My new Home

Really glad to be at my new home in Berat.  I moved from my family in Belsh on Saturday morning and my cousin drove me to Berat, which is about a two hour drive.  It was really hard to say goodbye to my family that took such good care of me during my first few months in country.  However, I know that I will be back to see them soon, maybe sometime this summer.

Along the way we stopped and ate at a fish restaurant.  It was the first time that I have had fish during my time here in Albania.  I was not nervous about it because I was with my cousins and I knew that they would know the good fish from the bad fish.  You have to be careful here about which lakes you eat fish from because so many are not very clean.  To my surprise the fish came out as the WHOLE fish...head to tail.  I felt like I was on Survivor Island!  I ate it, and it was actually really great.  Very light and not too oily.  The hardest part was eating around the bones!  Those suckers are little.  One thing that I have learned, is that Albania is no place for picky eaters!

I arrived in Berat on Saturday afternoon.  James, the volunteer that has worked in the bashkia the past two years is still in town, although he leave Albania for good on Sunday.  He is helping me get settled in and I am asking him tons of questions.  He has been a great resource.

I think that I am going to like it here in Berat.  Not a lot of work right now, but I am getting to know the people and the town and I know that with time the project ideas will develop.  My house is great.  I am going to out up pictures soon.  It is really big, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room and a kitchen.  It has a washer, but no dryer.  Those are pretty rare in Albania.  James has kept it in good order, so it's been a good transition.  Just waiting to get unpacked until after James heads home.

At the "office" for the first day.  Things are slow, but I am meeting people.  Most of the Bashkia speaks Shqip, so I know that mine will be improving.  I will also get a tutor in Berat to help me get better at the language.  "Avash, Avash"...Little by Little!