Local life

It’s a very different and an interesting experience to live the life of local people in a foreign country, rather than being a guest in a hotel environment. One can, then, really savor the traditional and native environment, notwithstanding the prevailing contemporary look.

In the past 11 years of my coming to Tirana on a pretty regular basis on business, I have lived through been first a guest in a private old home, then a renter of a one room and bathroom facility, on a 5th floor walkup, and now I graduated to a rented, modern, full size, and very centrally located apartment in an high rise with elevator. It is fully furnished, but I have added wardrobes, extra table and chairs and a huge desk that serve me well as office space.

I have gone from sleeping on an old fashioned Turkish sofa to a modern 2 bed room, and eat in kitchen with a good size balcony that floods the apartment with sunshine almost every morning I am here. The indoor, tiled bathroom with bidet, bathtub, shower, toilet and sink, although not well refinished, is twice the size of my NYC one, and serves me well.

Thus, I can wash, cook, and eat at home whenever I wish, although cafes and eateries are handy, just outside my building. Shopping for food and products is a pleasant daily occurrence that everyone takes unhurriedly, but carefully. Extremely fresh vegetables and fruits are found along many streets, in local neighborhood, while the modern supermarkets are strategically located within the city, if one wishes to buy packaged stuff and even foreign products, imported mostly from Italy and Greece. Mini markets, fast food shops, and pizzerias are practically on every block, and they seems to be open all at all times. Fresh, excellent bread of all sorts and shapes, in addition to the usual ‘burek’ (phillo dough stuffed with cheese, or spinach, or ham), is baked continually and can be found at all hours of day or evening. It still usually hot when one buys it!

There is no language problems shopping with local merchants although they speak only Albanian. The same can be said for taxi drivers. Everyone is very pleasant, courteous and very helpful. The taxis are not metered, but there is usually a one fixed fare ($3.00) per ride within the city limits. The markets display the food prices and one can pick and choose the product at his/her discretion, if wished. The vendors make you feel they are at your service and eager to please you.

Today I bought carrots and zucchini that are so fresh and tender that they don’t need to be peeled. The tomatoes are firm, ripe, and tasty. One kilo of them can be had for only a dollar! The Israeli melon, although a more expensive item as in NY, ripe to perfection, is absolutely delicious!

One drawback: fresh, genuine food and vegetables will not last long in the fridge; thus, it’s a ritual to shop and consume stuff daily. Bon appetite!