Meantime, the city is very quiet today and it is basking in a gorgeous, and hot, sunny day.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Waiting results
Yesterday's chaotic, and supercharged situation that ended, after a full week, the completion of vote counting in Tirana, was followed by an outburst of jubiliation carried out by the followers of both major parties.
The extremely close margin in the final counting (10 votes!), however, is being scrutinized, as required by law, by the Central Electoral Commission, which will give its verdict, hopefully, within the next 48 hours. This is the forecast to allow the re-tabulation of figures from all districts.
Meantime, the city is very quiet today and it is basking in a gorgeous, and hot, sunny day.
Meantime, the city is very quiet today and it is basking in a gorgeous, and hot, sunny day.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Albanian elections
Voting for Administrative elections was completed in Albania last weekend, but final results are not yet available. The counting of votes remains incomplete to date only in one zone of the capital, which is located nearby to where I lodge. The battle to win the Mayoral race of Tirana is fierce between the incumbent Socialist Rama and the Democratic, ex Minister of Interior, Basha. At this writing there are only about 600 votes apart.
The voting process went on relatively well throughout the country, but the counting, although conducted very transparently, has been marred by distrust and wrangling in some areas, and has led to bitter exchanges among the political rows in the Central Election Commission, especially in the last few hours.
The remaining problematic, unfinished key zone, which is critical in the mayoral race of Tirana proper is still ongoing. As of this morning the content of only 8 more boxes remains to be counted, and the monitoring process in this particular voting area is being overseen personally by the US and European Ambassadors during the past few days.
Let’s hope that the stalemate is overcome soon, and that final results will be acceptable by the two major parties, whatever the outcome.
Being present in the country it’s impossible not to watch the local TV programs that transmit ‘live’ updates 24 hours a day. Frankly speaking I never been so much glued to a TV set as I am now, while in Albania.
The voting process went on relatively well throughout the country, but the counting, although conducted very transparently, has been marred by distrust and wrangling in some areas, and has led to bitter exchanges among the political rows in the Central Election Commission, especially in the last few hours.
The remaining problematic, unfinished key zone, which is critical in the mayoral race of Tirana proper is still ongoing. As of this morning the content of only 8 more boxes remains to be counted, and the monitoring process in this particular voting area is being overseen personally by the US and European Ambassadors during the past few days.
Let’s hope that the stalemate is overcome soon, and that final results will be acceptable by the two major parties, whatever the outcome.
Being present in the country it’s impossible not to watch the local TV programs that transmit ‘live’ updates 24 hours a day. Frankly speaking I never been so much glued to a TV set as I am now, while in Albania.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
On the move
Here I am in Tirana again, after another excellent trip operated by Lufthansa Airline. Each time I travel there are new experiences, as usual. This time I really understood why passengers are asked to show up at the airport at least 3 hours before departure. I never saw such crowds in my life!
Terminal 1 at JFK airport is usually busy since it handles at least 5 foreign airlines, but, now some of them are using the new, huge Airbus 380 crafts that house almost 400 passengers each. I came to realize this after I spoke with someone at the gate where I arrived this time just a while before they started boarding.
While the check-in procedure is always very efficient and speedy notwithstanding the line of waiting passengers, the problem this time came when I almost couldn't find the end of the line to go through security. It was spanning the entire length of the terminal although there were just 6 flights due to depart in a 2 hour time frame. As usual, not to rush, I allow myself plenty of time, and end up having to spend quite a bit of waiting at the gate before boarding. This was not the case this time around.
While I stood on line for 1 1/2 hour to reach the security point I watched many frantic passengers being selected from the waiting line by some roaming security staff who had the situation under control. They whisked away the late passengers through a special line so that would not miss their departing flights, while pushing the rest through several check points.
Overall it was a slow and agonizing process to finally reach the gate. This time I, at the airport 3 hours ahead of time, only had about 15 minutes to spare before getting a priority boarding. The flight was fully booked, but it left the gate on time. We arrived in Munich 1/2 hour ahead of time.
On board the service was good as usual, although somehow I always manage to be on the side that has the slowest steward. This time it was a tall blond German woman, who, evidently still in training, was, however, kindly supported by her more senior and experienced colleagues. The food was ok although very definitely of an exotic type. Interestingly, the meat was pre-cut. Although Lufthansa furnished real silverware and not plastic, it's always a hassle to maneuver the eating process when there is practically no elbow room in economy class and the flights are packed.
Several young families were traveling with small children, for which no special facilities were available. One couple with their very active son was seated across the raw from me. They lovingly put up with his antics for a couple of hours as he was jumping on their laps and pulling the hair of the woman sitting in front of him, but never slept themselves. When he finally went asleep on one of their 2 seats they gave themselves turns using the remaining one.
I received, as usual, very efficient service in Munich and was shuttled to the connecting gate for Tirana in no time. Many were the elderly and disabled that needed assistance on this flight, but Munich airport was ready for them all at arrival. The flight to Tirana was operated this time by Augsburg Airline, an affiliate of Lufthansa with newer and greater capacity aircraft and was also fully booked.
At Tirana's airport is always interesting to watch the lines at passport control. This time there was an even number of passengers split between local Albanians and foreign visitors, who were given a thorough screening.
To my surprise I didn't find the friend I was expecting to pick me up, but, unbeknown to me, had send an employee to take care of me since he was himself outside of Albania on business. As I was making some phone calls before heading for a taxi, I was approached by a very courteous gentleman, who spoke fluent English and Italian and made me an offer since he operates a private car service. In less than 1/2 hour I was delivered by his chauffeur to my apartment, while he stayed at the airport to drum up more business. The driver, with whom I carried on an interesting conversation, actually knew the city very well. As we approached Tirana and the traffic was getting heavier, he took side roads and helped me with my luggage all the way into my building.
Meantime, my friend, finding out that his man didn't meet me at the airport, called me from abroad and instructed him to come to my apartment and be at my disposal for other errands, if needed. I took advantage of it and, although quite tired, had he drive me to renew my TV and Internet service and I also did some shopping for food at my favorite Italian market. In less than an hour I had everything done and was able to unpack and settle in my apartment, which was previously cleaned and ready for my arrival.
After installing several updates on my computer that remained unused for 4 months, answering a few emails and making a couple of phone calls, I succumbed and slept on and off for a while. Am still trying to cope with the jetlag and getting ready for the work and meetings that are on my to-do list during my stay here.
Terminal 1 at JFK airport is usually busy since it handles at least 5 foreign airlines, but, now some of them are using the new, huge Airbus 380 crafts that house almost 400 passengers each. I came to realize this after I spoke with someone at the gate where I arrived this time just a while before they started boarding.
While the check-in procedure is always very efficient and speedy notwithstanding the line of waiting passengers, the problem this time came when I almost couldn't find the end of the line to go through security. It was spanning the entire length of the terminal although there were just 6 flights due to depart in a 2 hour time frame. As usual, not to rush, I allow myself plenty of time, and end up having to spend quite a bit of waiting at the gate before boarding. This was not the case this time around.
While I stood on line for 1 1/2 hour to reach the security point I watched many frantic passengers being selected from the waiting line by some roaming security staff who had the situation under control. They whisked away the late passengers through a special line so that would not miss their departing flights, while pushing the rest through several check points.
