Wrapping up PST and my first days as a volunteer!

Hey guys, I'm sorry I haven't written for a while. I've been crazy busy, but I have a lot of good stuff to fill you in on! Today's categories are: 1) Counterpart (CP) Conference 2) My life in Milot 3) Escape to Tirana 4) Birthday! 5) End of PST and Swearing in Ceremony 6) Where I am now and RPB

1) CP conference

We went to Durres and stayed at this amazing hotel resort called the Tropikal. It was an interesting moment because we all met our co-worker for the next 2 years. It was a gamble with some CP's being old, some young, some with a lot of experience, some with none, some who spoke english, and some who didn't. My CP is a lovely girl named Elsona. She is 21 years old (by far the youngest Cap), and a student at the Tirana University. she stays in Tirana, but works in Milot, and she is very welcoming and kind! We get along great, and we are already friends. During the conference we had a session on how to work with our CP's, which I found to be useful, and a good way to better bond with our new CPs.

2) My life in Milot

I live with a host family right next to the school. When I say right next to the school I mean...I open the gate from my house, step forward, and I'm at the high school (gjimnazi). The location is great, and the family is really nice. However, I definitely feel a lack of privacy, and I took over my new host brother's room so he hates me. When I say he hates me, I mean he locked me out of my room, threw my bags out the door, and gave me the finger! He also licked the top of the bottle we were drinking from when only I was looking just to spite me (charming little guy). However, I understand that he is only 10, and I stole his room so I understand the animosity. My new sister's are 19 and 21. They are both getting married very soon. The 19 year old will marry a 28 year old, and the 21 year old will marry a 33 year old whom she decided to marry after only 2 hours--after being introduced by an uncle. He lives in New Jersey so she will be moving soon :(. She is the only one in the house who speak a little English. 

     Milot is very small; it's pretty much one street. Everyone there acts like they've never seen an American before, so they all like to come up and touch me. I get a lot of coffee invites which is nice, and it's a good way to get to know the community. Everyone is pretty much Catholic, and a lot of the residents go to the city over, Laç (pronounced "lotch"), for church.  I went with my family to check it out. English is the 2nd foreign language in Milot, so it is extremely difficult to find an english speaker... My shqip will be VERY good in 2 years! I have a lot of work to do there, but luckily my school director is very progressive and willing to work with me. One more thing about Milot: Women don't go out by themselves EVER. They don't xhiro (Albanian tradition to walk back and forth in the city center in the evenings) or go out in the open for coffees without the presence of a man.

3) Escape to Tirana

During my visit I got pretty sad. I was missing the other volunteers, and I was tired of not understand what anyone was saying. I felt like I didn't have any privacy, and I have to admit I was jealous of everyone else who got their own apartments, and who had their CPs there with them at their site. Luckily, my CP called me, and asked me to come stay with her for a night in Tirana. The next day I was there, and I got to see what Albanian University was like.  I went out for ice cream and milkshakes with her and her awesome roommates, and then got to stay in the dorms. It was a cool experience, and Tirana is an awesome city. It made me really happy to know I have a CP who cares about me, and a place to escape to when Milot gets to be too taxing.

4) Birthday! 

My birthday started the day before my actual birthday. I hitch-hiked to Pajove with Tyler, and we met some really awesome people on the way! When we got to Pajove, there was a cake waiting for me along with most of my favorite volunteers. We were also celebrating Josh's birthday and Paul and Susan's 10th anniversary. We went to the field and played games, but then I got stung by a bee. It occurred because  I was skipping through a grassy field with Kat to country music. Anyway, it was a great time. the next day I woke up to a table full of presents from my host family! They gave me a cake, a card, a perfume set, and a saucy shirt that was spandex, red, rhinestoned, and it had a cleavage slit. I of course sported the shirt for my party which was at one of the lokals. A bunch of volunteers, some Albanians, and one of my shqip teachers, came to my party and we danced for about 3 hours straight. At the end everyone sang this really funny birthday song to me, and zi took a shot of raki --disgusting. It was suchhh a fun birthday, and I am so grateful to everyone who was a part of it. I'm now 23!

