The Sun

Winter is drawing to a close in Peshkopi. I've stopped sleeping in my sleeping bag and wearing extra socks and sweaters to bed. During the day, I can write on my balcony with the windows open while my laundry dries outside. And, with about two fires worth of wood left, heating my apartment at night has stopped being a problem.

My creative writing project ended last week. I had doubtfully set the aim of twenty participants for our final goal--Albania's Write On! essay competition. After administering the exam at five schools, we ended up with eighty-two participants! Regardless of whether the students win or lose, most of the students seemed to have enjoyed the new experience and I feel motivated to reach a hundred essays next year.

With Spring on the horizon, today's title comes from a powerful 1973 Korean folk album, Now, by Kim Jung Mi and Shin Joong Hyun. The song is almost too cinematic. If you close your eyes, you can see a cowboy riding off into the sunset as the credits start to roll.

A friend that I have been collaborating with lately--Veli. He works as an urban planner for the Peshkopi Municipality. Veli became Peshkopi's first English teacher in 1972. Besides speaking fluent (British) English, he speaks remarkable French, German, and Italian (maybe Arabic and Turkish too). However, what makes it difficult to ascertain his specific language competencies is his amazing memory. For example, I've interrupted him after he's recited several minutes of Goethe in German. However, I've only witnessed his incredible memory and have yet to see him converse in any of these languages.

A closer look at one of Veli's models. As an example of his linguistic pride, he insistently calls this neighborhood "Aksion," which is an older Albanian name for what 49 out of 50 people would now call "Kamen," which Veli claims is a foreign origin.

The small town of Kelcyre in Southern Albania. From the perspective of the photo, the main highway lies a thirty minute drive ahead through the valley where runs the River Vjose.

A shepherd from Kelcyre. The item that he's carrying is something similar to Muslim prayer beads that many Kelcyre men occupy their hands with. 

I recently visited this man's shop to replace a button on my winter jacket. He's a wonderful example of the Albanian jack of all trades. Besides this zipper and fabric shop, he operates a small carpenter's workspace in a cellar to the left. Behind my camera, he owns a belt shop that features two more cellars: one for soldering protective bars for windows and the other for repairing aluminum wood stoves.