Overall it was a slow and agonizing process to finally reach the gate. This time I, at the airport 3 hours ahead of time, only had about 15 minutes to spare before getting a priority boarding. The flight was fully booked, but it left the gate on time. We arrived in Munich 1/2 hour ahead of time.
On board the service was good as usual, although somehow I always manage to be on the side that has the slowest steward. This time it was a tall blond German woman, who, evidently still in training, was, however, kindly supported by her more senior and experienced colleagues. The food was ok although very definitely of an exotic type. Interestingly, the meat was pre-cut. Although Lufthansa furnished real silverware and not plastic, it's always a hassle to maneuver the eating process when there is practically no elbow room in economy class and the flights are packed.
Several young families were traveling with small children, for which no special facilities were available. One couple with their very active son was seated across the raw from me. They lovingly put up with his antics for a couple of hours as he was jumping on their laps and pulling the hair of the woman sitting in front of him, but never slept themselves. When he finally went asleep on one of their 2 seats they gave themselves turns using the remaining one.
I received, as usual, very efficient service in Munich and was shuttled to the connecting gate for Tirana in no time. Many were the elderly and disabled that needed assistance on this flight, but Munich airport was ready for them all at arrival. The flight to Tirana was operated this time by Augsburg Airline, an affiliate of Lufthansa with newer and greater capacity aircraft and was also fully booked.
At Tirana's airport is always interesting to watch the lines at passport control. This time there was an even number of passengers split between local Albanians and foreign visitors, who were given a thorough screening.
To my surprise I didn't find the friend I was expecting to pick me up, but, unbeknown to me, had send an employee to take care of me since he was himself outside of Albania on business. As I was making some phone calls before heading for a taxi, I was approached by a very courteous gentleman, who spoke fluent English and Italian and made me an offer since he operates a private car service. In less than 1/2 hour I was delivered by his chauffeur to my apartment, while he stayed at the airport to drum up more business. The driver, with whom I carried on an interesting conversation, actually knew the city very well. As we approached Tirana and the traffic was getting heavier, he took side roads and helped me with my luggage all the way into my building.
Meantime, my friend, finding out that his man didn't meet me at the airport, called me from abroad and instructed him to come to my apartment and be at my disposal for other errands, if needed. I took advantage of it and, although quite tired, had he drive me to renew my TV and Internet service and I also did some shopping for food at my favorite Italian market. In less than an hour I had everything done and was able to unpack and settle in my apartment, which was previously cleaned and ready for my arrival.
After installing several updates on my computer that remained unused for 4 months, answering a few emails and making a couple of phone calls, I succumbed and slept on and off for a while. Am still trying to cope with the jetlag and getting ready for the work and meetings that are on my to-do list during my stay here.
Saturday, May 07, 2011
Futuristic Tirana
Big architectural plans are ahead, apparently, for the capital of Albania. The large Skanderbeg square has been undergoing changes and repaving since last year, and now the latest news is that that area will house a huge cultural center designed by a Danish Architectural firm.
Friday, May 06, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
Today's extraordinary events
There are major news today that cover the whole range of bad and good on both sides of the Atlantic ocean.
The unrelenting tornadoes in the south of the United states have created havoc for several days and the devastation is incredible. The death count is raising daily into the hundreds, and entire areas have been pulverized. One of the states mostly affected is Alabama with more than 200 lives lost.
The last launch of NASA shuttle Endeavours, scheduled for today in the presence also of Pres. Obama, was postponed a few days due to a mechanical glitch. The delay must have been quite a disappointment for Gabrielle Gifford, the Arizona Congresswoman who, although still recuperating from a gunshot wound to her head last January, was flown to the Space center in Florida to watch the launch, as the wife of one of the astronauts on board.
Across the Atlantic instead the Royal wedding of Queen Elizabeth's grandchild William to Kate Middleton took place among great fanfare, which was watched, according to estimates, by over 2 billion people around the world.
The unrelenting tornadoes in the south of the United states have created havoc for several days and the devastation is incredible. The death count is raising daily into the hundreds, and entire areas have been pulverized. One of the states mostly affected is Alabama with more than 200 lives lost.
The last launch of NASA shuttle Endeavours, scheduled for today in the presence also of Pres. Obama, was postponed a few days due to a mechanical glitch. The delay must have been quite a disappointment for Gabrielle Gifford, the Arizona Congresswoman who, although still recuperating from a gunshot wound to her head last January, was flown to the Space center in Florida to watch the launch, as the wife of one of the astronauts on board.
Across the Atlantic instead the Royal wedding of Queen Elizabeth's grandchild William to Kate Middleton took place among great fanfare, which was watched, according to estimates, by over 2 billion people around the world.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Joyous Holidays
From New York, now in full blooming cycle.
PASSOVER GREETINGS and HAPPY EASTER to one and all!
Saturday, April 16, 2011
National Volunteer Week
By Monday, April 18th, in the U.S. we are celebrating National Volunteer Week, therefore, special thanks should be broadcast to volunteers all around the world!
A volunteer myself for a cause very dear to my heart, I wish to publicly acknowledge the help of others that have supported, and continue to support the projects I have embarked upon, which, hopefully, will benefit young people in the country of my origin: Albania. They work with me in virtual mode ,and are spread in more than one state, and nation.
Since I cannot physically celebrate with them progress and accomplishments, and verbalize in person my appreciation for their valuable contributions, I use this communication media to express : A BIG THANK YOU TO YOU ALL (and you know who you are!) for sharing with me the work toward these goals.
As per VolunteerMatch blog: it's all about relationships.....
Much can be accomplished when working as a team; thus, onward we go and together we look to the future!!
A volunteer myself for a cause very dear to my heart, I wish to publicly acknowledge the help of others that have supported, and continue to support the projects I have embarked upon, which, hopefully, will benefit young people in the country of my origin: Albania. They work with me in virtual mode ,and are spread in more than one state, and nation.
Since I cannot physically celebrate with them progress and accomplishments, and verbalize in person my appreciation for their valuable contributions, I use this communication media to express : A BIG THANK YOU TO YOU ALL (and you know who you are!) for sharing with me the work toward these goals.
As per VolunteerMatch blog: it's all about relationships.....
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Springtime in NY
Finally here! Even the last sprinkle of snow earlier this month is forgotten......
Lots of activities are ongoing here, but it's time to finalize travel plans for the next trip to Albania, where meetings, and projects are expecting me there!
Lots of activities are ongoing here, but it's time to finalize travel plans for the next trip to Albania, where meetings, and projects are expecting me there!
Wednesday, April 06, 2011
Advertising
Somehow, someone in Albania got hold of one of my email ids and must have spread it around because for the past few months I have been receiving unsolicited advertisements of all sorts. This fact has prompted me to make a couple of observations.
The first is that Albanians are very much up-to-date in using online facilities, which is really no news to me, but now I notice that even Albania's Council of Ministers is on board blogging in view of the upcoming elections that will take place in the country on May 8th.
As it happens in Albania, and, I might add from my experience, also in Italy, official rules are not usually strictly followed, if you get my drift. Thus, unsolicited messages do not show at the bottom the sophisticated netiquette standard of giving the receiver choices, such as 'opting out' or 'managing preferences'. In their simplicity, however, as marketing virtual pages that are similar to their equals in printed form in magazines or flyers, they attract attention for their creativeness.
