So Fresh and So Clean!

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.

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).

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).

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!!!

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!

12 Reasons to Date a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer

In the spirit of Valentine's Day Peace Corps posted this on their website.....

12 reasons to date a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer:

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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!
8. 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.”
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. And last but not least, we aren’t afraid to get dirty.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Poo Poo on TP!

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.

 My walk on the way to school. After the first big snow fall.

 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.

 Tractors are not only used in the apple orchards.

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.

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.

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.

 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!!!

 Can you tell what it is?

 Me, out playing in the snow. We took pictures next to it so you can see how much snow we actually have.

 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.

 I lost my feet!!!

 Some of the kids made a snowman!!

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.

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.

Volcano!!!

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.

 Me showing the kids how to cut off the tops of their volcanoes so the "lava" can come out of the top.

 The kids decorated the tops of their volcanoes and then after they were assembled, we erupted them!!!!

 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.

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. 

New Years in Belgrade

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.

 The group, minus the one behind the camera,  just off the bus and ready to explore the city.

We walked up to the old fortress and explored around there until it started to get dark.

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.

 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.

 Excited to ring in the New Year in Belgrade.

 Let the countdown begin!!!!

Happy New Year!!!!  We bought a bottle of sparkling wine to celebrate.

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.

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. 

Last Christmas in Macedonia

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.

So where did I leave off....Christmas.
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.

 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!!

Jenny and I "acting" surprised since we already knew what we were getting.
The next day I went up to Veles where we were having a traditional American Christmas full of football and food!!!

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.

 Food and.......

.....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.

Too focused to know that they are being photographed.
It was a great last Christmas in Macedonia; but I am excited to know that next year I will not be celebrating via Skype. 

Thanksgiving "Peace Corps Style"

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.

Task #1- Finding a turkey in either Resen or Bitola that would fit into the 4qt crock-pot.
Not an easy task.
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.

Task #2- Getting the chicken and the crock-pot to Ohrid.
Again NOT an easy task.
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.

Task #3- Cooking the chicken, aka Fred.
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.

Thanksgiving morning. Getting Fred all ready for his day in the sauna (aka crock-pot).

All "spiced" up and no where to go.

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.

Phebe and I cooking in the kitchen.

My stuffing muffins ready to go in the oven.

Looking good Fred!!!!!

Our Thanksgiving feast!!!!  Not bad for only having an easy bake oven and a crock-pot.

The girls ready to dig in.

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!!!!!

Happy Holidays!!!!!!!