lots of space, I put up a big wall calendar like the one I had on my floor in the dorms when I was an RA. Some of you remember that. Each day is the size of a half sheet of paper. The date is in the left corner and the days of the week are labeled with the name of the month above. All the labels are in English and Albanian. I change the calendar for each month and change the events. I write the days when we don't have class, I mark activity nights, church times, choir practice times, and other events that come up. I also put people's birthdays on it. Just another way to get to know people and make connections.
That was really the only available wall space. The bookshelf takes up one wall, and there is a map on one side toward the front and a banner on the other side near the front. In between there are sort of "pillars" on the walls. It's just an area where the wall sticks out an extra two inches and is about two feet wide. One has a clock, the other has a picture of Jesus. Overall it's not a very big space, but it's functional. It gets very full on Activity Nights, but that's exactly what we want! :) So far it serves a good purpose.
And though there's only a small chance, I remain hopeful that we will be able to paint it over Christmas break. That would help a lot! It hasn't been painted for years and there are all sorts of dingy spots and marker marks on the walls. Since buildings are cement here, I can't just wash the walls as I would at home. Plus, the color scheme could be a lot more flattering. Right now it's light blue and and light orange/dark peach. We'd like to do something that would flatter the nice dark green curtain. The altar cloth matched the curtain and has gold-yellow runners on it with dark green crosses. Emily and I have a few ideas for color schemes and Agron is a good artist so he has a good eye too. There's a paint shop close by so he said if it gets the ok, we can go there and have them mix samples for us to try. I'm not holding my breath, but I do have my fingers crossed. ;) Just kidding, but I am praying that it can happen. Our building is functional but a new little make-over would make it more appealing and inviting. And impressions do count when people are "church shopping."
Anyway, that's all for now. I can't wait to be able to give you the low down on tomorrow's Halloween shindig! I've heard many costume ideas so we'll see what comes up. :) So as I say to my friends here, shihemi neser! (pr. she-HEM-ee NAY-sare) (aka. See you tomorrow!)
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Presents, Preparations, and People
What a week it has been! First of all, my parents sent so many goodies back with Emily that when she got here, it felt like Christmas! :) They sent things like ramen noodles, spices, chocolate chips, brown sugar, vanilla, Velveeta, body wash, lotion, a bath puff sponge thing, and I don't even remember what else because it was all so amazing! I know it sounds like simple silly little things, but the food stuff is all stuff that I can't find here. It will make cooking much easier and much more fun now. And the bath stuff they sent just because it's much cheaper in the States than it is here. They also sent along a beautiful card with a very encouraging message. All of it was greatly appreciated and if it hasn't been enjoyed already, it will be enjoyed in the future. ;) Actually, I've decided to kind of ration out these special food items so they last longer. lol (Dad, remember when you used to tell me I hoarded things as a kid? Well I guess that is coming in handy now! Haha!)
I was very excited to have Emily back, too! I made her soup for dinner and put up a welcome back sign and pretty much talked her ear off the first night she got back. :) It's been nice this week to have her around. For one, our apartment isn't so quiet. Secondly, I don't have to talk to myself anymore. (I know that makes me sound crazy, but admit it--you do it too sometimes. Haha!) ;) And thirdly, it's much easier to plan class and activities with another person around to bounce ideas off of and receive feedback from.
One of our big tasks this past week was getting the final documents together that we needed to take to the police station. Don't worry! We're not in trouble and we're not getting deported or anything....yet. ;) We need to have residency papers. Emily had to renew hers and I had to file for first time residency papers. There were lots of documents we needed including copies of our passports, extra pictures (we had to go get those taken), notarized copies of our rent contract, letters from Kingdom Workers saying that we are being supported and assisted while we are here, a letter of good conduct from the US Embassy, and a few other papers Agron filled out for us. We got those all together and turned in, though it took two mornings going around town to collect it all. Now, however, everything is turned in. Emily's visa was renewed when she got back here on Monday because she got a new stamp. Mine however, was extended once we had all the papers turned in. So we are now good to go until our official residency papers are in.
Classes went a little more smoothly this week than last week. There was still some confusion over if we were here or if we weren't. Plus, Monday was a holiday here, Mother Teresa Day, so there was no class. Some people in my blue group figured that since they didn't have class on Monday, they wouldn't have class on Wednesday either. So I had to do some rearranging of my lesson plans again so I'm really really hoping that this week everyone shows up and we can have a normal week to get back on track.
Activity night on Friday was not my finest moment. Let's just say I had a major brain fart (or mental blip if you like that term better). I knew that we were having another American Culture Night for our activity and that I was going to briefly and simply explain the process of voting for a President. Everyone here knows all about the election and many people ask questions about it. So I figured since it's a current event and the actual vote is right around the corner, we should talk about it. I put together a simple little PowerPoint and made a handout that explained things so they could follow in English as I was reading it and then listen as one of my students translated. I even found a YouTube clip of "Hail To The Chief" that I planned to play at the end. We got blue cups for drinks and some stars and stripes napkins that Mrs. Ahlers left us for snacks and I wore red, white, and blue. I got to church, arranged the room, and realized I not only forgot the adapter cord for my computer so I could plug it in, but I forgot the flash drive with the PowerPoint on it. Grrrr!!!! I was so frustrated!!!!
I am ridiculously organized. Most of you know this about me. In fact, most of you even call me anally organized. I know it and I can admit it. I tend to think that disorganization is a root of evil. So on the very very rare occasions where I lose something or forget something, it makes me really angry. I am always prepared so when something like this happens, it throws me for a loop and I don't feel like I did it to the best of my ability.
What did I do to solve the problem? The only thing I could--got back on the bus to go home and get the stuff. After the 10 minute bus ride, I had to walk 7 minutes home. For some reason, my shoes (sneakers!) gave be such bad blisters that when I took my shoes off at home, my heels were bleeding. So I got the stuff, changed shoes, and rode my bike to church because it's faster than the bus. I was so determined on the ride back that I think the look on my face must've scared some people because they got out of my way before I even had to ring my bell. I got there 25 minutes after I was supposed to have started. Thankfully, Emily had the goodness to help and used common sense to serve the snacks first so that was just being cleaned up when I got back.
I made the presentation, some people were more interested than others (as usual), and it was ok. I didn't feel like it was the best because my head was still spinning a little and because instead of one girl translating, another girl joined in to help and I think it got more confusing for people. But they recognized the pictures of the candidates, even the little kids. Plus, they were really intrigued with the ballot I showed them. I have already voted, but for some reason I got send another ballot. And since you can't vote twice without getting in trouble, I took the second one to show them. They also liked "Hail To The Chief" very much. They got silent immediately and some kids started directing, or saluting, and some even got up and marched in place. lol Too funny! So even though it didn't go how I wanted, I think it was a success.
There are two big projects for this coming week. First of all, we're starting a children's choir. We have so many kids and they all love to sing. So after church on Saturdays we're going to have practices and then we will start singing in church every few weeks. That way, kids will hopefully come more frequently. And the parents come when the children "perform" so hopefully the parents will come more and that will generate more interest. We'll see. Obviously we're saying our prayers about it too.
I picked the first to songs we'll sing: Praise Him, Praise Him All Ye Little Children! and Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah, Praise Ye The Lord! They're both very simple and have very few English words to learn. But I don't have accompaniment for them so I had to write it myself. I wrote simple accompaniment for both songs on Thursday. It was pretty fun! I didn't have any music paper with the staff on it though, so I had to draw it myself in a notebook. I'm not sure anyone but me could read it, but it works. :) I will give it this--it's a step up from chicken scratch. ;) Vitori even translated the words for me so I'm hoping we can sing it in Albanian too so that the parents can understand. I guess there have been comments in the past about it's nice that the children sing, but the parents can't understand it. That's not good because then they don't hear the message and sometimes they don't even come.
On a side note, the other people I know who are here to work with a mission are much better at the language than we are. Part of this is because they are staying for more long term work instead of just a year commitment like we give for Kingdom Workers. Part of it is simply that they make more of an effort to learn the language. I'm starting to see how that really makes a huge difference in reaching people and am starting to think I should take lessons so I can communicate a little more with parents. We really need the adults to get involved but if they can't even talk to us, why would they want to come and how would they understand? Just an observation and a thought.
