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Thursday, August 16, 2012

Complete.

Dance camp was a complete success. The entire week may have been the best week of my entire service. With the 3 PC volunteers helping me, my 4 Macedonian "helpers," and of my my favorite local people by my side, it could not have been better. The girls learned 8 choreographed dances and 13 Zumba. I am proud to say that every single dancer performed on stage, and the majority of the girls performed every dance! Most of the dances have been uploaded online, so I'm attaching them. I have to warn you, there are a lot of videos in this post!! Without saying much more, here are some of the dances:

This is the hip-hop dance I taught. You can see me front and center : )

This is the "pop" dance I taught.

My dance crew kids did this for me....I had no idea!!!!!

This is the ballet piece that Enid did....she's front and center.

The Charleston dance I did. I'm in the front again, but the quality of the video is pretty crappy. 

The modern piece that Enid did.

There were also some amazing photos taken by Lilika from the show. They are only available on FB, so if you are friends with me on there, you can see them! If not, let me know, and I can email you some of them. They are really fantastic!

My kids planned a lot of surprises for me. One of them was the "Bounce" dance. I'd been begging them to do it, but they surprised me instead! I also got more roses than I've ever received in my life, complete with a sheet banner that the kids made saying "We love you Morgan." There was a lot of crying and hugging and photo taking. The entire city was at the show to show their support, and there was an epic news segment too. The night ended with a really nice dinner at a place in the park..all my favorite people were there. 

Overall, is was a perfect week. The next few days were complete....I was so happy. And now...well, now it's on to the next adventure. :D

Ajde ciao-

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Humble?

Today is a national holiday in Macedonia. Most people are either out of town, picnicking, or spending the day eating and celebrating with families. Personally, I have a lot of work to finish, as my dance camp begins this Saturday, and everyone will be coming into town tomorrow.

I have to admit, I have felt extremely stressed lately. Ive had a lot of work pile up in the past week or two, and it all makes me feel unorganized. I have everything done for camp, but Im still nervous it wont turn out as good as Im hoping. I know its unfair to think that way, and I know its kind of normal to be stressed over big events. Thankfully, I've got a lot of people coming into town to help me with the camp. I'll have 3 volunteers staying with me for the week, and two of them will be teaching their own dance classes. Right now, we will be teaching Zumba, hip-hop, ballet, modern, jazz, swing (Charleston), and a "Dancing the Classics" class, where the kids will learn stuff like the thriller dance. Originally, I had the boys teaching a breakdancing class as well, but they've dropped out. Instead, I want to offer an advanced choreo class, but Im still in the air about that one. I've also got some younger Macedonian ladies, who I worked at GLOW with, coming in to help me with whatever little daily things need to be done. They will be lifesavers, I just know it!

Right now, we've got the Mayor's office donating us bottled water for every day. We will be providing fruit every day, and we even have camp t-shirts made! On Wednesday, we will have our dance recital, where we will have about 13 or 14 dances total. I know it isn't that much, and the show won't be that long, but it isn't really the point. Honestly, I sincerely hope the dancers will all be willing to perform, as I know the concept is intimidating for those who've never been on stage before. There's no point in worrying, and I know this, but it still makes me anxious. : )

On a total side note- I've had a creature living in my kitchen walls for almost a month. If I had to guess, I'd say it was a rat. My walls are wooden, and most are slanted, so I can always hear where IT is. Well last night, a SECOND creature appeared and battled the other one! There was squealing and claws scratching, and the entire thing lasted for quite a while. They sounded like two mini-pigs, with all the squealing. I heard what I think was one death, possibly of the smaller creature. Then, for the rest of the night, I heard the winner slowly clawing its way around my walls, looking for a new opponent. The entire time, I laid on my couch just staring at the walls with my mouth open and my computer on mute. I kept thinking, What if they fall out of the wall? Always an adventure!


Humble people, I've found, don't get very far.
-Muhammad Ali





Thursday, July 26, 2012

Finding

It's been a hot minute...I know. And yes...it is HOT AS HELL HERE!!

