Albanian Blogger » Albania & Albanians

Lavazh – car wash, a necessary evil in Albania!

the Albanian Blogger — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 06:33:45 +0000

They are almost anywhere cars go. Their number is equal or greater than that of gas stations. You can almost see them from space (joke). Many of them are illegal. They waste our drinkable water. And yet you can almost not do without them because you car gets very dirty even when you do not use it much.

I’ve spoken and heard the comments of many a foreigner visiting Tirana or traveling on the roads of Albania about the almost pervasive presence of car wash places, or “Lavazh” as they are called here. Meanwhile, Albanians are certainly used to them, we often do not think of the fact that their presence is an indicator of the level of dust and dirt in our streets and eventually in our homes and lives.

But that is why they are everywhere, because dirt is everywhere too. Our streets continue to remain prisoners of dusts and dirt, and while you can brush off your shoes, you have to wash your car if you want to maintain that necessary level of cleanliness in your vehicle.

Thankfully I have to admit that the level of dust in Tirana (at least) has decreased somewhat due to many streets being paved and the level of constructions in the city decreasing as well. Nevertheless, the presence of car wash places continues to remind me of the ever present reality of dirt in our streets and in our own lives inevitably.

[Show as slideshow]

[View with PicLens]

Please send me your pictures of Albanian car washers if you any. Get them out of your digital dust archives and send them to be added to this gallery.

Albanian wedding, traditional or modern?

the Albanian Blogger — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:07:20 +0000

On May 29, I got married to the love of my life. Thankfully, the whole ceremony went just wonderfully and we were so glad to see so many friends and guests join us on this unique occasion. Before that day, the entire month was rather stressful with lots of different preparations to get everything ready for the big day. And now that it is over, I can say that it was all worth it.

Even before we started working on the details, my wife and I wanted to go for a modern (church) wedding ceremony rather than the traditional Albanian version. That meant that we would change the format and focus of our wedding from the main traditional dinner where everyone gathers to gourge themselves on food and drinks till the early hours of the day, to a well organized church ceremony followed by a cocktail at the end. The result was ideal. At least that is what all the comments that we’ve gotten said.

The decision for a more modern ceremony was mostly because it was practical and rather easier to manage. Right off the first day that we told or respective families about wanting to get married, we explained to them that we would be managing the whole thing ourselves. Basically, we would want to spear them the organizational burden but seek their help with inviting the people that they wanted and then show up on the day of the wedding ceremony. This was not our way of getting them out of the way, but rather a more “modern” way of organizing an Albanian wedding, which is quite different from the traditional versions.

And so it happened. Thanks to the wonderful support of our dear friends who assisted us in everything from choosing the bride’s dress to picking up the candles and moving the chairs at the venue, everything was organized and set up for the day of the wedding. Obviously our parents were aware of some of the organizational details but for the most of it, the wedding was organized and managed with our friends and in the end it came out beautiful.

The Traditional Albanian Weddings and Cultural Traditions

The way most weddings go in Albania is through a rather intricate web of traditional procedures and cultural procedures starting with the couple’s engagement and then a host of other things leading to the actual wedding dinner celebration. For historical and practical reasons the way weddings are done in Albania has its roots in the very close way Albanian families are built. This then plays out in the traditions and cultural heritage that is passed on to the new couple where each family tries to establish its own regional and particular set of traditions.

The center of it all is the new couple, whom now has to figure out a way to deal with the new responsibilities of working out how to live with each other and each other’s family obligations.

What, Ylli Pango returning to the political and academic life?!!

the Albanian Blogger — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:56:56 +0000

Today, when I learned about the possible return on Mr. Ylli Pango to the political and academic life my first reaction was: “what the ….” !

I feel sick and I stand on my opinion that he should not be allowed to reenter the political and much less the academic life of this country. I’ve heard plenty of sad stories where this person has abused his position and authority and am truly disappointed by the court’s decision to acquit him of any wrong doing with regard to the scandal that was widely reported in the media about one year ago. Well, one thing is for sure, the court’s decision is obviously subjective and does not clear the dirt-level moral standing that this person represents.

My hope is that if the decision is made for him to return to the academic life, that students would rise to oppose this decision by boycotting classes and other types of peaceful and democratic forms of protest.

We just have to start saying “no” to immoral behavior and abusive conduct of such people. This is my stand on the issue.

Nokia UK Promotion Scam in Albania

the Albanian Blogger — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 10:10:07 +0000

Today I got a SMS on my cell saying:

Congratulations, your cell phone has won 500,000 paunds in the onging Nokia UK prom. For claims Email: coordinatior.nokiaprom@live.com or call +447024038551

Well, being acquainted with different scam schemes I went directly online and searched for “Nokia UK Promotion Scam” to immediately find out that this was another old trick which is now expanding in Albania as well.

It’s so sad, but sadder when you think that these schemes go on because innocent or naïve people fall for them all the time.

