Tirane-My First Week

I sense that when most of us start a new job; the first week is a blur of activity, greetings, and names, places,events, and confusion as the brain attempts to sort it all out. This scenario certainly captures my first week full week in Tirane.

My Program Manager(read boss) has been gracious in accommodating my transition into the team and my co-workers have helped in more ways than I can count. I have been welcomed by the US Ambassador(Red Sox fan) to Albania; the Director General of the Albanian State Police; multiple subordinate Police figures; PAMECA representatives from England and my grocer(s) at Conad Italian Supermarket.The clerks who chuckle as I read my Italian dictionary; so I can become knowledgeable about the store and products(this is a whole story in it self)!!

I attended a graduation at the Albanian State Police Academy where FBI agents had conducted some valuable officer survival training for select members of the Albanian State Police.
This picture shows the trainers: American ICITAP(my program) advisor an Albanian translator(who is worth his weight in gold). (A note: the translators that I have met possess a mastery of the English language that could put most Americans to shame.) I watched the FBI led training; including car stops and room clearing and entry tactics. I observed excellent hands on training with very attentive and capable instructors.

My new office(read really small) is in a former hotel that is now the headquarters of the Albanian State Police. An interesting design concept in Albania; no centralized heating system resulting in frigid office corridors and excessive use of space heaters. You do not linger in the hallways! Also, inside the Headquarters is a nice Cafe that also serves alcohol. My translator noted my surprise and informed me that was a hold over from the "old" days.

The weather has been absolutely spectacular, with only one day with any rain. It was more of a Portland drizzle and only messed up traffic a little bit. Speaking of traffic, I drove for the first time on Saturday in my slightly scratched and repaired Mitsubishi 4x4. Let me see if I can describe a traffic circle in Albania; have you ever poured a bag of chocolate chip morsels into cookie batter? Okay, imagine them all on top and then you turn on the Kitchenaid mixer and they all merge into this dough; that is traffic in the circles of Tirane and just like the dough you stick to everyone else in the drive around the circle...the fun is trying to separate from the far left and turning right unto your street and yes, it can be done!!

One of my finer moments this past week was renting an apartment. My real estate agent found about 5-6 different locations for viewing. The apartments were all relatively modern and varied in located from first floor villas to 11th story high-rise. After the tour I selected an apartment on the third floor of a four story secure building. The apartment is located above the Swedish Embassy, ensuring electricity and safety.It is a two bedroom, one bath that has been completely remodeled, including a brand new Italian designed kitchen and bathroom.

The apartment has a great view of the valley, surrounding 'hood and secure parking for residents and it is within walking distance to the Embassy. Here's the view:

My real adventure this past week was going for a walk after breakfast on Saturday. I walked through the "millionaire's market" (for the higher cost-aimed at foreigners) with my co-workers.

Many of the vegetables are imported from neighboring countries, i.e., Italy and Greece and are of very high quality...just make sure you wash in mixed bleach and water solution!! Continuing through the stalls and shops, we passed large nut displays; fish stalls; butcher shop and one large olive display.

The final destination during our visit to the market was the fresh fowl section. You select the chicken, turkey or duck of your choice. You pay and it is killed and plucked if you wish(for an added fee). I did not spend to much time here.

My next week entails meeting the Minister of Interior; participating in a promotional process; reviewing a material request from one of the departments I work with and getting ready for a "road trip" to Berat.This will be a sightseeing and wine tasting adventure. I think I can do this!!!

Albania: My new home

The plane trip from the United States was normal; minor delays enough to aggravate, not enough to damper the excitement of the challenges ahead.

I had a most delightful seatmate who is a contributing editor for Vanity Fair. She was on her way to Rome to begin teaching a journalism class. She has written an excellent piece on the Amanda Knox trial and as a result of concerns raised by her about the trial and the press, she was offered this opportunity to instruct in Italy.A great forum to reach young minds and to present contemporary "freedom of press" issues in real time.

Tirane has been much more than I was led to believe. After my arrival and depositing my baggage in my spacious two bedroom second floor apartment located behind the University, we set off for the United States Embassy. The Embassy is about 2-3 blocks from the apartment and is a secure compound behind a very tall yellow wall.

My first impressions: well, I have never seen so many used/aged Mercedes Benz vehicles in my life. I saw the meat delivery man take out a slab of beef from his trunk and a farmer unload his goods from an MB station wagon. Great commercial opportunity for a longevity piece for MB!! People walking everywhere on sidewalks, in the streets with black the predominant color of clothing for men and women.

Today we went to Kruja(cruel-ya) to visit the ancient fortress of Gjergj (George) Kastrioti who took the name Scanderbeg after his capture(20 years a captive) and escape from the Ottomans. He is a National Hero and his armies held the Ottoman Turks at bay and it was not until his death that the Ottomans finally conquered Albania.


Kruja is a mountain town with a sharp turning road up the mountains to the castle. The narrow road is bordered by houses and store fronts with small garden plots behind the residences. The land is tough in Kruja, quite like the rocky soil in other parts of the Adriatic Sea. The chickens run loose throughout the city and a dairy cow or two are pastured behind the homes. Through the center of town just below the walls of the fortress runs a public bazaar that was started by the Ottoman Turks over 500 years ago...the street is cobblestone with an ancient gutter running down the middle. The shops are a treat to walk through and watch handwoven rugs being made; sheepskin slippers and pounded brass and copper and silver, lots of silver.


The castle was designed as part of a five fortress design that communicated an approaching enemy force through smoke signals. Kruja was the critical component to the alert system as it occupies the highest ground of the five fortresses affording the garrison there the ability to see the other fortress's signals in case of danger. Standing on the upper walls we could see across the valley below locating the strategically placed fortresses and barely just barely the Adriatic Sea to the West- Southwest and to the Northwest we could see the Mountains of Montenegro.

An excellent day to see Kruja, no rain, good food and conversation.

My brother

I had planned to post a message from Atlanta as I waited for my transatlantic fight to Rome and then on to Tirane. So much has changed... many of you know by now that my brother, Dane Clark Paresi was one of the seven US civilians killed in the suicide bombing in FOB Camp Chapman on December 30, 2009. I will remain in the United States to honor my brother and console my family; delaying my departure until January 14, 2010.