Greg and Judy

Wonderful, wonderful day! Judy was lovely. Greg was handsome and happy in love.

Summer in Tirana

It's been a lovely summer. Hot, the missionaries would say, but I'm mostly indoors with the air conditioning.

Marty and I walk a loop around town a few times a week in the morning, and sometimes around the artificial lake on Saturdays. The Qëndër (Center) is relatively quiet early in the morning.

We had dinner a few nights ago at the Rogner Hotel with the Shupe's and noticed this unusual sign (the one on top). You have to live in Tirana to appreciate this. The street lights are on the driver's right corner, and if you're first in line you cannot see when the light changes, so everyone behind just honks to tell you to begin moving. Or they honk to tell you where they are because it's usually not where they should be. (See my last blog about driving.)

We picked up a small watermelon last week for 60 cents. There's no such thing as seedless watermelon here yet. No seedless grapes, either. The fruit is tasty, but there much less variety than in the states.

We've been to one wedding celebration and one open house for a member family departing to live in the United States, the former joyful, the latter, very sad. This is a phenomenon we do not see in the U.S.--friends leaving to change their country of residence--for good!

We're going to Preston, England this Wednesday-Saturday for a Mission Presidents' Seminar, which I look forward to once a year. We'll be taking a tour of early church history sites, going to the temple in Preston, and getting instruction from our area presidency and Elder Perry.

The work is going well and the missionaries are working hard. They're wonderful men and women who cheerfully give a good chunk of their young lives to serve here in Albania. We admire them so much.

Marty is spending two days and one night at our two-night boy's camp. We'll miss girl's camp because we'll be in England. Those who know me well know how sad I am about that.

Our son Greg is getting married in the Salt Lake Temple to Judy Schvaneveldt on August 29 and I am coming to the United States for the wedding and reception. Yeay! It will be the first time I've met Judy in person. Our daughter Erin is having her new baby on September 2 or 3, so of course I have to stop by Lexington, KY on my way back to Tirana to see her family and the new baby! Great timing, Erin!

Driving in Albania

Now that I've gotten up my nerve to drive in Albania, I thought you might like to know what it's like.

• We drive a Volkswagen Sharan Minivan (not sold in the U.S.) in a country where the automobile of choice is a Mercedes. (Click on underlined words to read more about it. This is interesting!)

• The top speed limit is 80 kilometers--about 50 miles per hour.

• There are sudden speed limit reductions to 40 kilometers, usually near gas stations or small towns, and policemen with radar are always lurking there.

• When we are stopped for speeding, the police recognize we are Americans. They salute, shake hands, and send us on our way, sometimes motioning for us to reduce speed. Some smile and say "Obama!" or "Bush!" and give a thumbs up sign.

• Except for the main highway, roads are poorly maintained, often unpaved. Guardrails? What are those?

• You have to watch for missing manhole covers and drainage grates that are stolen for scrap metal redemption and take months to get replaced, if ever. Missionaries have walked into these in the dark, narrowly escaping serious injury.

• There are no "bump-outs" for left turns, so people going straight get stuck behind a left turn red light, then try to muscle their way into the lane to the right.

• Apparently it's o.k. to turn left or right from any lane!

• When the electricity goes out in a section of Tirana, so do the street lights. Policemen could use a lesson from the Americans on how to direct traffic.

• Young Albanian male drivers do not like to be behind a line at a stop light. They weave left into the lane of oncoming traffic and make their way to the front of the line and go through the red light. Or they pass on the right.

• The driver in the next lane does not understand the concept of his blind spot. Do not drive in it!

• Drivers see a friend walking on the street, and stop mid-street to visit with them. Apparently, you can double park and leave your makinë (car) in the street to go into a shop.

• Normally friendly, helpful, happy Albanian people become maniacal when behind the wheel of a car. So do some Americans I know--intimately.

• Pedestrians do not have the right of way. Pedestrians do not use crosswalks. Pedestrians do not watch street lights. Family and friends hold hands and cross together, thinking there is safety in numbers.

• Large intersections are free-for-all traffic circles. Beware!

• This is Europe. All cars use diesel, and most cars have not recently had their smog check. ;-)