Vacation! Pushime!

I just returned from my August pushim (vacation) of 4 days: Pogradec for 2.5 and Bishqem for 1.5, with a train ride in between. And they were FULL days…needing many days of recovery.

Pogradec:
I got on the Thursday 5:15am bus to take me to Pogradec to visit quite the beautiful city with quite the wonderful volunteers. Coming down the mountain and seeing Lake Ohrid is amazing. And walking along the lake in the public park in the evening with the cool, fresh air with friends makes it even better. Visit included a trip to Tushemisht, a visit to a place where Enver Hoxha would vacation, dinners out, and, of course, a circle dance. The highlight for me though was a paddleboat: my affection for those won’t die.

Train to Bishqem:
Matthew and I took the train for a 4.5 hour, $1.60 trip from Pogradec to Bishqem (Matthew had a wedding, too). The train probably didn’t go over 40mph, giving us lots of opportunities to stand with our heads out the window watching the scenery. We have determined that to ride on that train comfortably, you should be 5 ft, 10 inches. When we got off at Bishqem, at least 3 people asked us if we really meant to get off there and about 30 more gave us some strange looks. Why would these 2 Americans get off in a village? Well, we had weddings to attend!!!!!


Ah, the wedding…
Sunday
8:30am: Leave my house to go to the hairdresser where Xhuli was
9am: Arrive at the groom’s house to loud music, circle dancing, and lots of kisses; get a chocolate

9:30am: Leave the groom’s house to go to the bride’s house, including swerving cars, videographers hanging out of sun roofs and loud music in the car
10am: Arrive at bride’s for more loud music; get a chocolate
10:30am: Bride and groom go in one car BACK to the groom’s house to see their new bedroom (they’ll move to Italy next week though) and dancing resumes; get a chocolate
11am: Return home

…9.5 hour break at this point included a trip to the aunt’s to visit (life is a lot easier now that I understand Albanian more), conversations with my host mom, feeding the turkeys, and a long nap in the heat; Xhuli was in Elbasan with her fiancé so no quality “sister” time got to take place…

8:30pm: Picked up by Nardi and arrive at hairdressers where Xhuli is AGAIN (awkward conversation with Nardi begins)
9pm: Arrive at groom’s house; get a chocolate
9:30pm: Arrive at reception hall
10:00pm: Allowed in reception hall
10:15pm: Receive a plate full of food

10:30pm: My family’s turn to dance the circle dance, and I felt honored to be an honorary member…other families continue
11:30pm: More meat and some potatoes

1am: Bride and groom finally dance
1:05am: Get more meat and told it is impolite to say no

1:30am: Dancers in traditional outfits arrive…time comes to a c.r.a.w.l.
2am: Fake snow sprayed on bride and groom (happens repeatedly throughout the evening)
2:15am: No, I will not eat a shish-kabob at 2:15am

2:20am: Bride and groom dance alone but don’t look that happy
2:25am: At one point the bride’s family got to come (their big wedding was Saturday night), but now they leave…this can’t be much longer for me, can it?
2:45am: the bride comes out in a new dress…I guess I will be here for a while…
2:55am: Photos take place. I take photos for Xhuli and the cousins. Groom asks me, “Po ti?” (and you, don’t you want a photo?), and I get in the photo but am surprised as to why-I don’t know them and they don’t know me. (The head videographer was my host brother Eri who filmed the ENTIRE, really the ENTIRE thing.)

3:15am: Ok, I still won’t eat the shish-kabob but I will have a bite of meat
3:30am: Friends of the groom are really drunk, making them even more excited about the dancing
3:40am: Xhuli and Nardi leave…I would ignore me too if I only saw my fiancé 3 times a year

4:10am: I start to dance again so I can stay awake
4:30am: Hopa Hopa is one of the many songs played at least 15 times

4:45am: Everyone dances and throws money at the bride and the groom
5:00am: Bride and groom cut the cakes and leave…no one else eats the cake
5:25am: Wedding is OVER, and I have helped clean up which includes packing up the uneaten meat (most of it) to be taken home by groom’s family; at some point the bride and groom leave (they have had a LONG weekend)
5:45am: Home to get my bag before leaving again to return to Fier; I had forgotten that Bishqem has beautiful sunrises.

Back in Fier from my break and ready for September!!!!