From the U.S.Department of State in Washington, D.C.:
Albania's National Day
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
November 26, 2010
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I congratulate the people of Albania as you celebrate your Independence Day on November 28. The history of friendship and shared interests between Albania and the United States was cemented at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, where President Woodrow Wilson strongly supported Albania’s independence.
Since then, Albania has made many valuable contributions to promote peace and security in the Western Balkans. As a NATO partner and an advisor to other Balkan countries aspiring to join NATO, Albania plays a crucial and proactive role advancing regional integration and stability. The United States also honors Albania’s commitment to the ISAF mission in Afghanistan, and its dedication to protecting peace around the world.
Our support for Albania’s entrance to the European Union remains firm. The EU visa waiver Albania recently received is a strong indication of the progress your country continues to make toward full membership in the Euro-Atlantic community. I look forward to continuing our partnership with Albania on issues of regional and global importance as we work together toward a democratic, secure, and prosperous future for both our people.
I wish all the people of Albania a safe and happy Independence Day celebration.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
The American Holiday
In honor of Thanksgiving Day last evening I held a small party for a few of my Albanian friends, who were eager to learn the origin of this celebratory day in the U.S.
The buffet included an ethnic trio of dishes: from Albanian byrek to Italian specialties, and the American turkey could not be missing either (I didn't roast one personally, but found a delicious, freshly cut, substitute for it).
Although there was a brief rainstorm in the morning the sun peeked through the clouds around sunset, creating an interesting light effect on the mountainous areas surrounding Tirana.
The gathering went well and it was a good occasion for me to give thanks to the participants for the help, care, and kindness they have extented to me in the past, and for their continued support toward the the goals I've set in my work in favor of Albanian youth.
Thinking of all those I left behind in the U.S., I hope and wish that they also had a good day.
A toast to all with some 'spumante' ended the evening.
The buffet included an ethnic trio of dishes: from Albanian byrek to Italian specialties, and the American turkey could not be missing either (I didn't roast one personally, but found a delicious, freshly cut, substitute for it).
Although there was a brief rainstorm in the morning the sun peeked through the clouds around sunset, creating an interesting light effect on the mountainous areas surrounding Tirana.
The gathering went well and it was a good occasion for me to give thanks to the participants for the help, care, and kindness they have extented to me in the past, and for their continued support toward the the goals I've set in my work in favor of Albanian youth.
Thinking of all those I left behind in the U.S., I hope and wish that they also had a good day.
A toast to all with some 'spumante' ended the evening.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Rain, rain, and more rain!
Meteo news show that rain all over Europe continues to be in the forecast. Northwestern Italy has been devastated by overflowing rivers and the damages are huge.
After some gorgeous days here in Tirana, where, however, the temperature remains mild, we are also hit by daily storms, while in the north there are critical flood damages in many mountain villages that are difficult to reach even by the military emergency units.
One of the borders with Montenegro was temporarily closed, and in the south the Lllogara pass in the national park was also blocked by dangerous icy conditions last week.
It is quite a sight to see the quick changes from my 12th story high apartment.
When I got up this morning the sun was shining, but it quickly disappeared as it did the Dajti mountain chain around Tirana, enwrapped in fog for a while.
The swelling, and rushing waters of the Lana canal look ominous. Fortunately, its green sloping sides do not allow overflowing onto the boulevards, but the poor drainage in some streets greatly affects the vehicular traffic.
We have to resign ourselves and cope with mother nature that looks like it is going to be stingy with sunshine during the upcoming big holidays of this weekend: the American Thanksgiving Day on Thursday, and the national Albanian Flag and Liberation days on Sunday and Monday.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Thanksgiving Greetings!
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| Another digital scrapbooking design by Smilebox |
NB: give it a couple of minutes to get a full download and then see it in full screen format
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Care to visit?
Again, another good article appears today online about how Albania is coming up in the world among the more interesting and newest places to visit, especially for aventurous travelers.
It's intriguing to me that it is written by an independent travel company, BootsnAll, which is located on the opposite side of world, the Pacific North West of the United states!
BTW, today it's a national holiday in the country, especially evidenced by the slower traffic in Tirana. Thus greetings should go to the majority of the population: "Urimet per Bairam!"
Meantime, the shorter, but sunny days are finally displaying their fall foliage along the boulevards......
It's intriguing to me that it is written by an independent travel company, BootsnAll, which is located on the opposite side of world, the Pacific North West of the United states!
