Albania

Albania has a population of 4 million of whom 700,000 live in tirana. Another million live in Greece and nearby countries, where they went to escape the wars and seeking opportunity. Some now trying to return have found their places taken. The US has helped post communist albania but even so the average monthly income is under $100. . Saw the Mausoleum of the Albanian hero Gjergj Kastrioti in the small town of Lexhe, who in the 1440's has led the fight for freedom against the Turks.Also the splendid remains of the Castle of Rozafa, sitting on an impressive promontory (aren't most castles?). First built by the Illyrians (who were also in Kotor, Montenegro, location of my apartment, before making their way to become the Etruscans in Tuscany in Italy) in 4th century b.c.e. The castle has been occupied by Romans, Venetians, Turks, Serbs, Ottomans, and others. . Every country I have visited on this trip in central asia has been the multiple perpetrator and victim of war. One estimate has it that there have been 14,500 wars between 3,500 b.c.e. (origin of the state) and the end of the 20th century. Approximately 3.5 billion lives have been lost in these wars. There have been 300 years of peace in the same time period. That is 5.4% of the time humans are not slaughtering each other. . Unfortunately the National Museum of History was closed for renovation so i lost a prime learning opportunity. I was able, due to the persistence of a new friend/ businessman, Ferdy, to attend a performance of Don Carlos. Unexpectedly, it was a fine performance. The conductor, orchestra, chorus and most of the leads were quite capable- the equal of a Ft. Worth Opera performance. After the opera I got lost. The cab could not find my hotel. I asked to go to the Sheraton where the young man said, "In Albania you will not be lost." He changed the cab and I got home. The simple eloquence of that statement (it was after midnight) was reflected in the way I was treated by others. . The two most famous writers of Albania are Dritero Agolli, and Ismail Kadare. Two of Kadare's works are: The Palace of Dreams, and Three Elegies for Kosovo. He sought political asylum from the communists in France where he still lives. "the writer is the natural enemy of dictatorship." He has been short-listed for the Nobel Prize.(And it was while here that I learned the last of the major Serbians accused of war crimes in Kosovo and Bosnia, Mladic, had been finally arrested after running for 16 years). . And I happened on a ceramic artist, Mira, who told me she had studied under a famous Japanese artist of batik. I am pleased to add two of her pieces to my art, along with pleasant memories of a struggling but proud and friendly people.

My Montenegro View

Better Not to Read It

,

. I wonder if there is a compendium of all the tribes who have ever
existed in all times and countries. If not I think i shall compile
one. Surely it would equal in length the well known "Ocean of Story."
---the Indian compendium which purports to contain every story that
could ever be written. I think that tribal history contributes to the
origins of war. In several of the countires of central asia, people
identified themselves by a tribe,-I am tartar, I am uzbek, not by
citizenship.
. Bulgaria has 8 million people, 2 million is Sofia, beautiful,
exuberant, inviting. In the 3rd century it was a Roman Province-many
Roman remains. Cities in the areaq began in 7th century b.c.e.
Animism, worship of mother gods, sky gods, shamans, cults of natural
forces. Varna was an early settlement. Persians, Scythes, Macedonians,
Celts, Odrysians, Thracians, Getae, Treballions all were here.
Byzantium Emperor Constantine said, Serdica (Sofia) is my Rome.
Bulgaria under Ottoman rule for 500 years until freedom in 1878. The
rebellion was geatly assisted by Russians. To thank them they named
the absolutely magnificent cathedral they built to celbrate their
freedom-the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral. He was a Russian warrior who
had led the repulsion of the Norman invasion into Russia.
. The oldest buidling in Sofia is St. George's Rotunda Church- 4th
century. variously a place for cult worship, a Roman administrative
bldg., and a Christian Church so designated by Constantine.
. There is an arresting inscription on a wall dated 1015--"In 6,523
years since the creation of the world..."--how did they do the math?
. As to the serendipity of travel, as I, in an attempt to "put on the
skin of all the earth;" how is it that upon going to see a performance
of Nabucco, an early Verdi, the person sitting next to me pulls out a
copy of the New Yorker to pass the time till the performance begins. I
say, "Oh, I see I am sitting next to the only other person who speaks
English." She later says, I am a lawyer. Well, turns out she was a
judge at the court at the Hague for the Kosovo/ Serbian War Crimes
Trial. She is now a candidate for the World Court. And that her
husband is Ivan Dimov, the most famous painter of Bulgaria from whom I
bought a painting, and that they introduce me to their friend Valeri
Petrov, the esteemed Senior of the poets and writers of Bulgaria who
made his mark by being the first to translate the entire works of
Shakespeare into Bulgarian. He was pleased when I told him that the 14
year old Dalai Lama had insisted that he be taught English so that he
could read Shakespeare in his original language. We became sufficient
friends that I may publish a project with him.
. Valeri is 91 years old going on 39. "When in the mirror I see my
beautiful face..." Among others he told the following story. He was
honored for his literary accomplishments by a country he asked me not
to name, but which is south of the US. They said to him, don't you
think some of your poems should be read at the ceremony. Agreeing, he
gave them a few for translation. He remarked that his poetry is
notoriously difficult to translate because it is full of rhyme, fables
and humor, interlocked. After they attempted the translation they said
to him, "Better not to read it." I am sure the glee with which he told
this story contained the same ironic wit with which he received their
judgement.
. Finally, the cast of Nabucco is 8 deep and the singers that day were
the equal, in sum, of a production of the Dallas Opera, at what I am
sure was 1/10th the cost. Bulgarian opera singers are known world wide
including Ghena Dimitrova and a basso who is married to Mirella Fr

