Saturday in Tirana
If your normal weekend starts with a lie in, a visit to the Supermarket, a trip to the gym or a coffee and pastry at your Wi-fi friendly high street, then you should be living in Albania. This Saturday started as a normal day except that I had no hot water and the kettle had also stopped working. The cooker (both gas and electric) were in fine form and I was able to heat up water, wash and eat and plan for the day. Then my landlord, Bedri, called and he installed two more light bulbs. I had three in the house already, but room for five. In my extra-luminous home I thanked him and he assured me that an 'engineer' would be round to sort out the water boiler. Ten minutes later another neighbour, Ermiliano, popped round and fixed the problem immediately. He then took me into town to purchase a mobile phone and car insurance.
The phone was bought at a store called Neptun (no 'e') where there are about three staff for each customer, and there are many customers. We left, but as we put the SIM inside it asked for a PIN which I had, but then an authorisation code, which I was missing. Helpfully, all the instructions on the phone were given in Hungarian. We went back to the shop and explained the problem. Different staff helped and provided a second phone which accepted the SIM with just a PIN, but still displayed all messages in Hungarian. I changed this to English somehow, but will now be useful if I ever need a NOKIA fixed in Budapest.
The next visit was to the wholesalers. Ermiliano was after cheese, meat, cigarettes and other items for his father's store in Schoze. We bought in bulk and took them back to the car, parked randomly on the side of the road near a police station. Ten minutes later I was buying car insurance for my English-registered Citreon. For this we met up with another family friend and walked to nearby offices. A very helpful staff member wrote and signed an insurance certificate after seeing my documents. She signed it and so did I. I paid 120 euros and am now insured on the streets of Albania for twelve months. We picked up Ermiliano's wife, had a delicious ice cream, and were soon home in Schoze. My genial host and chauffeur then attempted to mend one of the headlamps on my car, but was beaten by French technology. I enjoyed lunch, listened to England winning the Twenty20 match with Australia and then went back into the city. This time I took the bus, and with temperatures in the 70s had a brilliant afternoon getting to know what is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.
Saturday 31 August 2013
Tuesday 27 August 2013
Starting School
It's the calm before the storm as far as school in Albania is concerned, although we did have a literal storm today of great intensity.
This week has marked the start of preparation day for staff at GDQ School with the children returning back next Tuesday into the classrooms. This has meant 7.30 departures from my home in Schoze and then deciding how I will cover the five miles to the school building. Yesterday I took the bus to the centre of Tirana and walked the rest. It took just over an hour. This morning I waited for the same bus, but was given a lift to the city by great neighbours Ermiliano and Alda. This saved time and also the uncomfortable proposition of standing squashed like sardines for twenty minutes.
From the centre, it's a twenty minute walk to GDQ down Don Bosco street and past the huge Catholic Church.
There have been a variety of school meetings with plenty of new information to absorb and names to remember. There have been great lunches put on by kind-hearted staff, with the byrek and fruit much appreciated today. There has also been the joy of getting my Year 6 ( I should say Grade 5 as we use American numbering) classroom organised.
Back to the storm. Around two o'clock this afternoon the clouds gathered over the mountains and they looked angry. A few rumbles of thunder with lightning and then heavy rain fell on the city. It's a little fresher with temperatures about 21 degrees tonight, but with more rain tomorrow. I reckon it was darker than on the final day of the Ashes Test at The Oval.
This brings me to cricket. Albanians don't get it. Americans sometimes think they understand it, and most other staff members just looked confused. But the Grade 5 class (all girls at the moment) will soon be playing and reliving important matches of the past. They are so lucky.
Love
Steve x
It's the calm before the storm as far as school in Albania is concerned, although we did have a literal storm today of great intensity.
This week has marked the start of preparation day for staff at GDQ School with the children returning back next Tuesday into the classrooms. This has meant 7.30 departures from my home in Schoze and then deciding how I will cover the five miles to the school building. Yesterday I took the bus to the centre of Tirana and walked the rest. It took just over an hour. This morning I waited for the same bus, but was given a lift to the city by great neighbours Ermiliano and Alda. This saved time and also the uncomfortable proposition of standing squashed like sardines for twenty minutes.
From the centre, it's a twenty minute walk to GDQ down Don Bosco street and past the huge Catholic Church.
There have been a variety of school meetings with plenty of new information to absorb and names to remember. There have been great lunches put on by kind-hearted staff, with the byrek and fruit much appreciated today. There has also been the joy of getting my Year 6 ( I should say Grade 5 as we use American numbering) classroom organised.
Back to the storm. Around two o'clock this afternoon the clouds gathered over the mountains and they looked angry. A few rumbles of thunder with lightning and then heavy rain fell on the city. It's a little fresher with temperatures about 21 degrees tonight, but with more rain tomorrow. I reckon it was darker than on the final day of the Ashes Test at The Oval.
This brings me to cricket. Albanians don't get it. Americans sometimes think they understand it, and most other staff members just looked confused. But the Grade 5 class (all girls at the moment) will soon be playing and reliving important matches of the past. They are so lucky.
