Unusual activity

After a busy work week that usually keeps me stuck to a computer for several hours a day, this Friday I decided to get a break, and do something unusual outside of my environment.  I had plans to meet a friend for lunch and we both decided to attend first a cooking workshop presented by the Italian region of Campania in midtown Manhattan at noon.



Although I knew this was strictly a marketing promotion for both the region and the workshop presenter, Arthur Schwartz, I thought the occasion of actually being part of something that I had only occasionally watched on the food TV network, would be a novel and curious experience, and it was.

The showroom displayed many products that this southern region of Italy (with Naples being its largest center) offers, such as oil, tomatoes, wines, and cheeses, which form the basis for which its regional cuisine is known. What I didn’t expect was the actual anecdotal talk by Arthur, the self called “food maven” that I had met years ago, and recently stumbled upon while shopping at an international food store in my neighborhood.  He made a very delightful and informative presentation about the entire region, including some historical background, while preparing a couple of recipes with tomato sauce and giving hints about what to look for or avoid when shopping for some of the ingredients he was using.  His newest book on the cuisine of this region was obviously available, as were tastes of the various products and the two prepared dishes. The region is also known for quite a line of wines, and the one I tasted was excellent!  

The lunch that followed was also a delectable event. There was no specific choice planned ahead, and we just picked a nearby restaurant, which, very coincidentally, turned out to be known for its southern Italian cuisine and very fresh fish.  The place was crowded, both inside and in its outdoor patio, but we managed to get a table indoors and enjoy a leisure and delicious lunch. We actually were the last ones to leave the dining room at 3pm, and had an unexpected and interesting chat with 2 young waiters that were Albanians, and, to my great surprise, even knew about my family name and history. We surely live in a small world!

Peaceful time in NY

Half a year has gone by very quickly, it seems. It’s Independence Day time already and this long weekend, started since Thursday for many in the working population, is enjoyed by most either at or away from home. During a holiday such as this, a lot of people usually plan to escape from their daily surroundings, and travel to the beach, the country, or even abroad.

I, instead, thoroughly look forward to the peacefulness and relaxation that engulfs not only my apartment, but this city, especially the area of Manhattan where I live, when its frenetic life comes to a screeching alt! I always had such a pleasure, even before my retirement, since I’ve lived in the same building for the past 42 years.

Sometimes now, I hibernate for days (yes….in the middle of summer!) in my very comfortable air conditioned environment since I am lucky to be able to work and follow up on my many projects right here, in my own residence. This is what I’ve done in the past few days, but since yesterday I am also enjoying the gentle, non humid breeze that finally flows in from my windows exposed south and westward.

More thunderstorms and high humidity are forecasted again from tomorrow on, but, even when my windows are shut I can look out toward the greenery that surrounds my apartment even at its 7 floor height! Trees that were mostly non existent when I came to NY more than 50 years ago are now lining practically every street or avenue, and most high raisers are accessed through path and drive ways surrounded by manicured gardens and gurgling fountains.

A happy and glorious 4th of July to you all!

New York, New York.....

It's midday in midtown Manhattan. While waiting for the bus I need to take to reach my destination, I'm observing the huge traffic, and have a chat with a couple of tourists from Norway. Meantime, I'm rediscovering this city: the sun is hot, the vehicular movement noisy, and the number of sightseers incredible!


Busy 59th St. with Time & Warner buildings in the background

Anyone ready for a ride in Central Park?




Just as relaxing a few minutes of sun bathing at the base of the statue at Grand Army Plaza, right at the entrance of the park.

"Mirupafshim...."

sun above the clouds, but more rain upon arrival in NY!

Tirana's airport "Mother Theresa"

Tirana - New York

As I was leaving my apartment in Tirana it started to rain again. As much as I hate carrying additional stuff I decided that an umbrella was a must if I didn’t want to get soaked to the bone, a condition that could not be afforded with a 16 hour trip ahead. The half hour car ride to Rinas (“Mother Theresa”) airport was uneventful, with my usual, careful driver skillfully avoiding the many huge potholes in certain areas that turn into small lakes when it rains.

At the airport I found new pleasant surprises.....

