Our Christmas Tree

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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"

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

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

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!

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!