Though I do not much speak Spanish, knowing Italian has helped me immensely to understand the gist of what people are saying. This has proved very helpful for getting around or getting things done while here in Spain (first in Madrid and now in Granada for Campus Party Milenio).

My realization
On the flip side, I have come to realize the sad fact that most Spaniards I’ve met do not know much English or any other language for that matter. So the challenge of communicating and being understood has made me want to over use those few words that I know in Spanish.

Moreover, a greater realization for me has been the fact that most former imperial nations (the English, the French, the Spaniards, etc.,) tend not to see the benefit of learning another language as they assume or have found out that most anywhere else they may travel in the world there are enough people speaking their own language!

Breakfast with three Spaniards
While in Spain at Campus Party, I set down for breakfast at a table with three other Spaniards, one of whom was into modeling robotics, and the other two were involved in the social media and creativity aspects of the web (same as me). Being an extrovert in these situations, I introduced myself in English, but quickly realized that I was not being fully understood. Italian was a bit more successful but nevertheless a challenge for them. So rugged Spanish it was!

As our chopped up conversation went on I asked the innocent question of why most of them did not speak much English or any other language. Promptly the response came that there were enough speaking Spanish people in other countries that they did not find it necessary to learn another language proficiently. They did admit that their English language proficiency was necessary for watching movies, but not much else.

Final reflections
First off, learning another language in most cases is utilitarian. You learn it because you want or need to use it otherwise lack of will/desire make learning another language just a chore. Learning Spanish has never been a priority for me but if I lived in Spain it would be of great use. But most people I find are not interested to expand their language(s) as much as their knowledge in specific areas of interest which help them become experts and then develop or use that as their means of communication.

At this event, though I find most people don’t speak each other’s language, they have the willingness to deepen their knowledge and understanding of ideas/concepts/technologies that will impact and change the world in the future.

New technological inventions are creating new ways to communicate and to live.

Rick Fox Eliza and Nate Dushku at Rozafa Castle in Shkodra Albania

It was truly fascinating and interesting to read Eliza Dushku’s (actress) perspective on her visit and discovery of being an Albanian. Below is an excerpt from the article on Huffington Post.

“Looking back at the recent weeks we’ve spent there, I feel foolish for anticipating I could understand Albania in less than a life time, but the process has been exciting, and at the same time humbling.

…

“It gets under your skin.” My “Albanian-ness” goes deeper as I spend time there. The more often I go, the more I realize there is more to the story. There are so many stories to tell — most are full of a kind of ancient mystery that requires a wider and deeper lens. I did feel something quite different on this trip to the “Home Country.” After countless conversations with open and passionate people who feel deep ties to Albania, for the first time I could imagine saying that “I know what it feels like to be Albanian.” I am coming to understand the complexity of the mixture of pride and sadness over what so many have lived through, or heard repeated in their tender youthful ears by those they loved, about the triumphs and the defeats this nation has experienced — as individuals and as a community.

Thus, when I was generously invited to become an Albanian citizen, I felt no reluctance. I felt honored and able to accept this gift. I felt even more like who I am. I retain, of course, my American citizenship. I am that, too. But it is no stretch for me to proclaim that as of August 17, 2011, I, Eliza Patricia Dushku, am an Albanian-American.”

Why Borsh
Borsh is a family place as it seems to be preferred by a lot of them. Even the owner of the place we rented testified to the fact that the number of families with small children had grown each year. You find families from all over Albania and Europe. If you look at cars’ license plates, one in two is Albanian and the rest are from somewhere else. People are friendly, though you have to have some local contact to help you find a decent place with a good price for however many days you may want to stay.

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The Drive
The drive from Tirana is about 4.5-6 hours. Not that you need to spend 6 hours driving but the allure of stopping for some lunch/dinner in Llogara (mountain top) or somewhere else on the Ionian coast, makes it much more enjoyable as a trip.

The national road is paved and as soon as you come down the mountain of Llogara the scenery is the best in the country. Windy roads running around and on top of mountains, bay areas, small and major beaches, are just pure enjoyment. Then you get to the local road which leads you to the beach of Borsh, which due to use by heavy machinery has been gutted out and ruined as if there was no road before. Nevertheless, the pain is bearable and the final result is all worth it.

Night Life
Night life seems to be dominated by one restaurant/coffee place – Blue Days, which during the day serves coffees and at night light dinners, but it’s best known for its loud music that can be heard throughout the beach starting in the early evening till 12 ‘o clock every night. The music selection is relatively the same with a great mix of folk songs and a few contemporary international pop. It seems to be a good mix for families of all ages that often dance to it till the music is turned down for public.

The Beach Area
Borsh is a 5 km pebble beach, with crisp clean waters and immediate depth, which does not make it very ideal for small children, but parents seem to mitigate this issue with small inflatable pools filled with water (which is what we did for our son as well).