The variety of ads is also quite interesting to me. I have received ads from companies dealing with tv/media, communications, constructions, travel, auto/vehicles, furniture, clothing, electronics, education, medical/hospitals, web and financial services, as well as restaurants and supermarkets, and so on. One authorized reseller of Apple, without infringing any copyrights, even named their company "Molla", which is the Albanian word for an apple.
The latest marketing message, received today, really got my attention due to its address, which is located around the corner from my apartment when I am in Tirana. It's a place that prepares and delivers complete 'healthy' meals at home. It offers a variety of plans including one for meals delivered six days a week for a total amount of about $250.00 per month! It's something to think about!!
The first is that Albanians are very much up-to-date in using online facilities, which is really no news to me, but now I notice that even Albania's Council of Ministers is on board blogging in view of the upcoming elections that will take place in the country on May 8th.
As it happens in Albania, and, I might add from my experience, also in Italy, official rules are not usually strictly followed, if you get my drift. Thus, unsolicited messages do not show at the bottom the sophisticated netiquette standard of giving the receiver choices, such as 'opting out' or 'managing preferences'. In their simplicity, however, as marketing virtual pages that are similar to their equals in printed form in magazines or flyers, they attract attention for their creativeness.
The variety of ads is also quite interesting to me. I have received ads from companies dealing with tv/media, communications, constructions, travel, auto/vehicles, furniture, clothing, electronics, education, medical/hospitals, web and financial services, as well as restaurants and supermarkets, and so on. One authorized reseller of Apple, without infringing any copyrights, even named their company "Molla", which is the Albanian word for an apple.
The latest marketing message, received today, really got my attention due to its address, which is located around the corner from my apartment when I am in Tirana. It's a place that prepares and delivers complete 'healthy' meals at home. It offers a variety of plans including one for meals delivered six days a week for a total amount of about $250.00 per month! It's something to think about!!
Friday, April 01, 2011
New family member
A big welcome to ELIZA depicted here in the arms of mom Nora and daddy Vilson on the day of her christening, and best wishes to the whole family!
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Italy's 150th birthday
There are many celebrations taking place throughout Italy this year because it is the 150th anniversary of its unity, which, ironically, is being challenged at times these days by some of its internal political parties. However, it is a pleasure for me to watch some of the special programs transmitted by Italian TV for this occasion, and also some movies about the valiant history and the political intrigues of those days.
The central figure instrumental in creating the unification of what is known today as Italy, was Giuseppe Garibaldi, a charismatic hero with a long, adventurous life that traveled to and fought also in the American continents, but made the Isle of Caprera, located near Sardinia, his home for many years until death.
This latter fact brings to mind that the maternal side of my family dealt directly with this great Army General, also known as "Hero of the Two Worlds" , who purchased from one of my ancestors the land where he built his house in Caprera.
When I lived as a child in northern Italy, I remember well seeing in my household two mementos of Garibaldi's life, which unfortunately got lost when I moved to the U.S. They were the remnant of a cream medication (in a tube) that Garibaldi used to heal the leg wound he received during the famously fierce battle of Aspromonte, and an iron ring worn by the 'Carbonari" legion, the secret revolutionary society that he belonged to, and sought the creation of a liberal, unified Italy.
Back to Caprera though, I can say that the largest owner of land in that tiny island in those days, was a certain Lady Collins, who was Lady in Waiting to Queen Victoria in England. She was the aunt of my maternal grandmother, who became her heir in the early 1900's, and, in turn, I feel honored to be still the proud caretaker of several of the items that belonged to her. Two of them that I cherish are pictured below.
The central figure instrumental in creating the unification of what is known today as Italy, was Giuseppe Garibaldi, a charismatic hero with a long, adventurous life that traveled to and fought also in the American continents, but made the Isle of Caprera, located near Sardinia, his home for many years until death.
This latter fact brings to mind that the maternal side of my family dealt directly with this great Army General, also known as "Hero of the Two Worlds" , who purchased from one of my ancestors the land where he built his house in Caprera.
When I lived as a child in northern Italy, I remember well seeing in my household two mementos of Garibaldi's life, which unfortunately got lost when I moved to the U.S. They were the remnant of a cream medication (in a tube) that Garibaldi used to heal the leg wound he received during the famously fierce battle of Aspromonte, and an iron ring worn by the 'Carbonari" legion, the secret revolutionary society that he belonged to, and sought the creation of a liberal, unified Italy.
Back to Caprera though, I can say that the largest owner of land in that tiny island in those days, was a certain Lady Collins, who was Lady in Waiting to Queen Victoria in England. She was the aunt of my maternal grandmother, who became her heir in the early 1900's, and, in turn, I feel honored to be still the proud caretaker of several of the items that belonged to her. Two of them that I cherish are pictured below.
An English Naval eyeglass and her fan (made of white ostrich feathers on ivory bases)
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Eurovision Song contest & Albania's flag
From BBC News here is a 3 minute video about Albania's song entered into the Eurovision 2011 contest currently taking place in Germany. English title is "Feel the Passion", sung by Aurela Gaçe.
For the foreign friends I might clarify that the parallelism with the soaring bird is that Albania's name in its native version is "Shqiponia" = Eagle, which is represented in black in the center of the red background of the Albanian flag.
While the red color signifies bravery, strength, and valor, the double headed eagle emblem derives from the Coat of Arms of Gjergj Kastrioti, the National hero, known in history as Skanderbeg, who led the Albanian revolt against the Ottoman Empire that resulted in the country's brief independence from 1443 to 1468 (time of his death).
For the foreign friends I might clarify that the parallelism with the soaring bird is that Albania's name in its native version is "Shqiponia" = Eagle, which is represented in black in the center of the red background of the Albanian flag.
While the red color signifies bravery, strength, and valor, the double headed eagle emblem derives from the Coat of Arms of Gjergj Kastrioti, the National hero, known in history as Skanderbeg, who led the Albanian revolt against the Ottoman Empire that resulted in the country's brief independence from 1443 to 1468 (time of his death).
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Albania - U.S. relationship
From the U.S. Department of State on the:
20th Anniversary of Reestablishment of Relations between the United States and Albania
Press Statement
20th Anniversary of Reestablishment of Relations between the United States and Albania
Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
March 15, 2011
On behalf of President Obama and the American people, I send my best wishes to the people of Albania as our two nations mark twenty years of renewed diplomatic relations on March 15. After a break of 52 years, 1991 was truly a new beginning – not only for our bilateral relations, but also for Albania’s development as a democratic country and international partner. This anniversary commemorates our partnership, reminds us of the progress made, and underscores the promise of Albania's future, especially as you take the necessary steps to achieve the goal of membership in the European Union.
Even during the darkest years of the Cold War, Albanians and Americans did not forget the deep bonds of friendship between our two countries. And after 1991, the United States supported Albania as it began the path of integration into the Euro-Atlantic community. Now a NATO member, Albania has shown a deep commitment to the Alliance, with one of the highest per capita contributions to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. Albania’s commitment to stability in its own neighborhood has been demonstrated through its support for the young nation of Kosovo and its contributions toward reconciliation in the Western Balkans.
