132. Everyone Hates America

Day 132

Location 25: Tirana, Albania

Mar. 12, 2023

Most of my interactions with new people go something like this:

Me: Hi! I'm Dylan. Them: I'm [insert European name here], nice to meet you. Me: Where are you from? Them: [Insert European country here]. Where are you from? Me: New York, in the US. Them: Ohhh, American. [Rolls their eyes or makes this face 😬]

Decades of unnecessary wars, violent policing, and declaring ourselves "the best country in the world" hasn't helped our popularity. However, not all of the world looks down their noses at the United States—like Nepal, but only because they're the third shortest country in the world so they can't look down their noses at anyone, like physically. Besides that, I'm sure they don't like us.

But Albania actually, seriously kind of likes us. Specifically, they have a soft spot for one particular leader in America's past and I guarantee you cannot guess who it is (peep the street sign below).

Even Americans don't like George W. Bush. According to Wikipedia, (unless you count a bridge in Texas) there isn't one single road in the United States named after George W. Bush! Street aficionados would be quick to point out that there is a "Bush Street" in San Fransisco. However, "Bush Street" was named long before the subject of Green Day's American Idiot became president, and any supposed connection is a mistake. In fact, there was even a movement in 2007 to change the name of the road to eliminate any possibility of someone making such a mistake. So the street aficionados are wrong (and probably sad/alone).

I really wish the cross street wasn't named after an Albanian writer (as it is now) and was instead named after the guy who threw the shoe at George W. Bush. Now that would be an intersection.

After the street sign, I headed to Tirana's city square and was entranced by a busker who mentioned that he had just been swept in to Albania from somewhere in England. His voice was as smooth as a square of butter melting into the center of a fluffy banana pancake and he carried a solemn, but hopeful energy that effortlessly captured the attention of a crowd, me included. Enjoy:

Check out Gorran on Instagram, at @gorrankendall.

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