nr. 106 / 11 gusht 2007
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American-Albanian wedding
in Shkodra Irida and
Paolo, although living in the USA, have chosen their birthplace to start
their journey to the common happiness Beyond the elements, whatever they might be, that spiritualize the
whole live of a couple, right the day of their wedding, in the configuration
of the spirit, the rituals and traditions “wear” the wedding day with a
divine light. Weddings have often appeared, and still do, in the harmony of the culture,
situation, time. Yet, the wedding we’re focusing in this time had everything
within, even the sound of the fountain, the Albanian traditions and a little
of American adrenaline, why not even some frail experiences, likewise in
lyrics and ballads. At the moment of the ceremony in front of the altar at
church, the nature is silent too. Everything belongs to the couple, looking
forward to the long journey expecting them. In mystic experiences even
wood-nymphs stop and do not go through the door. The wedding we’re writing about motivated a physiognomy of more than
authentic particularities.
It couldn’t be different for Tonin Kimça, who has many years living in the USA. He decided
to organize the wedding of his daughter, Irida,
where she was born, where she pronounced the word “mother”, where she was
educated, and where she even wrote many articles in journals. He is our
colleague who crossed the Atlantic Ocean with what is never missing, the
weight of nostalgic and through the marriage of hi
daughter, Irida, with Paolo Duhani,
spreads in the blessed Albanian ground an ancient, very ancient “melody”, but
also a new one, the marriage of his daughter in the land where her
antecessors were born. With great emotions, what is normal, in Shkodra,
the city built upon the body and the sacrifice of a bride, which was Rozafa, buried in the walls of the castle, which was
built during the day and destroyed during the night, to whom
she was also giving her name. Today, it’s half rich
indeed, but never half poor. Tonin Kimça came to lift up the glass not only for a wedding,
but even more. The dimensions of joy cannot be included within an article,
even more for Shkodra, the most beautiful! There’s no light, but there’s no darkness too… In these days, the hot sun can bake the bread, but the citizens of Shkodra do not go to hospital. The city, in this time of
crisis, has no lights, but neither darkness. People
do not complain! Impossibilities turn on possibilities, there’s always room
for the joy, optimism and fate are part of the
inhabitants of north. Irida and Paulo are the photo
motive not only with their look, but also with what they’ve achieved. Irida went in the USA in 1995, very young, through a lottery, along with
her family. She attended the “St. Rephael” Catholic
private school and then the secondary “Amety” in
CT. Actually she’s a very good student
in the “Southern CT” High School, where she studies teaching. She knew her
husband since a child, and he too went, through lottery, at the country of
freedom and human democracy. Within 5 years, Paolo, ambitious and determined,
bought a house in America, where you can have anything you can, but where
nobody gives a cent without work. A personal business and a second job, a
good engagement with an Albanian girl, from a family of tradition and
culture, a desire to have his marriage in Albania, this is what Paolo Duhani left behind in these few years. The wedding… Everything is chosen carefully and in details. The taste of Irida and the suggestions of Paolo, the attention of Tonin, his wife and the brothers Kimça
have built up a unique ambient. The restaurant is very good. It’s name is very significative, “The two lions”: Albania and America in Shkodra, at the foundations of a wedding. The menu is
very rich. The cooks have done a professional job and everything is abundant.
The brothers Tonin, Cek, Ardi and Ndrek are very
attentive. A wedding like those in ancient times. 400 participants enjoy and
have fun under the melody of the music interpreted by the famous sisters Irma
and Eranda Libohova, two A colleague of ours, Pellumb Sulo, a journalist, says this in another way: “Many
people in Shkodra have a lot of money, but I’ve
never seen in my life a wedding like this. Neither cameras could register
this, nor the mine…”. The music is very nice. Traditional wedding songs, American sounds
too, perhaps to honor the country of e big heart, with the purest democracy
to be followed by many nations, even the Albanian nation. The dressings of
the invited are serious and carefully chosen. Historical, cultural and
traditional values are manifested in the dressings of all of those
accompanying Irida and Paolo. Women were in red
dresses combined with black parts, figuring the image of the wood-nymphs. Men
are faithful to national Albanian colors: black suits, red collars and white
shirts as a background. Even famous film directors couldn’t gather so much
Albanian national adrenaline in such a short time. Nowhere! There are the
colors of our national flag, the red field with the black two-headed eagle,
leading people going in a wedding, going in war, now featured in the dresses
of people going in a wedding. The dream of the “princess” Irida and her
“prince” Paolo, is covered by a tiny sheet of snow
of a unforgettable day not only in their lives, but also in that of the
people present in this national wedding. The white dress of the bride is one
of the particularities of this wedding. It is a unique dress, that Irida wore for the first time and none else can have it,
not even once. The wedding dress, made by request especially for Irida from America, by the prestigious company “Ann Bacha”, ornamented with precious stones which ad the
brightness. The cake too is at the right level of the wedding: This wedding, this joy going beyond the two families, whose son and
daughter are being married, makes you think, going far in meditation to the
spirit of tradition. Participants are all singing, yet there’s no noise.
