Texting - The Language of Albanian Youth (With Translation Cheat Sheet!)

My Standard-Issue Peace Corps Phone

In these days after Communism, one can easily see the trappings of capitalism slowly creeping in. Although there are many still in poverty here in Albania, it seems that everyone has a cellphone (at least one). Many here still have what Americans would consider an 'old phone' (think circa 2003). Despite the T9 making a revival here in Eastern Europe, youth of today can easily adapt and can be seen hanging out on the sidewalk, phone in hand, effortlessly communicating without even looking at the screen. Those of more means can even get a smartphone to show off to their friends. Girls and boys are often out and about taking selfies with friends at local cafes, carefully selecting the right filter to capture every moment together as perfectly as possible. Facebook is widely used here, as is Instagram, Whatsapp, and Retrica. Yes, people do text here, but with Wifi being so readily available, most prefer not to pay for the privilege of communication and use messenger apps. As with most languages, texting full words often becomes tiresome. Thus people use shorthand.

As a foreigner here in Albania, I had a hard enough time figuring out the formal language. When I started to make friends with Albanians on facebook, I found that I often had difficulty understanding their messages and comments (which hardly looked like Albanian!). It left me a bit frustrated. Here I am, across the globe, studying this language day after day, and still I can't have a simple conversation with an Albanian on facebook!? Ludicrous! It has been a long time coming, but I thought I'd ask around and gather some of the most popular shorthand around. Maybe this will only be interesting to my fellow Albanian PCVs, but if it helps anyone, so much the better.

So.... How does one text in Albanian?

ca - çfarë (what?)
cpb - çfarë po bën? (What are you doing?)
dmth - domethënë (That is to say...)
sps - s'ka përse (it's nothing)
skgj - s'ka gjë (it's nothing)
flm - faleminderit (thank you)
klb - kalofsh bukur (may you pass the day beautifully)
klm - kalofsh mirë (may you pass day well)
ntn - natën (good night)
ckm - çkemi? (what's up?)
pz - për zotin! (oh god!)
t - të (multiple uses)
n - në (in, at)
jm - jam (I am)
nr - numër (number)
esh - është (is)
m - më (me)
tr- Tiranë (Tirana)
persh - përshëndetje (hello)
sh mir - shumë mirë (very good)
lb - Librazhd (.... my home)

Laughing Djinns and Itchy Palms - Albanian Superstitions Revealed!

Winnie protecting a rural Albanian Home

Long gone are the days of superstitions, right? Maybe not. They are certainly alive and well in Albania. Curious about their prevalence in my local community I did a few interviews with people in different areas of Albania, asking them about the superstitions they have come across. Although most were new to me, I did hear a few familiar ones! It is interesting to hear about these. The Albanian language (Shqip) may be so very different from American English, yet superstitions seem to have a significant overlap. What does this mean? Maybe it means that we read our children the same bedtime stories or sing the same lullabies. Quite possibly we share more in common than we realize. In any case, here they are. The superstitions that exist here in my community in Albania. 

Please add your own to the comments section!

I am interested to hear perspectives from across the globe to see what common folklore may exist.

You can find dolls like this across Albania, meant to protect from thieves and the evil eye.

Good Luck

• In order to protect the home, one must hang a dordolec (scarecrow), kukull (doll/stuffed animal) upon the exterior.
• To protect against bad luck, one must hang horns, garlic, or a horseshoe.
• An itchy beard will bring joy or good news!
• It is good luck if an egg drops on the ground.

Bad Luck

• If you encounter a black cat, step back three times, and throw a coin.
• A broken mirror means 7 years of bad luck. (even in Albania!)
• Bad luck to clip your nails at nighttime.
• Don’t stay near a mirror at night.

Dreams

• A dream about a tooth falling out means that someone has died.
• If you are naked in a dream, you will get sick.
• If you dream of fish, you will come into money.

Horns of good luck outside the gym

Obscure

• Those who drink water together will finish their meal or drinks together (at the same time).
• If a kid is playing with your broom, you will have guests/visitors.
• If a spoon falls, you will have a visitor. Upwards means female. Downwards means male.
• If you clip your nails, you must touch them to water (flush them in the toilet). If you do not, your family will be compelled to start a fight.
• If you pour water outside at night, a passing djinn will be angered, and will attack you, harm you, make you sick, or kill you.
• Don’t whistle in the night. If you do so, a djinn will appear. It will dance around, harassing and making fun of you.
• If you get the hiccups often, someone you love is talking about you constantly.
• If right ear is red, good words are being spoken about you. Conversely, a red left ear means bad words.
• If your cigarette burns on one side, you will have a journey.
• Cutting your fingernails and your toenails at the same time, means that you will encounter both good and back luck during the same day.