5) End of PST and Swearing in Ceremony

Well it had to come eventually.. Our days as trainees came to an end. Most volunteers were really pumped to get to site, but I was a little bummed to be leaving everyone. A lot of people were psyched to start cooking for themselves and to have some privacy, but I couldn't help but feel like I was moving into the exact same circumstances as PST...minus having the company of other volunteers. Anyway, on a brighter note, I was ecstatic to finally have the honor of becoming an official PCV. I also was really excited because the teachers and Volunteers voted for me and another male volunteer, Mito, to do a speech in shqip at the swearing in ceremony. I was very excited, and it went really well :) The US ambassador was there as well as the mayor of Elbasan, all the Trainees, PC staff, and our host families. It was a great moment for me, and all of the volunteers! After the ceremony, we all began to say our goodbyes. It was a strange feeling.

6) Where I am now and RPB

Well, one would think I would be in Milot at my host family's house right now, but the thing is I am actually in Has with Kat. I went to Tirana with other volunteers going up North, and the night before I was supposed to leave for my site, I got a text from my host sister telling me not to come until wednesday the family wouldn't be in the house. Since I was with the group of Northies, they suggested I with them to their sites until Wednesday so I called PC staff and they said OK! I got the chance to see Bajram Curri and Has (A great opportunity)! I am waiting to hear from PC to see what will happen next, but I believe I will go to Tirana today, and then I will head to Burrel for a TEFL conference. After that PC will drive me to Milot so that they can help me with communication with my family and/or help me find some new housing. I have really enjoyed the chance to travel around Albania, but I would like to settle in to my new home and site. 

     I don't want to banter on too much today because this post was long and played a lo of catch up. I scored and Intermediate-High level in shqip on my language placement exam, and I was very happy about that, seeing as PC only required an Intermediate-Low. I realize now how important all the volunteers are to me. They are my friends, resources, and support system. I also have realized how important people back home are to me. It's easy to forget what home is when you're so far away, but being able to talk to friends and family keeps me connected with a very big piece of my life-- a piece that gives me a lot of peace of mind and makes me very happy :))

Birthday Month Update :)

May 8, 2013

Hey guys! Just so you know...it's my BIRTHDAY MONTH!!! Sorry for not writing so often. I plan to form a routine for writing in my blog once I get to my site, but for now...since it's still PST (pre service training), my blogs reflect the life of a trainee: unorganized, confusing, and slightly chaotic. Ok, today's categories are: 1) Site Visit and Counterpart Conference 2) Fake it 'til you make it 3) How to cope with stress 4) Funny Things 5) A day in Thanë 6) Random Panda Banter (RPB)

1) Site Visit and CPC

This weekend (and I say this weekend meaning sometime within the next 5 days because I never have any clue when things are actually happening..or for that fact what day it is) we are going to Tirana, Durres, and our site. We are going to Tirana to explore the capital, to Durres to meet our counterpart, and to our site to see where we will be living and working for the next 2 years. It's really an exciting time because Tirana is supposed to be really cool, and if you come visit me that's where you will fly into ;). Meeting our counterparts will be pretty awesome as well because that is who we will be working with for the next 2 years, and obviously seeing our site is the most exciting thing! I believe I will be living in a villa with a family close to the school in Milot, but I am not expecting much. I think it is better to set my hopes very low so that I can only be pleasantly surprised. Also, the site gives us a chance to move half of our bags there so we don't have to carry so many things when we actually move. I am excited to tell you all about Tirana, my counterpart, and my site when I come back!

2) Fake it 'til you make it

There are a lot of things to fake/lie about here in Albania that make living here easier. For example.. When taking the Language placement test, if you're asked about your favorite genre of book, and you don't know how to say "fiction" in shqip, just say any genre you do know. If single, creepy men want to know if you're single and you don't feel like being harassed..tell them you're married! PS. Another volunteer and I may be having a fake wedding in the near future...I'll keep you posted. If you're teaching English, and you write a mistake on the board and a student points it out...just tell them it's British English instead of American (that one is my favorite). Happen to hate a certain type of food in Albania (sheep brain..and/or cos)? No worries! Tell whomever is serving you that you have an allergy to this food, or that Peace Corps recommended not to eat this particular food product. Can't drink any more Raki, but a friendly uncle keeps filling up your glass every time you finish? Pour water in that glass!

