Happy New Year Shkoder 2010

Changing Face of Shkoder

Shkodra po ndryshon!

Well Shkoder is looking a little different. Not everything I like. I really think that the fountain isn't that great. I am beginning to think the whole idea of moving the 5 heroes was so they could make the roundabout smaller, and give the big apartment room on the road opposite our house.
i also think that in the centre of the town, within a mile radius of the centre, there should be no apartments higher than at the very most 6 floors!!
You really want to keep the look of the centre of your town, much as they have done in the Piaca - which the local towns house should be very proud of! - they did a great job there.

Video - New Year Shkoder 2009

Tirana - Milan - Goals

Video of SK Tirana 's win over Milan 2-1 yesterday.

Royal Albanian Airshow ( Comedy Show)

Campaigning for the return of King Zog, the Royal Albanian team perform shows in the USA.

Peshku Pa Ujë

If you don't know by now, Peshku Pa Uje must be the best internet site for Albanians!
It certainly should be bookmarked.

Anyway, just in case you have missed it, you really MUST go there and see the video of Shkoder.

It shows the unexpected but beauty of living in Albania!

Olta Boka - Zemren e lame peng (Albania Eurovision 2008)

Eurovision is coming….May 20th-24th.
For those who have not yet heard it, here is the Albanian entry for Eurovision Song Contest 2008 in Serbia.
I find that really funny that this years contest is in Serbia.
I wonder how many votes we will get from Serbia?!
I wonder if they will give Kosovo a late entry to participate?! ;-)

Anyway, all the best to Olta.
She is great singer and there is absolutely nothing wrong with this song….except that I think it is not the kind of song that wins the Eurovision Song Contest.

Still she is considered a better chance the the UK and the German entry, so what do I know.

It must be rather disheartening though, to realize that one of the favourites is a singing turkey!!

And they call it a “song” contest!

Rather than waste 3 hours of your life….why not buy “Blood on the Tacks” (click on Listen to samples)by Bob Dylan and give that a listen!

Sali Berisha - BBC Hard Talk

Sali Berisha has given an interview on BBC's Hard Talk.

He was questioned on NATO, corruption, Gerdec, pyramid schemes, his relation as doctor to Enver Hoxha and the 2009 elections.

When asked to describe himself he said that he was "a man on a mission!"
As I have said before you either love him or hate him.
Some hope he succeeds in his mission, others would love to send him on a one way mission to the moon...

Among the highlights was his comment that of 71% of people that had said they had paid a bribe during the last year, was "too high!".
I take it he meant the 29% that apparently DID NOT pay the bribe was too high!
I mean - who were those 29%?!
They must have included in the survey, government officials and the workers inside the institutions that obviously don't need to pay the bribe!!

Sorry, but I can't seem to post it to the blog, so you'll just have to click on the link.,

Watch out for the Train!!

Travelling from Shkoder there is a turn off at Vrak. You have to cross the railway line, but there is very poor visibility.

The video tells the rest of the story!


Welcome to Albania!

Albania on horseback

Interesting site here regarding the trip by Robin and Louella Hanbury-Tenison on horse back through Albania. They start in Theth and end up in Gjirokaster. Looking forward to seeing the film and their book in the future.

Gerdec...still in our thoughts.

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Red Bull Motorcross Exhibition

Just back with the boys from the Red Bull demonstration in the centre of Shkoder.

Must admit I was impressed by it, and for once something in Shkoder to take the children to and have some fun.

Well done Red Bull and the Bashkia at Shkoder!

Stop the Trafficking !

A video by World Vision on human trafficking.

Adrian Paci

Adrian Paci is an artist who was born in Shkoder in 1969 and now lives and works in Milan.

He has gained international recognition for some of his work, and had exhibitions all over Europe.
Some of his work can be viewed here.


I would recommend that you go HERE and watch the short video "Turn On" made in Shkoder, 2004 on the energy crisis in Albania.

Robert Burns birthday 25th January

25th January is the birthday of Robert Burns, the great Scottish poet.
We usually celebrate his birthday with a Burns Supper, where we eat haggis, have a wee dram of whisky and traditional Scottish dancing called a “ceilidh” into the "wee" hours of the morning.

Nae haggis for me though….probably just a plate of grosh!

Still I’ll let you hear a beautiful rendition of one of Burn’s songs sung by Eva Cassiday.

Enjoy!

Below are 2 translations, I found one by someone called Era1 on a forum. Her translation is more true to the original, and I like it better, so I included it here.
Having sadi that...they still don;t compare to the original!

I dedicate this post to “bukuroshje ime”, Elida my wife.
” Do të dua derisa detët te jene tharë per ujë!”

