The Calm after the Storm...

After a very busy weekend (the storm), I had a relatively calm and relaxing week (the calm).  On Monday, I had the opportunity to go to Emin Duraku Upper Elementary (middle school) with Teuta to visit four of her 8th grade classes.  In all of the classes, there were students with good English skills and they asked many good questions.  They always want to know differences between school in the U.S. and Kosovo.  I always find that a hard question, because I can only really speak to schools I have taught in and mostly just the school district I taught in last.  The U.S. so big and everywhere is different, so it is hard to generalize.

I can say that the facilities and technology are definitely better in Middleton schools than in Kaçanik.  Middleton probably has better facilities and technology than some other schools in the U.S. as well, but I am also sure there are schools with far better as well.  The curriculum is nationwide in Kosovo and I believe that many schools are using the same curriculum and textbooks for English.  In my experience in the U.S., as long as you meet the state and national standards, there is more flexibility and more use of resources beyond a standardized curriculum.  In Middleton, our school district, schools and teachers chose the textbooks that we used and developed the curriculum for their classes based on the standards.

In the U.S., teachers spend a lot of time perfecting and personalizing (individualizing) their curriculum, and reflecting on teaching strategies.  School days are much longer for both students and staff.  My school day in the U.S., started around 8:15 am and went until 3:45 pm.  Typically, I would arrive a 8 am to prepare the lab and to get materials ready for the day and I rarely left before 4 pm (and often much later).  Students arrived around 8:10 am and often stand after school for sports and clubs.  I also did grading and curriculum development at home in the evenings.  In the U.S., I typically had 5 classes  (43 minutes long) , 1 hour of supervision, 22 minute advisory, and one planning period each day.  The day also included a 30 minute lunch break.  Most teachers in the U.S., have a classroom to teach in and students travel to them especially in middle and high school.  

The teachers that I have worked with here, have a much more variable schedule.  Some teachers may only teach in the morning or in the afternoon.  Some may teach class during both times.  Teachers show up to teach their classes and leave after they are done.  I have not had a regular schedule here as I started during the last few weeks of senior classes and many of the senior classes were cancelled.  My counterpart had mostly senior classes.

Here, there is a split schedule and students attend high school either from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm or 2 pm to 7 pm.  There are 5 minutes between classes (with a 10 minute break between some classes).  Students stay in the classroom and teachers do the traveling.  In between classes, teachers are in the teacher's lounge.  

In Middleton, attendance, grades, participation, and behavior are all tracked in computerized systems, although some teachers will keep records in physical grade books of their own.  Here, student information is kept in physical record books that are shared among their teachers.  Now in Middleton, our curriculum is also all in class management systems as well.  This is as a result of Covid.  

The last school that I worked in, was Kromrey Middle School, which was completely rebuilt in and reopened in September or October 2014.  It is now almost 10 years old, but it is still a very modern school with interactive white boards and projectors in each classroom.  There is probably more technology that has been added since I retired.  The main classroom areas are in a pod formation with glass walls that can be opened to a central area for project work or work between combined classes.  There is a large library, large cafeteria with a stage, gym, field house, music and band rooms, art rooms, a community room, tech ed rooms, computer labs, sensory rooms, conference rooms, and an exercise room.  I know I was fortunate to have worked in this facility.

On Monday, I had the upper primary classes, Tuesday I was at the regular high school for 4 classes, and on Friday at the regular high school for 2 classes.  I did not have classes at the vocational high school this week.

On Tuesday, the class at the vocational school got moved to earlier time and I did not have time to walk there.  It was fortunate, because the literal storm hit.  We had a huge hailstorm and I would have been walking to school and would have been bombarded by hail.  Fortunately the rest of the week the weather has been fairly calm.  On Thursday, we took the bus into Ferizaj for language lessons and I was able to get a few needed food items there.  I have been looking for brown lentils and dried garbanzo and found both at store near the cafe we met in for language lessons.  Thom stayed in Ferizaj Thursday night with Noah (volunteer from our group) and then went on to Prizren to help with a clean up project at the national park on Friday.

Hailstorm taken from the safety of our balcony

Vine covered balconies

Church in Ferizaj

Wednesday, we took a walk to Guri i Zi (Black Rock) Restaurant.  It is about 2 miles to the restaurant from our apartment and it was a very uphill climb.  We took the less traveled road there and saw pack mules and cows.  There was an animal pen at Guri i Zi with goats, baby goats, peacocks, hens, rooster, and guinea fowl.  We spent several hours there in the outdoor sheltered seating.  We studied a bit, had dinner and relaxed, before walking back down to our apartment.