3) How to cope with stress

My methods are pretty simple: activities. I go to the river, play frisbee and whiffle ball, and do Insanity in my room. I also write in a personal journal, Skype with friends, and watch movies/listen to music on my computer. I also think my friends here in Albania are very important. I often go to coffee or lunch with volunteers, and spending time with them makes me happy. I also have a few really close friends here who help keep me sane :)).  

4) Funny Things

-One of the volunteers shaves her legs on the bidet. Resourceful. Hilarious. And Awesome.

-My host dad always puts Pokemon on the television for me and then leaves..I can't tell if it's because he thinks I'm really young or that I'll like it because I'm Asian...maybe both?

-One volunteer tried to write "badminton" up on the board during Practicum, but she forgot the correct spelling of it and wrote "bad mitten" instead.

-The volunteers going up north have decided to put on a "Mr. Northern Albania" competition which will include a wood chopping contest, an animal skinning contest, and my favorite...a beard dance (dance with incorporated beard showing off-ness) 

-When I say "I'm full" my mom always sneaks 2 more things on my plate

5) A day in Thanë

Every Sunday we try to visit one PST site. Last Sunday, all the Volunteers went to Thanë. Thanë is a small village not too far away from Elbasan. The volunteers there put on a "Community Gathering" day when we visited, and it was very successful! My host sister came, and she was awesome! She decided to MC the event, and she really rallied up the children, and led them to do fun games and dances with each other and the volunteers. It was a lot of fun, and all the kids were really cute. 

6) RPB

To begin.. There is a strange noise coming from my closet. A type of scratching, crawling sound. At night, I picture a giant tarantula with boots and sharp fangs sitting in my closet, preparing to eat me. However, alas I have discovered what/where the noise is coming from. It's... Wood worms! Ew. To continue with the theme of creepy crawlies..there are water snakes in the river! Yep, not cool at all. Also, it's puppy/kitten season. 2 volunteers have already found newborn baby animals that have been abandoned. It's pretty sad, but there's not much you can do about it here. As PST goes on, I get more and more bored and restless with my free time. I think it gives me a lot of self -reflection time which I try to use to my advantage, but sometimes, it's just too much time. A lot of volunteers are having a difficult time staying on budget. I spend most of my money on coffee, ice cream, furgon rides, and chocolate, hah. I never knew how much I liked Snickers until now. Damn you, Snickers. may is an awesome month because not only is it going to be my birthday, but my mom will also have a birthday (happy birthday mommy Der) and it's mother's day. I love you mom! 

Hope you've enjoyed this entry! Sorry I'm not sorry that I don't spell check or edit this blog :)) 

For my Teammies back home

For my teammies:

Hey ladies! This post is for you. I feel so far removed from the US..and especially OH, but I felt it didn't feel right to not acknowledge the great season you had. I just wanted to say congrats to the seniors..aka my roomies... For many reason. Sarah G, Ritty, Coll, and Aly, I am so proud of your gymnastics careers! No matter when they ended, you guys were dynamite on the competition floor. You all were there to give me support at the end of mine, and I feel so honored to have been on the same team as you. Milly and Tot, congrats on Nationals. What a wonderful accomplishment. To my girls who are about to be seniors...you will forever and always be my little freshlings, and I can't tell you how much I love and miss you guys! Congrats on finishing the season, Bucks! I hope you're pumped for next year. And PS...I love you, Grady.

I just read through my senior gift binder and all of the letters you wrote me, and I wear my necklace every day here in Albania. The letters really bring a smile to my face, and keep me feeling somewhat connected to home. There is so ethi g about being on a team that really hits home, and you guys will forever be my teammates. 

