<body>

Shqipo's Virtual Mumblings

Shqipo's personal blog, about anything and nothing.

Word verification

Wednesday, August 31, 2005
I just wanted to let all of you few people who read this blog know that I was forced to turn on word verification on all my 3 bloggs for those who would like to leave a comment. I had to do it because spammers found a way to post, well, spamming comments on my bloggs through their automated tools. Hopefully this measure will make them go away...for a while, until they come up with a new tool to overcome this barrier for them.

Terminal

Monday, August 29, 2005
I just finished watching this movie called The Terminal (official website). Some consider it a comedy, I didn't. On contrary, I found it quite moving and a real drama. Yes, there were comic elements in it, but I don't think its creators wanted this movie to be a comedy - or maybe it's just me (save it Josue'!). So, Roger Ebert, I'm seriously doubting your ability to be a movie critic - or perhaps living the good life does not allow one to see the drama in this movie's plot.

I liked it, I really did. Yes, it's a Hollywood movie (no wonder it had a happy ending) but had a lot of "indie" elements in it. And, unlike other movies that are made recently, there were several "lines" (or, for some, "moral of the story") intertwined.

For instance, there was a very powerful one-line that one of the main characters used, "America is closed." Being an immigrant myself, and in light of post 9/11 changes, I thought it was quite meaningful (did someone say "true"?). Isn't this writing somewhere in New York (where the movie takes place) as well?
"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me:
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

Ah, the irony... . I could say quite a bit more about this but I better stop here.

For those who travel often (or even occasionally), being stranded in an airport would be the first thing they can relate to - not a pleasant feeling at all I may add. For instance, last year my brother and I were stuck at the Las Vegas airport for a good 12 hours simply because the line waiting to go through security checkpoint went around the whole airport (inside, second floor), and down to the first floor.

The whole idea of coming all the way to the US (and suffer through that months-long stranding) not to find a better life or a dream but simply to keep a promise to his father, was quite meaningful to me. I wonder if anyone from our generation would still do that. We seem to be in a hurry to depart with our parents as soon as possible; if one is over 18 and still lives with one's parents, one is considered a loser. Frankly, I'm not embarrassed to admit it: had I not depart Albania for a better education and life in the US, most likely I'd still be living with my parents.

Another "sad but true" moment in this movie was when the custom's official didn't allow some medicine to go through because it was for someone's dying father. However, the law (according to the movie - I don't know if it's true) allowed medicines if they are intended for animals... .

The line of friendship was evolved as well in this movie - although I'm not sure whether it was friendship or feeling sorry for the main character.

And then, of course, there was love - two of them, actually. The first one was a bit strange: immigration officer accepts to marry someone she never met or knew much (at all!) about. Are arranged marriages still practiced here? The second one involved our main character. Afterall, is there such a thing as a Hollywood movie without a love story involving the main character? Amelia Warren (Catherine Zeta-Jones) seems confused - and that's why I like it (uhm, no, I didn't say her outloud, did I?). I don't want to offend anyone but this confusion thing seems to be quite popular lately. So she is split between running for 7 years after a well-connected (I'm assuming well to-do as well) married gentleman who doesn't seem to love her (but hey, sex is good!) and Viktor (main character) who falls in love immediately (hello, again, Hollywood!). Yes, she chose the married guy. Very un-Hollywood, but oh-so-realistic!

As I mentioned before, I was able to notice several lines in this movie but I'm not going to discuss all of them. Ah, last but not least: I'd like to remind movie writers/directors, etc. to open some world map or a geography book before writing something. There was this taxi driver extra who appeared by the end of the movie. He said he was from Albania. Well, last time I checked, Albanians don't have names like Goran, nor do we speak with a Russian accent.

In conclusion, I'd recommend watching this movie.

Home-made espresso machine?

Wednesday, August 24, 2005
I can't say I consider myself a sophisticated coffee buff, but ever since I started drinking coffee on regular basis around the tender age of 22 (after realizing that it was the only solution to staying up in MBA classes after sleeping only 3-4 hours), I do enjoy good coffee, twice a day. I used to drink Turkish-style coffee (and I still do sometime) but now I mostly drink drip-style coffee and, sometimes, an espresso.

