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)

My Peace Corps Projects

Chillin' at the gym with my workout buddy

When I tell people that I am in the Peace Corps, their first question is usually "what made you decide to join?" and the second question is usually "what exactly do you DO in Albania?" I often ask myself the latter, since being a volunteer in the Health Sector nowadays typically involves a fair share of creating your own job description. With so many areas in which to focus one's efforts, I feel it fun to actually share this with you all! So... What AM I doing here in Albania?? Here's a bit about some of my current "doings."

First off, I do want to preface this list by saying that being in Peace Corps is not all about being a human doing, but also existing as a human being. Simply being my genuine self as an American is one of the Peace Corps goals of service. We are to show our host country what it means to be American and to share with them the culture of the USA. We do this in all sorts of ways - having coffee and chatting, discussing different work styles with counterparts, modeling behavior in the community, and allowing people to ask us questions and really get to know us. Believe me, some days it can be quite hard to want to open up (we call that living "in the fishbowl"), but I do try my best to stay engaged with my community. That being said, there is a lot that I do DO... (can I say that? haha) Anyway, here's the list (as of this week).

At the fun and fabulous Kampi Pa Emer

0. YOUTH CAMPS - KAMPI PA EMER, OUTDOOR AMBASSADORS & GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) Although the camps are more of a summer deal, I felt that it should get top billing here, since they are simply awesome, and I am still giddy from thinking about them. I LOVE SUMMER CAMP! I went for years in my youth and have great memories of my experiences there. Working with youth is such a rewarding (and sometimes exhausting) experience, but I am definitely a fan of the camps and with working with youth! I got to be a camp counselor for the first time this summer (twice actually!), and got to lead a self-esteem workshop for some of Albania's future leaders. Since it is Fall, things are pretty quite on this front for the time being, but will pick up again shortly. I'm so excited!!! I feel each camp deserves a separate post - so keep a lookout! :-D

We're all very Zen, at Outdoor Ambassador Camp

These camps are not just for fun, but also to instill in these young adults a sense of leadership. I see so much energy and passion in their eyes as they talk about their dreams. Gathering together helps them not only speak openly about their dreams, but also see a community of other Albanians who feel the same way.

1. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH, LIBRAZHD - Community Health Promotions at the Department of Public Health in my home town of Librazhd. I work with my counterpart to teach health lessons (in Albanian language mostly) in our town of Librazhd as well as in the villages in the area. There are many villages surrounding our town, and many do not have access to health information, medical services, internet, or even phone service. We are prioritizing the needs of the villagers, and shifting to teach the majority of our lessons in these areas in order to maximize impact and benefit. Topics include: CPR, Hypertension, Diabetes, Breast Cancer, Mental Health, Drug/Alcohol abuse, Nutrition/Obesity, and First Aid, to name a few... Unfortunately our Directorate has barely any funds to support our outreach efforts, thus we are currently looking into collaborative efforts with other NGO's, as well as possible alternate funding sources (Grants, community funding, etc). This is where I focus most of my efforts.

Giving a lesson on Breast Cancer

2. TRAININGS-OF-TRAINERS/peer-based models of promotion - Training community leaders in various health topics to health spread information by word-of-mouth. In order to really reach the outlying village areas, we depend on the assistance of local points of contact. These can include nurses, teachers, community leaders, or even business owners. We are holding (usually) one Training-of-trainers monthly to educate these leaders on various practical topics. The last one we did was "how to do a self-exam for Breast Cancer." Again, with little/no budget, we really need to get creative here!

3. BARAZIA GJINORE COMMITTEE - Working with Peace Corps' Gender Equity Committee "Barazia Gjinore" to engage Albanian youth and general community on various issues relating to gender, gender equity, identity, race, leadership, and accepting differences.

4. COMMUNITY FITNESS PROMOTION - Promoting personal fitness in the community through modeling behavior and personal/group fitness instruction. There is one very small gym here in Librazhd where I work out and train folks. I am currently training with guys in the community in basic weight lifting, and focusing on how to use good form to reduce risk of injury. I will be taking my Personal Training Certification exam in the upcoming weeks. Wish me luck!


5. COMMUNITY FITNESS INITIATIVE - Developing a sustainable fitness initiative addressing the specific health needs of the community. It is slowly coming together, but the response has been tremendous. Folks here are ready for accessible fitness alternatives. We are hoping to have Zumba, Yoga, basic aerobics and other group activities running, giving priority access to people with limited/no financial means. This is my 'baby' and I really hope this materializes!

Me in my Red Cross Uniform

6. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SKILLS TRANSFER - Increasing capacity for the Public Health Directorate by working with the Community Promotions Office on various development skills - English language practice, presentation & speech preparation, alternate engagement strategies, developing new approaches to teaching health related material. 


7. LGBT CIVIL RIGHTS SUPPORT - Working with non-profits in Albania to address current social issues including LGBT rights. More on this soon!


8. SPEAKING TO YOUTH RE: PEACE CORPS - Speaking with students in the US about my experience in Peace Corps, engaging future generations to participate in service learning (usually via Skype). If you have an interested class, please let me know, and I would be happy to help!

9. LANGUAGE & CULTURE COMMITTEE - Sharing my observations of Albanian culture with folks back home through writings and participation with the Language and Culture Committee of Peace Corps Albania.

10. OTHER NGO COLLABORATIONS - Collaborate with other local non-profits (NGO's) such as Red Cross, World Vision, and MEDPAK (An Org. for families of children with developmental challenges) to increase capacity and provide technical assistance as needed in greater Librazhd area.

Okay, so that's a bit about some of the things I am working on. I can honestly go on at length about any of these topics, but will leave this list as is for now.

Of course, if any other interesting projects come my way, I always entertain them. Peace Corps is all about "Embracing the chaos." And I shall! 

Albanian Youth: Life After High School

Me and my friend/barber Lidio

From what I gather of life here in Albania, youth have a different path upon graduation. Living at home after one turns 18 is not uncommon by any means. The young adult son or daughter stays with the parents in the home until married. Even then, sometimes there is a space (another separate floor or apartment) in the family home already set aside for the newly-married couple to start their family. I can see how this would have its advantages!

In America, we are, well, let's say "encouraged" to move out when we graduate from high school, and are expected to start living our lives more independently from our parents and siblings. We are told to get a job, go to school, find a place to live, and learn about the world. Of course, some American youth choose to go to college while others go right to work - some do both. Some get an apartment with friends while others live in college dormitories at the university of their choosing. In my case, I moved out of the house after I turned 18 and graduated from high school. I got an apartment, attended college, and worked part-time. I was living about an hour away from my parents (not too far I'd say), but I had begun my journey into independence. 

College now seems to be the goal of many graduated Albanian youth. Those who can, attend college. For those who live relatively close to school, commuting to school by public transit seems fairly common. If they live far away, they might find an apartment with friends or stay in a dorm room (Note: I have heard that dorm rooms are considered quite undesirable living quarters for the aspiring Albanian youth.)

The notorious "Cune" (pronounced "Chune") haircut, a popular style for boys in Albania

Jobs are said to be fairly hard to come by in Albania, thus living independently while attending school can be too expensive for many folks. Living at home means the student saves money on rent and food. Not a bad gig!

These are merely observations from where I live (central/east Albania). Obviously things may be different in other areas of the country.

When I told an Albanian friend about being "encouraged" to leave the house after graduation from high school, they looked at me shocked and said "They kick you out!?" to which I cheerfully replied, "Yes, I suppose so.. but its not so bad!" LOL