First of all, there is no longer an exit fee, I was informed with a smile. From the new monitor displaying the departure schedule, I can see that in the space of 3 hours there will be over 10 flights to a variety of destinations that I never expected to see.

Austrian Airlines was, as expected, very efficient and prompt for the checking process, with a fully functioning computerized system. The security screening as an outgoing passenger, for the first time, was up to par with the rest of the other world airports: thoroughly and efficiently carried out. Inside the departure area, there are now 3 main gates, a larger number of shops, fully stacked with souvenirs, duty free items, newspapers from all over the world, and a wonderful collection of books, especially about and on Albania, including dictionaries, and language learning courses with cds. The bar was doing a booming business and was also equipped to sell a variety of sandwiches. It was a pleasure to see all these new activities, which include also the ongoing construction of a huge, modern style new terminal right next door to the present building.

The rain magically stopped when I boarded the bus that would take me to the plane, but I noticed that the airline I was taking even had a “covered” staircase!

The Tirana-Vienna leg of the trip is short and food is served only if purchased on board (this is apparently a standard in continental flights). The connection in Vienna for NY was as easy as the one which I experienced in reverse when I went to Tirana. The distance between the transit gates was very short, the checking in for the transatlantic flight extremely efficient, and the departure pretty much on time. The 10 minutes delay was caused by the need to fix a malfunctioning overhead bin, which was promptly handled.

While this was going on and I was watching the seemingly never ending care with which the stewards were accommodating passengers, I again had an extraordinary experience.

I was sitting on an aisle (in a 2 seats row) and the fellow passenger of my left was just as stocky and wide shouldered person as I am. I was resigned to spent the next 10 hours squeezing myself in the space that these days have shrunk on all long distance carriers of 767 type of aircrafts…..when a watchful steward offered me to move a couple of rows back where the 2 seats there had become available. I was extremely pleased to accept such a stroke of luck, especially since I had not asked for anything!

The food on this leg of the flight was of top quality and delicious, and the service on board never stopped! Austrain Airlines gets a A+ from me, and I’ll certainly fly them again whenever possible. Meantime, would you believe that the rain followed me all the way to NY?

Goodbyes

I hate goodbyes and I should be used to them by now, after so many travels abroad, but it's always a sad time for me when I have to leave friends and relatives to hop onto another plane.

For two days now I've received email from the US, Italy, and Albania wishing me a trouble free and safe return to NY. Some of the Tirana friends have squeezed in brief visits at all hours, and now I am ready to move on. They surely enjoy a good conversation, and so do I. For me it's also a continuous learning experience talking with them.

The weather has changed drastically in the past two days with temperature dipping in the teens (C.) and outburst of rain especially at night. Right now, as I am writing, the sky has darkened, and thunder sounds really menacing....I better close this session, otherwise I might loose the connection!

Wasteful time....

My stay is Tirana is winding down, and, as usual, the last few days here are always hectic.

All the things that were postponed because .... “oh, there is plenty of time ahead”, as they say here, must be crunched in at the last minute. I am much happier planning ahead, and I always try, although I know that is not always possible to do so here. I am forced to wing it to adapt to this trend of life, but the results frustrate me because I don’t accomplish as much as I want, and I am used to otherwise.

This afternoon I had booked an appointment for a hair cut, and I had the full attention of the hairdresser that gave me also an invigorating head massage while washing my hair. It was an unexpected, but welcome treatment that totally relaxed me, and I certainly needed it. This soothing time was briefly interrupted by two different appearances of other customers, who just dropped in and were expecting to be taken care of immediately. The owner of the shop calmly refused and after they made their exits, she felt obliged to explain, with a smile, that was not unusual here because most people do not make appointments ahead of time.

A refreshing view from a friend's balcony

 

The Palace of Congress in the background and the President's office on the right

Center of Tirana with Dajti Mountains

and one more highrise!

The President's office hidden by trees

Baffling processes

Spoiled by the American system that I’ve dealt with for over half a century, I always experience frustrating processes in dealing, for one reason or another, with state or governmental offices in Europe.

