tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80052532743320734072024-03-14T03:00:45.352-07:00Michelle's Macedonian AdventuresMichelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-51761498675342841652012-12-10T18:50:00.003-08:002012-12-10T18:50:43.629-08:00Home Sweet Home !<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Since the last time I posted many things have happened. First of all, I am back home!! It was hard saying good-bye to all my friends and students in Macedonia. But as I kept telling them, it's not good-bye, it's until next time. I would love to go back and visit; and as they have all told me, I will always have a home in Macedonia.<br />
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After I left, I went on a 21-day tour through Europe. It was a great way to wrap up my time living overseas. I was able to see many of Europe's great cities such as Paris, Rome, Vienna, Prague, and Amsterdam. I also spent time in some smaller places as well. Then it was a ten hour flight back home. And perfect timing too since I ended the tour with a cold and was coming home for mommy to take care of me --haha -- she was thrilled.<br />
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The day after I landed (Sat Nov 25), the family came over and we had our "delayed" Thanksgiving dinner. Everyone was glad to see me and curious to hear stories about Macedonia. Now, its back to the "real world." I have been taking it slowly, trying to do one or two things each day. Of course, a haircut and manicure and pedicure were first on the list! I got my drivers license renewed and have been driving around the neighborhood and to local places. I have not tried tackling the beltway with all its new and wonderful (sarcasm intended) changes. Next step is getting back into teaching. I have already been in contact with both Fairfax and Arlington Counties for substitute teaching positions, so once those are up and running I think I will be back to normal.<br />
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I want to thank everyone who has followed this blog over the past two years. It was an amazing experience and journey and I was so glad that I got to share it with you. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed living it! </div>
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Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-43513229310224357642012-10-26T21:51:00.000-07:002012-10-26T21:51:20.790-07:00Apple Picking<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I know it has been a while since I have posted, but before now there really was nothing to report. My time here in Macedonia is coming to an end, and I have been trying to do things that I did not have time to do before....like apple picking. Resen's main product is apples, there are trees everywhere and everyone has their own trees. I was not able to help pick last year because it got cold very early. So this year I was determined to pick an apple before I left. We helped Irena's cousin, Tony, and his family at their orchard. They have 800 trees and normally they can get about 1,000-2,000 boxes of apples a year.<br />
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Irena picking apples. If there are any spots or cuts on the apples you throw them on the ground. Later they come and collect those apples and they are bagged up and sold to make juice.<br />
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Just getting started.<br />
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Happy helper!!!<br />
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Don't they look delicious?<br />
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The last picture of the day!!! We filled up 63 boxes of apples. And as a reward for our hard work Irena and I were both sent home with a box. The family did not get the concept that I was going to be leaving a few days later. They kept suggesting that I take them back to the United States with me. I don't think Dulles customs would appreciate me trying to bring in about 10lbs of apples! </div>
Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-74453673851943744372012-08-22T13:31:00.000-07:002012-08-22T13:31:57.266-07:00COS Conference<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Last week, I went to my COS (Close of Service Conference). It was the last training session that my group of volunteers had. We all traveled to the eastern side of Macedonia to the lovely town of Berovo. The conference was held at the new Aurora Resort (see picture below).<br />
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On the first day that we arrived, it was the moment we all had been waiting for.....the lottery to see what day we will be going home.<br />
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A fellow volunteer and I had planned to go to London, leaving on Nov 1st. We would stay in London for two days; and then I would go off on a 21-day tour of Europe, starting on Nov 3rd. The first day that we were allowed to leave Macedonia was Oct 31st, which is the day I needed, and there were only 3 spots available. Luckily, I have some wonderful friends who were willing to leave later so that I could go on my trip and I was able to get the spot that I wanted.<br />
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SOOOOOO..............as you can see by the newly added Countdown Clock, located on the right hand side......I will be back home in Northern Virginia on November 24th!!!<br />
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As for the rest of the conference, we learned about adjusting when we get back home; and it was a nice time to hang out with the other volunteers that have been my family for the past two years. It was bittersweet because you don't know if you will get to see some of them again. But as we keep saying....it's not good-bye, it's until next time.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p3eyhN-Lpqk/UDTjLugi4sI/AAAAAAAAA6M/vI5b-QkHAjo/s1600/599276_3435714063849_1135785470_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p3eyhN-Lpqk/UDTjLugi4sI/AAAAAAAAA6M/vI5b-QkHAjo/s320/599276_3435714063849_1135785470_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">The MAK 15s (my group) that made it all the way to the end of their service!!!</div></div>Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-45915612682371426052012-08-09T17:42:00.000-07:002012-08-09T17:42:59.170-07:00Budapest and Looking for Dracula<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
After GLOW, I was off traveling again, but this time to Budapest. I had heard from some volunteers that went last year how pretty it is; and I moved it to the top of my "places to see" list. I spent about two full days there, which was not enough. This was also the first time I had gone somewhere by myself and I realized that I don't like traveling by myself, I need someone to eat with. But luckily after Budapest, I was heading to Romania and was going to meet up with thee other volunteers.<br />
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Matthias Church, located on Castle Hill.<br />
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Fishermen's Bastion. This part, that looks like a sand castle is actually a restaurant.<br />
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View from Fishermen's Bastion looking out onto the Danube and the Parliament building.<br />
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The Royal Palace, now the home of several of Budapest's museums.<br />
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Me!!! The view from the Citadel looking out onto the Danube.<br />
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Gellert Hotel and Thermal Baths. It is the oldest spa in Hungary that has hot springs that have been active for 2,000 years.<br />
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Central Market Hall has many vendors selling fruits and vegetables along with meat and other specialty items.<br />
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The Citadel is located on top of the hill. The statue on top is called the Liberty Statue.<br />
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This statue has an interesting story. It is in memory of a religious figure that was captured and thrown off the cliff while in a barrel covered in nails. The waterfall represents his fall.<br />
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I took a boat ride down the Danube!!!<br />
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Parliament building, the picture does not do it justice.<br />
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The Royal Palace and the Chain Bridge.<br />
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The Hungarian State Opera House. I did not have enough time to see a performance.....so next time.<br />
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Heroes' Square.<br />
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After Budapest it was off to Romania and our hunt to find Dracula.<br />
I met up with the other girls in Bucharest, the capital of Romania, and we spent a day there.<br />
Then we went to a town called Sighisoara. It is know as the birthplace of Dracula; and while we were there, they were having a festival.<br />
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The clock tower.<br />
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A cute little house on the top of the hill. Dont know why but it reminded me of the story "the little old lady that lived in a shoe".<br />
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Can't have a Dracula hunt without a trip to the graveyard.<br />
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Center of town where the festival was.<br />
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The restaurant we ate at which also happens to be the house where Dracula was born.<br />
Then we went to a town called Brasov and stayed there for two nights.<br />
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The center of Brasov. You can see the Dark Church in the background. Interesting story- there is only one statue on the roof and it is of a man hunched over. The story behind the statue is that the architect that designed the church did it in a special way and no one besides him was to know how he did it. The architect's son figured it out so the architect killed his son by throwing him off the roof because he wanted to be the only one who knew how he did it. The statue is in remembrance of his son.<br />
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Another shot from the center of town<br />
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Is the street small or am I too big?<br />
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We also took a day trip to the three main sites: Peles Castle, Bran Castle, and Rasnov Fortress. <br />
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Peles Castle. We were only given an hour to look around so we had to do the quick tour. </div>
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This was the dining room of the castle.<br />
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The entrance to Bran Castle, also know as Dracula's castle.....we are getting close!!!<br />
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I found Dracula!!!! Or at least a picture of the man that Dracula was created after.<br />