Life after gymnastics is an adventure. You find out a lot about yourself, and learn to file gymnastics away in your past. It's always a part of you and you can refer back to it, but there is more out there to do and explore. 

I just want to remind you guys that if you ever need to talk, I am just an email/facebook message away. Enjoy post season, sunny days on the oval, and all the varieties of food and real toilets that exist in the US. 

Go Bucks, go nuts! Love,

Miranda

Site announcement and PST life

April 23, 2013

What the heck..it's already the 23rd and PST is flyyyying by. I am having such a wonderful time in Librazhd. My days are occupied by teaching, learning, playing whiffle ball (frisbee, volleyball, and dodgeball), coffee + tea, and spending time with other volunteers and my Albanian family. So..here are today's categories: My future site, Practicum, What I do for FUN, and RPB (random panda banter)

My future Site:

It's... Milot!!! A site up north, 1 hour from the beach, 1 hour from Tirana, and 1 hour from Shkoder. It is a small site with a population of only 4000. The school has only 1 English teacher who is new and has no teaching experience..yet! I will be the first volunteer there, and I will be alone, but with another volunteer 15 minutes away by furgon (mini bus). I am excited, but slightly nervous about my safety there. It should be an adventure.

Practicum:

=practice teaching. This week I have 11th graders. They are awesome. So far, I have taught 4 different 11th grade English classes. The students are receptive and interested in learning. Some love to show off their English skills, some are shy, and some just plain don't speak English. All this practice, however, is making me feel very ready for my own class! I am excited to teach!

FUN:

Other volunteers and my family keep me enthusiastic about Albania. I love circle dancing, drinking coffee, and playing sports with volunteers and Albanians. The other day I visited Pajove (another PST site) with 2 other volunteers from Librazhd and we got to see what village life was like. I got to hold chicks and see how BIG village houses are. There is only one cafe in all of Pajove, and the streets are pretty...dirt-paved. Although it is small, it is full of character, and I love the volunteers..and donkeys there. :) 

RPB:

Clothing. Oh clothing... We Americans feel that 70 degrees is shorts and T weather, right? Ok, well I feel that way. However, in Albania that is not the case. I am constantly being criticized for not wearing enough clothes. I've only gone out in shorts and a T once...maybe twice, and my poor host mom and sisters looked at me like I was about to jump off a cliff. My sister keeps telling me "I think you don't understand that it's not Summer yet." It's pretty amusing. The other day some of us went tanning by the river. It was awesome...and worth the skeptical looks from other Albanians. I hear the Summer here gets VERY hot which means I will be VERY happy and VERY much wearing shorts and skirts. :)) I am sad that I only have a month left in Librazhd now. i love it here. 

Okay, until next time... Mirupafshim!

P S T

April 10, 2013

Oh hi there! I have a lot to post about, but I'll do my best to keep this somewhat short..and interesting. I have been in Albania for 3 weeks now and I am still very happy here. Anyway..The general things I will discuss in this post are:

1)  I went on a volunteer visit to Kucove (and Berat). 

2) My experience with learning the Albanian language

3) Struggles and expected struggles

4) Funny stories

5) Miscellaneous Panda Banter (MPB)

Volunteer visit-

The volunteer visit is an awesome thing. It is a time for current trainees to visit a current volunteer somewhere in the country for 4 days. To make things less complicated, I am going to generalize this experience by saying it is a time for trainees to take a break from their host families and other trainees, make use of wifi, eat volunteer-made Mexican food, see what it's like to be a real PCV, and put many many workout videos, movies, ebooks, and music on flash drives. I had an awesome time, and now I can't wait until NEXT FRIDAY to find out where in Albania I'll be placed!!! Apparently someone cries every year due to disappointment in placement, but I have faith in group 16. Let's hope for all smiles. I know I'll be happy with wherever I get sent. 

Albanian Language-

I am actually having a fairly easy time learning this language. I am very proud of the progress I am making. The grammar is a it hard to pick up, but my technique is just to not stress about it, and speak without thinking.

