Spiraling Back to America

It is December 16, 2014 and I will be leaving on December 18 to be back with my family and friends after nine months in Albania. I am sitting at a wonderful tea room here in Shkoder, sipping a Winter Blend crafted by a small Austrian producer, feeling an internal warmth as I watch the rain fall on the walking street,  notice the citizens with their muli-colored umbrellas and hear the soft sounds of people around me speaking their native language with a facility that I will never achieve.  There are tears of joy in my eyes in this season of love.  I am going home to those who hold my heart, bringing with me the touches of warmth given to me by my friends in this country where people value  the love of family above all else. 

 

In a fair declaration of balance, all has not always been so wonderful.  I have experienced culture conflict. I have lived more than forty years in a work culture that believes time is fixed and not something that you waste,  that to be successful you have to set material goals, demonstrate precision in execution, and use collaboration skills to reach high quality decisions (Spiral Dynamics –Orange).  Albanian students, much like American students, are mixed in their skill and acceptance of these values. Yesterday in class I lost my temper, and rudely expressed my disappointment and threatened to walk out.  One of my students, in perfect English, calmly suggested that I was over-reacting.   I awkwardly continued the class. Last night, knowing the situation was unresolved, I wrote a case study and presented it to the same class today.  We had a fruitful conversation, collaborated on solutions, all is well and I presently sit happy  in this tea shop!  The same student who soothed my emotions the day before, and faithfully reads my blog,  suggested that I put the case study in my next  blog posting.   And with appreciation to Arilda, I have included the rest of the story below.

Case Study

A Cultural Dilemma

The new American Professor stood in front of the of 35 Albanian university students filling the small class room from wall to wall.  The Professor came with the cultural values and behavioral expectations from his experience in American universities and his forty years working with adults in business.  The diverse group of students sitting in the class had their own behavior patterns that emerged from their lives in Albania. 

Soon after the professor began his presentation there was minor background noise as some of the students whispered among themselves.  The Professor noticed the noise immediately but chose to continue explaining the intended exercise.  More students began whispering among themselves.  Eventually, the professor could no longer ignore the increasing level of noise and after several polite but futile requests for attention, used common American vernacular to express his disappointment. (The young men in the room were delighted to learn the correct pronunciation – this sentence was not in the published case study.)

After the class the new professor went to other teachers and explained what had happened in the class.  He was told that this is normal in Albania, not only in high schools, but also in universities.  They told him that at some point you will just have to yell at the students and it will temporarily stop.  Then you will have to yell at them again. 

The American professor was caught in a cultural conflict.  He did not want to yell at the university students, but instead wanted collaborate with them in the manner that he did with his adult business students.

What are your suggestions for solving this cultural dilemma? What suggestion would you give to the American Professor?  What suggestions would you give to the students?

So this case study intervention worked well and warmth has returned to my life. I am excited to be going home, to be with my family and friends.  And likewise, I will be glad to return here and continue my spiral journey in Albania.

Saturday Night

I love what I am doing here.  My students are enthusiastic and appreciate the methods that I am bringing to the classroom.  I have placed the desks into small groups rather than having all students face me and the blackboard.  I have access to the internet and I use my computer and projector for PowerPoint slides, Ted Talks, YouTube Videos and to set up our group Face book page so that I can download documents and communicate messages about assignments and events.  I encourage the students to use their mobile devices to look up words and to translate difficult passages.  From my experiences as a corporate trainer I reduce the amount of time that I speak, change activities every fifteen minutes,  assign small group discussions and problem solving (in English) and encourage full class discussion – also, of course, in English.  We do have a text for learning English, which I use judiciously, however most of my material I create myself.  I am using an approach called Content Based Language Learning, where English is learned through relevant and stimulating content.  Many of you will not be surprised to know that we are concentrating on personal and cultural development – using the Spiral Dynamics model and finding examples relevant to the dramatic changes that are happening in Albania as the people of this country advance into an uncertain future free of the suffocating restrictions of communism.

My students are wonderful.  I was unsure of their English skill and I am very impressed with their capability and knowledge.  They are learning faster than I am developing content, a challenge that I am glad to assume – which is one of the reasons you have not seen me on this blog very often.

