Our Macedonian Adventure

Two More Years!

2009-11-30T23:18:00.000-08:00

Well, it's official! We have been re-assigned to Skopje for an additional two years and we are quite thrilled with our decision. Originally, we had not planned on attempting to stay due to our dissatisfaction with the high school our son attended last year. This year however, he is doing so well in the new high school, that we would like to keep him there until graduation.
Our bidding went very well, and our original strategy was successful. We had concentrated on posts with language training in an effort to return to the US for a year, allowing us to complete Collier's surgery prior to our next posting. We felt this was the best approach even though it meant 4 high schools in 4 years for Christopher. And it worked, we were offered positions in Baku, Azerbaijan, and Tunis, Tunisia, which would have been perfect. But the European Bureau representative threw a twist in by asking us if we wanted to stay in Skopje or move on, which got us thinking and took away some of our excitement about the new opportunities. We really do love everything about our life here in Skopje, so now that the school problem was resolved, it seemed silly to leave! So although we had already received a handshake offer on Baku, my husband informed the Management Officer and the DCM here that he would be interested in staying, only if they approved, and within a couple hours we had a handshake on Skopje! The Embassy was stunned that it all happened so quickly, and we took that as a sign that it was meant to be. So, we will remain in Macedonia and have to postpone Collier's surgery for a while longer, but we are completely happy with our "new" assignment!

Chestnuts

2009-11-30T22:56:00.000-08:00

Well, it's that time of year again....time for "chestnuts roasting on an open fire...." Here in Skopje, chestnuts are available just about every 50 feet in the center of town, usually being "roasted" over a gas grill type contraption. Scruffy looking men bundled up for warmth heat them, turning carefully with silver tongs, and package them in paper cones for customers. I am deeply surprised at how popular they are, particularly due to the hideous smell!!! When I hear The Christmas Song being crooned by Bing Crosby (or one of the other many artists who have shared their version of the Nat King Cole classic), it seems so romantic and iconic. It loses a lot of it's charm when you actually smell the chestnuts roasting on the Skopje Plostad! I don't know if it's the heating source or the chestnuts themselves, but it's nasty!!! However, they must be a delicious treat, as folks line up to buy them and we watched two little boys fight over a paper cone full of them this past weekend--you would have thought it was jellybeans or chocolate in that cone! Maybe I should try some, maybe if I hold my nose...lol.

Stobi Photos

2009-09-28T04:18:00.000-07:00

Our weekend trip allowed me the opportunity to replace some of the Stobi photos I lost when the hard drive crashed...hope you enjoy! The mosaics were uncovered this time!

Lake Dojran/Stobi

2009-09-28T03:29:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we decided to get out of town and explore a bit of Macedonia. Of course, we did have an ulterior motive...cheddar cheese! A gentleman who works in the USAID office owns a guesthouse in Star Dojran, which is close to the Greek border, so we rented it for the weekend. It's a lovely villa perched high atop a hill overlooking the Lake Dojran with spectacular views from the two balconies. If not for the 5 kids in tow, it would have been a very relaxing place to spend the weekend...lol. Equipped with all the necessary amenities, i.e. Playstation, satellite tv, dvd's galore, swimming pool with jets, etc., the house offered us a nice place to stay within an hour's drive of Thessaloniki and the coveted cheddar cheese! The kids really enjoyed the villa, and even though it was a bit too chilly for swimming, they are far braver than I and jumped right in... a move I will surely regret letting them do when they are all home sick this week.

Saturday, we made the trip to Thess and stocked up on plenty of cheese and enjoyed a terrific meal at TGI Friday's...always a favorite. We had a really fun, goofy waiter who plied our kids with plenty of goodies...balloon animals, coloring books, crayons, puzzles, etc. They had a great time and everyone enjoyed a familiar favorite food. Not sure it was worth the outrageous cost, but it was a treat!

When we returned from Thess, we strolled along Lake Dojran and photographed the beach and it's scenery. It was an interesting place. You can visibly see how much the lake has disappeared over the years. Both the Greeks and the Macedonians pull from the lake, and it is taking a toll on the water levels. A while back there were numerous problems with the water, but everything is clean and safe now thankfully. It seems like a lovely place for hanging out on a hot summer day, as the beach is actually sand, not pebbles as in Ohrid. There are several little shops nearby for buying snacks and fresh produce and a couple nice looking hotels. Several Macedonian families were picnicking in the park like area near the beach, where there are some grills available for public use. Fisherman dotted the lake, though in much smaller numbers than what we saw in the morning hours. It was a very peaceful environment and we enjoyed it.

After another night of dvd's and playstation soccer, we woke up early and packed up our gear. Eager to return home with our bounty of cheese and watch NFL games..lol, we headed back towards Skopje, admiring the beautiful mountains and amazed at all the trucks and tractors overflowing with loads of grapes, presumably en route to one of the many vineyards for pressing. In the heart of wine country, we passed many such vehicles! We stopped for an hour in Stobi, the ancient Roman city for a guided tour of the artifacts and discoveries there. Chris and I have been before, but we thought it would be a good educational experience for the kids. They all seemed to enjoy learning about life in the Roman times and witnessing some of the marvelous structures that have been unearthed there. It was a terrific weekend getaway!

Odd encounter at the deli

2009-09-09T01:27:00.000-07:00

Last week, I stopped quickly by Vero to pick up some groceries, like I do almost daily. This particular day there was no line for the deli counter, so I decided to pick up a few things. Usually, the section is crowded and with no number system, it can be very frustrating dealing with the rudeness of those who arrive after you, yet order before you...especially the macho men, who don't think it necessary to wait. With no risk of being aggravated, I asked the clerk for "plovna kilo of podravec" and was surprised by her reaction. I know my Macedonian is quite lacking, but I have never had trouble buying a half kilo of cheese before. She pointed at the cheese in the cooler and repeated Mlejko, Mlejko over and over again. I was confused. Of course the cheese is made with milk, aren't most of them? She seemed adamant that I be aware of this fact and seemed to not want to give me any! I asked in English if there was a problem with the cheese, had it spoiled? She said no and reluctantly sliced it for me. Given her odd reaction to the Podravec(Swiss-like cheese, great on Triscuits), I decided to forgo asking for the mozzarella! I left quite confused and wondering if maybe it had something to do with it being the month of Ramadan. Had she thought I was an Albanian Muslim? That didn't seem to make sense either since I don't remember Muslims avoiding dairy during Ramadan. A friend suggested maybe there is yet another Orthodox holiday fasting period going on, and that scenario is probably most likely. I recall Gordana discussing how she abstained from eggs, meat, and dairy prior to Easter and Christmas. Maybe there is another event/holiday on the horizon and she was trying to help me stay in the good graces! Religion is very important to the Macedonians and that was very evident at the deli that day.

Bidding

2009-09-09T00:04:00.000-07:00

In my last post I wrote about how the school year starting was a bold reminder of the friends who have moved on and of how different life is without them. In the last couple of weeks, we lost several more. All these farewell receptions/dinners at the Ambassador's residence have left me seriously aware of my lack of dressy clothes! As many of you know, life in the foreign service is full of transitions. This is our third two-year tour, which basically means that every year, we have to begin thinking about the bidding process and where we will end up next. It seems like we are always in transition mode, and I think that helps us keep things in perspective, but also prevents us from putting down stronger roots. Since it is summer, we are indeed bidding again. It is both an exciting and stressful time!

For those of you unfamiliar with the process, it basically works like this:
1. The department provides a list of positions available for each speciality/position at each grade(promotion)level. Chris is required to bid on at least 6 jobs, and they must be in at least 3 different geographical areas--i.e. Europe, Western Hemphisphere, East Asia, Middle East, etc. He may add as many additional jobs to the bid list as he likes, but those original 6 must be in his particular position and at his current rank. Because we are currently serving at a hardship post, he is permitted to bid up one rank as well, qualifying for a higher level post.
2. I get to do what I love...researching countries we are interested in. Looking at schools, crime levels, housing issues, shopping opportunities, etc. to determine whether or not the post is adequate for our family's needs can be extremely fun for me. I enjoy learning about new places and I think people are foolish if they don't properly explore the options thoroughly. I don't ever want to end up somewhere with bugs as big as my foot or where I will have to get 5 kids to choke down anti-malarials everyday! We talk about what I have discovered and balance the kid's needs with what will help further Chris' career most effectively and come up with a list of preferences.
3. Once he submits his list, it is up to him to actively pursue the positions he is most interested in. After all, all those posts available have someone leaving and those people are also interested in the same places we are...so basically he has to sell himself to potential posts. He does this by relaying his experience, his abilities, and by providing references from current and previous bosses and co-workers. It definitely helps to know people who know people!!
4. Then, we wait, and this is the stressful part. A post will select Chris and the regional bureau of that post will give it's approval of their decision and assign him accordingly. Hopefully, Chris will be offered a handshake deal on a post sometime in October and we will have some idea where we will end up next year. Techically, handshakes cannot be issued prior to October, but we have noticed some on the bid reporting sheet already, probably officers coming out of Iraq who get special compensation by receiving early notification. We are just praying that the place we want most will still be available when the jobs get panneled!

This particular bidding cycle has been challenging for us, as we have a lot more details to consider this time. We have been focusing on language designated posts, meaning that Chris would have to learn another new language prior to starting his overseas assignment. That would allow us a year in the US to complete Collier's surgery and post-op follow ups and would be the ideal situation. However, that would mean Christopher would end up attending 4 high schools in 4 years, which is dreadful, though he swears he doesn't mind. Can you believe he will be off to college during our next posting???? That is dreadful!!!!! Plus, all of the other little things like should we pursue another hardship, and enjoy the extra money, or take a "dream" post, which will definitely strain the bank account instead of filling it? Ultimately, we are hoping for Budapest, which takes care of the language detail, is a step up in responsibility for my husband, has a FANTASTIC school, and is generally a beautiful place to live. We are certainly interested in many others, including nearby Belgrade, cold but cozy Vilnius, as well as neighboring Tallinn and Riga, and exotic Tunisia. In fact, this is probably the best bid list we've ever had with great options like Ljubljana, Baku, and Munich too. I am sure we will be happy wherever we get placed! I just hate waiting to find out!!

First Day of School!

2009-08-27T03:27:00.000-07:00

I know that I say this every year, but it's so true....I love the fall. Now I know it's not exactly fall yet, but it's approaching! Although the air is still heavy with heat and the leaves won't change color for a while, the NFL preseason has begun, and the kids have returned to school!

This year all 4 kids will attend the same school and it is a big change for the older two. Chris was hesitant to switch schools, but I think he will prosper and feel much more comfortable at his new school, even with his "uncool" little sisters hanging around. Arianna was a bit disappointed to find out that she will have different teachers this year (as of last week, she was supposed to have the same ones as last year), but she is highly adaptable so it will be fine. Alina is excited to be in the same classroom with the same teacher again, though she wishes there were new girls in her class, as she is now the only one. Anastasia is back amongst her friends and making new ones fast and she seemed thrilled to be back.

I dropped them off this morning and I have to say it was quite bittersweet and a bit sad. Last year, the school was teeming with other Moms introducing themselves, reconnecting after the holidays, and chatting, but this year is was significantly quieter. Last year a large group of us meandered to the tennis club next door for coffee and conversation, this year no one did, though I did have the chance to catch up with a couple of friends in the playground and parking areas. It was a stark reminder that a large turnover has occurred. This summer, we lost some very dear people in our little school community, a rather huge chunk of PTO volunteers, who lunched together regularly and enjoyed each other's company.

I was so busy with work and traveling this summer that it didn't really sink in until this morning how different life would be without them! Of course there will be new parents to connect with and life will go on, but these ladies were special and they are already sorely missed. So, if you are reading this, and you all know who you are....please know that you are in our hearts, thoughts, and prayers and that we miss you! Now is the time to heed the advice I give the kids so frequently, yes, it's sad when a friend leaves us, but we can always keep in touch and making new friends can be very exciting, so chin up, be strong, and hang in there! Fall is the season of change, and I guess now is the time to embrace right? Cheers.

Glad to be back

2009-08-12T02:57:00.000-07:00

Well, after two months of craziness, I'm back!! It has been a very interesting couple of months. May was disastrous....computers crashing, husband out of town, multiple cases of strep throat, pancake breakfast planning, ear infections...shall I continue??? Those of you who know me well, know what I am referring to and I thank you all for keeping me sane during that difficult time...lol.
June was somewhat better, just monumentally busy with the end of the school year, assuming the role of IWA Co-Chair, newsletter deadlines, working temporarily at the CLO office, etc. It was a whirlwind of a month and I am so glad it is over! It reminded me how much I love the CLO position, but also of how much I really don't need to work right now. I do enjoy being home with the kids and doing both is extremely challenging.
July started out hectic with the awesome responsibility of pulling off our annual Independence Day Picnic in cooperation with the American Chamber of Commerce. It was a ton of exhausting work, but by all accounts, everyone thoroughly enjoyed the day! I am quite proud of our event and want to thank everyone who contributed to the spectacular success! A little over 24 hours later, (at 3am..ugh..)we were on our way for some much needed R&R in the States. We had a very relaxing and enjoyable month full of family and friends, zoo visits(photo above is from the Pittsburgh Zoo), amusement parks, and outrageous amounts of shopping. It was just what the doctor ordered. Now, if only we could figure out how to teleport ourselves back and forth and avoid the nearly 24 hour trip, it would have been perfect. Have I mentioned lately how much I DETEST airlines and their so called "customer service agents"??? I will spare you the details now, as I am trying to get past that unpleasantness and move on to happier thoughts!

I am hoping to be much more active on this blog in the coming weeks, as the kids are heading back to school soon (doing goofy dance now, thank goodness you can't see...lol) and life will return to normal. So...check back soon! Cheers!

Collier's 2nd Birthday!

2009-05-19T05:49:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, May 16th, we celebrated Collier's birthday with several of our close friends and even some brand new ones. It was a lovely afternoon and he had a fantastic time. He was so excited to have such a big crowd croon the Birthday song to him! He is thoroughly enjoying his gifts and would like to thank everyone who made his day so special!

Skopje Top Ten List

2009-05-18T22:47:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we had a meeting of the IWA Newsletter Committee to prepare for the September issue. As one of the new Co-Chairs, I thought it important to attend and see if I could assist in any way. There was a lively group a women full of fantastic ideas that fit with the "newcomers" theme for the issue. One idea in particular has inspired me to post my thoughts to this blog....our top ten favorite things about Skopje. In our discussion, we noticed how everyone is quick to discuss the negative things about life here i.e. the crazy drivers, the litter, the stray animals, the beggars, etc., but rarely do people talk about the things that make Skopje so wonderful. So, here it goes, my favorite things about Skopje.