I've been quite busy lately, I must admit. With the daily temps ranging between 93-100+, my daily activities have been varied. Recently, I've been spending an increasing amount of time up at the lake near my city. The lake is said to be "unclean and unsafe," but it hardly stops me from swimming. Honestly, the unclean part is the only semi-concern of mine, and the unsafe bit is from people swimming too close to the dam....or so I think. Regardless, I love it up there.

I've also recently been introduced to a new restaurant in my city. The place itself isnt new, but my discovery of it is! It's technically a "men's place," which really means it's mostly men there. Women rarely eat there, and when they do, it's with a man. Wellllll, let's just say I got there A LOT now, and I looooooove it!! They make this chicken dish pronounced "oo-vee-ya-chee," which is chicken stuffed with cheese and bacon. It is then rolled in bacon and grilled. Typically comes with fries, and I always get some fresh veggie salad and a beer to top it. Goodness, that dish is divine.

After getting home from camp, I also spent some time with a fellow PC friend, Carly. She lives on the Western side of the country with an Albanian family, so life over here for her is totally different. In short, we stayed up way too late every night talking, eating good food, making funny videos, and getting hair-wraps...yes, hair-wraps. Today was her last day with me, and we had another PC volunteer friend, Nicola, come into town for coffee this morning. Nicola is the oldest PC woman here, and she lives in a tiny village close to me. After hours of endless filter coffee and PC rambling, we decided to make a trip into her village. There, we got to see her apartment, which is furnished with the most amazing homemade trinkets, mobiles, origamis, and felted crafts. Her place felt like a tree house to me!! Afterwards, we walked across the street to one of two restaurants to eat platters of fried frog legs. Honestly...I LOVE frog legs here!! It was a great little day, and I was glad to have Carly visit.

This week and weekend are already packed. I've been finalizing plans for dance camp. I'm getting PC volunteers emailing me lef and right asking to come to my camp. I'm flattered that people are willing to help, but this is what I wanted to avoid: a huge PC event.....it isn't about PC....it's about Kocani and the kids. With already 3 volunteers coming to teach and help, plus a few other volunteers who are just coming to observe...well, let's just say Im hoping all the company doesnt stress me out. : ) I'm the kind of person who desperately needs some space, but it may get tight with too many people. Regardless, I think we will have a blast! The girls I have coming are so much fun, and Im really looking forward to having some epic slumber party nights with them, along with lots of cooking and impromptu dancing! We've even added some fun things to camp, like little electives the kids can take during a break between classes. We're going to offer makeup and hair design, along with some other crafty things, which we hope will help everything on the day of the show. If they kids know hairstyles by then, maybe they can do it on each other for the show!! :D


Other than that, the other thing keeping me busy is more company. This Sunday, I should be reunited with my 2 close friends from Lozovo, Andres and Claire. You should remember them from my earliest videos, if youve been following me. They will be passing through, and having them for a reunion will be awesome!! Then a week from tomorrow, I've got 3 people on their way here to help prep for camp. My oh my.....so so so busy.


The summer has already flown by, and I find myself wondering where the time has gone. It felt like just a week ago that the weather was fickle and I was leaving my hibernation. It's amazing how much truly changes each month here, and even I feel myself feeling differently about almost everything. My...what the weather can do to you.


“A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.” 

Thursday, July 19, 2012

I'm a big deal

I got coffee with the US Ambassador, Wholers, this morning, and the news was kind enough to document it. Here you go:

Read the Article

Your browser should automatically translate it for you. If not, you can scroll down and see the fancy photo. : ) There is video coverage too. If you click on the link below, you should press the video from 7/19/12. It will be the first story.

Video Link

In other news, I made a cute video from some of the "funnies" that happened at camp. I'll leave you with that.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Camp is DONE!

I'm back from camp. It was a long and exhausting 10 days. I taught multiple classes, and I spent the rest of my time filming everything and making little videos. I am really thankful for getting to know some of the CITs (counselors in training), as well as getting to know some other PCVs a bit better. Even though camp was a bit much, I still managed to find humor in everything. : ) I must say though, my Zumba class was a HIT!! The girls LOVED it!! I had to teach the class 4 times in a row, so it turned into 4 hours of me dancing, which exhausting the daylights out of me. That night, I even had the girls dragging me down the hallway in a blankt, bc I was too sore and tired to walk! hahahaha Some of the videos are already available on my YouTube page, if you are interested in viewing them. I should be making one or two more today or tomorrow, so you can view those as well.