For the last four weeks I have been working with second and third year students at University Luigi Gurakuqi in Shkoder, Albania.  I have four groups of students, two groups in the second year and two groups in the third year.  There are approximately 40 students in each group.  With the second year groups I meet four hours a week and with the third year students I meet two hours a week for a total of 12 hours of class time.   The rest of the week I prepare for these classes and I also have two other less demanding projects with other educational institutions.  In addition, on Monday afternoon I teach a yoga and meditation class to teachers and other adults who are looking for a more limber body and relief from mental stress.  On Saturday morning I have a standing meeting with my language tutor – who is kind and patient with me albeit a little disappointed with my progress. ( I explain that I have a Teflon brain.)

As to my daily living, I make most of my own meals – which I enjoy.  On virtually every corner the local farmers bring in the recent harvest from their fields and gardens.  There is always something fresh and in season.  Now it is broccoli and tangerines –there are always carrots, spinach, cauliflower, eggplant, apples, tomatoes, kiwi, onions, and a variety of green leafy plants that I do not know even though I buy them.  The oranges and lemons are becoming ripe and soon they will be in abundance in these farm stands.  Today I made carrot ginger soup, yesterday was roasted cauliflower and before that a broccoli and spinach soup.  I supplement this with protein from homemade humus and occasionally I buy marinated chicken and veal from the butcher down the street.  Most of my meals cost about a dollar, except when I buy meat and then it might be about two dollars.

It is now getting chilly at night, in the forties and the days hover just below sixty.  I am told that we will get more rain in January and there might be a sprinkle of snow that will certainly close the schools so children can play a bit before it melts the next day.

  It is Saturday night at about 7:30.  I will post this now, and yes, get back to work – while I have a cold Albanian beer with a side of beets and goat cheese – yum!

This is an old picture - These oranges in my yard are now ripe

Displays like this are everywhere!

BE CAREFUL

Below is a post I recently made to Facebook:

Before I left for Albania, at separate times, both my wife and my good friend, Lark, gave me the same advice. "Be careful."  I smiled at them dismissively.  Now I understand them more clearly.  Inside of every benevolent 68 year old man there is an 18 year old boy ready to make a fool of him.  Thank-you for your wise words!  They have saved me embarrassment on more than one occasion.

Some of the responses to my post were:

There must be more to this post!!

Something you want to confess?

Me thinks it is story time....

So in this blog – Here is the rest of the story:

In general, the people in Albania are very interested in American and Americans. They will quickly notice that I am a foreigner in their country and will not hesitate to ask where I am from.  When I say America, they immediately smile and say something positive like “We love Americans,” or “Can you help me go to America?” or “Tell me about America!”  Much of their impression comes from modern youth culture or from relatives and friends who have been successful in America and often send back money.  There is even a lottery system set up at the American embassy where each year a lucky few are given immigration visas.  Many of my Albania acquaintances express their hope that they will “win” this lottery.

This fascination with America and Americans can be intoxicating, and if I am not careful, I can easily personalize this generalized attraction.  When the adoring party is young and beautiful, well, the 18 year old boy in me is activated.  Fantasies from 50 years ago emerge. Very quickly, the voices of wisdom prevail. (Well, maybe not so quickly!)  It helps to go home, get a good look in the mirror, and notice my wrinkles, gray thinning hair, sagging neck, and splotched skin.  And the wisdom voices yell at me – “Fool, what were you thinking?"

So the warning of “Be careful,” when expanded is “Be careful of your illusions!”

Following this line of inquiry and after six month here it is evident to most of the Peace Corps volunteers, young and old, that in this extended immersion we can discover new and old truths about ourselves as we engage in our primary mission to make a contribution to this country.  For many Albanians the vision of American, true or illusory, becomes a possible solution, and I, and other Peace Corps volunteers are identified as part of that solution. Their attraction to us becomes a challenge on many levels, one of which I detailed above.

This blog has always been about personal and cultural development using the model of Spiral Dynamics described at the bottom of the page. I apply this model to my own complexity and to the complex cultural manifestations I see around me.  Albanians are in the midst of seismic cultural changes and personal transitions. As I am privileged to see through my own illusions, and as I get to know people and read the news, the concerns of the people in Albania take focus.  I see and hear the expressions of hope and fear rising from the stress of swirling values and uncertain identity.  Change is felt strong now in Albania and just being here creates a resonance.  I am compelled to experience my own complexity and transitions

I have not written in my blog recently. As I grow closer to people here and understand the intricacies of this changing culture I am hesitant to generalize and over simplify.  For my own changes, with the almost daily conversations with Bettina keeping me grounded, and as my vision becomes more clear, I feel greater confidence in my capacity to love, to be full of care.