The United States continues to support Albania’s integration into the European Union. We welcomed the decision in late 2010 to allow Albanians to travel visa-free throughout the European Union. Albanians have accomplished much already, but more work remains on the path to the EU -- and this year will be pivotal. Albanians must work together to ensure their country moves forward and maintains its momentum. We urge Albania’s political leadership, whether in government or opposition, to lead with accountability and transparency, and to respect and strengthen the rule of law and human rights. That is the best way to demonstrate their commitment to building the secure and prosperous future the Albanian people want and deserve.
I wish all the people of Albania the very best as we continue to work together, another twenty years and beyond.
Even during the darkest years of the Cold War, Albanians and Americans did not forget the deep bonds of friendship between our two countries. And after 1991, the United States supported Albania as it began the path of integration into the Euro-Atlantic community. Now a NATO member, Albania has shown a deep commitment to the Alliance, with one of the highest per capita contributions to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan. Albania’s commitment to stability in its own neighborhood has been demonstrated through its support for the young nation of Kosovo and its contributions toward reconciliation in the Western Balkans.
The United States continues to support Albania’s integration into the European Union. We welcomed the decision in late 2010 to allow Albanians to travel visa-free throughout the European Union. Albanians have accomplished much already, but more work remains on the path to the EU -- and this year will be pivotal. Albanians must work together to ensure their country moves forward and maintains its momentum. We urge Albania’s political leadership, whether in government or opposition, to lead with accountability and transparency, and to respect and strengthen the rule of law and human rights. That is the best way to demonstrate their commitment to building the secure and prosperous future the Albanian people want and deserve.
I wish all the people of Albania the very best as we continue to work together, another twenty years and beyond.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Spring chores
Thaw is finally ongoing although it produces flood disasters in many areas after all the snow we got this winter.
I have completed and mailed all tax returns due for last year for both myself and the organization I work with. It's a boring and painstaking process that requires, however, strict attention because the tax offices do make changes in forms and instructions, which are not very user friendly to gather from their online sites.
Some spring cleaning and some equipment annual maintenance has started at home, and all clocks have been reset to the new daylight savings time today. My annual medical checkups are also ongoing and so far all results are quite satisfactory.
Now it's time to review, reorganize, and re-prioritize the remaining to-do list, expand future plans, and develop related projects.
Although not officially here yet, I want to wish everyone a Happy Spring!
I have completed and mailed all tax returns due for last year for both myself and the organization I work with. It's a boring and painstaking process that requires, however, strict attention because the tax offices do make changes in forms and instructions, which are not very user friendly to gather from their online sites.
Some spring cleaning and some equipment annual maintenance has started at home, and all clocks have been reset to the new daylight savings time today. My annual medical checkups are also ongoing and so far all results are quite satisfactory.
Now it's time to review, reorganize, and re-prioritize the remaining to-do list, expand future plans, and develop related projects.
Although not officially here yet, I want to wish everyone a Happy Spring!
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
International Woman's Day
Celebrating its 100th anniversary!
GREETINGS TO ALL WOMEN AROUND THE WORLD!
Sunday, March 06, 2011
Albanian Art
Gjelosh Gjokaj is a well known, multilingual, Albanian painter from Montenegro, who is a personal acquaintance of mine, and a good friend of my Montenegrin relatives.
One of them is among the people interviewed in a YouTube presentation that advocates the setup of the artistic gallery in Tuz, Montenegro. Cousin Gjoka is the very articulate, lovely white hair guy that, with painter Gjelosh, can be heard around the midpoint of this film (after the first 4 minutes).
Last month some of Gjelosh's works were exhibited also at the National Art Gallery in Tirana, Albania, as per this video.
Kudos to Albanian artists, wherever they may be!
One of them is among the people interviewed in a YouTube presentation that advocates the setup of the artistic gallery in Tuz, Montenegro. Cousin Gjoka is the very articulate, lovely white hair guy that, with painter Gjelosh, can be heard around the midpoint of this film (after the first 4 minutes).
Last month some of Gjelosh's works were exhibited also at the National Art Gallery in Tirana, Albania, as per this video.
Kudos to Albanian artists, wherever they may be!
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Albanian violinist
As per the Dover Post's article another Albanian musical talent is making himself known, this time in the states of Delaware and Pennsylvania. The strict education of the old days, coupled by self determination, have eventually paid off in the land of opportunity.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Paying Taxes
It's tax time in the U.S.! I have already filed my personal ones for last year, but still have to do the ones regarding the organization I work with.
By pure coincidence I just came across this site that I thought of sharing since it offers interesting insights and comparisons about tax payments in all the countries of the world.
By pure coincidence I just came across this site that I thought of sharing since it offers interesting insights and comparisons about tax payments in all the countries of the world.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Momentary traffic delay....
......in southern Albania, as reported by MailOnline - News:
Road hog! Sow stops to feed her eight little piggies in the middle of the road
Road hog! Sow stops to feed her eight little piggies in the middle of the road
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Albanian tradition on film
One entry at this year's Berlin Film festival by award winning filmmaker Joshua Marston, entitled "The Forgiveness of Blood", deals with an old tradition that unfortunately still lingers on in today's Albanian world.
It was reported by Reuters as a ".... familiar tale of territorial rights and family honor but it is told well and the film features appealingly natural performances by non-professionals."
Today's news is that the film has won the 'Silver Bear' award for 'Best Script' by Californian Joshua Marston and Albanian Andamion Murataj.
One day I'll take time to tell a similar story that belongs to my ancestors, which, however, I've learned about only a decade ago!
It was reported by Reuters as a ".... familiar tale of territorial rights and family honor but it is told well and the film features appealingly natural performances by non-professionals."
Today's news is that the film has won the 'Silver Bear' award for 'Best Script' by Californian Joshua Marston and Albanian Andamion Murataj.
One day I'll take time to tell a similar story that belongs to my ancestors, which, however, I've learned about only a decade ago!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Temperamental mouse...and cat!
The other day I finally had to give in to my capricious computer mouse! It had been bothering me for a few days since it wasn't responding quickly to my commands, and it would freeze once in a while. I cleaned it again and again, then I substitute it with another one I forgot I had at home, but the results didn't satisfy me.
I was in the midst of a lot of computer related work, but decided not to waste any more time, and go crazy troubleshooting. I dropped everything and went out to buy a new mouse. For other reasons related to my present computer, already loaded with additional USB attached peripherals, I knew I couldn't purchase a wireless one. I was surprised when I got to the store where I found only 2 brand names to choose from in the optical type, corded category, while the shelves displayed loads of other wireless units.
Speaking of wireless, this brings to mind a funny accident recently related to me by a dear neighbor of mine, who purchased a computer and learned to manage its use and email at the good age of 85.
One day she noticed that her cat was playing with something, but she didn't pay much attention to it. When she decided to use her computer, however, she came to realize that her mouse was gone! Embarrassed, as she told me, she had to engage some help not only to find the mouse that was abandoned by her cat underneath a piece of furniture, but also to make it functional again. Displacement of a wireless gadget is something that one would never think about it, right?
I was in the midst of a lot of computer related work, but decided not to waste any more time, and go crazy troubleshooting. I dropped everything and went out to buy a new mouse. For other reasons related to my present computer, already loaded with additional USB attached peripherals, I knew I couldn't purchase a wireless one. I was surprised when I got to the store where I found only 2 brand names to choose from in the optical type, corded category, while the shelves displayed loads of other wireless units.
