It’s not a Webber, but it is a grill and it works well. Yes, Criss could not resist it any longer and in the name of cultural exchange, we now have a grill. The ability to cook without heating up the house is a welcomed thing in this hot summer.

After weeks of looking for grills, Criss returned to our favorite gadget store and they asked if he had found a grill he liked. He replied “Yes”. “Where?” they asked. Criss pointed to the floor and said “Here”. (Just for the record, that entire conversation was completed in Albanian.) It was the grill that was not put together. The owner had shown it to Criss on his last visit and said it was a good grill, but very difficult to assemble. But after looking around, it had the features Criss wanted and was a good size for the balcony. The box was battered, but with enough tape, it was made secure enough to carry home.

Alas, the joy of ownership was cut short as none of the nuts and bolts were in the box. So, back in the box and the hot walk back to the store, where the owner was very disappointed to see Criss return. “Do you want your money back?” asked the owner. “I would prefer to have this grill, if we can assemble it,” replied Criss. It was hard to tell if the owner was relieved not to have to take it back or in agony about having to help with the assembly.

Of course the instructions are in English, so they are of little use to most Albanians. It is just too hard to read. So, we set them aside and starting looking for nuts and bolts. The owner dumped a large box of nuts, bolts and washers out on the counter and we set to work to assemble the grill with whatever parts we could find. Of course, all this activity drew quite a crowd, as expending effort to fix things is just not part of the mentality here where most projects are abandoned at the first sign of difficulty. But we preserved and soon the assembly helpers grew to five with as many spectators.

As we worked, success seemed inevitable until we needed to attach the handles. There were no substitute parts that would work, so a young man, who had joined to help, went off to another store in search of bolts. As we were standing there waiting, the young girl who works in the store walks up with a plastic bag full nuts and bolts, the missing parts. She had found them on a shelf in the back.

With renewed energy, we replaced ill-fitting substitutions and completed the job with only a couple of minor items missing. Nothing that would effect the cooking quality and besides, even if it fell apart when Criss got it home, it was a fun cultural exchange and many were truly amazed they were able to make this work. So the pressure was on to declare it good and let everyone get on with the afternoon break (most stores close from 2 to 5 in the heat of the day).

It had taken nearly 4 days over the course of 2 weeks to find the grill and charcoal and get it home, but success was ours. Carol took great care to fully document the first meal and it was a shame she had not been there to capture the community project of the assembly. (full series of photos)

And the dinner was wonderful.