7/08/05

Before moving here, I expected that I would encounter cultural differences and that I would probably become frustrated at times until I was able understand the culture better. I have certainly encountered many differences, but when I ask my Albanian friends why they do these things the way they do, too often their reason has to do with a rebellious mentality towards the way things were done during the Communist period here.

For example, Albanians do not stand in line. When you go to the bank or to a food stand or wherever, there are no lines. The first time I experienced this, I was waiting to get some food at a little food stand, and there were two people waiting in front of me. Being the last person to arrive, I figured I would be helped after the two people in front of me. While I was waiting two separate ladies came up to the stand and after the two people in front of me were helped, these two ladies just stepped in front of me and asked for food. Of course I thought that they were just rude people, but when it happened again, I figured I was going to have to start to fend for myself. So now, it seems every trip I take to get something from a stand or somewhere where there would naturally be a line in the States, I have to elbow my way to the front.

With all of this being said, I have accepted this to be reality here, and I don’t really mind that there aren’t lines. What I do mind is the reason my friends gave when I asked them why there weren’t lines here. There answer was that people in Albania had to stand in line for everything during Communism, so they don’t want to stand in line anymore and no one (ie the State) is going to make them stand in line.

I understand that the Communist period in this country had unbelievable hardships and that it really did some damage to the country’s psyche, but with it now being 15 years after the fall of Communism here this country needs to move forward. People here need to realize that just because the State used to force them to do something that it is not beneficial to avoid that behavior today. This mentality of “I had to do under it communism and I hated it, so I don’t want to do it now” has had some serious repercussions on the quality of life here the last 15 years. The majority of Albanians have no respect for public space and simply throw their trash where they want and use the space however they wish, because to them public space is nobody’s space, not community space. Private homes and apartments here are immaculate, but everywhere outside to private space is usually unkempt and miserable.

I guess what I am trying to say is that, yes Communism was horrible, but it is time to move forward. Some behaviors, no matter what regime is in power, are practiced for the good of the individual and the good of society. Albania needs to identify those positive behaviors they have abandoned as a rebellion against Communism and begin behaving for the good of the whole society.

And unfortunately, even the youngest generation here, that never experienced Communism, is learning its behavior from its parents and grandparents. If the kids perpetuate the behavior of their parents and grandparents, unfortunately it may take a big effort by someone to make real change here.

Wow, sorry I am rambling, I just needed to put my thoughts into words. I guess its all just stream of consciousness.