Wine and Love

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!

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

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"?

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

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

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

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!