The other big project this week is that we are having a costume party for our Activity Night on Friday. We have activities to plan, snacks to prepare--Emily brought back candy corn and those little pumpkin candies, too--and our costumes to put together. Mine will be easy. I'm going to be a mummy. :) That means I'll wear my white cuddle duds and wrap myself in toilet paper. I'll probably use a little tape to keep it in place, too. Emily is thinking of being a super hero because she has black running spandex, sports short, and could make a cape. Pair this with her rain boots and I think it's a pretty cool super hero! I think it will be fun. More details will come your way after the fact.
This week we also reserved some time for friends. Aida came over last night for dinner and a movie. She is so funny! She's very good with English and will make jokes but it's those sound effects she always uses when telling a story or explaining something that just get me! We always have plenty of laughs when she's around. We watched A Knight's Tale last night. It's a funny movie to begin with and we kept adding our own humor too. :)
Tonight Lejda is coming over for wine, snacks, and a movie. We'll probably watch How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days because she loves loves loves chick flicks. Romantic comedies are definitely her favorite kind of movie. She's a big ball of energy and an eternal optimist. In fact, she might even be the epitome of optimist. And with all that energy, she's one of those friends you value for their entertainment factor. She tells the longest funniest stories with more expression than is imaginable. I hope she has another good one when she gets here! :)
This morning we had a little bit of a surprise. The electricity worked and the water worked, but our clocks were different. Some said one time, and some said an hour earlier. We couldn't figure out what time it was until we realized that our computers matched the time on the TV's guide channel. That meant we were supposed to change the clocks here last night. We missed it though because there were no reminders or anything. lol Funny! So we ended up having more time that we thought today. Not very often do you actually feel like you have extra time in the day! Most days we all wish for more! Haha!
I've got to run to the store to pick up some more water and a few other things to make the snacks for tonight. Thanks for all the messages I've been receiving! I love hearing about your activities and what's keeping people busy back at home these days. :) Oh! I watched Veggie Tales on TV here the other day (in English!) and it was the story of The Prodigal Son. The verse that they used at the end was the first part of I John 3:1, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" And it's so true! Being here, I know that I am still God's child no matter where I am. And I know some of God's children here, still I know God's children at home. The friendship I'm blessed with from God's children near and far is just a wonderful reminder of God's love. Only a God who loves his children would give the wonderful gift of friendship. :)
I was very excited to have Emily back, too! I made her soup for dinner and put up a welcome back sign and pretty much talked her ear off the first night she got back. :) It's been nice this week to have her around. For one, our apartment isn't so quiet. Secondly, I don't have to talk to myself anymore. (I know that makes me sound crazy, but admit it--you do it too sometimes. Haha!) ;) And thirdly, it's much easier to plan class and activities with another person around to bounce ideas off of and receive feedback from.
One of our big tasks this past week was getting the final documents together that we needed to take to the police station. Don't worry! We're not in trouble and we're not getting deported or anything....yet. ;) We need to have residency papers. Emily had to renew hers and I had to file for first time residency papers. There were lots of documents we needed including copies of our passports, extra pictures (we had to go get those taken), notarized copies of our rent contract, letters from Kingdom Workers saying that we are being supported and assisted while we are here, a letter of good conduct from the US Embassy, and a few other papers Agron filled out for us. We got those all together and turned in, though it took two mornings going around town to collect it all. Now, however, everything is turned in. Emily's visa was renewed when she got back here on Monday because she got a new stamp. Mine however, was extended once we had all the papers turned in. So we are now good to go until our official residency papers are in.
Classes went a little more smoothly this week than last week. There was still some confusion over if we were here or if we weren't. Plus, Monday was a holiday here, Mother Teresa Day, so there was no class. Some people in my blue group figured that since they didn't have class on Monday, they wouldn't have class on Wednesday either. So I had to do some rearranging of my lesson plans again so I'm really really hoping that this week everyone shows up and we can have a normal week to get back on track.
Activity night on Friday was not my finest moment. Let's just say I had a major brain fart (or mental blip if you like that term better). I knew that we were having another American Culture Night for our activity and that I was going to briefly and simply explain the process of voting for a President. Everyone here knows all about the election and many people ask questions about it. So I figured since it's a current event and the actual vote is right around the corner, we should talk about it. I put together a simple little PowerPoint and made a handout that explained things so they could follow in English as I was reading it and then listen as one of my students translated. I even found a YouTube clip of "Hail To The Chief" that I planned to play at the end. We got blue cups for drinks and some stars and stripes napkins that Mrs. Ahlers left us for snacks and I wore red, white, and blue. I got to church, arranged the room, and realized I not only forgot the adapter cord for my computer so I could plug it in, but I forgot the flash drive with the PowerPoint on it. Grrrr!!!! I was so frustrated!!!!
I am ridiculously organized. Most of you know this about me. In fact, most of you even call me anally organized. I know it and I can admit it. I tend to think that disorganization is a root of evil. So on the very very rare occasions where I lose something or forget something, it makes me really angry. I am always prepared so when something like this happens, it throws me for a loop and I don't feel like I did it to the best of my ability.
What did I do to solve the problem? The only thing I could--got back on the bus to go home and get the stuff. After the 10 minute bus ride, I had to walk 7 minutes home. For some reason, my shoes (sneakers!) gave be such bad blisters that when I took my shoes off at home, my heels were bleeding. So I got the stuff, changed shoes, and rode my bike to church because it's faster than the bus. I was so determined on the ride back that I think the look on my face must've scared some people because they got out of my way before I even had to ring my bell. I got there 25 minutes after I was supposed to have started. Thankfully, Emily had the goodness to help and used common sense to serve the snacks first so that was just being cleaned up when I got back.
I made the presentation, some people were more interested than others (as usual), and it was ok. I didn't feel like it was the best because my head was still spinning a little and because instead of one girl translating, another girl joined in to help and I think it got more confusing for people. But they recognized the pictures of the candidates, even the little kids. Plus, they were really intrigued with the ballot I showed them. I have already voted, but for some reason I got send another ballot. And since you can't vote twice without getting in trouble, I took the second one to show them. They also liked "Hail To The Chief" very much. They got silent immediately and some kids started directing, or saluting, and some even got up and marched in place. lol Too funny! So even though it didn't go how I wanted, I think it was a success.
There are two big projects for this coming week. First of all, we're starting a children's choir. We have so many kids and they all love to sing. So after church on Saturdays we're going to have practices and then we will start singing in church every few weeks. That way, kids will hopefully come more frequently. And the parents come when the children "perform" so hopefully the parents will come more and that will generate more interest. We'll see. Obviously we're saying our prayers about it too.
I picked the first to songs we'll sing: Praise Him, Praise Him All Ye Little Children! and Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelu, Hallelujah, Praise Ye The Lord! They're both very simple and have very few English words to learn. But I don't have accompaniment for them so I had to write it myself. I wrote simple accompaniment for both songs on Thursday. It was pretty fun! I didn't have any music paper with the staff on it though, so I had to draw it myself in a notebook. I'm not sure anyone but me could read it, but it works. :) I will give it this--it's a step up from chicken scratch. ;) Vitori even translated the words for me so I'm hoping we can sing it in Albanian too so that the parents can understand. I guess there have been comments in the past about it's nice that the children sing, but the parents can't understand it. That's not good because then they don't hear the message and sometimes they don't even come.
On a side note, the other people I know who are here to work with a mission are much better at the language than we are. Part of this is because they are staying for more long term work instead of just a year commitment like we give for Kingdom Workers. Part of it is simply that they make more of an effort to learn the language. I'm starting to see how that really makes a huge difference in reaching people and am starting to think I should take lessons so I can communicate a little more with parents. We really need the adults to get involved but if they can't even talk to us, why would they want to come and how would they understand? Just an observation and a thought.
The other big project this week is that we are having a costume party for our Activity Night on Friday. We have activities to plan, snacks to prepare--Emily brought back candy corn and those little pumpkin candies, too--and our costumes to put together. Mine will be easy. I'm going to be a mummy. :) That means I'll wear my white cuddle duds and wrap myself in toilet paper. I'll probably use a little tape to keep it in place, too. Emily is thinking of being a super hero because she has black running spandex, sports short, and could make a cape. Pair this with her rain boots and I think it's a pretty cool super hero! I think it will be fun. More details will come your way after the fact.
