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.

Various February "stuff"

Just arrived at the office where the temperature appears to be close to 80. Everyone is always cold here...except me! 

On the walk here this morning I passed many older men along the way and realized that I have never seen any men over 40 something working anywhere except at the municipality, the post office or the police force.  All the shops, restaurants, taxis etc. seem to be operated by women and young men.  No point to this but it did strike me as odd.  Several of the women here I work with have told me that their husbands are not currently working.  I guess with an unemployment rate over 30% that fact should not be surprising.

There is a bridge over the river, right in front of the municipality building (“city hall”), is the gathering spot for the men from the Roma community.  There are always several groups of men their talking, smoking, etc. …every day, all day. At times there will be a car with the doors open and music playing.  This morning there were probably seven different groups of 5 or 6 as it is a bright sunny day.  Many of the men here do not own cars and this gathering spot is conveniently located at the base of a hill that is home to most of the Roma population.  Again, no point to this, just another observation.

I had visitors from my old village two weekends back.  Goce and Yugoslav drove out from Romanovce for a visit with me and also to look up some of their old university friends.  We drove up a long mountain road to a small ski area.  Only two trails, one for novices and one more challenging short run make up the entire resort.  Both trails are serviced by t-bar lifts.  There is also a small hotel with a big “lodge like” restaurant and we decided to have a meal there. 

 The guys did all the ordering and we had a long, leisurely meal accompanied by two carafes of “hot Rakia”.  This is the same home brewed alcohol that is so popular here but served hot.  It is quite different.  Sugar and sometimes other ingredients such as honey are added and it arrives very hot. … it was strong and quite good.  Two of the young guys had an “after dinner” wine and one a beer.  Not an unusual thing here at all.  I passed on that part having finished three glasses of the Rakia. 

On the return trip, we stopped at the home of another friend from school.  Of course, food and drinks were immediately on the table in front of us.  Not wanting to appear rude, (and a little hungry again) I did sample what was offered and had a couple of shots of Mastika, the other favorite local home brew. This one has an anise flavor and is a lot like Ouzo.  By the time we left that home, I had consumed more alcohol on that day than in the entire 5 months I had been here.  As the young men prepared for a night on the town, I decided to be dropped off at my place and they obliged. After all, it was nearly 10PM!!!  Ahh, to be young again!  Thinking about it now, I really did not have all that much to drink and it was over a long period of time.  I guess I am just plain out of shape!  I will train before returning home!

Yugi, the young man in the photo with me here, received some very good news last week.  He was offered and accepted a new job in Skopje, at twice his current salary. 

It is a Russian run power company and he is a trained electrician.  He said that over 100 had originally applied and because of his qualifications and knowledge, he was selected for second interviews with four others who were also qualified.  He thinks his English language skills landed him the job.  He has taught himself a lot of English and is quite good at it.  He is an ambitious young man who is now studying Russian. (although the cute teacher has something to do with that I think).  Anyway it was good to see someone here get ahead especially a quality young man like this. He takes good care of his mother, works their land and I am sure the new salary will be put to good use.  Maybe he will even trade in his red Lada!!!

This past weekend a friend from training came to Kocani and stayed at my place for the weekend.  Robert is from Texas, a dentist in his early 50’s and another genuine good guy.  He has two sons in the Army as well as a daughter.  He raised them as a single dad too! We were joined by a young volunteer from a nearby town on both Friday and Saturday night and we shared a few bottles of Macedonian wine.  Nothing special but it was real nice just having someone to talk to in English.  He is having a similar experience to mine is his town, where he also is assigned to the municipality.  Neither of us seem to have found our niche or purpose just yet.  We shared our frustration and the opportunity to gripe to someone in a similar situation was good therapy.  We both agreed to give it time.  My English classes are  helping fill that gap but I hope to find more purposeful work soon.

On the following weekend, I travelled to Vinica, a city only 10K or so from here.  Only a 30 denari (60 cent) bus ride to fellow volunteer Elena’s.  She invited me to dinner on Friday night. Bethany, another of the many young volunteers here, was spending the weekend with Elena and we all enjoyed a good meal.  Mashed potatoes for the first time since arriving and chicken.  Elena is just 22 years old, wise beyond her years, and she served us a great meal.  We even had a salad and brownie cupcakes for desert.  Having just sons, it was an interesting evening talking with two young ladies.  Only a 200 den cab ride for the return trip too!  Such a deal!

I had been feeling lousy on Thursday and early Friday but thought it had passed when I headed out to Vinica.  Unfortunately, Saturday came and I felt like I had been run over by a truck.  I laid around, napping on and off all day.  I only ventured out briefly to get a few things I needed to eat.  Sunday was more of the same and by Monday I was feeling a lot better.  I do have to start eating better for sure!

It is now another weekend and I actually do have “stuff” to do.  A council member recently published a book of poetry and there is a reading tonight at the local culture center.  I received an invite through the municipality and even though I will not understand a word, I will attend.

On Saturday evening, my counterpart (she is the person arranged by the Peace Corp to be their main contact and mine at the office) has invited me to her home for her middle son’s birthday.  I have met her husband many times and I am sure this will be a good night.  Earlier that same day, I am heading to Stip for lunch with another volunteer celebrating his birthday. 

Sunday I head to a volunteer's place in a nearby village for diner.  Unlike most of us, he is living with a family and they have been asking me to dinner for weeks.  They saw me on the local TV and want to meet the older American”.  CJ, their tenant, is only 25.