1. (and my contribution to the group 10) The astounding mountain views that surround the city. I am amazed that after nearly a year here the mountains still captivate me with their texture, color, and absolute beauty. I am able to look past the overflowing dumpsters teeming with hungry cats and the boring Soviet Era architecture and be blown away by the majestic peaks. I love this most about Skopje.
2. I love watching children walking to and from school with their grandparents. When I was young, my grandmother lived 25 miles away and we saw her on occasional weekends. I love to see how family-based the society is, it warms my heart and I hope these children know how fortunate they are to have such close relationships with their extended family.
3. The amazing fresh vegetables and fruits, and I mean fresh. Many are locally grown, and when they are in season, the prices are rock-bottom. I bought gorgeous strawberries last week for less than a dollar a kilo (2.2 pounds). Cucumbers for 60 cents a kilo! You could never find prices like that in the US. Delicious tomatoes, fragrant herbs, and the list goes on...a veggie paradise.
4. Street vendors who sell the produce on corners. I remember last August when the watermelons were in season and there were carts full of them on the street corners. Deeply tanned men and women would attach their scales to the trees and weigh them for you on the spot. How charming is that?
5. Unlike most of my friends, I like that I have to buy a new loaf of bread every day or two. I love that they do not use preservatives and the bread is more natural. I love the many varieties of bread available. I love that there are at least 5 shops in walking distance of my home that sell fresh bread. And, I love watching people walking past my house carrying their purchases. I think it is a great reason to get out, chat with your neighbors, and get moving!
6. The smell of roasting peppers in the fall during ajvar preparation. Once the peppers are harvested and prepared for roasting, the air is perfumed with the most wonderful aromas. I am getting hungry just thinking of it!
7. The fact that I have seen very few insects inside our home. A couple of reasonable sized spiders show up every once in a while, and the occasional bee, but overall this has been the best place we have lived in terms of insect control. No monster sized spiders like in Lux, and no cockroaches like in Doha!
8. The IWA (International Women's Association) has been a terrific source of information and friendship for me. I feel like the transition to life here was simplified by my involvement with this great group of ladies, so I am happy to be a contributing member of the organization.
9. The relative safeness of life in this city. Yes, you do have to take precautions and be smart, but overall, things are pretty safe. Special care must be used in particular areas, but our neighborhood is not one of them. Kids can play unattended and freely, neighbors look out for one another, and everyone is out enjoying the weather. Of course, we still lock our doors and such, but when my husband is away, I still feel very safe alone in our home. That is priceless.
10. The fact that everything is so close. Skopje is a small city and very accessible. I can get wherever I need to go rather quickly and easily. Traffic is no where near as bad as in the US and that is quite refreshing. Heck, most of the things I need I can walk for anyway!

So, there you have it, a few of the things that have helped me enjoy our time here a bit more. Maybe you should come visit us and find some for yourself!

Our newest addition

2009-05-08T06:50:00.000-07:00

Surprise...a new pet in the family! Yesterday as I was reluctantly, yet hurriedly, trying to get the dinner dishes done before Judge Judy and American Idol started, I noticed Yotee was gnawing on something odd outside the kitchen window. I scolded her and did a doubletake...could that really be what I thought it was? I rushed outside to check and sure enough it was...a turtle, a very terrified turtle. A rather large terrified turtle. How did he get into our securely fenced yard. He was definitely too wide to squeeze through the fence. Maybe someone dumped him in thinking we'd be good caretakers. I'm told that some people have found them randomly in their yards, so I guess maybe we are just lucky. Who knows, anyway, he is here.

I brought him inside to check him out and do a bit of research, gotta love the internet. After learning a bit about what he might like to eat, I coaxed him out of his shell with some cucumber and tomato. He seemed fine. Although traumatized, he did not appear to be injured and quickly began to explore the garden. Collier was fascinated with the new "doggie" and eagerly tried to give him the remaining tomato slices. After trailing him around for a while, we decided to give him some space and went indoors. Later in the evening, I couldn't find him, and assumed he must have gone off to hide. Fortunately, I did snap a couple photos earlier!

This afternoon, he showed up again, walking right past Yotee, who was locked up in the pen out in the garden (the pest control guy had just sprayed, so I couldn't give her free run of the yard.)almost teasingly. I think he'll be a great addition to our home, as long as we can teach him and Yotee to get along! So the Volciaks now have a Jel-ka, as they call it in Macedonia.

Haircuts

2009-05-05T04:38:00.000-07:00

Why is it so difficult for me to get the kids' haircut? It is not a lack of opportunity....there are salons dotting our neighborhood, tons of them, and a new specialty kid's salon opened just steps from my son's school recently, complete with car-shaped seats and video screens to occupy the little ones during the snip-snip. I guess I am the problem!

Last week, I finally broke down and dragged Arianna to the salon for a cut. She had such spectacular hair, almost down to her waist and it was gorgeous when properly groomed. Unfortunately, it was a bit too difficult for her to manage, and so she often just put it in a ponytail. I would have to fight through the tangles and knots, which was not pleasant for either of us! Given her defiant, independent nature, she never wanted me to interfere, so last week the hair got seriously out of control and I insisted on the cut. She reluctantly agreed, and I was able to convince her to shed a few inches. When the stylist made the first cut and the six or so inches of hair fell to the floor, I almost wept. What had I done???? I felt nauseous and dizzy and filled with regret. In the end, she looked gorgeous and she was beaming proudly at her new look. Her hair looks so healthy and neat now. I was so proud of her, but I still feel guilty!

Collier's hair has been in his eyes for weeks. He is always pushing it out of his face, but I couldn't even begin to imagine him sitting nicely for a stylist--car-shaped chair or not. My friend kept encouraging me to do it myself. Just put on a movie or favorite TV show and just do it. I couldn't bear the thought. What if I messed it up? What if he moved and I cut him? I know he needed it, but I just couldn't do it. Yesterday, I finally gave in, knowing I would see my friend and she would be sure to bring up the topic again. I sat him on the kitchen counter, pulled out the scissors, brushed his hair forward and cut it! He resisted ... a lot. It was probably the longest 30 seconds of my life, but he looks absolutely adorable and you can once again see his gorgeous brown eyes. When we saw my friend a short while later, she commented on how cute he looked and he exclaimed "Yes!" proudly.

What is this strange psychological attachment to my kid's hair??? I guess it is resistance to change and not wanting to see them grow up, but I can't seem to let go. I kept Collier's little locks in a Ziploc baggie, and I wish I had thought to grab at least one strand of Arianna's! I guess I'll have to just be impulsive to get these haircuts done and not put much thought into it. Up next, Anastasia and Alina.....

Sorry it's been so long.....

2009-05-05T04:04:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a while since I had the opportunity to sit here and type! April was a whirlwind of activities and holidays and it seemed to fly right by. We enjoyed celebrating two Easters-the traditional Christian one at home with our family, and the Orthodox one a week later with our friends for breakfast, and with Mladen and Gordana at their apartment for dinner. Breakfast was at the home of an American friend and his Macedonian wife, who we really like a lot. It was a terrific start to the day and the kids had a great time together. Their neighbor even let us visit his baby chicks, hatched the day before. They were adorable! Dinner with our landlords was equally fun. It was a lovely evening with delicious food--salads, special cheese from Prilep, baby goat meat (which is traditional and the girls absolutely loved), and yummy roasted potatoes. Of course, a little pivo (beer) and rakia (plum brandy) was available too...lol. Gordana prepared a cute little basket of decorated eggs for the girls to share and they really enjoyed cracking the eggs. We always enjoy our visits with them and are happy to be included. Soon they will travel to the US to celebrate the graduation of their children from Virginia Tech. We are so happy for them and wish them the best!

Easter traditions are very interesting here. They dye eggs as we do, but for a very different reason. The egg represents life and it is dyed red, which if I understand correctly, symbolizes the blood of Christ which was shed to absolve our sins. The mother dyes the eggs on Thursday before Easter and on Sunday, she awakens her children by rubbing the dyed eggs all over them to release their sins. One of Chris's coworkers jokes about how awkward it is to still have his mother do this to him as a grown man, but he appreciates the tradition. Gordana decorated her eggs in a really neat way, she placed the eggs in a nylon along with some leaves before dying them, which created a beautiful motif of the leaf on the egg. It was very clever and quite beautiful. At the Easter dinner, the family takes turns tapping their eggs together to see whose cracks first. The person whose egg does not crack is said to have good luck in the coming year. Fasting is strictly observed, especially on Good Friday and no work is done. Most preparations for the feast are completed on Thursday or Saturday. Most people serve lamb or goat, Mladen and a friend chose to share a goat and had it freshly slaughtered just prior to the holiday.

Aside from Easter, April was also a busy month at the Embassy. The new compound was finally made available for moving into and the weekend after the Orthodox Easter, the move was initiated. It was quite a project to coordinate the transfer of property, paperwork and electronics to the other side of town, but it went off successfully with few complications thanks to a dedicated team of personnel. While the staff toiled all weekend long, we "move widows" got together with the kids for some fun and picnicking. After many long nights and even longer days, the move was completed and things are starting to get back to normal, aside from all the unpacking yet to do! The CLO held a contest to see who could guess the closest number to the amount of boxes transferred to the new compound, and I can't wait to see what the final count was! The new Embassy is very nice, a bit sterile now, but it will be quite nice once everything is unpacked and everyone is settled in.

Well, thank goodness that busy month is over, although May is shaping up to be even busier!

Easter Events/Photos

2009-04-12T02:37:00.000-07:00

Collier found a few eggs!

Anastasia with her treats.

Fun with friends at the Easter Egg Hunt!

Collier wasn't too sure about the bunny.

The kids enjoyed dying Easter eggs on the patio last night!

The build up to the Easter holiday has been full of fun activities including an Egg Hunt at our house for IWA members, an Egg Hunt at the Ambassador's house sponsored by the CLO office, and the dyeing of Easter eggs. The kids always enjoyed these kind of activities and I am happy that we are able to keep such traditions alive here in Macedonia! Happy Easter everyone!

Kokino/Valley of the Stone Dolls

2009-04-11T05:50:00.001-07:00

The kids at Valley of the Stone Dolls

The "Dragon Lady" rock

A photo of the mountaintop at Kokino

The rocks had such interesting texture and color.

Arianna at Kokino
Here are some awesome photos from our recent trip to the Kokino Observatory, an ancient observatory located in the Northern part of Macedonia, and also from the Valley of Stone Dolls, an interesting group of rock formations. We travelled to these sites as part of a tour group arranged by the CLO through GO Macedonia! It was a lovely day to be outdoors and we enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine. Although it felt like we spent most of the day on the bus, it was still a very worthwhile trip and the historic sites we visited were stunning.

First, we stopped very briefly at Kumanovo and learned a bit about the observatory there, then proceded on to Kokino. It was a bit of a tough hike up the mountain due to the odd snowstorm the week before. The slippery conditions were quite challenging on the steep climb. Christopher made it all the way to the top, but Arianna's asthma started acting up, so she and I didn't quite get there. We did go to the base of the rock formation, and the views were breathtaking! While the others were exploring and learning more about the ancient rituals that took place atop the mountain, we kept busy photographing the herd of cattle that was wandering around at the base.

Next, we stopped at gas station to use the wretchedly disgusting bathrooms before heading on to the Valley of the Stone Dolls. We traveled through tiny, winding country lanes to reach the site, frequented by local picnickers, but rarely visited by other Macedonians. It is a neat place with a fascinating history. The rock formations are centuries old, and have the oddest shapes. There is even evidence of new formation being created. The locals believe that the stones resemble a wedding party and the legend has it that the formations are actually the bridal party, guests, and a scorned lover of the newly married husband. The story says that the man had two loves and chose one for his bride. The other lover was so angry she prayed that at his wedding, all would turn to stone. If you look at the formations closely, some actually take on human form. It was fun to compare my perspective with that of the others and try to label the various shapes. What a cool place!

More info about the trip in my next posting.......

Fickle Mother Nature

2009-03-20T06:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday as I was driving out to Bardovci to pick up a friend, I was lamenting about how I never had the opportunity to capture an image of the fantastic snow-capped mountains. En route to Bardovci, the views of the peaks are unobstucted and absolutely breathtaking. I vividly remember the first time I noticed the snowy peaks and how beautiful they were. I was leaving a playdate with a friend who had spent the last several tours in the Middle East, where the sand dunes are unique and cool, but not quite as stunning. We walked out the front door of our friend's house, and the mountains just grabbed us. We paused for a few minutes to absorb the image. Of course, being from Pennsylvania, I've seen mountains before, but none like these. I think the spectacular views of these mountains might be the saving grace of life in Bardovci. All the electrical, plumbing,and infrastructure issues and stress associated with them must simply melt away with those vistas.

I have always wanted to get a great photo of the mountains blanketed with soft, clean snow, but I never seem to have my camera on sunny days, and it seemed to me that with the impending change of the season that it might not happen this year. Fortunately for me, Mother Nature has decided to give me another opportunity! It is now snowing like crazy here! Hopefully this weekend the sun will come out and allow a chance to capture a terrific photo....stay posted!

Today's odd weather reminded me of a really cute remark by our babysitter earlier this month. She noted that March is the month of the woman, with March 8th being International Woman's Day. Hani said that the weather is like a woman, prone to frequently changing her mind. Mother Nature might feel like wearing her mini-skirt and short sleeves one day, but decide to put on her new leather jacket and boots the next. Thus, the weather changes to suit her mood! I thought that was really funny and makes so much sense. Apparently, today her boots are on and her stylish new umbrella is open!

Kale Fortress

2009-03-16T03:40:00.000-07:00

The entrance to the fortress.

A view of a nearby Mosque through a "keyhole" in the stone wall.

Well, after nearly a year of living in Skopje, I finally paid a visit to one of the most "touristy" sites in town...Kale Fortress, known to locals as simply Kale (pronounced Kah-lay). I can't believe it took us so long to go there, and I am glad we finally did. It offers fantastic views of Skopje as well as some insight into the historical aspects of the structure. You can learn more about the history of the "castle" by searching wikipedia or your favorite search engine.