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Rasnov Fortress.<br />
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It was a great last trip and we had a lot of fun. Next week I will be going to my COS (Close of Service) Conference, where I will learn what day I will be leaving Macedonia. The end is coming near, so next time I post, the Countdown Clock will begin!!!<br />
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<br /></div>Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-79257185409283712272012-08-01T17:19:00.000-07:002012-08-01T17:19:18.687-07:00Camp GLOW 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
In the middle of July, 80 girls from all over Macedonia came together for a week long summer camp. This year we held the camp in Tetovo at a new school that had just opened. It gave the camp more of a conference feel, but the girls still had fun doing typical camp activities: singing songs, eating s'mores, playing games, attending classes, etc. Myself and two other PCVs were the ones running and organizing the camp this year; and we were pleased by the outcome. The girls had a great time!<br />
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Here are some pictures:<br />
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Our great staff all waiting for the campers to arrive.<br />
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Welcoming the girls to camp.<br />
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Singing songs, a daily activity.<br />
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Tie- Dye!!! The crazy girl in the front is Valbona, my girl from Resen.</div>
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Each group got to pick a night to have s'mores under the stars.<br />
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The American Ambassador for Macedonia came one day.<br />
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The Ambassador addressing the girls.<br />
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It was a great week; and I am so glad that I got to be a part of it and GLOW in general. GLOW has been a big part of my Peace Corps service. I have meet some amazing girls that will become great leaders. I am sad that my time with GLOW is over, but can't wait to see what these girls will do in the future.<br />
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Until next time.....Keeping GLOW-ing!!!</div>Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-25610218704262180012012-07-18T12:05:00.001-07:002012-07-18T12:05:17.776-07:00Where in the World is Michelle?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I got back from GLOW on Sunday and headed off for my last trip ---Budapest, Romania and Transylvania on Tuesday. Will be back the first of August and will post then. Sure will have alot of catching up to do!!! </div>Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-69187984948122911222012-07-02T17:17:00.000-07:002012-07-02T17:17:22.676-07:00Balkan Trip 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I'm back!!! I know its been a while since I have written, but there was a good reason....I was on vacation. Another volunteer and I just got back from touring the Balkans. We had a great time, little fast paced, but that is what you have to do in order to see everything in a limited amount of time. I am not going to put up every detail of the trip, since that will take a loooooong time, so I thought I would put up a picture for each place we hit and write a little summary.<br />
So here we go...........<br />
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Our first stop was to the Plivice Lakes in Croatia. It is a beautiful national park that has tons of waterfalls. We spent two days walking around enjoying the wonderful weather. The first day we got there it poured....<br />
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and even though I am smiling the picture, I was not a very happy camper. I don't like being out in the rain; but then the next day we went back and it was beautiful and well worth the trip.<br />
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Then we were off to Split, Croatia. It is a nice old town, located on the water. It has historical sites and lots of shopping. We spent most of our time wandering around looking at the palm trees.<br />
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Then we left Croatia and headed to Bosnia. Even after all that Bosnia had been through, it was still a beautiful country. This is the bridge in Mostar. It was destroyed during the war and then rebuilt. There is even a club of men that dive (more like jump) off the bridge. While we were there we saw two men jump off the bridge.<br />
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Then it was off to Sarejevo, Bosnia. Even though it had been awhile since the war, you could still see the remains. This is the tunnel that "saved" the city. It started at one ladie's house and went all the way under the airport. The Bosnians say that if it was not for that tunnel they all would have starved.<br />
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We took a tour of the city. This is our tour guide. She was fantastic and we really learned alot. It was nice to hear about everything that happened from someone our age that actually lived it. We were surprised to see that the Bosnian people are so hopeful after all the horrible things that they went through.<br />
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Once we left Bosnia, it was back to Croatia. This is Dubrovnik. The Old part is a tourist destination. We took a cable car up the mountain to get the areal view of the whole city.<br />
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After Croatia, we went to Kotor, Monetnegro. This is one of the small centers that makes up the Old Town. Do you see the mountain in the background?.......<br />
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We hiked all the way to the top to see the old castle. The guidebook said that the hike was for the "adventurous traveler". Why I decided to go, I will never know. Guess I had a burst of energy because up we went. All the way to the top.<br />
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Our last stop was Budva, Montenegro. This was our beach day. At some of the other places we also took some time away from siteseeing to go to the beach; but in Budva all we saw was the beach. I got my chair and my umbrella and I was good to go. No shoes, no shirt, no problem!! It was a wonderful trip and when people ask me my favorite part, I have been giving a political answer: Croatia has beautiful cities, Bosnia has wonderful people, and Montenegro has great beaches. That pretty much sums up the trip!<br />
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Now that the vacation is over, I am off to camp. Will write again when I get back!!!<br />
YEAY, CAMP GLOW!!!!</div>Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-38685898498804605362012-06-08T18:29:00.000-07:002012-06-08T18:29:04.362-07:00Ending the Year with a BANG!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I ended the school year with many adventures. The first was this weekend, a group of PCvolunteers and I did a tour of Western Macedonia. We spent our time horseback riding, hiking, and visiting some monasteries.<br />
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The group of adventurous horseback riders.<br />
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Yes, that's me on a horse. Check it out Jenny!!!!<br />
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The beautiful Mavrovo National Park, located on the western side of Macedonia. This was the area that we toured and got to explore on horseback.<br />
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Hotel Tutto, where we stayed. It is a nice hotel in the small village of Jance. We had a feast for dinner, which included everything on the menu.<br />
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This is the owner of the hotel. He promotes the "slow food" movement (slow cooking), an example of which is avjar.</div>
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One of the monasteries that we visited. It's more of a convent since eleven women live there. We arrived on Pentecost so we got to see the nuns in prayer. <br />
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Then we went to the Duff waterfall. It's one of the prettiest and most powerful waterfalls that I have seen in Macedonia.<br />
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This is known as the most beautiful monastery in Macedonia. It is located outside of Debar.<br />
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My second adventure was that Mr. Crippen (my Geography professor and my Teacher/Mentor during the MAT Progran at CNU) came to Macedonia!!! He was on a tour and spent a day in Ohrid. I met him and Peggy for dinner and I told them about everything that I have been doing. We had a great time!!</div>
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Third adventure, and this is where the "BANG" comes from.... we had an EARTHQUAKE!!! Yesterday, when I was resting, I felt that my couch was moving. My first reaction was that someone had jumped on it with me, but then the next thing I know my whole building started to shake. I ran out of my apartment and noticed that none of my neighbors where in the hall and they were acting like nothing happened. When I talked to Irena she said that she did the same thing, ran out of her building, and saw that no one was out there....just her. There was no damage. I was just a bit shaken. Then this morning at 5:30am we experienced the aftershock. It was just two more small quakes, but still enough to wake me up.</div>
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That's it for now. I will be out of touch for a while. I will be starting my tour through the Balkans next week. So I probably will not write anything until the end of June. </div>
</div>Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-35393376233404979902012-05-29T17:29:00.000-07:002012-05-29T17:29:12.916-07:00Wrapping up the School Year<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Two weeks left!!! It doesn't matter where you are in the world, if you are a teacher you still count down to the last day of school.<br />
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Even though school does not officially end until June 8th, all the students and some of the teachers have more or less mentally checked-out for the summer. It also doesn't help that they will be collecting the textbooks on Monday even though we have to teach the rest of the week. And some of the teachers still have tests planned to give that week. It doesn't make any sense to me or Irena, but oh well. So since we won't have any textbooks, we are planning some review activities and possibly do a short play with our older students.<br />
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As for the summer, the word that sums it all up is TRAVEL!!! I have about 22 vacation days that I need to use before August 25th and I plan to use every single one of them. Right now I have one trip planned and another in the works. The first is a tour of the Balkans. Myself and another volunteer are planning on seeing Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, and coming back to Macedonia through Albania. It's going to be a great trip and we are planning to leave right when school gets out. The trip that is in the works is to Hungry and Romania. I have heard from other volunteers that Budapest, Hungry is more beautiful than Paris. And like Istanbul, Budapest was on my list of places I definitely wanted to see before leaving. After seeing Budapest, I plan to make my way over to Romania to Bucharest and the Transylvania area to hang out with Dracula. So I am really looking forward to these upcoming trips.<br />