This week we also reserved some time for friends. Aida came over last night for dinner and a movie. She is so funny! She's very good with English and will make jokes but it's those sound effects she always uses when telling a story or explaining something that just get me! We always have plenty of laughs when she's around. We watched A Knight's Tale last night. It's a funny movie to begin with and we kept adding our own humor too. :)
Tonight Lejda is coming over for wine, snacks, and a movie. We'll probably watch How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days because she loves loves loves chick flicks. Romantic comedies are definitely her favorite kind of movie. She's a big ball of energy and an eternal optimist. In fact, she might even be the epitome of optimist. And with all that energy, she's one of those friends you value for their entertainment factor. She tells the longest funniest stories with more expression than is imaginable. I hope she has another good one when she gets here! :)
This morning we had a little bit of a surprise. The electricity worked and the water worked, but our clocks were different. Some said one time, and some said an hour earlier. We couldn't figure out what time it was until we realized that our computers matched the time on the TV's guide channel. That meant we were supposed to change the clocks here last night. We missed it though because there were no reminders or anything. lol Funny! So we ended up having more time that we thought today. Not very often do you actually feel like you have extra time in the day! Most days we all wish for more! Haha!
I've got to run to the store to pick up some more water and a few other things to make the snacks for tonight. Thanks for all the messages I've been receiving! I love hearing about your activities and what's keeping people busy back at home these days. :) Oh! I watched Veggie Tales on TV here the other day (in English!) and it was the story of The Prodigal Son. The verse that they used at the end was the first part of I John 3:1, "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!" And it's so true! Being here, I know that I am still God's child no matter where I am. And I know some of God's children here, still I know God's children at home. The friendship I'm blessed with from God's children near and far is just a wonderful reminder of God's love. Only a God who loves his children would give the wonderful gift of friendship. :)
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Pictures!
I finally have pictures to post from the Montenegro trip! Woo hoo! I know you're just as excited as I am. :) But before I get to posting those, let me give you a brief overview on how my week went.
To be perfectly honest, it wasn't much of a week. And I'm not saying that just because Emily wasn't here, although it was too quiet around the apartment without her. I'll be glad when she gets back tomorrow night. I didn't really get lonely but that's mostly because I spent most of the week being sick. And when you don't feel good enough to do things, you don't get lonely for someone to do things with. At least that's how I am. Maybe it's different for other people, but I didn't get lonely because I was not feeling well.
I had done extra planning and was prepared to teach Emily's classes in addition to mine for the week. But then, after it all played out, I only ended up teaching one single class session all week. The rest I cancelled because I was sick or cancelled when I found out no one was coming. See, when students heard that Emily was gone, they just assumed they wouldn't have class this week. When I cancelled my classes because I was sick, some of my students thought I wouldn't be there all week. So now this week will start a little crazily because we have to get back on track with things. But that won't be a simple task because Monday is a National Holiday. It's Mother Teresa Day. She was Albanian, did you know that? I actually did. Weird trivia fact, I guess. So anyway, there's no school on Monday because it's a holiday. And our rule is that if there's no school, there's no English classes that day. The kink here is that Tuesday classes are the same a Monday classes so some groups will either have a review day, a fun day, or will be ahead of the other group. Gotta love scheduling. ;) lol
But despite feeling crappy all stinking week (I think I'll go back to the doctor on Tuesday when the office is open), I was able to have some fun. Wednesday night was the Ahlers' last night in Albania. They took myself, Agron and Vitori, as well as Michael and Pavlina (from the church in Durres) out for dinner at Taiwani. Then we went up to the rotating part of the Sky Tower for coffee afterwards. It was a nice visit and a good little send off for Pastor and Mrs. Ahlers. Then Pastor brought 3 taxi loads of stuff over to my apartment so that we can store it for him until he comes back in November. That's when he'll officially start renting the place below us so then he can take his stuff right down to his new home away from home. It's not that much stuff so Neda came over after church on Saturday and helped me clean and find a place for it all. It was such a great help!
They also gave us a bunch of stuff from their move including a toaster, a whole box of food that included a ton of brown sugar (yay!), the stuff to set up wireless internet (so now my computer can be online, too!), the dvd player we'd bought from their garage sale, and the cable box for cable tv that they had at their house, which is paid up through July! Wow!!! We hit the jackpot!!! I think I said thank you about a million times. :)
I'm so lucky to have such good friends here! When I was sick and alone this week, Aida and Lejda both left me messages to check on me, Neda asked Vitori if she should come cook for me, and Agron called to check in on me, too. What a blessing to have people who care about me, here and at home! Wow! :) It made me feel better to know that if I needed help, I wouldn't have trouble finding it.
And on Friday, Helen invited Aida and I over for a movie night. So we had red wine, cookies, and "crisps" because that's what the British call chips and Helen is British. :) I'm learning lots of fun "new" English words. Hee hee! She's a riot though. Really fun and she has a great laugh. Aida is tons of fun too. When she talks or tells stories, she always makes sound effects and it's the funniest thing to me! So the three of us had a blast watching Little Black Book and then Guess Who. Tim, Helen's husband, wasn't home which was why we decided on romantic comedies. We decided to keep Saving Private Ryan and Shawshank Redemption for a time when Tim's around. lol
Tomorrow Olsa will probably come over and help me make a big WELCOME HOME sign for Emily. :) I want to have a little surprise for her since she's had a very busy week. That was part of why Neda came to help clean so that everything will be spotless for her when she gets here. It's never fun to come home to a mess. And Olsa likes to cook too, I think, so maybe I'll see if she wants to help me make a dinner that Emily can heat up whenever she gets here because I know she'll be hungry. :) So Em, if you're reading this, sorry I spoiled the surprise. Just act happy to make me feel better, ok? lol
That pretty much brings you up to date on my life in Albania this week. Like I said, it wasn't very eventful because I really haven't felt very good so I just stayed home and tried to rest and stay hydrated. I have no appetite and I think part of it is because when I eat, it screws with my system since giardia impacts the intestines and causes an upset or nauseous stomach. So I've been trying to force liquids so that I at least don't get dehydrated. Hopefully next week I'll have more positive news on how I'm feeling. Anyway, pray that Emily arrives here safely tomorrow night and that my health improves.
Now, as promised, here are all the links to pictures. To organize it better, I put the photos into a few different albums with descriptions and there are also some videos with descriptions to accompany the pictures. Remember, just click on the link and it will take you to the album. Then all you need to do is click on the album title to view the photos. I hope you enjoy them! I sure had fun taking them all! :)
Montenegro Pictures--Part 1
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=125600102&k=X6F436U633WM5FCGYK23RW
Montenegro Pictures--Part 2
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=125600102&k=X5M365W3U5ZM5FCGYK23RW
Monastery Video 1
http://www.new.facebook.com/p.php?i=125600102&k=X6FY6VTYVXXM5FCGYK23RW
Monastery Video 2
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=125600102&k=X2BU56V4Q3YM5FCGYK23RW
Monastery Video 3
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=125600102&k=SYBT66T2VZXM5FCGYK23RW
Montenegro Pictures--Part 3
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=125600102&k=X5FU52PSQ62M5FCGYK23RW
Budva Video
http://www.new.facebook.com/p.php?i=125600102&k=XVF6YVPZ3ZYM5FCGYK23RW
Montenegro Pictures--Part 4
http://www.new.facebook.com/p.php?i=125600102&k=YVC2XYQ6P32M5FCGYK23RW
To be perfectly honest, it wasn't much of a week. And I'm not saying that just because Emily wasn't here, although it was too quiet around the apartment without her. I'll be glad when she gets back tomorrow night. I didn't really get lonely but that's mostly because I spent most of the week being sick. And when you don't feel good enough to do things, you don't get lonely for someone to do things with. At least that's how I am. Maybe it's different for other people, but I didn't get lonely because I was not feeling well.
