New Year's Resolution: 11 days in.

I decided to stop smoking on the 31st of December 2009. From smoking a packet of 20 a day to zero has been a struggle: I have had to throw everything in the house away that could possible be used to light a cig. The problem with that approach is that since I live on a plot, subject to the vagaries of summer thunderstorms and ESCOM supply, i am buggered when the power goes out: I can't light a single candle, or light up the gas bottle to boil a pot of water for tea! I thought to myself, mmm what to do? what to do? how do I light my smokes when i could not find my lighter or a box of matches? Obvious: use the toaster. Only one problem: toaster is electric. shit! fuck! what now? All kinds of devious thoughts run through my mind like a hamster on a treadmill. Only solution: sit and wait...or rather go to sleep, and be shocked awake when the television blares you awake at two in the morning after the ESCOM technicians decide that they can now throw the switches back on!

Rolling blackouts..we can't moan!

Most of Albania without electricity

January 16 2008 at 02:03PM


Tirana - The Albanian power grid collapsed Wednesday, leaving almost the entire country without electricity, local media reported on Wednesday.

The national power company Kesh announced that the problem affecting "every corner of Albania" may last several days.

A former Communist country with 3.6 million inhabitants, Albania is still plagued by a chronic shortage of power leading to regular blackouts and brownouts whenever the temperature drops.

The temperature in the capital Tirana was a mild 8 degrees Celsius on Wednesday morning. - Sapa-dpa