Ever since I got back, I've tried to relax a bit. I did a light lunch with Bill and Paul yesterday, and spent the evening with local friends, which made me feel normal again. I'm still teaching dance classes, so that is occupying my time in Kocani as well right now. I'm hoping to have my apartment cleaned up and my life back to some kind of routine within the next day or two, because I feel completely unorganized right now!

There really isn't that much to do here when it is so damn hot. It's been over 100 degrees here....the other day, it was 115 degrees in Skopje! Without airconditioning or a fan, the heat inside can be double what it is outside. Thankfully, I have means to cool off inside, but not all volunteers do. But yea....most people in my city are hibernating from the heat right now. When I walked into the center yesterday, I hardly passed a walking soul! I'm hoping I can be creative with my time and some friends in ways to beat the heat, like swimming up in the lake outside of the city. Other than that, I'll be spending the majority of my time inside working on the last things for dance camp!

That's all I have for now. I'm still tired. : )

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Camp time!!

It's been a week since I got home from my vacation, and already I have left again. For the next ten days, I will be working at an all girls camp in the Western side of the country. I've got to admit...I really wish I could have some more time to just relax and be by myself, but camp should be fun!

So I'll be teaching 4 classes while I am here. I have a photography class, and I'll be teaching the kids how to build pinhole cameras. I'll also be leading some Zumba classes, a karaoke evening, and a class on the different regions of Macedonia. I'm not a counselor, so I don't have a group of girls to look after. I'm actually an instructor, so I have a bit more flexibility with my schedule. I'll be hopping in and out of everyone's sessions, and I will also be filming a lot. They are excited about me making some videos, so I'll probably spend a lot of time working on those too.

By the time I get home, I will have about 3 weeks to pull together the last things for the dance camp. Other than that, I hope to spend some time just relaxing at home for a bit. I feel like I havent had time to catch my breath at all. I want to sleep in...go out to eat with some local buds...even go to the pub for a night!! Either way, I have a feeling the rest of the summer is going to fly by!!

That's really all I have. I'm too hot and tired for much more of an update. It's been in the high 90's, and we currently have no AC and no fans.....just brutally hot is all. Ok...till next time!!

-Lewis Carroll

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Wander

OH HI THERE!!

Missed me?! Well I am officially back home in Kocani after a long two weeks of traveling! Obviously, a lot has happened in my two week vacation, but instead of writing down everything I did, everyone I met, and everything I ate, I suppose I'll just show you a few of my favorite highlights of the trip through photos. Ready??

Well, our first stop was Thessaloniki, Greece. We couch surfed with an AMAZING host, who really showed us the best food and nightlife!
Thessaloniki has a million hidden streets and alleyways that are full of great unique bars with excellent happy hours! 

Chad and I enjoying our SECOND meal at this place, because the food was just soooooo good!!

After leaving Thessaloniki, we caught an early morning flight to Zakynthos, Greece. The island was beautiful and full of activites!!
We spent three days exploring the island, and we found a dozen hidden beaches just like this one! The water was often pretty cold, but we were troopers and took advantage of every opportunity!

This was the shipwreck cove. Photos won't do this place justice.

Having fun!

Yes, this is a boat bar, and yes we spent our day here.

Our next destination was Athens, Greece. We were only there for a day, and I'd have to say it was our least favorite place to visit. We did see the typical touristy stuff, which was excellent, but we found the city to be too overwhelming and dirty. Regardless, we still had a great time!!
Me in Athens!!

The ruins

Athens is HUGE!!!!!

From there, we went to my favorite place: CORFU!! Corfu is another little island off the coast of Greece. It is mountainous with a million little beaches....it is the postcard of paradise. 
The view from our apartment

The evenings were perfect

What we did every morning.