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Besides travelling, I have GLOW to look forward to. It has been taking up most of my time; but it will be definitely worth it when the girls arrive and they have a great week at camp. That is about it for now. But I will leave you with a clip from the Eurovision competition. It is very popular over here and EVERYONE is talking about it. Each country sends a music group/artist to represent their country. Macedonia sent over one of its famous singers. Of course, everyone was hoping that Macedonia would win, but a group from Russia was also very popular.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=WKNRGc71hjc">Singing Babas at Eurovision</a><br />
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Who does not like singing Babas (aka Grandmothers)? I think everyone's favorite is the smallest one.<br />
So enjoy and remember "Party for Everybody"!!! (You will get it once you watch the clip)</div>Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-30176871620122681222012-05-21T18:07:00.002-07:002012-05-21T18:07:38.059-07:00Some R&R in Venice<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A week ago, myself and two other PC Volunteers went to Venice for a few days. There are cheap flights from Skopje to Venice so we decided to take full advantage. Venice is exactly as you see it in pictures, canals everywhere with boats and gondolas.<br />
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This was just after we arrived. Proof that I was in Venice, Italy standing on top of the Rialto Bridge looking out onto the canal.<br />
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The Rialto Bridge.<br />
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After walking though the maze of streets and alley ways, you enter into Saint Marco's Square. At the end, you can see the Basilica. In the evening, the restaurants and coffee shops have live bands playing and it a nice place to sit with a cup of coffee and relax.<br />
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The Basilica, and as you can see there are tourists everywhere.<br />
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Tourists playing with the pigeons.<br />
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Gondolas and Carnival masks, the two things people think about when they hear the word Venice. .<br />
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But when you hear the work Italy you think about . . .<br />
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. . .THE FOOD!!!! Even though Venice is not know for its Italian cooking, I still enjoyed eating a lot of pizza and......<br />
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Gelato!!!<br />
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I know I have been writing mostly about my travels, but for the next few months that is what I will be mostly doing. Since PC only gives us two days a month; and I did not travel a lot during my first year, I have many vacation days that I need to use up before I leave. But don't worry, I am still working. School is starting to slow down, ever since the beginning of May the students have been acting like it is summer. GLOW (Girls Leading Our world) camp is starting to pick up and has been taking up most of my time. The camp, that I am one of the organizers for, is starting to come together and will be held at the beginning of July. So for the next two months my time will be spent working on GLOW and traveling. </div>Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-28862410926818953362012-05-09T15:43:00.001-07:002012-05-09T15:43:52.413-07:00The Adventure to Snake Island<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Resen is about 20 km from Prespa Lake. In the middle of the lake is an island called Golem Grad, also known as Snake Island. Last week I had some other PCVolunteers visit because they wanted to see Golem Grad before they left Macedonia. There is only one way to get to Golem Grad. You have to go to the small and isolated village of Konjsko and find someone with a boat to take you out there.<br />
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The view from Konjsko. Only about 50 people live in Konjsko. It's just houses and the closest mini market is about a 20 minute drive on a windy, bumpy, dirt road on the side of the mountain.<br />
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Approaching Golem Grad.<br />
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Since it was a warm and sunny day, I was terrified of running into any of the snakes that live on the island. But surprisingly, I saw more turtles than snakes. Everywhere we walked we saw turtles and occasionally a few rabbits as well. I think my stomping around did the job and kept the snakes away.<br />
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The church of St. Peter. The only building that still exists on the island.<br />
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The ruins of an old church.<br />
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The ruins of an old Basilica.<br />
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The ruins of an old Sistern. There use to be a Roman settlement living on the island and there were some ruins of old houses on the island too. We had a great time and spent about two hours walking around the whole island. <br />
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Heading back. This was the man that took us out to the island on his boat. When we got back he let us sit in his yard and offered us rakija and coffee until our taxi arrived to take us back to Resen. </div>Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-80129989866150517422012-04-30T17:16:00.001-07:002012-04-30T17:16:11.892-07:00Istanbul- Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
We went to the Topkapi Palace, Turkey's #1 tourist attraction. It was a beautiful day and we walked around looking at all the rooms that the Sultans use to live in and then visited the Harem. We learned that at one point over 300 women lived in the Sultan's Harem.<br />
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The entrance to the Palace.<br />
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Part of the Harem<br />
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All of us at the Palace overlooking the Bosphorus Straight.<br />
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After the Palace, we made our way over to the Spice Bazaar. It was a lot smaller than the Grand Bazaar, but filled with spices, dried fruits, sweets, and teas.<br />
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Dried pepper, eggplants, and some other items. They dry their pepper just like the do in Macedonia.<br />
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When you walk around all you see is piles and piles of spices.<br />
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Different kinds of teas.<br />
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After the Spice Bazaar, we head towards the water and took a ferry cruise up the Bosphorus.<br />
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All ready for our two-hour cruise.<br />
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On the water. This is a famous bridge, Faith Bridge, that connects the European side of Turkey with the Asian side.<br />
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Enjoying my Turkish tea on the boat. It got a little cold and windy.<br />
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Afterwards, we grabbed some fish sandwiches. There are three boats that sell fresh fish sandwiches.<br />
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Since it was windy, every time the boat rocked towards the pier the chef threw a sandwich to the waiter.<br />
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I could keep going on and on about my trip to Istanbul, but that would take a week of blogging. These were just some of the highlights. We also went to some museums and experienced a Hamam, the traditional Turkish bath. The women and men go to separate areas and get "washed" and then a massage. I can say it was an interesting experience; and I can cross that one off the list. </div>Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-91684809226254760542012-04-26T18:04:00.000-07:002012-04-29T08:36:17.739-07:00Istanbul- Part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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During the Orthodox (Macedonian) Easter, April 15, myself and three other volunteers went to Istanbul, Turkey for a mini-vacation. I have always wanted to see Istanbul; and over the past year many of the other PC volunteers went and looking at their pictures made me what to go even more.<br />
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We flew, because there was no way I was going to survive 12+ hours on a bus (one way), and arrived late the first night. We stayed at the Big Apple Hostel, which was perfectly located in the Sultanahmet area. The hostel is run by a family and they were all very nice.<br />
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The next day we got up and went to go see the main sites:<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-644p6M3Z2vQ/T5l5bY1WjWI/AAAAAAAAArQ/3ETn4Z4tkmo/s1600/Picture+076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-644p6M3Z2vQ/T5l5bY1WjWI/AAAAAAAAArQ/3ETn4Z4tkmo/s320/Picture+076.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
Our first stop was Aya Sofia, also called the Church of Divine Wisdom. Its one of the world's greatest buildings.<br />
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Inside Aya Sofia.<br />
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Making a wish on the "wishing pillar". Hopefully, my wish will come true and I can return to Istanbul one day. </div>
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After enjoying some delicious Turkish food: chicken kebabs, pita with humus, and traditional Turkish lentil soup. Our next stop was the famous Blue Mosque.</div>
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It's called that because its covered in blue titles. It is the most photographed mosque.<br />
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Inside the Blue Mosque. It was not prayer time; so we did not have to cover our heads, but like all mosques....<br />
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we had to take off our shoes.</div>
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Then it was time for some SHOPPING!!! And there is no better place than the Grand Bazaar. </div>
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The Grand Bazaar is HUGE!!! You could get lost in there for days. We felt like we were walking around in circles, but we did not mind. There was too much to see and buy.<br />
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Pottery.<br />
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Scarves.<br />