Speaking of wireless, this brings to mind a funny accident recently related to me by a dear neighbor of mine, who purchased a computer and learned to manage its use and email at the good age of 85.
One day she noticed that her cat was playing with something, but she didn't pay much attention to it. When she decided to use her computer, however, she came to realize that her mouse was gone! Embarrassed, as she told me, she had to engage some help not only to find the mouse that was abandoned by her cat underneath a piece of furniture, but also to make it functional again. Displacement of a wireless gadget is something that one would never think about it, right?
Monday, February 14, 2011
Emotions
Modern technology never seizes to amaze. Just learned that one can visit several museums around the world without even getting up from the chair one is using while surfing the net.
Here, as an example, very a pro-po of today's festivity, is a brief view of works by Jean-Honore` Fragonard, entitled "The Progress of Love", which are displayed at The Frick Collection in NYC:
This great art project, powered by Google, offers incredible zoom levels of the works, and includes audio commentaries
Happy St. Valentine's Day everyone!
Here, as an example, very a pro-po of today's festivity, is a brief view of works by Jean-Honore` Fragonard, entitled "The Progress of Love", which are displayed at The Frick Collection in NYC:
This great art project, powered by Google, offers incredible zoom levels of the works, and includes audio commentaries
Happy St. Valentine's Day everyone!
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Webinars
Noticing a proliferation of offers of online presentations of all sorts, recently I decided to take advantage of some of them, especially the free ones, regarding subjects of my interest and mostly related to my work.
They are usually about one hour long and one has to register in advance to participate, when scheduled. They are not interactive, but one can submit written questions, via a chat format, to a moderator that will then address them for a proper answer from the speaker(s). Although I realize that such offers are done to attract customers, the ones I participated in so far have been surprisingly worth while, and very informative; thus, the good experience I realized from them has overcome my initial skepticism of possibly being involved only in advertising.
What I also appreciate is that if one cannot participate, once registered, the audio and visual presentations are made available later on, online, coupled by email offers of answering additional questions, if necessary, and soliciting feedback evaluations.
Last night I had an even more pleasurable experience of this type from Roots Magic, the software that I use to maintain my family data base. I cannot dedicate much time to my hobby of genealogy, but, once in a blue moon, I add more data to the large collection I started a few years ago, when this software was supplied by Family Origins. They share the same author, who changed the package name when he greatly expanded this application that now offers quite a few sophisticated features.
Yesterday I decided to reload this software that I had registered in the past, but lost last year when my computer system was restructured. At the supplier's site I discovered that the author started, since this January, to conduct regular online presentations about his product. Therefore, I further decided to refresh my knowledge about its use by viewing the first introductory webinar.
It was the best 75 minutes spent (re)learning something I thought I knew, and was flabbergasted by the in-depth and thorough coverage of all the basic features, with step by step visual examples and explanations! Wish that some bigger suppliers of hardware and/or software could learn to imitate what this smaller company is doing in the field of online presentations. Kudos to Roots Magic and its author!
They are usually about one hour long and one has to register in advance to participate, when scheduled. They are not interactive, but one can submit written questions, via a chat format, to a moderator that will then address them for a proper answer from the speaker(s). Although I realize that such offers are done to attract customers, the ones I participated in so far have been surprisingly worth while, and very informative; thus, the good experience I realized from them has overcome my initial skepticism of possibly being involved only in advertising.
What I also appreciate is that if one cannot participate, once registered, the audio and visual presentations are made available later on, online, coupled by email offers of answering additional questions, if necessary, and soliciting feedback evaluations.
Last night I had an even more pleasurable experience of this type from Roots Magic, the software that I use to maintain my family data base. I cannot dedicate much time to my hobby of genealogy, but, once in a blue moon, I add more data to the large collection I started a few years ago, when this software was supplied by Family Origins. They share the same author, who changed the package name when he greatly expanded this application that now offers quite a few sophisticated features.
Yesterday I decided to reload this software that I had registered in the past, but lost last year when my computer system was restructured. At the supplier's site I discovered that the author started, since this January, to conduct regular online presentations about his product. Therefore, I further decided to refresh my knowledge about its use by viewing the first introductory webinar.
It was the best 75 minutes spent (re)learning something I thought I knew, and was flabbergasted by the in-depth and thorough coverage of all the basic features, with step by step visual examples and explanations! Wish that some bigger suppliers of hardware and/or software could learn to imitate what this smaller company is doing in the field of online presentations. Kudos to Roots Magic and its author!
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Offline
Yesterday morning I had the unpleasant surprise not to be able to be online. The cable company that also furnishes TV in our building, went kaput, due to damages to their outside equipment, which required special intervention and replacement of ruined connecting parts.
For several months now our entire neighborhood has been affected, one way or another, by continuous underground work on the part of different city agencies furnishing water, electricity, telephone, etc. The multiple snow falls during the past one and a half month, on top of all the digging done by the above, have added additional discomfort in walking around these obstacle courses!
I watch TV only in the evenings, but I do use the internet cable connection all day long, and being without it for more about 40 hours seemed like an eternity!!
Thank goodness, we came back online by midday today.
For several months now our entire neighborhood has been affected, one way or another, by continuous underground work on the part of different city agencies furnishing water, electricity, telephone, etc. The multiple snow falls during the past one and a half month, on top of all the digging done by the above, have added additional discomfort in walking around these obstacle courses!
I watch TV only in the evenings, but I do use the internet cable connection all day long, and being without it for more about 40 hours seemed like an eternity!!
Thank goodness, we came back online by midday today.
Friday, February 04, 2011
Messy, messy, messy!
Just restocked the fridge in view of tomorrow's forecast: more precipitation expected!
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
A ray of hope?
Another huge snow blizzard has just swept across the US again,and, here in NY, the streets are now also completely covered with ice since the temperature continues to be subzero. The storm's path has extended from the north all the way down into Texas and Mexico, which is a very unusual pattern.
Over 10,000 flights were canceled since yesterday around the country, house roofs are buckling under the weight of multiple layers of precipitation, power lines downfalls have put thousands of people in the dark and cold, hundreds of cars got stuck for hours with motorists inside (200 automobiles in one major highway in Chicago alone!), thousands of emergency calls asked for help, and now even pieces of ice are falling onto streets from skyscrapers. There does not seem to be an end to all this mess, and, as I am writing, the weatherman is tracking the 9th storm that should be upon us by Saturday!
Meantime today, at the Staten Island Zoo, as per tradition, the well known groundhog "Chuck" has emerged from his 'lodging' under the scrutinizing eyes of children and was hailed by our Mayor because he did not see his shadow! It's said that this means we can expect an early spring! As per statistics his record is 80% correct. Should we believe him?
[pictures from the Staten Island Advance]
Over 10,000 flights were canceled since yesterday around the country, house roofs are buckling under the weight of multiple layers of precipitation, power lines downfalls have put thousands of people in the dark and cold, hundreds of cars got stuck for hours with motorists inside (200 automobiles in one major highway in Chicago alone!), thousands of emergency calls asked for help, and now even pieces of ice are falling onto streets from skyscrapers. There does not seem to be an end to all this mess, and, as I am writing, the weatherman is tracking the 9th storm that should be upon us by Saturday!
