Another beautiful day here in Shkoder.
I have been really busy recently, but decided that as my 3 boys have been in the apartment day and night, it was time to take them out for some games. So, down to the park at the bottom of the apartment and we played with the football and throwing the frisbee. Lots of fun. My 4 year old was having a great time!
But then there came a man from the Town House and told us that we were not allowed to play on the grass!
I mean - what is that all about?!
I asked him where we could go to play and he just laughed.
He told me that in Tirana someone was playing in a park, kicked a ball and a woman with a baby was passing, the baby got hit on the head and the child died.
therefore, there was no games allowed in the park.
And that he was employed to make sure that no-one played in the park.
Now, if that is true, then it is a tragic accident for which I am sorry about!
But at the same time, i have got to say...
Has Albania gone mad?!
Is this the proper reaction?
What next?
Are they going to ban cars from the road , because there are accidents?
Stop people selling in shops because there is food poisoning?
Stop people going to the beach as some drown in the sea?
Get real!
Then an old woman sitting nearby proceeded to tell me that abroad no-one is allowed to play on the grass in the parks EVER!
Yeah!?
I told her I am a foreigner and we have many parks full of children playing.
In fact, that is their purpose.
Somewhere for the children to go to and play!!! ( maybe Albania can learn from that!!)
But, no this old woman proceeded to tell me that she had also been abroad and what she was saying was right!
I guess she must know better than me !
e martë, korrik 21, 2009
Do not play on the grass!
Abonohu te:
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Interesting article ; never knew this about the park (then again, I don't live in Shkoder). Seems this kind of crazy overprotective weirdness 'flew in' from the US. It's normal there.
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That is pretty strict. Here in NY we have the "pooper scooper" law for dogs also. Maybe that's next for Shkoder.
Interesant blogu juaj!
http://vacanzeinalbania.blogspot.com/
wow... that's really sad...
while i can understand why they banned playing in the field because of the unfortunate accident... couldn't they at least fenced out an area where kids (and adults) can run and play without worry of hitting anyone?
anyway, hope you and your kids will find somewhere can play freely...
Great Blog!!
If you like, come back and visit mine: http://albumdeestampillas.blogspot.com
Thanks,
Pablo from Argentina.
Hi,
I'll be coming to Albania for the first time this October. (I'm a New Yorker.) Your blog is fun and a big help, though I can't figure out that You Tube thing (pro? or anti? Nato). Where is your city and do you want a visit from a New Yorker? You can contact me at: me@mykelboard.com. Thanks, Mykel
I'm sure in typical Albanian style you could have just ignored the regulations and done whatever you wanted :P
In Glasgow if you have a frisbee you get beaten up. The parks are empty. Maybe the old lady had been to Drumchapel.
It is certainly interesting for me to read that article. Thank author for it. I like such themes and anything that is connected to this matter. I would like to read a bit more on that blog soon.
i dont know how to contact you any other way, since i am new to blogging, but i have questions about liviing in albania. I am albanian and my mom and i are thinking of moving to albania. We can prove our albanian bloodline since my mom still has papers. But i have a few other questions, is there any other way i can talk to you, like an email or such? thankyou so much
crisa
Oh well, there are know-it-all everywhere in the world! But I think it depends on the countries. I live in England and here they have many sports grounds and also the parks, where usually people can play without problems, but it depends on the councils - some are more strict than others, and I heard stories of wardens fining people for the most stupid reasons.
In my country of origin, Portugal, things are a bit more relaxed, and the culture is more to live and let live - you can play ball games freely in most parks and you can take pictures of your kids without being reported to the police, as I saw it happening here in England. :-)
Cheers. Nice blog. I got an interest in Albania because I married a girl from Fier, in the south.
Don't stop posting such themes. I like to read articles like that. By the way add more pics :)
This was a funny story. That lady seemed like a real know-it-all, but maybe it's because she had visited Paris. In most of the parks there, you are not allowed on the grass at all. That never made much sense to me, but it is definitely true.
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