Relief...and a vacation.

The heading on my last post referred to the brutally hot weather we were having at the time.  Well, many weeks have passed and we finally have a break in the weather.  For the last four days it has been perfect.  Highs have remained in the low eighties with cool nights and mornings.  There has even been a breeze…something that was absent for months.  While the forecast does show more heat on the way, these past few days have been a blessing.

I did get to take a vacation since the last posting also.  I headed to Ireland for 11 days. 

 The choice of destinations admittedly was influenced by the temperatures throughout much of the rest of Europe.  Ireland offered the attraction of cool comfortable days.  The chance to eat some American style food was also a treat.  Of course Ireland is a great place to vacation no matter the reason and other than two nights in Dublin, we spent most of our time exploring smaller towns with their small hotels and many B&B’s.  I think just about every resident has a B&B license in some of the cities.

Driving on the right was an experience.  Nearly pulled directly into oncoming traffic n day two, but from then on caution and experience resulted in no further close calls.  I was actually quite used to it by the time we returned the car to the agency.  Not willing to risk both the new view of the road AND shifting with my left hand, I chose an automatic.  That is where they get you here as it was nearly double the price of the standard and accounted for a big chunk of my spending.

July, August and to some extent, September are big vacation months here just as they are back home.  The difference is that the people here tend to take much longer breaks, sometimes a month at a time.  Rather than breaking up their earned vacations, most tend to use it for a long break.

There has been nothing exciting happening on the work front.  I did finally receive the money for the playground we will build in the village nearby and the drawing was completed last week.  So, that should be underway and hopefully finished for the opening of the kindergarten next door from where we will build it.

Along with a couple of other volunteers, I hope to have some interesting work come September. 

My site mate, a young lady assigned to the local high school decided to return home after serving eleven months.  She was homesick.  She was a teacher but had a greater impact on the dozen or so young ladies she had in a dance class she offered.  They will miss her, but these kids are resilient too.

Hopefully there will be a volunteer assigned to the local elementary school this time.  The younger kids could use the exposure to we Americans and the school has a great staff that would enthusiastically welcome the help.

The week, I will attend what is called the COS conference for my group of volunteers, the Mk 15’s.  COS is the acronym (they have lots of them in the PC) for close of service.    The group that I arrived with in September of w2010 will be leaving soon, starting in October and all will be gone by the end of November.  I was offered the choice of attending this year’s or next year’s conference and decided to go this year.  It will give me an opportunity to say goodbye to my group, even though I will stay for an additional nine months.  There are three or four from my group who have decided to extend their service for an additional 12 months as well.   They do it for various reasons ranging from work to complete, love interests, nothing at home, etc.  I judge not and welcome the company.

I have recently decided on my next two trips.  I hope to squeeze in 5 or 6 days in Croatia at the end of this month and will spend 12 days in Greece in mid September.   That will leave me the option of two weeks in the states around the Holidays if I decide to visit home.  I suppose that will depend on what is going on here at the time, how much the outrageous flights are at the time, and if I have a place to stay. Time will tell.

It is HOT!!!

I recall that we had a few hot days when I arrived in early September, but by returning home last April I missed the summer season here.  Lucky me!

For the last two weeks we have had bright, sunny, HOT days.  The temperature has pretty consistently reached the mid 90’s and there has been very little rain.  And it is only June!  I am told the real hot weather is coming in July and August.  My kingdom for an air conditioner!

We did get quite a storm Sunday evening but instead of instant relief, we got instant humidity…and it knocked out my home internet.  It was just one of those days yesterday when I returned home and the internet (which the company said was fixed when I called) was still out and I also didn’t have any water.  Luckily by 11PM the water was back on and this morning it was actually in the low 70’s.  The internet?  Well, it is a little better and stays connected for one or two page changes now before dropping the connection.  It is getting there.

Other than the heat, water and internet, things have been pretty good here in Macedonia.  I have recently been approached to do several different, hopefully productive things.  I also finally received approval on the grant for the playground and we should be starting work on that project in a few weeks.

