Since my husband has not posted since last Tuesday, I thought I would post something. I'll have to admit, it has been quite hectic in the past week, including the arrival of our HHE (that's government-speak for household effects, including my newly-arrived SUV). It's difficult to know where to begin - so, here goes.
First, the plants. I have not yet made it through a single day without thinking of Becky Crook, our friend who died last August. For those of you who don't know her, she and Robert had a yard which some have called the "Crook State Park." It is just lovely, and she loved all sorts of plants. Some of the plants here in Albania which remind me of Mississippi (and Becky) are: magnolia, nandina, verigated periwinkle, Sweet William (dianthus), roses (lots of roses), canna lillies, among others. Seeing these plants, alongside palm trees and citrus trees of all varieties is quite amazing.
I also learned that Michael Galaty, a professor of Anthropology at Millsaps College, has been coming to Albania for a number of years (10 or more, I think) for a project known as the Shala Valley Project, which is a study of an area of northern Albania. If you Google "Shala Valley Project," you can read all about it and the work he has done here. Last year, one of my former law school friends, Harvey Fiser, came over here with Professor Galaty and a group of students for his first trip to Albania. Harvey teaches business law at Millsaps, practices law in Jackson, and I don't know what else - he's a busy guy. Anyway, Harvey was one of Valena's professors at Millsaps, and we reconnected before we came to Albania. Harvey, Professor Galaty and a group of students are arriving in Albania this weekend for a 3-week inter-disciplinary study involving Albanian law, archeology and anthropology - I think I have that right. We're very excited that we will have some Mississippi folks visiting here this summer. We also recently learned that Chelsi West, who just graduated from Millsaps and came to Albania with Professor Galaty last year has just gotten a Fullbright fellowship to study here in Tirana at New York University of Tirana. She will be arriving this fall, and in the small world category, she and Valena worked together during a portion of their time at Millsaps.
Our DCM (Deputy Chief of Mission) here at the embassy is Steve Cristina, who is from New Orleans. He used to live in the Bywater and has actually been to the Friendly Bar - knows exactly where it is. Marti - I told him to come and look you up when he is on home leave. We are going to his house for dinner on Saturday - he and his wife Lea have friends from New Orleans coming to visit, so I'm sure we will all know some people in common within 5 minutes.
On the personal front, there is never a dull moment here in Tirana. Just before I left to go visit Dave in London, we finally got an internet connection. Unfortunately, the internet guys did not ask our neighbors if they could string a line directly across the neighbor's yard. While it was not touching their property, it did go right across their line of sight. Anyway, there was much yelling, all in Albanian and none of which I could understand. It was clear, however, that our neighbors were totally and completely angry about this line. So, the internet guys agreed to come and move it in 10 days. Fast forward to Dave getting home, we find out our stuff has finally arrived, we wake up this past Friday morning (May 30 - 14 days at least past the 10 day promised deadline) and lo and behold, someone had simply cut through the internet line. So, we had a couple of days without phone or internet - again - and then the internet guys came back and rerouted the whole thing, and now it is nowhere near this particular neighbor. On that same day, the neighbors are doing a little pole-climbing, I assumed, to tap into our internet connection and get a little free service. My husband informed me that I was mistaken, that they were only stealing electricity, not internet - what a relief! Now, we just have to check electric bills to see whether it is our electricity or someone else's that is being pilfered.
And, finally, did I mention we got our car? We did the unthinkable, at least in environmental terms, when we left Bethesda. We sold our just-barely-over-a-year-old Toyota Prius and bought a 6-year-old Mercedes ML 370 SUV. Doc, before you scream in agony, I had a good reason for this. First of all, the Prius would never have survived the potholes here and no one in this country would have had a clue how to repair a hybrid. Secondly, I wanted the Mercedes because there are tons of them here and all over the Balkans, so if we break down en route somewhere, then we'll have a better chance of getting it fixed. Anyway, in my very first attempt to get this SUV down our very narrow and steep driveway, I got the front (just under the front right bumper) hung on our retaining wall. This house is the very first ever built by our entrepreneurial landlord, and he could use some pointers on driveway and garage size. We allegedly have a 3-car garage, but I think it would only hold about 3 Mini-coopers or maybe Smart Cars. Anyway, in my going back and forth to try and get unstuck, I just made things worse, to the point that the back right wheel is now completely off the ground. So, I finally had the good sense to put the thing in park and go get Dave. So, my husband, whose right eye is still recuperating from surgery, climbs in, and the neighbors across the street feel sorry for us and offer to help (these are not the same neighbors who cut our internet cable). So, we pop the back door open, two guys sit down back there and I climb in the back seat. This was enough to get the wheel back on the ground and allow the thing to be backed out of its predicament. Dave then turned it around and backed down the driveway - he drives better than me even with only one semi-good eye.
Oh well, that's about it for now - I did not write anything about work, but it's just as challenging as ever - and never boring, which is the best part.
Keep those comments coming - and come see us in Albania (we now have chairs you can sit in).
Cindy
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