Meantime today, at the Staten Island Zoo, as per tradition, the well known groundhog "Chuck" has emerged from his 'lodging' under the scrutinizing eyes of children and was hailed by our Mayor because he did not see his shadow! It's said that this means we can expect an early spring! As per statistics his record is 80% correct. Should we believe him?
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Almost at the end....
of the 7th storm of this month, here are some fascinating sights and treacherous conditions today, with blue sky in the background and the sun's attempts to brighten up the view at 7:30am.
Airports, schools, public transportation are all affected, and the tail of this storm is still to come tomorrow, just to complete the week.
The next wave of bad weather is supposed to hit us again by next Tuesday!!
Airports, schools, public transportation are all affected, and the tail of this storm is still to come tomorrow, just to complete the week.
The next wave of bad weather is supposed to hit us again by next Tuesday!!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Jury Duty - final
My jury duty has come to an end, but not the snow falling in NYC. At a pretty steady clip of 2 storms per week, we are unable to unbury ourselves from snow, slush, and, most of all, dangerously slippery conditions on all roads.
On Monday we experienced the coldest temperature in about six years with 6F, without even counting the wind factor. It snowed yesterday, and again this morning, but the balance of the current storm is expected during this evening and night. Thank goodness I don't have to travel anymore downtown. My refrigerator has been restocked and I can work from home. All other, non urgent appointments will follow when there is a respite from bad weather.
The civil case I was on was relatively uncomplicated, involving an unfortunate accident, but the plaintiff's lawyer, notwithstanding his self assurance, failed to demonstrate the burden of proof on the part of the defense; consequently, according to the law, the financial rewards hoped to be gained from the lawsuit did not materialize.
With this case concluded, the jury was discharged and dismissed from serving again for another six years. To complete my posts about this experience, I like, however, to add a couple of remarks.
While cameras and picture taking were obviously not allowed inside the court building, very few were the prospective jurors that did not have a cell phone in their hands, or a portable computer on their lap. On a pleasant side, it was surprising to receive, once inside a jury room, a continuous supply of a large amount of miscellaneous wrapped candies that a police officer would deliver every day, and to watch how quickly this supply would disappeared. On the last day, when we were expected to start our deliberation, the court also ordered and paid for lunches of our choice from a nearby deli.
It took us only a couple of hours to reach a decision that was acceptable to the court, with 5 out of 6 jurors agreeing. To be fair with the 6th juror that attempted to sway others from their conviction, the rest of the group requested the re-reading of several portions of the testimonies from both sides, at the end of which the discordant juror gave up and remained on record as the only one that did not agree on the outcome.
As it happened in past jury duty experiences of mine, I was hoping to be able to make a couple of comments to the judge at the end of the process, but this time it was not possible. What I wanted to convey was the lack of a microphone in the courtroom, which the judge could have used since she had laryngitis, and it could have helped the recording clerk when she proceeded to re-read the testimonies we ask for. She did this from a laptop, while turning her back to the jury!
Oh, well.....above duty performed, now I can turn my full attention to the rather long list of other outstanding things to do that faces me on my desk!!
On Monday we experienced the coldest temperature in about six years with 6F, without even counting the wind factor. It snowed yesterday, and again this morning, but the balance of the current storm is expected during this evening and night. Thank goodness I don't have to travel anymore downtown. My refrigerator has been restocked and I can work from home. All other, non urgent appointments will follow when there is a respite from bad weather.
The civil case I was on was relatively uncomplicated, involving an unfortunate accident, but the plaintiff's lawyer, notwithstanding his self assurance, failed to demonstrate the burden of proof on the part of the defense; consequently, according to the law, the financial rewards hoped to be gained from the lawsuit did not materialize.
With this case concluded, the jury was discharged and dismissed from serving again for another six years. To complete my posts about this experience, I like, however, to add a couple of remarks.
While cameras and picture taking were obviously not allowed inside the court building, very few were the prospective jurors that did not have a cell phone in their hands, or a portable computer on their lap. On a pleasant side, it was surprising to receive, once inside a jury room, a continuous supply of a large amount of miscellaneous wrapped candies that a police officer would deliver every day, and to watch how quickly this supply would disappeared. On the last day, when we were expected to start our deliberation, the court also ordered and paid for lunches of our choice from a nearby deli.
It took us only a couple of hours to reach a decision that was acceptable to the court, with 5 out of 6 jurors agreeing. To be fair with the 6th juror that attempted to sway others from their conviction, the rest of the group requested the re-reading of several portions of the testimonies from both sides, at the end of which the discordant juror gave up and remained on record as the only one that did not agree on the outcome.
As it happened in past jury duty experiences of mine, I was hoping to be able to make a couple of comments to the judge at the end of the process, but this time it was not possible. What I wanted to convey was the lack of a microphone in the courtroom, which the judge could have used since she had laryngitis, and it could have helped the recording clerk when she proceeded to re-read the testimonies we ask for. She did this from a laptop, while turning her back to the jury!
Oh, well.....above duty performed, now I can turn my full attention to the rather long list of other outstanding things to do that faces me on my desk!!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Statistics by flag
After more than six years of blogging, last fall I included a counter showing the number of people accessing my site, which I saw steadily growing over the past 3 months, but the total of which really does not mean very much. Earlier this week, however, out of curiosity, I installed a flag counter in this blog, and lo and behold, I am getting some interesting statistical results.
I started this public diary to share, with friends and relatives, some of my travel experiences and information about my country of origin, knowing that it would also be read by perfect strangers. I never imagined, though, that these individuals would span over so many countries. In about 5 days, people from 15 different nations have accessed my blog.
Due to the nature of my entries, the largest percentage of individuals, obviously, is from the U.S., followed by Albania, which has a large diaspora that lives in surroundings areas such as Montenegro, Macedonia, Greece, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, etc. But there is also a good percentage of readers from other countries, such as Ireland, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, followed by smaller ones from the Netherlands, Romania, and even as far away as from Brazil.
These are the real wonders of today's global society!
I started this public diary to share, with friends and relatives, some of my travel experiences and information about my country of origin, knowing that it would also be read by perfect strangers. I never imagined, though, that these individuals would span over so many countries. In about 5 days, people from 15 different nations have accessed my blog.
Due to the nature of my entries, the largest percentage of individuals, obviously, is from the U.S., followed by Albania, which has a large diaspora that lives in surroundings areas such as Montenegro, Macedonia, Greece, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, etc. But there is also a good percentage of readers from other countries, such as Ireland, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, followed by smaller ones from the Netherlands, Romania, and even as far away as from Brazil.
These are the real wonders of today's global society!
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Jury Duty - part 2
What a relief yesterday to be able to go back to Jury Duty without having to contend with bad weather! The sidewalks had cleared a bit and I was able to take public transportation to reach the downtown situated court building.
The reporting hour was set a bit later, but this meant that I would encounter the busiest commuting time in NYC, and so it was, for both the bus taken first and the subway ride that followed. Nonetheless, I reached the JD pool room in perfect time, and settled down waiting to be called. As mentioned, the majority of the people summoned this week are quite young. They all came armed with their super slick laptops that could easily be put online thanks to the Wi-Fi facility provided by the city in the waiting rooms. Mobile phones and related gadgetry were also allowed to be used, but they had to be put into vibrating mode to receive calls.