The first opportunity came when one of the members of my English language conversation group asked me if I knew anyone who would be interested in helping out at the kindergarten level in any or all of the four local kindergartens.  She was asking if anyone would be willing to teach English to these youngsters but further discussion revealed that she had a different objective, one far more worthy.  It seems that the kindergartens do not function very well here in this city and she has two youngsters in one of them.  There is a lack of activity, less than nutritious snacks, and apparently a less than enthusiastic staff.  She would like to see a list of recommendations that could be presented to the director of these schools as well as the mayor.  These locations are funded by the municipality as well as by the fee each parent pays.  They are more in line with what we would call simple day care centers.  The children range 2 to 5 years old.

What I am hoping to do is enlist two other volunteers in the fall and we will spend a few weeks observing the different locations and then draw up a list of recommended changes to be presented to the mayor.  One of the priorities will be changing the operating hours to accommodate the working mothers.  They currently function from 7AM until 3 PM when the work day here is usually 8:30 until 4:30.  This should be an easily obtainable goal and according to the information provided, the director is very amenable to change.

Next, I met with the president of a local NGO (non-profit) by the name of Pavel Satev.  This organization works with the young people here in the eastern part of the country.  He explained that he currently has two projects underway.  One is an internet radio station with which he hopes to engage the younger people by offering them the opportunity to host their own shows.  The second is free instruction in web design, again targeting the teenagers.  I think I may be able to help out here also. 

Lastly, I was invited and attended a meeting of the directors of Kocani’s football club.  One of their board members works with me at the municipality and asked me to attend.  They are looking for fund raising ideas and while I am not sure what I can offer here, we are going to meet again and see what develops.  All in all, it is a lot better being busy that having only adult English classes to keep me occupied. 

In other news…I broke my Kindle.  I think I leaned on the screen when feeling around for it from in bed.  I knew it was on the floor as I always read in bed at night.  I think (I was half asleep and didn’t notice it broken until the next day) I lost my balance and put my hand out to keep from falling out of bed and put all my weight on the screen.  Any way the screen was a scrambled mess the next day.  I tried rebooting, downloading an upgrade and recharging…all for naught.  Can’t live without one here so I ordered a new one from Amazon UK,   one of the few companies that will even ship here.  It cost 40 dollars more than the US model but that was not the worst part.  It shipped right away but was held up in customs.  When notified by the carrier, a UPS partner here, that they would represent my interest and get it for me I had little choice.   So, 70 Euros and a few days later, I paid the driver the balance and had my Kindle.  I now own the most expensive Kindle made.  Just about double the $150 it would have cost to replace it back home.

Needing some clothes and shoes to wear in this hot weather, (I didn’t pack any…well, not enough anyway),  another order to Amazon was in placed but this time I shipped them to my son’s house.  He will un-package and re-ship them and hopefully they will make it through as used clothing.

To escape the heat, in three weeks it will be the Emerald Isle.  Booked ten days in Ireland this week where it will be cool weather and cold Guinness.  
Planning to eat as much “American” like food as possible too.  I managed to find a couple of short flights on bargain airlines and I have the leave days earned.  One flight is to London and then London to Dublin the next morning.  I also found a real cheap flight to Venice so I may go there in August and am hoping to get to Turkey in September. 

So, the balance of the summer is looking up!!!

Another month...

I have not quite figured out why I am less frequently writing here since my return.  It could be any number of things.  I am doing other things, yes.  I have learned how to get American TV shows, both old and new on my computer, yes.   I am just more accustomed to being here and things seem quite a bit more ordinary, yes again.  Like I said, I have not figured that out yet.

Any way, I did  have a really good week and that was due mostly to helping out a great English teacher at   the local elementary schools.  This is the school here in Kocani that enrols all of the handicapped children and also has a very diverse student body with a lot of Roma students.  I originally got involved here through another volunteer.  Together we applied for a grant to repair the leaky roof, fix the fence, and remove the mold from the handicapped kids area.  I then decided to encourage this site to apply for a volunteer of their own.  A new group will arrive in September and they could certainly put a person to work here.  the director, the English teacher and I completed the application, enlisted a support letter from another volunteer and then got the Peace Corps to come out and see the facility and interview the director.  A conversation with the fifth grade English teacher lead me to be there this week.  She had decided to offer a grammar and a spelling competition to her best students and asked if I would like to assist.  She thought the kids would enjoy having a native speaking American at their event.