Struggles-

Sickness. Sickness constantly flows through the trainees. We are disgusting germ machines. I currently have a terrible cough with a lot of chest congestion. It may be bronchitis. Last week I had a fever, and the week before that I had a headache/soar throat combo. Also, my nails are turning yellow..which the Health volunteers tell me is a sign of iron deficiency. The only other real struggle I have is seeing all the starving/beaten animals on the street.

Struggles I predict for the future: 1. Loneliness at site 2. Corrupt school systems 3. More sickness 4. Losing things and/or being robbed of things

Funny stories- one volunteer said the word "to be f*ck*d" instead of "to be called"

I was mistaken for a small child who doesn't speak Albanian

Got locked out of my house, tried to jump the wall, the brick came loose --> i fell on my back

MPB- I have observed some big issues while being here. there is a lot of cheating and corruption in the schools, and that is just how life is here. also, the hospitals lack proper conditions including elevators (for a 6 story building), sanitary needles, and heat :(( I am super excited to find out where I'll be placed for the next 2 years this Friday! Also, today we did a 5 hour hike up to a tree in Librazhd. It was awesome because volunteers from other villages came. I'm running out of internet time so it's time to go. Nect time I post, I'll have my site placement. Woo!

Gotta love being Jewish in a Muslim country while celebrating Easter in a Catholic Church

So as you can tell from the title of this post, I celebrated Easter yesterday! It was so much fun. I went to church with my sisters Ira and Sindi and we sang a lot of songs in Shqip. Because it was my first time in the church, they welcomed me by drum rolling their hands and counting down from 10 in shqip and then in unison shouting "mire se vini!" (Welcome!) I was worried about feeling awkward there because I was so out of my element. Not only am I jewish, but I also don't speak/understand shqip very well. However, I tried to sing along and I kept getting a lot of smiles and hugs and I felt very happy there. It was pretty awesome being inundated by a culture not of my own. After the service, I circle danced (traditional Albanian dance) for the first time. Everyone held hands and danced ina circle: right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot, grapevine are the regular steps...however the pace soon picked up and we were kicking and hopping and twirling all over the place. I was sweating pretty hard by the end. There were also games at the church. They put a balloon between 2 people, and the couples had to dance while keeping the balloon between their heads. I didn't participate in this game, but it was fun to watch. We also all received decorated eggs and the. We had to smash them into someone elses egg. Whoever's egg cracked first would have good luck throughout the year. My egg cracked first :))

On the way back from church I saw something not so pleasant..a dead kitten. Apparently it happens a lot here. There are 2 reasons for this. 1. Because there is an abundance of street cats and dogs. 2. Because cars drive super fast and out of control here...and they usually blast ghetto american songs <-haha. However..I love animals and seeing them constantlymin dumpsters and or dead makes me really sad.

On a brighter note... I got to practice my circle dancing again in the same day. I went to another volunteer's host brother's birthday party and we circle danced and free danced. I like Albanian dancing a lot. There is only hand holding..no other types of touching, which makes it a lot more comfortable than American dancing...aka grinding. One guy also had a huge drum and he was playing it in the middle of the dance floor to the beat of the songs playing. At the end of the party, the birthday kid (Alejandro's) friends shoved a cake in his face.

Yesterday was a really awesome day, and I had a lot of fun and cultural exchange. I also got to shower which was a treat since I only shower twice a week. Also, when I shower I have to pick and choose..and make sacrifices. For example: the water stops being hot after I shave one leg...do I shave the other or stay hairy? Or I shampoo my hair and then the hot water runs out..do I push through the cold and condition or just call it quits? So far I've been tolerating the cold, but I don't know if I can keep it up. Haha I guess I'll let you know if things change. Language lessons are going well, and I am really happy :))

A great beginning: O Sa Mire!