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And of course belly dancing outfits. No I did not buy one. The interesting thing about shopping in Istanbul is that the merchants do not put prices on their items. Part of the experience is bargaining. At the beginning I was a bit hesitant, but after walking around for awhile and seeing how others did it, I got the hang of it. The trick is to know how much you are willing to pay for the item; and slowly work your way down to that price and then stick to your guns. If you keep saying the same price, the merchant will see you really want the item; and if it's not ridiculously low, he will normally give it to you at the price you are asking.</div>
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Stay tuned for the rest of my Istanbul trip!!!</div>
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<br /></div>Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-2692426490993096062012-04-22T13:04:00.001-07:002012-04-22T13:04:45.373-07:00National Spelling Bee 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
On April 7th, Irena, Maria, and I took thirteen of our students up to Skopje for the National Spelling Bee. This was the first time we were bringing students to the Spelling Bee; last year I went just to go check it out. Our students had been practicing for weeks and they were excited to compete and meet other students from around Macedonia. In total around 800-900 kids from grades 5-12 came from all over Macedonia to compete. It was a full day event. Irena, myself and the students left Resen at around 5am and we did not get back to Resen until around 8pm.<br />
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On top of helping Irena with our students, I was also volunteering at the Bee. Based on last year, they "created" a position for me.......Hallway Monitor. Last year all the students were in the hallways waiting for their turn to spell and it tended to get a little noisy. So my "teacher voice" came out a few times. I wanted to be in the hallways again this year, because I could help out at the Bee and also watch my students compete at the same time. All our kids did a great job. They had to stand in line and when it was their turn, they had to write the word instead of the traditional way of "spelling" the word out loud. Most of our Resen students made it to the finals and two of them got very far along in the finals.<br />
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When I met up with all of them at the end of the day, I was expecting them to be tired and cranky, since it was a VERY full day. But it was just the opposite. When I entered "their room" (they had claimed it so all the kids knew where Irena and Maria were) I was greeted with a loud "HEY!" They were still full of energy and talking and laughing about what had happened during the bees. A big reason why everyone was still in good spirits was because one of our students, Vojo (5th grade), aka the class clown, was acting out scenes from Turkish soap operas and telling jokes. Even during the three hour combi ride back, he was still joking and making everyone laugh. Irena and I have already decided that he "HAS" to go again next year, since he is now our Spelling Bee Cheerleader. </div>Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-44065268069463592352012-04-17T18:11:00.000-07:002012-04-17T18:11:36.603-07:00Congressional Procession in Macedonia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">A lot has happened in the past few weeks, so this is the first of a few blogs. About two weeks ago I was called up to Skopje because a few Congressmen were here visitng, and one of them was Congressman Gerry Connolly from Virginia. In total there were five Congressmen: Virginia, Washington, North Carolina, California, and Minnesota. For most of them it was their first trip to Macedonia, for the Congressman from California it was either his fourth or fifth time. They visited five countries in five days and Macedonia was their last stop. This "procession" as they call it is something they do about four times a year. They come and meet with the political leaders in each country and give guidance. It was a lot of fun getting to meet them all and telling them about Macedonia, the culture, the people, the food, and also what we are doing here as volunteers. But I think the best part for us volunteers was raiding the American food that they brought with them!!! Root beer, Dr. Pepper (my favorite), Oreos, Cheese-its, the list goes on and on. We, meaning the volunteers, had planned to go out to dinner afterwards, but most of us filled up on all the goodies. And of course you know we left with some of the food too..... doggie bags!!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aOBUPe9yXms/T42UQTcGd7I/AAAAAAAAAqk/PzXTyfge_oA/s1600/CongressmenApril12+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aOBUPe9yXms/T42UQTcGd7I/AAAAAAAAAqk/PzXTyfge_oA/s320/CongressmenApril12+032.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Myself, along with other volunteers, and our Country Director (the gentleman in the suit and tie) talking with one of the Congressmen (Gerry Connelly) at the fancy Holiday Inn in Skopje.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oTG2YJl8wE0/T42UYDa-m0I/AAAAAAAAAq8/ADf09FZ2yOM/s1600/IMG_0034.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oTG2YJl8wE0/T42UYDa-m0I/AAAAAAAAAq8/ADf09FZ2yOM/s320/IMG_0034.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Myself and a fellow Virginia volunteer, Jason, with Congressman Gerry Connolly.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qv240CaRBjY/T42UWAgDlII/AAAAAAAAAq0/-pEixTCUZVQ/s1600/CongressmenApril12+035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qv240CaRBjY/T42UWAgDlII/AAAAAAAAAq0/-pEixTCUZVQ/s320/CongressmenApril12+035.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>As we were getting ready to leave we ran into the Congressman from Washington. He had just gotten back from buying a Macedonian soccer jersey and he put it on to take a picture with us.<br />
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It was a great time and it was an honor to be able to sit and talk to the Congressmen about Macedonia and what I am doing here. </div>Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-23058285482390559792012-03-20T13:20:00.000-07:002012-03-20T13:20:34.887-07:00Getting Messy at School!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Our 3rd graders are starting to learn how to write this year. I know that it seems late to start learning how to write, but 3rd grade is when they learn how to write the Latin letters equivalent to the Macedonia Cyrillic letters. So according to the Macedonian curriculum, they combine the two so as not to confuse the kids. They have learned their letters and are now starting to spell words. As a fun review on Friday, Irena and I decided to get a little messy in the classroom. Once Irena finished teaching her lesson and the kids finished their seat work, those that finished got to come to the front of the room and "spell" with me.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S9xgB79IpVo/T2dyeauTlPI/AAAAAAAAAp8/LIBIv4k9vus/s1600/Mart+2012+045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S9xgB79IpVo/T2dyeauTlPI/AAAAAAAAAp8/LIBIv4k9vus/s320/Mart+2012+045.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> You can see the look on Stephanie's face that this is something they are not used to seeing. We put shaving cream on the desk and the kids had to use their "special pencil" aka their finger to practice writing letters and spelling words.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wpBS7TJeyqM/T2dyiHOLNPI/AAAAAAAAAqE/9fd9xnv-wFM/s1600/Mart+2012+054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wpBS7TJeyqM/T2dyiHOLNPI/AAAAAAAAAqE/9fd9xnv-wFM/s320/Mart+2012+054.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> The best part about using shaving cream is that if you mess up it is very easy to erase. And afterwards, it leaves the desk with a nice fresh and clean smell.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EgfR8obYRCM/T2dymIq1H3I/AAAAAAAAAqM/SmJC6jT2u7Y/s1600/Mart+2012+064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EgfR8obYRCM/T2dymIq1H3I/AAAAAAAAAqM/SmJC6jT2u7Y/s320/Mart+2012+064.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> One of the students had to spell the word "doll". The more advance students know how to spell the words that we have been practicing, but for most of them Irena and I had to help them spell the words. Also, another way to practice if they know their alphabet.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U5QMSrtJ-mk/T2dyovv6fPI/AAAAAAAAAqU/Sq1GGPiIEDQ/s1600/Mart+2012+066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U5QMSrtJ-mk/T2dyovv6fPI/AAAAAAAAAqU/Sq1GGPiIEDQ/s320/Mart+2012+066.jpg" width="240" /></a></div> Irena got messy too.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QlaEuGvGabE/T2dytyjdUlI/AAAAAAAAAqc/Y4LAWud1R4s/s1600/Mart+2012+078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QlaEuGvGabE/T2dytyjdUlI/AAAAAAAAAqc/Y4LAWud1R4s/s320/Mart+2012+078.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div>It was a cheap and fun lesson. Plus something new and interesting for the kids. When I pulled out the shaving cream, you could just see the looks on the their faces "What is Michelle going to do with that?"<br />
</div><div>Until next time, I will try and stay out of "messy" situations............but I make no promises.</div></div>Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-59570791300872827952012-03-09T18:39:00.000-08:002012-03-09T18:39:03.135-08:00Getting ready for the National Spelling Bee!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">On Monday, we had our Spelling Bee Qualifier at school. For weeks our kids have been studying and finally it was the big day. Each student had to write ten words correctly in order to pass and participate in the BIG Spelling Bee on April 7th. We had thirty kids show up and nine qualified! They were all sooo nervous, since they have never done anything like this before. We had five kids at a time come into the classroom and one by one I read off their ten words. Sadly, if they got the first word wrong, they were out, but happily I had candy and pencils for everyone that participated.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y-NxrGZsIqA/T1pAXJ647GI/AAAAAAAAApA/JLNWN9kZQeE/s1600/Spelling+Bee+2012,+Resen+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y-NxrGZsIqA/T1pAXJ647GI/AAAAAAAAApA/JLNWN9kZQeE/s320/Spelling+Bee+2012,+Resen+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Waiting for their turn to spell.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1Hy1Sn2G3tk/T1pAib0aahI/AAAAAAAAApI/Hm8-nB0FhuY/s1600/Spelling+Bee+2012,+Resen+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1Hy1Sn2G3tk/T1pAib0aahI/AAAAAAAAApI/Hm8-nB0FhuY/s320/Spelling+Bee+2012,+Resen+006.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Calling out the words.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u54UdJe8kIU/T1pAtHHkrQI/AAAAAAAAApY/TE5_2Jdh66A/s1600/Picture+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u54UdJe8kIU/T1pAtHHkrQI/AAAAAAAAApY/TE5_2Jdh66A/s320/Picture+017.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> What? What is that word? Can you say it again?