In Italy, just in the past 3 years, I had to do summersaults and run around a lot from office to office to obtain documents or clarifications about procedures relating to the settling of an estate, payment of taxes, dealing with utility companies, etc. ….and I didn’t have a problem expressing myself since I speak the language fluently! Albania, not officially part of Europe yet, is no exception. In both countries it’s not possible to get precise information by telephone, ahead of time, so that what’s needed can be prepared and then presented for action where appropriate. One has to find out in person and being “ping ponged” from one place to another in the process. The procedures are convoluted (work simplification is unheard of!), the paperwork unnecessarily complex (forms design at times illogical!), and the staff interaction mostly unsatisfactory (inadequate training and laissez-faire in general!). Feeling powerless, the public yields to these situations and instead of fighting them, when and where it can, looks for more devious ways to offset these inadequacies in order to obtain the needed results; thus sustaining a corrupted way of life that tends to perpetuate and expand itself.

This week, in Tirana, I witnessed what a local has to endure in order to obtain the renewal of a passport. While in the first police district office I was impressed to find a modern numbering system to serve the large crowd, and the form filling was rather expeditious, the situation was quite different at Police headquarters (across town), where one has to go a couple of weeks later to pick up the new document. Six various teller windows, opened only for 1 ½ hour every afternoon, were completely mobbed by the waiting public, six lines deep, screaming and trying to juggle their way to be able to talk to the staff that, undeterred, kept on yelling out names of the fortunate ones whose passport was ready. The interchange was incredibly noisy and chaotic. Many were disappointedly turned away and required to come back with additional documentation the next morning to talk to a ”chief” about how to speed the process. A couple of people I talked to while watching all this happening sadly informed me that they had already spent four days going through this repetitive mode of operation.

The following morning the chief, supposedly available for one hour, appeared at the window 40 minutes late. Realizing that the large crowd couldn’t be accommodated within the time limit, asked a police woman to just jot down the names of those who came and retrieve the additional required documentation. The afternoon process of checking whether the passport was finally available was an exact duplicate experience of the day before. And so life goes on…..

Scenes of Albanian life in Tirana

In this capital the new modern structural (steel and glass) high raisers of this millennium are mixed in with a variety of old brick buildings, dating back to almost one hundred years ago. Some are originally Albanian (low 1-2 story) single family homes, while others (with 3-4 stories) were built by the Italians before and during their occupation during WWII (late 1930’s - mid 1940’s), followed by the ones during the Russians (1950-60’s), and Chinese (1965-70’s) influences that conditioned the country at the end of the war. This is the situation in many parts of the city, and also in the very center of it. The once private backyards (with grape vines and mandarin trees) are disappearing and living conditions are now crowded everywhere. Few are the remaining 2 story villas of the old fashioned wealthy families, which are now being renovated and can maintain a private garden area around.

Notwithstanding the clusters of assorted constructions and the incredible congestion of vehicular traffic that permeates the city, one can find astonishing quiet in their own quarters. Away from the main boulevards (4-6 lane wide), the movement of cars in the narrow passage ways in between the buildings has to proceed at a snail pace, parking spots are continually negotiated and inventively created, with the humble pedestrians carefully trying not only to avoid the traffic, but to find a few inches where to squeezing their way through. At night, even with open windows, there is complete silence in my apartment, with not a sound to be heard.

Due to closeness of the buildings, however, during the day, when the shutters are rolled up, I cannot help but observe how life in this city is lived. From the glass enclosed balcony of mine, just sitting down at my desk, I can see women appear and disappear often on their open balconies to hang and reposition their laundry, as it dries. They even talk to each other across the way, and some of them lovingly attend to their planted pots that display a variety of flowers.

As I got up this morning and opened my bedroom window I could see a city sanitation truck quietly picking up the garbage that accumulates fast in the open bins that are strategically positioned in the midst of the buildings. The system is the same as the one in Italy, where the metal bins are called “cassonetti”, but the trucks I see here are not specifically built for such a task. They are regular open vans and the men have no choice but to use bare hands and shovels to collect the stuff and throw it on top of the truck. They work in pairs and one of them, from time to time, walks on top of the collected pile to ‘compact it’ with his feet….
Here I never hear the noise produced when the trucks come rolling by for similar collections such as in NY or in Italy, but I do know that these rounds are faithfully made every 2 days. I also see quite often men and women wearing blue or orange uniforms carrying a sack and a picker and broom; they roam around and sweep away and collect paper or trash discarded in the streets. Such are some facets of Albanian life in Tirana these days.

