2013 January 28th email

Hello.  

Yes, Berat was very fun, it was good to check out another city.

So, yes, there is an Albanian hymnbook.  But, it only contains about 60 songs.  We have a piano, and in Fier Sister Casady usually plays it for us during church.  And no, I don't mess around when I sing.  (Scott used to sing half a beat behind and half a tone beneath just to bug us.)

We have a washing machine in our house, but we have to hang our clothes to let them dry.....No, I wouldn't say they're very similar to the ones at BYU.  The directions are in Italian, so it took us a little bit to figure out how to work them.

Dang, congrats on the snowstorm.  No, we never had any issues that prevented me from going to class last year, so that stinks about the bad air in Utah.  Eh, what do you do?  (Inversion in Utah)

Ok, dad:

1) Ok, we probably could buy carrots.  But, we have started eating kiwis and pomegranates, so we're expanding.

2) I have dreamed in Albanian, it's kinda weird.  I don't remember the last noun or verb I have learned.  I have been reading the Book of Mormon like a champ though.  I am now in the beginning of Mosiah.

3) Yep, church works the way it usually does.  Mid-week youth activities?  We have mid-week branch activities.  Scouts?  No.  So, like I said, our building consisits of two rooms on the second floor of a pallate (building), so we have no cultural hall whatsoever.  Yeah, we have nothing around it.  No one in Fier likes basketball anyway.  (Again, Scott hasn't played basketball in awhile.)

So, dad, I really don't know how much I weigh right now, you probably still weigh less than me, but I know I have lost weight since I got to Fier.  I have been exercising like a champ since I got here, and the only weight I know I have gained is muscle again.  We'll see what happens.

 Jake, do work.

Andrea, yeah, the time does go fast.

So, yeah, I speak Albanian.  Never thought I could do that a year ago.  I don't know what to do once I finish the Book of Mormon.  I'm thinking about taking up Spanish so I could talk to all my friends once I get home.  Or maybe I'll re-learn French and show you all up.  We'll see.

Alright, well that's my week.  I hope that you all are doing well, enjoy the snow, I wished Fier had some. Anyway, take care!

Ju dua!

Elder Palmer