Love & Money

• If there is a break in the clouds while it is raining, it is said that a Roma couple is getting married.
• If your cigarette goes out for no reason, your partner is cheating on you.
• If you find your shoes to be untied, your partner is cheating on you.
• If your left hand itches, you will get money. If your right hand itches, you will lose money.
• If your left hand itches, you will give something away. If your right hand itches, you will soon get something.
• An unattractive pregnant woman is said to bear a girl. An attractive woman is said to bear a boy.

Death

• The first Monarch Butterfly seen after someone dies is their soul coming to say ‘hello.’
• After visiting a deceased relative’s home, you must first return to your own home before visiting any other place. If you do so, you will bring death upon their door.
• If someone dies on a Monday, another will die soon afterwards, unless a sacrifice is made!
• If you pass a graveyard, you must bite your finger and step on it three times.
• It is bad luck to go to a cemetery at night.

The Land of Chillaxin' Eagles

Librazhd, Albania - My Home

As a foreigner coming from a metropolitan area of the United States, I am used to a fast-paced, 'productive' life. It has been a challenge for me to adjust to life out here in Eastern Albania. People in my community often remind me "Avash! Avash!" (Turkish for 'slowly, slowly') - an oft-used expression here in Albania. This is not a place where one grabs a Jamba Juice, heads to the gym for a quick circuit routine, does cardio while watching the news, and picks up a Chicken Bowl at Chipotle on their way home to catch up on work on the weekend. No. This is a place where one might go from having coffee with friends for an hour or two, to lunch with family, back out for more coffee with different friends until the early afternoon, back home for a nap, out for an evening stroll, another coffee, and then home late at night for dinner.

As one might suspect, this is a very community-oriented society. It is seen as rather abnormal to stay by one's self all day and to do things alone. Americans call this independence. Albanians call it 'turp' (shame). It appears that if one is not connected with family or friends, it is not seen as bad, but rather sad. In America it does not seen as tragic, as we often stay connected through multiple interactions throughout the day (Facebook, e-mail, phone calls, coffee break at work, drinks at happy hour, and dinner with family/friends at home.)

I joined Peace Corps expecting to get away from the land of multi-tasking. I wanted simplicity in my life. And that's just what I got! But where you go, there you are. I feel like that mentality is starting to grow here in the land where you may not always have running water, but you will most likely always have WiFi.

One can easily sense the speed of things here. For example, when you go to a restaurant or cafe, usually you will be greeted by the waiter who will take your order(s). After the drinks have arrived, you might not see the waiter again for hours upon end. This is completely normal here. They will not pressure you to leave nor harass you into paying promptly after finishing your beverages or meal. They will leave you to your company for an indefinite amount of time. If you'd like to pay fast and leave, you will most likely have to take initiative and call for the waiter to come give the bill. It is not because the waitstaff are slow, it is because they are considerate.

Maybe it's the hundreds of years of isolation. Maybe it's the proud cultural traditions of the Albanian people. In any case, one must take note and adjust accordingly.

Summer Reading In Autumn (And About 20 Years Late)

It's all about literature here in the Welsh 'town of books' - Hay-On-Wye

PLEASE COMMENT...
and write the name of the book you are reading (or one that you would recommend)!

The Welsh sure do love their 'Fifty Shades of Hay'!

As I mentioned in previous posts, I have long neglected my studies with regards to literature. I was never much into books as a young child. I would pretend to read them by memorizing some basic facts. As a result, I performed half as well as I could have in all my Literature classes. I fell quite behind my peers in knowledge of great works. It wasn't that I couldn't read. I could read very well. I have always had excellent vision and comprehension skills. I knew what I was reading, but I wasn't at all interested! Why would one read a fiction book anyway?! The story contained therein isn't true. So what could one learn from it? Oddly enough this mentality followed me all the way to college at the University of California Berkeley, where I continued to dive primarily only into works of non-fiction - books on language, psychology, cognition, neuro-science and the like.

What changed? I came across a little-known book called "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone." What started off as a little diversion to desperately escape the pain of my life at that time, turned into a succession of books that has not stopped since. (Although I am not the fastest reader...) I would read fiction and non-fiction. I would alternate genres. I would even read a couple books at the same time. Typically I would read a fiction/fantasy book before bed, a mystery or classic book while traveling, and a non-fiction or historical fiction book on vacation.

