Bisqem

so sorry for all of you i was talking to, the computers here are very messed up and gchat won't let me send. i have moved into my host family. they are very nice, life is different here but so far good. mostly things are awkward. conveying basic sentiments can be very difficult. but we are getting better. i do all the dishes (surpise i know). i almost told ppl that i worked w/ "kids" at home... but i would have said "kid goats" luckily i saved that one before it happened. yesterday something happened with a horse, i could understand that but not what... oh well. my language is getting better day by day but could still use l0ts of work. sorry for how brief this is the comp is unhappy (both this one and my home one). oh well. lots of love!

B

Does this seem a little bit familiar?

Ok... so we dance in circles holding hands, it is common for people to greet when coming home by kissing multiple times on the cheek, and we should expect our home stay mothers to continually ask us to eat more food.... why does it feel like this is nothing new?

Well... wandering in Albania

Miremenjas, Miredita, Mirembrema, Natenemira (Good morning + good day + good evening + good night) + depending on when you are reading this. I have arrived in Albania safe and sound (this is your time to jump up and down and rejoice + not because you were surprised but because you love me)! I guess it has been a few days since most of you have heard from me so my life so far....

Day 1: Staging = Philadelphia + skits reminiscent of Tapawingo training + awkward conversations with new people (because of me not them of course) + being excited to be around other people who have studied city planning, esp from a different school

Day 2/3: The journey = 2 hr bus to JFK + 8 hr flight to Munich + 2 hr flight to Tirane + 2 hr bus to Elbasan + realizing that that strange magnetic field we all talk about me having is not really a joke when my controller on the arm of my chair was broken and then the screen froze on me + my very nice co-trainee suggesting and agreeing to having headphone wires across his lap so that we could share his sound + spending about 5-10 minutes per movie trying to sync our two video screens + not sleeping + becoming the generic cereal version of myself + becoming too grumpy due to not sleeping to get up from my seat to take a group picture + semi-awkward conversations with fellow trainees + looking for settlers of catan in the Munich airport + arriving at the airport and being too tired and too overwhelmed to even react + easiest custom questions I have ever received getting into a country (not receiving any) + getting one of my bags in the airport and learning that the other one did not come because the airplane was too small and understanding that I would get it later, tour of Elbasan + finding out my language group + finding out about my host family + SLEEP!!!

Day 4: Intro to training = meeting, coffee, meeting, coffee, meeting, coffee (I hope you get the point) + slightly less awkward conversations with fellow trainees + navigating being a vegetarian + learning a little bit of Albanian, forgetting at least ½ of it, then re-learning it from my roommate + Drinking too much fluid + not much to write home about

I'm still observing too much to really have too many thoughts/emotions (strangely the anxiety level has gone down since getting here). Missing you all, but would rather be here, Libby.

Virus protection

Best...News... Ever! I got virus protection to work, and that virus that has been plaguing my computer for the last few years was found and destroyed! Spybot is once again working!

Packing

For the last week or so I have been packing, or the better word for it might be stuffing. I have forced everything I could into the 107" space, and despite my best efforts am still having to remove things.... Including stationary. So the moral of this story is; if you would like to hear from me very soon after writing me a letter the best thing to do is to put a blank piece of paper and envelope inside (don't worry I'll buy stamps). That way I will certainly write back.