Kale seems to be very popular with not only tourists, but also with the many local families who were picnicking in the grassy areas surrounding the castle remains. Hani told me today she actually celebrated her wedding there many years ago. Inside the walls, there was a dog show going on and we were pleased to see so many adorable dogs happily enjoying the sunshine. The dogs were Sharplanina(Sharplaninec) breed and they were so sweet. Sharplaninas are indigenous to the Balkans, specifically the Macedonian mountain ranges, though it is thought they may have originally hailed from Asia. They are a hardy breed, very large and very loyal to their owners, and rumored to be fantastic with children. It was the first time I actually saw one, and now I want one! Owners proudly escorted their dogs around the Kale grounds, carrying the trophies they've earned. They were everywhere and surprisingly they all got along fabulously!

We wandered around the grounds for a while admiring the exquisite stone work and the amazing condition of the ancient structures. It was a lovely sunny afternoon, so the view was clear and gorgeous. We took lots of photos and I hope you enjoy them! I wish I had taken some photos of the dogs, but alas I didn't so here is a link to a site featuring Sharplaninas...http://www.unet.com.mk/sharplaninec/features.htm or google sharplaninec for tons of great images.

Saturday stroll in the Center

2009-03-09T08:01:00.000-07:00

A side view of the new monument.

Arianna with "The Golden Cat"

"The Glitzy Girl"

The new Mother Teresa Monument

Saturday we decided to head into the center to purchase new shoes for Arianna. Amazingly, her feet have grown so fast that she is now wearing the same size as me and therefore has laid claim to my favorite sneakers. To reclaim my shoes, I had to find new ones for her, and since it was such a lovely day, we went shopping. We actually found a decent pair rather quickly, thank goodness. Several months ago when searching for dress shoes for Alina, we were forced to pay the equivalent of $20 for some hideous black sparkly flats that I absolutely hate!!! Arianna lucked out and found some cool shoes for a good price.

On the way back to the parking lot at Ramstor, I snapped of few photos of things that I find interesting. A while back, I posted a photo of the Mother Teresa statue and I mentioned that they were constructing a monument in her honor. Well, it is complete and it is a very interesting architectural structure. I especially like the images of the doves on the front of the building and the beautiful wooden door at the gate. Another newer statue of Mother Teresa is placed on the side of the building, though the original remains too. Unfortunately, the descriptive plaque has already been "tagged" by grafitti artists in true Macedonian style. It is a neat place and someday we will venture up to the top balcony and maybe inside...difficult with a stroller unfortunately.

The other photos are of a couple of sculptures that have recently appeared in the city center. A while back, (uh-oh sounding repetitive) the Ministry of Culture announced the commissioning of a number of sculptures to be placed throughout the center. This move really annoyed many people who thought that public funds should be spent on more important needs, and frankly I agree. It is silly to waste money on art when people are starving and begging on the streets, but I do understand the motives in some small way. The pieces actually do attract a lot of attention and I always see tourists and Macedonians alike posing for photos next to them. I have included photos of two of the sculptures that I pass regularly.

Another interesting observation from our stroll: the upcoming election is gaining momentum and candidates have set up a number of campaign offices in the center. They are brightly decorated and attract attention with loud music and video. I was going to snap some photos but wasn't sure how well that would be received!

Just a typical day out in Skopje!

A picture of my boys!

2009-03-09T07:55:00.000-07:00

As promised to Grandma, here is a photo of the boys taken on Daddy's birthday. Unfortunately, the typical teenager never wants to accompany us on most of our adventures, so photos of him are lacking on this blog.

Strolling Along the Vardar

2009-03-09T07:17:00.000-07:00

This morning, as usual, I was having trouble getting motivated. I did dust, clean the mirrors on our shoe closets (I absolutely adore these, but they are always smudged), clean one bathroom, start a load of laundry, and empty the dishwasher. Vacuuming and mopping got put on hold as the lure of the computer was too great. I sat down to read my email and received a phone call from a friend inviting me to join her for a stroll along the Vardar. The two of us recently lamented that we need to get out an exercise more often, so she thought of me to accompany her on a long walk with her beagle.

Before coming to Skopje, one thing that I found really appealing on the www.realpostreports.com description of the city was the existence of a well developed walking/biking path along the Vardar. I actually had imagined what it would look like and envisioned myself wasting hours exploring the riverside. I love to walk, so this was perfect. Actually, you can access part of the path just a couple blocks from our home, so it is inconceivable that I haven't taken advantage of the opportunity yet. I guess I have just been afraid to do it alone. The thought of being harassed by Roma children following me and begging didn't seem relaxing at all. Not to mention the fact that they have become seriously aggressive in recent weeks. A number of people I know have been accosted lately, and it has been reported that some have even been robbed. Safety first is my motto and I have avoided walking along the river up to this point.

Today, however, I nervously accepted the invite and ventured out with my friend and had a lovely time. The weather was gorgeous, just chilly enough to keep you comfy, and the sun was shining warmly in the sky. We decided to start out near the school and surprisingly, the route was very well-kept and much nicer than I had expected. Numerous people were out and about rollerblading, biking, collecting plastic bottles, and strolling with their kids. It felt very safe due to the company of all the other sun-seekers and we were able to get lost in conversation instead of worrying about who might be approaching us. We strolled for about an hour and the steady movement sent Collier right to sleep. It was a really nice way to start the day and it certainly motivated me to get up and get busy....unfortunately not to vacuum..lol.

Treska Recreation Center

2009-03-03T02:04:00.000-08:00

The girls with the beautiful view behind them.

One of the many rundown restaurant/snack areas.

Arianna in front of the dilapidated pools.

After our walk near Matka, we stopped at the Treska Recreation Center before returning home. It is a large man-made lake that was created by a company in New Jersey many years ago to provide a resort like refuge for families. There is a huge lake with cement beach areas, pebble beach areas, several restaurants, camping areas, basketball courts, soccer pitches, and childrens' pools. There are fountains dotting the path surrounding the lake and several trees lining the route. Caravans and cabins parked at the opposite end of the lake suggest that people still use the facility.

Unfortunately, it has not been maintained and is in a terrible state, which is truly a shame. Signs warn visitors not to swim. The pools are crumbling and littered with trash. The basketball hoops are rusted and broken. The windows on most of the snack bars and changing rooms are shattered. Dozens of posts stick out of the ground, probably remnants of a large deck or stage long destroyed. I have heard wonderful stories of how beautiful the place used to be and was so disappointed to see that it has fallen into such disrepair. Our neighbor told us of how they celebrated her wedding there and how lovely it was. Now it is just a sad reminder of what seems to be the Macedonian way....tremendous potential for beauty, but no one interested in promoting or maintaining it. Apparently, the filters that keep the lake clean were no longer available or too costly, so they just let it go and the rest of the facilities have followed suit. I read in the Bradt guide that the center was a haven for Albanian families and I have to wonder if that is one reason why little effort was made to maintain it. I am sure in it's heyday the center was breathtaking and a real gem for families seeking fun in the sun. It broke my heart to see such a great place in ruins and such an opportunity wasted. Hopefully, someday a wise European investor will once again see the potential and restore the site to it's previous glory.

We still enjoyed walking the length of the lake and admiring the breathtaking views of the mountains surrounding the valley. It was amazing how small Mt. Vodno looked compared to the peaks around the Treska River/Matka area. The Millenium cross sat so much lower than those peaks and it really put some perspective on the size of the mountains for us. I wish I had my better camera so I could show you....maybe if there's a next time, although I doubt it...too depressing.

Matka

2009-03-03T01:49:00.000-08:00

Layers of rock on the side of the mountain at Matka.

A view along side the river.

Yesterday we decided to take advantage of the lovely weather once again and ventured out to try and find Lake Matka. Lake Matka is a man-made lake that was created to aid in the production of electric power and is located about 17km from Skopje. Supposedly, the lake has stunning views and is surrounded by a number of old churches and monasteries that are worth visiting. We probably should have asked someone how to find them before going, because we never made it any further than the HydroElectric Plant at the dam. Apparently, the lake is beyond there, but we weren't sure how to access it.

We did enjoy a lovely walk along the path to the dam, accompanied by some sweet little dogs who walked along side us. The mountains were beautiful and it was interesting to see all the layers of rock comprising the vertical formations. On the side on the mountain, we noticed a Macedonian woman walking with a herd of goats, presumably to the green pastures on the other side of the river. It was a really touching scene and she traversed the steep path as if she had done it thousands of times before. It was a nice stroll next to the babbling river and the air was fresh and clean!

Later in the evening I did some research on the area and found some specific directions to the lake and the churches, so we'll try again on another sunny day!

Visit to the Zoo and Museum of Natural History

2009-03-01T10:34:00.001-08:00

Today was such a lovely day that we decided to get outdoors for a little while. Though we find the zoo a bit depressing, the kids really enjoy it, so we went for a visit. It was quite crowded with local families taking advantage of the nice weather. We saw bears today that we somehow missed on our previous visit, and we enjoyed watching zookeepers feed the hippos. The hippos just sat there with their mouths wide open waiting for the fruit to land inside...it was pretty funny. Arianna took lots of photos, some of which you can see above.

Today we also checked out the Museum of Natural History, which was very nice and had plenty of interesting exhibits. It was very cold inside though! The temperature outdoors was in the low 50's, and I think it was probably half that in the museum! I'm sure that in the summer it is the complete opposite though. Aside from two other families, we had the whole place to ourselves and Collier really enjoyed running from display to display. The girls especially liked all the animal exhibits and found it very informative. I am sure we will visit again soon.

Photos from Villa Marija Winery

2009-02-24T03:50:00.001-08:00

Though the Villa has fallen into a state of disrepair, there is hope for restoring it on the horizon, as UNESCO has expressed interest in assisting the effort.

These huge barrels came from the royal vineyards in Serbia and were made in the early 1930s. Each can hold up to 7000 liters of wine!

There were also plenty of smaller barrels and the aroma of the wine and the oak was strong.

Photos of Stobi

2009-02-24T03:45:00.001-08:00

Wine and Love

2009-02-24T02:57:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day recently passed and here in Macedonia it has double importance, as it is also the celebration of St. Tripun, the patron saint of winemakers. Chris and I decided to take advantage of a tour being offered through the CLO in cooperation with GO Macedonia! It was titled the Wine and Love Tour. A description of the tour is available at the link below. Our bus left around 8am on Saturday morning and returned us to Skopje around 7pm. It was a very enjoyable trip full of you guessed it....Love and Wine.

As we coasted along on our comfy tour bus, we enjoyed fun conversation and listened to our tour guides historical information regarding the holiday. He explained that Feb. 14 was the day honoring St. Tripun, as well as St. Valentine, and how fitting it is that love and wine be celebrated together.

Our first stop was at Stobi, site of an ancient Roman city which has been amazingly preserved. Our bus was greeted by a sweet little street dog, who was very excited to see us and our sack lunches arrive. After a brief coffee stop and visit to the souvenir shop, we toured the site with the assistance of Stefanic, an enthusiastic and incredibly knowledgeable guide, who has worked at the site for 30 years. He insists that in a previous life he actually lived in Stobi, and that is why he knows such details about the daily lives of its inhabitants. He even serenaded us a bit as we sat in the remnants of the Theater. The site was absolutely breathtaking and I can't wait to take Christopher to see it. It is amazing that these structures from 2ND. century B.C. have survived all the seismic activity and harsh conditions in such good shape. Incredible mosaics lie covered with sand to protect them from the snow and cold. Intricate carvings decorate the massive stone columns and Rosetta stones. It is a wonderful window into the past. Sadly, most Macedonians don't seem to visit this place and the annual festivals held there are attended mostly by school children on field trips. We are looking forward to a return trip in the spring. The kids will love it.

Next, we headed South a bit to Negotino for the festival of Tripun. In the charming town square, numerous wineries had set up tasting tables where we sampled several different varieties. Some were good, some not so much, and some had really cute guys working them (according to a couple of our co-travelers). While we sampled the vino, we listened to traditional music and watched as young men and women donning traditional costume performed dances reflecting the pruning/picking of the grapevines. Artists proudly displayed their creations, and one actually had a painting of a dog like Yotee. We briefly considered buying it but decided there was not ample space on the bus to accommodate it's size. The atmosphere in the square was lovely, though it seemed to be full of mostly older gentlemen and I felt a bit out of place.

Our next stop was the Villa Marija Winery. We were told the story of how the King purchased the Villa and the winery for his wife Queen Marija upon the advice of many French experts who thought the location was perfect for producing wines. What a romantic gift! We then joined our guide for a tour of the cellars and a delicious lunch, with plenty of appropriate wines accompanying each course. It was a fun afternoon full of terrific conversation, lovely food, and tasty wine! The Villa Marija Chardonnay was my favorite, with the Cuvee coming in a close second. I highly recommend picking some up if you have the chance. It was very informative and fun and we each received a complimentary bottle of Vranec, made from a local grape variety, to take home with us.

After 4 hours at Villa Marija, we popped into another winery just up the hill, Popova Kula for a quick tasting and the chance to experience the incredible view from their tasting room. It was truly a lovely building with amazing vistas of the surrounding valley, but I was getting a bit sleepy from all that wine! The ride home was interesting, as many of our friends continued drinking wine and started to show signs of "tipsiness"..lol. I, unfortunately, had to drive home since our taxi never showed up in the morning and we were forced to drive to the bus rendez-vous point, so I abstained. It was a really enjoyable day and we had a great time. It was nice to do something special without the kids, and I have high hopes we can do this again!

Hometown Pride....Go Steelers!

2009-02-03T02:52:00.000-08:00

As a "global nomad", I am not exactly sure where home is anymore, so I adhere to the "home is wherever my family is" policy. I was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and lived there until I transferred to the main campus of Penn State, so I guess I consider myself a Pittsburgh girl. I haven't spent much time there since my mother passed away in 2001, only visiting twice for family reunions, but it still holds a special place in my heart. As a Pittsburgh girl, I am an avid, scratch that, fanatical Steelers fan!!! I carry my Terrible Towel from post to post and wave it proudly. I love the NFL. I follow it closely and each year I create my own fantasy leagues. It is my raison d'etre from August to February. The kids know that Sundays are for football and they leave me alone to watch. Heaven forbid we should ever find ourselves at a post that doesn't have AFN or a good satellite network that shows the NFL games! I'd go crazy.