I had done extra planning and was prepared to teach Emily's classes in addition to mine for the week. But then, after it all played out, I only ended up teaching one single class session all week. The rest I cancelled because I was sick or cancelled when I found out no one was coming. See, when students heard that Emily was gone, they just assumed they wouldn't have class this week. When I cancelled my classes because I was sick, some of my students thought I wouldn't be there all week. So now this week will start a little crazily because we have to get back on track with things. But that won't be a simple task because Monday is a National Holiday. It's Mother Teresa Day. She was Albanian, did you know that? I actually did. Weird trivia fact, I guess. So anyway, there's no school on Monday because it's a holiday. And our rule is that if there's no school, there's no English classes that day. The kink here is that Tuesday classes are the same a Monday classes so some groups will either have a review day, a fun day, or will be ahead of the other group. Gotta love scheduling. ;) lol
But despite feeling crappy all stinking week (I think I'll go back to the doctor on Tuesday when the office is open), I was able to have some fun. Wednesday night was the Ahlers' last night in Albania. They took myself, Agron and Vitori, as well as Michael and Pavlina (from the church in Durres) out for dinner at Taiwani. Then we went up to the rotating part of the Sky Tower for coffee afterwards. It was a nice visit and a good little send off for Pastor and Mrs. Ahlers. Then Pastor brought 3 taxi loads of stuff over to my apartment so that we can store it for him until he comes back in November. That's when he'll officially start renting the place below us so then he can take his stuff right down to his new home away from home. It's not that much stuff so Neda came over after church on Saturday and helped me clean and find a place for it all. It was such a great help!
They also gave us a bunch of stuff from their move including a toaster, a whole box of food that included a ton of brown sugar (yay!), the stuff to set up wireless internet (so now my computer can be online, too!), the dvd player we'd bought from their garage sale, and the cable box for cable tv that they had at their house, which is paid up through July! Wow!!! We hit the jackpot!!! I think I said thank you about a million times. :)
I'm so lucky to have such good friends here! When I was sick and alone this week, Aida and Lejda both left me messages to check on me, Neda asked Vitori if she should come cook for me, and Agron called to check in on me, too. What a blessing to have people who care about me, here and at home! Wow! :) It made me feel better to know that if I needed help, I wouldn't have trouble finding it.
And on Friday, Helen invited Aida and I over for a movie night. So we had red wine, cookies, and "crisps" because that's what the British call chips and Helen is British. :) I'm learning lots of fun "new" English words. Hee hee! She's a riot though. Really fun and she has a great laugh. Aida is tons of fun too. When she talks or tells stories, she always makes sound effects and it's the funniest thing to me! So the three of us had a blast watching Little Black Book and then Guess Who. Tim, Helen's husband, wasn't home which was why we decided on romantic comedies. We decided to keep Saving Private Ryan and Shawshank Redemption for a time when Tim's around. lol
Tomorrow Olsa will probably come over and help me make a big WELCOME HOME sign for Emily. :) I want to have a little surprise for her since she's had a very busy week. That was part of why Neda came to help clean so that everything will be spotless for her when she gets here. It's never fun to come home to a mess. And Olsa likes to cook too, I think, so maybe I'll see if she wants to help me make a dinner that Emily can heat up whenever she gets here because I know she'll be hungry. :) So Em, if you're reading this, sorry I spoiled the surprise. Just act happy to make me feel better, ok? lol
That pretty much brings you up to date on my life in Albania this week. Like I said, it wasn't very eventful because I really haven't felt very good so I just stayed home and tried to rest and stay hydrated. I have no appetite and I think part of it is because when I eat, it screws with my system since giardia impacts the intestines and causes an upset or nauseous stomach. So I've been trying to force liquids so that I at least don't get dehydrated. Hopefully next week I'll have more positive news on how I'm feeling. Anyway, pray that Emily arrives here safely tomorrow night and that my health improves.
Now, as promised, here are all the links to pictures. To organize it better, I put the photos into a few different albums with descriptions and there are also some videos with descriptions to accompany the pictures. Remember, just click on the link and it will take you to the album. Then all you need to do is click on the album title to view the photos. I hope you enjoy them! I sure had fun taking them all! :)
Montenegro Pictures--Part 1
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=125600102&k=X6F436U633WM5FCGYK23RW
Montenegro Pictures--Part 2
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=125600102&k=X5M365W3U5ZM5FCGYK23RW
Monastery Video 1
http://www.new.facebook.com/p.php?i=125600102&k=X6FY6VTYVXXM5FCGYK23RW
Monastery Video 2
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=125600102&k=X2BU56V4Q3YM5FCGYK23RW
Monastery Video 3
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=125600102&k=SYBT66T2VZXM5FCGYK23RW
Montenegro Pictures--Part 3
http://www.facebook.com/p.php?i=125600102&k=X5FU52PSQ62M5FCGYK23RW
Budva Video
http://www.new.facebook.com/p.php?i=125600102&k=XVF6YVPZ3ZYM5FCGYK23RW
Montenegro Pictures--Part 4
http://www.new.facebook.com/p.php?i=125600102&k=YVC2XYQ6P32M5FCGYK23RW
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes
This week is just full of changes. For one, Pastor and Mrs. Ahlers move back to the States on Thursday. That is a big change for them and it will be a big change for us too. It means no more English church and no more game nights. No more rides home from Albanian church and no more weekend vacations with a car. No more filling up our water and less American company. They will be missed!
Secondly, I'm all alone this week. Emily's grandfather passed away last night. When she found out this morning, she immediately made flight arrangements so she could be back in the States for the funeral and to be with her family for a few short days. Please, keep her in your prayers. She will be returning on Sunday and since that obvious means she's absent for classes this week, I'm covering hers as well as mine. So instead of three groups, I'm taking all six and planning all twelve classes this week. I will be busy, but I know I can do it. But I'm pretty sure that I'll be thankful next week when she's back. :)
Another big change is that we will have a few more "goodies" at our apartment after this week. Just silly things, really, when you look at the big scheme of things; items we can live without but that make life a little more like home. We bought the Ahlers' DVD player (they gave us a huge bargain, especially since it's hard to get one here that plays American DVDs) so we can watch movies on TV instead of on the computer. This means more opportunities for entertaining. :) And another TV related plus is that since Pastor will be renting the apartment beneath us for when he makes visits here, he's changing his cable subscription to this address since it's already paid for through the duration of our time here. Woo hoo! Cable TV! More shows and movies in English! He's also changing his wireless subscription to this building so he can use his computer when he's here. This means we will be getting rid of our current internet account and will be connecting through his wireless network. No more sharing one computer for the internet. I will finally be able to use my own! Skype, here I come! But mostly, it will just make planning and prep work easier. Plus, I won't feel like I'm kicking Emily off her own computer when I use the internet anymore. We're also getting a toaster from the Ahlers and they are letting us "grocery shop" through their kitchen before they go so they don't throw out so much. Wow! So many extra goodies coming our way this week. Sure makes me feel awfully lucky that the man upstairs is taking such good care of us. ;)
As for the weekend, if flew by. The dinner we had for Pastor and Mrs. Ahlers at Agron and Vitori's was very nice. There was a massive amount of food as Agron and Vitori are both excellent cooks. Dorien was there too so it was nice to have an added voice in the conversation. Plus, the ride home was very much appreciated. ;)
Before that, activity night was another success. We had a few more people this time and some brought friends, siblings, and even cousins. :) Emily did a little presentation on fall traditions in the US such as hay rides, carving pumpkins, apple picking, drinking apple cider, and jumping in leaves. We taught about jack-o-lanterns and scarecrows and corn mazes and caramel apples and all the best autumn has to offer. Then I played a game where you have two teams and they compete to dress a scarecrow. Ok, so the scarecrow is a team member instead of a bunch of hay. But each team member has to put an item of clothing on the scarecrow. The first team to have their scarecrow completely dressed wins. It was really fun! Then Emily showed them a YouTube video about how to make apple cider, one from Jon & Kate Plus 8 where they go pumpkin picking, and one of a person jumping into a pile of leaves. ;)They loved those. Especially the jumping in the leaves. That one got played three or four times. Then we handed out apple cider (we had apple juice and mulling spices), apple slices, and the closet thing we could find to caramels here. Great fun was had by all.
I'm missing home very much right now. I do like it here and I have friends and have enough to keep my time occupied but I do still miss home. I miss seeing people's faces and hearing their voices as often as I used to. To be honest, it doesn't help thinking about the Ahlers and Emily all going to America this week. Emily will get to see my parents. Oh, man! I have to admit that I'm jealous. The little green monster is showing his ugly face. I'm not jealous of the reason she made the trip home, obviously, but that she will see their faces, hear their voices, give them a hug for me. Thinking of the things she and the Ahlers' will be able to do--drink tap water, feel carpeting on their bare feet, give loved ones hugs, have hot water without turning on the pump....all the little things I totally took for granted before coming here.
