Shadow Visit

Apparently you can see Greece from your backyard in this region

Yet another logistical feat has been successfully accomplished thanks to the amazing planning of the Peace Corps Albania staff and the existing volunteers. Each group of Peace Corps volunteers has a class number assigned to us. My class is Albania 20, and you can figure out the others. (Albania 19 and 18 to be specific) The 18’s are on their way out, which is called in PC lingo COD , it does not mean cash on delivery, and we 20’s are on our way in. Part of Pre Service Training, or PST as the PC calls it, is going to shadow an existing volunteer at a site to see how they have oriented themselves and get a more accurate picture of what to expect when the assignment begins. In certain ways, I was not looking forward to this part of training mainly because I feel I had just really oriented myself to where I am staying now, and I wanted to study the language more on my own so as to get some of the wrote material under my belt. I want to be more articulate than “Shum Mire” which means “very good” every time I am asked a question or make a remark on something.

Hub days are when all the trainees gather in our central office in Elbasan and receive trainings on everything from how to run a successful program to first aid and culture. After a grueling day of information, we were given instructions on how to catch what bus to where for our shadow experience. Some of the volunteers spent the night in a hotel in Elbasan so they could catch extremely early buses to their different locations. I caught an early morning bus on the road just outside my host family house. 

I went south. Elbasan is basically in central Albania. While I am enjoying where I am staying now and the trips to Elbasan for hub days, it was fun to branch out so to speak and see a different part of the country. Words can not express the beauty of what I saw, both in the land and of the people. At one of our breaks on the road, some ladies on the bus offered all of us Americans some Ballocoume, which are these extremely large cookies made of cornmeal, flour butter and eggs. They remind me of the Mexican pastry I really enjoy back in California. The farmland, rivers, canyons and mountains we drove past today were simply breathtaking. We were all chattering away about our respective experiences until we entered a canyon, then the chatter ceased, iPhones came out at the pictures started to be taken in stunned silence.

I do not know the geology of the area. Albania is still quite a mystery to me, and the world I might add. The isolation they had during the Cold War era has made their re-entry into the global consciousness a bit slow. As I experienced the lush green fields, pale blue glacial rivers, snow capped mountains, I had a bit of a stab in my heart wondering when the world does discover this ancient land, what will it do ? Will it pave over the fields, drill the mountains, dam up the rivers? Will anyone try to stop it? Beauty, breathtaking pristine beauty does not seem to have much value these days.

I was assigned to the Permet region which is a southern county along the Greek border. My host volunteer and another host volunteer who had two of my bus mates as his charges were waiting for us on the road. We negotiated a taxi, and for some reason I got to sit in front while three men and my host squished into the back seat. One trainee was basically lying across the other three. My camera was in my pack in the trunk or I would have taken a picture. The scene reminded me of those pictures from the 50’s where people crammed themselves into phone booths to break a Guinness record. It actually reminded me of how I experienced Yugoslavia in the 80’s with my own family as we crammed ourselves into a car with luggage and gifts from family members who gave us things like a set of dishes (meaning an entire service with cups, bowls, everything) Curtains and my dads slide projector.

My amusement quickly gave into wonder as we traveled to our respective shadow sites. I realized how much the trash near my training site and Elbasan has been getting me down, when I viewed the vistas before me without plastic bottles and candy wrappers strewn everywhere. When we arrived at the first drop off, my host (an absolutely lovely dietitian from Philadelphia and near my age) got another taxi to her town. After we settled in her flat, she insisted that we go to the “Banyas” which are the local term for natural warm springs in the local mountains. Again, I was almost dumbstruck by the beauty, the snow capped mountains, clear air, lush green fields, streams and trees bursting into flower.

The Permet region is known for its herbal medicine, which I think I know know the right term for “Popular” My host remarked she was helping a local friend plant a garden, and for the first time in her life helped to transplant dandelion. I thought to myself, entire multinational corporations have made billions in farm equipment and herbicides to kill eradicate this plant that is so nutritious and healing. I will add to my list of descriptors for Albania as “dandelion sanctuary.” 

Ottoman bridge to the warm springs

The “banyas” were a series of warm spring pools in granite hillsides. The mountains for view from these undeveloped springs were something out of a National Geographic calendar. I have a friend in Macedonia that has a business specializing in arranging tours to hike in the Balkans. Again, while I want everyone to know of the beauty of the Balkans, I worry what will happen when the droves of tourists do finally get the hint and come to this part of the world. My host and I sat on the side of one of the larger pools, soaked our feet and watched the locals play a water polo sort of game. When we returned, we met the language teaching volunteer who is transitioning back to the states in a few days, we sat and talked about his experience while drinking my new favorite drink “Salep” which is a rice drink made from the root of the Salep flower, which the Turks brought to the area. Salep is best served with cream and cinnamon, sort of like a latte but without the coffee. I now have something other than Chai to drink at coffee hour! I can not tell you what a find this has been for me personally

The next day I accompanied my host to shadow her presentation to a fourth grade class. She works with the school nurse to give classes on different aspects of health. The school was spotless and newly remodeled, with cheerful pastel colored walls. The children were beyond adorable and listened intently as my host, their teacher and the nurse gave a lesson on hand washing. The young boys in the back of the classroom asked me in perfect English if I spoke Albanian (Shqip) or English. I responded I spoke “pak Shqip dhe Anglisht” After the class we joined the other trainees and host for a walk into the local mountains to visit a village where the language volunteer teaches, and visit a church. The fresco's inside are unusual in this area in that they have sustained little damage. I was told my one of my trainers that the dictator that wiped out religion in Albania ignored the Orthodox because he thought they were too stupid to rebel, and focused on the more educated Muslims and Catholics for his program of eradication.

Again, words simply can not describe the beauty here. Today I hope to meet with the local Slow Food community, taste some regional specialty and complete my site visit. We are told not to expect our visit to be our assignment, but I hope with all my heart to be assigned near these amazing sites. Can’t wait to learn more about the history and ecology of the area, especially the “popular” medicine.

I fell in love in Permet