Compliments from our favorite place to eat, complete with the best staff!!

One of our new local friends owns this place, which is located in a village near where we were. We went there on our last night and had an EPIC meal!!

The next places we visited were Milan and Como, in Italy. Both were day trips, but we had an excellent host, Geri, who helped show us everything!!
This is Geri, our host!!

Third largest church in Europe. 

Milan was gorgeous at night!!

Lake Como!! (George Clooney owns a villa here)

Another beautiful sight!!

Our final destination was Venice, Italy. I LOVED Venice!! 

How can you not love Venice?!

Amazing dinner.

: )

Yes, this mask came home with me. It was hand-made. Did you know all the masks for the movie, Eyes Wide Shut were made here??

Last night......sigh....

That's that....in PHOTOS!! I may give more of an update later, but for now, I am tired. I hope you all enjoyed the photos. : ) 


Not all those who wander are lost...






Thursday, June 14, 2012

The Grand Opening

Yesterday was the grand opening of my dance studio. I got to school at 9:30, and spent the rest of the morning setting the room up. We hung up the framed photographs from the photography club photos all of the walls. We hung the dance posters out in the hallway, and the janitors threw down a red carpet that led from the upstairs all the way down to the studio. The girls got there early too! They spent a few hours rehearsing their dances and getting excited. By 12:15, we already had people showing up. The mayor came, along with two news stations, and even Goce from Peace Corps! I was already so excited!

I began the event by introducing myself and the work I do with Peace Corps. I explained what we offered in the studio, and that it all began by us wanting to encourage and teach English outside of the classroom, while offering extra-curricular activities as well. I thanked the dancers for their hard work and efforts, and explained the dance camp I'd be throwing at the end of the summer. Later, my Director stood up and said some excellent things about me and the progress of everything. Goce, my safety security advisor from PC, also stood up and said a few words. Goce is originally from Kocani, so having his support has been tremendous! After some speaking, I let the kids have the floor!

All I have to say about the dances is that they were AWESOME!! My hip-hop dance crew went first with their dance. You can watch that video in my previous post, or you can find it on my YouTube page. The audience really loved them, and they were not expecting it!! Their tricks were great, and the energy was perfect. My Zumba girls also did a FANTASTIC job!! They were so in sync!! Their moves were sharp, and they just looked perfect. I was smiling from ear to ear the entire time.

As I said, there were two news stations covering the event. Thankfully, I was able to record them while over at Emilija's house for dinner last night:
This is from Kanal 8

This one is from TVK

So yea!! I hope to be seeing some photos from the event at some point too. We had a lot of coverage, and if I can get some of the photos, I will def upload them! 

Other than that, today is the beginning of my VACATION!! It's crazy....it does not feel like I am about to go on vacation. I managed to pack everything I think I will need into my small backpack. Two weeks of traveling in one bag is NOT easy for a woman, but I think I will manage. : ) I packed nothing but comfy clothes, and the warm temperatures made that easier to pack. In two days, I'll be laying on a beach in Zakynthos (google it!), eating seafood and drinking girly frozen cocktails. Corfu (google it!) is later next week, and then it will be off to Italy. I am so excited and ready for my vacation. I'll be bringing my Ipad along, so I will try to update the blog at some point while traveling. Yay for summer vacation!!

“Not all those who wander are lost.” 

Monday, June 11, 2012

You think you can dance?

Since my last post, I've been busy trying to RELAX. : ) I spent a lot of time with local friends last week, which was great and much needed. Unfortunately for me, my ability to sleep is still absent, so I was still finding myself extremely tired. That being said, I managed to prep the house for Chad, and on Saturday morning he arrived.

I was SO EXCITED to see Chad!! We haven't seen each other in almost 1 year. For those of you who may not know Chad, he is one of my best friends! We went to Loyola University together, and we were roommates in two houses while living in New Orleans. Chad also lived with my mom and me for a short time after Hurricane Katrina, so Chad is more like family to us. Anyways....Chad has never traveled outside of America!! This being his first trip is already wildly entertaining.

