TRANSITION TO SHKODER

Last Monday we had the Peace Corps swearing in event when 41 of us made the formal transition from Peace Corps trainee to Peace Corps Volunteer. The US Ambassador to Albania said some nice words and then we made the oath which is virtually the same when the President is sworn into office and when my wife declared herself an American citizen.  In our case we were not asked to defend the country when under threat.  This is the Peace Corps after all.

It has been a long time since I have been in a graduation ceremony with pomp and circumstance.  I had mixed feelings of aloofness and pride.  My spiral journey is largely an exploration of values – both personal and cultural and this event was clearly designed to reinforce values, as was my wife’s when she with hundreds of others became US citizens. As I write this blog post I now recall that even the most mundane social interactions are statements of values.   As are the most dramatic conflicts.

And I am now in Shkroder a city of 120 thousand in the north of Albania near the border with Montenegro.  There will many blog posts about the city of Shkoder, considered one of the most beautiful in Albania, with a large lake to the north, mountains in the east and bordering the Adriatic in the west.

There is a rich history of independence from invaders, religious diversity, and a strong code of hospitality for guests.  You will be hearing more about the Code of Leke, established by an Albanian Prince in the 15^th century to bring order to combative tribal groups. (Spiral development from RED to AMBER – refer to chart at bottom of blog.)  Anthropologists and historians have suggested this code was based on an oral tradition of laws of behavior that dates back to the Bronze Age and represents humanities first struggle to bring order over escalating conflict.  In honor of  this prince the Albanian currency is called Leke. That will change when Albania becomes part of the EU and the Leke gives way to the Euro – as did the French Franc and German Mark –examples of the spiral evolution toward global world views.

You might want to watch a video that provides an overview of Shkoder,  followed by a hilarious video demonstrating that the Albanians are relatively new to cars and their reluctance to give up their walking and bike habits to an automobile culture.  I have already crossed this intersection several times.  You get used to it.  Notice the insignificance of the traffic cop.

An eight minute video produced by a proud citizen of Shkoder

The busiest traffic circle in Shkoder

So, I have begun my transition from the small town of Librazhd to the large city of Shkoder, from trainee to volunteer, from retiree to university TEFL teacher, from the comforts of home and automobile to frequent walks to market to buy a few items at a time to prepare a simple meal. (Not to worry – I can easily find beer and chocolate and my almost daily Skype with Bettina keeps me calm and committed)

More stories to follow.