Ain't No Sunshine When She's Gone

Po bie shi.

("It is raining." Not a literal, word-for-word translation.)

It is raining. It rained yesterday, and at least part of the previous day. It feels like longer.

No sunshine at all today. Also, no Sunshine (in dog form) at all today. This is where she normally waits for us.

Language class today was... energetic. As I was telling someone from the other class this morning, I think our group's challenge is to stay focused. (That is not directed at any particular person.) Our group does not lack enthusiasm or good spirits.

Also, today Thor and I composed a song--complete with Albanian lyrics and meter and verses. It was a singing tribute to the olive. The olives here happen to be exceptionally good. I have had them for almost every meal. In the US I didn't like olives. Now I love them.

After lunch, we heard about Albanian social programs (healthcare, education, and so on). We also had an interesting discussion on life during Communism in Albania and life after it. That discussion looked like this:

As I would expect, this is a complex topic. In Communist Albania, there was more money and resources for schools. But there was also anti-Western propaganda fed to school students, and critical thinking was not tolerated. After Communism, Albanians enjoyed many new freedoms, but they also faced many new challenges. Unemployment spiked, as jobs were no longer guaranteed by the government. School resources dried up, and teacher pay sharply decreased.

All interesting stuff. I look forward to learning more. And for Sunshine to come back.