Joana Kërtusha
Tour Guide
Phone:
+355 69 87 01 267
+39 351 925 8752
Email:
A Bit About Me
Hi, my name is Joana (Anna). I am an English teacher and a licensed tour guide in Durres and throughout the Albanian national territory with a deep knowledge of the cities or historical/archaeological and cultural sites belonging to this splendid territory of Albania (Shqipëria, the land of Eagles). I was born in Durres or better known in antiquity as Epidamnos/ Dyrrachion. Durres is one of the oldest cities in the Mediterranean and the second largest city, by number of inhabitants, after the capital Tirana. The town of clear Illyrian origins was founded with the Greek name of Epídamnos, subsequently colonized by the Romans and called Dyrrachium and was the scene of a famous battle between Caesar and Pompey, on which occasion Pompey won .........
At the age of 7, I had the opportunity to be guided for the first time by my father (who worked for about 37 years in the archaeological museum of Durres) to visit the Roman amphitheater of this city as old as Rome, its thermal baths, the most frequented recreational places by the Romans, as an opportunity for socialization, entertainment and development of activities, the two-story colonial byzantine forum, the Byzantine wall built by the emperor Anastasius I, a pure native of Durres, and the icing on the cake the Archaeological Museum filled my inexperienced eyes with amazement, igniting a spark that generated a natural curiosity and passion that grew step by step, and consolidated in my mind thanks to my father Qazim, he immersed me in a world linked to art, to sculpture, ( as well from communism time to democracy). By the way, he was an appreciated restorer at the archaeological museum of Durres. He used to impart to me the historical facts of my hometown for years.
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At 18, I left my hometown to pursue another passion for languages ​​(English, French, and Italian), obviously choosing Tirana as the location for my university studies, enriching myself with other cultures, histories, literature, and civilizations of the great nations. In 2008 I graduated in "British and American Studies" at the University of Tirana, in the Faculty of Foreign Languages.
Work Experience
From 2008 to 2021
* Assigned the role of lower secondary school teacher in two state schools "Neim Babameto" and "Bedrie Bebeziqi", whose purpose is to spread knowledge and love for foreign languages ​​and cultures. During this period I have held training courses with the British Council and the Ministry of Education and Science (Albania) regarding research skills studies, management, and language skills, supporting and monitoring trainees to teach in a practice setting. Chosen as an English Tutor to teach and prepare pupils for the state exam of the English language for lower secondary schools. Assigned the role of pupil government coordinator
From 2009 to 2018
* Assigned the role of a ( part-time )lecturer at the University "Aleksander Moisiu" in Durres, whose purpose was to teach business English at the Faculty of Economics, English for the MEDIA (TV, journalism, radio) Legal English at the Faculty of Law and Political Science
From 2009 to 2021
* Assigned the role of the English teacher in private language schools "Internship" and "Univers D" in Durres with the aim of teaching and preparing students for PET, KET, FCE, CAE exams, IELTS, APTIS, TOEFL IBT
From 2017 to 2019
* I have dealt with projects with compelling art workshops in collaboration with schools whose aim was to develop and stimulate an aptitude for art in an age group between 6 and 18 years old, to get them included in the didactic path and pass on the knowledge of old craft tradition of the masters of antiquity.
2021
* I obtained the qualification to practice the profession of a tourist guide in Durres and throughout the Albanian territory dealing with guided tours for all age groups of foreign tourists a real practical academy of art and life!
2021
*I started attending the UNIVERSITY OF BARI ALDO MORO Course: Modern Languages, cultures, and literatures to obtain an equivalence of my Albanian four-year degree, acquiring another residence in Italy in Bisceglie
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION :
Projects:
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Creator and curator of the exhibition of the sculptor Qazim Kërtusha "Kërtusha 2017" held at the "Archaeological Museum" of Durres (Albania) in May 2017. An initiative for the integrative promotion of antiquity with modernity.
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Creator, curator, and coordinator of the educational, didactic, and interactive project for pupils "Clay, heritage (resource) of my city" held at the Archaeological Museum of Durres (Albania) in September 2017 on the occasion of the Cultural Heritage Day in collaboration with the “Bedrie Bebeziqi” Secondary School and the “Archaeological Museum” of Durres
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Creator, curator, and coordinator of the educational, didactic, and interactive project for pupils "Durres, the city of Mosaics" held at the Archaeological Museum of Durres (Albania) in November 2017 in collaboration with the Secondary School "Bedrie Bebeziqi" and the " Archaeological Museum" of Durres.
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Creator, and curator of the exhibition of the sculptor and painter Liliana Çika "Art 2019" held at the "Archaeological Museum" of Durres (Albania) in September 2019.
Honors and Awards: First prize at the "EYES WIDE OPEN" 2004 Photography Contest in Tirana (Albania) organized by UNOPS/ PASSARP
Last but not the least
My dream is to own and manage a tour operator that deals with guided tours, incoming and tourist services, a "creature" of mine and my partner Enzo. I am a cheerful, nice, down-to-earth, versatile, and sociable person. I love my jobs immensely, especially the second one because I have the suitable characteristics for storytelling and interpreting my natural and cultural heritage engagingly, with the aim of connecting visitors with the place, and that mediator who, through storytelling and interaction with the group, helps to build meanings and make sense of what is seen and observed. I have the privilege of dealing with history, being a "bridge" that connects enthusiasts, tourists, and curious ones with Durres' history and secrets. I am a tour guide who updates daily with dedication, professionalism, and honesty and look for new strategies to experiment with young and old.
