Life in Keneta is going well. I have been able to settle into my apartment and my job a little bit. Things are still pretty slow. I am in Tirana today because we have a meeting at the embassy. I will be coming back here on Saturday because the Embassy is having a 4th of July party, and alot of the volunteers are coming up here. It will be nice to be so close to the capital because I will be able to see people when they come up here for business or pleasure.

I've had two major insights in the last week, so bear with me as I try to explain. If you don't want to read it, I understand.

The first insight is that my apartment is stinking NICE. It is completely not what I expected when I signed up for PC. It is actually nicer than anything I lived in during college or grad school. Definitely better than Alumni Village. This is good because the place is nice, but it is also kind of disappointing because part of what I wanted out of PC was to be able to have an experience of living in simplicity. There are certainly other things I have to do without, but I guess God is wanting to teach me something different. Maybe hospitality or humility. Now with such a nice place it is hard to play the suffering martyr role. So, in short, don't feel sorry for me, I'm not suffering.

The second insight came Saturday night about 2 am. Some volunteers had come up to Durres for a birthday party and we were walking back to my apartment. We had to stop along the way so some of them could use the bathroom, and we were sitting on the curb in the middle of nowhere Durres, and there was a man who came by with a broom and a wheelbarrow cleaning the street. When I saw him it struck me that this was the kind of person who is the hope for Albania's future. Everywhere throughout this country there are men who sit in the bars and cafes all day complaining about how there is no work and no money in the Albania. But this guy wasn't complaining, he was out working a crappy job for I'm sure a crappy wage. I understand there is a problem with unemployment and corruption and all that here, but more men just need to get up and do something instead of complaining all day. At least that is how I feel today. Ask me again next week.