The National Museum (left) - Tirana Int'l Hotel (right)

 

Agonizing efforts

Can you imagine having to work with a 45 Kbps dial up connection? This is unfortunately what I have to deal, and put up with while in Tirana. The service that I use while here is one of several available, but I can vouch that it’s a real pain to have this type of connection with Internet (how did we ever live with 28K modems only a few years ago?).

Any click, or command, takes forever to respond; what can one do, but stare at the ceiling meanwhile? When I dared mention my frustration to either other users or even the manager of the providing server I was calmly told that this is what they are supplied with here and they just resign themselves to it! Even all the state offices, which now do try to use email in their daily routines, have the same type of service. Only exception may be some special high-speed lines used only by very large businesses, which can afford the related high costs.

Compared to last year, however, there is some improvement. Now, thanks goodness, there is at least electricity available to keep operating for many hours at a stretch, although it’s interesting to notice that the energy output (totally lacking last year for many - 8 to 10 - hours a day) is quite weak! A simple chore such hair drying takes much longer than we are used to in the States. The same goes for cooking with the stoves being electrically operated since there is no gas city wide distribution yet.

Going back to computing, based on my experience of this week, it’s no wonder that a lot of the software used here is unlicensed. The slow connections may not be the only excuse, but it’s certainly easier to just copy one master package rather than spend days to install software onto several machines.

This week I duly purchased online a noted antivirus package only to discover that I was unable to download it via Internet due to the slowness of the connection and the unforeseen, and frequent dropping of the phone line. It tried 3 times unsuccessfully (even in the middle of the night), and lost more than 4 hours in the process! The ISP provider kindly obliged me when I complained. I had, however, to move myself to their premises, where I finally got hold of my purchase, by using 2 different workstations there: one to download the software, and the second one to burn the CD I provided so that I could carry it at home.

However, my anguish was not over!! It took another 2 hours to install the package and update it, as routinely necessary, online, by downloading the latest additions and the virus definition file. Whew!

What it may take 15 minutes in the US to accomplish, here it took most of one day. Bottom line: how can anyone be efficiently working in such an environment? The locals are used to this slow pace, but for me these and similar undertakings are agonizing and exasperating experiences!

Just across from the Academy of Science, the modern InfoSoft building

 

Entrance current Academy of Science (this building housed the 1st Albanian Parliament between 1921-1924)

 

Modern Tirana International Hotel (1990's)

  

Building housing the Opera House (2nd half 1900's)

  

The current City Hall (yellow building dating back early 1900's)

  

The old clock tower (1800's)

  

The ancient Et'hem Bey Mosque (1600's)

  

Visiting and paper shuffling

Yesterday I received two courtesy visits. In the late morning an old friend, whom I consider like a brother, came to spend some time with me and catch up with our mutual news. Our parents, now long deceased, used to be close friends their entire lives, and we, as babies, used to play a lot together way back then. WWII forced our lives to take separate paths and this went on for 54 years. It was a very emotional moment when we rediscovered each other upon my return to Tirana for the first time in 1993. Now, whenever we have the chance to get together, we update ourselves, try to forecast the future for the younger generations, and talk a lot about the past, especially about the history of Albania, much of which I’m learning through him, who has lived every moment of it, throughout his entire life inside the country. Time flies when we chat and we even forget to eat.

The other visit by a friend of recent years was in the late afternoon. This is the time when people who work take the time to get off from the daily routines. They usually have late lunches (especially state employees, whose work day ends at 3pm); consequently, they dine late. As in many European countries, the in between hours are dedicated to “la dolce vita”, enjoying a stroll, stopping at a café’ for a chat, or visiting family and/or friends.

Today all my activities were mostly sedentary. At the computer before a brief lunch at home, and then off to the National Library where I planned researching some old historical documents that I’m interested in. Spent 3 tiring hours sifting through dusty bounded volumes of the “State Official Gazette”(1940’s). These collections are invaluable for their content and are perused on a daily basis by loads of people, trying to collect documentation, history, and references about their families, their properties, and the laws that affected them in the past.