March 25, 2013

     The day I arrived at my host family was a great day. Everybody said it would be an extremely awkward day,  but in fact it was full of warmth, happiness, and the familiar feeling of a loving family. The only uncomfortable part was when I was waiting in the car (Peace Corps staff got out of the car to find my house, and I was the last one to get dripped off so I was alone with the driver), the driver asked me if I was married, and them proceeded to try to speak to me in Albanian. but anyway, I am staying with a host Mother and father, and 2 host sisters. They have 3 cousins that have all come by the house as well, and one of the, will move in with us for a while.

 I asked my sister, Ira (16 years old, how their family got selected to host a PCV, and she told me it was because she has been wanting to host a volunteer for a long time. She told me that her family asked to host a volunteer before, but their house did not meet Peace Corps standards for housing. After that, their family decided to build a 2nd story so they could have a volunteer, and now that volunteer is me :)) The 2nd story will be finished in 1 week. It looks wonderful, and I can tell they have put a lot of hard work into it. My sister Ira speaks english very well. She also loves to play soccer and basketball, and she finished 7th place at a really big spelling competition. She also volunteers at world vision and likes to go on jogs. She is way ahead of her time for an Albanian girl, and I am very proud of her. Ira has a sister named Sindi. Sindi is 9 years old, and she is in her beginning stages of learning English. She is very cute, and I love playing cards with her and chatting with her through google translate. My host mother is a teacher for young children. She is also a great cook, and she enjoys trying out english phrases with me. Her name is Mira, and she calls me her 3rd daughter. She also is convinced I'm starving because I don't finish all the food she gives me...she gives me A LOT of food (including homemade goat cheese she made from her brother's goats: YUM!) My host father has been working on the house a lot so he is not around much. However, every time I see him he is smiling, and he likes to chat with me when Ira is there to translate. He speaks the least amount of english in the family and is a school director for older children.

     Librazhd has been awesome so far. There is one main street where everyone walks, and everybody seems to know each other here. Albanians greet almost everybody they walk by. They usually say "C'kemi" or "Mire?" Which means "What's up" or "good?" The response is always "mire." There are a lot of stray cats and dogs on the street...as well as chickens, horses and donkeys, and if you go off a side street...sheep! The cars drive extremely fast, and most of the time when I'm walking I feel like I'm going to get hit by a car. There are Albanian flags everywhere, and there is also a really nice few of snow capped mountains. Librazhd is beautiful. 

     We are learning Shqip (Albanian) right now, and I want to get better SO badly. I am constantly studying and trying to pick up phrases from my host family. We played a lot of card games with the cards I got them from Yosemite, and it has helped me with my #s, certain phrases, and names of royalty and shapes. The language barrier can someti es be funny. Today Another volunteer, Masha, and I stopped to pet a dog and a store owner came out to us and rubbed his hands together to indicate we should wash our hands. He then said "hajde" which means come. We tried to show him we had hand sanitizer, but he had no idea what it was so eventually we gave up on our explanation and went to his shop to wash our hands...with freezing cold water. 

Oh and speaking of freezing cold...it is FREEZING at night. I understand why a sleeping bag was necessary. It is saving my life. Along with the sleeping bag,  I sleep in smartwool socks, long underwear, sweats, and gloves. It's pretty effing "ftohte" (cold) here at night. 

I'm going to wrap up my thoughts now because I am so tired. Pre service training (PST) takes a lot out of you and tomorrow we travel back to Elbasan. I'll end this post with so e funnies. My nickname is now Big Panda. Apparently if your friends think you are funny they say "You are big." Panda rhymes with Miranda...so now I am a funny Panda. Also, I have some funny stories about other volunteers. One guy is at a host family who only serves hot dogs because the family thinks Americans love hot dogs...so there are hot dogs at every meal. Another story: My friend Kate has a host family that doesn't speak any English. The other day she put her shoes on to leave, and her mom took her shoes right off her. she couldn't explain that she wanted to leave. Her host mom also thought her spray sun tan lotion was perfume and proceeded to spray it on herself and around the house. I am the only volunteer so far who was a squat toilet...lucky me :)) but I am getting used to it. We all have our funny stories, and it is great being here in Albania. I am very happy. 

Naten!