Is there problems between the Albanians and Blacks/Hispanics in the Bronx?

[pierrepont7731]

Originally Posted by Bronxguyanese

Do you know how to say Albania in Albanian? Its not Albania.

https://www.liveleak.com/view?i=6db_1442943757

I don't speak Albanian, nor am I Albanian, so that would be a no. There's a saying in Italian that I like to use though and it reminds me of the Albanians because they smoke like it's like no tomorrow. In Italian we say "Ma tu fumi come un turco!" Supposedly the saying goes back many years ago when things like smoking and consumption of coffee were prohibited by a Turkish leader. When he died, such restrictions were lifted and I guess they (the Turks) made up for the prohibition years because boy do they love to smoke.

[Henry10]

Originally Posted by Bronxguyanese

Albanians helped the Ottomans overrun Europe. Albanians fought along side the Turks in the siege of Constantinople in 1453. Albanian sailors died in the battle of Lepanto which was fought against Spain and its Christian allies. Plenty of Albanians made up the Ottoman court like Viziers and high ranking Janissary Corp commanders. Albanians helped the Turks expand into Europe. Only the Christian Albanians of Greek and Roman Catholic faith hid up in the mountains to avoid Islamic poll tax. Skanderbeg is a hero in Albanian history and folklore, but lets not be frank here. Albanians were deeply involved in Ottoman affairs.

You are correct that history in that part of the world is a cluster****, and nothing is clean as a whistle. As you did, I also pointed out that founder of modern Egypt, Mohammad Ali was an ottoman general of Albanian ethnicity. Many Albanians were prominent Ottoman military men, and of course they fought everywhere Ottomans fought a war, which was pretty much from Portugal to Iran.

Yet, it is also true that both -- Skanderbeg (Albanian) an Hunyadi (Hungarian) slowed down the march of turks towards a Europe which wasn't ready to face the oncoming turks.

So yes, Albanians, like most nations get to have it both ways -- good and bad. There no altar-boy nations anywhere.

[Henry10]

Originally Posted by pierrepont7731

I don't speak Albanian, nor am I Albanian, so that would be a no. There's a saying in Italian that I like to use though and it reminds me of the Albanians because they smoke like it's like no tomorrow. In Italian we say "Ma tu fumi come un turco!" Supposedly the saying goes back many years ago when things like smoking and consumption of coffee were prohibited by a Turkish leader. When he died, such restrictions were lifted and I guess they (the Turks) made up for the prohibition years because boy do they love to smoke.

May that needs to change into -- smoke like a Eastern European chick. When we were there, Febreeze was very much in demand.

[Henry10]

Keep in mind that national identities was not a thing during medieval times. Nations are a later invention. That's why the French for example had no problem cooperating with the Ottomans against the Habsburgs. They could less about non-Europeans (aka Turks) invading Austria / Germany, as long as they got to get rid of their rival.