Upcoming holidays

With this week I perceive a sense of hurry everywhere, not only for me personally, since my time in Tirana is running out, but also because the holiday season is coming up all over. Autumn is still ongoing, and even Tirana is affected by the change of colors, as shown in this small park for children, with yellow leaves paving all sidewalks along the boulevards.





A few spots, however, still exhibit wonderful displays of freshly bloomed, beautifully flowers, usually not typical of this season. The sunny weather has helped along this month with springtime temperatures at midday.


For some people the time stands still, however, and I am wondering why this young man felt so comfortable at 2pm, perched up on a garbage bin, in the middle of a busy commercial street in Tirana e Re (new Tirana).


This is my opportunity to wish all my friends and acquaintances in the U.S. a "Happy Thanksgiving Day" on Thursday, and to advance to all my Albanian friends and relatives a “wonderful and serene Flag and Independence Days” on November 28 and 29.

I’ll be traveling to Italy then, but shall be back in NY early next month, just about in time for the year end holidays. I still have to complete a lot of things in Albania, but, as usual, I am always rushed in the past few days. Although I try to plan and schedule tasks and meetings as soon as possible, I am invariably delayed by the way other people live here, and….. I must go with the local flow!