As you know, the Superbowl was Feb. 1st and I am thrilled and honored to say that the Steelers are the world champion winners! The first NFL team to win 6 Superbowls...truly an historic feat! Although the vibe is certainly different, the ritual of watching the "big game" is necessary. Even though the game kicks off at 12:30a.m., you have to have party food and beer....at least a little, if only to help keep you awake. In previous years, we have spent Superbowl Sunday at the Marine house and everyone brought tons of food that no one ate. Who wants to eat nachos, wings, burgers, and potato skins in the middle of the night? When watching at home, I keep it simple. Three years ago, when the Steelers won the Superbowl, Chris was at a training conference in Warsaw. I kept Christopher up all night watching the game with me...you can't watch alone. We were so excited to be able to watch together this year, even though we had hoped for a Philly/Pittsburgh match up, the chance to share the experience was great! I was absolutely exhausted on Monday and Chris had to work, but it was worth it. If we were in Pittsburgh, it would have been quite a party and the kids would have had a 2 hour delay on Monday. Chris would have called off work. You make sacrifices being overseas, but fortunately missing the Superbowl doesn't have to be one of them...yet. I'll miss the homecoming parade and all the festivities, but at least I got to experience the victory. Call me one seriously proud Pittsburgh girl!!! Party on Pittsburgh!!!

A New Look for Anastasia

2009-01-31T01:29:00.000-08:00

Earlier in the school year, Miss Virginia expressed concerns about Anastasia's vision, but we dismissed her unwillingness to answer questions from the chalkboard due to her shyness. This semester, however, the issue returned as she seemed to have difficulty distinguishing coins during their money lessons. We decided it was time to visit a professional and get a check-up. First we tried to have her read the eye chart at the Embassy nurse's office, and she didn't do so well. Instead of trying to figure out if this was once again shyness or true inability to see the chart, we went ahead and scheduled a visit with the local "professor" of optometry. I highly recommend her to anyone. She was very patient and caring and tried hard to ease Anastasia's nerves.

The whole exam was painfully difficult for her, due to her extreme shyness and fear of the procedure. While we waited for our appointment to begin, we tried to get her excited by trying on several types of frames, but she was not thrilled about that. Her nervousness grew as the evening progressed. She was intimidated by all the equipment, by the doctor, and had no desire to participate in the tests. The doctor was very patient, but suggested that perhaps we should consider rescheduling for when she was more comfortable. I knew that would be never, so I encouraged her to continue and we were able to get Ana to open up a bit. In the end, she did very well and was able to participate in most of the diagnostics, but a second visit was necessary to pinpoint her exact prescription. It was determined that she definitely has an astigmatism, just like her daddy!

We practiced how to read and report the shapes on the eye chart over the weekend to increase her confidence and comfort level for the second visit, and she did fantastic. It helped that before our visit, we ran into the doctor in the restroom and she remembered Anastasia's name and greeted her. That really made Ana feel like the doctor cared about her. We determined her prescription and she tried on several frames. I dreaded this part. The selection left much to be desired...lots of loud, colorful choices...nothing simple and tasteful. She seemed unhappy with most of them, but finally smiled at one pair and we knew we had a winner! The RayBan frames are plastic with rose colored arms and clear around the lenses. Two days and $200 later, she had her first little pair of specs and she looks adorable in them. She wore them home and seemed fascinated by how they affected her vision. She described how they made things look bigger and she read lots of numbers and letters of shop signs and off of buses on the way home. She wears them proudly and takes very good care of them. I am very proud of how well she has handled this huge adjustment.

I myself am having some difficulty accepting her new look! It is so foreign to me and I have to get used it. A man from the Embassy, who has kids of his own, once described Ana as a "stunning" beauty. He said she has such a unique look (with her copper colored hair and soft brown eyes)and that she was simply beautiful. Now her unique look has certainly changed, and though it is different, she is still gorgeous! I had feared that Anastasia might be teased by her schoolmates, because as we all know kids can be cruel. Keeping her confidence up is very important to me and we have tried to make her feel special. One of her friends made a rude comment, but Miss Virginia corrected the situation and Anastasia took it well. I am so happy that her teacher was so attentive and caught this problem early so that we can help Anastasia see better, and I know that she will help her through this transition.

Truly a "Hardship"?

2009-01-20T03:29:00.000-08:00

Prior to bidding on this post, I researched Macedonia extensively. As a "hardship" post, I wanted to be aware of the difficulties associated with life here in Skopje. I read about the problems with inadequate medical facilities, the occasional power outages, the unavailability of certain goods and services. I felt as though we could manage this unpleasantness and survive a tour here.

After arriving in Skopje, I started to wonder why this is even considered a "hardship" post. Life here up to this point has been very comfortable for our family, but in the last few weeks, things got a bit challenging.

A tour of the local children's' respiratory hospital a couple months ago was quite scary, and I pray daily that we will never find ourselves needing serious medical attention. Though the doctor providing our tour was genuinely kind, sincere, and very professional, the facility was overcrowded, dirty and depressing. Stories of inadequate care and medicines, lack of sanitation, and having to bribe doctors for attention run rampant among our Macedonian friends. A friend whose father suffered a stroke, possibly due to the another doctor's error, waited hours for the attending physician to evaluate his condition. Complaints or threats to sue are met with laughter and even worse care. Bringing doctors food, gifts, or money is apparently the best way to get screened, according to some of our Macedonian friends. Hospitals may have the latest medical equipment, but there may not be anyone adequately trained to use it. These are some of the problems regarding medical care here in Macedonia. Fortunately, we have a wonderful Health Unit at the Embassy to handle non-emergency problems, so our exposure to these conditions is unlikely. I am very grateful for the friendly, qualified nurses and for the monthly visits from the regional Physicians Assistant.

Power issues have become a serious problem for many of the people I know here, both Embassy staff and locals. With the extra needs for power due to the cold and the holiday season, supply has been lacking. Our babysitter loses power every night only to have it restored in the morning, leaving her and her two sons without heat at the coldest point in the day. Several families have inadequate levels of electricity flowing to their homes and rely on generators to power their appliances. We ourselves have experienced a few power outages and a decrease in power to our home. I guess it is like a "power drain". Some parts of the house have full power, others have none or simply not enough. For instance, the stove will work, but it will take an hour to boil a pot of water. The washer will turn on and circulate the clothes, but doesn't have enough power to spin, so I have to wring out the clothes by hand. Our front driveway gate must be opened manually and our microwave stopped working for several weeks. Granted, these are minor inconveniences for the most part, considering how difficult life is for some others, but when you are trying to feed 5 kids and keep their clothes clean, you miss the microwave and washing machine!!

Add to that the fact that our street was never cleared or plowed after nearly a foot of snow fell, and I understand now why Skopje deserves it's "hardship" designation! I am still very happy to be here and am still considering ways to extend our time in Skopje, but I think it should continue to be labeled as a "hardship".

Good As New

2009-01-20T02:52:00.000-08:00

In the US, we tend to embrace a "throw away" culture. If something is aging or broken, we usually go out and replace it with something new, particularly if it is an inexpensive item. I can't deny that I myself have done this, even though I tend to be a bit of a "penny pincher". I loved taking advantage of the Freecycle group during our stay in Virginia. I loved knowing that I was able to save lots of items from the garbage dumps and that things I no longer had use for were going to be appreciated by another member. Here in Skopje, I'm sure that there are many different ways to pass on unwanted items to others as well, allowing for the recycling of unwanted/broken stuff.

Recently, my purse strap broke. I was very disappointed because I really liked this purse. It is just a simple, black bag, but it is just the right size with no gaudy buckles or patterns. I found it at a little shop in the Old Town, just on the edge of the Bit Pazaar. The offerings at most other shops were either too big or too loud for my taste. I appreciated that this shopkeeper made the bags himself and that they were very reasonably priced. I paid only 300 denar...less than $10. I decided to return to this little shop in search of a similar bag.

I arrived at the shop and was greeted by the gentleman, who speaks very little English but manages to communicate just fine. His father was tucked away in a corner, urging me to close the door so that the heat would not escape. I glanced around while the keeper offered suggestions. I told him I was looking for a small bag and showed him the damaged purse, as a reference to the size I was seeking. He took the bag and through hand-motions indicated that he could fix it. He quickly sewed the strap back into place and even stitched the other side as a precaution. He asked (again through non-verbal clues)if this was his handy work. When I said yes, and that I liked it very much and was thrilled that he was able to fix it, he was delighted. He refused to accept any money for his repair work, but I was insistent. He finally agreed to accept just 20 denars, roughly 50 cents. I left another 80 and he told him he must take it. I left feeling so satisfied to have my purse good as new and so pleased to have chosen this shopkeeper, who obviously takes great pride in his work. I will happily return to him again in the future. I am so glad I didn't just throw this purse away and pick up a new one. Who knows how long I might be able to save it from a landfill...lol!

"Shaking" Skopje

2009-01-10T05:09:00.000-08:00

Thursday, an earthquake occured about 60km away from Skopje. It registered 4.9 on the reichter scale, a small quake, but it was noticed by many. I personally did not notice it, neither did our babysitter or the kids, but several of my friends felt the tremor or noticed furniture shaking. I recall Nermin, the nurse at the Embassy, saying that they happen all the time and it is just like a loud truck rumbling by. Oddly enough, my friend Ella thought that is what it was, until alerted of the quake by her neighbor.
I know that Skopje sits in an area of great seismic activity and experiencing an earthquake is probably one of my biggest fears about life here. In some ways, Thursday's quake was a relief as it went completely unnoticed, but it also was a bit disturbing. I realized how unprepared we are in the event of a potential catastrophe. Yes, I believe our home is a very sturdy structure. Yes, we have an earthquake kit in our home, but I don't even know what is in it! I have no stock of fresh bottled water or canned foods, no spare medical supplies, no batteries in my flashlight. I am not even completely sure what I should have ready! I suppose I will be reading up a bit on earthquake preparedness in the next few days and doing lots of shopping! Maybe a few practice drills with the kids too. Stay safe everyone!

Hectic Holidays

2009-01-10T03:31:00.000-08:00

The past few weeks here in Skopje have been quite busy. I had been forewarned about the importance of the New Year's arrival and how well-celebrated it would be. In a place where many struggle to survive comfortably, the idea that a new year brings new promise and hope for improvement is truly a reason to celebrate! Town was completely buzzing with activity. Store windows in the Ramstor mall featured glamourous evening wear. A large stage was set up in the Plostad (center of city)for the New Year's Eve festivities. Grocery stores were absolutely swamped with customers, prompting extra cashiers and even baggers at Vero, leaving limited quantities of certain staples, numerous vendors were on hand with samples and promotions, and there were even staff directing traffic in the horrendously overcrowded parking lots. After all that activity, Vero decided to take a couple days off to restock and rest employees. It was unlike anything I have experienced during our time here. Add several days of considerable snowfall, and you have quite a stressful time getting out and about! It unexpectedly snowed several inches in the few first days of the New Year, leaving us stranded in our home for the weekend. Fortunately, we have several local markets in walking distance (one of the nicest features of this city) and were able to get the basic necessities.

We spent New Year's Eve at home, joined by some of our friends. It was a lovely day. My friend had hosted a New Year's Eve "mocktail" party for kids earlier in the day, which Arianna and Alina absolutely enjoyed. They used various juices and sodas to create tasty concoctions and rang in the New Year at Bangkok time with confetti and fanfare. It was really fun for the kids! Afterwards, my friend and her family joined us for a few hours. Although they didn't stay until midnight, we had an early champagne toast and enjoyed terrific conversation and tasty treats while the kids played downstairs. It was a really nice evening. Later, we woke up the girls to celebrate the real midnight. It was very loud, with tons of fireworks and horns. The neighborhood was alive with activity! The fireworks actually continued for several days.

With New Year's arrival, everyone turned their attention to Christmas. Most Macedonians belong to the Orthodox church which celebrates Christmas on January 7th. Again the stores were crowded and hectic, yet very festive. There are many interesting traditions associated with the holiday, and I found the following link which describes them wonderfully- http://www.ciee.org/hostfamily/holiday.html. We actually had a few Kolede singers come by the house, but not as many as I had hoped. Unfortunately, I think Yotee scared many of the children away!

On the 7th, we were invited to join Mladen and his family for dinner and we were happy to accept. We welcomed the opportunity to get to know their children who are visiting during their semester break from Virginia Tech. They shared a wonderful traditional meal including sarma (rolled cabbage stuffed with rice), sausages stuffed with cheese, cold pork with a spicy horseradish like sauce, potatoes, salads, etc. It was delicious and very appreciated! We had a very nice evening full of great conversation and terrific food. It was very kind of them to share their special holiday with us. This weekend, we are expecting their son to join us as we watch some NFL playoff action. He is big fan of American football, and is excited to see some of the games he is missing. We are truly lucky to have been assigned to this house. With the quaintness of the neighborhood, the beauty and space of the home, the attentiveness and kindness of the landlord and his family, and the comfort we have here, we feel so fortunate and look forward to a terrific year here!

Our Christmas Tree

2008-12-27T02:23:00.000-08:00

Here is a photo of the Christmas tree with all the goodies around it! We love that we have such a dramatic space for the tree, and we only wish we had a much bigger, more impressive tree to put in it! Collier has removed the majority of the ornaments that are within his reach, but overall he has been pretty good at leaving it alone. We love to hear him say "ooooohhhh" when we turn on the lights!

First snowfall in Skopje

2008-12-27T02:10:00.000-08:00

Last night, a day late, but still pretty, we received our first accumulation of snow here in Skopje. It has snowed earlier in the season, beautifully blanketing the mountains, but this was the first time we could get close to it. Chris, who I think is secretly still a kid, was out the door first thing this morning to start making his snowman. The girls were eager to help, but ended up mostly making lots of snow angels instead. Collier was not too interested in the snow, he particularly hated wearing mittens, but he enjoyed watching the girls pummel each other with snowballs! Yotee, ever the water dog, tried to eat as much snow as she could. Our first measurable snowfall here in Macedonia proved to be a fun event for almost the entire family--Christopher slept right through everything! I hope you all are enjoying a lovely Christmas too.

Mission Holiday Party

2008-12-23T05:45:00.000-08:00

Sunday, the Embassy held their annual holiday party for the entire staff and their families. As you can imagine, this is a huge undertaking for the CLO office and it was not without it's obstacles! Even with the absence of the CLO's goodie bag offerings and craft items due to a lost package snafu, the event was a tremendous success!

Preparing an event of this magnitude requires tons of effort and cooperation, not to mention a great big space. Nova (Christopher's school)was kind enough to offer their facility again this year and proved to be an excellent venue with plenty of space to accommodate the crowd. They also provided some teen volunteers (Christopher included) to help monitor the children in the fitness room and to run the coat check rooms. The main lobby was transformed into Santa's den, with the designated "throne" awaiting his arrival. (GSO warehouse reserves a special chair for this specific function, off limits to even the Ambassador!) Face painting tables entertained the little ones, almost 200 of them I'm told, and strategically placed tables offered plenty of sweet treats to nosh on. Craft tables were set up in the nearby classrooms to give the kids a chance to paint, color and create ornaments. The fitness room downstairs was open for the kids to blow off steam by playing ball, ping pong, jump rope, etc. The cafeteria offered a welcome spot to sit and enjoy a soda, coffee, or hot cocoa.