The view of Kaçanik from our walk to Guri i Zi

The road we will take down is across the way

The road less traveled to Guri i Zi

Pack mule

As we first see Guri i Zi

This peacock in full feather, he seems to be chasing the goats

A handwashing station before entering

The entrance to the restaurant

Guri i Zi

Nice glass of wine with dinner

Dinner at Guri i Zi, checkered tablecloth and all

The peacocks head to the top of the buildings as we leave (nightly roost??)

Wild strawberries along the road

Trash dump on the hillside along the road, Mt. Ljuboten in the background

The view as we walk back from Guri i Zi

It was a nice quiet week in Kaçanik.

Beautiful clouds -- Friday in Kaçanik

Two girls painting at the House of Culture

We have no power but friendship...

I could have titled this blog two proms and two hikes as those were the events of the weekend.  We hiked both Saturday and Sunday (over 60,000 steps, ~20 miles, or ~29 k) and I attended the proms at both Feriz Guri dhe Vellezerit Çaka professional school and Gjimnasi Skenderbeu high school.  But the weekend was less about the events and more about the people I met along the way.

I had language lesson Friday afternoon and once again, I am very pleased with Shpresim.  He agreed to come to Kaçanik again, because of the prom which I really appreciated.   After he left at 6 pm, I quickly made dinner and then hurried to get ready for the prom as Gazmend was picking me up at 7 pm.  The prom was at the Restaurant Art which is a wedding hall and I could not walk there.  

Prom #1

Students gathered at the school and a bus took them to the Restaurant Art (sallë dasmash or wedding hall).  One day, in class, two senior girls told me that students don't have dates to the prom.  They all go together as a class and it is to celebrate the end of high school.   The students said that I must attend, so this was always in the plan.  We entered the hall and there are four large tables for teachers just inside the door.  The dance floor is next and the student tables were at the back of the room.  I see one of the girls from class and I didn't recognize her at first, as she is so transformed in her glittery gown and makeup .  Just like in the U.S., they have their hair done and make up perfected.  The girls have on fancy gowns and the guys are in suits or tuxes.  The professional school is 70% male (I think) and so there are definitely more guys than girls, but it didn't seemed to matter and everyone looked to be enjoying themselves.

Shortly after we arrived, the teachers were already pushing two big round tables together and a teacher (Samira, mechanical engineering teacher) that I have met before motioned for me to sit.  She has so much energy and she was not seated next to me for long.  But that was alright, as I quickly met another English teacher (Selami) and he moved to sit by me so we can talk.  As always, I am greeted by other teachers and although my language skills are limited and many do not speak English well, I feel welcomed.  Selami invites me with Thom to his house sometime to meet his family.

I find that the proms here are more like wedding receptions in the U.S.  The tables have table clothes with place settings and not long after we sat down, they are serving individual appetizer of salami, cheeses, and a single rolled tortilla.  Through the course of the evening an entire meal is served.  After some dancing for a bit, they served salads.  Then there is more dancing and they serve a meal of some kind of beef, chicken cutlet, and pasta.  The proms in Middleton, do not include dinner and students go out to restaurants with their friends before prom starts. 

At the proms here in Kaçanik, dancing was as a group in a large circle (or circles).  Everyone seemed to know the dance and joined in.  Fortunately, we learned how to dance the basic steps to the circle dance for celebrations during Peace Corps training.  The teachers invited me to the dance floor at both proms and sometimes I was between teachers and sometimes students.  Everyone holds hands as they dance in a circle and it was fun.  The music is very traditional (I think) and the teachers had as much fun as the students.  I danced for a bit, but I returned to a seat when the dance floor was just too crowded and the song was too fast.  

A teacher that I have not met before was seated next to me before I was dancing, but I was busy talking with Selami and then the music was too loud to talk.  She spoke English which she said was not good even though I understood her just fine.  We were able to talk when the music stopped.  She was just so welcoming and easy to talk with.  I felt a great connection.  Her name is Mirevete.  She is a biology teacher, but she did teach English when there was a lack of English teachers.  After the war, she made friends with people from Kosovo Force (Kfor) the Nato-led international peacekeeping force and she was able to practice English with them.  We plan to get together this summer and she can improve her English and I can work on Albanian.  There was another teacher who sat next to Mirevete and she also spoke a little English.  She understood our conversation, but also would like to work on conversational English.  Both teachers live outside of Kaçanik, but not too far away.  The party was still going on, when Gazmend and Selami took me home at midnight.  They returned to the celebration they was supposed to go until 2 am.  For me the prom was amazing, because of the teachers I met there.

