Friends in High Places

Yes. I’ve got friends in high places here in Albania and it pays.

The particular high place I’m referring to is a pizzeria which may not seem that high to you. But to me, it’s very important!

Every Tuesday, Nicole and I are at work all day so we order lunch from the pizza place across the street. We each get a calzone for $2. I usually place an order around 11 as I leave to go to my language lesson so they will have it ready when I finish around 12:30.

We frequent this fine eating establishment and the owners know our routine and our order so sometimes, I don’t even have to say anything. They will just tell me what I would have told them – especially if they are busy and don’t want me to waste time standing around when they already know what I want!

Yesterday, I was on my way to pick up the calzones when Nicole sent me a text. Our boss had gone over to place a lunch order and our order was ready so the owner told our boss to go ahead and take the calzones. No one had paid for them yet. He let our boss take them without paying!

How many places do you frequent that let you take something without paying, assuming that you’ll pay for it later (he didn’t even question our boss about who would pay or when!)?

I of course still stopped on my way back through to pay for them but it just amazes me the level of trust these people have.

They of course know all of us foreigners now because being right across the street from work with good food, how could we pass that up? But still, I’m pretty sure the owner didn’t care if I paid this time or the next time. He knows we will pay. We could probably set up a tab with him and just pay at the end of the month if we asked.

So yes. It pays to have friends in high places! Like a pizzeria you frequent. Well technically I’m the one paying, but still…