I was pleasantly surprised by how wonderful and smoothly the event played out. Even with the crowds, I never felt uncomfortable or cramped. It was a very enjoyable evening and the children had a wonderful time. They really enjoyed visiting with Santa, kudos to Tom, and were more than satisfied with their treat sacks, kudos to CLO. I am impressed with how they managed to overcome the adversity of losing all their preordered items and still offer a truly fantastic experience for the children of the Embassy! It was a lovely way to kick off our holiday and I thank them for it.

Singing and Dancing

2008-12-23T03:45:00.000-08:00

One thing that is taken very seriously here in Macedonia is the musical culture. For such a small, impoverished country, the amount of operas and ballets on offer is mind-blowing. It seems at least once a week, I receive invitations to performances at the Opera House or to foreign cinematic offerings. Just today I received an invitation to La Traviata, last week it was a ballet of Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs, which I'm sorry we missed. During my research on Skopje, I noticed a lot of references to the cultural climate here, but I am truly surprised by it's actual depth.

This phenomenon even extends into the children's schooling. We were very pleased to learn that Arianna would be able to continue her clarinet lessons here(after spending nearly $1000 on her clarinet), and that the school hired on a special instructor just for her, as there are no other clarinet students. Anastasia was recently "selected" for the special Children's Choir, consisting of Macedonian and QSI students, due to her "musical ability". All students are encouraged to participate in instrumental and vocal studies and the school even hosts an "open mike night" once a month. It is a nice twist, but does have it's downfall as well.

Earlier this month, the school hosted it's winter program (please don't refer to it as a holiday program in front of the director!) and it was quite an event. The kids practiced for several weeks, missing many routine classes such as art, gym, library, computers, and music to prepare for the spectacular event. It was a bit frustrating for me to see the kids come home so exhausted, particularly Anastasia who was staying after school for the choir practices. I was sincerely disappointed to learn later that she had not been "selected" to participate in two of the choir's performances after 8 hours of practicing!!! I spoke directly with her organizer and with the school director about this strange need to handle these shows so professionally. (Long, long story!) I have always enjoyed the performances at other schools, wobbly voices, and all. I can't understand why it is necessary to be so particular with the kids and I feel it is a blow to their confidence to exclude them or treat them like little divas.

Anastasia did get to perform with the "special" choir during last Friday's community time, along with the other "excluded" children. It was an absolutely magical performance, even with the kids who were deemed "unprepared and unable to perform at the necessary level". They performed along side a world class tenor (opera singer) and it was amazing. I cried my eyes out! It was so lovely and I can't understand why she had to miss the previous shows. Everyone was extremely proud of their efforts.

A professional opera singer also accompanied the vocal performances at the winter show, and the second portion of the show showcased a modern dance version of the "Rite of Spring" with a professional ballerina leading the children. What other school in the world offers such opportunities to their students?? The event was held in the Macedonian Opera House and Ballet Theater. As impressive as this is, it is also a bit disappointing in the sense that it was a bit too polished, and most of the kids did not enjoy it and saw it merely as work. Not only mine.... many complained that it was not fun, the choreography was too difficult, and they were thrilled that it was over. Although the evening was sincerely fabulous, I think they placed to much emphasis on making it so professional....just let the kids be kids and it will still be amazing to us parents! I honestly think I enjoyed just listening to the German, Spanish, and English carols performed at community time more, as they were fun and relaxed.
Don't get me wrong, I'm all for encouraging musical talent in the kids, I just want them to develop a love for these arts, not feel overwhelmed by them. For photos of the event, please visit http://www1.qsi.org/mcn/.

Christmas Cookies

2008-12-23T02:34:00.000-08:00

Each year I bake Christmas cookies. It is a tradition I picked up from my Great Aunt Donna many, many years ago. I remember her baking for days and freezing tons of delicious cookies. Her "buckeyes" stand out strongly in my memory! I was pleasantly surprised to see that my new friend Teresa has the recipe and is willing to share.

I love baking and I love creating festive colorful trays of goodies to share. This year it was somewhat more challenging to create colorful cookies due to the lack of food coloring on the local market. I looked everywhere and I confirmed with my friend Bridget, ace cake baker to the Embassy community, that there is none available here in Skopje. Bridget generously offered to share some of hers, but she has already helped me with so much in the last month(Crisco for my pie crust, celery for my stuffing), that I declined her offer. I am clever enough to find another way to make my cookies look nice, right? I had ordered some food coloring gels from NetGrocer, anticipating the need, but they sent me decorating gels instead. Well, the lack of food colors and fancy green and red sprinkles, not to mention the pecans for my tassies, led to some experimental recipes this year. All with delicious results!

I spent two days baking, with Hani keeping an eye on Collier it was much easier. I created chocolate chip (aka the famous American specialty according to the GSO staff guys), peanut butter chocolate chip, peanut butter dipped in chocolate, thumbprints with frosting, chocolate mint blossoms, chocolate almond tassies, and stained glass cookies. Hershey's kisses, local jelly candy, and some hard tack candy helped add color to the plates. I also baked several batches of flour/salt dough ornaments for the kids to decorate at school and at the Embassy Holiday party. Arianna designed holiday greeting tags for each tray. I was absolutely tethered to my kitchen and exhausted at the end of it all. But in the end, seven beautifully presented trays of cookies delighted the QSI teachers, the Marines, the staff at my husband's office,the girls' school bus driver, and Hani's family. It was well worth the effort and I am always proud to share my talents with the people who help make our lives a little richer. Thank you Aunt Donna for inspiring me!

Ironically, after community time at QSI, within a half an hour of delivering the goodies to the school and Embassy, I checked the mail room at the Embassy and found that my food coloring had arrived! Next year I'll be ready!

Rocky Road to Kosovo!

2008-12-05T06:13:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, Chris and I decided to take advantage of the opportunity to travel to Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo together. Usually, Chris goes alone, and I stay home with the kids. Now that we have Hani helping out occasionally, we are able to go together and do our shopping.

Because Kosovo is considered a "no-dependants" post, the children are not allowed to cross the border and accompany us to the base. That is unfortunate because they would really enjoy Burger King and Taco Bell....;). There is only one road into Kosovo that we are permitted to take, and we are not allowed to make any stops between the border and the base. We must also have written permission from the RSO office to allow us to go. Chris always gets a kick out of the signage on the way. There are speed limit signs for cars, and speed limit signs for tanks. It is pretty neat and someday we will remember to photograph it.

We set out first thing in the morning, lamenting the heavy rain that was falling and hoping it wouldn't slow us down too much. The trip isn't very long, probably only 40 minutes of driving, but the trip can be seriously delayed by slow moving trucks on the mountainous two-lane road. Also, tie-ups at the border crossing can be aggravatingly long. En route, we noticed quite a few rocks had slid down the mountain, so I drove slowly and carefully. The rain was a constant, steady flow and we were thankful that the temperature was above 50 degrees or would have been one heck of a blizzard! We arrived at the base in decent time and did some shopping, stocking up on must have items like Oscar Meyer bacon, hot dogs, and cheddar cheese. We enjoyed a quiet fast-food lunch, picked up some extra tacos and cinnamon twists for the kids, and headed back toward Macedonia.

The road home was much of the same, rain wise, but the roads became much more dangerous. There were a number of spots where the rock slides were active, with very large(bigger than basketballs) boulders lumbering down the mountain. I should add here that there is no shoulder on either side of the road and avoiding such a slide is nearly impossible!! The mountain walls are on one side and the other is a deep cliff protected only by rather flimsy guard rails. We noticed several snow plows on the road and laughed about how odd it was to see them in such warm weather, but apparently they were clearing the rock slides. It was quite scary in some areas where traffic was stopped to allow for the clearing. We were stuck in very vulnerable spots waiting and watching as rocks tumbled down, just praying we could get going again before some hit us! Fortunately, most of the drivers were considerate and careful that day, which is actually not the norm, and we arrived home safely (after spending nearly an hour crossing the border back into Macedonia!). I have vowed never to make the trip to Kosovo during rainy weather again!!! While it is refreshing to learn that the Kosovar authorities do actually maintain the road and patrol it well, I'm not sure that cheddar cheese is worth risking my life for again!

Thanksgiving

2008-12-05T05:12:00.000-08:00

It is always difficult to be away from "home" for the holidays, but I have always firmly believed that home is wherever my family is and for now--that is here in Macedonia. Thanksgiving is a particularly difficult holiday for me, given that my mom passed away the day after Thanksgiving in 2001. It was always her favorite holiday and she really made it special. Now, it is up to me to carry on her traditions and cook really big!! Though Me-ma would have never settled for an 11 pound turkey, it was all that I could get, so I happily prepared it. As is also my mom's tradition, we snapped a photo of the bird, as you can see above.

It seems to be a requirement to have lots of folks around the table for Turkey day! In Doha, we enjoyed sharing our holidays with soldiers on R&R from Iraq, our British neighbors, and other local friends. In Luxembourg, we had quiet meals with just ourselves, which just never felt right. Here in Skopje, I was eager to share our meal with friends, so we invited Anastasia's teacher and our new babysitter's family to join us. Since Miss Virginia is a young single woman living outside the US for the first time, she gladly accepted the opportunity to spend the holiday with the family. Hani, our new babysitter, has worked with Americans before and is familiar with the holiday, so she was excited to join us too, along with her husband and her son.

We had a lovely traditional meal--turkey, homemade stuffing, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, brocoli, candied sweet potatoes, corn, gravy, peas, fresh cornbread, apple pie, chocolate cream pie, etc. Hani brought some delicious Macedonian cheese and spinach pies as well, and it was nice to have something Macedonian for the feast. We spent the day enjoying wonderful food and even better conversation. It was great to have a chance to get to know our new friends and welcome them into our home. It is important to share our traditions and to learn new ones, and I am glad we were able to do so here in Skopje! I am looking forward to many special holidays with our family and friends in Macedonia.

Crazy Greek drivers

2008-11-24T05:07:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, Chris decided to take a week's vacation to coincide with the girls' fall break. We thought it would be a good time to travel around the region, but unfortunately, Christopher still had to attend school. Instead of pulling him out of too many classes, we opted for a quick one-day trip to Thessaloniki, Greece. It was about a 3 and a half hour trip each way, with some interesting and very frustrating occurrences.

We started out very early in the morning and I was a bit apprehensive about the driving, but it actually was a very nice ride. The roads were fairly empty, and aside from a few precarious mountain passes, easy to navigate. There was a lot of bridgework going on, which caused some delays, but nothing to complain about. We were pleasantly surprised to find very little congestion at the border and after a short argument with some rude pedestrians, we were in Greece. That is where things got odd. Apparently, it is customary to drive on the shoulder on two lane roads in Greece, something which I was unaware of. After being berated by a Bulgarian with a lead foot for not driving onto the shoulder, I realized that all the cars were doing it. It was the strangest sight!! Everyone drove halfway off the pavement in order to let faster vehicles pass them--even when there weren't any other cars anywhere near them. It just looked very crazy to me. I decided to drive normally and cede to the shoulder only for passers.

We arrived in Thess safely and found the Cosmos shopping mall with no problem. We wandered around a bit until TGI Fridays opened, then we enjoyed a great American meal!! I love that they had Jack Daniels Bourbon Salmon, which you cannot even get in the US anymore. The kids were happy. Then we went upstairs to the German grocery store, bought about 20 pounds of cheddar cheese, and headed home again!

On the way back, we were followed closely by another Embassy family who was also shopping a bit in Thess. The kids had fun waving to each other as we sped along. We arrived home just after dark and settled in for the night. It was an unexciting, yet productive and memorable trip. I hope that next time the weather is a little clearer so we can get a better view of the Mediterranean Sea. At least I'll be better prepared to deal with those crazy shoulder-driving Greeks next time!

T-Ball

2008-11-17T01:49:00.001-08:00

We were happy to hear that an eager group of volunteers established a baseball league prior to our arrival in Skopje. Six weeks ago they put out the call for volunteers for the fall season and Chris willingly responded. He and a colleague were given the opportunity to coach the T-ball team and he proudly accepted the challenge. The team consisted of 9 kids(4 girls and 5 boys)of American, Belgian, Croatian, and Macedonian descent. It was a great group! Alina was very excited to participate and Chris Jr. played on the highest level. Even Collier gained some valuable experience and learned that throwing balls is fun! He throws everything now, and with great force!! I always loved watching our kids play t-ball, it is so cute to watch them experience new things and this was no exception. Alina did amazingly well, and she developed quite a strong swing. The entire family enjoyed our 6 weeks of Saturday morning, and until it started getting too dark too early, Tuesday evening practices. The season wrapped up the first week in November and to celebrate the kids' success, we created certificates for each of them and provided a tasty treat. It is so nice to have the opportunity to have fun,healthy, multi-ethnic activities for the kids. As Amarik(our Belgian player)'s dad said "It's so great to be able to do something so traditionally American in the heart of Macedonia!" We are all looking forward to March when the spring season kicks off!

Halloween Photos

2008-11-17T01:39:00.001-08:00

Halloween was a busy, yet fun time for the entire family. We were pleased to have the opportunity to participate in some Halloween themed activities, including school parties, an Embassy party, and trick or treating at both the Embassy and in a small village outside Skopje. Here are some photos of the holiday fun!

Mt. Vodno

2008-11-17T00:54:00.000-08:00

A lot has been going on since my last posting, hence the delay in posting! I'll try to write a few short posts to catch you up, starting with our recent hike up to Mt. Vodno. Mt. Vodno rises majestically 1066m. to the southwest of the city of Skopje,(a medium sized mountain by Macedonian standards) and perched atop the summit is the Millennium Cross. It is an enormous structure composed of steel beams that watches over the city and serves as the ultimate landmark. You can see it for miles and it is comforting to know that as it gets bigger, you are getting closer to home. In the evenings, the cross is lighted and almost appears to float as the mountain disappears into the darkness. We can see the Cross quite clearly from our home, but a couple weeks ago, we decided to try and get a closer look.