It's an exhausting, but fascinating trip into the past, where one can visualize the trials and tribulations of the entire population under the communist regime. The records are incredibly detailed in many cases: from the list of actual confiscation of real estate properties, to the home contents of the persecuted people (sold at public auction); from the verdicts of condemnation of political dissidents, to the military decorations of the soldiers and officers that distinguished themselves to defend the country from the abhorred foreigners.....the list goes on and on, the aging pages are heavily marked in pencil or pen, a lot of them are torn, and falling apart. I guess, however, that these documents are preserved also in microfiche format, as I know are the confiscated personal documents of the people that were arrested, tried, and imprisoned for years. A large part of the Albanian population went through these processes, and entire families ended up spending their lives in concentration camps. There their children were born, their parents and grandparents died, and many never knew what it means to live in a free world!

Enough of reminiscences for one day....Was glad to leave the stuffy library, which was filled to capacity by all sorts of people, young and old, all intent into their various diggings...and to get back into the nice afternoon breeze. The sun was starting to set and the large central square, named after the national hero “Skanderbeg”, was in full swing, and I could not resist taking pictures of the well known structures (see above) that surround this wide open area.

Hot day

A real hot day in every sense of the word.

Awaken early by a business phone call, I Immediately felt that the temperature outside must have been higher today because I began to sweat just moving around my apartment. By the time I went out on errands, there was real (after a week of rain) heat going on, as only in Albania can be, because the sun here seems to be closer than elsewhere. The countless outdoor cafés were displaying their myriad of colorful umbrellas and, as usual, many are people that fill these spots at all hours of the day and night. The ones that couldn’t find a place to sit, were carrying on their conversations under the shade of the trees that line every boulevard of Tirana.

As I was traveling by car later on in the day, going from appointment to appointment. I observed the recent positive changes along the roads repaved since last year, the additional constructions of office and apartment buildings, the extra planting of new trees along the long inland waterway (called “Lana”) that crosses the entire city. Only a few years ago this canal was a terribly smelly site with stagnating water, full of discarded garbage, with illegally erected one story buildings all along its path. Now all the constructions are gone (destroyed), its bed has been cleaned up of the debris, its deep margins are fully covered by beautiful green lawns, and its very long sidewalks are lined up with lovely young plantings and old European type street lamps (candelabra style). A nice sight day or night.

After a meeting at midday during which I heated the atmosphere with strong, but ethical, remarks that I felt needed about the conducted business, I went shopping at the great supermarket at the outskirts of the capital. Two of the smaller supermarkets that were available last year in town, and not too far from my apartment, are currently closed for unknown reason, although someone hinted that this was due to non payment of bills, and their consequent bankruptcy. The large, and spacious, American style supermarket was not as busy as during the weekend, thus, I was able to shop quickly and be served with extra attention. The meat was cut European style and to order (as it was in my youth), the vegetable were fresh, the fruits ripe and tasty, and the goodies available all the way around. I really went to town and after cooking up a storm at home, I had a great dinner.

It’s still hot into the late evening, as I am writing this. When I closed the window shades tonight a very bright satellite was shining high up in the sky right outside of my balcony, and I wondered......could it be the same one I see from my kitchen window every evening in NY around 11pm in the south-eastern skies?

It happened on the way.......

Funny day, today!

After not feeling well all week, and finally enjoying some sunshine in a calm Saturday in Tirana, I decided to take it easy and relaxed myself with a soothing pedicure at a new lovely beauty salon recommended by a friend. I was prompt for my 11 o’clock appointment and so was the young lady owner, who had just finished blow drying another lady. At the entrance, as she was greeting me, I also hear my name called by another customer, who was very surprised to see me there. I’ve known the other lady and have followed, for quite a few years now, her career in the banking system here that led her to become a VP of marketing for one of the largest financial institution in this capital. This was the first surprise of the day, but another interesting experience followed soon thereafter.