Love
Steve x
Sunday 25 August 2013
BARGAIN HUNTING
Saturday mornings in Tirana are the time to get bargains for your home. The brilliant Roma community lovingly lay out items for sale in and around the station area in the city. It's the equivalent of a giant car boot sale and if, like me, you have a great home, but little furniture, then you can pick up most things. Yesterday morning I went looking for essentials: kettle, iron, cups, saucepans etc. It's the sort of shopping I tend to steer clear of until absolutely necessary. The best bargains, I am told, are to be had around 5.30am. So at 9am we were on the road, and a little late. Electrical items, old mobile phones, clothes, bikes and prams were all available. My excellent Albanian friends, Endri and Dyshi helped me out by checking prices and seeing if the items worked. Here's how it works. We take a kettle and walk to a nearby cafe and borrow one of their plugs to boil water. The kettle indeed works, as does an iron. Not too sure why the seller of the kettle boiled such a large amount of water and then tipped it all away. I could have bought cups from him and made him and his wife English tea!
The house in Schoze has lovely neighbours. I have yet to learn their names, but they tend to comprise of husband and wife and various children who always play outdoors. There are no PS3s or Wii's to keep them stuck in their rooms. Girls will play with dolls on the side streets and boys will chase footballs. They are safe and love the experience of being children. Their parents never worry about where they are, knowing they will emerge when they are hungry.
Finally got to sleeping in my new home yesterday for the first time. I have a bed and enough furniture to make it comfortable. I now have a cooker and a fridge that works. Gradually starting to unpack some of my gear. Quite why I brought so much, I'm not too sure. but items which I don't need can definitely be put to good use by others. Really appreciate transporting 20kg of porridge oats 1500 miles across Europe. I think these will keep me going until well into the new year.
Once last experience to share. I had the joy of a beautiful 40 minute run in nearby hills just before breakfast today. Returned back to the neighbourhood and went to buy fruit: peaches, nectarines and oranges are all gorgeous at the moment. Across the road is a great fruit stall. My bill was 150 lek (£1.10) but I only had two 100 lek notes and the owner had no change. He just nodded, took 100 lek and said to bring the rest later. There is a great deal of trust and kindness shown to the visitor which we can all learn from. Have a great week to all who read this. Steve xxx
Saturday mornings in Tirana are the time to get bargains for your home. The brilliant Roma community lovingly lay out items for sale in and around the station area in the city. It's the equivalent of a giant car boot sale and if, like me, you have a great home, but little furniture, then you can pick up most things. Yesterday morning I went looking for essentials: kettle, iron, cups, saucepans etc. It's the sort of shopping I tend to steer clear of until absolutely necessary. The best bargains, I am told, are to be had around 5.30am. So at 9am we were on the road, and a little late. Electrical items, old mobile phones, clothes, bikes and prams were all available. My excellent Albanian friends, Endri and Dyshi helped me out by checking prices and seeing if the items worked. Here's how it works. We take a kettle and walk to a nearby cafe and borrow one of their plugs to boil water. The kettle indeed works, as does an iron. Not too sure why the seller of the kettle boiled such a large amount of water and then tipped it all away. I could have bought cups from him and made him and his wife English tea!
The house in Schoze has lovely neighbours. I have yet to learn their names, but they tend to comprise of husband and wife and various children who always play outdoors. There are no PS3s or Wii's to keep them stuck in their rooms. Girls will play with dolls on the side streets and boys will chase footballs. They are safe and love the experience of being children. Their parents never worry about where they are, knowing they will emerge when they are hungry.
Finally got to sleeping in my new home yesterday for the first time. I have a bed and enough furniture to make it comfortable. I now have a cooker and a fridge that works. Gradually starting to unpack some of my gear. Quite why I brought so much, I'm not too sure. but items which I don't need can definitely be put to good use by others. Really appreciate transporting 20kg of porridge oats 1500 miles across Europe. I think these will keep me going until well into the new year.
Once last experience to share. I had the joy of a beautiful 40 minute run in nearby hills just before breakfast today. Returned back to the neighbourhood and went to buy fruit: peaches, nectarines and oranges are all gorgeous at the moment. Across the road is a great fruit stall. My bill was 150 lek (£1.10) but I only had two 100 lek notes and the owner had no change. He just nodded, took 100 lek and said to bring the rest later. There is a great deal of trust and kindness shown to the visitor which we can all learn from. Have a great week to all who read this. Steve xxx
Tuesday 20 August 2013
Wow, It's almost half past ten in Pescara and another delightful day is ending in sunny Italy. Day two of the Albania Adventure and I'm not yet in Albania. The journey so far:
Day 1: Up at 1.30an Monday 19 August: 70 mile journey to Dover. DFDS Ferry to Calais. Five hundred mile drive to Lyon. Arrive 7.30pm. Five stops on the way. Read a good book (not while driving), called Fibber in the Heat by Miles Jupp. Very funny book about cricket reporting.