Hiking Mt. Vodno seems to be a necessity for all tourists and a regular activity for most Macedonians. It offers the opportunity to escape the concrete jungle below and enjoy the fresh air and exquisite views. A fifteen minute drive up the winding road is somewhat harrowing due to the stunning, yet scary views as you quickly ascend the high peak. I tried very hard not to become fixated on the scenery and just focus on the road ahead of me. We were quite surprised by how crowded the mountain was...lots of hikers, many cyclists, and tons of cars. You are able to drive most of the way up and park for the final climb. The path is paved and curves slowly up the mountain towards the summit and the Millennium Cross. We were pleased to find it very stroller friendly, and the girls were excited. As we walked, I kept looking for the huge structure above us and was very confused when I couldn't locate it. After hiking for nearly 40 minutes, we realized that we were probably only halfway there, and we finally found it above us in the distance! There were tiny little figures meandering about beside the Cross, and they looked like ants. That was an indication of how far we had yet to travel. Though we were willing to continue, the girls were starting to have a bit of trouble proceeding. Especially Arianna, as the thinner air started to aggravate her asthma and we decided to turn back. It was quite a breathtaking experience, both literally and visually. The mountain is absolutely beautiful, the views are amazing, and we really enjoyed the hike. Chris and I hope to try again without the kids someday.

I have attached a couple photos, but they are not very good. Next time I will take the better camera. In the meantime, you can find some lovely photos of Vodno as well as Skopje in general at this website, if you are interested. http://www.pbase.com/alangrant/image/80217692

Mother Teresa

2008-10-25T00:02:00.000-07:00

You may have heard of her. The much-beloved Catholic nun, whose humanitarian efforts earned her beatification, a Nobel Peace Prize, and immortalized her as one of the most charitable figures in history. Macedonians take great pride in calling her one of their own, even though she is of Albanian decent. She was actually born here in Skopje, and you can visit a monument to her placed in the center of town, where she was believed to have been born. Though her home is no longer there, they are in the process of constructing a museum/replica in her honor, where people can come to learn more about her and show their respect. Some controversy surrounded the construction plans, as there were original plans to build an Orthodox church at the scene, sparking fury from Catholic devotees. Most people don't realize that Mother Teresa wasn't a Catholic until after the death of her father. Eventually, the plans for the church were altered and it will be placed next to her home instead. The photo above shows the monument, and you can see the building taking place adjacent to the statue. If you would like to learn more about Mother Teresa, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_Teresa .

Fall Fun

2008-10-24T23:28:00.000-07:00

I know I've said it before, but in case you forgot, fall is my favorite time of year. Here in Skopje, the leaves are changing color and crackling under foot, the air is cool and crisp, and the fragrant smell of roasted peppers permeates the air. Tis' the season to make ajvar, a staple of the Macedonian diet, and probably one of the most delicious things I have ever eaten! It is a dip of sorts, made of roasted red peppers, tomato, and spices. I like to dip chunks of crusty bread into it. It is so aromatic and tasty! Thursday evening Gordana and Mladen dropped by with two jars of homemade ajvar for me. I am so fortunate to have such thoughtful and generous landlords! The first jar is nearly gone already!!

Fall is also extremely busy here due to the upcoming Halloween holiday. Halloween has always been one of Chris' favorites. He loves carving the pumpkins. Here in Macedonian, orange pumpkins like those traditionally found in sprawling patches all over the U.S. are a rarity. Instead, we have what some call "ghost pumpkins", a sort of whitish colored pumpkin. I'm told that here orange pumpkins, which are apparently much sweeter, are fed to the pigs and not marketed due to their sweetness. I guess Macedonians don't appreciate a spicy, sweet pumpkin pie!

The girls' school is hosting a Fall Festival tomorrow, and they are having a pumpkin decorating contest, so Chris has been hard at work preparing the pumpkins. This year, we have a clown pumpkin (Ana's design), a kitty cat (Alina's), and Pete the Pirate pumpkin (Arianna's). Photos are above, with hair and eye patches removed for safety!

I have been busy baking cupcakes, 98 to be exact, and rounding up volunteers for the festival. Throw in a couple parent/teacher conferences, a luncheon at the Ambassador's, t-ball practices, two sick kids, and you can see it's been a busy week for me! Next week will probably be worse! We are having three Embassy related Halloween events- Trick or Treating, a kid's party, and an adult party. Plus there will be kid's parties at school. As usual, I have over-committed myself and will be up to my ears in baking cookies, quiche, and making tons of witch and bat-shaped jello jigglers! Thankfully, we are taking a small vacation the following week, so I should be able to recover....lol.

Skopje Zoo visit

2008-10-05T22:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, against our better judgement, we took the kids to the zoo. I have heard such awful things about the conditions at the zoo, that I didn't think it was a good idea to visit. Chris, however, was curious and the girls were dying to go. He thought it might be a bit like the Doha Zoo, which was primitive, but not overly disappointing. So, since the weather was perfect for a nice stroll, we ventured out.
Everything I read and heard was true. The zoo is well-designed with winding paths, a small playground, and a lovely, large pond teeming with swans, ducks, and geese. Numerous, sometimes oddly placed benches invite onlookers to sit and watch the creatures. However, all of the physical structures/buildings are in an incredible state of disrepair i.e. holes in ceilings, broken windows, rusted metal grates, etc. There was a great deal of litter, even in some of the pens. Many of the enclosures are vacant, leaving you wondering about what terrible fate was suffered by the previous inhabitant. It was very disappointing.

I had expected to see animals in tiny cramped cages, and I did of course. As an American, I have been fortunate enough to visit some of the finest zoos in the US, where every effort is made to create an appropriate natural habitat for the animals in their care. Here, the animals are simply enclosed with no regard for their normal environmental needs. For example, a herd of deer were fenced into a large pen, quite rooomy actually, but completely void of grass or greenery. All stones! That is not natural. The hippos ,a.k.a. river pigs, had no water source/pond/puddle in their enclosure! The tigers, lions, panthers, and leopards were caged in tiny units in a building that is literally falling apart around them. Though there seems to be doors to the outside for each pen, they were padlocked, keeping them in a tiny space with just a wooden bench to lie on. There were also odd combinations of animals sharing enclosures, such as cute little deer-like creatures caged with swans...hmm? The two of them were fighting for attention behind a large sheet of broken glass, which really summed up the visit for me. That image is what I take away from this experience.

I should mention a couple of positives. It was extremely affordable to visit...only 4 dollars for the entire family. The animals did appear to be well-fed. The rabbits had carrots and apples, the lioness was tearing into something meaty, and the monkeys had banana peels littering their tiny cage. The girls enjoyed getting up close and personal with the camel and feeding him leaves. I did see at least one man doing some maintenance. The animals pens were not teeming with feces, except for the hippo, who gave us a demonstration....eeewwww! The zoo is fairly large, with lots of room for improvements and it has tremendous potential. A large new concrete wall surrounds the property, evidence that some improvements have been considered. Perhaps if they charged a bit more money, they could afford some repairs to the damaged structures. But then I suppose no one might come, and things might get worse.

Community Time/City Walk

2008-09-26T06:24:00.000-07:00

This morning was very busy for Collier and I.
First, we attended community time at the girl's school. Each Friday, the school offers community time in the gym, where different students perform skits, songs, etc. and birthdays are honored. It is a great opportunity for the parents to come together, get involved in the school and showcase the talents of the kids. After the presentation, parents meet up in the school's cafe to drink coffee and chat. It is a very pleasant way to start the day. Last week, Anastasia's class sang a welcome song, it was adorable and she worked very hard preparing for it. We were all proud! I will try to post some video soon.

After a quick trip home to change shoes and pick up Collier's stroller, we headed into town to meet up with members of the International Women's Association for a City Walk. About 20 of us from various nationalities/backgrounds enjoyed a guided stroll around town. Our hostess pointed out monuments, historical features, etc. and offered advice on the best places to shop for certain items. She also pointed out some of her favorite restaurants. I particularly liked walking through the old bazaar areas of Skopje. The narrow cobblestone streets were lined with small shops hawking everything from gold jewelry, shoes, pottery, silk and so much more. This was the quaint, charming atmosphere I had envisioned in my thoughts of Skopje. I had wanted to go for some time, but hadn't been brave enough to visit on my own. The area oozes old-world character and it is authentic. I felt like I was walking in a postcard. There were wonderful aromas permeating the air--roasted nuts, roasting peppers, perfumes. It was truly a delight to all senses! The addition of great conversation and new friends made the experience complete. Collier tolerated the stroll, only issuing a few tantrums..lol. He was very tired, but too curious to take his nap. Apparently, he found the atmosphere enchanting too. I cant' wait to take Chris and the rest of the kids, now that I know my way around. Thanks Elke for a great morning!

The group was going to take advantage of the lovely weather and enjoy lunch outdoors at Aladdin, a new Middle Eastern restaurant, but I decide to part ways and meet Chris for lunch. We had a lovely meal together and then I ran some errands and picked up Christopher. It has been a very busy, but enjoyable day!

Summer is Over!

2008-09-19T02:16:00.001-07:00

One thing that took us by surprise about Macedonia was the weather. We had anticipated 4 seasons, similar to the Northeastern US. We were blindsided by the intense heat of the summer months! I was disappointed to hear that this was not an unusually warm summer, and that every August is unbearably hot(90-105 regularly). I found it amusing in the past couple of weeks when local people would refer to the imminent end of summer. Basically, after Macedonian Independence Day (September 6th, if I remember correctly) the end could come at any time! I was warned to take advantage of the swimming pool while I still could, because soon it would be too cold to do so. I figured they were exaggerating the situation, since usually the temps slowly decline as fall approaches, and then summer ends. You know, you start wearing longer sleeves, then move on to sweaters, pants, etc. NOT HERE! Last Friday, it was 94 degrees and scorching. Saturday the rain came, and the temp dropped into the 70's (with low's in the 50's)! It has not been above 70 since(honestly I don't think it has reached 65 for a couple days)!!! The kids are wearing pants and sweaters. Alina even put on her winter coat to play in the yard yesterday! Mladen came on Wednesday to test and prepare the heating system for us. The air conditioner is no longer necessary. How bizarre!

Unfortunately, for many Macedonians residing in Skopje, their homes are heated by "city heat", and it won't be turned on until October 15th. I attended a function at the school this morning, and it was actually quite chilly there! I had read of these types of systems on various post reports. The city provides heat to all the buildings in town, through hot water radiators I think, and it can be difficult to get accustomed to. Basically, you have very little control of the temperature of your own home! Fortunately, most reports/opinions I have come across complain of too much warmth as opposed to too little, but I am sure there are those who would disagree! We are lucky to have our own oil-fired hot water radiator system, and we can control our own thermostat, so to speak. Now I can kind of understand why people are so aware of the imminent "end of summer" due to the affect it has on them and their ability to maintain their climate!

Now, I really have to find a charitable organization to donate all those old bedding sets and winter coats to, since I think they could really use them already! Ciaou summer!

Back to School Night

2008-09-19T02:16:00.000-07:00

Nova, Chris's school, held it's annual Back to School night on Tuesday. It is an evening meant to introduce parents to their child's teachers and give them a chance to hear a bit about what is going on in each classroom. As you arrive, they provide you with a copy of your child's schedule, and I was pleased to be greeted by name. I was impressed that they remembered not only Chris' name, but mine as well. A brief introduction by the Director followed. Actually, it was not brief, as she had to deliver the speech first in English and then again in Macedonian. It wasn't really an intro either, actually more of plea to join the PTA and be more involved in the school. It was a bit on the scolding side(apparently the Macedonians don't participate in many school events!), and I happily signed on to volunteer for several PTA committees. After about 20 minutes of talk, the event finally began.

They designed the evening to resemble a typical school day, where you follow your child's schedule period by period. The classes are abbreviated to 10 minutes each, barely enough time to introduce yourself and practically useless in my opinion! However, I did come away from the evening with more knowledge of the school and somewhat comforted by a few of the teachers.

Initially, we had reservations about choosing this school for Chris. Though it has a good reputation academically, the student body is comprised of mostly wealthy Macedonian students, and this had caused some issues for other families. Many wealthy families send their kids there simply for the prestige of attending a private English speaking school, and not for the benefits of the educational system provided. As a result, we had heard that there were many incidences of classes being interrupted by students refusing to participate in English and of teachers who succumbed and taught in Macedonian in order to keep control of the class. This was a big worry for me, though lots of people claimed that these stories were exaggerated.

A couple of Chris' teachers, particularly Biology and World History, confirmed that this had been a HUGE problem for them in previous years, but that they were extremely pleased with the class makeup and behaviour thus far. I was quite relieved to hear them be so blunt about how impressed they were with their students, and to have them admonish the parents of potential troublemakers so openly. As the History teacher proclaimed, "If you want your children to speak Macedonian in class, then why are you wasting your money here--send them to the free school two blocks away! The point of attending Nova is to learn a valuable skill--English-- not to throw your money away!". I left feeling quite confident that Chris would have no problems this year!

Chris was home sick on Monday and Tuesday, and many of his teachers expressed their wishes for his quick recovery and return to school. Though I hate these nights and find them basically a waste of time, I am glad that I went to this one. I got the sense that the teachers are really looking out for Chris, and that they have his (as well as every other student)best interests in mind. I think he will have a great year!

Saturdays with Dimche

2008-09-06T02:59:00.000-07:00

Saturday mornings Dimche comes. Dimche is the gardener that we hired a few weeks ago to help us manage the array of shrubbery that we have in our garden. We have a lovely yard with lots of trees, bushes, and hedges surrounding it. We have a patch of fragrant lavender and several planters of flowers and tropical plants too. Chris had no trouble keeping up with mowing the grass, but the shrubs were another story. We never had such a vast selection of trees and plants to maintain, and we certainly don't have the proper tools. Every evening we turn on the sprinklers and water all the greenery, it takes hours! Every Saturday, Dimche comes and trims the shrubs, hedges, and trees to a healthy level and keeps them looking spiffy. He is a very nice man, soft-spoken and somewhat timid, but very knowledgeable. He is a horticulturist and therefore very familiar with his work --and he has his own tools! I'm told this is unusual and that the employers usually furnish the necessary equipment. Dimche cleans up after Yotee, though we told him not to, and rinses off the patios as well. Each week, he neatly arranges all the kids outdoor toys and the patio furnishings and makes our outdoor space look great. He spends about 4/5 hours here, rain or shine, hot or extremely hot, and he takes all of the clippings and trash with him when he goes. All this for only 1200 denars ($30 ish) a week. I always try to give him a little extra, as a bonus. Sometimes he brings us fruit from his garden, such as fresh peaches or nectarines, and the children love them. Every week I offer him a sandwich and every week he politely declines, but he does accept the water I place on the table for him. We are fortunate to have him assisting us with the upkeep of our home!

