Today I worked with Visi putting the tiegula back on the roof of the godina at the church project. As we worked we spoke in Shqip, and only in Shqip. On the job site I can infer the meaning of words I don’t recognize, given their familiar context. The conversation tends to be limited to brief commands of an urgent nature, the kind I have been responding too since I began working on construction sites 15 years ago. From on the roof Visi shouted down at one point “Ma che dici?!” to which I responded “Ma che fai?!” After that exchange we both launched into opposing diatribes that we intended to sound as though they might be composed of proper Italian, though we both knew that they were not. In retrospect it is a wonder that I didn’t end up with a roof-tile cracking me over the head. Italians are known for their use of hand motions during discourse.
Later in the day the Plagenhoefs came to the site for a meeting with our engineer Fisnik. I shared with Stephanie my nickname for our imposing Albanian master builder. “Fisnik,” I said, “Yo. Emrin yo eshte Fisnik, Fiks Niche eshte.” Fiks and niche put together would mean “precisely number one,” or “exactly the best.” Stephanie laughed and added that he would not be given that name until after the work had been completed.
Later still I was sitting at the dinner table with the students from school. Etmira and Nella had prepared soup. Etmira tried it first and said “O, shum krip,” which means “Too salty.” Nella responded by saying “Shum krip, ska problem,” which means “Too salty? Not a problem.” I found the exchange to be so funny that I laughed long enough for everyone to begin wondering if something was wrong with me.
You don’t like it? No problem.
I began journaling this afternoon around the question of how important common language is for true communication to take place. Are words as revelatory as we think they are, or are they really just masks we place in front of our ideas? What does true communication consist of, and are words involved at all? You understand.
albaniacalling 
Uh…usted esta fis niche! Senor! Muy bien!