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.!