Day 2: Up at 5.30am and buffet breakfast at my hotel (called B and B). On the road by 7.20 and just drove 660 miles to Pescara on the Italian coast.
Worth noting that if you take the autoroute through the many tunnels, it'll cost you about 100 euros. One tunnel was 40 euros alone...50 euros if you were returning in seven days. Drove in torrential rain and thunder and lightning in Ancona. Italian drives are a little mad. In Turin, we had 30 degree heat and I burnt my right arm. It looks a little odd compared to the other one. How did I find the Dita e laluna Hotel tonight? It was dark, so I asked at an outside bar when I thought I was close. Two of the locals then gave me an escort in their car. Sheer kindness. This hotel doubles up as a smart restaurant. I am not smart today and not in need of food right now.
Tomorrow four hours drive to Brindisi and then the ferry to Durres at 3pm . And it's the first day of the final Test at The Oval. Will I get to see that on the ferry's television??? (Not a hope).
Lots of love
Steve xx
Day 1: Up at 1.30an Monday 19 August: 70 mile journey to Dover. DFDS Ferry to Calais. Five hundred mile drive to Lyon. Arrive 7.30pm. Five stops on the way. Read a good book (not while driving), called Fibber in the Heat by Miles Jupp. Very funny book about cricket reporting.
Day 2: Up at 5.30am and buffet breakfast at my hotel (called B and B). On the road by 7.20 and just drove 660 miles to Pescara on the Italian coast.
Worth noting that if you take the autoroute through the many tunnels, it'll cost you about 100 euros. One tunnel was 40 euros alone...50 euros if you were returning in seven days. Drove in torrential rain and thunder and lightning in Ancona. Italian drives are a little mad. In Turin, we had 30 degree heat and I burnt my right arm. It looks a little odd compared to the other one. How did I find the Dita e laluna Hotel tonight? It was dark, so I asked at an outside bar when I thought I was close. Two of the locals then gave me an escort in their car. Sheer kindness. This hotel doubles up as a smart restaurant. I am not smart today and not in need of food right now.
Tomorrow four hours drive to Brindisi and then the ferry to Durres at 3pm . And it's the first day of the final Test at The Oval. Will I get to see that on the ferry's television??? (Not a hope).
Lots of love
Steve xx
Thursday 1 August 2013
The Adventure Is About To Begin
It must be about three weeks now since the last children walked out the Year 4 classroom at Dolphin School to enjoy their summer holidays. For them, the chance to get away from the daily demands of Maths, English and an ever-growing choice of other excellent Primary School subjects. For me, the opportunity to watch cricket, visit friends, rent out my house and start planning for the next installment of teaching. For most of you who're still reading this, you'll realise that I am about to embark on a new teaching job in the sunny city of Tirana. This is not awfully near to Battersea, although if you're using a world map, the two places are virtual neighbours.
On August 19 I will leave my home for twelve years in Bromley and start the 1450 mile drive to Albania. This will take me through the exotic stretches of the M20 to Dover, the unique ferry to Calais and then the journey south through France, Italy and then on another ferry to Durres in Albania. From there the road points east as I drive into Tirana and to the suburb called Schoze.
So far, I have had meetings with the Albania Embassy. I have rung the Inland revenue, spoken to my GP, applied for a police certificate, had a new gas certificate, thrown away my old television, spoken to insurance brokers and there is still a long list of essential jobs to be completed. I do, however, have a place to live in Albania. It is a house a street away from the pastor of the Light of the World Church. It is 2-bedroomed and spacious with a garden. There is plenty of room for visitors, but as yet no furniture.
Over the next two weeks, I will put the finishing touches to the plans. I will visit charity shops with donations, fill bags with essential items only and check that the new tenants are happy. Then the journey will really begin. If you would like to join me on this adventure, then please read the blog and let me know what you like and what I should leave out. It should be very very exciting.
Love
Steve xxxx
On August 19 I will leave my home for twelve years in Bromley and start the 1450 mile drive to Albania. This will take me through the exotic stretches of the M20 to Dover, the unique ferry to Calais and then the journey south through France, Italy and then on another ferry to Durres in Albania. From there the road points east as I drive into Tirana and to the suburb called Schoze.
So far, I have had meetings with the Albania Embassy. I have rung the Inland revenue, spoken to my GP, applied for a police certificate, had a new gas certificate, thrown away my old television, spoken to insurance brokers and there is still a long list of essential jobs to be completed. I do, however, have a place to live in Albania. It is a house a street away from the pastor of the Light of the World Church. It is 2-bedroomed and spacious with a garden. There is plenty of room for visitors, but as yet no furniture.
Over the next two weeks, I will put the finishing touches to the plans. I will visit charity shops with donations, fill bags with essential items only and check that the new tenants are happy. Then the journey will really begin. If you would like to join me on this adventure, then please read the blog and let me know what you like and what I should leave out. It should be very very exciting.
Love
Steve xxxx
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