On Saturday, we shared even more friendship with the group from Gjethi and some friends from Switzerland.  Sami picked us up at 8 am for our hike from Kaçanik to the waterfall in Korbliq.  This was the same location that we painted the picnic tables at several weeks ago.  This is a special hike as a Swiss couple (Heimi and Elisabeth) are visiting for the hike.  The couple has supported many efforts in Kosovo including work that Gjethi has done.  Elisabeth has written several books about Kosovo and came to Kosovo as a journalist in 1998 as the war broke out.  The link talks about the work she had done.  The group for the hike included Valon and his wife, Sami, Remzi's brother, and several friends.  Remzi was in charge of meeting us with food.  We drove to the trailhead and started walking.  We arrived first at a very nice picnic area with a beautiful view.   Gjethi was responsible for creating and maintaining the site.  We have had a lot of rain and some of the trails were a little muddy, but it was a fairly easy hike. 

Along the trail

Mt. Ljuboten in the distance

Horses in the field

Picnic tables in the picnic area

A map made and placed by Gjethi

Picnic table and sign by Gjethi

The view from the picnic area

Our second stop was at the Ramajli family summer home. They were waiting for us with Remzi and they welcomed us for a short break under a sheltered picnic table. We came to find out that patriarch of the Ramajli family was present as the country of Kosovo came into being in 2008. Thom told me that he signed the constitution. During his speech, which Valon translated, he was talking about Kosovo as a country. He talked about how Kosovo is a small country, with limited resources and then he stated (as was translated by Valon) that "we have no power but friendship" and seems to me that many people in Kosovo believe in importance of cultivating friendship with the guest in their country as they are some of friendliest people I have ever met. Because of this, Kosovo is an amazing place to be serving in. After snacks, juice and a little rakia, we started hiking again. Rakia is a local alcohol that is made of plums and it tastes like the slivovitz that I have had from Tomas's family (former exchange student from the Czech Republic that lived with us in 2011 / 2012). I am told that it is called slivovitz in Serbia and in other balkan countries as well.

Wood oven

Ramajli summer home

The view

Heimi, Elisabeth and others enjoyed a short rest along the way

Thom was carrying a drill and as we hiked toward the waterfall, there were several signs along the way that needed to be fixed. We stopped while the rest of the group goes on. Remzi and the group from the summer house drove ahead with the picnic food to the platform by the waterfalls.

Monument to someone who died in their war

The group hikes on

Sami fixes the sign

Two horses run by

Another sign to repair

This sign was used for target practice

We arrived to the waterfalls to more friendship and food including flija, sausage (grilled on a fire by the river), tomatoes, cucumbers, spicy peppers, and other ttraditional baked goods. There was also a nice red wine "Vranac". Vranac is a balkan variety of grape and the wine is very good. It was at the waterfall that I find out that Elisabeth was an author and has written several books about Kosovo.

Our picnic

Elisabeth, Thom and Heimi

Roasting sausage over the fire

Vranac Wine

Packing up and moving on

A fence along the way

A bridge over the river

The wet and muddy trail

After lunch, there was discussion on travel back to Kaçanik. There was not enough room for us all in the vehicles, but some did not want to hike the trails back. It was decided that the Swiss couple, Thom, Valon, Remzi's brother, a friend and I would walk to a Restorant te Shtushte that is on the way to Viti from the waterfalls. Sami left with the first group as his daughter is senior and was going to the prom. We were told that it is not a long hike, but it was along the newly built road and the sun was warm. We were walking on asphalt and it felt longer than expected. Several cars would return to the restaurant after delivering the first carload to take us back to Kaçanik. Eventually, Elisabeth was tired and Valon flagged down a passing car and got Heimi and Elisabeth a ride to the restaurant. It was the outdoor restaurant that we stopped at the last time we were at the waterfall. When we arrived, we found Heimi and Elisabeth and we sat down to enjoy a refreshment with our new friends. We enjoyed watching prom goers (likely from Viti) getting their pictures taken in the beautiful setting. We were at the restaurant only a short time before we headed back to Kaçanik. We said good bye to Heimi and Elisabeth who rode in the other car. We hope to meet this amazing couple again if they return to Kosovo before our services is over.

The appetizer

Valon was able to pick me up to met the director at the school for prom #2. We met at the school at 8 pm and waited for one more person to join us before we headed to Restaurant Art. We waited for Anastasia, who is a senior, but attended a private school in Ferizaj on a scholarship. She has many friends at the prom and the director invited her to attend.

