It was our
second day in Korçë, Albania, and it was starting to feel like home. My Chorale
group and I spent the night at Hotel Koçibelli and had the luxury of a leisurely
morning, as call-time for our first event wasn’t until 10:00 a.m. Jet lag was playing its annoying tricks on me,
so I was up early and made my way to the dining room where hot breakfast was
being served—let me tell you, despite the bad rap of a “continental breakfast,”
Europeans do know how to make a good breakfast. Perhaps they were aware that 60
Americans were staying in their hotel that night because the kitchen was fully
staffed, and despite our staying true to our culture by devouring all we could,
the buffet table was never empty. Fried eggs, succulent meats, fresh rolls, hot
crepes, cereal, fruit, juice, tea and coffee, was anything missing? Not that I
could think of. I lingered for an hour and ate to my heart's content, noting
the friendliness and attentiveness of the wait staff and enjoying some interesting
varieties of Albanian pastries—the bread-baked sausages were particularly
mouth-watering and I went back for seconds and thirds. Since I still had plenty
of time to spare, I joined a group of friends and headed for the eclectic kafe-bar
we had discovered the evening before.
In Albania,
coffee shops are called 'kafe-bars' because in this culture coffee and alcohol
are practically synonymous. Both are consumed socially and unhurriedly, and you
will never find a coffee shop without an array of alcoholic beverages, neither
will you find a bar without an espresso machine. After finding seats on a
comfortable sofa, we struggled through the language barrier with the
barista-server to order a round of cappuccinos and mochas. A nearby American
businessman who knew some Albanian witnessed our trouble and graciously
assisted us.
We sipped
our drinks and enjoyed good conversation as we soaked up the local vibe.
Albanians are never in a hurry, so at every restaurant and kafe-bar they will
never bring you the check lest they appear to be rushing you, so when the time
came for us to head back we asked for our bill and paid in Albanian Leke, which
we had exchanged the night before at a bank ATM for 125 Leke to the USD.
Our first concert
would be at the “Kennedy Center,” a nursing home high up on a hill overlooking
the entire city. But of course, we wouldn't go by bus up there—no, that's for
the weak! So we took a good 40 minutes to an hour making our way up the hill by
foot, gradually leaving behind the buildings of the city and entering the peaceful
surroundings of the retirement home. The temperatures in Albania in May range
between 70 and 85, and despite the fact that this day we on the warmer end of
the scale, there was a cool breeze to keep us comfortable. As we trekked up the hill we could see that
Korçë is actually in a valley, completely surrounded by rolling hills and
snowcapped mountains, and when we finally reached the top the view was even
more incredible—it made me wish I could retire there!
We begin our ascent out of the city
The view halfway up the hill as Choralites struggle their way to the top
We sang for
the elderly and it was evident how much joy our music brought them. Music is a
universal language, and we communicated clearly with our blended harmonies
despite being unable to speak their language.
After a 30 minute concert and attempting some short, broken-English
conversations with the residents, we descended back into Korçë, returning to
the cobblestone streets and run-down buildings. We wound our way through the
city, realizing without someone who knew the way to lead us that the city's
streets create a labyrinth instead of a clear and perpendicular route. But our
memories served us well and got us back to our Hotel.
Following a
brief rest, we went to the theatre where our evening concert would be held and
spent an hour rehearsing, focusing primarily on the songs with Albanian
lyrics. The Albanian language is not
particularly difficult for the American tongue to speak, as they do not have
sounds that are unfamiliar, but trying strenuously to remember words that meant
nothing more than gibberish to us was difficult. Evidently our efforts paid off as the
Albanian lyrics about doctrines of unity, strength, and democracy resonated
with the hearts of our audience. When we would begin to sing a song in
Albanian, the concert-goers would come alive, swaying and clapping to the music,
and it brought an interesting sense of oneness between the Chorale members and
our Albanian audience.
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