BTW, today it's a national holiday in the country, especially evidenced by the slower traffic in Tirana. Thus greetings should go to the majority of the population: "Urimet per Bairam!"
Meantime, the shorter, but sunny days are finally displaying their fall foliage along the boulevards......
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Progress to be proven
Almost every evening there are fireworks bursting, here and there, in Tirana, where any excuse is good to use these displays, apparently easily available even to the general public.
This may happen after a soccer match, or during a political demonstration, and this week because Albania is achieving visa-free status for its citizens to travel in Europe.
The reality of Albania's current state of affairs is succintly described in an article of SouthEast European Times that appears today online.
Let's hope that Albania makes a judicious use of this additional achievement in the use of freedom so that it may become a worth European ally.
This may happen after a soccer match, or during a political demonstration, and this week because Albania is achieving visa-free status for its citizens to travel in Europe.
The reality of Albania's current state of affairs is succintly described in an article of SouthEast European Times that appears today online.
Let's hope that Albania makes a judicious use of this additional achievement in the use of freedom so that it may become a worth European ally.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Rain, or sunshine.....
In a corner of a little park across the street from my apartment building some elderly people gather every day to play some games.
They seem to be there all the time for a couple of hours in the morning, and then they reapppear again for another two hours in the early afternoon. Their outings seem to be on a pretty steady schedule, even now that the daylight time is shorter. They show up even if it rains on and off since these type of days are quite predictable here. The rain comes for a while, followed by sunshine, and then the rain reappears, and so on....
The ladies employed by city hall to clean the lawns in the parks and along the boulevards (recognizable by their green overcoats), are also present regardless of weather conditions. They pop in and out of a couple of shacks, where they gather during a downpour, otherwise, armed with large plastic bags and rakes they walk along and gather the fallen leaves during the fall or the fresh grass cut by a group of men during the other seasons.
Today the weather has turned for the worst. A real and heavy storm is creating havoc in traffic, as I can see through my glass wall, and an unusual fog is obliterating the view of the Dajti mountain that towers over Tirana.
Undeterred, the street vendor that shows up every day on the narrow bridge of the Lana canal is present with his ware, and stands tall under his umbrella, and above the rushing and swelling waters below. Their level is visibly rising.....
I have the luxury of being able to work from home, but now it's time for a warm soup lunch!
They seem to be there all the time for a couple of hours in the morning, and then they reapppear again for another two hours in the early afternoon. Their outings seem to be on a pretty steady schedule, even now that the daylight time is shorter. They show up even if it rains on and off since these type of days are quite predictable here. The rain comes for a while, followed by sunshine, and then the rain reappears, and so on....
The ladies employed by city hall to clean the lawns in the parks and along the boulevards (recognizable by their green overcoats), are also present regardless of weather conditions. They pop in and out of a couple of shacks, where they gather during a downpour, otherwise, armed with large plastic bags and rakes they walk along and gather the fallen leaves during the fall or the fresh grass cut by a group of men during the other seasons.
Today the weather has turned for the worst. A real and heavy storm is creating havoc in traffic, as I can see through my glass wall, and an unusual fog is obliterating the view of the Dajti mountain that towers over Tirana.
Undeterred, the street vendor that shows up every day on the narrow bridge of the Lana canal is present with his ware, and stands tall under his umbrella, and above the rushing and swelling waters below. Their level is visibly rising.....
I have the luxury of being able to work from home, but now it's time for a warm soup lunch!
Monday, November 08, 2010
Food lessons
Yesterday I was a guest for lunch at some friends' apartment where, with the delicious dishes expertly cooked by the lady of the house, I also enjoyed learning a lot more than I ever thought of about food shopping and preparation.
BTW, these friends I have known for a dozen years have a very talented son, who was a gifted painter since age 7. He earned several honors for his early works, and now is pursuing a degree as an architect.
When I arrived the father was out shopping, while his wife had ready on the stove the vegetable soup, made from scratch with chicken stock, and the potatoes and chicken were roasting in the oven. Upon his return he personally wanted to prepare a 'little' appetizer, as he called it.
He had bought freshly baked white corn bread, which he topped with feta cheese, crushed garlic, pitted olives, fresh parsley, and finally drizzled some extra virgin olive oil upon it.
After a few minutes in the oven this was a delightful beginning of a very good meal that included a carrot mixture that was served in addition to the never lacking (on albanian tables) tomatoes and cucumber salad, and some small byreks filled with cheese.
The light and lemony tasting dessert, topped with crushed walnuts, was also made from scratch. I was astonished to learn that one of its ingredients was "panda's" milk (yes, the milk from the real animal!).