I have often felt somewhat deprived for not having read "the greats." I may have actually read through a decent number of them, but hardly remember the stories at this point. Of course I cannot blame my English Lit teachers as they tried their best to encourage me. The truth is, I had to learn to love reading. That never happened until after college. I never picked up a book for fun unless it was to learn a language or learn something interesting or practical. What I didn't know growing up was that not only could one benefit from reading with regards to overall English comprehension but also benefit through the development of one's critical thinking skills. I also didn't know that reading could be, like, fun!

Here's my list of so-called "summer reading" list that I have assigned myself. It is a growing, living list that will hopefully wax and wane as I finish each work and learn of new ones to add. Without further ado, THE LIST (currently at 25). Please feel free to add your suggestions in the comment section.

Here's the queue (in reverse order):

25. Evelyn Waugh - Brideshead Revisited
24. Victor Hugo - The Hunchback of Notre Dame
23. Oscar Wilde - The Importance of Being Earnest
22. Margaret Atwood - Alias Grace
21. James Joyce - Ulysses
20. Neal Stephenson - Seveneves
19. Virginia Woolf - Mrs. Dalloway
18. Tea Obreht - The Tiger's Wife
17. Chris Cleave - Little Bee
16. George Orwell - Animal Farm
15. Toni Morrison - Beloved
14. Allison Levine - On the Edge
13. Fyodor Dostoyevsky - Notes from the Underground
12. Plato - The Republic
11. Friedrich Nietzsche - Thus Spake Zarathustra A book for all and none
10. Miguel De Cervantes Saavedra - Don Quixote
9. H.G. Wells - The War of the Worlds
8. Sunzi - The Art of War
7. Sir Saint Thomas More - Utopia
6. James Baldwin - Giovanni's Room
5. Yann Martel - Life of Pi
4. Stephen Coryelle - Elves In Oregon
3. Christopher Isherwood - Christopher and His Kind
2. Ismail Kadare - The Siege
1. Muriel Spark - The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

Currently reading: George Orwell - 1984

Last read: The Stranger by Albert Camus

Hate Speech On YouTube: Freedom or Violation?

After I returned from Belgrade Pride, I decided to create a short video about this significant event. Shortly thereafter someone posted a comment calling me (supposedly) a very derogatory word in Serbian. That was my first comment! Not a 'bravo,' 'we support you,' or 'great job' - just hate speech. My first instinct was to delete the comment. Then I thought about responding instead. I decided on the latter. It got me thinking about whether speech like this is even permitted on Youtube. I certainly see it quite frequently on other comment feeds. The YouTube comments section seems to be a dumping ground for use-less, vitriolic, hate-filled speech. I often wonder why they let such behavior persist? Many say that it is allowed because it support a freedom of speech. I wonder if they would hold that opinion if that video was posted by their daughter or son. I wonder if they would defend their position if the hate speech was directed at a loved one. I wonder these things... So....

I recently did a poll to ask folks whether they thought 'hate speech' should be banned from the YouTube comments section. The results were rather shocking. In fact, the distribution of votes was pretty even across the board, with half the respondents saying 'yes' and the other saying 'no.' Does this surprise you?

Background
It is not very hard to find so-called hate speech on YouTube. Simply scroll down on any popular video and you might be shocked (or not) to see word garbage spewed onto large sections of the comment feed. Bigoted comments against women, people of different races, nationalities, sexual orientations, gender identities, body types, disabilities, religions, economic levels, or levels of education. Trash! So why is it there? Why does it remain if it is not positive? Why allow it in the first place? Why not ban such speech?

Just a taste of the lovely YouTube comments I see every single day. (these are the tame ones...)

'Hate Speech' Defined

1. (noun) Speech that attacks, threatens, or insults a person or group on the basis of national origin, ethnicity, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or disability. (Random House)

 

In Law,  

Any speech, gesture or conduct, writing, or display which is forbidden because it may incite violence or prejudicial action against or by a protected individual or group, or because it disparages or intimidates a protected individual or group. The law may identify a a protected group by certain characteristics.