The First Day of School

2008-09-02T01:55:00.000-07:00

Well, it is finally here! Fall, my favorite time of the year. Football kicks off, the leaves change color, the air gets a slight chill, and the kids go off to school! What's not to love??? On Thursday, the girls had their first day at their new school. I drove them in and got them settled. I was pleased to be greeted by the headmaster, who escorted us to Anastasia's classroom. It is a nice space, very bright and cheery, and her teacher seems very nice. Anastasia was only the second student to arrive, and she was clearly scared, so I tried to show her around and make her comfortable before leaving. She has two turtles and several finches in the classroom, and lots of great toys. Collier was having a great time and didn't want to go! A couple more kids arrived, including some familiar faces from the Embassy crowd. She let us leave, but still looked very nervous.

Next, we were escorted to Alina's class. She is in a combined classroom with the 4th graders. There are a total of 12 kids in both 3rd and 4th grade, and the teacher seems very competent about how to handle the differences between the two. Fortunately, they have alternating "specials" (music, PE, art), and are separated for Math and English. I was initially concerned about Alina being exposed to 4th grade math material and the effect it would have on her confidence, so I am relieved to hear this. Alina, settled right in and waved goodbye. I didn't worry about her at all, she is so social!

Arianna's classroom is in the other building, where the upper school is held. She is also in a combined class with the 7th grade. I am actually very happy to learn this, as I am confident that the extra challenges will be very beneficial for her. She is advanced for her grade and needs the extra push or she gets bored quickly. I think this will be a great year for her. She has 3 different teachers, one for English, one for math, and one for social science/homeroom. The group is very small, only 10 in both grades. She loves it and has already made friends. I was pleased to meet the Math/Music teacher, who informed me that Arianna will be able to continue with her clarinet lessons and will also learn to play another instrument. The school has a fantastic music program.

Once the kids were settled in, I stuck around to chat with some familiar faces and to introduce myself to some new ones. I met some of the other parents from Arianna and Alina's classes, and they have already offered playdates! About 12 or 14 of us went to the tennis club next door to have coffee and chat. It was a very pleasant morning.

When I picked the girls up later that afternoon, it was a bit more chaotic than in the morning. Obviously, the first few days of school are a little stressful for the administration, and there are still kinks to work out with the dismissal procedure, but I trust it will run smoother next week. On the way home, I listened as the girls shared their enthusiasm about their teachers and their new friends. I think it's going to be a great year!

Christopher started school the following day, with only a half session. He also had a very good morning and seems excited about his courses. He was issued all of his books, and spent most of the afternoon thumbing through them. His only concern is that his math class may be too simple for him!

Fresh Flowers

2008-09-02T01:35:00.000-07:00

I have never been one of those women who needs to receive flowers. I honestly feel it is a waste of money to buy them, even though I appreciate their beauty. When we lived in Herndon, and the house was on the market, I purchased them fairly regularly because I thought it helped make the home appear more attractive. That is not something I would usually do though.

Here in Skopje, however, I found myself very curious about the little old ladies who sell bouquets in the parking lot of Vero. They sit in the hot sun, under a tiny patio umbrella, with buckets of colorful bouquets. Sometimes, they walk around the lot and I have been approached by them, but I could never understand what they are saying! I wondered how much they charge for their lovely flowers, so finally I had Chris ask. I was shocked to find out they are only 100 denar! That is the equivalent of $2.50 for a lovely arrangement full of beautiful garden flowers from their own homes. Sunflowers, marigolds, gerbera daisies, zinnias, carnations, and many more that I am unfamiliar with, beautifully arranged and bundled with string. In Virginia, I was paying at least 3 times that much for a bunch of less attractive flowers.

While I still feel flowers are unnecessary indulgence, here it is different. Here, by treating myself to a bouquet or two a week, I am helping to put food on the table of a needy Macedonian family who have found a creative way to support themselves. I applaud the fact that they are not simply begging on street corners, and are offering such a lovely product. I am happy to be supportive of them and the girls and I are enjoying the bright and beautiful flowers!

Busy social week

2008-08-27T00:52:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a sociable week for us here in Skopje. Thank goodness too! With one of our laptops malfunctioning and the unbearable heat outdoors, the kids have been very restless. The opportunity to visit with new friends has been much appreciated.

A couple weeks ago, we discovered that our neighbors across the street had guests from Dubai. Irena and her family were here visiting her mother, Baba Slavitska, our neighbor. Irena had lived in London for several years with her husband and their 3 sons, but they recently relocated to Dubai and were here escaping the cruel August heat and humidity of Dubai. Last week, we met up with the kids at a local indoor playground and had a nice chat, and she issued an open invitation to pop over anytime. Monday evening, she insisted that we come over. We enjoyed some nice conversation, snacked on fresh plums and pears from their garden, and drank some Pivo (beer). It was a great opportunity to meet several of our Macedonian neighbors and the kids made some new friends.

We also learned quite a bit about the history of our street and our house. Apparently, most of the houses on our street were gifted by Tito to Greeks returning to Macedonia, and although they own the homes, the land is still owned by the government. Baba Slavitska's home has been in the family for generations and she is hoping to purchase the land soon. Our home does not fall into this category, it (and the land) is owned by the landlords. Mladen (our landlord)'s family are among the original inhabitants of this area and they were actually not too thrilled to see the program put in place! Our home, whose name is Villa Persida, is named for Mladen's paternal grandmother, and has won numerous architectural awards. Irena recalls how exciting it was to watch it being constructed around 12 years ago.

Tuesday, Christopher had his orientation day at school and spent 3 hours playing games and getting to know some of his fellow classmates. He enjoyed it. The house was full of children, as the girls played with Ivana (Baba Slavitska's granddaughter) and Arina (another neighbor). Arina's older brother, Stefan, came by to hang out with Chris and play basketball and Playstation. It was nice to have friends over and the kids had a great day!

Later in the evening, we accepted an invitation from Mladen and his wife, Gordana, to join them for some "pellichinki" (homemade crepes). We had a lovely time and enjoyed the crepes filled with jam, chocolate, and ham/cheese. The girls were shy at first, but opened up and had a lot of fun. Mladen does not speak English, but Gordana speaks very well. I am starting to pick up quite a few words of Macedonian, and though I could not catch most of his discussion, it was easy to grasp that he has a great sense of humor! He is a very congenial man and Chris enjoyed putting his Macedonian skills to the test. Mladen used to play soccer, later he coached a local club team, and eventually became a director. He is an electrician as well, but we were surprised to find he is retired, as he is so young. They proudly shared photos of the children Dragan and Dragana, who are studying at Virginia Tech right now. I suspect the rent that the Embassy pays for our home is paying a large part of their tuition, and that makes me very happy! They are a lovely family, and we are looking forward to getting to know them more.

Wednesday, the Embassy hosted a Hail and Farewell to welcome new families and say goodbye to the departing Ambassador, but I decided to skip it due to Collier. He wasn't feeling well, so I felt it best to stay home.

Thursday was the first day of school for the girls, and after dropping them off, I joined a number of parents at a nearby tennis club for coffee. It was a very nice way to kick off the new school year. I met several new women and enjoyed the conversation. They provided lots of useful information about hairdressers, restaurants, best places to shop for kid's clothes, etc. Collier enjoyed playing in all the mud puddles caused by the previous night's storms! It was a very messy but fun morning, and I learned a lot about the school and the community.

We were also invited to a barbecue on Saturday, but it was cancelled to illness. Instead, we took the kids out to dinner at a very nice pizza place that was recommended to me by the ladies on Thursday. It was very nice, but the location just across from the stadium proved to be a problem. Just as we were departing, the soccer game ended and it was quite chaotic. The waiter suggested that we wait a while before leaving, as some of the fans were getting too rowdy. Apparently, it was a match between ethnic Albanians and Macedonians and the tensions were high. The police arrived almost immediately and restored calm. The girls were happy with the delay--they each enjoyed two scoops of ice cream! At only $1.50, it was a true bargain!

So, it has been a busy week and we are all exhausted, but we enjoyed spending time with our new friends and look forward to many more opportunities for socializing!

Cute kids--human and canine!

2008-08-22T08:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we took a walk around the corner to visit the puppies. (A couple weeks ago I noticed a stray in our neighborhood had a litter, and the entire family, minus my husband, has been obsessed with them ever since!) There are 4 of them, cute little flea-infested furballs, resembling yellow labs. They are absolutely precious and I want to take one home! For now, we just visit them and bring leftovers and stale bread for the mom to eat. Chris is adamant about not taking in another pet, and for very good reasons. It is extremely difficult travelling with our pets, and it can cause incredible stress. The kids and I are trying to change his mind on an hourly basis.

Well, as you can imagine, such adorable puppies are a big draw to the neighborhood kids. Joining us in puppy playtime were two sweet little Macedonian boys, and they were fascinated by our use of the English language. One little boy tried to communicate by using all of the English phrases in his vocabulary. Hello! Thank you very much! I love you Mother, I love you Father, I love you sister, I love you baby. He just repeated these words over and over in an exuberant tone and was so proud of himself. It was absolutely adorable---perhaps even cuter than the playful pups!!

Afterwards, we enjoyed a nice stroll around the area and went home to shower and make sure we didn't bring any fleas with us!

Sanitation Service/Recycling

2008-08-15T00:17:00.000-07:00

I mentioned before how Skopje is still developing and how they have some issues with maintaining litter, however, they do have a good system in place for trash removal. There are numerous dumpsters throughout the city, and most folks have to take their garbage to the closest dumpster for removal, particularly around apartment buildings. Most of the time there are lots of cats climbing in and out, and it is heartbreaking to see the tiny kittens digging for food or sleeping underneath to stay cool. In our neighborhood, however, we have trash collection at our home twice a week, although we never really know when those 2 days will be! It seems to change weekly....lol. We were instructed to place our cans out on Tuesdays and Saturdays, but sometimes they pick up on Wednesday, sometimes Thursday, or sometimes not at all! Last week, on Friday, the sanitation service politely rang our doorbell to see if we had trash to remove, since he could not access our bins (our property is surrounded by a wrought-iron fence). He explained in Macedonian, which even Chris had trouble understanding, that this was a one-time exception Friday pick-up. We had to laugh at the insinuation that there was a regular schedule involved.

The most unusual thing about the service is the hours at which they conduct their business. After noticing that no one had placed their cans out on Tuesday, I waited until Wednesday morning to put ours out. Wednesday night, we checked before bedtime to see if it was picked up, and it was not. We lamented that perhaps there would not be a pick-up until Saturday, but at 11:37pm, I was startled by an extremely loud rumbling. Frightened, I woke up Chris, who determined that the sound was caused by the garbage men! At almost midnight, they were collecting the trash! Although, they conduct their business unusually, at least they keep our garbage moving.

Recycling is another curious thing here. I read on the USAID website a while back that they have provided guidance and grants to Macedonia to encourage/develop a recycling program. Although I have seen recycling bins inside the Embassy, I have only seen one on the streets, and it doesn't seem as though folks even attempt to recycle---except for the Roma. You can see them digging through dumpsters and pulling out all the plastic bottles and cardboard. Many even have specially equipped bicycles with huge metal baskets on a trailer to carry their finds. I assume that they must take it somewhere and receive some kind of reimbursement or they would do it, but I can't find any information about that. We have decided to save them the trouble of digging, and we bag our plastics separately and deposit them beside the closest dumpster to our house. They are usually gone in minutes!

It is truly an odd scenenario here-- on one corner there is a charming, shaded wrinkled old man selling tomatoes and melons from his garden, while across the street there will be a deeply tanned, dirty man digging through the dumpster for anything he can sell/use. One is fortunate to have a plot of land for a garden, one lives in squalor in a crowded camp. I hope that someday this society will find a way to curb the %30 unemployment rate and find both of these men a more productive way to survive, but for now both seem at ease with their lives. More on the Roma next time.

Cheers!

Macedonian Wedding Encounter

2008-08-11T04:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, we were fortunate to come a across a happy event just blocks from our home. We were returning from the grocery store around 4pm, and turned into our neighborhood only to find the street completely full of people. A beautifully dressed couple had apparently just been married, and there was a lovely procession taking place in the street complete with flowers, banners, and plenty of well-wishers. A videographer was capturing the event. I caught a glimpse of the bride and was somewhat surprised (and a bit disappointed) to see her dress was a traditional Western style gown, much like my own. I had hoped for a colorful traditional costume, but she looked gorgeous anyway. A few weeks ago, while en route to Kosovo, I witnessed a similar wedding party, with the groom on horseback, outfitted in colorful traditional garb, presumably on his way to meet his bride. Traditionally, the groom is first shaved by his Kym and kyma (godparents), then he proceeds on horseback to the bride's home. What we saw yesterday was obviously a more modern celebration.

It was very exciting to see and it peaked my curiosity about Macedonian weddings. There are numerous videos available on YouTube if you are interested in checking it out. Each year in Galicnik, the town holds a traditional wedding ceremony for the tourists and there are many recordings of it available. Travel agencies here in Skopje actually offer "Weekend Wedding" tours! I find weddings fascinating and love to see how different cultures celebrate. In Doha, we were lucky enough to be invited to a big, authentic Indian wedding reception. It was amazing, with so much color and music. What I remember most though, was the fact that the bride looked so sad. I found out later that Indian brides are not supposed to smile. Insert quote from Bend It Like Beckham here...lol. I hope to see a real Macedonian wedding too, not just be a bystander as I drive by.

I found an interesting article on the web about how Macedonian wedding traditions are changing, and though I feel it is probably a bit exaggerated, it makes a good point. The article is titled My Big, Fat Macedonian Wedding, http://www.businessweek.com/globalbiz/content/jun2008/gb20080624_727861.htm, and it discusses how many Macedonians are favoring large, lavish Western style events, even if they can't afford them. Just last week, we saw a large limo near Chris' office, and Christopher wondered how anyone could afford to hire it. I reminded him that as long as people get married, there will always be business for limo drivers. We all seem to spend, spend, spend when it comes to weddings, no matter who we are! The article also touches on arranged marriages, which are no longer common here in Macedonia, but used to be prevalent. The point is that while Macedonians may not have wealth, they still want to enjoy life and celebrate what they do have! I also found the comments on the page interesting--just ignore the Greek troll. I'll save the FYROM name debate for another day!

Cheers!