This is another product that I am surprised is available in Tirana, where nothing is lacking anymore, imported from anywhere in the world, as long as one can afford it.
When I questioned the husband about his shopping habits I had quite a lesson and learned a lot about how to choose food. We were talking about fresh foods that Albanians buy on a daily basis and that come directly from local suppliers.
The mandarins that are extremely sweet and grow in a lot of backyards, are deliberately picked with their stem and a couple of leaves attached to them. From their cut one can determine the freshness of the fruit. The leaves of mine below look shriveled since they have been stored in the fridge, but Albanians usually buy daily what they consume within the next 24 hours.
In addition to the fresh vegetables and fruits that come to street markets within a couple hours of being picked, the large supermarkets also stack packaged foods, imported especially from Greece and Italy, which are of excellent quality. One example I came across recently is about a series of Italian soups contained in pouches, such as the one pictured below, made of a variety of beans that takes 3 minutes to serve and it's delicious.
I also think that the frozen foods, of which there is a great variety here, are much better prepared and tastier (probably due to fresher basic ingredients) than the ones in NY stores.
My friend also talked about how to distinguish meats, from organically or not fed animals, from their color and smell. Lamb, pork, veal, beef are excellent here and very tasty everywhere they are served. After all, most animals are still raised in free ranges, and the chickens like the one I ate yesterday can be picked personally from a suburbian farm.
Thus, yesterday afternoon turned out to be pleasurable from both a culinary and educational point of view. Of great help in furnishing most of the detailed explanations to me was also another member of my host family (the wife's sister), who joined us for lunch, and spoke fluent English. She and I will also meet again soon since, I discovered, she resides not too far from my apartment.
What is surprising to me is that all this information comes from people that do not operate or have been educated in the food field, but have gained personal experiences from their families, who are also well versed in old fashioned house remedies. I might add that most persons I deal with, including some laborers, have quite a knowledge of what we consider today as good eating habits, and I believe that this is probably their secret for keeping fit and prolonging longevity.
BTW, these friends I have known for a dozen years have a very talented son, who was a gifted painter since age 7. He earned several honors for his early works, and now is pursuing a degree as an architect.
When I arrived the father was out shopping, while his wife had ready on the stove the vegetable soup, made from scratch with chicken stock, and the potatoes and chicken were roasting in the oven. Upon his return he personally wanted to prepare a 'little' appetizer, as he called it.
He had bought freshly baked white corn bread, which he topped with feta cheese, crushed garlic, pitted olives, fresh parsley, and finally drizzled some extra virgin olive oil upon it.
After a few minutes in the oven this was a delightful beginning of a very good meal that included a carrot mixture that was served in addition to the never lacking (on albanian tables) tomatoes and cucumber salad, and some small byreks filled with cheese.
The light and lemony tasting dessert, topped with crushed walnuts, was also made from scratch. I was astonished to learn that one of its ingredients was "panda's" milk (yes, the milk from the real animal!).
This is another product that I am surprised is available in Tirana, where nothing is lacking anymore, imported from anywhere in the world, as long as one can afford it.
When I questioned the husband about his shopping habits I had quite a lesson and learned a lot about how to choose food. We were talking about fresh foods that Albanians buy on a daily basis and that come directly from local suppliers.
The mandarins that are extremely sweet and grow in a lot of backyards, are deliberately picked with their stem and a couple of leaves attached to them. From their cut one can determine the freshness of the fruit. The leaves of mine below look shriveled since they have been stored in the fridge, but Albanians usually buy daily what they consume within the next 24 hours.
In addition to the fresh vegetables and fruits that come to street markets within a couple hours of being picked, the large supermarkets also stack packaged foods, imported especially from Greece and Italy, which are of excellent quality. One example I came across recently is about a series of Italian soups contained in pouches, such as the one pictured below, made of a variety of beans that takes 3 minutes to serve and it's delicious.
I also think that the frozen foods, of which there is a great variety here, are much better prepared and tastier (probably due to fresher basic ingredients) than the ones in NY stores.
My friend also talked about how to distinguish meats, from organically or not fed animals, from their color and smell. Lamb, pork, veal, beef are excellent here and very tasty everywhere they are served. After all, most animals are still raised in free ranges, and the chickens like the one I ate yesterday can be picked personally from a suburbian farm.