We had seventeen participants in each event, one held on Tuesday and the second the following day.  All that I was asked to do on day one was correct the grammar tests.  On day two, the spelling bee, I was the person to select and read the words.  With the help and sometimes requested translation of the teacher, we guided the eventual winners through so many rounds of words that we lost count.

deep in thought

ready to spell

All of the seventeen participants made it through the first round even though some were very nervous.  I think a lot of the nerves were simply because I was there.  While a group missed on round two, the remaining ten or so lasted for several more rounds...sometimes getting second chances when we thought the words were a little too difficult.  Eventually we were down to five, all very good students obviously.  They would stand, think a bit and then sound out the words. these kids were amazing.  Not only were they spelling words in a foreign language, but they were using an entirely different alphabet to do so.   I know if I had been on the other end of this, spelling in their language, I would have been long gone.  The final three, two boys and a girl went through at least ten more words apiece and then there were two. Each had their own style.  One boy would stand, repeat the word once and then spell it right away in a very matter of fact way.  The next young man, who eventually would finish second to the other two, was actually the best of the group for most of the event.  Without hesitation he would rattle off the reply like he was a native speaker.  The young lady remaining was far more deliberate and required more time and coaxing.  Eventually she would sound it out correctly, always after some considerable thinking.  We got down to the final pair and after another ten words we decided that there was no need to proceed further and we proclaimed a tie...two first place certificates and one second place.  I have photos here of the winners of each competition as well as their excellent teacher and a young man from the municipality that helps me out when I need him...especially when the language is involved.  These fifth graders were amazing and will be fluent in English by the time they are in high school for sure.

This event also coincided with the arrival of the books I had ordered from an organization in Connecticut that offers free books to Peace Corps volunteers.  Darien Book is the name and all that they required was an email request stating the ages of the kids.  They limit the gift to one box, weighing approximately 40 pounds.   As you can see in the photo, the books were a big hit too.

Spelling Bee Champs

All the winners

The new English language books

I finally took a photo of two of my adult groups.  The group below are all new to English but we have a lot of fun just trying communicate.  I love this class.

Gorgi, Vlado, Violetta, and Blashka

These two young ladies are new.  They approached me at the evening classes offered by the city and asked if I would meet with them weekly also.  Their  English is quite good but they want to improve their conversational skills for travelling and possible job opportunities.

Emilia and Martina

The move!

It has now been two weeks since I moved down from the mountain to the center of town. I am now just about 50 meters to my work place at the municipality and minutes to everything else I might need. No more mile plus climb every day. My knees were really starting to feel it too. I will still get plenty of walking in here. A volunteer form a nearby town had one of his friends, a taxi driver, bring him over and they both helped with my move. The guy only asked for 100 д (denari) which is just around 2 bucks. He would accept no more than two hundred. A real bargain and we made it in one trip. Three men along with all my worldly possessions in a very small car…it was quite a sight but we did it.

 I spent the entire afternoon on Friday and most of the day Saturday shopping. I needed just about everything. Plates, cups, glasses, spoons, forks, etc. for the kitchen plus a broom, cleaning stuff, soap etc. I am sure I will be adding to the list as I discover I don’t have it. There is one store here, owned by a real nice guy and he has just about all of the things I needed. The trick is getting in and out of there without sharing any of his homemade Rakia or Mastika. His is the first store I shopped with when I arrived and he offered me a welcome drink of Rakia. He now takes out the glasses every time I go. I insisted that "no" really meant no last week as it was 10AM.

 All this shopping is what is called “settling in” and the Peace Corps gives an allowance for doing just that. However, I had that allowance last year so “settling in” is on me. This, in fact, is actually my third time “settling in’. I only needed a couple of hundred dollars of my own money this time. I also needed two trips to the supermarket which is about ½ mile away, but the walk back to this place is all level ground so I cannot complain. I am still discovering things that I need. Unfortunately the bathroom does not have a shower curtain. So, the room gets a good soaking. That needs to be remedied or I need to get a pair of the rubber shoes they seem to sell just about everywhere. I prefer the curtain. Problem is there is no bar for a curtain as there are no towel bars either. The young guy that owns this place is very accommodating though so I think all these things can be remedied. He told me that he will be taking out the wood burning stove and replacing it with a unit that heats and air conditioned. That will be more than appreciated when we get the 100 degree days in July and August.