I'm so grateful for what I've learned in just the two short months I've been here! It's amazing how my perspective on things has already changed. I feel wiser now about the things that matter. The best I can explain it is that I feel enlightened. There is no way I would know what I know now if I had never come to live here. It's just another experience that has changed my life and shaped my personal character. Truly, I am blessed to have this experience to add to those of my past. Being here just reminds me that in some cases, less is more and that absence really does make the heart grow fonder. Also, I never fully realized until now how comforting one's own culture is to them. And despite the financial and economic crash in the US right now, I sure am proud to be an American! I have so many less troubles because of it. :)
I could ponder and pontificate far more as my late night thoughts continue to meander (I love this time of day more than any other! There's a reason I'm a night owl.) but I have extra classes to teach this week. That means I need extra energy and extra energy requires extra sleep, especially since I'm drinking decaf coffee or tea while I'm on this medicine. No alcohol and very limited caffeine it said. And since I want to get better so badly, I'm following all the rules! lol :) So in the words of Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, "TTFN!" (Ta ta for now!)
Secondly, I'm all alone this week. Emily's grandfather passed away last night. When she found out this morning, she immediately made flight arrangements so she could be back in the States for the funeral and to be with her family for a few short days. Please, keep her in your prayers. She will be returning on Sunday and since that obvious means she's absent for classes this week, I'm covering hers as well as mine. So instead of three groups, I'm taking all six and planning all twelve classes this week. I will be busy, but I know I can do it. But I'm pretty sure that I'll be thankful next week when she's back. :)
Another big change is that we will have a few more "goodies" at our apartment after this week. Just silly things, really, when you look at the big scheme of things; items we can live without but that make life a little more like home. We bought the Ahlers' DVD player (they gave us a huge bargain, especially since it's hard to get one here that plays American DVDs) so we can watch movies on TV instead of on the computer. This means more opportunities for entertaining. :) And another TV related plus is that since Pastor will be renting the apartment beneath us for when he makes visits here, he's changing his cable subscription to this address since it's already paid for through the duration of our time here. Woo hoo! Cable TV! More shows and movies in English! He's also changing his wireless subscription to this building so he can use his computer when he's here. This means we will be getting rid of our current internet account and will be connecting through his wireless network. No more sharing one computer for the internet. I will finally be able to use my own! Skype, here I come! But mostly, it will just make planning and prep work easier. Plus, I won't feel like I'm kicking Emily off her own computer when I use the internet anymore. We're also getting a toaster from the Ahlers and they are letting us "grocery shop" through their kitchen before they go so they don't throw out so much. Wow! So many extra goodies coming our way this week. Sure makes me feel awfully lucky that the man upstairs is taking such good care of us. ;)
As for the weekend, if flew by. The dinner we had for Pastor and Mrs. Ahlers at Agron and Vitori's was very nice. There was a massive amount of food as Agron and Vitori are both excellent cooks. Dorien was there too so it was nice to have an added voice in the conversation. Plus, the ride home was very much appreciated. ;)
Before that, activity night was another success. We had a few more people this time and some brought friends, siblings, and even cousins. :) Emily did a little presentation on fall traditions in the US such as hay rides, carving pumpkins, apple picking, drinking apple cider, and jumping in leaves. We taught about jack-o-lanterns and scarecrows and corn mazes and caramel apples and all the best autumn has to offer. Then I played a game where you have two teams and they compete to dress a scarecrow. Ok, so the scarecrow is a team member instead of a bunch of hay. But each team member has to put an item of clothing on the scarecrow. The first team to have their scarecrow completely dressed wins. It was really fun! Then Emily showed them a YouTube video about how to make apple cider, one from Jon & Kate Plus 8 where they go pumpkin picking, and one of a person jumping into a pile of leaves. ;)They loved those. Especially the jumping in the leaves. That one got played three or four times. Then we handed out apple cider (we had apple juice and mulling spices), apple slices, and the closet thing we could find to caramels here. Great fun was had by all.
I'm missing home very much right now. I do like it here and I have friends and have enough to keep my time occupied but I do still miss home. I miss seeing people's faces and hearing their voices as often as I used to. To be honest, it doesn't help thinking about the Ahlers and Emily all going to America this week. Emily will get to see my parents. Oh, man! I have to admit that I'm jealous. The little green monster is showing his ugly face. I'm not jealous of the reason she made the trip home, obviously, but that she will see their faces, hear their voices, give them a hug for me. Thinking of the things she and the Ahlers' will be able to do--drink tap water, feel carpeting on their bare feet, give loved ones hugs, have hot water without turning on the pump....all the little things I totally took for granted before coming here.
I'm so grateful for what I've learned in just the two short months I've been here! It's amazing how my perspective on things has already changed. I feel wiser now about the things that matter. The best I can explain it is that I feel enlightened. There is no way I would know what I know now if I had never come to live here. It's just another experience that has changed my life and shaped my personal character. Truly, I am blessed to have this experience to add to those of my past. Being here just reminds me that in some cases, less is more and that absence really does make the heart grow fonder. Also, I never fully realized until now how comforting one's own culture is to them. And despite the financial and economic crash in the US right now, I sure am proud to be an American! I have so many less troubles because of it. :)
I could ponder and pontificate far more as my late night thoughts continue to meander (I love this time of day more than any other! There's a reason I'm a night owl.) but I have extra classes to teach this week. That means I need extra energy and extra energy requires extra sleep, especially since I'm drinking decaf coffee or tea while I'm on this medicine. No alcohol and very limited caffeine it said. And since I want to get better so badly, I'm following all the rules! lol :) So in the words of Tigger from Winnie the Pooh, "TTFN!" (Ta ta for now!)
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Latest and Greatest
Guess what? I finally found out why I've been feeling so craptastic (like my new word invention? lol) since shortly after I arrived here. I have giardia. It's an intestinal infection you get from the water. The internet says it's a parasite, but whatever it is, it's definitely not so pleasant. (FYI: I'll keep the description G rated.) That explains my close relationship with the bathroom every few weeks. Pastor Ahlers, Mrs. Ahlers and Emily thought my symptoms sounded like giardia so they encouraged me to go see the doctor because Pastor had it once when they lived in Indonesia, Emily had it once when she lived in Indonesia, and Pastor got it again when they first moved here.
Monday afternoon Emily and I rode our bikes over to the ABC Clinic. That's where a lot of foreigners go and it's where Emily went last year and where the Ahlers have gone since they've lived here. So we go in and it looks like a small town doctor's office from a movie set in WWII. The staff, which consisted of a receptionist, about 2 nurses and I think 3 doctors, spoke English so that was helpful. I filled out a form and the nurse took me into a room for the basics: describe your symptoms, take blood pressure, pulse, check height and weight, etc. My weight dropped two more kilos (about 4 pounds) in a week. That brings my total weight loss since I got here to close to 15 pounds. But now I know why--I've been sicker than I thought!
When the doctor came in he asked me some questions and talked about giardia. He was British and had been here for about a year and a half so he said he'd seen plenty of cases of this because it's so common in places like this. He was saying that giardia builds up in your system for a while and you can feel pretty normal, or you can feel nauseous or gurgley. That was me--the nauseous and gurgley part. Once the infection builds up you feel these horrid stabbing abdominal pains and you "feel like you're dying." They come and go suddenly and then those stop and you suddenly are spending a lot of time in the bathroom because the virus expels itself so it can build up again. I said "Yes! That's exactly how I've been feeling!" It totally explained my bathroom business every few weeks and why I still feel yucky in between. He asked me a few more questions, checked to make sure it wasn't my appendix or something else, and then said yes, it sounded like classic giardia. So he gave me a prescription for pills that I have to take after each meal for about 6-7 days until whenever the 20 pills run out. So far they're just making me feel a little nauseous, but the side effects can get pretty nasty--trust me! I read the information on the little paper inside the box of pills.