It is October and this is the garden next to my apartment

Walking Street in Shkoder

When I took this picture Nick had already worked 15 hours

It is 9 PM I am sitting in my favorite restaurant which has outdoor seating along the quarter mile pedestrian street that is crowded with the local population sprinkled with the many Western European tourists.  Every night at about seven o’clock people make their way out of their homes where they have stayed to escape the summer heat.  Nicolas is the owner/chef of San Francisco.  He left Albania many years ago and learned the restaurant business in America.  You can guess the city.
  He returned here and now works up to seventeen hours a day, in the kitchen and monitoring the many other tasks necessary for success in this competitive business.  He is one of the Albanians who has adopted me as his friend and taken me into his circle of trust and generosity.  I go often to his restaurant with friends or just to sip tea or drink a beer while observing the passing crowd or using the free internet, as I am doing now.  Nick will often take a break and join me.  He is insatiably curious and often comments that he is constantly learning new things.  He brings an entrepreneurial spirit to Albania and our last conversation was about expanding his business.  As I watch the people walk by I consider this blog and reach for some of things I have learned here over the last two months.

The favorite restaurant of many PC volunteers and many of the locals.  We love to eat on the balcony

I recently read an article from the Boston Globe that suggested that depending on the stage of development of a particular country that stability may be more important than democracy. The article is worth reading and here is the link. http://epaper.bostonglobe.com/epaper/viewer.aspx.  If you are a frequent reader of my blog you know that I am fascinated by the concept of stages of development.  Stages suggest consistent historical patterns and predictable direction.  Where are we, where have we been and where are we going?  I relate this logic to myself, my country and my experiences in Albania.
Along the walking street I see young woman escorted by their mothers as the young men and boys sit at the tables and pretend not to notice as they frequently glance up.  The older men talk dynamically about politics and economy.  I am witness to the dynamic spiral in Albania where values from different stages are creating heat as they blend like chemicals in a petri dish.  I am constantly reminded of this same heat and tension when I read news from the US, or any place else in the world.  How else can I explain the conservative/progressive dysfunction in the US Congress or the treatment of women in virtually every country I know?  In a more mundane example, my Peace Corps colleagues are often frustrated and become angry when an Albanian counterpart does not feel the same urgency about creating or meeting project deadlines.
 

The Pedonale - walking street - you can see the Mosque in the upper right

Legitimate multiparty democracy only emerged in Albania in 1992 after 50 years of communist rule that was both benevolent and brutal.  This emerging democracy suffers from the values and habits of the past. During Communist party rule the population was not even allowed to watch western television or listen to western radio.  One of my Albanian friends told me of his experience when his family closed all their window blinds and then snuck out of the house at night to surreptitiously turn the television antennas toward Italy.  It was not unusual for neighbors to spy and contact authorities which often resulted in labor camps.  One of my friends in his forties told me his grandfather, a dentist, was imprisoned in a labor camp for complaining too loudly about the poor bread provided by the government sanctioned bakery.  The suspicion of spying and fear of authority still lingers in the attitudes of many Albanians today.

Albania is a European country with a long history of connections to the west and many Albanian citizens have longed for Western style democracy and the sophistication and modern behaviors associated with a free market economy.  On the other hand there are many who became accustomed to a paternal government that defined behavior and provided benefits, no matter how meager.  I have met a factory worker who has long been without a job and while sitting with other men in the morning drinking alcohol he reminisces about the lost stability of the communist era.   That group is a declining minority
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After less than 25 years Albania has a firmly established democratic process, and the European Union has agreed they have made sufficient progress to be granted candidate status for future entry into the European Union, if they meet strict guidelines. It is helpful to remember that the US has had a democratic process for more than 200 years.  The history of our democracy has many flaws and we are still witnessing the attempts to disenfranchise segments of our US population.  The learning curve in Albania will be steeper.  Albanians have accepted the vision of European standards and the need for accelerated change in government and civil institutions.  Fast change is now government policy and the evidence appears daily in the news media.  (Perhaps the subject of another blog.)

Much of the youth population in both village and city has already moved to the clothing, music and the language of popular Western culture.  Smart phones are ubiquitous, and are constantly used in the streets, in cafes, on buses and where discipline is relaxed, in the classroom.  This young, educated group observes the habits of the past and the lack of opportunity resulting from the stall of the world economy and the lethargic economic practices inherited from the communist era.  When I meet them it is not long before they ask me how I can help them leave Albania and go to America.  There is more than one young lady who wants to meet my son in the hopes that a spark will emerge.  I encourage them to create a positive, and more realistic, Albanian vision for themselves.  In my English classes in the coming year I will have visioning exercises and then teach the English language skills and modern business practices that will help them achieve that Albanian vision.