Hidden in Plain Sight

Azerbijan is something of an anomoly. A Muslin non-jihadist
democracy. Population of 9 million, 3 million in the captial, Baku.
Fueled by oil riches, with very little corruption, it has, since
throwing out the Communists, built a modern state. Baku is a modern
european city with infrastrcutre and amenities to match. I was quite
surprised.
. Like most countries in the region it has a long list of conquerors:
Romans-Germanicus, Alexander the  Great, Arabs, Ottomans, Mongols and
Russia, twice. Yet is is a tolerant and progressive state. The people
are one of the Turkic peoples.
. Zoroaster was born here and founded Zoroastianism in the 7th century
b.c.e. At one time there were more Zoro's than Christians. I guess we
know who had the better missionaries. (or armies). Part of the ritual
of the religion was fire worship. It turns out that natural gas
springs natuarally from the earth in many places causing flames on the
ground. The phenomena served one useful purpose in turning back some
invaders quite startled by the spectacle. The country cares enough to
know that there remain today 300 adherents of the religion.
. We know that the Nobel prize was funded by the invention of
dynamite. But, also--the Nobel brothers were working in Russia, came
to Azerbijan in search of mahogany, found none, but did find oil--a
lot of it. they were among the first oil developers in the early
1900s.
. I was further astonished by the National Literature Museum. What
other country has one?--I only know of ones in Columbia and Vietnam.
Here it is primarily poets (as well as other writers) who are honored.
the whole history of poetry since 400 a.d. can be found. Statues,
manuscripts, paintings, of over 100 poets from their tradition. Poets
who were executed for writing against rulers. Wonder why it is that
poetry matters so much in Russia and other countries in the area.
. In the middle ages architects and artists were not allowed to sign
their work. The largest palace in Baku was the palace of Shah Xalilula
I. the architect was Muxammed Ali. He was determined to be remembered
for his beautiful work. In an inscription on a wall above the entryway
is his name, and claim of architecture. But to see it you must use a
mirror.  The next time I don't understand a woman I will see if a
mirror works.
. Off to Georgia and Armenia.

Potato on a Stick

Potato on a stick

It seems every country in eastern europe and the balkans has had its
period of empire and a period of suffering at the hands of the despot,
including the long brutal arm of Russia. In the middle of the 1800's
Romania exiled an incompetent prince, and at the suggestion of
Napoleon III selected a Prussian army officer to be their King. He
walked across the border, was coronated and ruled acceptably for 48
years. At some point he learned to speak romanian The communists ruled
for longer until the revolt in the late 90's when the yoke was thrown
off and the despicable Ceaucesceau (sp?) killed. In the revolution
plaza there is an elegant statue of Carol I astride his horse. One
foot of the horse is lifted, meaning, according to the sublimely funny
poem of Billy Collins, that the rider died in bed. Juxtaposed is a
bizarre statue, object, thing--white steel columns rise together about
4 stories high. 4/5 of the way up a patternless conglomeration of
black iron forms what can best be described as a potato which holds on
to the white steel.Some modern art dissembler will have to explain why
that symbolizes a revolution. It is mockingly referred to by Romanians
as a potato on a stick. Perhaps the irony is because the people threw
off communism only to become ruled by wolves--who, as in russia, have
appropriated all the desirable assets of the country, leaving the
people free but no better off.
Did you know that Exxon has not yet paid one penny of the gigantic
court judgment against them for the oil spill in Valdez Alaska how
many years ago.
Off to Azerbijan.
Ron M