The doctor also said that it might not go away for good because in places like this it's so prevalent that you can get it again. He did say though that if this happens, the cycle wouldn't be so frequent and I can get more pills to knock it out again. Hopefully this first round of pills will keep it away for good! It's kind of funny to me that I got it from water, especially since I don't drink the water here or use it to brush my teeth. I just use it for every day things like showering, washing dishes, laundry, and washing my face at night. Except once, I did accidentally rinse my toothbrush with it. Oops! And I do use ice cubes for bottled water when I'm at a restaurant sometimes. And, now that I think about it, the coffee drinks at bar kafes are probably made with tap water. Dang! Well, at least I can be more careful about the water in some ways. No more ice cubes anywhere, and I've been using hand sanitizer from the states (the kind that doesn't need water) instead of washing my hands in the sink. Emily was smart enough to bring some back with her. Whew! Lucky for me! :) So say your prayers that this goes away and stays away once and for all.
That is the biggest news around here lately, but those of you who really know me may beg to differ after you hear what I'm about to say. Are you ready for it? I got up at 5:30am yesterday. On purpose. No lie. I'm so serious! I have witnesses so you better not doubt me! lol :) Remember how pastor was going to take us to Elbasan so we could have a sunset drive through the mountains but then it rained? Well, we couldn't go this past Sunday either because I was too sick. And he sold his car and has to give it to the new owner on Thursday so we were running out of time. Sunset was out of the question because Emily and I teach in the late afternoons and evenings, so we settled on a sunrise drive through the mountains. Hence, I woke up at the crack of dawn yesterday.
We got to Pastor's house around 6am and left shortly after that. It really was a beautiful drive. The sun was just peaking up over the mountains and there was a low fog surrounding some peaks and hiding in a few valleys. It was quite lovely. However, the narrow super curvy roads did not allow for many opportunities to pull over and take pictures. The roads were full of switch backs and were right along the edge. There weren't many guard rails either. And when there were, they seemed to serve more of a decorative purpose than a protective purpose. There were some spots where you could see down the steep slopes on both edges of the road. Every time I see roads like that I'm just amazed at the engineering. Who thinks of putting roads there? And how do you know it will work? And how to you get the machinery up there to build them? And how do you fix them? Wow. I'm so impressed!
There were a lot of grave markers along the side of that mountain road. I'm not surprised though! With the way people drive here (and I've mentioned that before),and they way we witnessed people driving on that road yesterday, I can just imagine cars careening off the road and tumbling down the steep slopes. Sad, but not unlikely.
Those of you who are Harry Potter fans may recall when it is said that Voldemort was last known to be hiding out in the Albanian mountains. (Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that was said in the first book.) Well I think J.K. Rowling has been here because there would be plenty of places to hide in these mountains. They're not the highest mountains ever, but there are plenty of bunkers and ammunition caves left from the communist times along with high rocky crags, olive groves and plenty of steep slopes with difficult accessibility. I felt like we were searching for Voldemort. Haha! Just call me Hermione Granger! lol :)
We also saw other left-overs from communism besides the bunkers and ammunition caves. These are very common to see here, especially the bunkers. There is kind of a joke, I've even heard some Albanians mention it, about Albania being the Land of the Bunker instead of the Land of the Eagle (which is what the Albanian translation is for the name of their country). Anyway, there were mosaics along the side of the road in some spots, which, according to Pastor and my travel guide book, were quite popular during communist times. They were painted over now though. People did that after communism fell. I've also heard that these mosaics can also be found in other post-communist Balkan countries. We also saw one of the most interesting and confusing statues I have ever seen. It was giant hand that was holding a gun in its fist. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of this great curiosity because by the time the "Wait....what?" feeling had past and I actually thought about photographing it, the opportunity had passed and we couldn't really turn around. That was not the most comforting image. Actually, it was slightly disturbing but very amusing at the same time. Mostly it was one of those moments where you're stunned and you can't help but think, "Did I really just see that?"
So the drive to Elbasan was beautiful and interesting. We got back at around 10:30 and I took a nap, ate lunch, and taught classes. After the early morning, the day continued as usual. To work backwards, Monday, as I mentioned, was my visit to Dr. Joe and then teaching. Sunday was uneventful and rather nasty because I was sick. Saturday was fun because we had church, helped the Ahlers with their last garage sale and then had Mexican Night with some friends. :)
Mexican Night was a blast. It was at Lori's apartment which is basically right behind ours. So it was Lori, Tim, Helen, Tim's friend Mark, Lejda, Aida, Emily, and me. The food and fun were both incredible. We had a massive amount of food on the table and we had more laughs than that apartment could handle for one night. Then we watched Sweet Home Alabama and called it a night. But we also decided to plan another get together--maybe a poker night! Guess I better brush up on my Texas Hold 'Em skills! (David, I'll take any and all advice you have to offer. Haha!) ;)
Friday was our first Activity Night at church. We had about 20 people there, mostly girls between ages 8-17. Mariglen was the only boy there and one mom, Fatmira, who comes to one of the beginner classes with her youngest daughter Albiona, brought Albiona and her two older daughters who are in one of my classes. She said they came as a family activity. Awww! :) They seem like such a cute family! I really hope they start coming to more things and get interested in the church aspect of things too. The girls are all very sweet (so is the mom), very studious, and the mom keeps track of them and has taught them manners. Say your prayers that Emily and I do a good job of talking to them and that the Holy Spirit works in their hearts!
We started about 15 minutes late but it was ok because everyone was just chatting. I started things off by having everyone introduce themselves and say something about themselves. We want these activities to cultivate frienships and not all of the people there were in the same English classes. And some kids brought friends. Yay! That's exactly what we wanted. But I'm getting off track....We started with that and then I said, "Now let's see how well you were listening." It made a good transition into explaining our activity. We played Personality Bingo.
If you don't know this game, it's just like Bingo except that instead of having numbers in each square, a personality trait or characteristic is listed instead such as "has green eyes," or "is wearing pink," or "can play the piano." You go around and ask people if they fit that trait and if so, they sign your sheet in that box. However, players cannot sign their own sheet and a person may not sign more than two boxes on any single sheet.
I had them pair up so that at least one partner knew English well enough to understand all the listed traits. We played until each pair got Bingo. As they got Bingo, they handed them in to me and I kept them in the order I received them. Once I had all the sheets, we went through them and the pair that was the first to hand in a Bingo that followed all the rules was the winner. Fatmira and her oldest daughter, Aurora, won! I was so happy because everyone else was happy for them! :) Then we went through all of the characteristics to see if someone in the room matched each one. They did so it was a really fun night. I had a blast and I didn't even play the game! lol :) I hope people come again this week. I'm thinking of doing a movie night because the movies here are the English version from the states but they have Albanian subtitles. That's how they show them in the theaters here too. We don't have a TV at the church, but we have a computer with an extra big screen and I'm pretty sure that with the way the room is arranged that a group that size wouldn't have problems seeing the screen.
To be honest, I have to tell you that I'm disappointed in myself for not posting sooner. Saturday I was busy and Sunday I was sick. But also, Saturday night we had rain and wind which blew down the internet wires outside our building. No one in our neighborhood had internet on Sunday. And since it was a weekend, they didn't come and fix it until Monday. Then I've just been so tired and so at a loss for energy that I just didn't even attempt writing this until last night. Then after I had it all typed out and proofed and everything, the internet went stupid and wouldn't let me save it so I lost the whole thing. So this is really the second attempt at posting these stories. Oh, man!
Anyway, the rest of the week will include more teaching, another Activity Night, and a going away dinner for the Ahlers at Agron and Vitori's house on Friday. Should be fun! Anyway, I have to prepare for my classes later today and I really have nothing else to share. Hopefully next time you hear from me, I'll be a healthier version of me. ;)
Monday afternoon Emily and I rode our bikes over to the ABC Clinic. That's where a lot of foreigners go and it's where Emily went last year and where the Ahlers have gone since they've lived here. So we go in and it looks like a small town doctor's office from a movie set in WWII. The staff, which consisted of a receptionist, about 2 nurses and I think 3 doctors, spoke English so that was helpful. I filled out a form and the nurse took me into a room for the basics: describe your symptoms, take blood pressure, pulse, check height and weight, etc. My weight dropped two more kilos (about 4 pounds) in a week. That brings my total weight loss since I got here to close to 15 pounds. But now I know why--I've been sicker than I thought!
