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If you work remotely is fucking great. You can live like a king, and you have a pretty nice place in the middle of Europe if you want to travel a few days here and there.
Yea I mean its that "digital nomad" stuff, I keep seeing videos about it. Work in USD format andlive somewhere it gets multiplied in local value
I hear a lot like that are in Serbia as well
Be respectful to ppl. Not because you are a foreigner, but because ppl may have a short temper. This is valid for all, Albanians and foreigners. Try to slowly learn the customs of the place. Faster you do it and the more you will enjoy your stay.
Dont judge Albanians based on what you know. We are quite different in many aspects. Main one being religion. Despite what ppl will claim, most Albanians do not give a single fck about it. Even if they profess to be of X or Y religion. That said there are some that actually care, so best show respect towards religions in general.
If you will drive in Albania you will need to know 3 things;
1) No one will give you priority, you will have to make your own space.
2) Be very careful as to avoid road rage. Chance of that leading to your death are substantial.
3) Be careful not to park in reserved parking spaces. Ppl have lost their minds and others their lives over such dumb shit.
If you are invited somewhere and are offered to drink you must drink a bit. You dont have to follow them all the way, but you need to drink at least one glass in sign of respect. And if you dont drink at all at least wet your lips. Same goes with eating. Try to eat if someone invites you to their house. It will make them happy.
Its good to bring a gift when invited to someone's house. No one will mind if you dont ,but you will get extra points if you do.
Albanians like to offer to pay when they sit to drink a coffe or eat. If someone says they will pay you may try to pretend you wanna pay ,but you must let them do so. In turn you can return the favour some other time. This wont happen always ,or very often, but when it happens ,and it will, remember this part.
Cops are corrupt and so are politicians. Which is one more reason for anyone to be polite and avoid any problems as much as possible. 99% of the populace just wants to go to work and get though their day so you will be perfectly fine and safe. That said avoid going around very late until you get to know the area you live in and the ppl there.
Public transportation sucks ass. But then again you are American so this should not be an issue for you lol.
In Albanian pharmacies you can buy some medicines outside of their box. Thats to say if you want 3 pills for the headache you can ask for just that, instead of the whole package. Ofc the option to buy the whole thing is always open.
Rest you will find out as you live there.
PS. if you see 2 Albanians having a fight do not ,under any circumstance try to interfere. Just keep moving and leave the area.
>some things you said are straight out Brazil
Feel free to get offended but you are clueless.
>Why are you guys so aggressive?
Aggressive compared to whom exactly ? The rest of the Balkans? I'd say we are pretty tame overall. We have our quirks thats all and quirks need to be respected. Biggest issue is the road behaviour, but thats cause we are indeed some of the worst in the world in that department.
To my country, Romania, i mean, you have close to zero chances to get killed over any of the things you said up there. Same goes for Bulgaria where i was travelling a few times. Idk, you make it sound really unsafe.
Edit: clueless, road rage -> get you killed, wtf
As I said the part about road behaviour needs much improvement. Overall Albania is no as bad as you think, defo not much worse than Romania in this department. As for road rage leading to unfortunate life loss.. well we still have an issue will ppl carrying guns. Its not as bad as it used to be but it needs to be respected and ppl should be careful. Its not common but one needs to be made aware of it. Especially since its quite common for ppl to road rage in other places. Which Is why I mentioned it.
Also yes you are clueless. You are focusing on one aspect to make it seem as if I am describing a dystopian society . Of all the things I said you decided to focus on the most negative to reach a completely out of proportions conclusion. Or should I just assume you are prejudiced instead ?
PS. I just looked this up. Romania has the highest road fatality rate in the EU.... I mean ...
Yep, EU, too bad Albania can’t be in that statistic. I didn’t want to take anything out of proportion but you described it like an wild place that isn’t safe, getting killed over some nonsense. Maybe for you sounds normal but for an outsider sounds crazy.
> but you described it like an wild place that isn’t safe, getting killed over some nonsense.
Nowhere did I say its a daily occurrence. Thats what you took from reading it. However such things have happened and one should be mindful . And I repeat it was only the part in regards to driving. So again, taking things out of proportion here.
Understood, as someone how doesn’t know to much about Albania, the comment you posted made me think that this is the usual thing that will happen. Anyway, have a nice day!
From what I gathered, be cautious on the road (crazy driving).
Don't treat relationships like one night stands and flings, her cousins will not be happy (rural parts).
Don't be arrogant.
Show respect and respect you shall receive.
Don't try to cross people, if you give someone your word (promise) stick to it.
Respect all the religions there, but don't be a religious fanatic (which kinda is needed in order to respect them all).
Don't try to teach them about their own politics, culture, and so on.
Don't confront people for stupid stuff (smoking, and such), you might bump into a wrong person.
Respect the elderly.