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6I2AneK4lv4/T1pAyZYGT8I/AAAAAAAAApg/pyoRAIaH4Us/s1600/Picture+026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6I2AneK4lv4/T1pAyZYGT8I/AAAAAAAAApg/pyoRAIaH4Us/s320/Picture+026.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> I loved the confused looks on their faces.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eoEr26HN888/T1pA31e-AQI/AAAAAAAAApo/IBFa7fWHa_8/s1600/Picture+029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eoEr26HN888/T1pA31e-AQI/AAAAAAAAApo/IBFa7fWHa_8/s320/Picture+029.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Irena was there to give congratulatory hugs!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sQJjlyM6_JA/T1pBDDXrCqI/AAAAAAAAApw/KbvEf6ffAdQ/s1600/Picture+040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sQJjlyM6_JA/T1pBDDXrCqI/AAAAAAAAApw/KbvEf6ffAdQ/s320/Picture+040.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>These girls were sooo excited to qualify. They are all friends and the two waiting were more nervous and excited than the one who had to spell.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Next Stop the National Spelling Bee in Skopje!!! Don't worry Resen will be ready!!!</div></div>Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-68535541949985694602012-03-04T17:32:00.001-08:002012-03-04T17:32:39.843-08:00So Fresh and So Clean!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">This past week, all of the MAK 15 group (my group of volunteers) met up in Skopje for our Mid-Service Conference. Yes, I know, we are definitely over our halfway point, but the Peace Corps staff needed some time to get ready once they got the MAK 16 group (the new group of volunteers) settled into their sites. This conference was originally planned for the beginning of February, but with the "lovely" weather we have been having, it had to be postponed.<br />
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During the conference, we had technical sessions (for the teachers: critical thinking, how to teach, writing a paragraph, etc) along with language lessons (I took only fun classes: travel, men's talk, and what do women talk about over coffee?). Two were taught by the language teacher I had in Lozovo, Despina. And my theory is if I don't have the language down by now, I am not going to; and then of course, there were Peace Corps mandated sessions (bystander intervention, and a little information about when we end our service).<br />
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Irena and the other counterparts came up and we overlapped on the last day. It was nice to be able to sum up what we have accomplished already (the English Library and the students new love of reading, classroom management, organization, etc) and also talk about what other idea's Irena had that she would like to do while I am still here (Reading Club, and doing a few small plays with the older kids).<br />
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Another part of our Mid-service is our one year check-up, both with the doctor and the dentist. I was warned about this; but let's just say it was still very interesting, especially the dentalt part. After living here over a year and seeing my students "rotting" their baby teeth right out of their mouths, I was curious to go to the dentist. The dentist that we go to is in Skopje; and according to the flag flying out front, they practice the "art" of dentistry. It was a very nice and clean facility. It only had one room with two dental chairs. They have all the new technology, computer screens with the dentist chairs, I even saw that they offer Invisaline instead of braces. The chairs do not recline back all the way, you more or less lean your head back. The dentist checked my teeth.....NO CAVITIES!!! And then he "power washed" my teeth. Yes power washed. No electric brushes, no toothpaste...just an electric water gun and what tasted like salt water. YUM!! Then I swished around some mouth wash and next thing I know I am walking out the door. In total, from the time I walked into the office from the time I finished my cleaning........10-15 minutes max. Then it was off to the Peace Corps office for my physical check-up, which is done by our Peace Corps doctors.....all good there....I passed!!!<br />
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Then I met up with a fellow volunteer and we grabbed lunch at where else....McDonald's (it's the perfect place to go once your teeth are all clean and the doctor says that you are healthy AND it puts a lump in your stomach for that 4+ hour bus ride back to Resen). See sometimes McDonald's is the right choice!</div>Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-85599730637970258452012-02-14T12:02:00.000-08:002012-02-14T12:02:40.145-08:0012 Reasons to Date a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">In the spirit of Valentine's Day Peace Corps posted this on their website.....<br />
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #36332f; font-family: arial, 'helvetica neue', helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 5px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">12 reasons to date a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer:</strong></div><ol style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #36332f; font-family: arial, 'helvetica neue', helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 5px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We can woo you in multiple languages. Who else is going to whisper sweet nothings to you in everything from Albanian to Hausa to Quechua to Xhosa? That’s right. Only a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We’re pretty good dancers. Yeah, we don’t like to brag, but after 27 months in Latin America or Africa we know how to move it.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We’ll eat anything. Seriously. No matter how bad your cooking, Returned Peace Corps Volunteers have had worse and will eat it with nary a blink. Sheep’s eyeball? Water buffalo gall bladder? Grasshoppers? Bush rat? Bring it.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We know all about safe sex, thanks to our very thorough Peace Corps health training. In fact, there’s a chance that we’ve stood unblushingly in front of hundreds of villagers and demonstrated good condom technique with a large wooden phallus.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We’ll kill spiders for you. Well, actually, we’ll nonchalantly scoop them up and put them out of sight. Same goes for mice, geckos, frogs, snakes. Critters don’t faze Returned Volunteers.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We have great date ideas: wandering a street market, checking out a foreign film, taking in a world music concert, volunteering…. Romantic getaway? Our passport is updated and our suitcase is packed. With us, life is always an adventure.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">We like you for “you”… not your paycheck. Especially if we are freshly back from service, a local joint with “character” will win out over a pretentious eatery. Living in a group house? No problem. Does it have running hot water? What luxury!</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">You won’t get lost when you’re with a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. Navigating local markets on four continents, we’ve honed an uncanny sense of direction. Or else we’ll ask for directions. We’re not afraid to talk to “strangers.”</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Waiting for a late train or bus? Don’t worry, we’ve been there, done that. We can share lots of funny stories about “the bus ride from hell” that will make the time go quickly and put it all into perspective.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Our low-maintenance fashion style. Returned Peace Corps Volunteer guys are secure in their manhood and don’t mind rocking a sarong. Women often prefer flip flops to high heels. We don’t spend hours in front of a mirror getting ready to go out.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Marry us, and you won’t just get one family — you’ll get two! When we refer to our “brother” or “mom,” you’ll want to be certain we’re talking about our American one or our Peace Corps one. You might even get two wedding ceremonies, one in the U.S. and one back in our Peace Corps country.</li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 8px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">And last but not least, we aren’t afraid to get dirty.</li>
</ol><div><span style="color: #36332f; font-family: arial, 'helvetica neue', helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>Happy Valentine's Day!!!</i></b></span></div></div>Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-44558756738361439602012-02-13T17:12:00.000-08:002012-02-13T17:12:57.151-08:00Poo Poo on TP!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">When there is even the chance of flurries at home (Northern Virginia), there is a run on TP, milk, and bread. Well not in Macedonia!! Since over a week ago, Resen has been covered in snow. When I woke up one morning and found about a foot of snow on the ground, my first reaction was "No School!" but sadly I was wrong. Since everything is so close, nothing shuts down.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l8e9r8gU0XA/Tzk1LxFA-RI/AAAAAAAAAnk/yFYMC72rUjc/s1600/Picture+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l8e9r8gU0XA/Tzk1LxFA-RI/AAAAAAAAAnk/yFYMC72rUjc/s320/Picture+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> My walk on the way to school. After the first big snow fall.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XLKZGF9IPNA/Tzk1OGFyDoI/AAAAAAAAAns/GrJGj-uhzeM/s1600/Picture+007.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XLKZGF9IPNA/Tzk1OGFyDoI/AAAAAAAAAns/GrJGj-uhzeM/s320/Picture+007.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Heading towards the center of town. The shopkeepers were out "sweeping" (yes using brooms -- no Home Depot) the snow away from the front of their stores.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWcQfL28Q1U/Tzk1Q_KQ1gI/AAAAAAAAAn0/4x6EdIz93Y0/s1600/Picture+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ZWcQfL28Q1U/Tzk1Q_KQ1gI/AAAAAAAAAn0/4x6EdIz93Y0/s320/Picture+008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Tractors are not only used in the apple orchards.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tjfk65710Wg/Tzk1T5AV2oI/AAAAAAAAAn8/NIV691MaN-k/s1600/Picture+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tjfk65710Wg/Tzk1T5AV2oI/AAAAAAAAAn8/NIV691MaN-k/s320/Picture+016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The front of my school. By the time I arrived, I was covered from head to toe with snow. The maintenance staff was sitting inside at the front of the school; and as I approached, they all started smiling and waving. I was definitely a funny sight.<br />
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Later that week, I had events planned in other towns and was looking forward to heading North where it was a surprising 15 degrees warmer and they did not have any snow. I had to wait over an hour for the bus to come, because it was snowing again. When I arrived in Bitola, only 30 mins away, I could see patches of green and brown. I stayed in Prilep for a night to celebrate a fellow volunteer's birthday. Then the next day headed up to Skopje and Kumanovo. When I left Prilep it was only raining, but by the time I reached Skopje it had started to snow. In the end, all the events that I had planned (aka our Mid-Service Conference) were cancelled. I come up North to escape the snow and cold and sadly ended up bring it with me.<br />