When the doctor came in he asked me some questions and talked about giardia. He was British and had been here for about a year and a half so he said he'd seen plenty of cases of this because it's so common in places like this. He was saying that giardia builds up in your system for a while and you can feel pretty normal, or you can feel nauseous or gurgley. That was me--the nauseous and gurgley part. Once the infection builds up you feel these horrid stabbing abdominal pains and you "feel like you're dying." They come and go suddenly and then those stop and you suddenly are spending a lot of time in the bathroom because the virus expels itself so it can build up again. I said "Yes! That's exactly how I've been feeling!" It totally explained my bathroom business every few weeks and why I still feel yucky in between. He asked me a few more questions, checked to make sure it wasn't my appendix or something else, and then said yes, it sounded like classic giardia. So he gave me a prescription for pills that I have to take after each meal for about 6-7 days until whenever the 20 pills run out. So far they're just making me feel a little nauseous, but the side effects can get pretty nasty--trust me! I read the information on the little paper inside the box of pills.
The doctor also said that it might not go away for good because in places like this it's so prevalent that you can get it again. He did say though that if this happens, the cycle wouldn't be so frequent and I can get more pills to knock it out again. Hopefully this first round of pills will keep it away for good! It's kind of funny to me that I got it from water, especially since I don't drink the water here or use it to brush my teeth. I just use it for every day things like showering, washing dishes, laundry, and washing my face at night. Except once, I did accidentally rinse my toothbrush with it. Oops! And I do use ice cubes for bottled water when I'm at a restaurant sometimes. And, now that I think about it, the coffee drinks at bar kafes are probably made with tap water. Dang! Well, at least I can be more careful about the water in some ways. No more ice cubes anywhere, and I've been using hand sanitizer from the states (the kind that doesn't need water) instead of washing my hands in the sink. Emily was smart enough to bring some back with her. Whew! Lucky for me! :) So say your prayers that this goes away and stays away once and for all.
That is the biggest news around here lately, but those of you who really know me may beg to differ after you hear what I'm about to say. Are you ready for it? I got up at 5:30am yesterday. On purpose. No lie. I'm so serious! I have witnesses so you better not doubt me! lol :) Remember how pastor was going to take us to Elbasan so we could have a sunset drive through the mountains but then it rained? Well, we couldn't go this past Sunday either because I was too sick. And he sold his car and has to give it to the new owner on Thursday so we were running out of time. Sunset was out of the question because Emily and I teach in the late afternoons and evenings, so we settled on a sunrise drive through the mountains. Hence, I woke up at the crack of dawn yesterday.
We got to Pastor's house around 6am and left shortly after that. It really was a beautiful drive. The sun was just peaking up over the mountains and there was a low fog surrounding some peaks and hiding in a few valleys. It was quite lovely. However, the narrow super curvy roads did not allow for many opportunities to pull over and take pictures. The roads were full of switch backs and were right along the edge. There weren't many guard rails either. And when there were, they seemed to serve more of a decorative purpose than a protective purpose. There were some spots where you could see down the steep slopes on both edges of the road. Every time I see roads like that I'm just amazed at the engineering. Who thinks of putting roads there? And how do you know it will work? And how to you get the machinery up there to build them? And how do you fix them? Wow. I'm so impressed!
There were a lot of grave markers along the side of that mountain road. I'm not surprised though! With the way people drive here (and I've mentioned that before),and they way we witnessed people driving on that road yesterday, I can just imagine cars careening off the road and tumbling down the steep slopes. Sad, but not unlikely.
Those of you who are Harry Potter fans may recall when it is said that Voldemort was last known to be hiding out in the Albanian mountains. (Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that was said in the first book.) Well I think J.K. Rowling has been here because there would be plenty of places to hide in these mountains. They're not the highest mountains ever, but there are plenty of bunkers and ammunition caves left from the communist times along with high rocky crags, olive groves and plenty of steep slopes with difficult accessibility. I felt like we were searching for Voldemort. Haha! Just call me Hermione Granger! lol :)
We also saw other left-overs from communism besides the bunkers and ammunition caves. These are very common to see here, especially the bunkers. There is kind of a joke, I've even heard some Albanians mention it, about Albania being the Land of the Bunker instead of the Land of the Eagle (which is what the Albanian translation is for the name of their country). Anyway, there were mosaics along the side of the road in some spots, which, according to Pastor and my travel guide book, were quite popular during communist times. They were painted over now though. People did that after communism fell. I've also heard that these mosaics can also be found in other post-communist Balkan countries. We also saw one of the most interesting and confusing statues I have ever seen. It was giant hand that was holding a gun in its fist. Unfortunately I didn't get any pictures of this great curiosity because by the time the "Wait....what?" feeling had past and I actually thought about photographing it, the opportunity had passed and we couldn't really turn around. That was not the most comforting image. Actually, it was slightly disturbing but very amusing at the same time. Mostly it was one of those moments where you're stunned and you can't help but think, "Did I really just see that?"
So the drive to Elbasan was beautiful and interesting. We got back at around 10:30 and I took a nap, ate lunch, and taught classes. After the early morning, the day continued as usual. To work backwards, Monday, as I mentioned, was my visit to Dr. Joe and then teaching. Sunday was uneventful and rather nasty because I was sick. Saturday was fun because we had church, helped the Ahlers with their last garage sale and then had Mexican Night with some friends. :)
Mexican Night was a blast. It was at Lori's apartment which is basically right behind ours. So it was Lori, Tim, Helen, Tim's friend Mark, Lejda, Aida, Emily, and me. The food and fun were both incredible. We had a massive amount of food on the table and we had more laughs than that apartment could handle for one night. Then we watched Sweet Home Alabama and called it a night. But we also decided to plan another get together--maybe a poker night! Guess I better brush up on my Texas Hold 'Em skills! (David, I'll take any and all advice you have to offer. Haha!) ;)
Friday was our first Activity Night at church. We had about 20 people there, mostly girls between ages 8-17. Mariglen was the only boy there and one mom, Fatmira, who comes to one of the beginner classes with her youngest daughter Albiona, brought Albiona and her two older daughters who are in one of my classes. She said they came as a family activity. Awww! :) They seem like such a cute family! I really hope they start coming to more things and get interested in the church aspect of things too. The girls are all very sweet (so is the mom), very studious, and the mom keeps track of them and has taught them manners. Say your prayers that Emily and I do a good job of talking to them and that the Holy Spirit works in their hearts!
We started about 15 minutes late but it was ok because everyone was just chatting. I started things off by having everyone introduce themselves and say something about themselves. We want these activities to cultivate frienships and not all of the people there were in the same English classes. And some kids brought friends. Yay! That's exactly what we wanted. But I'm getting off track....We started with that and then I said, "Now let's see how well you were listening." It made a good transition into explaining our activity. We played Personality Bingo.
If you don't know this game, it's just like Bingo except that instead of having numbers in each square, a personality trait or characteristic is listed instead such as "has green eyes," or "is wearing pink," or "can play the piano." You go around and ask people if they fit that trait and if so, they sign your sheet in that box. However, players cannot sign their own sheet and a person may not sign more than two boxes on any single sheet.
I had them pair up so that at least one partner knew English well enough to understand all the listed traits. We played until each pair got Bingo. As they got Bingo, they handed them in to me and I kept them in the order I received them. Once I had all the sheets, we went through them and the pair that was the first to hand in a Bingo that followed all the rules was the winner. Fatmira and her oldest daughter, Aurora, won! I was so happy because everyone else was happy for them! :) Then we went through all of the characteristics to see if someone in the room matched each one. They did so it was a really fun night. I had a blast and I didn't even play the game! lol :) I hope people come again this week. I'm thinking of doing a movie night because the movies here are the English version from the states but they have Albanian subtitles. That's how they show them in the theaters here too. We don't have a TV at the church, but we have a computer with an extra big screen and I'm pretty sure that with the way the room is arranged that a group that size wouldn't have problems seeing the screen.
To be honest, I have to tell you that I'm disappointed in myself for not posting sooner. Saturday I was busy and Sunday I was sick. But also, Saturday night we had rain and wind which blew down the internet wires outside our building. No one in our neighborhood had internet on Sunday. And since it was a weekend, they didn't come and fix it until Monday. Then I've just been so tired and so at a loss for energy that I just didn't even attempt writing this until last night. Then after I had it all typed out and proofed and everything, the internet went stupid and wouldn't let me save it so I lost the whole thing. So this is really the second attempt at posting these stories. Oh, man!
