Traditional Dancing at the Opra House

In the center of Tirana is the Natural History Museum, the Statue of Skanderbeg, Et'hem Bey Mosque, and the opera house. We had the privilege of attending a cultural event at the opera house this week. 

We went to see a ballet, which I thought was going to be more like women and men in tight pink suites on their tippy toes dancing to classical music. I was completely wrong. The dancers were all dressed in traditional Albanian garb and the music was traditional also. The music was performed by a live group.

They used instruments such as the bouzouki, buzuq, tambora, and sargija. These are all stringed instrument almost like a small guitar or banjo. There were drums like the davul and dayereh which kept very specific rhythms to Albanian music. There were reed instruments like the clarinet, which would execute extremely melodic solos. The other reed instruments would play a different melody giving the music a polyphonic sound at times. The director himself was playing an accordion. He would lead and direct the music using his head and facial expressions toward the band members. The music was mysterious, inspiring, and extremely enjoyable. It made me want to dance, and sing; we all clapped at various times during the performance.

The dancing was extremely impressive. There were many group numbers in which the men and women would dance to their respective roles. There were many traditional circle dances. Normally everyone would dance separate, boys and girls, but there would always be one or two couples dancing together. There were various numbers that told a story of love and adventure. The dances were full of energy and the dancers and band members had smiles on the entire time. 

There were a few vocal pieces. One of which was an accapella number. I was extremely impressed by the sound of the group. In the U.S. our music is divided into whole and half steps. In Albania they have quarter steps making their music sound very mysterious and intriguing. I absolutely love the performance.

A Pilgrimage to the Church of Shna Ndout in the city of Laç

In a small town an hour north of Tirana is a site many Central and Northern Albanians hold as sacred. As a brief religious history, Orthodoxy was adopted by many Albanians with direction from the Greeks. With conquests of the Ottomans and the Romans, Islam and Catholicism respectively also were introduced into the Albanian society. The central part of Albania has a mix of the three religions. The further north you go, the more a catholic influence will be seen. The further south you go, the stronger the Islam influences are seen.

Lying in Northern Albania is a small town by the name of Laç which is notorious specifically for the Kisha e Shna Ndout or the "Church of Saint Anthony." The church itself is unseen from the highway and the main part of town then requiring taxi or a long walk up a mountain to get there. A number of friends of ours mentioned that many worshippers treat the church as a site of pilgrimage, so we felt desirous to participate, and made the long, uphill walk.

Up the winding roads and countless stairs we ascended without a glimpse of the church until right near the top we saw it; a large, beautiful, rustic church complete with a convent and courtyard with all the necessities for Catholic worship service. To the side of the building was a cave lined with lit candles. Inside this cave we found more candles, many pictures of people, and written prayers offered up.

A friend relayed to us the importance of this cave as it is said that this is where Saint Anthony lived and where his spirit still resides. People now often put their head up into this indented hole in the roof of the cave where it is said Saint Anthony will touch the person. It is unclear how large the cave actually is since it is gated off but there are claims that as people pray, light candles, submit offerings, or even spend the night there that miracles happen in their lives.

Prior to the roads and steps being built, the path was rocky and steep often requiring the use of ropes to complete the climb. Yet the sick and mothers with young children would still make the climb as a part of their pilgrimage. Our pilgrimage to and around the grounds of the Kisha e Shna Ndout led us into the ornate chapel, the outdoor chapel, and to a large cross sitting just above the church at the peak of the mountain.

After completing our descent, our legs were shaky, faces sweaty, and bodies a bit dehydrated but were in agreement that it was well worth the energy to see this historic piece of religious history for Catholic Albanians.

House of Hoxha

From our window at the office we have a wonderful view of the house of the old dictator Enver Halil Hoxha. It is quite appropriate, as we are interested in leadership, to have a view of the house of one of Albania's most historically influential and recent leaders. Hoxha was the communist dictator of Albania from 1944 to 1985. Under his dictatorship Albania became a more self-sufficient nation. He brought down the illiteracy rate and even was able to match it with some western countries. He made Albania agriculturally self-sufficient. He implemented equality for women in Albania, which previously was an extremely patriarchal society in which women had little rights. Under Hoxha Albania became an atheist state, wherewith all religious centers were closed down. He placed thousands of concrete bunkers all over the country to be used as outposts or protection from attacks. He wanted Albania to be able to thrive on its own without any need or influence from imperlialistic western powers. Despite some of the benefits of his dictatorship he also, like communist dictators before and after him, instituted secret police, harsh laws, and placed an iron fist on the people, and so many perished.

Albania has changed a lot since the fall of communism. The bunkers and factories lay waste and rusting throughout the nation. They are as historical monuments of a time not so long ago. Tirana within just the last ten years has doubled its infrastructure with more people and businesses having moved into the city. There are now at least two political parties competing for office. People are able to enjoy religious freedoms. The country has been working to fix its own internal problems to be able to reach its goal of joining the E.U. in the future. Albania is progressing. Here we sit in the office watching people busily bustle around all day, and see the city is rise above this house, leaving it and its past behind as the nation reaches upward towards a bright future of success.