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This past weekend, we got the most snow I have ever seen. From Friday to Saturday we got a total of 15 inches. That plus what we already had, leaves us with around 1 meter (3 ft) of snow on the ground. On Saturday, Maria, Irena, and I went out to go play in the snow.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o-CRNh_g4_I/Tzk3wQyMrLI/AAAAAAAAAoE/JOygFWMLATo/s1600/Picture+022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o-CRNh_g4_I/Tzk3wQyMrLI/AAAAAAAAAoE/JOygFWMLATo/s320/Picture+022.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> The pazar on Saturday morning. Nothing shuts down. I was able to go out and get all my groceries -- no problems! Take note Northern Virginia!!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qNhiIzp9SGA/Tzk30I19CoI/AAAAAAAAAoM/lPUG16VpiAs/s1600/Picture+025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qNhiIzp9SGA/Tzk30I19CoI/AAAAAAAAAoM/lPUG16VpiAs/s320/Picture+025.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Can you tell what it is?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rNKDJzS5qUw/Tzk32rUVGbI/AAAAAAAAAoU/fi_9bGo5Je4/s1600/Picture+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rNKDJzS5qUw/Tzk32rUVGbI/AAAAAAAAAoU/fi_9bGo5Je4/s320/Picture+030.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Me, out playing in the snow. We took pictures next to it so you can see how much snow we actually have.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n6edgzG0wsI/Tzk36CvuX2I/AAAAAAAAAoc/hC48akQ9zLo/s1600/Picture+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n6edgzG0wsI/Tzk36CvuX2I/AAAAAAAAAoc/hC48akQ9zLo/s320/Picture+034.jpg" width="240" /></a></div> Making snow angels. Since there were literally "walls" of snow it was easy to fall backwards and make the perfect snow angel. The trouble, since it was so deep, was getting back up.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2YZiG_87_pg/Tzk381oEAaI/AAAAAAAAAok/Hb6JjsPgPJw/s1600/Picture+036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2YZiG_87_pg/Tzk381oEAaI/AAAAAAAAAok/Hb6JjsPgPJw/s320/Picture+036.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> I lost my feet!!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XgRUyiKA3AA/Tzk3-7PkaRI/AAAAAAAAAos/tRRvH4f5uvA/s1600/Picture+055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XgRUyiKA3AA/Tzk3-7PkaRI/AAAAAAAAAos/tRRvH4f5uvA/s320/Picture+055.jpg" width="240" /></a></div> Some of the kids made a snowman!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6EEcpozQkc/Tzk4BkOakdI/AAAAAAAAAo0/XYk-ClXPZrg/s1600/Picture+056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q6EEcpozQkc/Tzk4BkOakdI/AAAAAAAAAo0/XYk-ClXPZrg/s320/Picture+056.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Outside of my building. This guy drove to the little market below my building, but then could not get his car back out because of all the snow.<br />
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Luckily the snow has stopped, for now at least. The mayor finally broke down and cancelled school for the next few days. Hopefully, by then the main road will be clear. But Irena and I are saying that we probably won't see grass until May.<br />
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</div>Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-13061419178220930752012-02-04T07:13:00.000-08:002012-02-04T07:13:13.670-08:00Volcano!!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Last week at Kids Club (which is at the American Corner in Bitola) we played with Science. Normally, I try to do an activity with the closest holiday in mind, but I wanted to do something different this time. We made volcanoes out of plastic cups and plates. I had not heard of the kids doing this activity at my school, so I thought Kids Club would be a good place for it. But some of the students said that they had done this activity in Science class, but were excited to do it again.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kgly4oZEux0/TywN_9RKzpI/AAAAAAAAAm8/YjYGG7gX5OE/s1600/432108_10150634438305041_182025015040_11619639_1087036731_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kgly4oZEux0/TywN_9RKzpI/AAAAAAAAAm8/YjYGG7gX5OE/s320/432108_10150634438305041_182025015040_11619639_1087036731_n.jpg" width="213" /></a></div> Me showing the kids how to cut off the tops of their volcanoes so the "lava" can come out of the top.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-95akmAXihc4/TywODa6Ks1I/AAAAAAAAAnE/SHrwv0t2cZs/s1600/422338_10150634436140041_182025015040_11619624_835767269_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-95akmAXihc4/TywODa6Ks1I/AAAAAAAAAnE/SHrwv0t2cZs/s320/422338_10150634436140041_182025015040_11619624_835767269_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> The kids decorated the tops of their volcanoes and then after they were assembled, we erupted them!!!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o8uchS5iYIs/TywOESHy_qI/AAAAAAAAAnM/yBC_K-_DNm0/s1600/427357_10150634437145041_182025015040_11619629_1278144639_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-o8uchS5iYIs/TywOESHy_qI/AAAAAAAAAnM/yBC_K-_DNm0/s320/427357_10150634437145041_182025015040_11619629_1278144639_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iY7o0H2Hmy0/TywOHYVbyLI/AAAAAAAAAnU/rH8QTun97Ec/s1600/423854_10150634440395041_182025015040_11619650_1261403038_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iY7o0H2Hmy0/TywOHYVbyLI/AAAAAAAAAnU/rH8QTun97Ec/s320/423854_10150634440395041_182025015040_11619650_1261403038_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Waiting for the ERUPTION!!!! We combined baking soda and vinegar together; and if you get the right amount, the liquid will bubble over the top of your volcano. The boys had a good time seeing whose volcano would erupt the most.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OQFtrXhHYMc/TywOIWWLM8I/AAAAAAAAAnY/YF3MtEJIPxw/s1600/395847_10150634439960041_182025015040_11619649_460372017_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OQFtrXhHYMc/TywOIWWLM8I/AAAAAAAAAnY/YF3MtEJIPxw/s320/395847_10150634439960041_182025015040_11619649_460372017_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The after effect. You can see some of the "lava" at the bottom of the plate. I also had made a tornado in a bottle. I just took a soda bottle and filled it 3/4 with water and then a few drops of dish soap. When you turn it over and shake it, you can see a mini tornado inside. The kids had fun taking turns making the tornado. Even though it was a little messy and the Corner smelt like vinegar afterwards, we still had a good time playing with Science. </div>Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-57509144672208457952012-01-23T15:56:00.000-08:002012-01-23T15:56:59.069-08:00New Years in Belgrade<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Some of my fellow volunteers came up with the idea of going to Belgrade to celebrate the New Years. Celebrating New Years in Belgrade is like celebrating in New York, the biggest there is over here. Since we only get two vacation days a month, and most of us want to spend the majority of our days on bigger trips, we decided to do Belgrade in a day. We left Macedonia on the morning of the 31st and arrived in Belgrade around 2pm. As it gets dark here around four, we wanted to see some of the sites of the city.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aIuwsLr8CRM/Tx1lFqsjM1I/AAAAAAAAAl0/iI3nUL_urgg/s1600/406443_10100515556737057_9612558_50821543_1708246871_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aIuwsLr8CRM/Tx1lFqsjM1I/AAAAAAAAAl0/iI3nUL_urgg/s320/406443_10100515556737057_9612558_50821543_1708246871_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div> The group, minus the one behind the camera, just off the bus and ready to explore the city.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QQBtMU62LEI/Tx1lQmkUqBI/AAAAAAAAAl8/atzP9AtCXM8/s1600/383025_10100515558254017_9612558_50821578_1809205833_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QQBtMU62LEI/Tx1lQmkUqBI/AAAAAAAAAl8/atzP9AtCXM8/s320/383025_10100515558254017_9612558_50821578_1809205833_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NzyORlBeFFs/Tx1lR0S9aJI/AAAAAAAAAmE/ZMdxEog1Jwc/s1600/383595_10100515557051427_9612558_50821550_600877456_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NzyORlBeFFs/Tx1lR0S9aJI/AAAAAAAAAmE/ZMdxEog1Jwc/s320/383595_10100515557051427_9612558_50821550_600877456_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>We walked up to the old fortress and explored around there until it started to get dark.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dNfF517bxJU/Tx1lnM1T4AI/AAAAAAAAAmM/OWUU6c2NCvM/s1600/395224_10100515561277957_9612558_50821646_1879937692_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dNfF517bxJU/Tx1lnM1T4AI/AAAAAAAAAmM/OWUU6c2NCvM/s320/395224_10100515561277957_9612558_50821646_1879937692_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This was the first sign that we were all getting hungry. So we decided that the next stop had to be Pizza Hut!!! We had to ask the workers at KFC for directions, but we finally found it. There are no pictures since we were all too busy enjoying the familiarity of good pizza.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dFdYFUApD-A/Tx1mNPc3JdI/AAAAAAAAAmU/ZjU_Ppamd1E/s1600/397844_10100515559805907_9612558_50821617_1697028816_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dFdYFUApD-A/Tx1mNPc3JdI/AAAAAAAAAmU/ZjU_Ppamd1E/s320/397844_10100515559805907_9612558_50821617_1697028816_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> With our bellies full it was off to the center. They had a huge stage set-up and a concert going with popular Balkan artists. As you can see, there were tons of people, but the area was big enough that we were not all pushed up against each other, there was still room to breath.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O9lVsU8rMvo/Tx1mO2RFRvI/AAAAAAAAAmc/oJqDJH9vKWg/s1600/383617_10100515560115287_9612558_50821621_1899764750_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O9lVsU8rMvo/Tx1mO2RFRvI/AAAAAAAAAmc/oJqDJH9vKWg/s320/383617_10100515560115287_9612558_50821621_1899764750_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Excited to ring in the New Year in Belgrade.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xFXl2-otNHI/Tx1mP6eqPuI/AAAAAAAAAmg/FP2nqoIxaJ4/s1600/386264_10100515561507497_9612558_50821649_1692834912_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xFXl2-otNHI/Tx1mP6eqPuI/AAAAAAAAAmg/FP2nqoIxaJ4/s320/386264_10100515561507497_9612558_50821649_1692834912_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Let the countdown begin!!!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BptoDWU6f-4/Tx1mUt1-T_I/AAAAAAAAAms/MLJpmAiVAZg/s1600/402254_10100515560060397_9612558_50821620_41600373_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BptoDWU6f-4/Tx1mUt1-T_I/AAAAAAAAAms/MLJpmAiVAZg/s320/402254_10100515560060397_9612558_50821620_41600373_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Happy New Year!!!! We bought a bottle of sparkling wine to celebrate.