 After two weeks, internet service has finally been installed. I now realize just how much I rely on the internet here. Communicating with the rest of the world, news, and even entertainment all comes from my laptop. I should have bought at “wide screen” model. There is cable TV service connected and I will keep it and pay the 300 Den per month for basic cable. Unfortunately it does not have CNN or ESPN International but there are a couple of discovery channels and they show movies in English with subtitles on a couple of stations also. Of course, there are the usual 3 soccer channels and 5 or 6 Macedonian music channels as well. I actually have a bedroom! That is a first for me here. Neither of the previous places had one and this one even has a good sized bed with a new mattress. It will take some getting used to as the mattress is hard as stone. Luxury indeed! Not only a bedroom, but a second room also. That is great for drying clothes. I can hang them on a rack there and with the small yard area being all dirt, it works out well. As for the clothes, I now have a washing machine. That means no more bringing the dirty stuff into the shower with me. After a few loads and attempts at translating the instruction manual, I think I have figured out how to properly operate the washer. With the first load, I could not get the machine to go through the cycles and finally gave up. I missed an opportunity when it spun dry as it started washing all over again. Finally, I shut it down and wrung the stuff out in the sink. Some of it was still drying two days later. With the second load, after almost four hours in the machine, I finally heard the unit start to spin. This time I waited right at the machine and shut it off when it stopped spinning. I now just set it and it goes through the cycles and stops on its own. So, I have more clean clothes than any day since arriving. In spite of the few glitches and the wet bathroom issues, this place is great. By Peace Corps standards it is huge. On top of all that it is actually cheaper than my last place… 500 д cheaper. Not a lot by American standards, just 10 dollars but for perspective,the total rent is only $130 per month.

    It is the location that makes me go on about it like it is a luxury sweet. I can now go out for coffee with another volunteer that may be in town and not think about that horrible trek up the hill. I even now can help out at the adult English classes offered by the city and taught by the local teachers in the evening. Some of the students have asked me if I will offer them a separate class on another night as the city course does not allow for enough conversation. I am meeting with five of them this week and we will decide on a day, time and place. I will probably just invite them to my place.

 The four day Orthodox Easter Weekend was last week and I went to Greece for the day. Yesterday I went to a town near the Bulgarian border that has an annual celebration at a monastery with traditional singing, dancing and a ceremonial meal.

 Next post will be about those two trips…one was great; the other was a bit of a fiasco.

Just Like Home

Just a week and a half ago, I was complaining about the long cold snap we were experiencing. Today, just 12 days later, it will reach 60 degrees  by afternoon.  Ever day this week we have flirted with the 50 degree mark.  So, instead of dealing with the ice on my decent from this "peak", it has been the mud for a few days.  However, I am not and will not complain.  It did make me think of the weather back home.   Of course the ladies in my office still had the heat cranking and occasionally would, as usual, leave their desks to sit for a spell on the heater. For me, it is a welcome relief to venture out without the long underwear, scarf, sweater and gloves. 

Started my English classes in earnest this week and had a fairly good turnout.  All four in my first level class did return which is great.  I actually enjoy this group the most.  Possibly because I can empathize with them as they struggle as I continue to struggle two or three times a week with my tutor.


I think I am starting to know what life was like for women in the 40's...or maybe thirties.  Last night when I finished my Macedonian lesson, I washed four dress shirts in the kitchen sink and hung them on a rack in front of my space heater to dry.  This morning, after cleaning up a bit (for the first time), I washed three jerseys in the same manner.  Geez, my hands feel like sandpaper!!!  My last place had a clunker of a washing machine and I now appreciate it more than ever.  There is one here and the landlord did say I could use it.  However it always seems to be in use by the family (there are 4) when I am home.   I may have found a new place anyway.  A fellow volunteer went with her Macedonian counterpart to see it this week and said it is a good one and in my price range.  I now need to be put in contact with the owner, find a good interpreter, and see what I can do. The place actually has a bedroom, a washing machine and an old TV.  Best of all, it is right in the center of town on the same street where I lived when here last.
I wish I had been able to connect this week as another three months rent is due here next week.  should I get the place, I must first get Peace Corp approval and then give 30 days notice to this landlord. Asking for a refund on the other two months can be awkward.  


