Flas Pak Shqip (I speak a little Albanian)

Well I can finally say that my 10 months of painful Albanian lessons twice a week (combined with a half hearted attempt of studying this incredibly difficult language) has finally paid off. As I sat through my 25th business meeting today while on a 2 week whirlwind sales trip in Albania and Montenegro promoting Kosovo products, I was able to understand about 75% of the meeting, without any English interpretation. This business trip (vacation once you see the pictures of the places we are staying and visiting along the way) has been the best experience to take my Albanian to the next level. Since Kosovo doesn't force me to speak or listen to it very often with required attention to detail, the mind, brain and ears become lazy. Here, day in and out I am around it. On the street, in the meetings, at the hotel. I am much shyer about speaking but able to order food, take care of the hotel arrangements, and do all the pleasant greetings on the street and in meetings. A little can go a long way and always gets a smile of amazement that a Westerner has even tried to speak the oldest recorded language in history...

My local staff companion is so impressed he jokes about it with our Albanian hosts. Then, of course, there is a comment about Bush and his recent visit here where he (for the first time in his Presidency) was received with rockstar status. I must admit Bush's visit will have done more for this country than almost any other diplomatic affair. Tirane is still glowing (literally with the cleanest the capital city has ever been) with flags, billboards and posters of G.W. Keeping opinions to myself, I have simply enjoyed the overwhelming receptions, hugs, smiles and kind words from a people that feel it is time to join the EU and move on.

Much easier said than done. As I am learning 50 years of Communism absolutely devastated the infrastructure, people and spirit. It has only been in the last 4 years that any type of new roads, buildings, hotels, restaurants etc have appeared. And much more progress is needed. Get off the main street in Tirana and you must drive down some of the worst dirt tracks I have ever been bounced off of. Distance was always described in time, not kilometers. Fortunately for us, many of the main roads we have had to take on our trip have been upgraded by the EU and allow you to move at standard speeds. But get off the main corridor, or central streets and be prepared to have to remove the car seat from your bum.

As much as I give them credit for trying I still have to take a step back and appreciate the humor and irony in much of their development. For instance, I am in a 4 star brand new 10 million euro hotel in a lake resort town in northern Albania. First off, I believe the capital city only has 1 hotel that is this modern. Not to mention I am in a very large village. But as with so much here, things are not as they seem. As I checked into my huge room and turned on the AC a river of water started dripping directly through the ceiling onto the floor. I don't believe anyone had ever turned on the AC before. So, room 2. Just as nice. Save for the bathroom which doesn't have a shower curtain or caulking around the tub so when I finished my hose shower (the holder pulled off the wall to send a fountain of water around the entire bathroom) i was standing in a nice pool. Speaking of which I went down to enjoy a post travel day dip and a much needed nap in the sun. Well, the best I could figure is what looked and smelled like a pool must have been a fountain. There was no way in or out...it was shaped like an X, no deck chairs and i got the strangest looks when I took off my shirt to sit at a table and enjoy the setting sun. But at least I could get some exercise in the only gym I have had access to during this trip. The brochure picture looked great. Except it wasn't a photo of their gym. Just a photo of A gym so people knew they had one. Or aspired to have one. It contained some of the oldest equipment I had ever seen. I couldn't figure out how to turn most on and when someone showed me how to use the treadmill, it only had a half side of the running paper and no easy button to hit to stop the thing. So when my shoe almost went off the track and sent me shooting against the opposite wall (just like one of those cartoons), I thought I should retreat to my room to do some basic yoga stretches (cant do much these days since my shoulder is pretty bad again and not sure what may be wrong). So you have it. Just a sample of daily comedy while on the road. At least I could polish off my shoes to have a night on the town (wait, they had installed buffers on each floor in a place where there is no power for them to work). Otherwise how would all the shoe shiners outside make any money from the -rich- guests at our hotel.

Until next weeks posting...and the major blog with photos to come once I return from the trip.