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After we explored the city, we looked for a night club that was not going to charge us poor volunteers an expensive cover charge to come in for a few hours. We ended up finding this small bar where a private party was being held; and when they heard we were volunteers from America, they invited us in to celebrate with them. We stayed until 4am and then went looking for some food. We ended up finding a pizza place that was still open and then it was off to the bus station.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8FhQc9BkMH0/Tx1ncM7jwXI/AAAAAAAAAm0/68Jb_fE03oA/s1600/402522_10100515561078357_9612558_50821641_692788633_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8FhQc9BkMH0/Tx1ncM7jwXI/AAAAAAAAAm0/68Jb_fE03oA/s320/402522_10100515561078357_9612558_50821641_692788633_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">There was barely a place to sit, so we all made ourselves comfortable on the floor. A few of us, mainly the boys, fell asleep as we waited for our bus to come at 7am. We then slept on the bus; and when we woke up, we were back in Macedonia. The first thing we all did was contact our Safety Officer because we knew he was worried since we were planning on staying out all night. Before we left, he send us emails and a text message tell us to be careful and have fun. After fully recovering and catching up on sleep, I can now honestly say that it was the most memorable New Years I have ever had. </div></div>Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-59684831120659874332012-01-21T16:40:00.000-08:002012-01-21T16:40:57.888-08:00Last Christmas in Macedonia<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I know I have not written in a while; and I have a lot of catching up to do. It's been busy here, full of holidays and travel. Luckily, I do not have school on top of that. For the past 3-4 weeks we have been on Winter holiday; but it will all start again on Monday.<br />
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So where did I leave off....Christmas.<br />
For my last Christmas here in Macedonia, I wanted to celebrate with the other volunteers. I spent Christmas Eve at home because I wanted to open presents with the family, over Skype.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NgeWgfg1VfM/Txr7qfzkIRI/AAAAAAAAAlk/lkHGgHJLECM/s1600/DSC02288.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-NgeWgfg1VfM/Txr7qfzkIRI/AAAAAAAAAlk/lkHGgHJLECM/s320/DSC02288.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> My cousin's girlfriend and her son joined my family for our Christmas Eve dinner. They explained to him that I would be joining them via the internet; and that I was teaching English in Macedonia. I have the ability to be in two places at once with the wonderful invention of Michelle on a stick!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-suMCvr3k798/Txr7rkDRW4I/AAAAAAAAAls/rT-1uxaTD8Q/s1600/DSC02307_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-suMCvr3k798/Txr7rkDRW4I/AAAAAAAAAls/rT-1uxaTD8Q/s320/DSC02307_edited-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Jenny and I "acting" surprised since we already knew what we were getting.<br />
The next day I went up to Veles where we were having a traditional American Christmas full of football and food!!!<br />
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When I arrived, I met up with some of the volunteers that were going to go meet some of the local high school students to play some football and basketball. Later, we all went over to one of the volunteer's house. We had two turkeys, ham, green beans, potatoes, mash potatoes, gravy....you name it we had it. The volunteer also invited his host family so they got to see what a traditional American Christmas is like.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M4gLq2-L3xY/Txr7fGdSGxI/AAAAAAAAAlU/lDCkulRMi0Q/s1600/392752_2987081839568_1337716389_3197671_1435914329_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-M4gLq2-L3xY/Txr7fGdSGxI/AAAAAAAAAlU/lDCkulRMi0Q/s320/392752_2987081839568_1337716389_3197671_1435914329_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Food and.......<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qZhlvkhjiEw/Txr7dxQqYtI/AAAAAAAAAlM/-CQTzweiFh8/s1600/388457_2987078839493_1337716389_3197662_1019340288_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qZhlvkhjiEw/Txr7dxQqYtI/AAAAAAAAAlM/-CQTzweiFh8/s320/388457_2987078839493_1337716389_3197662_1019340288_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>.....Football!!! Sam did not know that he could get American football on his TV. So everyone was excited to sit and watch the Jets verses the Lions. It really did feel like a Christmas back home.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qVLW56oLTO8/Txr7g5RWvDI/AAAAAAAAAlc/JIuOwL8W8N4/s1600/407212_2987076839443_1337716389_3197659_276971516_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qVLW56oLTO8/Txr7g5RWvDI/AAAAAAAAAlc/JIuOwL8W8N4/s320/407212_2987076839443_1337716389_3197659_276971516_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Too focused to know that they are being photographed.<br />
It was a great last Christmas in Macedonia; but I am excited to know that next year I will not be celebrating via Skype. </div>Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-89266658673775844142011-12-09T20:22:00.000-08:002011-12-11T14:36:04.925-08:00Thanksgiving "Peace Corps Style"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">As some of you may recall, last year on Thanksgiving I became an official volunteer. They do the same thing every year. All the new trainees became volunteers and after the ceremony, they have a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner with turkeys that the Peace Corps has flown in from America. It's buffet style, but being in Macedonia there are no lines. So everyone is pushing and cutting in to get food. This year myself and a few other volunteers did not want to spend the 6 hours on a bus to go and fight a baba (grandmother) over a turkey leg so we decided to have our own smaller Thanksgiving a little closer to home. We decided to have it in Ohrid, because the volunteer there has a nice big place that would hold everyone (aka no one slept on the floor). But the one thing about Peace Corps volunteer housing is that not everyone has a full stove/oven. Must of us, myself included, have what we call "easy bake ovens". They are small enough to sit on top of a counter and have an oven big enough to put one thing inside and it has 2 burners on the top. That was what we had to use to cook our Thanksgiving dinner. I am lucky enough to have a crock-pot (the $l00 crock pot that my mom sent me -- $20 for the crock pot and $80 for shipping -- Thanks Mom!!!) so I decided that instead of taking up the whole oven that I would try and cook the "turkey" in the crock-pot.<br />
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<b>Task #1</b>- Finding a turkey in either Resen or Bitola that would fit into the 4qt crock-pot.<br />
Not an easy task.<br />
I went to my grocery store, where they did have turkeys in the frozen section Go Resen!!, and to the big grocery store in Bitola and I measured, yes you heard me right, .........measured, with a measuring tape each turkey looking to see if I could find one small enough to fit in the crock-pot. No luck. So instead I settled on a chicken. I see no difference in chicken and turkey and since there were only four of us going to this small Thanksgiving and one is a vegetarian, I saw no point in trying to cook a 12 lb turkey for only three people.<br />
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<b>Task #2</b>- Getting the chicken and the crock-pot to Ohrid.<br />
Again NOT an easy task.<br />
As you all know, my only form of transportation over here is by bus. So I packed up the chicken, put it in the crock-pot, put the crock-pot in a bag, packed up my other cooking materials in a plastic bag, packed up my backpack and had my purse and walked to the bus station. When I arrived, there was no bus......it was a combi (aka van). If you read the previous story, about my trip to Sofia, you already know that I do not have very good luck with combis. And this one, like the last one was full. I got the last seat. I had to put all of my things (this includes the crock-pot and the chicken) in the front next to the driver where the passenger seat would be. I was sitting two rows back and was by the window, because the lady already sitting there would not move over and let me have the aisle so I could hold on to all my things. As we are driving though Resen, my backpack falls to the floor. The lady sitting the front row was nice enough to pick it up and put it in front of her, next to the driver. The trip to Ohrid, which normally, by bus, takes an hour and a half, took us 45 minutes!!! Also, this trip is not straight, it is up the mountain, down the mountain, twisting and turning on winding roads. During the ride, my heart and stomach where in my throat because I was terrified that the crock-pot was going to tip over and the chicken fall out and start rolling all around the combi. The people on the combi already thought I was the crazy American when they saw me trying to get all my bags on the combi. The last thing I needed was the chicken to start rolling around on the floor. Forty-five minutes later we arrived in Ohrid. I looked as if I had aged and had gained about 10 white hairs. An "only in the Peace Corps" experience.<br />
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<b>Task #3</b>- Cooking the chicken, aka Fred.<br />
The easiest task and this is coming from someone who has never cooked a whole chicken before and someone who has never cooked Thanksgiving dinner before.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wJcc_7Xj5DQ/TuIr5EiFzlI/AAAAAAAAAkI/Bwe_w1vYXvc/s1600/Picture+055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wJcc_7Xj5DQ/TuIr5EiFzlI/AAAAAAAAAkI/Bwe_w1vYXvc/s320/Picture+055.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Thanksgiving morning. Getting Fred all ready for his day in the sauna (aka crock-pot).<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-umMGhzP0w6U/TuIsH2vGbyI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/OTXU5nBv-pM/s1600/Picture+056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-umMGhzP0w6U/TuIsH2vGbyI/AAAAAAAAAkQ/OTXU5nBv-pM/s320/Picture+056.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>All "spiced" up and no where to go.<br />
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We did Thanksgiving pot luck style, but I did the main Thanksgiving parts -- meat (Fred), stuffing (vegetarian stuffing muffins, which were delicious if I do say so myself), Nana's deviled eggs as an appetizer, gravy (curtsy of Fred). Dina made green beans and a salad, Phebe made a cheesecake, and Christine made mac and cheese.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sw2omuAd-UU/TuItKmEySII/AAAAAAAAAkY/aeaGCefFa40/s1600/Picture+058.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sw2omuAd-UU/TuItKmEySII/AAAAAAAAAkY/aeaGCefFa40/s320/Picture+058.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Phebe and I cooking in the kitchen.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fnjLKom21fg/TuItS2ykauI/AAAAAAAAAkg/jOyKBb6CZ7s/s1600/Picture+060.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fnjLKom21fg/TuItS2ykauI/AAAAAAAAAkg/jOyKBb6CZ7s/s320/Picture+060.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>My stuffing muffins ready to go in the oven.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MVSHYJIA7mE/TuIteuo7T4I/AAAAAAAAAko/CA_FJ2w-CqI/s1600/Picture+061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MVSHYJIA7mE/TuIteuo7T4I/AAAAAAAAAko/CA_FJ2w-CqI/s320/Picture+061.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Looking good Fred!!!!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-78Et4SDkezs/TuItonX5jsI/AAAAAAAAAkw/uiyEGtmCQjs/s1600/Picture+070.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-78Et4SDkezs/TuItonX5jsI/AAAAAAAAAkw/uiyEGtmCQjs/s320/Picture+070.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Our Thanksgiving feast!!!! Not bad for only having an easy bake oven and a crock-pot.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-88bdft7lPtI/TuIt7UzhFrI/AAAAAAAAAk4/n3WD2LmFfb8/s1600/Picture+068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-88bdft7lPtI/TuIt7UzhFrI/AAAAAAAAAk4/n3WD2LmFfb8/s320/Picture+068.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The girls ready to dig in. <br />