A few days ago my attention was attracted to an eloquent blog of a Canadian woman that claimed to be living in Tirana and enjoying very much, with her husband and dog, her stay here. From the little hints in her comments and some of the beautiful pictures she included in her blog, I got a strong feeling that she might be living in the same building where I also reside while here. Sure enough, today, my impression was confirmed as correct. As I was entering the elevator to come home, after a leisure lunch out, she was exiting it to walk her dog and I recognized them both from the pictures in her blog. Surely it’s a small, small world out there, made even smaller by the Internet connections!!

Today I had a hot lunch at a nearby restaurant that I patronize from time to time when in Tirana because of its convenient (for me) location, and, every time with a big smile, I am greeted by name by one of the young waiters that is always eager to serve me. As an aside, I wish to mention an interesting (for Americans) fact that, in a country such as this, unfortunately still plagued by corruption at many levels, no tip is expected when eating out. Most people just round off to the nearest dollar the total as presented, but the service, regardless, is always very pleasantly performed.

Today my waiter encouraged me to eat outdoors, and proceeded to show me the great inside courtyard recently renovated by the owner. This restful and peaceful area, recessed from the street, includes bar and restaurant facilities, a huge outdoor pizza oven, a functioning well, and swinging lounges. To complete the serenity of this scene there are several hanging cages with colorful birds, green trestles and potted exotic plants, a display of ancient artifacts and tools, as you can see from the pictures below. The air is filled only by the low key chit chat of the few customers, the chirping of the birds, and the cooing of a pair of large and fat pigeons that feel very comfortable roaming around, undisturbed, in search of more food. Europeans in general, even if poor, really know how to carve out some enjoying moments in their daily lives. In surroundings like these the troubles of the world seem so far away!

Outdoor area restaurant Tafaj

 

Dismal weather

So far this week the weather has been incredibly uncooperative. Torrential rain in cold and clammy mornings, followed by a few hours of real hot sunshine by midday, and again dark clouds hanging overhead in breezy late afternoons and evenings. It does not take very much for meteorological changes to speed across this tiny country of Albania, covered by three tiers of mountains spanning from north to south for ¾ of its size, with the balance forming the narrow stretch of plains along the coast facing the Adriatic, Ionian and Mediterranean seas.

My body is in real pain between sweats and chills, and the result is a beauty of a chest cold, which is making me miserable and sluggish. Must recuperate fast due to the expected busy time ahead!

The rugged mountains of Albania 

Sunday, a quiet, visiting day

Planned only a couple of things for today, but more popped up along the way.

After exchanging some money into the local Albanian currency (leks), I paid a visit to the enormous cemetery in the outskirts of Tirana, where my father and uncle are buried. Although there are no privately owned plots (all land is still property of the state and there are no individual concessions), local people have now gone out of their way to build mausoleums and marbled tombs, none of which were permitted during the half a century of communist dictatorship, when just small markers were installed by the families to remember their plot’s location. This cemetery alone consists of about 5 sections, as large as any similar ones in the US, and the long road leading to it now is flanked on both sides by loads of monuments builders and flower shops!

When, in 1995, I was lucky to find where my uncle was buried (in 1953, after 7 years of political imprisonment) there was no available marble for headstones. I was unaware of this fact, but, unbeknown to me, the funeral parlor I dealt with then, traveled long distances to find one piece to be inscribed with what I wanted.

At that time I had arranged for my father’s remains to be brought back to Albania from Turkey, where he had died in exile 55 years earlier. I wanted the two brothers to be together in death, just as they were always in life, thus the current inscription (under their names and dates of birth and death), translated from Albanian, says: “For their country, united in death as in life”.

The next visit today was to a very modern, huge shopping mall, where one can find anything that’s desired, from clothing boutiques, to wine stores, and supermarkets stocked with all sorts of goodies, including foreign imports of all kind. I just wanted to buy some staples, but by the time I finished, the dark clouds that had formed within one hour, let loose not only torrential rain, but hale galore, with some pieces the size of an egg! Back home with all my stuff I had to change since I was completely drenched and turned the heat on not to shiver! By 5pm the sun reappeared in full!

Earlier in the day, I fortuitously met an acquaintance in the street, and he wasted no time in inviting me to go to a nearby office where a lawyer friend of his would be interested in meeting me. Apparently he is initiating an additional activity, such as publishing a new type of newspaper dealing with some of the 'unjust' situations that the country is still facing and that remain 'unsolved' to today notwithstanding the past dozen years of democratization. I obliged, although pressed for time, and we agreed to meet again to discuss further a possible collaboration.

