WE RECALL OUR MOST MEMORABLE GIFTS.

An offer I couldn't refuse

It wasn't a Christmas gift, but I'd have to say that my greatest gift came in the form of a phone call several months ago. On my work voicemail one day, I had a message. Kara Breissinger from the U.S. State Department had seen my articles on Eastern European organized crime networks, knew I had spoken about my coverage to other reporters, and wanted to know if I'd be interested in going to Albania to speak to journalists there about how I got into covering these stories.

I played the message more than once to make sure I heard it right.

Over the years as a reporter, I've gotten calls from prosecutors, lawyers, cops, politicians and even an inmate or two from jail. But never have I been graced with a friendly jingle from someone in Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice's shop, recruiting me to speak in a country I knew little about.

I went online to look at a map. It's north of Greece, across the Adriatic Sea from Italy.

Albania is coming out from underneath a communist regime. The U.S. and other countries are promoting democracy in this Balkan country of nearly 3.6 million people.

As part of the U.S. Speakers Program, I'd be meeting with Albanian crime reporters to talk about the mob -- including copious amounts about Al Capone -- the history of the American press, and reporting tips and tools -- all without getting them killed or fired from their jobs

It was an offer I couldn't refuse.

My wife, Kerry, a fellow reporter, thought it was too good to be true. In November, I packed my things. I was on my way to Albania.

Once there, I met fascinating people and saw amazing things. I walked amid the ruins of an ancient Ottoman Turk castle with views of the Adriatic Sea. I sipped espresso in Italian-style cafes in the shadow of Mother Theresa Square.

I heard from Albanian journalists, editors, and government officials, who shared their experiences in a country undergoing dramatic change. I held a workshop with eight crime reporters at the Albanian Media Institute, established in 1995 to develop the country's press.

Albania is a dangerous place for a reporter. Just last year, an explosion damaged the offices of Albania's most popular independent daily newspaper. No one was injured. And no one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing, but the paper's editor said at the time he thought it was some kind of warning.

Also in 2005, two men beat a journalist in a town called Gjirokastra. I interviewed an editor who told me he was kidnapped by Albanian police, bent on silencing him from reporting on riots after a financial pyramid scheme collapsed a decade ago. He said the police beat him for three days until stories about his kidnapping prompted high-ranking officials to order his release.

Other than having my digital camera stolen from my checked luggage somewhere between L.A. and Albania, I encountered no problems in the country. I left there struck with a sense of a country of contrasts, of old and new, a place where mule-drawn wagons share roads choked with diesel-spewing Mercedes, where a group women meet up to watch, The Devil Wears Prada, while nearby the Muslim call to prayer can be heard from a mosque in downtown Tirana.

Ten days in Albania in November -- it was the journey of my life.

Jason Kandel

Burbank/Glendale

A ring

I've received a lot of great gifts in my life. I was a very lucky kid, and always had plenty of gifts under the tree. We've asked readers to send in stories about the best gift they ever received and I thought I'd share my story too.

When I first started mulling over my best gift my mind initially jumped to childhood, when I got some great gifts. I'll never forget the Christmas when I got a kitten, a grey and white long-haired furball I cleverly named Fuzz. My parents put Fuzz in a box right before gift opening and I just about died with delight when he popped out. Other stand-out childhood gifts included a red scooter and a Peaches 'n Cream Barbie.

My best gift came on Christmas 2001. My boyfriend and I had recently moved to Colorado and I was spending the holidays away from my family and with his family for the first time. As a special gift and a chance for some couple time, he took me to a Tchaikovsky concert at the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Afterward, we walked a few blocks to a Catholic church downtown and attended mass to celebrate the Epiphany. During mass, as we walked down the aisle to receive communion, I reached my hands back to hold his hands like I always did. Right then, he slipped an engagement ring on my finger! What a tricky devil. I was so surprised and excited. We were married before the next Christmas came around.

I wear the ring every day. Often, when I look at it, I remember the moment I got it and think, ``That was the best Christmas gift ever.''

Annie Hundley

valleynews.com editor

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) The valleynews.com team poses around a Daily News' newsroom Christmas tree. In the front row is editor Annie Hundley and community journalist Mark Kellam. In the back, from left, are community journalists Carol Rock, Alejandro Guzman, Jason Kandel and Angie Valencia. Newsroom decorations range from an inflatable tree to menorahs and a skeleton Santa in the sports department.

Edna Trunnell-Simpson/Daily News

(2) These were the Albanian crime reporters I worked with at the Albanian Media Institute in Tirana, the country's capital. This was the graduation held at the U.S. Embassy.

Photo courtesy Jason Kandel/valleynews.com