Back in Albania, after ten years. Can’t believe I’m getting old enough o say things like that, but indeed it has been a decade since I was here last, in 1999. Then, a million refugees from the neighboring Kosovo province were on the move in Eastern Europe, many of them streaming across the borders into Albania to escape the violence tearing Kosovo apart at the hands of Slobodan Milosevic. How times have changed. I remember Albania distinctly then, largely because it was a formative experience for me, to witness a full scale CNN emergency first hand. It was my first real emergency experience, working then for Catholic Relief Services, and though I have been to many since, I have to say I was eager to come back and see how the Albania of today matched my memories of those weeks here a decade ago.
I only got in yesterday, so I don’t as yet have much to go on. But my first impressions are positive. A new airport has replaced the old, Communist era terminals I recalled. The gleaming new one has wireless internet and a sleek, open design the Communists never could have dreamed up. With the weather sunny an in the 80s, we walked to dinner last night at a nearby Italian restaurant. Everywhere, people were out strolling, the women in outfits both smaller and more sophisticated than I recall from my time here in 1999. For diner I had a nicely-prepared ostrich steak – one of the menu items I miss most from my Africa days – and two cold Tirana beers.
Albania is still in transition, and is currently facing an unemployment rate of 30%, according to the briefing we received by national staff at Heifer International this morning. Rural unemployment is even higher, and more than 12% of the country’s 3.5 million people live on less than $50 a month. But I get the feeling – first impressions at least – that Albania has come far in the last ten years.
June 14th, 2009 | by David in Travel | 1 Comment
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All Material © 2008 David Snyder
June 14th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Yeah I do agree with you too. Actually we have to pray for them more and more as they keep going better. Lets keep in mind that fragile face hunted for more than half century under the cruel time of communism. I pray for Albania and for the other countries for the world to get better and better. Lets hope and have that optimism always in ourselves and lets thanks GOD always as how we are and lets pray always to Him in good and bad as only He is the only who can decide for us.
I am just finishing with the sentence:
Thank your OUR HEAVEN FATHER FOR EVERYTHING THAT GAVE US.
Greetings
Jonathan