A Warm Blend of Blue and Orange

This past Friday I had a direct experience where traditional cultural values meet modern cultural values.

Most university education only began in Albania after World War Two.  Mandatory education after age 12 is one of the positive legacies of the communist dictatorship.  Most of the high school and college buildings were built in the concrete block style construction that we associate with the communist era.  Many Albanians continue to live and learn in these types of buildings, occasionally letting them crumble until more modern facilities are built.  Sometimes new paint covers the cracks and concrete mold. 

Faculty of Foreign Languages

The legacy of the communist regimentation, absolute authority and rote learning, lingers in the education system even as educational and political leadership work to create an "American" system that encourages individuality, student engagement, skepticism, innovation and creativity.   I have recently had my first teaching opportunity to experience this cultural whirlpool when I delivered a three hour class to graduate students in the Faculty of Economics at the University of Shkoder.

Because it was a graduate level class there were only 15 students instead of the 35 or 40 who are in the undergraduate classes. (My primary assignments in October will be at the undergraduate level, although I hope to also work with graduate students.).  The Dean of the Faculty encouraged me to use  “American” teaching methods.  I was asked to focus on consultative selling skills.  To make class more relevant, I spent the last week learning about the marketing of tourism and hospitality, in Albania and elsewhere.

This animated group spoke the best English

My experience of the last thirty years has been designing and delivering learning modules for adult business professionals where relevance, fast pace and participant engagement were demanded by an assertive and achievement oriented customer.  In that spirit for this class, in addition to necessary conceptual models and  brief explanation slides, I came with a variety of application exercises including role plays, small group problem solving, fish bowel demonstrations and dramatic examples where I simulated a variety of customers,   The practices of Albanian teachers and students is primarily students sit and listen while the teacher talks.  The primary goal of the students is to memorize only what is necessary to pass exams. 

Groups of three preparing for a role play skill practice 

For this class, when the students  arrived the desks had been changed from the theater style where they all faced the teacher and looked at the back of each other’s heads.  Instead the desks were placed into table groups of four or five where they were facing each other.  To my joy, there were delighted and anxious to learn in the “American” way

They did the best they could, with virtually no experience with these teaching methods, bringing unconscious habits from years of rigid education.  They were often perplexed when given the freedom to collaborate, think creatively and set their own small group agenda.    And I also had to adjust my expectations and instruction style in the midst of this three hour getting to know you session.  The bottom line is that beneath the occasional muddle, I had the sense that we had a shared hope for the future and that we looked forward to the next time we could learn together.  The class ended with a spontaneous applaud, they for me and me for them, with smiles all around.

I will meet the Dean and other faculty on Monday and we will explore possibilities for my contribution starting in October.  I already have a commitment of three courses at the Faculty of Foreign Languages.  Two of those are advanced English classes and the other is a course on English for Business Purposes.  Perhaps I can teach this same ESP* course at the Economics Faculty, and  also one day a week at the University of Tirana where I have been invited as well.  My advisors at the Peace Corps warned me that there would be many requests and I should be careful about taking on too much.  If I can prepare one course and teach it three times a week, maybe that would be ok?  We will see.  More to follow.

Teacher in this case is Guide on the side, not Sage on the stage

*ESP is English for Special Purposes – where  English is taught in a professional context, i.e. business, law, mechanical engineering, agriculture.  The situations and the vocabulary are customized to the immediate communication requirements of the targeted professionals.  Grammar is included, but only as a necessary support to communication competency.  My area of concentration in ESP is for business professionals, or for students anticipating a business career.

TRANSITIONS

In the last three weeks in Shkoder I have been experiencing transitions.  Transition from regimentation of the Peace Corps Pre Service Training and the obligations of living with a host family to the freedom of my own apartment and the choice to once again create my own daily schedule.  Transition from a small mountain town with a strong influence of traditional values to the city of Shkoder where modern values are manifest in dress, grocery stores, music, religious tolerance and educational institutions.  In both cases, small town and large city, people tell me about  the residual influence of fifty years of a repressive communist regime that used spying and excessive punishment to isolate the country, discourage creative thinking and generated fear and mistrust among the population.  (More on that in a later blog)

Elona and her brother Beni

I rent from Fredi who lives above me with his family

Since my last blog post I have been adjusting to these transitions; creating a home in my apartment, getting to know the family that lives above me and shares my patio and yard, finding shops and restaurants, visiting the university where I will teach and negotiating my teaching assignments for the next school year which will start in October. (Yes, I have a largely free summer ahead of me!  I do hope to go to Tirana occasionally to teach some Business English workshops for working adults.)