I decided to only carry my cell phone and to give myself a bit of rest from being online. Cameras had to be deposited at the front desk since no pictures can be taken inside a court building. For a while I enjoyed instead looking around and watching people's behavior and body language, in some cases interesting indeed!
By mid morning my name was called again, but this time it was for a civil lawsuit, which is conducted quite differently from a criminal case. Interviewing prospective jurors is handled by the plaintiff's and defense's lawyers in smaller 'impanelling' rooms,s and not in front of a judge. The typical jury for these cases consists of only 6 jurors, with 2 alternates. Compared to a few years ago current procedures are much more efficient, thus providing much less loss of idle time for everyone.
For civil cases in NY there is now a questionnaire to be filled out that allows the lawyers to quickly gather a bird-eye-view of each juror without having to repeat a preset list of questions, and, instead, to spend their time zeroing in the specifics they are interested in for each individual.
By lunch time yesterday they had picked half of the needed jury team, and by 3pm the entire process was completed. I received my confirmation of inclusion by the duty clerk, who congratulated me in his own office, because the lawyers, after discussing among themselves the results of their interviews, would not reveal publicly their choices.
With a big smile the duty clerk then handed the whole team a slip of paper indicating when we are to report back for the trial. With a day off today, discussion of the case in front of a judge will begin on Friday morning.
Incredibly, NYC is expecting another wave of snow during the night, sooo.....now I have to brace myself to meet more than one challenge tomorrow!!
The reporting hour was set a bit later, but this meant that I would encounter the busiest commuting time in NYC, and so it was, for both the bus taken first and the subway ride that followed. Nonetheless, I reached the JD pool room in perfect time, and settled down waiting to be called. As mentioned, the majority of the people summoned this week are quite young. They all came armed with their super slick laptops that could easily be put online thanks to the Wi-Fi facility provided by the city in the waiting rooms. Mobile phones and related gadgetry were also allowed to be used, but they had to be put into vibrating mode to receive calls.
I decided to only carry my cell phone and to give myself a bit of rest from being online. Cameras had to be deposited at the front desk since no pictures can be taken inside a court building. For a while I enjoyed instead looking around and watching people's behavior and body language, in some cases interesting indeed!
By mid morning my name was called again, but this time it was for a civil lawsuit, which is conducted quite differently from a criminal case. Interviewing prospective jurors is handled by the plaintiff's and defense's lawyers in smaller 'impanelling' rooms,s and not in front of a judge. The typical jury for these cases consists of only 6 jurors, with 2 alternates. Compared to a few years ago current procedures are much more efficient, thus providing much less loss of idle time for everyone.
For civil cases in NY there is now a questionnaire to be filled out that allows the lawyers to quickly gather a bird-eye-view of each juror without having to repeat a preset list of questions, and, instead, to spend their time zeroing in the specifics they are interested in for each individual.
By lunch time yesterday they had picked half of the needed jury team, and by 3pm the entire process was completed. I received my confirmation of inclusion by the duty clerk, who congratulated me in his own office, because the lawyers, after discussing among themselves the results of their interviews, would not reveal publicly their choices.
With a big smile the duty clerk then handed the whole team a slip of paper indicating when we are to report back for the trial. With a day off today, discussion of the case in front of a judge will begin on Friday morning.
Incredibly, NYC is expecting another wave of snow during the night, sooo.....now I have to brace myself to meet more than one challenge tomorrow!!
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Jury Duty - part 1
After a quiet Martin Luther King Day holiday on Monday, business resumed Tuesday accompanied by intimidating weather warnings of expected more snow and sleet. And this was the day I had to start my jury duty!?!
After a hiatus of six (6) years, I was summoned again to be a juror last year, but I had to postpone it because of my travel and extensive stay in Albania that took place in the fall. The phone recorded message of the court system instructed prospective jurors to show up early on the first day to allow time for security screening. I also know from experience that commuting from my residence to downtown Manhattan, where most Federal and Court buildings are located, is a long trek requiring lots of time and more than one type of transport.
It was therefore with great apprehension that I walked out of my apartment building when it was still dark, on Tuesday morning, and found that the weather forecast was right on target. It had snowed throughout the night. Another layer of fresh snow covered the old one and the icy spots that formed everywhere due to subzero temperatures that persisted throughout more than 2 weeks. A cold drizzle was also drowning everything on site! What a dreadful sight, and a frightful feeling having to walk very slowly; pausing every few steps to catch a breath against the wind and to figure out where to find a navigable path!!
Very few were the pedestrians venturing out. I soon realized that I would have great difficulty in walking some distance, in boarding buses with obstructed sidewalks, descending and ascending subway's stairs, which, at that hour, remained uncleaned and dangerously icy. Only the vehicular traffic in the middle lanes of the avenues had an edge. While ice, rain and slush covered the sidewalks, all roads' sides were lined with insurmountable piles of previously accumulated stuff and streets intersections were drowning in large pools of water that could not find appropriate drainage.
I quickly decided that my only chance of surviving this mess was to hop a cab, which I was fortunate to find thanks to the early morning hour. I had a good driver, who brought me to destination safe and sound, in less time than expected. I was the first person to arrive in front of the huge court building, but was soon joined by other walk-ins. Unfortunately, we had to wait a bit of time facing rain and wind before we were admitted in the lobby, when the building entrance was opened to the public.
The jury pool room gradually filled up with about 200 individuals, with a rough percentage of 95% young, and 5% mature and seniors. This was on a 3rd floor location, but similar on-goings were also happening on the 11th floor of the same building, and in many other court venues throughout NYC. According to statistics more than 600,000 people serve yearly in this area.
Within an hour all the preliminary instructions, articulated by the clerk in charge and preceded by a short documentary about the history of the judicial system in the U.S., were efficiency taken care of, and everybody settled down waiting to be called according to the needs of each court case.
I only waited half an hour for my name to be summoned. With other 59 individuals I was accompanied by a policeman to another floor in a real court room in front of a woman judge and prosecuting and defense attorneys. Their mere presence indicated that this was a criminal case.
Here again names were picked out of a rotating box, 20 at a time; each juror assigned a seat in the jury box, and interrogated by the judge and the lawyers of both parties. This procedure repeated itself several times, as jurors that were not chosen would be replaced by newly picked names. By 3pm the entire jury of 12 people plus 2 alternates, was chosen and confirmed, and the ones that did not have to get involved in this case, like me, were then returned for recycling to the pool room.
Thus, the first day of Jury Duty came to an end and I was lucky again to find a taxi to return home. The driver, who felt very sure of himself, made me, however, quite nervous with his erratic driving, and distractions. He pushed his way into the maddening traffic and bad road conditions, switching lanes continuously, and getting upset by slower drivers ahead of him. During stops he would read some papers and clean up the front seat next to him. I was really relieved when I finally made it home.
What a day!! What to expect next?
After a hiatus of six (6) years, I was summoned again to be a juror last year, but I had to postpone it because of my travel and extensive stay in Albania that took place in the fall. The phone recorded message of the court system instructed prospective jurors to show up early on the first day to allow time for security screening. I also know from experience that commuting from my residence to downtown Manhattan, where most Federal and Court buildings are located, is a long trek requiring lots of time and more than one type of transport.