Some months back a friend of mine almost fell for another major amount of funds that he was supposed to receive from an investor to start businesses in Albania. Another friend got a very similar SMS on his cell that he was decided to ignore thanks to good counsel.

Thankfully there are recognized websites such as “Complaints Board” which have been operating for years now that help point these scams out to innocent recipients like myself. Scams will always be part of our human interactions, while technologies seem to only make it easier for them to reach a wider audience.

Feel welcome to share your experiences below….

Investigation: Albanian Mass Grave

the Albanian Blogger — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 20:13:51 +0000

If you have not heard about this story yet, then I’d encourage you to read more about it and follow it up. Original story appeared first on Balkan Insight: Investigation: Son’s Search For Father Uncovers Albanian Mass Grave – by Gjergj Erebara

Excerpt:

“Years after the collapse of the Stalinist regime, many families of Albanians executed by the communists are still desperately looking for the bodies of their relatives.

As the excavator’s bucket scraped the earth in a narrow path sandwiched between the old military barracks and the pine forest that lines the slopes of Mount Dajti, a skeleton emerged, buried in a shallow grave.

The cotton prison jacket suggested the victim had been executed in winter while his healthy teeth and strong jaw showed he died young. Goni, a small businessman who had earlier been digging for his father’s remains at another location, knew others would surely follow.”

Another excerpt:

“Albania is one of the few former Iron Curtain countries not to have opened the archives of its communist-era security services. As a result, precise data on the number of political prisoners killed by the regime is not available.”

Obviously this story has been commented much from both political sides and the media in recent days. I will not add any of my comments, but thought it of importance to highlight here.

New Year’s Dinner and My Family’s Turkey Tradition

the Albanian Blogger — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 15:46:49 +0000

The New Year’s Dinner tradition continues to be one of the major times of the year when Albanians like to eat a lot and gorge themselves on all sorts of foods and drinks. Though it has diminished somewhat, I have to admit that this is true in my family as well. But most importantly, recently I’ve come to realize that some of the eating has another, more sentimental value to it.

My Dad and the Turkey

The other day my parents went out to do some New Year’s food shopping, and upon my return to the house I discovered that they had bought a large 7 kg turkey. As I looked at the massive amount of poultry meat that my dad was cleaning, I became even more cognizant of the painful fact that someone would have to consume it all somehow, though not me! So, respectfully, I asked my dad to explain how the turkey would be consumed since I was not planning on eating it, nor where the other members of the family, as far as I knew.

His answer was not what I expected. I was very aware of the fact that the main reason we had gotten a turkey, was because he had wanted it in the first place. I knew he enjoys eating the turkey meat. I had witnessed that fact on many New Year’s dinners, but the short explanation that he gave, shed much light on his persistence.

After I asked him, he immediately went on to tell me the story of how his own father (my grandfather) would buy two turkeys every year for his family. He would go back to his home village and get the live turkeys himself and then help prepare them for his whole family. Though I never got to see what my dad had seen his father do, I have gotten to see my father do the same for our family.

So, upon further reflection, I discovered that I had a distinct desire for turkey meat. That is why, I have decided that this year and in the years to come, I will help prepare the turkey because it’s part of my family’s tradition at New Year’s. Yes, I am crazy for turkey!

Albanian Journalists Protest Attack on Colleague, report by BalkanInsight

the Albanian Blogger — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 10:03:29 +0000

I was appalled when I learned about the beating of a well known journalist in Tirana by a well known businessman with ties to the current government. The incident was condemned by all major public and international institutions in the country. For more info I’ll just post the text of the article published by BalkanInsight.

A group of Albanian journalists and civil society activists protested on Wednesday in front of the office of Prime Minister Sali Berisha against the brutal assault of Tirana publisher Mero Baze by oil magnate Rezart Taci.

Following the symbolism of the Iraqi journalist that attacked U.S. President George W. Bush with a shoe, the protesters threw shoes at the office of the prime minister, while accusing him of being responsible for the violence against the journalist.

Baze was beaten late on Monday evening in Tirana, following a series of reports in the publisher’s media accusing the businessman of tax evasion.

According to witnesses present in the Capriccio Bar in the center of Tirana’s upscale Bllok neighborhood, Rezart Taci and his bodyguards attacked the journalist, kicking and beating him for roughly four minutes, leaving him unconscious.

Present during the assault were also two other journalists; political commentator Andi Bushati and the editor-in-chief of Vizion Plus TV Arban Hasani, who later testified on the assault on the journalist.

Baze recovered in Tirana’s military hospital on Monday evening and was released in the early hours of Tuesday. He had ran a series of critical reports on his TV Show, Faktor Plus, on Vizion Plus TV accusing Rezart Taci and his company, the ARMO oil refinery of massive tax evasion.

Apart from the TV show, Baze also publishes the Tirana daily Tema, a publication that is very critical of the government.