This coming Monday I will take the 6AM bus to Skopje for a three day Peace Corp conference.  It is called the "mid-service" conference and is for my group, MK 15's.  Of course, this is nowhere near mid-service for me just yet, but I was invited to attend.  It will be nice to catch up with those I have not seen since my return.   I am prepared for constant harassment by a certain group that has made it clear I will not escape unscathed and will face considerable grief for my nine month hiatus.  They have already started with a face book page , secret thankfully, where invited guests can post any number of harassing comments.  I did warn a few of them that there may be some sort of revenge planned. 
  
While in the capital, I hope to be able to buy a few things not available here.  One for sure is a hair trimmer.  I brought mine and also brought a power adapter that supposedly enables US appliances to work on European current.  Well, it does not work with my hair trimmer.  This one bit the dust just like the one I brought the last time.  There is also a small group of us that will be getting together Tuesday night and heading to a restaurant to celebrate a volunteer's birthday. 


the conference is a nice break from routine for those who have been here, and I will be enjoying it too.  All except the three hour bus rides!

It is Cold out there !!!!

Entering my fourth week back and the main story continues to be the weather.  Just a few minutes ago I ventured down a couple of icy hills, on a short trip to the neighborhood store.  It served a purpose too as it reaffirmed my decision not to walk to the office this morning.  It is COLD and icy out there!!! Today feels colder than ever.  Another few inches of snow last night didn't help much either.

Central Heating I

Central Heating unit II

                                                      





It is amazing what you do see here, even on a cold one like today.  As I was bemoaning my short return walk from the store, I noticed a guy up ahead of me pushing what appeared to be a pretty heavy load in a wheelbarrow.  He turned up the steepest portion of the hill, the same one I was about to undertake,  and off he went with this heavy load.  Here I was huffing and puffing, slipping and sliding, and this guy is pushing a load up the very same hill.  He did have the advantage of big rubber boots, but he was thin and looked my age.  He may have been quite younger though as a hard life has taken its toll on some of the Macedonian men.


Tomorrow I start my English classes again with the employees at the municipality.  Hoping for a good turnout but I won't know until class time.  Responding to e-mail is a somewhat foreign idea here.


I have also become involved in a photography club a fellow volunteer started at the high school.  We are going to try to expand it to the community in general and use the municipality to get the word out.  I know nothing about photography but I can help with the organization and maybe learn a little too.


This week I will begin looking for alternative housing arrangements.  This apartment is absolutely fine but the location is not.  I am just too far from the center of town and from my place of business.  Hoping to get more involved in community activities this time, I really need to be closer.  Once I make that mile + trek up the hill, I really don't have it in me to head back down.  The problem will be finding a suitable place at Peace Corp rates.  This place is very reasonable and finding one at the same rent will be a challenge.  I have several leads but no quotes on monthly rates just yet.  Of course I need a furnished place at minimum and pray I can find one with a washing machine!  I already did some laundry in the shower and that was a side show.  There is not enough room for me and my dirty clothes in that tiny shower.  Several bumps and bruises later, and coming close to knocking the doors off the enclosure, I did have clean underwear, socks and T's for another spell.


                                                             

Where the magic happens!

That is a small fridge!

I am hoping the new place will have a larger fridge too.  This one is tiny.  On the plus side for this apartment is the bed.  It is a lot better than that couch I slept on in my old place.  Nice comforter too.!

Different and yet the same

After two weeks, I guess I am settled. Well... close anyway. The many trips to the local shops (for a lot of things I had purchased the last time here)have me feeling far more at home than I did a week ago.  I now have pans, a coffee makers, glasses, bedding etc.  And food, of course, food.  Now it is time to fill in the gaps.  Gaps that are very apparent when I try to cook or to clean.  No change here from the last time.


My living arrangements are much different this time, yet in one aspect, the same.  Instead of 86 stairs up to an apartment I simply go down one flight to a lower level in a private home.  That is after walking a mile or so uphill to the home's location.  When getting my supplies, I need to decide carefully just how much to purchase before making the "climb" home.  After one particularly exhausting haul, I  decided to take a taxi when really loaded up. 