Anastasia is a very articulate young lady and she was quite comfortable at our table of adults. Her English was extremely good. I found out that her mother is from Kaçanik and went to school with Valon. Her father is Greek and does not live in Kaçanik. She wants to go into medicine and hopes to attend the university in Prishtine. Her exam for medical school is in July 22nd and she will not know until after the exam what she will be doing next year. I hear this often from the seniors that I have talked to. The must first pass and exam and then the are accepted to universities. She also told me that there was a promenade along the river earlier (I believe at 5 pm) and seniors were paired up in their formal wear and they walked along the river in the city center. She said that she really liked that part of the prom. I am sorry that I missed it, but we were still making our way back to Kaçanik. She showed me a picture of her and her partner. I hope that I will see it next year.

We were in a bigger room for this prom than last night's prom and it is more formal and there were more students. It really looked like a wedding reception. I danced with the teachers and students before dinner. All the teachers were amazing, but I am most impressed by the students. After dinner, one students came and sat beside me and asked me how I was doing and if I was enjoying myself. She was so nice and asked if I wanted to join the dance.

The director was so kind and has been so welcoming. He gave a speech and introduced me. He gave me a pen and referenced Madeleine Albright how she used her pen to sign and support the beginning of Kosovo as a country. I felt really honored, but I was also surprised to be called up in front of the everyone. Once again, I am amazed how people love Americans and I hope I will honor America in how I complete my Peace Corps service.

A gift from the school

Sunday's hike was yet another chance to connect with the people of Kaçanik through its hiking club. The hike was beautiful as the pictures below will show, but it is more about the people. There was easiness from the group in accepting newcomers (there were four high school girls joining for the first time) and today they have given Thom and I nicknames. Thom is "Ramadan" or "Danny" for short and I am "Havësh" or "Hava". There are all ages in the group and everyone is accepted and the older members take care of the new members. At our first rest stop, Enis pulls out a thermos of coffee and a bottle of water to share. He was telling the girls about the water as he offers it to them and I understood that the water has white flowers and that the flowers must rest in the water for 48 hours. Then the flowers are strained out and sugar is added. He offered me some and I immediately recognized the taste of elder flower. Fatmir (an English teacher on the hike) translated the Albanian name for the type of flower and it is indeed elder flower. The homemade elder flower water was very refreshing. Enis explained in Albanian and I understood a bit of it.

Enis showed me the elder flowers growing along the trail on the way up and I would like to go back and pick some. They flowers will only last through the end of May. I now realized that the three boys that came to the door of our apartment one day were trying to sell me a bag elder flowers that they had picked, but I didn't understand or I would have bought them. There were several debates along the way of where we should go, but eventually we end up in a meadow by a spring close to small pond. We had an amazing time as one member (Kjani Dema) brought a guitar and one of the high school girls had the most amazing voice. They sang old Albanian songs, grilled sausage, made tea, and relaxed. On one point a group of cows came up right next us. One cow grabbed one of the hiking shirts that was airing out on a rock wall and ran off with it. The owner of the shirt tried to get it out of the cows mouth, but the cow ran off. Eventually the cow dropped it and man retrieved his shirt. There were two large dogs with the cows and they kept the cows together as they grazed the meadow area.

Hiking with the group is a great way for us to meet people. Some speak English which is helpful and others are more that willing to help us to use Albanian. I walked with a 9th grader, Emira, whose English was so good and she was so mature for her age. She has come on hikes before with her dad, but he was not with her today as he had decided to go fishing instead. She still came on the hike and I talked with her quite a bit. She knows the English teacher, Fatmir, as he teaches at her school and has also tutors her. At one point she told me that the girl who is singing has a voice like an angel. What great command of the English language Emira has.

Photos from the hike with the hiking club

Looking back at Kaçanik as we hike

A cemetery along the way

Kaçanik from afar

Hiking toward the mountains

Coffee is served

The dog followed us from Kaçanik

The fire is smokey as the wood is a little wet

The dog is tired from the long walk

Kjani with guitar and the girl with the beautiful voice

Grilling sausage and making tea

A butterfly in hand

Flower crowns and selfies

We are joined by cows

The cow snatches a shirt

The yellow shirt is hanging from it's mouth

Tea is brewing and lemons are waiting

Tea in glass teacups

A spring for water

Waiting along the way

The views are really nice

Mining on the hillside across from us

To protect the highway

Our view of the highway

Stairs are constructed to climb the rockface

Sometimes I wondered how much difference I will make at school, however; like Kosovo, I have no power but friendships. I will continue to work on connecting and making friends.