Since Chad's been here, it has been non-stop seeing people! We've done coffee with just about everyone, and he's even come and sat in on one of my dance classes. Check out some of the photos he took:




They practiced HARD for this trick!!

I love this : )





Petar can fly!!

Ivan is so proud of his head slide!

Also, if you want to see the dance they have been working on, you can view it below. The video was shot after the kids danced for over an hour, so some of it is not "full out" dancing, but I still think they did an EXCELLENT job!!!!



This Wednesday is the grand opening of the dance studio. Im PUMPED!! The crew kids will perform their dance, and then I think we will have 3 or so Zumba songs as well. We are inviting the media and some local people. A couple of PC people might be coming as well, so that makes me happy. It should be great to get the community into the school to actually see the studio!!

Finally, this week I will leave to go on my vacation. Good god...I am so ready for a vacation. Life hasn't been easy lately, and this time away will be a great break. Chad and I leave Thursday, and will be traveling until the 27th!! Our first week is all Greek Island hoping, which is the part I am most excited about. I seriously cannot wait to spend an entire day in my swimsuit, eating seafood and drinking a frozen cocktail. Italy will be great too. We will be seeing 3 cities in total there, and will be seeing a big festival on a lake. Ending our trip with Venice will be heaven....I'm not going to want to come home. HAHA!!

Ok, that's all I've got. Enjoy the video : )

"We accept the love we think we deserve."

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

And then there were TWO.




I've recently dealt with some stress in my city that is unfortunate, but has also had its positives. Instead of telling you all about the negative side of everything, I'd like to tell you the two good things that have come out of it.

I have two new friends. Let me rephrase that.....two REAL friends here. One is a man, and another is a woman. The man is someone I've increasingly spent time with, and our friendship is something that reminds me of my male friends at home. He tries to understand me and my frustrations, and he also provides the Macedonian perspective of things. We can joke around, and I can tell that he respects me and cares when I'm unhappy. Finding a male friend here is not the same as it is in America, so my friendship with him is really valuable to me.

The girl is someone PC helped me find. She is from Kocani, but lives and works in Skopje. She used to be a language teacher for PC, but now has a job as a translator. Thankfully for me, she was in Kocani this week, and we managed to spend two evenings together. We clicked instantly!! We spent hours talking. It was the most normal time I've ever had here with someone. I trusted her instantly, and was able to get a new perspective on my recent issues here. Within hours, we were sharing our thoughts on pets, family, friends (old and new), and even ex-boyfriends. Having felt that type of instant connection with a woman MY AGE and with so much in common made me feel so much better. It was the positive push and influence I needed.

I really dont see the point in airing out all my unfortunate bullshit that's been going on lately. If you're close with me, you're aware of the issues anyways. I'm still in the process of working things out, but having friends show me so much support lately has been enough to keep my head above the water and smiling. Even on Sunday, I threw a "Sunday brunch" with fellow PC volunteers. I used to throw brunch or dinner every Sunday with friends in America, and I miss the tradition! It turned into a day of eating and talking, and their company made me appreciate them and their individual situations so much more. Sometimes, volunteers can get so wrapped up in their communities that they forget to make attempts at creating some kind of tradition that keeps everyone connected. Thank goodness for the people who shared and showed support this week. I owe my sanity to them. : )

This Saturday, Chad comes into town!! IM SO EXCITED!!!! We will set off on our epic journey next week, hitting up Greek Islands and northern Italy. Having a best friend from home here will be such a blessing, and I can't wait to travel. Don't worry, videos will come!!


Go to foreign countries and you will get to know the good things one possesses at home.


Thursday, May 31, 2012

The Couch

It's almost June, which means I've been here for 9 months. I can't believe the amount of time that has already passed...it simply amazes me.

In the 9 months that I have been here, I've accomplished a lot. My most proud accomplishment is certainly the construction and execution of the dance studio and classes. It's been so much work....from writing out the grant, to finding the appropriate materials, to installing everything, to introducing classes, and even to training new teachers. Shows, television, the local newspaper.....everyone! The dance classes are a community hit, there's no doubt.