I am not into the "half-skim-half-regular-half-decaf-half-cold machiatto" type coffees at all. I even drink my drip coffee black so I can enjoy it fully. Although I've wanted to, I never got around getting an espresso machine, even a simple (read: cheap) stove-top one (aka Moka pot). But a friend of mine (not even Italian!) went to Italy recently and brought me a stainless steel Bialetti Moka pot (thanks Josue'!).

As I used it for the first time today, I decided to do a little research on the best water/coffee ratio, how to grind coffee for best taste, etc. During my research, I ran into this page of this guy who was showing how to make an espresso machine out of...PVC tubing! OK, those who know me know that I'm not one who throws money easily away. And I do admire those who are very creative and handy on making things. But c'mon, make espresso on PVC tubes? What's next, wine from the bathtub (not that it hasn't been done before...)? With the $30 this McGuire-wannabe guy wasted on making this "homemade" machine, you can buy a really good stove-top espresso maker. And I'm not even factoring in the wasted time to make it or the taste (I don't even want to think how that PVC espresso would taste like...)!

However, for those who are handy and brave enough to try a home-made espresso maker, here's the link.

Ah, the politicians...

Monday, August 22, 2005
The jury is still out on which one is the oldest profession, politics or prostitution. Frankly, I don't think there's a difference, and probably prostitution became a money-making profession simply to provide funding for politics. Although I do like to get involved (rather often, unfortunately) in friendly political debates with friends, I don't think I would call myself a true politician. That's because true politicians, apparently, are making much more $$$ than I am.

One of the reasons why I decided to stay in this great country after completing my education were political conditions (besides economic one, which are closely tied) in the old country. It's very true that the political system had already changed from a centralized communist one to a supposedly pluralist democracy - and I'm very proud that I did help for that to happen, even at a young age. However, things didn't go as they should've and the old cast of communist politicians simply changed their coats and, Voila , they continued to hold the power.

There was one "small" difference though: they figured out that this democracy thing was actually a great way to get rich. And rich did they get, becoming millionaires (valued in US $, not Albanian Leks) overnight. But that's not because they invented a new product or a new service or even used an old product or service to build a company. They simply discovered corruption. How much easier can it get if you get paid under the table for a signature that, afterall, it's your part of your job? So, corruption, just like in other former communist countries, became the main revenue generator in Albania.

Corruption/bribery has actually become so common that I wouldn't be surprised if they create a law to legitimize it. Everyone is well aware of it, from politicians who fight furiously to get any kind of government position, to Albanians who live in Albania and go through it everyday, to Albanians abroad who get involved into discussions at coffee shops. Even US politicians are well aware of it. With all this awarenesss, however, nothing has been done to change this status quo.

Because I considered the political system in the US to be almost flawless, I always wondered why the US hasn't taken any measures (as part of our foreign policy) to help change that situation there. And I've been puzzled where did the Albanian politicians learn so quickly to become such creative corruptedd officials. But after I read this news (link below) from Associated Press, all my questions were answered. I will make no more comments...for now.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050822/ap_on_go_co/politicians_scandals

Loss

Saturday, August 20, 2005
I know, I haven't written here in about forever and a half, but I've been very busy with work and other issues. Actually, a friend of mine keeps reminding me to "update" this blog so here I am, spilling my brain's overload.

Isn't it interesting how we (or at least some of us) refuse to share this brain overload with others when we're in the company of even close friends, but we don't mind sharing it/them with complete strangers simply because of this barrier - yet bridge - called internet?

I envy those who always see the glass half full, no matter what happens. I guess I'm not one of those people. I can't say I see the glass half empty all the time either, but I think I try to be realistic most of the time. So it's no surprise that when I lose something, the very first instinct is not trying to find out if I gained anything.

Speaking of losses, why is it that we realize the value of something or someone only when we lose it? When we have it, it's there all or most of the time, in front of us, with us and, most of the time, we take it for granted. And we wake up one day and suddenly we find that we've lost what we had. Just like that, no warning lights, no sirens, not a single sign. And then we start realizing what we've lost, how dear it was to us. As time crawls by, we realize there's an empty space inside of us which didn't use to be there before. And it's not a pleasant feeling at all. We try to take back what we lost to fill that space but most of the time we are not able to do so. Then, creative and optimistic as we are, we try to fill that empty space with something else. It doesn't work, that emptiness is like a puzzle space, only one particular piece can be in that place. We try to keep our mind occupied with other things simply to forget, but it doesn't help. The emptiness inside echoes like an empty cave. How do we prevent it?