Collier's 2nd Birthday!

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

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

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

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.....

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!