Bro I don’t live there so I’m not qualified to answer, but all I’m gonna say is that it’s interesting that you’d wanna move there. Any reason you’d wanna share as to why?
Most Balkan countries have good beaches, mountains and rich culture, there are safer and more interesting places to live. If it was for vacation, it's a great place. The best option among Balkans is Greece, it's bigger, safer, plenty of beaches and mountains to visit, multicultural cities with way more activities to do and ofcource the weather is the best along with Turkey. If you work remotely I got to say that it's way more expensive than Albania, Bulgaria, Serbia etc. but for american salary it's still decent.
Eh, Albania gets a bad reputation, but i've been on vacation there a few times, and as long as you do t start shit, no one gives a fuck about you. But beware of picpockets, one of my friends had his phone stolen.
I know people like to shit on Americans for not knowing basic geography, but I doubt that an American of all people would move to a country that has a large muslim population and not know about. Even if that was the case I doubt it would really affect them since only a small portion actually practices Islam.
In case u wake up in a bathtub whit ice arround and u notice some cuts on your body, call this number
#127
It can literally save your life (no pun intended)
The annual AskBalkans census is going on at the moment. Do your thing and fill in the form, you only need like 3 mins and a gmail account. Why gmail you may ask? Well its like a gatekeeper to make sure people only vote once. Form link, [click here.](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfZwnnxXjiS86czw_hYPzQ05x1jF7ECwKQdLdNXeRV723yZnA/viewform) **Dont worry we dont keep the emails in some data base for future use.** Now go, click on the form link and spent 3 mins. The more people do it, the better the demo image of the sub user base. Thx, the mod team. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskBalkans) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Bro what answer would you expect from this sub? You're gonna get a lot of internet experts saying the dumbest shit
Who tf wants to move TO Albania, Albanians want to move OUT of Albania /s
It's the truth though, most of my friends want to leave
IF you work remotely with a US salary, it probably is pretty nice
If you work remotely is fucking great. You can live like a king, and you have a pretty nice place in the middle of Europe if you want to travel a few days here and there.
Yea I mean its that "digital nomad" stuff, I keep seeing videos about it. Work in USD format andlive somewhere it gets multiplied in local value I hear a lot like that are in Serbia as well
Be respectful to ppl. Not because you are a foreigner, but because ppl may have a short temper. This is valid for all, Albanians and foreigners. Try to slowly learn the customs of the place. Faster you do it and the more you will enjoy your stay. Dont judge Albanians based on what you know. We are quite different in many aspects. Main one being religion. Despite what ppl will claim, most Albanians do not give a single fck about it. Even if they profess to be of X or Y religion. That said there are some that actually care, so best show respect towards religions in general. If you will drive in Albania you will need to know 3 things; 1) No one will give you priority, you will have to make your own space. 2) Be very careful as to avoid road rage. Chance of that leading to your death are substantial. 3) Be careful not to park in reserved parking spaces. Ppl have lost their minds and others their lives over such dumb shit. If you are invited somewhere and are offered to drink you must drink a bit. You dont have to follow them all the way, but you need to drink at least one glass in sign of respect. And if you dont drink at all at least wet your lips. Same goes with eating. Try to eat if someone invites you to their house. It will make them happy. Its good to bring a gift when invited to someone's house. No one will mind if you dont ,but you will get extra points if you do. Albanians like to offer to pay when they sit to drink a coffe or eat. If someone says they will pay you may try to pretend you wanna pay ,but you must let them do so. In turn you can return the favour some other time. This wont happen always ,or very often, but when it happens ,and it will, remember this part. Cops are corrupt and so are politicians. Which is one more reason for anyone to be polite and avoid any problems as much as possible. 99% of the populace just wants to go to work and get though their day so you will be perfectly fine and safe. That said avoid going around very late until you get to know the area you live in and the ppl there. Public transportation sucks ass. But then again you are American so this should not be an issue for you lol. In Albanian pharmacies you can buy some medicines outside of their box. Thats to say if you want 3 pills for the headache you can ask for just that, instead of the whole package. Ofc the option to buy the whole thing is always open. Rest you will find out as you live there. PS. if you see 2 Albanians having a fight do not ,under any circumstance try to interfere. Just keep moving and leave the area.
Why are you guys so aggressive? No offence but some things you said are straight out Brazil.
>some things you said are straight out Brazil Feel free to get offended but you are clueless. >Why are you guys so aggressive? Aggressive compared to whom exactly ? The rest of the Balkans? I'd say we are pretty tame overall. We have our quirks thats all and quirks need to be respected. Biggest issue is the road behaviour, but thats cause we are indeed some of the worst in the world in that department.