Rezart Taci is known as one of the Tirana businessman in Prime Minister Berisha’s inner circle. His other company, Taci Oil International has spent millions of euros organising charity football matches, with the proceeds donated to a children’s charity ran by Berisha’s wife.

The businessman through a statement for the media, admitted he had been present during the assault, but denied he had participated. Police so far have arrested two of his bodyguards and issued a warrant for Taci’s detention, but have not yet arrested him.

On Tuesday a journalism organisation, offered a 10,000 euro reward for information, leading to Taci’s arrest.

Source: BalkanInsight

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this issue…

Discover the Albanian Language and Dialects with Robert Elsie

the Albanian Blogger — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:23:23 +0000

If you are Albanian or someone working on learning the Albanian language then I would encourage you to delve a little deeper into understanding the roots and the development of this ancient language.

To help you with this process, out of the many different sources out there I would direct you to one scholar whom many would recommend highly for his wonderful work, translations, study and research regarding the Albanian language and literature. His name is Robert Elsie and is one of those few people that has contributed and continues to contribute so much to this ancient language that I is my mother-tongue.

A most recent and very interesting development on one of his websites is the publication of audio recordings of the Albanian language spoken in different dialects in all the major areas where Albanians live today.

This is how Robert Elsie introduces the Albanian Dialects section, “This website offers the listener audio recordings in Albanian from various regions where the language is spoken. Though the dialects of Albanian are usually mutually intelligible to the listener with an ear for language, regional differences, deriving largely from the historical development of the language, can be substantial, and they are quite fascinating. You can thus listen here to people speaking in a wide range of Albanian dialects. Some of these individuals are good dialect speakers, others were recorded at random to give an idea of how modern Albanian is used in various areas.”

To listen to the recordings please visit: Albanian Dialects on AlbanianLiterature.net

Do you think this kind of research is worthwhile? Post your comments below. Thanks.

Do you notice any similarities with Albanian TV channels?

the Albanian Blogger — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 06:53:14 +0000

As I do every morning, even today I was roaming around the net to some of my preferred sites when I stumbled upon this post by Seth Godin, who is well known marketer. Anyway, the topic of his blog post was “the problem with cable news thinking”. In his post he goes on to give an example of what cable news channels do often, then provides a list of how such channels “amplify the worst elements of emotional reactions” in their viewers!

Here is the list:

Focus on the urgent instead of the important.

Vivid emotions and the visuals that go with them as a selector for what’s important.

Emphasis on noise over thoughtful analysis.

Unwillingness to reverse course and change one’s mind.

Xenophobic and jingoistic reactions (fear of outsiders).

Defense of the status quo encouraged by an audience self-selected to be uniform.

Things become important merely because others have decided they are important.

Top down messaging encourages an echo chamber (agree with this edict or change the channel).

Ill-informed about history and this particular issue.

Confusing opinion with the truth.

Revising facts to fit a point of view.

Unwillingness to review past mistakes in light of history and use those to do better next time.

My first reaction was to agree with him. Though I do not live abroad any more, the issues that he points out are so reflective of the pervasive reality conveyed everyday by the media in Albania. Now there are variations, and while I cannot say that no. 5 is always true, the rest the topics seem to be right on the money.

Just some food for thought!

Earthquake shakes Tirana at 11:50 PM

the Albanian Blogger — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 21:50:56 +0000

The night of Sunday, September 06, 2009 at exactly 11:50 PM an earthquake shook the buildings in Tirana. It was not strong enough to destroy anything, but it could definitively be felt on the 4^th floor of the apartment building where I live.

To me this was my first experience aware during an earthquake. The other times I have not felt it at all or have not been awake to experience it. It was somewhat of a scary experience especially as I have always been concerned over the construction quality of apartment buildings in Tirana. And times like tonight bring those thoughts rushing in.

I was very tempted to leave the house, run downstairs and wait until it passed, but it did not last more than 10-25 seconds, may be longer for those who are more sensitive.

Anyway, since I was awake I did not want to miss the opportunity and write something about the experience. Friends all over Tirana are telling me that they felt it too. While just now, someone told me that the epicenter was near Elbasan at about 2 kilometers of depth.

Albanian Blogger » Albania & Albanians

Lavazh – car wash, a necessary evil in Albania!

Other interesting posts

Albanian wedding, traditional or modern?

Other interesting posts

What, Ylli Pango returning to the political and academic life?!!

Other interesting posts

Nokia UK Promotion Scam in Albania

Other interesting posts

Investigation: Albanian Mass Grave

Other interesting posts

New Year’s Dinner and My Family’s Turkey Tradition

Other interesting posts

Albanian Journalists Protest Attack on Colleague, report by BalkanInsight

Other interesting posts

Discover the Albanian Language and Dialects with Robert Elsie

Other interesting posts

Do you notice any similarities with Albanian TV channels?

Other interesting posts

Earthquake shakes Tirana at 11:50 PM

Other interesting posts