tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59290348781081770392024-02-19T03:49:06.635-06:00Get Busy LivingThe contents of this page are my own and do not represent the positions, views, or intents of the United States Peace Corps.Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-36694057188304457502012-08-16T09:18:00.000-05:002012-08-16T09:18:02.611-05:00Complete.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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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:</div>
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This is the hip-hop dance I taught. You can see me front and center : )</div>
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This is the "pop" dance I taught.</div>
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My dance crew kids did this for me....I had no idea!!!!!</div>
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This is the ballet piece that Enid did....she's front and center.</div>
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The Charleston dance I did. I'm in the front again, but the quality of the video is pretty crappy. </div>
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The modern piece that Enid did.</div>
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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!</div>
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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. </div>
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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</div>
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Ajde ciao-</div>
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Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-46476447187656295412012-08-02T06:06:00.003-05:002012-08-02T06:06:57.724-05:00Humble?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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.<br />
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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!<br />
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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. : )<br />
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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, <i>What if they fall out of the wall? </i>Always an adventure!<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15pt;"><i>Humble people, I've found, don't get very far.</i></span></div>
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<i style="border: 0px; color: #660099; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">-Muhammad Ali</i></div>
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<br /></div>Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-89733349202056237562012-07-26T13:39:00.000-05:002012-07-26T13:39:08.372-05:00Finding<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
It's been a hot minute...I know. And yes...it is HOT AS HELL HERE!!<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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! <span style="background-color: white;">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</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">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.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;"><b><i>“A man travels the world over in search of what he needs and returns home to find it.” </i></b></span></div>
</div>Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-66166825542915606092012-07-19T14:36:00.000-05:002012-07-19T14:36:21.720-05:00I'm a big deal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I got coffee with the US Ambassador, Wholers, this morning, and the news was kind enough to document it. Here you go:<br />
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<a href="http://kanal8.mk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=208&Itemid=1" target="_blank">Read the Article</a><br />
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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.<br />
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<a href="http://kanal8.mk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=44&Itemid=41" target="_blank">Video Link</a><br />
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In other news, I made a cute video from some of the "funnies" that happened at camp. I'll leave you with that.<br />
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<br /></div>Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-83967818623661974622012-07-16T06:04:00.000-05:002012-07-16T06:04:30.767-05:00Camp is DONE!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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.<br />
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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!<br />
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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!<br />
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That's all I have for now. I'm still tired. : )</div>Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-20918074283857155342012-07-07T16:27:00.001-05:002012-07-07T16:27:57.162-05:00Camp GLOW trailer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This is camp. ENJOY!!</div>
</div>Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-8648171761507340022012-07-05T16:41:00.002-05:002012-07-05T16:41:45.418-05:00Camp time!!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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!<br />
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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.<br />
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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!!<br />
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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!!<br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="background-color: #edf1f7; color: #003399; text-align: -webkit-auto;">“</span><a class="sqq" href="http://thinkexist.com/quotation/if-you-don-t-know-where-you-are-going-any-road/533751.html" style="background-color: #edf1f7; color: #003399; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-decoration: none;">If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there.</a><span style="background-color: #edf1f7; color: #003399; text-align: -webkit-auto;">”</span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="background-color: #edf1f7; color: #003399; text-align: -webkit-auto;">-Lewis Carroll</span></i></b></span></div>
</div>Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-2616994886378823342012-06-27T09:48:00.000-05:002012-06-27T09:48:44.055-05:00Wander<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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OH HI THERE!!</div>
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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??</div>
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Well, our first stop was Thessaloniki, Greece. We couch surfed with an AMAZING host, who really showed us the best food and nightlife!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3RQlXJ6N3V06Rg4nX-34FjaEdjIG5Qe7tXkC0uYArdx1WFwRXAFYHlE-xc7cIkfZaPk3w-G2T7h1BgzA_k_HYXCqVcHG5fvXWVydgpkDKXariwEPsDW4YyJpBspayMkXQU8r00fyspa90/s1600/IMG_1238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3RQlXJ6N3V06Rg4nX-34FjaEdjIG5Qe7tXkC0uYArdx1WFwRXAFYHlE-xc7cIkfZaPk3w-G2T7h1BgzA_k_HYXCqVcHG5fvXWVydgpkDKXariwEPsDW4YyJpBspayMkXQU8r00fyspa90/s320/IMG_1238.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Thessaloniki has a million hidden streets and alleyways that are full of great unique bars with excellent happy hours! </div>
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Chad and I enjoying our SECOND meal at this place, because the food was just soooooo good!!</div>
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After leaving Thessaloniki, we caught an early morning flight to Zakynthos, Greece. The island was beautiful and full of activites!!</div>
