Moonlight Mile

Sorry for the long delay in posts! My iPod (with which I take most of my photos) was stolen, and, without it, I didn't have the pictures that typically motivate me to share and write these updates. However, thanks to my wonderful parents, I have a new one and will be taking more pictures and hopefully making more regular posts.

Since the last update, my toilet project has almost finished, just finishing up my closing report and checking in with the school. School is going well enough. It's taken a year and a half, but my role in the class has become more clear and consistent. Though it's not brutally cold yet, I've started sleeping in my sleeping bag (also under three blankets) and lighting my wood stove on the rare occasions that I spend a long time at home. So, as I've said before, I'm ready for warm and sunny California. 

Thus, all in all, things are going well. Recently, some teachers took me to a restaurant that serves veal tongue that is floured, battered with egg, and fried. Very tasty. I don't know why I didn't do this before, but I've also started playing soccer with my students during their gym classes, which has been tremendously fun and has helped me to better get to know my students. This week, I'll be painting an environment-themed mural at a school next to mine. So, hopefully that goes well!

While studying for the GRE yesterday, I heard this ballad by the Rolling Stones called "Moonlight Mile" for the first time. Having listened to the Stones for years, finding new gems like this makes the the familiar sound strange and new again. Also, the song seems appropriate as my service winds down and things are wrapping up.

At the cheese factory below Mt. Korabi during the summer

Another shot of my first hike to Korabi. Thirty minutes from the summit, it started raining incredibly hard. As we headed down the mountain, this is where we met a group of villagers who had a roaring fire going below a pine tree. After warming up here for ten minutes, we then hiked for (at least) an hour and half in the pouring rain down to the village where we started.

What Peshkopi looks like now. No snow in the city yet, but it'll probably arrive in the next couple of weeks.

Traditional Albanian dresses for sale in Peshkopi.

Some appetizer dishes at my favourite restaurant in Peshkopi. The left dish is a type of cheese that's similar to ricotta but also has chunks of red peppers. The top is pickled vegetables, mainly cabbage, green tomatoes, and red peppers. The right dish is boiled beets with olive oil, garlic, and raw onions.

Our latest site mate night dinner: roasted chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, and a cucumber salad with roasted red peppers.