The Kuqan group came into Elbisan today and ended up at the internet cafe. This is probably the nicest place that I have seen in all of Albania. It is a large bar with a row of nice computers at one end. Like everything else, however, it is really smoky.

We came in to go to the gabbi, where they sell used clothes, but by the time we got in they were closing. I am sure that we will have plenty of time to explore used clothing stores. We did go to a restaurant where they had real spagetti though. It is not uncommon to have pasta, but they just put about a gallon of butter on top. The spagetti was really exciting.

Last Sunday I celebrated Pashke with my family, the Orthodox easter. It was a lot of fun and I got a few pictures that I will try to post here or somewhere else when I get the chance. It was a pretty big deal and my host mother's family all came over - her parents and brothers with their families. I think that they are all Muslim though so it probably wasn't a big deal for them. They roasted a lamb and got a small keg and everything. In the end it kind of just turned into a drink fest. They danced a little bit to some Albania music and then all of the men got together and sang at the end of the table. The only word that I could pick up was raki, the kind of traditional drink that people make here.

I have had my share of raki since coming here. Most families make their own, and my family owns grapes so they pretty much have to make it. It is probably the strongest stuff that I have ever had, and for most, two or three rakis is more than enough. My host dad can drink about four, but afterwards he is noticably drunk.

Hello Everybody,

I decided that a blog would be an easy way to communicate with the outside world. This may be easier for me than email as well because I know that I am not very good with all that jazz. Hopefully I can let you know how I am doing as well as fulfill my PC duty of informing the world about the country where I now live.

Albania is a very beautiful country, but it is obvious that it has suffered much in the past fifty or so years. Coming out of a brutal dictatorship, and then quickly moving into a democracy has taken its toll on the infrastructure and the economy. Some people said that this would be one of the harder assignments, and time will tell, but so far I am very happy here.

Right n0w I am a trainee. I live in the small village of Kuqan, and my host family is wonderful. The father is a Police, and there are two sons and a daughter. They are all trying to help me pick up the language.

I spend the first five hours of my day learning Shqip, or the Albanian language. It is actually kind of a difficult language to learn, but hopefully by the end of these three months I will actually be able to hold a conversation. There are five trainees in Kuqan, and the other 35 are scattered within a close proximity. We all have to go into Elbasan a few times a week for what they call "hub days" where we have sessions on safety and security, health issues, and technical education.

I will be a TEFL teacher, working in a secondary school somewhere in Albania. After I am sworn in as a volunteer in June, I will move to my permanent site. I don't yet know where this will be. I do know, however, that I will be ready to be done with training by then because this language stuff is pretty intense.