In the late afternoon I received the visit of another young friend, who brought me lovely mandarins and beautiful roses from her garden. We talked into the evening about a lot of things and agreed that there is still so much to do here, if everyone would collaborate and would think more globally rather than individually. Now, however, I’d better prepare for tomorrow when I’ll be fully immersed in my work and pre planned meetings related to the projects I’m involved with.

The family plot at Tirana's cemetery

On the move again

Traveling to Albania, using Austrian & Tyrolean Airlines for the first time, was an excellent experience, although, generally speaking, traveling today is no longer a pleasure, but a real chore. The flights are totally booked, the taxes on the tickets consist of almost 50% of the total fare, and the seats are smaller and very restricting on the transatlantic routes, where 767 aircrafts are used.

Somehow I expected Austrian airline to be well organized and I was not disappointed. There is usually some delay leaving from JFK airport due to the congested New York traffic, and all airlines seems to be equally affected upon departure. This was also the case for the Austrian, late evening, flight I boarded for Vienna, where I was supposed to have an hour to connect with the Tyrolean flight for Tirana. To be frank I was a bit nervous when the departure from NY was delayed by 45 minutes, but the captain forecasted correctly the arrival in Vienna, almost to the minute. Many are the connections made here and when I stepped out of the plane (1/2 later than the regularly scheduled time) I was surprised to find not one, but 8 Austrian airport personnel waiting to quickly direct all passengers to the various gates.

Austrian airline web site that I had read carefully before leaving NY, promised connections within 30 minutes for all flights, and they were certainly right! This, I believe, is due not only to the well programmed schedules, but for the very judicious assignment of this airport’s gates. Normally, as I have traveled thru Italy, France, and England, arriving from the States is usually at the opposite end of the airport for the European connecting flights, because they separate the transatlantic from the Schengen traffic areas, thus forcing the passengers to cross the entire airport to check in at the next flight. But this apparently is not the case in Vienna! The gate for Albania, and other neighboring countries was 3 minutes away; thus, the remaining ½ hour for the connection was plentiful!

Another wonderful surprise, and the first of this kind: on the Tyrolean plane to Tirana (of the old propeller type, but looking very clean and almost new!) the announcements were made in 3 languages, which included Albanian! This is what I call ‘knowing how to do business’, and that’s why probably almost 2/3 of the passengers on my flight from NY were Albanian. Several of them were elderly ladies, who needed assistance, which was provided, as I observed, very efficiently at both NY and Vienna gates.

At Tirana’s Rinas airport (now named ‘Mother Theresa’), where German and American companies are handling a large modernization program, I found lots of new construction ongoing for a very large, modern structure and architecturally designed terminal, of the same type as other European ones. The new building’s skeleton is soaring toward the sky, where there was waste land only 4 months ago. It’s a must since several are now the airlines servicing Albania. Among the latest one: British Airways; however, a passenger arriving from the US must change airport in London to catch the local flight to Albania.

Upon arrival at my rented apartment/office in Tirana, I found my friends had already stacked my fridge with some food and drinks; thus I was able to just relax, catch up with some local news, and then go out to dinner with them. A month worth of work is expecting me now, and I am ready for it!

Columbia University campus

Low Library at Columbia University

 

School assignments?

Last Monday I attended a lecture by the Albanian writer/poet Ismail Kadare, at the Harriman Institute of Columbia University, entitled "Literature vs. Tiranny". It was delivered in French in the large Low Library Hall, which was filled to capacity with the majority of the attendees being Albanian. It was a georgeous, sunny, and hot day, and, as pictured above, the university campus was crowded with students sunbathing everywhere. As one of them wrote in the local paper's article, how is it possible to concentrate on reading assignments while day dreaming in such enjoyable weather?

Asphalt Green pool

  

just one sidewalk spot in N.Y.

  

Spring activities

As the weather is finally emerging from the winter doldrums, so are my daily activities, which are intensifying at a pretty fast pace. Cold snaps still come and go, but New York is overall enjoying gorgeous sunshine and a few real hot days, which have given way to a splendid burst of new shoots on the trees and full blooming of planted flowers.  Some city streets this month can actually compete with Washington cherry blossoms, believe or not!  