Hate speech is a communication that carries no meaning other than the expression of hatred for some group, especially in circumstances in which the communication is likely to provoke violence. It is an incitement to hatred primarily against a group of persons defined in terms of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, religion, sexual orientation, and the like. Hate speech can be any form of expression regarded as offensive to racial, ethnic and religious groups and other discrete minorities or to women. (US Legal)

What About Facebook?
In 2013, the popular social network revised its policy regarding certain hate speech. The change didn't come from the kindness of their hearts but more rather the depth of their pocketbooks. Facebook is, after all, a business. No, the change came about from pressure from Women Action Media (WAM), The Everyday Sexism Project and writer and activist Soraya Chemaly. This was in regards to posted content endorsing domestic violence and rape. The campaign successfully urged major business to withdrawal their adverts from Facebook. (Huff Post) The result? Facebook acquiesced. But what about YouTube?

It's Distasteful, But Is It Legal?
YouTube discourages content that condones violence under 'Hateful Content':

"Our products are platforms for free expression. But we don't support content that promotes or condones violence against individuals or groups based on race or ethnic origin, religion, disability, gender, age, nationality, veteran status, or sexual orientation/gender identity, or whose primary purpose is inciting hatred on the basis of these core characteristics. This can be a delicate balancing act, but if the primary purpose is to attack a protected group, the content crosses the line." Community Guidelines

In fact, YouTube has specifically stated that 'Hate speech is not permitted.' (YouTube Policy Center)!
 So there it is. What does this mean, exactly?

"Hate speech refers to content that promotes violence or hatred against individuals or groups based on certain attributes..."

They encourage users to flag content, or file a report for repeated violations. Has anyone done this? What does this actually mean?

My Reflection
After all this poking around, I learned a lot from the side of the "free speech"ers. I began to see hate speech as an opportunity to start a dialogue. If only all hate-mongers actually wanted to engage in civil discourse... Sigh. Next time I see such speech, I'll be the first to open up that dialogue and see what happens. I'll even post it to my next blog. Such BS needs to be put on BLAST!

Belgrade Hosts LGBT Pride Parade, Less Police Indicates Progress

Participants were all smiles at the 2015 Belgrade LGBT Pride Parade

Re-posted from Historia-Ime.com

Belgrade, Serbia - More than 1,200 individuals gathered in Belgrade last Sunday (Sept. 21^st) to march in a pride parade to support the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) community in Serbia. This is the second year in a row that such a pride parade has happened in this central Balkan country without any incidence of violence. In 2010, parade-goers were met with hostility and violence from extremists, injuring at least 95 participants and police (according to the BBC). Last year, marchers were surrounded by thousands of Serbian riot police in an effort to ensure the safety of participants and the success of the event overall. This year saw a drastic decrease of 50% in police presence needed at the event (according to Civil Rights Defenders)

Serbia, a former Yugoslav state, is now an EU Candidate (according to BBC) and is negotiating its EU accession (according to World Bank). The parade has been seen as a test for the Serbian government to prove its commitment to EU standards on Human Rights (according to NBC News). In a show of support, marchers were joined by Serbia's European Integration Minister Jadranko Joksimovic, Culture and Information Minister Ivan Tasovac, and Belgrade Mayor Sinisa Mali. (according to RFERL). 

Bekim Asani, president of LGBT United Tetovo Macedonia has been a participant in the parade before and noted progress:

“I saw less people than last year but found a more supportive environment… Last year I was more scared. This year I was freer. It was real pride with a lot of music, dancing, and rainbow flags. For first time I saw people supporting the pride from their balconies and windows.”

Similar pride parades have occurred in the Balkan region, with varying degrees of acceptance from locals. Some communities have yet to host a pride event, such as in Niksic, Montenegro, where the government has banned such an event for the third time this year. Asani comments on the possibility of a pride event in his community “Macedonia is in deep political crisis... I can't say much about organizing pride. Who knows? Maybe soon…”

The Serbian Orthodox Church had condemned the parade in the past and had again staged a quiet, yet smaller protest this year, yet less violence and a smaller protest could indicate more acceptance among Serbians for LGBT people. Civil Rights Activist Ivan Mitic, 21, of Serbia, sees progress here, noting:

  

“It (the 2015 Belgrade Pride Parade) showed that we made a move forward - maybe a little one, but still, we made it. If you read comments on forums, there is so much hate speech, but that is something that is hard to change. Journalists had more positive reporting than in previous years. Despite all those negative comments… there were many comments showing support to pride and explaining (…) why is it important.”  

-          Written by Jon Breen, LGBT Rights Activist

QUICK POLL! Should Youtube Ban Hate Speech? VOTE NOW!