Yes and before you ask, it is true…all us Scotsmen are as romantic as Burns. ;-)
…well almost!

A Red, Red, Rose by Robert Burns

O my Luve's like a red, red rose
That's newly sprung in June;
O my Luve's like the melodie
That's sweetly played in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I;
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a' the seas gang dry:

Till a' the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi' the sun;
I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o' life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only Luve,
And fare thee weel awhile!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho' it ware ten thousand mile.


Si trendafil cel dashuria
Ne mes te kopshtit tim
Dhe si nje kenge bukuria
S'me ndahet ne udhetim.

Kjo bukuri mbi gjitha mbetet,
Asgje mbi dhe s'e tund,
Me mua ecen gjersa detet
Te thahen gjer ne fund.

Nuk thahen detet, zemra ime,
Graniti nuk firon,
Nuk ndalet rera ne udhetime,
Se rera vec vrapon...

Mbec me shendet, per ty ngre goten,
Mos u merzit, o shpirt!
Sikur ta bredh me kembe token,
Te gjej, por vetem prit!

Perktheu: Dritero Agolli


Nje trendafile e kuqe, e trembur.
Ah, dashuria ime eshte si nje trendafile e kuqe, e trembur,
qe e re ka celur ne Qershor,
Ah, dashuria ime eshte si melodia
qe kur luhet, me embelsi ritmon.

Sa e hijeshme je, moj bukuroshja ime,
aq thelle kam rene ne dashuri me ty,
e do te t’dua perhere, e dashur,
derisa detet te jene thare per uje.

Derisa detet te jane thare per uje, e dashur,
dhe shkembinjte me diellin te jene shkrire
Une do te dua serisht e dashur,
Derisa rerat e jetes te rrijne shtrire.

Dhe lamtumire, dashuria ime e vetme,
Lamtumire tani, vetem per pak,
Dhe do te vij perseri, e dashur,
Dhe sikur te jem dhjet' mije milje larg.

E perkthyer nga « Era1 »

Monty Python Colin 'Bomber' Harris

Having been outposted by the peshku, I will have to post my other humour video quickly!!

This is the live version of Colin Bomber Harris fighting against himself.It is from the Monty Python Show...which transformed British humour on TV in the 1970's.

Unfortunately, the commentator changes the words for the live version, but the original Tv version went like this....

"Here comes Bomber now, circling round, looking for an opening. He's wrestled himself many times in the past, this boy, so he knows practically all his own moves by now. And he's going for the double hand lock. He's got it. Here's the head squeeze. And the ALBANIAN head lock. He's going for the throw."

I remember seeing this on UK TV just after I returned from my first visit to Albania in March 1994. It made me laugh so much!...although I still don't know what an "Albanian Headlock" is?!

Part of the original TV version can be seen here http://www.spike.com/video/2704447/collection/14295 but to be honest the acting does not compare to the live version.

Interestingly, Michael Palin is the host at the beginning. He recently paid a visit to Albania for a travel show for the BBC.

Albania - Cheers

Oh..no!
I have had this clip for ages, but just didn't bother posting it. I choose today, and now go to www.peshkupauje.com and find they posted the very same video YESTERDAY.
AAAAAARRRRGGHHH!
Sorry peshku...I honestly did not copy you!
But I like this so much I am not taking it off my blog!



Long before "Friends" was the hit comedy programme in America, they gave us "Cheers". The life in a local bar in Boston, America.

This is a clip from the 1980's (I guess)of Sam, the bar owner learning geography from "The Coach".

I grew up watching "Cheers", so I find this quite funny...but on its own it doesn't give a true reflection of how good the programme really was.

What it does tell us is that during communism, the Western world knew very little of Albania. I guess the majority still don't.

The words of the song are...
"Albania, Albania,
You border on the Adriatic,
You are mainly mountainous,
And your major export is chrome!"

"You're a communist republic,
You're a red regime..."

New Year in Albania! (First for Photos)

Juliana Pasha - Nje qiell te ri

This is the song that was in 3rd place for RTSH Festival 2007.

The final night, which was far better can be seen here.

Click on here for an interview with Juliana. (in Shqip)

Shkoder in the fog.

Having grown up in Aberdeen, Scotland, which is by the sea, I am used to foggy days. A bright sunny summer morning can easily become thick with fog by lunchtime, as the "har" as we call it comes in off the sea.
However, foggy days are not too common in Shkoder.

Last week we had 2-3 days of fog. Early Sunday morning was particularly bad, and you could almost not make out the "5 Heronjte" from our apartment.