I do not have to pay for receiving anything in regards to calls, texts, or otherwise, just outgoing messages and calling.

I will be starting in Kucove around mid June and will have to take all of my possessions myself via bus or minibus. I will be working under a nurse epidemiologist in Kucove in the directorate of public health there with a health promotion unit.

I hope all is well back in the USA and I am doing well. Take care and thanks for the email.

Im gonna be livin in "Kuçovë" which is near Berat south of Elbasan.

Hey,

Korpusi i Paqes

P.O. Box 8180

Tirane, Albania

That is the correct address if you guys wanna send me letter mail while i am in Training.

Also, it takes about 3 weeks for me to receive mail from US so if you are sending me something that is close to the time that I am to be sworn it as a volunteer, hold off until I can get you my permanent address. Also, you cannot send packages to this address, only stamped "USA" mail in standard envelopes, otherwise, I get charged by the peace corps.

Peace and Love

Eric

P.S. To say "hello" in Shqip, it is "Pershendetje!" or phonetically "Pear-shen-date-ya"!

(This was in a email to my family.)

I am doing well with training and host family. They are one father (Methet,40yrs, bricklayer), one mother (Margerita,39,housewife), one son (Lulezim,15,middleschooler), and one daughter (Mimoza,11,middleschooler). They are very kind and like myself kind of stand offish so we get along very well. Comm is sometimes difficult, but gesturing, smiles, and poliety do wonders. the country is quite poor, but it is growing rapidly, i can def. forsee in near future with reliable energy, health, and municipal infrastructure albania will be able to bring in more money and prosper with the rest of europe.

The food is bland, yet very rich. My family has 2 cows, chickens, a turkey, and a donkey. Everything, and I mean litterally, EVERYTHING, I have been eating spare for the store bought pasta and meat is grown/procured at the premises. I've been eating beef/veal, chicken, eggs boiled and fried, pasta, bread, tomatoes, oranges, apples, salad, yougurt, cheese (also made on site), beans, and a form of coffee cake. I've been eating well and if anything will be gaining weight while in treaining as They feed me so much. Also, i drink turcish coffee all day and in the morning, as is albanian custom, drink expresso and raki (100proof liguer in shot glass) with my host father.

My host family has satelite tv and watches BIG BROTHER all of the time. I have not had a cigarette since march 16th (date I left the USA), and am ok with that.

It's the 15th of March 2008 and as of 8:00pm EST March 16th, i'll be attending staging training with the Peace Corps in Philly for two days in preparation for service in Albania for two years. The mission statement of this blog is simple: To keep family and friends as updated on my status as much as is possible considering the inconsistency of internet access in Albania. As all of you are well aware, i've never been one for long speeches and heartfelt testimonials so i'll try and be brief and as descriptive as possible in my posts. Feel free to comment and ask questions although I do not know how consistent i'll be able to be in answering questions. At this moment, the only further thing I have to mention are two great quotes given my current predicament: "The die is cast." (Julius Caesar) and "Life isn't about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself." (George Bernard Shaw)