It was therefore with great apprehension that I walked out of my apartment building when it was still dark, on Tuesday morning, and found that the weather forecast was right on target. It had snowed throughout the night. Another layer of fresh snow covered the old one and the icy spots that formed everywhere due to subzero temperatures that persisted throughout more than 2 weeks. A cold drizzle was also drowning everything on site! What a dreadful sight, and a frightful feeling having to walk very slowly; pausing every few steps to catch a breath against the wind and to figure out where to find a navigable path!!
Very few were the pedestrians venturing out. I soon realized that I would have great difficulty in walking some distance, in boarding buses with obstructed sidewalks, descending and ascending subway's stairs, which, at that hour, remained uncleaned and dangerously icy. Only the vehicular traffic in the middle lanes of the avenues had an edge. While ice, rain and slush covered the sidewalks, all roads' sides were lined with insurmountable piles of previously accumulated stuff and streets intersections were drowning in large pools of water that could not find appropriate drainage.
I quickly decided that my only chance of surviving this mess was to hop a cab, which I was fortunate to find thanks to the early morning hour. I had a good driver, who brought me to destination safe and sound, in less time than expected. I was the first person to arrive in front of the huge court building, but was soon joined by other walk-ins. Unfortunately, we had to wait a bit of time facing rain and wind before we were admitted in the lobby, when the building entrance was opened to the public.
The jury pool room gradually filled up with about 200 individuals, with a rough percentage of 95% young, and 5% mature and seniors. This was on a 3rd floor location, but similar on-goings were also happening on the 11th floor of the same building, and in many other court venues throughout NYC. According to statistics more than 600,000 people serve yearly in this area.
Within an hour all the preliminary instructions, articulated by the clerk in charge and preceded by a short documentary about the history of the judicial system in the U.S., were efficiency taken care of, and everybody settled down waiting to be called according to the needs of each court case.
I only waited half an hour for my name to be summoned. With other 59 individuals I was accompanied by a policeman to another floor in a real court room in front of a woman judge and prosecuting and defense attorneys. Their mere presence indicated that this was a criminal case.
Here again names were picked out of a rotating box, 20 at a time; each juror assigned a seat in the jury box, and interrogated by the judge and the lawyers of both parties. This procedure repeated itself several times, as jurors that were not chosen would be replaced by newly picked names. By 3pm the entire jury of 12 people plus 2 alternates, was chosen and confirmed, and the ones that did not have to get involved in this case, like me, were then returned for recycling to the pool room.
Thus, the first day of Jury Duty came to an end and I was lucky again to find a taxi to return home. The driver, who felt very sure of himself, made me, however, quite nervous with his erratic driving, and distractions. He pushed his way into the maddening traffic and bad road conditions, switching lanes continuously, and getting upset by slower drivers ahead of him. During stops he would read some papers and clean up the front seat next to him. I was really relieved when I finally made it home.
What a day!! What to expect next?
Friday, January 14, 2011
Albanian National Historic Museum
A welcome news appears today online regarding the plans of the National Historic Museum in Tirana.
Some of my friends and relatives that have visited this interesting museum with me during their travels to Albania in the past few years were surprised not to find the ex Communist era represented in it. This article from BalkanInsight gives them an answer and the hope that in their future visits they can explore also exhibits from this dark past that needs to be shown and dealt with in the new democratic society.
This photo was taken by me a while back. Now the museum front is completely covered by scaffolding since it's being renovated inside out.
Concurrent with this work is the extensive digging taking place in the huge Skanderbeg square that the museum faces, where some city plans are being carried out. Although they were advertised for a while last year, the general public is uncertain of what the final outcome of these changes will be; meantime, Tirana's population must cope in that area with restricted vehicular traffic, rerouting of public transportation, and inconveniences to pedestrians.
Some of my friends and relatives that have visited this interesting museum with me during their travels to Albania in the past few years were surprised not to find the ex Communist era represented in it. This article from BalkanInsight gives them an answer and the hope that in their future visits they can explore also exhibits from this dark past that needs to be shown and dealt with in the new democratic society.
This photo was taken by me a while back. Now the museum front is completely covered by scaffolding since it's being renovated inside out.
Concurrent with this work is the extensive digging taking place in the huge Skanderbeg square that the museum faces, where some city plans are being carried out. Although they were advertised for a while last year, the general public is uncertain of what the final outcome of these changes will be; meantime, Tirana's population must cope in that area with restricted vehicular traffic, rerouting of public transportation, and inconveniences to pedestrians.
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Views from indoor living
The winter in NYC, which started early this season with a terrific snow blizzard on December 26th, continues to maintain subzero temperatures. Storms that follow their patterns from west to east show up alternatively every few days with additional snow falls that are not so heavy, but add more layers to the already frozen surfaces and do not allow better cleaning of streets and complete garbage pickup.
The vehicular traffic that is already impaired by ongoing large city projects that require digging the streets for maintenance of underground facilities, was brought to a stand still during these periods of bad weather condition. The vehemence of the December blizzard forced many people to abandon their cars in the middle of roads and that created havoc and impossible salt spreading and snow plowing.
Fortunately I don't have to go out since I can work indoors in my cozy and well heated apartment, where I can also enjoy the sunshine that shows up in between the storms......
Here, in NY, my apartment has a south-western exposure and is extremely quiet since it is positioned in the back of the building and overlooking a small garden area. In Tirana, instead, my lodging has a couple of balconies and can be noisy at times, but offers excellent open views (even during bad weather) of the city and its suburbs since it's on a much higher floor.
Through the small kitchen window that has allowed me to take the snow pictures above in NY, in the evening of the same day I could see an interesting rising moon beside the lit apartments in the high rise a block away.
As I am writing this I hear from my friends in Albania that today they had a real spring day of 63F and had to take their jackets off during midday, while our range in NY is between 30 to 20F, and a new storm is forthcoming by the middle of next week. Better stock up more food in the fridge!
The vehicular traffic that is already impaired by ongoing large city projects that require digging the streets for maintenance of underground facilities, was brought to a stand still during these periods of bad weather condition. The vehemence of the December blizzard forced many people to abandon their cars in the middle of roads and that created havoc and impossible salt spreading and snow plowing.
Fortunately I don't have to go out since I can work indoors in my cozy and well heated apartment, where I can also enjoy the sunshine that shows up in between the storms......
Here, in NY, my apartment has a south-western exposure and is extremely quiet since it is positioned in the back of the building and overlooking a small garden area. In Tirana, instead, my lodging has a couple of balconies and can be noisy at times, but offers excellent open views (even during bad weather) of the city and its suburbs since it's on a much higher floor.
Through the small kitchen window that has allowed me to take the snow pictures above in NY, in the evening of the same day I could see an interesting rising moon beside the lit apartments in the high rise a block away.
As I am writing this I hear from my friends in Albania that today they had a real spring day of 63F and had to take their jackets off during midday, while our range in NY is between 30 to 20F, and a new storm is forthcoming by the middle of next week. Better stock up more food in the fridge!
Saturday, January 01, 2011
Greetings 2011!
While New York tries to bail itself out of the blizzard that has buried the city on December 26th, I am doing the same with respect to the mountain of snail mail and paperwork that has accumulated during my long absence from home, to be ready to tackle the challenges of the new year!
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