Dances give a good look to the wedding and the dance of the couple with the
appropriate music shows us that Shkodra is and
should be natural part of the occidental culture. Everything is natural to
the environment, the joy and the familiarity of those feasting. Seems like
everyone knows everyone. The bride and the bridegroom are the center of an
amphitheater made by people lifting up to heaven the happiness of Irida and Paolo. An unforgettable day, not only for them! Traditions interlace with the new, but everything is well-conserved.
The “Saint Stephen” Cathedral in Shkodra, the
biggest Catholic church in the Balkans, had to witness in God’s eyes the
bandage between Irida and Paolo. It is one of the
most spotlighted symbols of Albanians and Irida,
though raised in the USA, wants her album to have a picture beside the divine
temple. The cathedral’s foundations were laid in 1858. It was a Muslim who
laid the first stone, Daut Boriçi,
while other Muslims made their financial contribution for the building. In
these days previous to the wedding, the Cathedral was in reconstruction and
the couple chose the warm familiar church of Don Bosco,
to swear in God’s presence to be together in this journey “until death do
them apart”. Here too great attention was paid. Everything was adorned
carefully, natural flowers very pleasant to the guests. According to the
Catholic tradition, Irida’s father leads her to the
altar, where Paolo is waiting. Their walk of their life together, before
people and God, has begun… The American and the Albanian flags, side by side… A long procession of cars sparkles the 2400
years old city with the joy of a wedding. They follow the baronial car of the
bride and the bridegroom. The Albanian flag and the American one lead the
convoy. How beautiful to see them together, like in
Afghanistan, in Iraq and everywhere now, and in this Albanian wedding with
American colors. If these flags want to wave freely in Albania, they’re more
than proud to do that in this wedding. During the Balshaj
time, Shkodra was the capital, like New York before
Philadelphia and Philadelphia before Washington, proclaimed capital in
After the drive, the newly married and the guests head to the Church
of the Lady of Shkodra. Everything is natural here, everything is original, from the ornaments to the
emotional state of the guests. In this church there’s a copy of the mystic and magic mural picture,
whose story passed on during the centuries. It’s the picture of the mural
that is found in Genazano of Italy. Its’ story is
the history of Catholicism in Albania, who begun its’ cross-way after the
death of Gjergj Kastrioti,
Skënderbeu, in 1468. While part of the inhabitants,
during the five centuries of captivity was forced to change their religion,
the others had to go in exile, and only a few remained faithful, suffering
for centuries. At this time, on April 25, 1467, when a new great army of the
sultan attacked Shkodra, according to the legend,
the mural of the Lady left the wall of the sanctuary at the foot of the Rozafa Castle, to avoid violation by Turkish horde. Held
by angels, wrapped in clouds - says the tradition - it stopped in Genezano, near Rome. The tradition says that the mural
was followed by to citizens of Shkodra, guards of
the mural, who didn’t notice they crossed the Adriatic Sea walking, while
looking up to the sanctuary. As they reached Rome, the mural vanished and
they couldn’t see it anymore. In a short time, the voice was spread all over
Italy that a marvelous mural was placed on the wall of the Sanctuary of Genazano, where it was performing numerous miracles.
Since that time, peregrination of believers started toward Genazano, and Our Lady of Good Counsel, Patron of
Albanians was venerated also in Italy, Germany, Austria and later on in other
continents too, with the same picture that is still venerated in Genazano. After the mass, according to the tradition but also according to the
new culture from the country of the absolute freedom, the bride leaves her
family. The two enter their car with the two flags, American and Albanian,
waving, and drive away. They start the journey of happiness that awaits them…
Irida and Paolo. Sokol Pepushaj Blood-feud, this heavy
wound
The return of emigrants
increases incidents
Zog Hysenaj Kavaja: victim of
trafficking The most ancient and profiting profession in the world, the
prostitution, took great steps in Albania in these last years. The Albanian
police discovered and caught tens and tens of bases in the last two years.
The greatest problem is the cheating of the Albanian women by traffickers,
who take advantage of poverty and ignorance about life, promising to marry
them, taking and trafficking them in occidental
countries. This happened to Mimoza Minaj too, a good girl from Golem of Kavaja.
P. Kostreni, a trafficker, cheated on her, asking
her for engagement at the beginning of this year. The girl, full of dreams
for her life, agreed to marry him and go to Italy. But, Kostreni,
as soon as they got in Italy, forced her to exercise prostitution. The tutor
had other girls there but the beauty of the Albanian Mimoza
Minaj, who was cheated by the promise of marriage,
would give him great profit. The girl from Kavaja
was shocked facing this unexpected bad experience. She opposed, but through
physical and psychological violence, menacing to kill her family in Albania, Kostreni “went mad” after her reaction. For her good
luck, the girl could escape the nails of this beast, yet she has no address
still today. She’s afraid of course to return in Albania, she’s afraid to
report in Italy also, for, according to confidential sources of the Albanian
police, the person in question is the author of great trafficking. We came to
know he trafficked S. Idrizi,
L. Kallami, P. Dekavelli,
and many other women not discovered by the Albanian police. Angjela Limani |