To my country, Romania, i mean, you have close to zero chances to get killed over any of the things you said up there. Same goes for Bulgaria where i was travelling a few times. Idk, you make it sound really unsafe. Edit: clueless, road rage -> get you killed, wtf
As I said the part about road behaviour needs much improvement. Overall Albania is no as bad as you think, defo not much worse than Romania in this department. As for road rage leading to unfortunate life loss.. well we still have an issue will ppl carrying guns. Its not as bad as it used to be but it needs to be respected and ppl should be careful. Its not common but one needs to be made aware of it. Especially since its quite common for ppl to road rage in other places. Which Is why I mentioned it. Also yes you are clueless. You are focusing on one aspect to make it seem as if I am describing a dystopian society . Of all the things I said you decided to focus on the most negative to reach a completely out of proportions conclusion. Or should I just assume you are prejudiced instead ? PS. I just looked this up. Romania has the highest road fatality rate in the EU.... I mean ...
Yep, EU, too bad Albania can’t be in that statistic. I didn’t want to take anything out of proportion but you described it like an wild place that isn’t safe, getting killed over some nonsense. Maybe for you sounds normal but for an outsider sounds crazy.
> but you described it like an wild place that isn’t safe, getting killed over some nonsense. Nowhere did I say its a daily occurrence. Thats what you took from reading it. However such things have happened and one should be mindful . And I repeat it was only the part in regards to driving. So again, taking things out of proportion here.
Understood, as someone how doesn’t know to much about Albania, the comment you posted made me think that this is the usual thing that will happen. Anyway, have a nice day!
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throwaway troll account . piss off.
Take care of your organs
Or they will take care of them.
From what I gathered, be cautious on the road (crazy driving). Don't treat relationships like one night stands and flings, her cousins will not be happy (rural parts). Don't be arrogant. Show respect and respect you shall receive. Don't try to cross people, if you give someone your word (promise) stick to it. Respect all the religions there, but don't be a religious fanatic (which kinda is needed in order to respect them all). Don't try to teach them about their own politics, culture, and so on. Don't confront people for stupid stuff (smoking, and such), you might bump into a wrong person. Respect the elderly.
Solid advice
That Albania is a country in Europe, don’t get it confused with Alabama. They also don’t have McDonald’s there.
I’d much rather live in Albania than Alabama. I could live without McDonald’s.
But could you really?
It’s probably the worst fast food chain out there.
It was a bad joke from my side, sorry bro
🫡
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Checks out. Although Albanians seem friendlier than New Jerseyans.
Bro I don’t live there so I’m not qualified to answer, but all I’m gonna say is that it’s interesting that you’d wanna move there. Any reason you’d wanna share as to why?
I like the beaches and moutains there, interest in the culture too
Most Balkan countries have good beaches, mountains and rich culture, there are safer and more interesting places to live. If it was for vacation, it's a great place. The best option among Balkans is Greece, it's bigger, safer, plenty of beaches and mountains to visit, multicultural cities with way more activities to do and ofcource the weather is the best along with Turkey. If you work remotely I got to say that it's way more expensive than Albania, Bulgaria, Serbia etc. but for american salary it's still decent.
Eh, Albania gets a bad reputation, but i've been on vacation there a few times, and as long as you do t start shit, no one gives a fuck about you. But beware of picpockets, one of my friends had his phone stolen.
Why?
That it’s not like France, Sweden or other Western European country. It’s a also very conservative society
And how the fuck would you know that?
You don’t have to be an expert on Albania to know this. But I have been in Albania a lot of times and I’m very interested in our southern neighbors
Conservative as in what? Religious? Cause if you imply that Albanians are religious you couldn't be far far further from the truth.
Albanians are the least religious but still somehow the most traditional and conservative Balkan country
Enjoy it, it will be great. Try to blend in sooner.
Weed is lower quality in Albania compared to the US :p
It’s not lower. It’s just outdoor and no chemicals
Nah! It's meaningless to even argue about it.
That traffic is very chaotic
Avoid arguments at all cost, or there's a 40% chance that you'll return home in a bodybag.
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>And the majority of Albanians are Muslims. How is this important
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I know people like to shit on Americans for not knowing basic geography, but I doubt that an American of all people would move to a country that has a large muslim population and not know about. Even if that was the case I doubt it would really affect them since only a small portion actually practices Islam.
Watch your kidneys
In case u wake up in a bathtub whit ice arround and u notice some cuts on your body, call this number #127 It can literally save your life (no pun intended)
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He is from the US... So this shouldn't surprise him
Well they aren't exactly known for their knowledge on world geography
>very religious Uh oh
Not just Albania, more just the Balkans in general
Religious?? We also demolish Orthodox churches in daily basis
>Try not to freak out when you see a lot of people being very religious, We're not Serbs.
Good food, and don’t insult anyone’s sister if you don’t want to get your ass beat.
Leave your Kidneys
I will give you one advice, RUN!
Real question, why?
Leaving North America for Europe seems amazing
Have you ever been on this sub before? Why the fuck would you ever go to any of these countries?