Anyway, the rest of the week will include more teaching, another Activity Night, and a going away dinner for the Ahlers at Agron and Vitori's house on Friday. Should be fun! Anyway, I have to prepare for my classes later today and I really have nothing else to share. Hopefully next time you hear from me, I'll be a healthier version of me. ;)
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Week 2 Class Recap
Well! Another week of classes has come and gone. That's one more week under my belt. :) For me it's been a good two weeks of classes. For Emily, it's been a bit slower. Since she has the three beginner level classes and her students range in age from 7 to 26, she has a wide range of needs from her students. Scheduling was a bit chaotic because of school and work schedules, but now that that has been finalized, she should have smoother sailing.
I have two very full classes. One class has 10 students and another has 12. My third class has 5 students and so far it moves more quickly than the other two. But the group with 10, the yellow group, is the group of all girls between 9 and 13. They are the ideal class. Quiet, excited to learn, very studious, and they all give me the kiss kiss treatment (a kiss on each cheek as a greeting) when they come into class and when they leave. They have all be on time for every class so far and they have all been present at each class so far. I told them at the beginning that if they did this for the first two weeks (knowing that it would get them in a good habit) that they could either choose their seating arrangement or pick American names to use in class to help us use extra English and practice pronunciation, and just because it's fun. :) They opted to pick American names. I came up with a list and it was kind of funny what they chose because it wasn't just names of movie stars or singers. They even picked some that aren't so common for their generation's American counterparts. They picked: Wendy, Jane, Lydia, Sabrina, Chloe, Veronica, Courtney, Hannah, Jessie, and Serena. That was my most fun class to teach this week.
On Tuesday we didn't have class because it was a national holiday here. It was Big Bajram (pr. BYE-rahm) which is actual a Muslim celebration. Since I don't know any Muslims here, the best I have been able to figure is that it's a holy day celebration. It is a national holiday though so schools are closed as are many stores and most businesses. The best thing I can think to compare it to is Christmas. Even though Christmas is a religious holiday, everyone in the US celebrates regardless of their religious beliefs (or non beliefs as the case may be). Everyone here celebrates even if the aren't Muslim. I guess that's what happens when you live in a country that was once ruled by the Ottoman Empire and the Turks forced people to change their names to Muslim names.
I guess the only bit of "celebrating" that we did was watch some fireworks. People shoot off fireworks here all the time. But for Big Bajram, some people straight in front of our front door had a pretty impressive supply. We heard them and looked out and--whoa! They were right in front of us so we sat on our steps and enjoyed the show. Then Emily and I spent our Tuesday (the actual holiday) relaxing and being somewhat productive. We slept in, made lunch, got my bike seat fixed because it was falling off, went to church and put up a bulletin board, had coffee with Olsa, Neda, and their mom, went grocery shopping, and had Aida over for dinner and a movie. Fun stuff! Then it was back to work on Wednesday.
Our first activity night is tomorrow night. I'm excited about it because the students seem to be very excited. Since they are open to anyone, not just students, a lot of people told me they're bringing a friend, or a parent, or a sibling. I'm afraid we won't have room for everyone! Our church space isn't that big! If that's the case though, Emily and I have already come up with a solution--we'll break it down by age for the next ones. We'll have the younger group come and an earlier time and the later group come at a little later time after the younger group has finished. I'm eager to see how it goes so I can pass along the report! :)
Oh! I know what I need to say! Something interesting happened today. I got a piece of mail that was sent to Pastor Ahlers' house. It was from an LWMS group in South Dakota and it was a information for to fill out for befriending a missionary. I've been befriended! :) I'm so excited! It just overwhelms me to think of how many people I've heard from and how many people pass along their thoughts and prayers, some who are perfect strangers. Amazing! The encouragement and generosity is just amazing! I am anticipating what happens after I fill out the information sheet. I've never been befriended like this before so it will be another new adventure to add to my ever-increasing list. :) Yay!
On another bright note, I have been feeling much better recently. Thanks for all the prayers! I think my body has finally adjusted to everything because I am feeling better and I have noticed a definite increase in my energy level as well. All the walking and biking I have to do without a car also helps. My physical fitness is improving and I have lost some weight too. I have no problem with that! :) Hopefully this just helps me build better habits to continue when I'm back in the U.S.
Well, I feel like this was sufficiently informative, what about you? Nothing too crazy to speak of. Maybe I will have a more exciting story next time. We'll see. In the mean time, enjoy the fall weather for me. :)
I have two very full classes. One class has 10 students and another has 12. My third class has 5 students and so far it moves more quickly than the other two. But the group with 10, the yellow group, is the group of all girls between 9 and 13. They are the ideal class. Quiet, excited to learn, very studious, and they all give me the kiss kiss treatment (a kiss on each cheek as a greeting) when they come into class and when they leave. They have all be on time for every class so far and they have all been present at each class so far. I told them at the beginning that if they did this for the first two weeks (knowing that it would get them in a good habit) that they could either choose their seating arrangement or pick American names to use in class to help us use extra English and practice pronunciation, and just because it's fun. :) They opted to pick American names. I came up with a list and it was kind of funny what they chose because it wasn't just names of movie stars or singers. They even picked some that aren't so common for their generation's American counterparts. They picked: Wendy, Jane, Lydia, Sabrina, Chloe, Veronica, Courtney, Hannah, Jessie, and Serena. That was my most fun class to teach this week.
On Tuesday we didn't have class because it was a national holiday here. It was Big Bajram (pr. BYE-rahm) which is actual a Muslim celebration. Since I don't know any Muslims here, the best I have been able to figure is that it's a holy day celebration. It is a national holiday though so schools are closed as are many stores and most businesses. The best thing I can think to compare it to is Christmas. Even though Christmas is a religious holiday, everyone in the US celebrates regardless of their religious beliefs (or non beliefs as the case may be). Everyone here celebrates even if the aren't Muslim. I guess that's what happens when you live in a country that was once ruled by the Ottoman Empire and the Turks forced people to change their names to Muslim names.
I guess the only bit of "celebrating" that we did was watch some fireworks. People shoot off fireworks here all the time. But for Big Bajram, some people straight in front of our front door had a pretty impressive supply. We heard them and looked out and--whoa! They were right in front of us so we sat on our steps and enjoyed the show. Then Emily and I spent our Tuesday (the actual holiday) relaxing and being somewhat productive. We slept in, made lunch, got my bike seat fixed because it was falling off, went to church and put up a bulletin board, had coffee with Olsa, Neda, and their mom, went grocery shopping, and had Aida over for dinner and a movie. Fun stuff! Then it was back to work on Wednesday.
Our first activity night is tomorrow night. I'm excited about it because the students seem to be very excited. Since they are open to anyone, not just students, a lot of people told me they're bringing a friend, or a parent, or a sibling. I'm afraid we won't have room for everyone! Our church space isn't that big! If that's the case though, Emily and I have already come up with a solution--we'll break it down by age for the next ones. We'll have the younger group come and an earlier time and the later group come at a little later time after the younger group has finished. I'm eager to see how it goes so I can pass along the report! :)
Oh! I know what I need to say! Something interesting happened today. I got a piece of mail that was sent to Pastor Ahlers' house. It was from an LWMS group in South Dakota and it was a information for to fill out for befriending a missionary. I've been befriended! :) I'm so excited! It just overwhelms me to think of how many people I've heard from and how many people pass along their thoughts and prayers, some who are perfect strangers. Amazing! The encouragement and generosity is just amazing! I am anticipating what happens after I fill out the information sheet. I've never been befriended like this before so it will be another new adventure to add to my ever-increasing list. :) Yay!
On another bright note, I have been feeling much better recently. Thanks for all the prayers! I think my body has finally adjusted to everything because I am feeling better and I have noticed a definite increase in my energy level as well. All the walking and biking I have to do without a car also helps. My physical fitness is improving and I have lost some weight too. I have no problem with that! :) Hopefully this just helps me build better habits to continue when I'm back in the U.S.
Well, I feel like this was sufficiently informative, what about you? Nothing too crazy to speak of. Maybe I will have a more exciting story next time. We'll see. In the mean time, enjoy the fall weather for me. :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
