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.

Baby Ema

A couple of friends at my church have a 9 month baby daughter named Ema.

Ema was ill when she was 4 months with a high temperature.
She was diagnosed with an infection just above her kidney and was operated on Tirana.
They thought she had fully recovered, only to be told later on that the doctors had found a malignant tumour and she would need chemotherapy.

Ema then went to Germany for an operation, and the parents hoped that Ema would have the tumour removed.

However, she still requires 6-9 months chemotherapy and at the moment, she is there for the treatment with her dad. Her mum is working in Shkoder and will go whenever she gets some free days off work.

They have set up a small blog to let us know what is happening.
Please pray for Ema's full healing...

http://emaevogel.blogspot.com/


...and if possible, visit the blog and give Ema's dad a little bit of encouragement. I am sure he will appreciate it.

Do not play on the grass!

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 !