28 April 2012

Things Albanian People Like

White head kerchiefs. It was one of the first things that set Albanians apart. Whether it was a nice lace kerchief, a simply cotton cloth or an old t-shirt, women opted to cover their heads with white fabric. Most non-religious head covering we've seen, throughout Eastern Europe and the Caucuses, was done in black or just whatever scarf was lying around. In Albania, they were uniformly white.
Littering. Unfortunately, Albanians really, really seem to like littering. Young men do it with relish, sending a wrapper or soda bottle out the window of a moving bus. We saw a woman at Berati Castle empty her cafe's small trash can over the edge of the castle walls. Needless to say, we got into the habit of carrying our garbage until we saw a proper place to dispose of it. Trash covers so much of Albania's beautiful landscape and is basically an ever multiplying invasive species in Tirana. It's a huge shame.

Molto Way. Just about half of the wrappers tossed here, there and everywhere were from Molto Way snacks. These cream-filled croissants are advertised on billboards all across the country and found in the hands of just about everyone. To be fair, there is also Replay, a rival filled croissant packaged snack, but Molto Way is definitely the front-runner in the market. We tried a Molto Way Double, filled with coconut frosting and chocolate frosting. As a loved one of ours likes to say, it was a "sugar gut bomb."

Living on the top floor. This is really a strange phenomenon and I haven't uncovered a reason. At first I thought it had to do with locking family members away to protect them from violent blood feuds, but it seems only to be "vernacular Albanian architecture," as one source put it. Since most houses are in some state of construction, these one floor homes on stilts are everywhere. Many finished houses never bother with walls on the bottom floor.
Warding Off the Evil Eye. While completing said construction, it's very important to ward off the evil eye. This is most often done with a stuffed animal hung from the highest point. We saw teddy bears, cabbage patch kids and one very large Spider-Man that would have fit in at a boardwalk carnival. Good luck charms in high places.

Bicycles. I've come to notice that a large amount of bicycle riding occurs in countries that are either particularly poor or particularly well off. It's probably because you either have a green initiative that develops bike paths and encourages the use of bikes for environmental and traffic purposes - or people simply can't afford cars. In Albania, this is definitely the case and even the bicycles are well-worn, antiques.
Loading down their bicycles. I just wanted an excuse to use this photo, because I couldn't decide between it and the one above. You don't usually think of bicycles as having a full trunk load - until you go to Albania.
Homemade Raki. This isn't the raki of Turkey, made from anise-seed like Greece's ouzo or France's pastis. It's more like moonshine, made from anything. Some locals like to liken it to grappa, but I'm not sure that grapes are necessary. It is often infused, always strong and, as far as we can tell, almost completely homemade. In fact, when we went to buy a small bottle of it, we could find none at all. Jack Daniels, Russian vodka, but no raki. What gives? We went to a bar and the woman pulled a whiskey bottle out when we inquired about raki. No, not whiskey. She handed us a taste. So, we were able to buy a bottle of raki after all - a whiskey bottle filled with the stuff. Home-made for sure.
Work-horses. They trotted alongside our rental cars on just about every non-highway road in the country. Most often, their carts were loaded with huge piles of long grass on their way to begin the transition into hay. We saw this horse-drawn mock pick-up truck a few times and were ecstatic about getting a photo. Sometimes, the horses carried only the load of its owner. This brings me to another thing Albanian people like, riding side saddle. We did not see a single person riding otherwise.


Honorable Mentions 

Being some of the nicest people we have ever encountered, anywhere. This is really true. We also benefited from two other things Albanian people like: Speaking English and America.

20 comments:

  1. Loan offer with 0% interest contact Lightstreamloanlender@gmail.com for any Financial help....Business loan, loan to acquire a House or a Car etc....

    ReplyDelete
  2. Do you need Finance?
    Are you looking for Finance?
    Are you looking for a money to enlarge your business?
    We help individuals and companies to obtain loan for business
    expanding and to setup a new business ranging any amount. Get a
    loan at affordable interest rate of 2%, Do you need this cash/loan
    for business and to clear your bills? Then send us an email now
    for more information contact us now whatspp Number +918929490461
    Contact Us At : abdullahibrahimlender@gmail.com
    Mr Abdullah Ibrahim

    ReplyDelete
  3. My name is Mrs Aisha Mohamed, am a Citizen Of Qatar.Have you been looking for a loan?Do you need an urgent personal loan or business loan?contact Dr James Eric Finance Home he help me with a loan of $42,000 some days ago after been scammed of $2,800 from a woman claiming to been a loan lender but i thank God today that i got my loan worth $42,000.Feel free to contact the company for a genuine financial service. Email:(financialserviceoffer876@gmail.com) call/whats-App Contact Number +918929509036

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hello Everybody,

    My name is Bhagwan Kumawzt by name and I live in the POLAND and i am a happy woman today? and i told my self that any lender that rescue my family from our poor situation get any kind of loan you need today, thank you, as you read greatest testimony of my life. with whatsapp+919667837169