My primary focus in the last three weeks has been on my teaching responsibilities for next year. .  The Peace Corps staff has told me that a native English speaker is highly valued, particularly one with an advanced degree and with business experience and therefore I will have to manage the demand on my time or risk taking on too much work.  (I certainly do not want to take on too much work.)  At the University of Shkoder I have met several times with the Dean of the Language Faculty and Dean of the Economics Faculty.  I have met others in Tirana who would like me to commute down there one day a week to teach a course in Business English.   I have numerous requests to tutor individuals.   Last night I met the Director of a choral group who has encouraged me to audition to sing bass and to support the choir with English pronunciation when needed.  So I will have to sort this all out.

Here is youtube link to choir I might join if I am accepted  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHN9zkG1Yzo. 

This Friday I will teach a four hour session for Masters Students in the Economics Faculty who are studying marketing for sustainable tourism.  They want me to focus on consulting skills and relationship selling. To make the four hours more relevant, I have spent the last week learning about the marketing of tourism and hospitality, in Albania and elsewhere.  Albania tourism is focusing on its natural beauty and unique culture.  I will post more about this in later blogs.

So I am managing the transition.   I am living in a studio apartment that is part of a family compound that is behind a stone wall, similar to many homes in Shkoder.   I walk miles daily just for everyday requirements, I have joined a health club, I have made friends with shop owners and greet my neighbors when I walk down the street.  I still miss my wife, my children, my friends and my big bed in America.

The street outside my family compound

Streets in the old part of Shkoder near my compound

Doing business with a new friend.  

TRANSITION TO SHKODER

Last Monday we had the Peace Corps swearing in event when 41 of us made the formal transition from Peace Corps trainee to Peace Corps Volunteer. The US Ambassador to Albania said some nice words and then we made the oath which is virtually the same when the President is sworn into office and when my wife declared herself an American citizen.  In our case we were not asked to defend the country when under threat.  This is the Peace Corps after all.

It has been a long time since I have been in a graduation ceremony with pomp and circumstance.  I had mixed feelings of aloofness and pride.  My spiral journey is largely an exploration of values – both personal and cultural and this event was clearly designed to reinforce values, as was my wife’s when she with hundreds of others became US citizens. As I write this blog post I now recall that even the most mundane social interactions are statements of values.   As are the most dramatic conflicts.

And I am now in Shkroder a city of 120 thousand in the north of Albania near the border with Montenegro.  There will many blog posts about the city of Shkoder, considered one of the most beautiful in Albania, with a large lake to the north, mountains in the east and bordering the Adriatic in the west.

There is a rich history of independence from invaders, religious diversity, and a strong code of hospitality for guests.  You will be hearing more about the Code of Leke, established by an Albanian Prince in the 15^th century to bring order to combative tribal groups. (Spiral development from RED to AMBER – refer to chart at bottom of blog.)  Anthropologists and historians have suggested this code was based on an oral tradition of laws of behavior that dates back to the Bronze Age and represents humanities first struggle to bring order over escalating conflict.  In honor of  this prince the Albanian currency is called Leke. That will change when Albania becomes part of the EU and the Leke gives way to the Euro – as did the French Franc and German Mark –examples of the spiral evolution toward global world views.

You might want to watch a video that provides an overview of Shkoder,  followed by a hilarious video demonstrating that the Albanians are relatively new to cars and their reluctance to give up their walking and bike habits to an automobile culture.  I have already crossed this intersection several times.  You get used to it.  Notice the insignificance of the traffic cop.

An eight minute video produced by a proud citizen of Shkoder

The busiest traffic circle in Shkoder

So, I have begun my transition from the small town of Librazhd to the large city of Shkoder, from trainee to volunteer, from retiree to university TEFL teacher, from the comforts of home and automobile to frequent walks to market to buy a few items at a time to prepare a simple meal. (Not to worry – I can easily find beer and chocolate and my almost daily Skype with Bettina keeps me calm and committed)

More stories to follow.