In Prague I learned that "no" means yes. In Albania, "po" means yes. It's a similar noise and to Anglos and Americans it seems to naturally evoke the negative. What demands the extra-effort from a visitor is the fact that, in addition to this slight reversal of connotation, Albanians  shake their heads from side to side in affirmation rather than dismissal.

So tonight, when I offered a small collection of my music to the master of ceremonies (i.e. a waiter) at The Villa, Korçë's bastion of trendiness, I was considerably disheartened as I observed the man's face shake this way and that, slowly and deliberately pouting "po, po, po." Every other moment I would remember having been told about the cultural quirk and relax, only to become tense again as soon as I witnessed another apparent dismissal.

Tomorrow I'm off to Kosovo to discover, among other things, if they take the same horizontal liberties in conversation. Right now I should write a bit about New Year's in Tirana, but to be honest, at this moment I find the pillow more inviting then the keyboard. Let's take a rain check, shall we?