    Testimony of a serious loan acquired, thank you very much Dr. Mark for your loan assistance of 100,000(US DOLLARS) without any upfront fee,that you give me. I will talk about your services to those around me who need a loan or financing. I am happy with the loan you have granted me Do not hesitate,if you need a loan and a real legit loan lender so just kindly contact him now and get your loan via:: markthomasfinanceltd@gmail.com whatsapp number: +919667837169

    Whats-App no +919667837169
    Company Name Ronnie Finance Ltd
    Dr. Mark Thomas

    ReplyDelete
  5. Life is very beautiful and keeps on teaching something all the time.In the same way, you saw this post today and seeing that it was as if I had never imagined such a post that someone can make your beautiful post.
    Female Escort Gurugram
    bitcoin currency

    ------------------------------------------------------------

    high profile call girls in gurugram
    Phase 3 Escorts Servcie

    ReplyDelete
  6. A good article is one that a person is aware of, to get something to learn from that article and your article is also one of them.We hope that you will share a similar article in the future and make us aware thank you.
    Call Girls In Sector 13
    Female Escorts Sector 4
    Call Girls Gurugram
    Independent Escorts Sector 8
    Model Escorts Sector 17
    Prostitiute Girls Sector 11
    Independent Escorts In Sector 29
    Independent Call Girls In Gurgaon
    High Profile Escorts In Gurgaon

    ReplyDelete
  7. To write a beautiful post it is very important to write a beautiful container and have prepared a very good design and I got a lot of inspiration from your post and I would also like to post like you in my life.
    Rent Call Girls In Gurugram
    Call Girls Noida Sector 13
    Call Girls Sector 15
    Escorts Service In Noida
    Russian Escorts Service Gurugram
    Escorts Girls Sector 1
    Independent Call girls Gurugram
    Cal Girls Manesar

    ReplyDelete
  8. Do you need Finance? Are you looking for Finance? Are you looking for finance to enlarge your business? We help individuals and companies to obtain finance for business expanding and to setup a new business ranging any amount. Get finance at affordable interest rate of 3%, Do you need this finance for business and to clear your bills? Then send us an email now for more information contact us now via (financialserviceoffer876@gmail.com) whats-App +918929509036 Dr James Eric Finance Pvt Ltd Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  9. DO YOU NEED A LOAN?
    We give out loans with an affordable interest rate of 2%
    Captain One provide Excellent and Professional Financial Services and we
    are known and genuine money lenders across the globe
    Our services include the following:
    *Student Loans
    Truck Loan
    Personal Loan
    Debt consolidation loan
    Car Loans
    Business Loan
    Student Loan
    Mortgage Loan
    Refinancing Loan
    Home Loan
    Improvement loan
    Construction Loan
    contact us for more information on how to get started:
    (Whats App) number:
    +919394133968 patialalegitimate515@gmail.com
    Mr Jeffery

    ReplyDelete
  10. 카지노사이트 Thanks for sharing your info. I truly appreciate your efforts and I am waiting for your next post thanks once again.

    ReplyDelete
  11. 온라인카지노 Very good post! We will be linking to this great article on our
    site. Keep up the great writing.


    ReplyDelete
  12. 토토사이트 Fine way of describing, and nice article to take facts about my presentation topic,

    ReplyDelete
  13. This article is an appealing wealth of useful informative that is interesting and well-written. I commend your hard work on this and thank you for this information. 룰렛사이트탑

    ReplyDelete
  14. LOAN WE LEND TO EVERYONE ONLINE financialserviceoffer876@gmail.com WhatsApp 918929509036

    ReplyDelete
  15. islami video https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQsVfBaVS1xgr1jlAzw2ESw

    ReplyDelete
  16. Fly Ash Texas is a key construction material, derived from coal combustion, that enhances concrete performance while promoting environmental sustainability in building projects across the state.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Looking to buy chocolate riyadh? Explore a wide selection of delicious chocolates available in the vibrant capital city of Saudi Arabia.

    ReplyDelete
  18. "Fascinating historical insight! Just as distinctive elements define cultures, our interior fit out Dubai aim to create spaces that uniquely reflect your identity. Let every detail, like a white head kerchief, tell a story of individuality and style in the design of your interiors."

    ReplyDelete
  19. Delving into the essential collaboration between interior fit-out companies, commercial space transformations, and designers. For a touch of sophistication in Abu Dhabi, consider partnering with the expertise of the fit-out company in Abu Dhabi to elevate your commercial space seamlessly.

    ReplyDelete
  20. "Emrati'sbest wholesale coffee dubai is a game-changer! From the rich aroma to the premium quality, every cup is a delightful experience at your doorstep. Elevate your coffee ritual with Emrati – where excellence meets convenience

    ReplyDelete