While accomplishing several desk and computer related tasks, in addition to the usual daily household chores, I try to squeeze in some aqua aerobics sessions at the local (Olympic size) pool at least 3 times a week, and, in alternative days, some physical exercises at home. All tax returns have, finally, been completed and mailed out, and my spring traveling plans are now also in place.

Next month will be spent again in Albania, where, as usual, I try to speed up some of the ongoing personal and work related projects. This trip will see me use for the first time Austrian Airlines, which offer good deals in both price and traveling time. By the way, their online site is one of the best designed, user friendly, practical, and most informative that I have seen so far on the web in this line of business.          

Tax woes

It seems incredible not having had the time to keep up this diary on a more frequent basis lately. In reality, one can find the time, if one wants to. So, what’s the problem?  In my case a lack of motivation, I guess, due to really nothing much worth documenting. Daily routines repeat themselves, and tax work preparation is quite boring!  Some of the latter is actually a maddening experience these days.  

For the past couple of years I decided not to use the services of an accountant or tax preparer, and do the job myself.  I had to smile when the other evening I heard a reportage on tv about the inefficiency and incompetence of these agents, which should be licensed.  They spring up instead everywhere, at tax time every year, and most of them are not certified in this field. What I experienced in the past few years, and what made me drop their services, is the series of mistakes made, the lack of  work quality, and the high fees charged.

So far, so good; although the state forms to be used this year are horrific. The modifications applied to the 2005 returns have multiplied the number of pages in the main form and the published instructions contain more and more worksheets, with references and cross references to drive anyone nuts! Whatever happened to work simplification that was in vogue more than 30 years ago, way before the advent of computerization and electronic processing?  

Today I finally completed my paperwork and I sent my tax returns on their way.  This, however, does not conclude this task for the year…Now,I have to tackle the returns for the business I manage. Alas, a few more days of tedious work! Thank goodness I am alternating it with aqua aerobics at the local pool and enjoying the beautiful sunshine that is blessing New York, which is now again in full bloom!

    
  

Uneventful time

A month has gone by since my last entry, but this time was actually uneventful. Nothing worth mentioning happened. Daily routines were ongoing and the weather was not conducive to special or unusual activities. Indoors I've always loads of things to do anyway, and never see the end of tasks!

Yesterday, finally, the sunshine got warmer (a change of more than 25 F. degrees within a few hours!). It's amazing how physical energy is affected by weather. I feel more invigorated although I had continued to exercise all along anyway at the indoor olympic size pool where I keep a membership all year around.

Meantime... tax time is quickly approaching and I must roll up my sleeves and get to work on what needs reporting. Boring, boring tasks, but I've no choice!

Blizzard

 
 

Moody weather

After a mild beginning of this year, February has finally decided to show what winter is all about in NY: snow blowing all over, propelled by strong winds. Flurries started yesterday afternoon and the snowfall has not yet stopped. They are talking about 23 inches so far.

This brings back memories of my early years (1950’s) in this city, when snow storms occurred quite often between the end of January and mid February, and stopped completely this metropolis from functioning. In those days I remember walking in the middle of the street, blinded by the drifts, but unconcerned about vehicular traffic that was non existent for hours. I was very young then and enjoyed the experience, which was just a replication of my life while growing up in northern Italy, at the foot of the Alps, with Switzerland just a few miles away, on the other side. The winters there lasted several months, usually from October through April; the home heating was restricted to just certain rooms, and we slept in icy cold bedrooms, but our bodies were acclimatized to this environment.

Then, I was marveling at snowfall, while running outdoors wrapped in heavy woolen clothing; now, I prefer enjoying, from the inside of my warm and cozy apartment, the white lace and soft blankets that Mother Nature builds on the trees and fire escapes of the brownstones just outside of one of my windows. This impersonal and chaotic city allows us blessings, even during a bad storm, that are not present mostly everywhere else. We rarely have lack of energy, food, or communications that impacts instead such a large portion of this planet, and we should remind ourselves of this luck when we feel like complaining or are unhappy about something that may have not gone completely right!