Dog Found

This morning Rina didn’t feel well so I went to Elbasan by myself. In the spirit of exercise and to combat growing restlessness from living in Shales, Kristin and I started our trek with a walk to Cerrik, a decent sized town on the way to Elbasan, and then take a furgon from there. We weren’t sure how long the walk would take but assumed that it’d be as long as Belesh.

We were wrong- it was only 2 miles away and we burned a fraction of the calories however it was well worth it. We caught a furgon easily and headed off to the Trego or market. For some reason as we approached the city’s heart we got stuck in terrible traffic. Still on the outskirts we hopped off to explore the modern looking “EurChic” supermarket which I had been eyeing but never ventured far enough out to enter. We were pretty happy to discover it had a decent stock of food at a reasonable price when compared to other supermarkets; however for us the cost of 4 cans of tuna were equivalent to our daily food allowance and since our food allowance is our only allowance the tuna was not an option.

Finally we made it to the Trego an experience in its self. We must have been wearing fairly large signs that said “I’m American” because we were tugged and pulled at in various languages in each and every direction. For some reason, many Albanians believe that foreigners speak Italian so they will try Shqip, English and Albania until you respond. As a New Yorker, my natural instinct is to avoid eye contact, not reveal my identity and put my guard up. However, in all honesty, they are so few foreigners (particularly in Elbasan) in this country that was closed to the world for so long, that the clerks are honestly just plain curious. I have to keep remembering that.

At the market there was some confusion over the prices, and by that I do not mean my bad Shqip for once. First of all, there is always some confusion over prices here because many people still quote you in old Leke with the understanding you will automatically drop the last 0 mentally. If a clerk writes you a receipt s/he will probably tally up the prices in old Leke and then physically cross off the last 0. However, in newer stores, like the EurChic, boutiques and many places in Tirana prices are written in new Leke. Also, people speak in new Leke. So, when asking what the price of a good is you have to assume it is in old Leke if its super high, like 1800 for soap, or ask if it is old or new Leke.

At the Trego the whole Leke issue posed various problems. We struggled to find shirts without meretricious sequins, pockets or mottos such as “Don’t take it personality your such” emblazoned on them [not a typo]. Finally we a found a stand with some great jackets and simple button down shirts. We were quoted prices such as 18 and 34 for the items leading us to believe that they cost 18 or 34 Leke- the equivalent of .18 or .34 cents. Though logically it could not cost that little to produce clothes, transport them and pay overhead, we were believed it was the price because that was the price we were given and the Trego is a semi-outdoor market. Only when we tried to pay were we told it was 18 hundred and 34 hundred. Much more logical. There you are not quoted old or new Leke but simply a number and you are to guess the denomination. For example, I asked how much a barrette was and was informed that it was 5. When I handed her 5 Leke, she told me it was 50. I’m not a good guesser yet.

Kristine pared down her multiple choices to a few that fit within the newly revealed prices and bought a few much needed shirts. Unlike me, she had kept to the very strict PC and airline guidelines and only brought enough clothes for a few weeks. She’s not the only one. In fact, most people have found themselves in dire need of more clothing forcing mothers all over America to raid their PC children’s storage areas and figure out ways of sending clothes and other essentials to Albania. Finding clothes one likes is hard enough in America, but is especially hard to do when you must travel to the market which is only open from 7-3, lacks fitting rooms and caters to a younger clientele. Stores are simply unaffordable for our indigent lifestyle. Supplementing the inherent problems of shopping in Albania on a limited budget is the added PST problem that we are overscheduled during the day and must return home by dinner making the only day that shopping is even an option Sunday. Keenly anticipating this problem (shopping in a developing country) and wary both of what might be sent and the oversees mail situation in general I had brought enough clothing to dress the entire village, going way over the weight limit for Lutshansia. In retrospect, it could possibly be the best $300 every spent.
The Trego was an experience, but the biggest event of the day came after it at about 5pm when Kristine and I spied a lost puppy outside hotel universe. It was beautiful and Kristine became determined to keep him. She instantly fell involve with him, grabbed him and carried him to the furgon. I hope she is able to keep him.