Today was a hub day. This means we all go to Elbasan and have language lessons at the hub. I had both of my excellent teachers at once and learned the future tense. During lunch I went against my rules and exchanged money: $15 and I only have $11 left. I know it sounds so little to you, but $4 goes really far here. So, I guess I couldn’t make it on $3.25 for 5 days. However, I was good about bringing my yogurt and bread from home, so only spent .50 on food: A fresh spinach berek for .30 and meringue.
After the training sessions, which included all medevac and dental cleaning details, we were set free. Like yesterday, we were all so happy to not rush home right away. Daylight savings is truly a present for those who like the city. There are several factors that force us home by dark. Not only does the Peace Corps forbid us to travel when it is dark, but Furgons do not run when it dark and women do not travel when it is dark. So, it’s really important not to lose track of time because one could not get home after 6. We all literally turn into pumpkins.
With all the extra time I tried to find this great wireless café that my language teacher had told me about. That didn’t work out so well. After lugging myself, my medical kit and laptop up and down the mail street for 30 minutes, I finally believed the other volunteer that the café was in the other direction and didn’t work. Obviously, the walk made me very thirsty so I had a relaxing beer with three volunteers at a café. At 5:50 we all jumped up and realized we had to scatter fast to our furgones before turning into pumpkins.
I made it to the last furgon and bumped into Kacey there. We still had some light as the Furgon had been unusually fast so she walked me home. When I got home my mama was not happy. I thought it was because I had locked my room today but as I stood on the porch with her for a long time watching Kacey go home, I realized it was because she was very concerned for Kacey’s safety. Now, in fairness to her women don’t walk each other home here. However, it was still light out and Kacey had enough time to get home before dark. Also, there is very little that could happen to her on the village road. There are few cars that drive on it and most of the vehicles or rather transportative entities tend to be donkeys, tractors and mopeds. Like us, these tend to go home when the sun goes down, so I highly doubted she was at any risk. Nonetheless, we stayed on that porch until she turned into a dot.
I was a bit apprehensive to enter the house as I knew that Monika, our home stay coordinator, had contacted my family about them using my computer and that I had locked my room. I tried to be extra social and was told dinner would be small. But dinner ended up being more than enough and an enjoyable affair. Rina had made an amazing spinach berek which tasted as good as it sounds. My host mother told me she loved me and Rina invited me to her wedding reception. She then invited herself to my wedding reception and I said of course you should come. I learned that Rina is only 16 and is turning 17 in April. Realizing I was 14 years older than her (I remember 1992) I told her I could be her mother! We all had a good laugh at that one.
After dinner Rina tried to ask me about my laptop. I didn’t really understand what she was asking. She seemed to keep saying it’s not possible for me to have a laptop. I thought she was saying it’s not possible for me to use your laptop as the possible verb (te) and you (te) seem the same to me at this point. I kept saying that is correct, you cannot use my laptop: it is brand new and expensive.
Finally, after some writing and dictionary use I realized she was saying it’s not possible for her to have a laptop can I teach her the laptop? I said of course. I’d be happy to give her a ½ or more lesson every day, as long as she understood she could not use it when I am not home. I asked her what she wanted to learn and she didn’t know. I pretended to type and she said yes. I told her we should start tomorrow. So, tomorrow, I think I’ll start Rina’s computer lessons with typing and opening and saving a document and see how it goes. Ideally I will teach her enough computer skills to be employable. That would make everyone here pretty happy.
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