Albania 101

Before getting my invitation to serve in Albania, I'll admit that I didn't know too much about the county other than it was next to Kosovo.  But as I've come to learn, Albania is a beautiful, complex country full of history despite the fact that it is roughly the size of Maryland.  Like most countries in the Balkans, Albania spent much of its history under the rule of various empires, ranging from the Romans to the Ottomans to Nazi Germany.  Yet Albania has managed to stay uniquely Albanian.

Following WWII, Albania was ruled by Enver Hoxha under a strict communist regime.  While social issues such as illiteracy and unemployment were taken care of under the People's Republic, it came at the cost of most basic freedoms.  The Hoxha regime outlawed religion, required students to participate in military exercises at school and cut off almost all communication with the outside world.  Following Hoxha's death in 1985 and the fall of communism in 1991, Albania looked to transition to a multi-party system.  In 1997, following the failure of a country wide pyramid scheme, the government collapsed under the pressure of an armed uprising leading to the modern day Albanian government.

Needless to say, Albania has changed a lot over the past 20 years.  I sometimes forget that when I meet someone my age, they were born under communism, grew up under a transitional government, experienced an armed revolt and are now living under a multi-party democracy.  While the effects of this tumultuous history are still felt in all parts of Albanian society today, Albania has made great strides in its development.

For a more in depth history check out the US State Department's country profile.

Gramsh

I will be spending my two years in the Peace Corps in Gramsh.  (Thats the Gramsh district there in red.)

Gramsh is a smaller town of roughly 10,000 people (15,000 when you include all of the villages).  The city sits right along the Devoll River with a beautiful view of Mt. Tomorri, one of the tallest mountains in Albania.  The closest major city is Elbasan (47 km north) which is a 90 minute bus ride away.

During Communism, Gramsh thrived as the site of two arms factories.  In an attempt to 'hide' Gramsh from any invading forces, Gramsh isn't included on most older maps and there are various towns named Gramsh all up and down Albania.  To this day, there are still caves outside of the city that are used to store arms.

Nowadays, Gramsh is known for two things: clean water and cheese.  They say the secret to Gramsh cheese is the happy cows, which makes this California girl feel right at home!

Albanian

The Albanian language is an Indo-European language but is a part of its own branch.  While there are many words that have been adapted from neighboring languages, the grammar and structure of Albanian is completely unique.  Albanian is spoken by roughly 7 million people worldwide, mainly in Albania (of course) and parts of Kosovo, Macedonia, Greece and Montenegro where ethnically Albanian groups live.  There are two main dialects of Albanian, Gheg from the north and Tosk from the south.  But on top of that each city has its own sayings, meaning that an Albanian can easily tell where you're from simply by hearing you speak.

A few useful words:

Po - Yes
Yo - No
Faleminderit - Thank You
Te lutem - Please
Me fal - Excuse me
Mirëmëngjes - Good Morning
Mirëdita - Good Day
Mirëmbrëma - Good Evening
Mirupafshim - Good Bye
Si je? - How are you?
Mirë - Good
Natën e mirë - Good Night
Gëzuar - Cheers

And some just for fun:

Gomar - Donkey
Paç fat! - Good luck!
Raki - Albanian Moonshine
Obobo! - Oh no!/Oops!
Zemër - Heart