After three months: some thoughts about Albania

Can't believe that almost three months has passed since my arrival to Albania. My big project here has come to an end meaning it is now time to move onward and pursue for more radical changes in my life. Now that I have spent three months here, I feel like sharing some of my thoughts about Albania and Tirana.

Only in Albania...

...one can get their daily excercise when taking the rubbish out. Actually, this is the first place where people use public rubbish bins as a landmark: "Do you know that coffee shop near the rubbish bins..."

...one can (and sometimes must) reserve a table in a COFFEE SHOP.

...I find myself buying L and XL size clothes.

...I am not the only one who likes to wear hair on a ballet bun.

...each coffee shop, restaurant and bar has their own strict rules about expressing love. While in some places mere kissing is strictly forbidden, in other, otherwise similar places one can see public foreplaying.

...waiter will run from the other end of a coffee shop/restaurant/bar to open you the door. How kind! In general, Albanian customer service personnel are extremely polite and ready to help you at all situations.

...unlike in the other Balkan countries, people of different religions are not simly coexisting but actually cohabitating with each other. I have actually met quite a few multi-religious families. Go Albania, show example to the neighbors!

...This is also the first Balkan capital where I haven't been ripped of by the taxi drivers.

As you can see, quite a few of my reflections are related to the coffee shops. I have spent hours and hours using the internet in coffee shops. I'm now quite used to drinking at least three cups of coffee every day. How on earth can I continue this lifestyle if I ever decide to return to London or some other dead expensive European city?

"Caricature of an Albanian": big, messy bun, dark purple lipstick and cat eyes.
Do you agree with my caricature? ;)

Actually, I've also got a lot to say about my job and project here. However, in order not to ruin my last day in Albania, I will write more about these experiences a bit later. Probably everyone knows that things never go exactly as planned. All I can say that rather often, nothing goes as planned. Better to remember this simple fact of life especially when pursuing for a radical change abroad.