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I can truly say that it was the most memorable Thanksgiving I have ever had and one that I am glad I will not have to repeat next year. From now on the crock-pot is staying OFF the bus!!!!!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: large;"><i>Happy Holidays!!!!!!!</i></span></div></div>Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8005253274332073407.post-38527707245305605132011-11-20T18:13:00.000-08:002011-12-01T07:27:48.923-08:00Mini vacation in Sofia, Bulgaria<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Sorry it has taken awhile to put this up. I got back from Sofia on Monday and the week got away from me. It is true what they say, your second year in the Peace Corps is busier and will fly by faster than your first year.<br />
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So last weekend, myself and 3 other volunteers decided that after only a few months into school that we needed a vacation. We decided to go to Sofia, (the capital of Bulgaria) since its close and we could do it in a weekend. We left on Friday and our first stop was Kriva Palanka. We planned on taking the 10:30am bus from Skopje (a city in Macedoniia); but as we were standing outside waiting for it, I noticed that a bus driver was waving me over. My first thought was "this is going to be good, he is calling the American over". He asked if that was the 10:30 bus and I said yes and then he said something else very quickly and the only word that I could catch was "policia." I go back and tell the others and we finally learn that that was the 10:30 bus and there was something wrong with it and he had to take it to the stop. Nothing like the elaborate story we came up with: that the bus driver was running away from the police and even though he could not stop to pick us up he was still nice enough to tell us that the police were after him. True customer service. <br />
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So we had to waste more time in Skopje; and the Macedonian way to waste time is to drink coffee. Making that my 2nd cup of the day. We had to wait for the 1pm bus and 15 mins before 1:00 we decide to go out and get seats on the bus, because we thought it would fill up since the earlier bus never came. We got out there and it was not a bus, but a combi (aka a van) and there were only 3 seats left. Guess who did not get a seat?...............you got it. ME!!! I stood in the back and could not believe it but more people were trying to get on the combi. By the time we left the station the combi was full (seats, standing room, laps, everything). But the best part was as we were driving out of Skopje the bus driver continued to stop and "try" to pick people up. The joke of the ride was how many more people can we cram into this combi. Two and a half hours later we arrived in Kriva Palanka. Yes, I stood the entire time. Except for the last 5 mins when the combi finally started to clear out. As we were driving though Kriva Palanka people were getting off and finally it was just the 4 poor Peace Corps volunteers left. The bus driver turns around and looks at us and says "What are you doing? Get out!" We were all expecting for the combi to go to the bus station, but this was the last stop instead of the middle of town. Just another day using Macedonian public transportation. <br />
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We all stayed at a fellow volunteer's house and she took us up to a famous monastery before it got dark.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JMTZoKDLSMI/TskkAPKH5RI/AAAAAAAAAhg/hrP-rFW01ck/s1600/302594_2321850213606_1470112275_32348319_1104550025_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JMTZoKDLSMI/TskkAPKH5RI/AAAAAAAAAhg/hrP-rFW01ck/s320/302594_2321850213606_1470112275_32348319_1104550025_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The weary travelers in front of the monastery.<br />
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As we were walking back down to town, a little kitten that we found up at the monastery and that I played with followed us all the way. She was a very determined little thing and thought that we were going to keep her. We gave her a box with a blanket and some food and water expecting that during the night she would leave. But the next morning she was still there and excited to see us.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xDGWKkuimIg/Tskk5HhWfEI/AAAAAAAAAho/C7QkWF8cWAg/s1600/307257_2321846493513_1470112275_32348305_1517289398_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xDGWKkuimIg/Tskk5HhWfEI/AAAAAAAAAho/C7QkWF8cWAg/s320/307257_2321846493513_1470112275_32348305_1517289398_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Isn't she soooo cute!!!! We asked other volunteers if they wanted her, because she was so lovable, but no one took her. So we brought her back up to the monastery found her a warm place and gave her some food before we headed off to Sofia.<br />
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We stayed at a nice hostel in the center of Sofia, Hostel Mostel. We had a 4 person private room which was about a 5 minute walk from the main hostel building. Our room was in its own apartment, along with 2 other rooms, a living room, 2 bathrooms, and a kitchen. All for the low low price of 10 euros a person. Comfort and Class on a budget.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mecEj2IWPmk/Tsk6OSlfymI/AAAAAAAAAhw/sZb5-_zHDUs/s1600/392911_2321953856197_1470112275_32348474_878627014_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mecEj2IWPmk/Tsk6OSlfymI/AAAAAAAAAhw/sZb5-_zHDUs/s320/392911_2321953856197_1470112275_32348474_878627014_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> In front of the main building. This price of our room also included breakfast and a pasta dinner.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Y-EqtSxppE/Tsk6Uck45BI/AAAAAAAAAh4/VTRHwFS-IL4/s1600/Picture+062.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Y-EqtSxppE/Tsk6Uck45BI/AAAAAAAAAh4/VTRHwFS-IL4/s320/Picture+062.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> The living room in the separate apartment.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CRPWdIXvRjY/Tsk6W2gXIxI/AAAAAAAAAiA/XWmT7c1QBbs/s1600/Picture+061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-CRPWdIXvRjY/Tsk6W2gXIxI/AAAAAAAAAiA/XWmT7c1QBbs/s320/Picture+061.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Kitchen<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-seI91p8sW7A/Tsk6XUnAWOI/AAAAAAAAAiE/7n3iD6XLDXo/s1600/316629_2321879134329_1470112275_32348354_1721702466_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-seI91p8sW7A/Tsk6XUnAWOI/AAAAAAAAAiE/7n3iD6XLDXo/s320/316629_2321879134329_1470112275_32348354_1721702466_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Our room, the 4th bed was to the right was mine.<br />
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Our first stop in Sofia was SUBWAY!!!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N0d7AHfmmn4/Tsk62kUxZKI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/2r0VA1pcch8/s1600/374893_2321886494513_1470112275_32348365_1291024541_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-N0d7AHfmmn4/Tsk62kUxZKI/AAAAAAAAAiQ/2r0VA1pcch8/s320/374893_2321886494513_1470112275_32348365_1291024541_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The gentlemen in the window were laughing at us when we were getting our picture taken. We walked around and explored Sofia. Took a trip to the Mall of Sofia and considered seeing a movie. But all the ones in English we had already seen online or had no interest in seeing.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fIfJxTl_IiI/Tsk7Ryn33YI/AAAAAAAAAiw/LU1XffLKSMs/s1600/Picture+087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fIfJxTl_IiI/Tsk7Ryn33YI/AAAAAAAAAiw/LU1XffLKSMs/s320/Picture+087.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yIvHGFMlyLE/Tsk_GzRlTzI/AAAAAAAAAjo/t4S-SiFVkQA/s1600/Picture+093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yIvHGFMlyLE/Tsk_GzRlTzI/AAAAAAAAAjo/t4S-SiFVkQA/s320/Picture+093.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The next day we did a<a href="http://www.freesofiatour.com/"> free walking tour of Sofia</a> and saw all the sights.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3fsr4EUCvp4/Tsk7EyR6IWI/AAAAAAAAAiY/MxIq4fzxsC0/s1600/297787_2321906335009_1470112275_32348398_2053942120_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3fsr4EUCvp4/Tsk7EyR6IWI/AAAAAAAAAiY/MxIq4fzxsC0/s320/297787_2321906335009_1470112275_32348398_2053942120_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div> The Russian church.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TBCGHdATG2I/Tsk7F8-8EPI/AAAAAAAAAig/6E6tqinebnY/s1600/305721_2322001697393_1470112275_32348534_1215850150_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TBCGHdATG2I/Tsk7F8-8EPI/AAAAAAAAAig/6E6tqinebnY/s320/305721_2322001697393_1470112275_32348534_1215850150_n.jpg" width="231" /></a></div> Picture with the guards in front of the presidents office.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eZBoBf4G_j4/Tsk7Y3SxhJI/AAAAAAAAAjA/XbNBht5TjxU/s1600/Picture+113.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-eZBoBf4G_j4/Tsk7Y3SxhJI/AAAAAAAAAjA/XbNBht5TjxU/s320/Picture+113.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Drinking warm water from the old hot baths.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x5BbFwkRSIM/Tsk7cW4nxsI/AAAAAAAAAjI/rpJotBJ-Nzk/s1600/298827_2322043258432_1470112275_32348554_1888000278_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x5BbFwkRSIM/Tsk7cW4nxsI/AAAAAAAAAjI/rpJotBJ-Nzk/s320/298827_2322043258432_1470112275_32348554_1888000278_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>After the tour, we went to a Chinese restaurant and ran into a Bulgarian Peace Corps volunteer!! She lives in a village of 800 people and is close to the Turkish border. She sat and talked to us for a few minutes before she had to go to a meeting. It was nice to hear about the similarities and differences about being a PCvolunteer and living Macedonia and living in Bulgaria (small world!!).<br />
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It was a great weekend trip with a great group of people. I am already looking into my next weekend getaway. Check back next weekend to see how we do Thanksgiving -- Peace Corps style!!!!</div>Michelle -http://www.blogger.com/profile/00617529056976174292noreply@blogger.com1