Dining Out

2008-08-08T02:14:00.000-07:00

Eating is also an adventure due to the presence of a very active toddler at the table! Collier is a terrific eater; his diet is healthy and varied and he'll eat just about everything in front of him. The problem is getting him to sit still to eat it! He prefers to be in motion, and can't stand to sit, not even to enjoy his food. This presents a big problem for us, particularly when dining out.

We enjoy our weekly trips to local restaurants, at least we used to. Here in Macedonia, the lack of highchairs in restaurants is making our dining experience less than pleasant. So far, the only place I have seen one is McDonald's, and I hate McDonald's! We have found a couple really lovely places to go, but alas, no highchairs.

Duomo is a lovely outdoor cafe, which is veranda covered and cooled by large fans. There is a fountain(very attractive to the girls and the busy baby) and fresh greenery all around; it truly is a beautiful environment for dining. The food is fantastic too. We usually share some Shopska salads, and last week we discovered their delicious garlic bread (shaped like a calzone, with gooey cheese and chunks of roasted garlic inside). The kids have pasta or pizza, and their roasted vegetable risotto is to die for! The chef would have no problem cooking it for Chef Ramsey on Hell's Kitchen--it's perfectly done and wonderfully flavorful.

Day and Night is more formal, but they do have a playground area outside their dining room for the kids. Unfortunately, it's always too hot to take advantage of it! Their menu is huge and so are their portions---one meal lasts us for two days. They actually have chicken fingers for Christopher, and he is starting to accept the sesame seeds on the coating. Their veggie pizza is yummy and their homemade bread is out of this world!

While we still miss Longhorn and Macaroni Grill, we look forward to our outings here too. Prices are quite reasonable. All 7 of us eat well for around $45, including tip, usually with leftovers for later. Tipping is not the norm here, most people just round to the next even number. We, however, leave 10 percent. (In the US, we were standard 20 percenters, but here that would be too weird.) So as you can imagine, we are very popular with the waiters, and receive a warm welcome and excellent service!

We usually try to eat out at odd hours, not too hard, given that Europeans, including Macedonians, eat very late. That way, Collier's behavior doesn't disturb anyone...except me. I eat with him on my lap, and his cute little fingers in my food. I feel sorry for whoever has to launder the linen tablecloths! Last week, after losing a good bit of my precious risotto to the tablecloth, I came home and ordered a portable highchair to use in restaurants. Amazon was kind enough to ship it the next day, at no additional charge, so I hope that by next weekend, I will be enjoying my meal in peace!!

Cheese Please!

2008-08-08T01:19:00.000-07:00

Eating has been an adventure here in Skopje. I seriously miss my daily trips to the Giant salad bar for lunch! There are two types of salads popular in Macedonia--the Macedonian, which has cucumbers, fried peppers, tomatoes, and oil &spices; and the Skopska salad, which has cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, oil&spices, and mounds of grated sirenje (soft white cheese). Both are quite delicious, but a far cry from the offerings at Giant! I am expecting a delivery of imitation bacon bits any day now--who new you could miss those??

It is always difficult to adjust to new products and the lack of familiar ones. The biggest issue here has been cheese. We are definitely cheese addicts, and the lack of cheddar, Monterrey jack, and processed/shredded mozzarella is definitely disappointing! The local hard cheese is called Kashkaval, and it can be made with either cow or sheep's milk. I had hoped it would be similar to cheddar, but it most resembles provolone. It's not bad, but I am have a hard time getting used to it. I am amazed to see it selling on specialty websites for outrageous prices when it is so cheap here...think I'll go into business as a Kashkaval exporter....lol. Feta is very popular, and Arianna and I love it, so that is good. They sell this interesting blend called "Pizzarella" for making pizzas, and it doesn't taste bad, but it is nearly impossible to melt!

Fortunately, there is a US military base in Kosovo that we have access to where we can purchase Kraft shredded cheddar for a mere $4.10 for 8 ounces...grrr. I can't believe how expensive that is, but we are paying it! Last weekend, Chris bought me 9 packages and we have eaten well this week--baked potato skins, nachos, and my favorite--au gratin potatoes...mmm. My biggest problem now is hiding it from Christopher and trying to make him understand that the next time Daddy goes to Kosovo, they may not have any cheddar, so he should conserve. Or heaven forbid, we could loose our access if violence flares up or a new CO takes over the base and decides to keep us out. It is funny how much the little things we take for granted, like cheese, ranch dressing, or decent canned tuna, make such a profound difference in our level of happiness.

Cheers!

Car repair

2008-08-07T04:17:00.001-07:00

Last Thursday, our 15th wedding anniversary:), I picked up Chris from work. As usual, we stopped at the Vero market to pick up some groceries. When I tried to turn off the car, the key wouldn't turn all the way. The engine was off, but the key was stuck in the ignition! Chris fiddled with it while I shopped--we decided it wasn't a good idea to leave the car unoccupied in the lot with the key stuck in it, so he stayed behind. We were still able to drive the car over the weekend, being careful to lock it with our second key and parking in secured lots. The following Monday, he took the car to the dealership for repair. They easily fixed the problem and it cost only around $50! I imagine something like that would have run us several hundred dollars in the US. Another great thing about life in Macedonia--quick service at a reasonable cost!

Cheers!

Meeting New People/Learning New Things

2008-08-07T02:47:00.000-07:00

We were fortunate enough to arrange the purchase of a Honda Odyssey prior to our arrival, so on our second day in Skopje, we ventured out shopping. Lamenting the lack of air-conditioning and overwhelmed by the foreign labels in the Vero Market, I was approached by a lovely American couple who were certain that we were fellow Americans. They knew not just because of the English, but because after 4 years here, they noticed that Macedonians rarely have 5 children in the family! I tried hard to remember their #, and I succeeded, but didn't call as things got busy.

We saw them again a week later at another mall, yes Skopje is THAT small, and they kindly invited us to a BBQ. They also invited another American family with sons close in age to Christopher. We had an enjoyable afternoon full of delicious food (terrific coleslaw...mmm) and great company. There were get-to-know-you games, crafts and a scavenger hunt for the kids, and good conversation. The kids bonded rather quickly and played nicely. It was a memorable picnic.

Painfully shy and silent, Anastasia nearly gave our host, Sam, a heart attack when she rambled on about the tooth fairy, after she lost her first tooth. Sam informed us of the Macedonian tradition of throwing your lost tooth onto the roof for good luck. I later confirmed this with our landlord, who said, "What else should we do with all those teeth?" I suspect there our many teeth on our roof! I suppose it's better than just shoving them in some drawer.

Our hosts had two adorable little dogs, whom they rescued from life on the street. They are sweet, affectionate, and well-behaved, but still street-savvy, as shown when they bolted after some cats to protect their territory. Stray dogs (cuchay) are really common here, and it's really hard not to snatch them all up and take them home with you! I applaud those who take them in, and I'm trying to convince my husband that Yotee needs a playmate!

Andrea, our hostess, shared photos of the home she and Sam are refurbishing for their retirement upon return to the US. Later, she brought out a fascinating photo album full of before and after images of the July 26th 1963 earthquake that devastated Skopje. She found it laying in the dirt and purchased it for a song at a Roma Bazaar. The images were amazing and stirring--once sturdy and tall buildings in ruin, homes collapsed, injured people helping others, and politicians like Kruchev and Tito touring the devastation. I knew the quake was bad, but those images put a new perspective on things. It is testament to the fortitude of the Macedonians and I am amazed at what they have accomplished in it's aftermath! She plans to donate it to a local museum before they leave Skopje.

I hope we have lots of days like that one here in Skopje!

Power of The "Mother Tongue"

2008-08-07T02:14:00.000-07:00

For me, the thing that gave me most concern about relocating to Skopje, was the fact that I would not know the language. I had originally planned to take the language training with my husband, but the unexpected, yet very welcome arrival of Collier changed those plans :). At our previous posts language was not a problem--everyone in Doha and Luxembourg spoke English, and I am practically fluent in French, so I was comfortable with my ability to communicate. A few pleasantries in Arabic or Luxembourgish helped us blend even more.

I recall two incidences where I was unable to communicate in the local language, and I felt very anxious and uncomfortable. The first was our trip to Antwerp to watch Christopher's basketball team compete in a tournament. Apparently, the Flemish are incredibly proud of their language, and refused to respond to me in either French or English and I felt completely foreign. It was nearly impossible to even order dinner at McDonald's--and they are so universal! The second was during a routine trip to the military base in Bitburg, Germany, when I was rear-ended by a Spanish truck driver and pushed into a German vehicle. It was very awkward not being able to communicate with either, especially when the truck driver tried to leave the scene!

Language ability is truly a comfort when you are overseas, and not knowing the Macedonian language makes me a bit less adventurous in exploring the city. What if I have an accident? What if I get lost? I would love to frequent the Green Market, but until I learn the numbers in Macedonian, I don't feel I can or I'll risk paying $20 for a kilo of piperki(peppers)! Although I have learned many of the fruits and veggies, I can't seem to master the numbers! I find myself responding to clerks in French and sometimes even thanking them in Arabic instead of Macedonian! This is going to be a tough transition for me, but I am determined to learn this language!

Why does hearing one's native language immediately catch our attention? It is amazing to me how quickly we notice the conversations of others when they are in English. Our neighbors to the rear of our property occasionally speak English, and we find ourselves extremely curious about them, sometimes even to the point of eavesdropping--well the kids do. During almost every trip to the grocery store, we run into other Americans, many of whom we don't actually know. During a recent trip to a local indoor playground, I was approached by a very nice woman who couldn't help but overhear my kids speaking to each other in English. We chatted for a couple hours and exchanged numbers. It seems our ears perk up at the familiar sounds of English and draw us to whoever is speaking it! We have met some very nice folks as a result. My cell phone contact list is longer than it has ever been.

The Arrival/First Impressions of Our New Home

2008-08-06T04:53:00.000-07:00

We arrived at the Alexander The Great Airport and took our place in the long Customs line, when we were encouraged to procede to a newly opened line, which of course, became the slowest one! Finally, we made it through and were greeted by the CLO and some other Embassy folks, who came to take us to our new home. Anastasia needed to use the bathroom, and that was a definite reminder that we were in for a new adventure. The facility was very basic, with pull cord toilet flusher, no tissue or paper towels, and the room reeked of cigarette smoke. It could have been cleaner, but it was usable. We found our way back to the rest of the family at the luggage retrieval area. The experience was dizzying--but I couldn't believe how smoothly everything went. Kudos to GSO crew for helping with all our luggage, loading it, and moving us out of the airport so quickly. Particularly for getting Melodie released from the Cargo Customs so fast! Yotee was actually unloaded and ready before our luggage showed up. I received instructions to keep Melodie quarantined in her cage, and to save her droppings until the vet came to do a thorough inspection. Two large vans sped us through the countryside and into Skopje to our new home.

The drive was very interesting. I tried very hard to soak in the view and get a sense of what our life would be like for the next two years. At first I was surprised to see a lot of arid land, almost reminiscent of Qatar, but without "desert". Then, however, the beautiful greenery that I had expected appeared. Macedonia is a very lush, mountainous country and I was pleased to see lots of park like settings, even if most were unmaintained and overgrown. I couldn't help but notice an unusual number of car wash stands. I was very puzzled by this, but I suppose car washes are a terrific way to earn a living, especially in a place where many people take great pride in their cars, regardless of their age or condition. What stuck out most for my husband was the amount of graffiti, particularly the amount of graffiti written in English, that sullies so much of the city.

Skopje has so much potential. It has a very charming quality that could rival most Western European cities. Corner fruit stands compete with supermarkets; horse driven carts share the road with old rusty Yugos and flashy new BMWs; fisherman angle for the day's catch in a beautiful, yet polluted river; pleasant open air cafes border large tree-lined overgrown park areas. With a bit of effort in maintaining litter, lawn care, and covering up the unfortunate graffiti, this place could be so much more beautiful. Of course, all that would require more money and manpower than is probably available, so I imagine it will stay this way for a while. As it is, it is still a very interesting and fascinating place to explore, and I am so happy to be here.

We entered our neighborhood, a quiet peaceful street, tucked away and surrounded by small homes and large apartment buildings, just blocks from the Vardar river. We had received a few photos of the home before arriving, but they clearly didn't do it justice! We were overwhelmed by the character and beauty of this house and feel very fortunate to live here. The kids spent two days deciding who would get which room, since they were too exhausted to argue about it the first day! The yard is simply beautiful--well landscaped and very large with a fence all around to keep Yotee in. We knew immediately that we were all going to be very happy and comfortable living here in Macedonia.

Cheers!

Traveling To Our New Home

2008-08-06T04:34:00.000-07:00

We had a surprisingly good flight, after nearly missing the boarding. Long story short--Chris had to return the two rental cars while I checked us in to our flight at the Austrian desk, and it took much longer than we expected. Thank goodness for some kind folks at the airport who whisked us through security and helped us make the plane on time. Collier was amazingly well-behaved on the nearly 9 hour flight to Austria, and we were pleasantly surprised to find that Melodie, our beloved rabbit, was actually in the cabin with us instead of in the cargo hold. As usual, I didn't sleep at all and I was feeling seriously ill.

I was so stressed about what when happen when we arrived in Skopje, particularly with the rabbit. We were warned the day before we left that there may be a need to quarantine her upon arrival, and there were no facilities available at the airport to do so. I was furious, plus I was scared of the long journey in cargo for her as well. Fortunately, she was in the cabin for the first leg, and we turned her over to the handlers in Vienna so she could fly with Yotee in the baggage hold for a cargo arrival in Skopje. Apart from having to collect Yotee and walk around the airport with her for a few hours, the layover was manageable. Having the dog meant no early access to the gate area, however, so there were no comfortable places to spend the nearly 5 hours!

The flight to Skopje was short and relatively stress free, but I was still very nauseous and nervous. The kids were fantastic. I am always surprised at how well they travel. They really behaved themselves, and we received a few compliments from some fellow FSers(who were on the flights unbeknownst to us) about their behaviour. I was really proud of them all! But I am glad we don't have to fly again for at least a year!

Hello from Skopje!

2008-08-06T03:53:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone! This blog was created as an attempt to keep in touch with our friends and family. As part of my husband's career, travel has been a necessary blessing and we have had the good fortune to meet many wonderful people worldwide. I hope this blog will allow us to share our Macedonian experiences with them all, and to open their eyes to this wonderful and fascinating culture. I will also use this space to keep you all posted on the latest family updates and hopefully share photos of the kids and this interesting country---once I learn how to use the evil digital camera! I hope you find the info I post enjoyable and informative and that you visit often!
Cheers!