Cyprus Avenue

It was only inevitable that my blog-posting would drop off. However, due to the encouragement of a friend (thanks Allyson!), I'm going to do my best to write a little more faithfully. Once a month at the least.

Life in Peshkopi continues to be more or less the same. School, volleyball, and cooking dinner compose the majority of my days. However, falling into this rhythm has also opened up my life in a way. Having this pattern of comfort, I feel that I can handle more work and go on more adventures, like today's day hike, with the assurance that I'm reasonably settled in Peshkopi.

Amidst so many new experiences, life moves tremendously quickly. As such, it's difficult to fully take in what is for me an entirely new phenomenon--seasons. Only two weeks ago, the leaves turned golden yellow and wild chestnuts were falling on the streets. Now, the persimmon trees are, for me, the perfect symbol of this winter before the frost, with their leafless branches and orange fruit. 

A few days ago, I listened to Astral Weeks for the first time. I was reading up on the album when I came across Van Morrison's description of Cyprus Avenue: "a street in Belfast, a place where there's a lot of wealth. It wasn't far from where I was brought up and it was a very different scene. To me it was a very mystical place. It was a whole avenue lined with trees and I found it a place where I could think." Something about this, "a place where I could think," resonated with me and reminds me of the places of I've been and where I am now.

A picture taken by sitemate during today's hike. Check out this neat 360' view of where we were.

The hostel during an engagement party

Our Thanksgiving table

The meal. For my contribution, I adapted an Italian sausage stuffing recipe to use the Albanian sausage, qofta. 

A small Orthodox chapel near Peshkopi

The watermill close to Peshkopi. The hostel is trying refurbish this building to get it up and working again.

A Picture from my recent trip to Pogradec

The boulevard of Pogradec

It's The Same Old Song

School started two weeks ago. After staying up late during the summer, it's hard adjusting my sleep schedule to these early (and loud) mornings. However, teaching is going better than expected. Today, a large group of dedicated students held a celebration for "The European Day of Languages." The event included songs, dances, dialogues, and power points in at least six different European languages. Though I expected to be exhausted after the event, it's amazing how ten hours of sleep can help you meet such a strenuous day.

At the end of summer, I took photos of the rooms at the Peshkopi Hostel for their website. It was a great learning process. My lens wasn't wide enough to capture the whole rooms. I ended up going there about three or four times. Each time, I did something a little different and felt that I learned something by the end. Or, at least, I feel more competent than before.

Today's track is "It's The Same Old Song" by the Four Tops. Another post-unrelated track, just part of the soul vibe that I've been in lately.

In front of the hostel with the new sign

The newly created "Ginger Bar"at the Peshkopi Hostel. I can't wait to start playing some Les Baxter and Martin Denny there. 

The hostel's new dog, Ginger. Truly a cosmic coincidence, since my dog back home is also named Ginger.

Pictures that I took of the hostel for the website

Again

Again

It Is What It Is

Two days ago, I went to a waterfall around an area called Pocest. I'm a little hazy on the specifics of the location. However, it seems that Albanians are too.

A friend told us that the waterfall was thirty minutes from the city of Machellare. Once we got there and had walked forty minutes, a local told us that it was another hour and a half. All in all, the trip up the mountain took close to four hours. Then, the trip back down was a little under three.

Towards the top, I became a bit light headed and felt ready to throw in the towel. Of course, I'm glad I didn't. On a blistering hot summer day, the waterfall was cool and fresh. After showering off under the waterfall, the trip down the hill felt like a breeze.

For no particular reason but I've been listening to it often, today's track is "It Is What It Is" by Blood Orange.

One the way to Pocest

Picking up trash! 

Overlooking Dibra

On the way. It's hard to explain, but this is about two and a half, almost three hours into the hike. We traveled through the forest below, cut past the rock face in front, and hiked up to where the waterfall was. The tip of the waterfall is a thin stream that's barely visible in the photograph.

Waterfall

My best friends in the Peace Corps

Bonfire