Living in Albania--Richard L. Bowman

November 9, 2014

A Collage of Images

Last Sunday it was good to see the young people at the church gather around Valentina and give her a gracious welcome back to Lezhë. I'm sure it was cathartic for Valentina, too.

Valentina with friends at church from last year

Several Young Women Gather around Valentina to Explore Her Camera (2-Nov-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

During the week as I looked out through one of the windows at Lezha Academic Center, I noticed a number of contrasts. There was the carefully cut grass lawn at LAC set up with a volleyball net and next door was a large plowed garden ready for next spring. Further behind these properties are a dozen or more of high-rise apartment buildings against the backdrop of one of the mountains just outside of Lezhë with its modern technology signature of cell towers. So how do we balance and live with the past and the present, nature and human-made constructs, and traditions and modern adaptations?

a scene of comparisons of tradiional and contemporary

New and Old, Modern Constructs and Traditions, All Meet in Lezhë (3-Nov-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

Going back inside the school building the next day, I met a number of senior students working on their online British literature course.

a few seniors work online in their British Lit class

British Literature Captures Students in an Online Course (4-Nov-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

Since I was at the school early that day to help out one of my fellow teachers, I walked out later to the market to get a qoft sandwich. On the way my attention was captured by these morning glory blossoms which appeared to be backlit by the Sun in attractive ways.

a morning glory bloom with light streaming through the center from behind

A Morning Glory Bloom Appears to Have a Light Source at its Center (4-Nov-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

another compositon of back lit morning glories

An Unopened Bloom Castes a Shadow on an Open Morning Glory Bloom (4-Nov-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

As I noted many times previously, I am keeping my eye and camera on the new street next to the mosque as it moves along in its journey to completion.

the new street by the mooseue in Leshe gets one layer of asphalt

The New Street Got Its First Asphalt Base Coat (4-Nov-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

On Thursday right after my chemistry class, Dini drove Elsie and I to Tirana where I was an invited speaker at a conference on "New Technologies and Applications in Medicine" (NTAM 2014) the next day. Since we were going to be in Tirana anyway, I contacted a doctor from Lititz, Pennsylvania, USA, who is serving at a hospital in Tirana, and had made contact with his recommended orthopedic surgeon. So just before 5:30 Thursday evening we took a taxi to the Salus Hospital where I received a steroid injection into my hip to reduce my pain. We will see how that works in the days ahead.

waiting room sign at the Italian hosptial, Salus

The Waiting Room of the Salus Hospital (6-Nov-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

Dr. Edvin Selman, orhtopedic surgeon

Dr. Selman Completes a Phone Call Regarding Another Patient (6-Nov-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

The next morning I left Elsie sleeping in while I went for breakfast and then on to the NTAM 2014 conference. At breakfast I talked with the hostess for awhile, since there were not many of us eating breakfast, and learned that she was in school learning to be an English and French teacher. She seemed very surprised but pleased to learn that we were living in Lezhë for this year. I told her I would like my wife to meet her. So the next morning, Elsie and I had a long chat with Feryola.

restaurant hostess who is studying to teach English and French

Hostess in the Restaurant in the Sheraton Hotel, Tirana (7-Nov-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

The dignitaries greeting the conference participants included Lindita Nokolla, Albanian minister of education and sports, and Ilir Beqja, Albanian minister of health. During their presentations there were several videographers in action. And since I was sitting on the front corner closest to them, I wondered on what news feed I might have shown up on.

minister of education and sports and minister of health

Albanian Minister of Education and Sports and Albania Minister of Heath (7-Nov-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

videographers were in abundance for the political speeches

When the dignitaries were finished, the topic turned to technologies such as Gammaknife and Cyberknife and how to fine tune radiotherapy to match the cancer it is aimed towards.

medical physics instruments--gammaknife and cyberknife

My presentation, "Circular Dichroism Spectra and Biomolecules," was possibly the only one on basic research. Most involved how various technologies were being implemented in medicine today.

me giving my presentation

CD Spectra and Biomolecules

Elsie and I made the decision to get back home before too late on Saturday, so we ate a relaxed breakfast and then got a bus to Lezhë.

Elsie ansd I eating breakfaast at the hotel

It was good to be at a research conference again. And in this case I met a number of persons with whom I had extended discussions on our science and ourselves as teachers, researchers and persons. I pray that my life reflects God's grace and forgiveness and his desire for all to be his childlren.

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