Kruje and the Hero of Albania

I had the privilege to visit the city of Kruje this weekend. It is about a 30-40 min drive outside Tirana. The landscape is stunning with the majestic mountains overlooking the vally of farmland and smaller communities in Tirana's periphery. Kruje is located on the mountain side and overlooks the mountainous region leading into the Adriatic Sea. Many of the houses had a traditional Mediterranean style flavor in their architecture with salmon colored tiled roofs and white or walls. It was a colder than Tirana due to the altitude change. Cities like Durres could be seen from the higher part of the Kruje.

Kruje is also the location of the castle of Skenderbej, one of Albania's most influential and important historical figures. His real name is Gjergj Kastrioti (George Castrioti). He is from the Kastrioti family, which at the time was a family from a territory in northern Albania. As a child he was raised and studied with the Turks. He became a military expert and moved his way up in the ranks until he eventually became a commander, otherwise known as a bey. Eventually he abandoned the Turks and returned to his home in Albania. He rallied many of the Northern tribes of Albania to defend against the Ottomans. They never defeated Skenderbej for the duration of his life. His military genius kept the Ottomans from flooding into Europe, and the Pope named him defender of Christianity.

Skenderbej was more than just a military genius. He was also a statesman and a successful in foreign affairs. He, with his diplomats, secured good relations with kingdoms all the way from Skandenavia to the edge of the Iberian Peninsula. He is a key figure in the role of leadership in Albania. He demonstrated skills of a successful leader in bringing people together and overcoming obstacles. 

Introduction to the Blog

To get this blog kicked off properly, we would like to first express our gratitude to our employers at the Instituti I Lidershipit and other coordinators for this opportunity. Since arriving in Tirana, many people have asked us why we chose to come to Albania. True, it isn’t the first place most people think of when they plan vacations to European destinations. Many would choose Paris or Prague, London or Lisbon but it was Tirana that offered an amazing once in a lifetime opportunity.

Albania is a country with a high potential for greatness. With a rich history of strength through adversity, Albanians are no strangers to rebounding from less than favorable circumstances and is on the rise again. After great regional turmoil more than a decade ago, Albania’s economy is at the beginning of a growth spurt. The infrastructure has made the country nearly unrecognizable from its past. And the political structure is progressing as the people become more involved in the political process. With such potential, why would a person not desire to live and work in Albania?

In this blog, we invite you to take a seat in our virtual car as we experience the beauty of Albania for the very first time. Our hope is that you, as the reader and our virtual passenger, will see a side of Albania that you have never expected and gain a perspective of positivity and progression of this amazing nation.

Becoming acquainted with Albania

Tirana is a beautiful city. The average day starts at about 6 or 7 in the morning. Fruit vendors set up their stands. Cafes begin to open their doors. Bakeries fill the streets with the aroma of fresh bread like a warm temptation. And people begin to walk, drive, and bike to work. The traffic is not terrible, and it is not such a busy city. It is more of a comfortable, confident city. There are busy bodies yes, but there is still time to stop and chat for a half hour or so. There are many apartment buildings of many different colors, adding personality to the infrastructure. All day the streets are filled with different aromas coming from Italian, French, Albanian, and Turkish restaurants. Being on the Mediterranean, Albania has been infused with many other cultures that have affected the food they eat, their dress, and even their language.

Albanian is the a decsendant of the Ilyrian language. It is known as one of the more difficult languages to learn because of the tough grammar. Many of the rising generation speak English quite well. In any given nicer restaurant at least one server will speak English. Many will speak Italian, Greek, and Turkish depending on what part of Albania they are from. The food is all fresh! It is a very satisfying experience to eat fresh cheese and bread, or stone oven baked pizzas and fresh pastas. The ingredients are of much higher quality and much richer than in my own country in my opinion. I love the Food!

There is a traditional ethical code in Albania called "Besa". It is a code of integrity to live true to one's word. Together with that is a code of hospitality; to take care of and protect those in your care. The Albanians have a history of opening their homes to those in need. In WWII many Jews fled to Albania where they were welcomed openly. The Albanians would have protected the Jews to the death. Again during the Serbian War, many Kosovars (who are technically ethnically Albanians) flooded into the north of Albania seeking refuge. It is a respectful and inspirational code and way of life, to show such compassion on others.

Albania has a rich and vast amount of history. It has undergone two imperial conquests, namely Rome and the Ottomans. It has also endured a communist dictatorship. To see the country now, it is impressive after learning of its history, to see how it has progressed. Though Albania has a lot to work on, progress and opportunity are ever present.

- January 2015
Jesse B.