The dance classes offer a lot more than just dance. They provide the most opportunity for the students to speak English in a formal setting...something that I think is more useful than what they can learn in class. I never thought I'd be able to form close relationships with students who dont speak fluent English, but that assumption has proven to be incorrect. I've built so many relationships with my dancers...boys and girls. I have dancers from every grade at the school. Some of them are shy, while some are very outgoing. Some don't like to perform on stage, while others love the attention. One thing is certain: I've built my own little home down there in the dance studio, as well as a mini family with my dancers. Life outside of that is basic and unfulfilling.

Recently, times at work have been difficult. There are differences and obstacles I've been trying to address, but sometimes it seems like you just have to "let things roll off your back," as PC loves to say. No doubt, I have that capacity. I also have the ability to handle stress, adapt to a new culture and country, and initiate sustainable change. Sometimes, however, I don't feel like these virtues go noticed. Sometimes, I feel a total lack of appreciation, respect, and acknowledgement of what I sacrifice every day in order to be here.

Sometimes, being here is like being a celebrity. People watch me. They talk about me. They know where I shop and what I buy when I shop. They know where I live, and they also know every single person I've ever talked to here. This kind of attention can be comical on good days and detrimental on bad days. This kind of attention makes you weary of every action you take. Eventually, people may cross you...because that happens in life. People offend you. They hurt you. They say things behind your back. They say something negative in Macedonian, because they don't think you understand their language. They may even want your attention so much that they may spread lies about you. You may also have people who reassure you that your presence is a positive thing. A smile, a hug, a hello, an invite to coffee, or someone who simply thought about you other than when you're just standing in front of them...these things can save a day or a mood.

At the end of the day, what have you got? Where's the support network? Is it your neighbors, your students, your fellow teachers, or the comfort of your couch?


“The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same people.” 
 G.K. Chesterton

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Things have begun to slow down a bit ever since my momma left. The weather has also grown increasingly fickle. It's been raining for days, and the chill is bringing my mood down too. I just want it to stay warm and sunny, that's all. : )

This past week was my school's prom. Since Emilija is a homeroom teacher for a 4th year class, we got to go VIP style to the event!

Emilija and me

Me, Ivan (my dancer), and Beti

The event itself was fantastic. All my boy students stuck by my side the entire night!! Every time I sat down to rest or eat, they'd come grab me again for more dancing. It was a blast.
Me and Stefani (my dancer)

Me, Emilija, and our 4th year boys

Other than prom, I had a fellow volunteer, Enid in town this weekend. She came to teach a host ballet class. Even though 15 girls promised to come, we only have 4 show up. At first, I was pretty disappointed, but it actually turned out quite well, b/c she was able to really spend individual time with each girl. The girls did great too!! 

Look how great my studio is! High-five to me!!



I also had a fantastic night with Enid and Elena at the pub. I hadnt been out to the pub here in ages!! I ran into a bunch of local friends, and even made some new ones. Enid and I also got to share dinner with Arnaud and his girlfriend. All in all, it was a pretty great weekend for me.

I've completed the dance studio, and now all I have to do is get all the paperwork together. It's stressing me out more than it should, but once it's done, it'll just be done, and I'll feel much better!! I also have to fill out a huge volunteer reporting form for the Peace Corps. I've been trying to do it in small pieces here and there, but it's now almost due, so I need to get on it! I also have been asked to write two new articles for the Peace Corps magazine. I gladly accepted, but this is just another thing I need to get done by Friday. At least Im working!! :D

OH!! And in just 2.5 weeks, Chad will be arriving in Macedonia. I am so damn excited! We'll be in Struga for just short of a week while I complete a language training event. From there, we will be on the road until June 27th! I think this trip is really what I need. Lately, I've just felt really overwhelmed with work. I've also begun feeling isolated and lonely again, which isnt good. Right now, I have more local friends, and I've been spending time with some new people too. At the end of the day though, I still find myself missing home a lot. That being said, I think I just need to break away for a little bit, which is why I think this trip will be perfect for me. 

Here's your quote for the day:
“Home is not where you live, but where they understand you”
 Christian Morganstern