Comparison to Radhime
Prior to coming to Borsh we had been for two weeks in Radhime (just outside Vlora) which is a very nice reserved bay with smaller man-made bays where people can bathe. The water there is warmer due to the way it is enclosed in the bay, but in Borsh the water situation is slightly cooler by a few degrees. Not a big deal, just something that you notice if you’ve bathed in other beaches. The main reason is due to the underwater streams which come down from the mountains, which also contribute to the water’s purity and transparency.

Other observations about prices, accommodation and local Borsh people
With the increase in tourist local people have started to invest regularly into improving the infrastructure and tourist facilities. Most have invested into building apartment houses with basic furnishings and generally good conditions.

Prices range anywhere from 60-80 euro per night in the most expensive hotel of the Borsh beach, to other places which go anywhere from 35,30,30 and even less than 20 euro (2000 leke) per night for rooms which often can accommodate up to 4-5 people. If you choose  room near the beach it would obviously cost you more than one that is a bit further up the hill or near the end of the beach line.

The main baker of the village, who also owns a small general store, this year had expanded his venture to establish a new mini-market with a wider variety of products and better conditions. Food prices are slightly higher. A normal pizza which in Tirana would cost around 3 Euros (350 leke), is about 4.5 Euros (600 leke), which does not make it that appealing as that is the same quality. However, most pizza places use wood to cook, which makes for a better tasting anything.

One interesting observation that was made to me by a local villager, was how tourism has impacted the way the local villagers have changed from being slightly lazy to become much more “entrepreneurial” as the inflow of tourists has made many of them richer though working only 3-4 months a year.

Another interesting observation for me was the fact that many of those who would generally work in Greece during the summer season had started to come back to invest and work at home, partly because of the Greek crisis and partly because the timing was right for many of them.

This is what the article says:

“Picture a place where rulers have names like King Zog, Enver Hoxha and Bamir Topi. Set the scene with coastal cliffs, snow-capped mountains and jungle-wrapped ruins. Cast some female ‘sworn virgins’ to fill the roles of men who have been lost in ancient blood feuds. Let the spoken dialects be known as Tosk and Gheg. Make it that daily life is governed by a code of conduct with 1262 instructions including 38 on hospitality towards guests.

It may seem like you’ve just conjured a medieval fantasy novel rather than an up-and-coming travel destination, but this is Albania in all its epic, eclectic glory.

The defining Albanian experience

If you are a journey-over-destination kind of traveller, take the road (and a sick bag) from Korça to Gjirokastra. The road climbs along the Greek border to the highlands, slices through pine forests along the edge of the Gramoz mountains before crossing the Barmash Pass (1759m) and descending dramatically into the narrow valley of the Vjosa River and up the Drinos valley. Recover down south on the beach at Dhërmi or take the ferry from Saranda across the Ionian sea to the Greek Islands – just because you can.”

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.

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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.

In fact for several years now the cold has rarely shown its bite and I suppose people like it that way. However, though not scientifically proven, every time the winter has been like this the summer seems to have gotten hotter. At least that is my impression.

Based on several estimates this is a summary of major annual expenses in USD for a single person living in Tirana.

I need to stress that these are not the most accurate estimates, since I only spend very little time putting them together, so with your input, suggestions and corrections I would like to update them.

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.

Yes, even the city gets to take some days off from the intense, chaotic and noisy routine of everyday Tirana.

You should be able to enjoy it till the end of the month of August. It is then that people start to make their came-back and from then on things are never the same, at least till the next summer season!

If there are parts of the city that you want to visit or just to walk around the streets, at ‘reduced risk’ of being run over by cars, you may just notice that the city has trees, some quiet streets, some interesting hidden-away house, building or even a small park that you might just be surprised by.

Enjoy it while you can, that’s all I will say!

From the people that I have been talking to as well as from my own opinion of this issue, I have to say that the news did not come as of a particular surprise to most. However, the fiasco of the general elections might have had something to do with the general disregard for the news. There is that sense that in a time of regular disillusionment by politicians and the government what can one more bad news do to us?

Well, for starters, there is a new sense of being left out almost to the point of direct discrimination by the European Commission. I say this, not only for Albanians, but also for Bosnia & Herzegovinians and Kosovars in particular as well.

But is this destiny, “fate”, or are we always making the wrong decisions at the wrong time?

As I bring this thought out, I purposely am reminded of the two different worldviews that dominate this region. There are those that due to their eastern cultural and religious influences from past centuries tend to view things as just ‘destiny’ or ‘fate’! However, there are an ever growing number of people who are of the conviction that ‘we decide our own destiny’ or that ‘we are responsible for it’.  Both however present a very interesting pessimistic view.

If the first view is true, then we might as well give up and just go on back to survival mode. If the second view is true, then may be our efforts are not good enough for the EC!

Though I sense that there is more truth in the later than the prior, the fact remains that we cannot afford to be overcome by a sense of pessimism, but rather should focus on getting things right on our part and pushing with the EC to bring about the desired results.

Times have changed and we as Albanians need to search out for a new ‘fate’ if you will. The new sense of discontent and perception of discrimination lets me know that we as Albanians are starting to view things differently, though very slowly, I must admit.