mix & match...

I've been pretty lame about posting recently. Though I'd like to give proper attention to the events of the last few months, I know that this happening is unlikely. I also know that you really just want to see lots of pictures (well not too many, I know you are busy people). Below are some photos from major events in my PC life.

The stage and runway inside the Palace of Culture (aka the civic center). Katie and I were there for a play about AIDS. The auditorium was packed with all high school students and about six adults. It was TORTURE! I didn't make it to the end. I had to leave for the sake of my sanity.





The man on the left is Ambassador Withers. He visited Berat to see the city and to speak at the Opening Ceremony of Katie's Teacher Training. I'm not sure what was asked at this coffee the evening before the training but I like the fact that we all raised our hands.




Who's that handsome fella in the back lookin aloof?









My fellow PC volunteer birthday lunch. I made the cake. I've never been too good at icing :(






Katie, Zaku (Katie's host grandfather), and me. Zaku is the awesomest!










Just cool full moon with a halo on a cloudless night



My ET attempt






Marisa & I participating in AIDS Week march. The poster reads: Take your destiny in your hand. The translations a little rough. Sorry.



AIDS Week activities included a candle-lit march and then creating a ribbon from those candles.



Thanks for watching.

Defeat minus the glory...

I am sad :(

The Colts lost :(

I think I will go home and pout :(

behind the times...

So perhaps you've noticed that I have been a bit lacking in my postings. Believe me it's not for lack of material. Quite the opposite. I've had a busy month. Things are slowing down again, which is good actually. I need a bit of breather and some time to focus on my remaining projects and the next big step. Speaking of which, is anyone looking for a guy like me to employ?

The winter has arrived with force here in Albania. It's been COLD! I had to remember all my little tricks for staying warm. For example, when trying to watch West Wing on my laptop with its freshly installed optical drive (that's a CD/DVD drive for those who have not had to replace theirs), I shouldn't even bother using my heater. It's not gonna make much difference in my over sized living room. Instead I must simply take one thick wool blanket and wrap it around my legs while sitting Indian style and take another thick wool blanket and wrap it around my upper half. Of course, underneath my blanket cocoon I am layered with hoody and two pairs of socks. I did try to warm my cold feetsies while in this configuration and all I managed to do was singe my blankets. Oops.
I have also revived my morning ritual of preheating my bathroom. I am lucky in that I have water all the time but that doesn't do much for the really cold bathroom tiles. So I just wake up an hour before I plan to shower and move my heater into my bathroom, which is wonderfully not over sized. Without this step I cannot muster the courage to leave the warm water of my shower.
Sidenote: Albanians are REALLY REALLY REALLY bad at closing doors.
One last strategy, and it's probably my favorite. My tent. My bedroom is, surprisingly enough, also over sized. Therefore it too is impossible to keep warm (the drafty windows don't help either). I have a heater that is safe to leave on during the night but not powerful enough to heat my bedroom. So I devised this little structure to help keep the heat near me. I must say that it works like a charm. I can keep it set on low and I stay warm all night. Brilliance, I tell you, pure brilliance. Observe.


Hopefully I will catch up and post some stuff from the previous month. One thing to look forward to... Sitemates' Dance Off. I'll explain in a couple weeks :)