Buzz! My alarm went off at
7:00 a.m. and for a brief moment I was grieved at having to leave the comfort
and warmth of my cozy bed. But then in a rush of heavenly bliss came over me as
I realized that I had forgotten to turn off my alarm the night before, and
today was the first day in a while that we got to sleep in—finally!
The snooze button is generally my
favorite among buttons to push (right before elevator buttons whose novelty has
not worn off since my pre-school years), and I got to use it liberally that
morning before joining my Chorale group at the Abraham Lincoln Center, a
language learning institute in downtown Tirana that teaches Albanian, English,
German, and Italian. This center is fascinating as it was built in 1997 shortly
after the turnover of communism. The country was in shambles and economically
hurting, which meant it was a crucial yet incredibly difficult time for a
non-profit educational center. However, a group of bold American Christian men were
not concerned for their own welfare, but for that of the country. They had a
vision to see Albanians grow in local and global leadership, the fulfillment of
which started with teaching the Albanian people the world's trade language,
English. Their mission continues by avidly seeking to equip the current and
future generation of Albanian leaders with language, communication, and
professional skills.
After touring
the center, a friend and I took advantage of an unusual afternoon off to try
out a kafe-bar that caught our attention called L'Avenue. This kafe-bar, like
many, had retractable walls that would close up at night, but in the day were
fully opened with tables and chairs spilling out on the sidewalk. This made it
so that the whole coffee shop was accessible to the day's warm breeze – both
outside and inside felt like a patio. It seemed very fancy and high-end for a
coffee shop, which was appealing to me, and the atmosphere was definitely
inviting. My friend and I took a seat at a table inside that was large enough
for a game of Dominos (we had a score to settle). We ordered cappuccinos and
sandwiches for lunch and enjoyed a lovely afternoon with fantastic
California-esque weather. The corner in which we were seated had bookshelves on
either wall filled with plants, vases, paintings and Albanian literature, and there we spent the entire afternoon playing Dominos (I won) and
enjoying the cool ambience.
 |
| L'Avenue when its walls are fully opened and furniture is laid out |
When dinner
time came around we joined the rest of the Choralians and walked to a
restaurant called Arva. Once again we were partaking of a luxurious 3-course dinner,
something I was enjoying becoming accustomed to. For the appetizer we were served
salad and cooked veggies, traditional starter foods, and a dish I hadn’t seen
before that had an uncanny resemblance to baklava. Thinking it was the Albanian
version of the middle-eastern pastry, I picked one up and took a bite. To my
shock, I realized it was in fact a meat sandwich—but it was delightful! The
rest of my table followed suit and they were pleasantly surprised with this
flaky Albanian delicacy.
The
Albanian waiters and waitresses then cleared our appetizer plates to make room
for the main course. I was trading jokes with one of our servers who didn't
speak a lick of English, using some Albanian phrases I had picked up that he apparently
found entertaining to hear me say. When he brought my entree, he set it in
front of me, pointed, and said, "Sheep, sheep!" I wasn’t sure if he
was speaking English to me and informing me that this was a mutton dish, or
speaking Albanian and saying, "Shqip, shqip," which means,
"Albanian, Albanian!" Being
clueless, I replied, "Falemnderit," "Thank you," usually a
safe statement when one is clueless.
The meat,
whatever it was, was stupendous! My table partners discussed whether it was
turkey (which it looked like) or chicken (which it tasted like) or sheep (which
the guy seemed to be saying). It was served on a plate drenched with a
caramel-colored sauce that tasted like honey and salt—it complemented our
mystery meat perfectly!
No
multi-course meal is complete without dessert, and sure enough, the final course
was on its way: a small plate of cake with a cup of an espresso. My, oh my, if
that wasn't the most perfect ending to a meal, I don't know what is! The coffee
was exquisite, as had been my experience with all Albanian coffee to this point,
and the cake delectable. O Country of Albania, aside from your burgers, you
continue to impress me with your appetizing food—may your culinary abilities
live long and prosper!
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