Chores.... and the weather

Since my return home I have been busy with chores galore!  It's a seemingly never ending process when I come back from a long stay abroad. 

My lodgings are in need of a thorough cleanup; my plants, which always endure my absence thanks to the occasional watering by a friend, necessitate lots of pruning of old leaves and branches; my accumulated printed mail demands immediate attention to sort out important communications and bills, among hundreds of posts, sales catalogs, junk stuff, and an innumerable amount of solicitations from a variety of charities. 

My sleeping pattern is out of whack for at least a week, due to jet-lag, but waking up in the middle of the night offers quiet times to take care at least of the desk and related paperwork. There is not much time to rest during the day since I am also due for medical checkups that in NY require lots of additional time to travel to and from related medical establishments. 

All of this goes on while the body attempts physical readjustments to the change of environment, which is quite noticeable to me, as I age. NY weather greatly affects my osteoarthritis, which does not bother me when abroad; thus, while at home, I have to resume my physio-therapeutic sessions and take analgesic medication from time to time.  

The heat waves of this summer have taken a toll everywhere. I am used to the mostly humid ones in NY for more than half a century, although getting in and out of highly air conditioned areas, taxes our body, but the current 'African temperatures' being experienced in the Mediterranean areas during these past few weeks are hard to endure, especially for people that cannot afford the time to go to the beaches or on vacation somewhere else.

Today's travels

Just returned home safe and sound, via my favorite airline, which this time disappointed me a bit. The aircraft used for the transatlantic flight was an old Boeing 767, packed to capacity, which I thought I left behind when I began to enjoy newer types  planes, such the 777 or the Airbusses.  The quality of  food, however, seems to be getting better, time after time, a consolation perhaps for other stressing conditions affecting today's travels. 

Going thru Vienna for a connection always works out smoothly due to the efficient operation of this hub, but, this time, arrival at JFK in New York offered a  shocking view.  The amount of passengers being processed was incredible. This, I was told, was caused by a variety of flights' schedule changes, involving, at the same time, both delays and even some early  arrivals. Unbelievable sights faced the passengers in passport processing and luggage retrieval!

  

The mammoth hall of arriving passengers  at  passport control was completely full, equivalent in size to a Times Square gathering!  All baggage carousels were in use, and, each one had luggage piled up to the tilt.  It was amazing to watch as the handlers actually had to dismount some carousels, lining up all bag on the floors, in order to recycle their use for the additional arrivals. In other words the luggage handling was quicker than the passport processing, so that passenger had to scramble in search of  their belongings on the floor.  

I consider myself extremely lucky due to the assistance I requested. I was out of the airport within an hour and at home after an additional 45 minutes, riding in a very cool and comfortable taxi, which was a blessing,  exhausted as I was.   My apartment is another story, of a different type....After a two months absence, everything in it needs to be taken care of, but,  within an hour I was able to restore at least needed utilities, and online connection! 

Found NY weather hot, but in the 80's F, which should be considered a relief after more than 3 weeks of African temperatures  that affected the entire Mediterranean areas.   As reported also online, Albania yesterday experienced in some areas 102F!  I don't remember in my lifetime having to endure heat such as I did during my stay there this trip.  A couple of times last week, while walking in Tirana, I had the frightening experience of coming very close to a sun stroke!! 

A last minute news also just read about Albania,  and its reverse role in the Balkans today,  can be read in this self-explanatory article:    http://greece.greekreporter.com/2012/07/11/albanians-used-to-come-to-greece-to-work-now-they-come-on-vacation/  

Tempus fugit

Even though way of  life in Europe is quite different from the one in the States, time flies wherever one is, when one is busy. This is what happens to me both in the U.S. and in Albania. I am forever racing the clock....

I have been in Tirana for two months now, and now it's time to head back home in NY. It seems like yesterday when I came and now I must return.

I have not had time to post here anything personal lately since I have been involved full time (I mean day and night) in carrying out the plans I have been working on for the past several months, on behalf of the organizations' projects I am in charge of.

Two major events were sucessfully completed in Tirana, during May and June, and additional time is needed now to document their results, which, I am happy to report, were extremely satisfactory.  Those of you that know my work, know also where to find online the postings related to these activities.

On a personal level there is not much to report, except that it has been very difficult to deal with the extreme heat that has hit the entire Mediterranean area. There has been no rain in Tirana for almost one month now, and the temperature has been relentlessly high, with no relief in sight.

Now, I hear that I will face similar conditions in New York, where, by the way, due to my long absence, I have lots to catch up with.  Let's hope that at least the travel goes well, with no delays or problems.