A Movie Experience

Hello...

So, Tim and I went to the movies today for the first time in a year. Exciting stuff! : ) We had actually tried to go on his birthday back in March and went to the place, but they didn't show the movie because there weren't enough people that bought tickets. Remember that we live in Lushnje, and the closest theater is in Tirana, the capitol which is 1 1/2 hours away about. (There are 4 or 5 theaters in all of Albania.) So, I was pretty bummed and we had to drive back for nothing. It's silly, I know. Just a little piece of something familiar. And you can't just say, oh let's see something else. Some of the theaters show only one movie. Which is another reason we had to wait months to try again, because if that one movie is yucky or old (they are currently showing Kung Fu Panda at a theater... we own that movie) then you have to wait until they show a new one. So, everything finally worked out today and we saw Night at the Museum 2. We liked it.

Funny little differences: at the time we bought our tickets, we had to choose our seats, which was even funnier because we were the only people in the theater (thank you, Kristal Kinema for still showing it anyways!). The tickets were about 3 US $ each. Then we went all out and got snacks. Popcorn which would equate to a small size probably in the States (only one size available) and a coke. The only kind were the good ol' glass bottles... tiny. Snacks: $1.70. Walking in it was really nice because it's a brand new theater. Nice seats and everything. The screen was probably about half the size as one in America, but it was big enough. Albanian subtitles, of course, throughout the film. Halfway through the movie, there was a 5 minute interruption. Oh yeah, also their internet site said there was a showing at 10:30, but there wasn't until 12:15, so we sat at a cafe nearby and played travel Scrabble while we waited. It was a really nice time for just the two of us.

We really needed it from being so busy with the team that recently came from Florida. They were here for 2 weeks and it was an awesome experience. God used them and worked in them in many ways and blessed us through them. It is cool hearing things from their perspective. If you want to hear about their trip here, they kept a blog the whole time, with pictures too. The blogsite is in the post right under this one. It was super busy! We were almost never home and pretty much collapsed after they left. Now, we're planning for a team coming from Korea with 32 people! They'll be here on Thursday! You can pray for us and the team!!

So, our official date day ended with a really yummy lunch at the Stephen Center - a restaurant/cafe started by an American missionary in Tirana. So, so good. The only place we've been that has things like Mexican food and BBQ chicken, teriyaki, etc. Chimichanga... that's all I have to say. : )

That's the end of that story. Sorry for lack of details about the Fla team, it's just, how do you even begin to talk about a whole 2 weeks of continuous experience? Perhaps we'll try to muster up some details and stories for you in the next blog. For now, I'm ready for bed. Good night. I'm sure you're all getting ready for dinner in a couple hours and your own fun Sat night plans.

Hello, everyone. So sorry it's been so long. We've had a team here for the past 2 weeks and have not even been home just about the whole time! It was an amazing time. The best way to express it, though is through the team's blog. They kept one the whole time they were here, so you also get a perspective on their side of coming here for the first time. Here's their link. They were a team of 11 Americans from good ol' south Florida. Thanks for your patience!!

http://albaniateam2009.blogspot.com/