Thus, yesterday afternoon turned out to be pleasurable from both a culinary and educational point of view. Of great help in furnishing most of the detailed explanations to me was also another member of my host family (the wife's sister), who joined us for lunch, and spoke fluent English. She and I will also meet again soon since, I discovered, she resides not too far from my apartment.
What is surprising to me is that all this information comes from people that do not operate or have been educated in the food field, but have gained personal experiences from their families, who are also well versed in old fashioned house remedies. I might add that most persons I deal with, including some laborers, have quite a knowledge of what we consider today as good eating habits, and I believe that this is probably their secret for keeping fit and prolonging longevity.
Thursday, November 04, 2010
Security issues
In the last couple of days a few references appear online about Albania being picked by Lonely Planet as one of the Top 10 places for tourism in 2011.
This country is already doing a booming business in this field with a vast numbers of hostels, motels, hotels, and apartments, accomodating more than 300.000 visitors a year in the south alone. In addition to many young people, armed with backpacks, who like to explore the unknown, rugged, inland mountainous areas, a large influx of summer tourists come from the Albanian populations living outside Albania's borders. They don't have access to sea coasts of their own and now can enjoy Albania's long shore extending from the Adriatic to the Ionic-Mediterranean waters. (BTW, this week temperature in Tirana is still in the low 70's F during midday)
Building of necessary infrastructures needed to support this industry, such as new roads and modern servicing conveniences even in the most remote, and once inaccesible areas, are also intensified by both the governmental and private sectors.
Today another piece of news is also the re-opening of underground caves in the Dajti mountain chain bordering the capital city of Tirana, which were built by the ex dictatorship as an hideout in case of a political crisis.
The outcome of this precaution is now described as another folly of that isolationist regime when thousands of bunkers were also constructed around the entire Albanian territory to safeguard the country against foreign invasions. As some of these mushroom-shaped, reinforced cement structures are now being used mainly as tourist attractions, and in some cases, also converted as guests accomodations, today's article questions the possibile future use of these newly accessible hidden mountain places.
One thing that comes immediately to my mind is that of the "Iron Mountain" type of concept, very useful and fully functional in the United States.
As known, in Utah the Mormon Church has preserved, in environmentally setup caves, archival and historic records of generations of Americans that can trace their ancestries electronically from them. In other states businesses such as "Iron Mountain" provide storage-as-a-service facility for data recuperation, maintenance, and archiving for thousands and all sorts for companies, financial, and governmental institutions that have established very specific plans for disaster recovery from all sorts of destructive events, including natural calamities.
Let's hope that Albania makes a good use of these natural resources, among the many others that it is endowed with, and not only for tourism, but for more peaceful preservation of its history and its modern development.
This country is already doing a booming business in this field with a vast numbers of hostels, motels, hotels, and apartments, accomodating more than 300.000 visitors a year in the south alone. In addition to many young people, armed with backpacks, who like to explore the unknown, rugged, inland mountainous areas, a large influx of summer tourists come from the Albanian populations living outside Albania's borders. They don't have access to sea coasts of their own and now can enjoy Albania's long shore extending from the Adriatic to the Ionic-Mediterranean waters. (BTW, this week temperature in Tirana is still in the low 70's F during midday)
Building of necessary infrastructures needed to support this industry, such as new roads and modern servicing conveniences even in the most remote, and once inaccesible areas, are also intensified by both the governmental and private sectors.
Today another piece of news is also the re-opening of underground caves in the Dajti mountain chain bordering the capital city of Tirana, which were built by the ex dictatorship as an hideout in case of a political crisis.
The outcome of this precaution is now described as another folly of that isolationist regime when thousands of bunkers were also constructed around the entire Albanian territory to safeguard the country against foreign invasions. As some of these mushroom-shaped, reinforced cement structures are now being used mainly as tourist attractions, and in some cases, also converted as guests accomodations, today's article questions the possibile future use of these newly accessible hidden mountain places.
One thing that comes immediately to my mind is that of the "Iron Mountain" type of concept, very useful and fully functional in the United States.
As known, in Utah the Mormon Church has preserved, in environmentally setup caves, archival and historic records of generations of Americans that can trace their ancestries electronically from them. In other states businesses such as "Iron Mountain" provide storage-as-a-service facility for data recuperation, maintenance, and archiving for thousands and all sorts for companies, financial, and governmental institutions that have established very specific plans for disaster recovery from all sorts of destructive events, including natural calamities.
Let's hope that Albania makes a good use of these natural resources, among the many others that it is endowed with, and not only for tourism, but for more peaceful preservation of its history and its modern development.
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