With my shopping nearly completed, I now can sleep soundly under two comforters.  I also was provided with a second electric heater by my landlord, a blessing and a curse.  It is surely warmer but we are now given an allowance and pay our own electric bills.  Previously the Peace Corps payed them for all volunteers and cranking the heat was the norm.  this new arrangement makes sense and makes it necessary to be prudent with the heat. I have a feeling my first bill is going to be a shocker.   I have a private entrance and my own bath that is in the hall only a few icy steps away.  I take one of the electric heater when showering as I figure it is better to be electrocuted than it is to freeze to death.


Being settled means being back to eating grilled cheese, soup, and potato chips, lots of potato chips.  That for sure is the same.  Oddly enough, while here previously for seven months I managed to lose 17 lbs. ( I found every one of them while  home).  I don't think there will be this magical weight loss this time around.  One big difference is lunch!   Something I avoided last time was Byrek (burek). 

 It is baked or fried filled pastries made of a thin flaky dough and it can be filled with cheese, often feta, sirene or minced meat.  It is usually served with plain yogurt and is becoming addictive.  I have a feeling, thanks in part to the byrek, and in part to the tightening of my jeans already, that I will not be losing anything this time.  That is surely a difference.





I have met with a few of the new volunteers as well as several of my old colleagues.  I will see them all at what is termed a mid service conference next week in Skopje.  I will surely hear it about being at this event as it is no where near the mid point of my service.  I am glad I was invited though as I will get to see everyone from my initial group.

A new young lady has been assigned to the schools here in Kocani . Morgan  lives in my old place and being quite young does not complain about all the stairs!  I hope to work with her on a couple of her initiatives with her students.  It will be a nice diversion from the municipality. 

Last weekend I had a visit from the son of the family I lived with during pre-service training.  Goce now has a car and an American girlfriend.  She is a volunteer from the new class assigned to Kumonovo.  He arrived with gifts of course... wine and homemade bread from his parents.  I had brought his father, Sveto, a pair of glasses from the US that I hope are the right strength.  I will soon plan a trip to visit the family and reconnect.

I am not sure if this winter or last are the "real" Macedonian winter.  I recall last year only a bit of snow and just a few days of frigid weather.  I think I hauled out the long underwear for only five or six days a year ago.  Well, this year, it has been out and on every day since arriving.  It has been C-O-L-D.  We have not had a big snowstorm but we have had several dustings of three to four inches.  Just enough to keep the walk to and from home treacherous.  Each morning means three layers of shirts and a sweater before reaching for the coat to leave.

Sunday is the party for our fantasy league.  We will all be bringing a bottle of Rakia for the champ, Blake the owner of the Stip Stallions!.  After running off to a 10-0 start, I collapsed , losing three of the last four and of course my one and only playoff game.  I will simply blame it on injuries!
The big decision Sunday will be whether or not to remain in Stip and watch the Super Bowl or return home to the wide screen 14 inch Levono.  It comes on at 12 midnight our time so I probably should return for a pre game nap!  Go Pats!

With all this whining one might think I am having an awful time of it here.  However I am very happy to be here!  Now that is different!

Second Chances

Today, nine months since returning home and ten since I last posted here, I am back in Kocani with a second chance.  It is hard to believe I have been gone so long.  It is even more difficult to believe that I was given this chance to complete my service.  Only the good graces (and I hope the good judgement) of the country director and the staff here in Macedonia allowed this return.


I didn't write about my reasons for leaving and will not do that now.  Whatever they were they are in the past and I look ahead to a bright future for the next year and eight months.


My Macedonian colleagues in the municipality gave me a warm welcome and are very happy that I decided to return.  They look forward to starting our suspended English classes right away.   My Peace Corp friends and the staff in Skopje have been very generous in their welcome also.  Of course there are some who wonder why I was allowed to return and question the decision, but frankly I am not at all concerned with those few.  No matter what organization, there are always those that think they know better than those making the decisions.

My outlook this time has changed .  I  see my assignment differently, the local people differently and I my understanding of what defines successful service has also evolved.


So, this re-entry into the blogging world is short and sweet but I look forward to chronicling many good and hopefully interesting events in the weeks and months to come.