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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!</div>
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This was the shipwreck cove. Photos won't do this place justice.</div>
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Having fun!</div>
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Yes, this is a boat bar, and yes we spent our day here.</div>
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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!!</div>
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Me in Athens!!</div>
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The ruins</div>
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Athens is HUGE!!!!!</div>
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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. </div>
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The view from our apartment</div>
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The evenings were perfect</div>
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What we did every morning.</div>
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Compliments from our favorite place to eat, complete with the best staff!!</div>
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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!!</div>
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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!!</div>
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This is Geri, our host!!</div>
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Third largest church in Europe. </div>
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Milan was gorgeous at night!!</div>
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Lake Como!! (George Clooney owns a villa here)</div>
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Another beautiful sight!!</div>
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Our final destination was Venice, Italy. I LOVED Venice!! </div>
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How can you not love Venice?!</div>
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Amazing dinner.</div>
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: )</div>
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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??</div>
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Last night......sigh....</div>
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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. : ) </div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><i>Not all those who wander are lost...</i></span></div>
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</div>Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-16148220061443753892012-06-14T03:13:00.000-05:002012-06-14T03:13:05.363-05:00The Grand OpeningYesterday 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!<br />
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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!<br />
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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.<br />
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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:</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/LQlgK3niFGM?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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This is from Kanal 8</div>
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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! </div>
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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!!</div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">“Not all those who wander are lost.” </span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px; text-align: -webkit-auto;">– </span><a href="http://www.tolkiensociety.org/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">J. R. R. Tolkien</a></i></b></span></div>
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<br /></div>Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-9222439626970676702012-06-11T04:16:00.001-05:002012-06-11T04:21:00.596-05:00You 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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:<br />
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They practiced HARD for this trick!!</div>
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I love this : )</div>
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Petar can fly!!</div>
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Ivan is so proud of his head slide!</div>
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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!!!!</div>
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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!!</div>
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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!!</div>
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Ok, that's all I've got. Enjoy the video : )</div>
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<span style="color: #666666; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b><i>"We accept the love we think we deserve."</i></b></span></div>
<br />Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-82911160401234536692012-06-05T17:05:00.000-05:002012-06-05T17:07:34.189-05:00And then there were TWO.<br />
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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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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. : )<br />
<br />
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!!<br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15pt; text-align: left;"><i>Go to foreign countries and you will get to know the good things one possesses at home.</i></span></div>
<span class="bodybold" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="bodybold" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/j/johannwolf395283.html" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #660099; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><i>Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe</i></a></span></div>
<span class="bodybold" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
</span><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></span>Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-11983910119737981942012-05-31T13:31:00.000-05:002012-05-31T13:31:15.247-05:00The CouchIt'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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
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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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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? <br />
<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt;"><b><i>“The Bible tells us to love our neighbors, and
also to love our enemies; probably because generally they are the same
people.” </i></b></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="background: white; color: #181818; font-family: "Noteworthy Light"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Noteworthy Light"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-size: 10.5pt;">―</span><span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: transparent;"><span style="background: white; color: #666600; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">G.K.
Chesterton</span></span></i></b></div>
</span><br />
<!--EndFragment-->Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-2204120237950464812012-05-23T05:48:00.005-05:002012-05-23T05:49:44.201-05:00Things 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. : )<br />
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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!<br />
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Emilija and me</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmPltHDc4jgffSRCj6t0oT6PAOJYDmNzcGRXzECG5c46j6nGhyM_C7HC5VZ8m3rurZBJ9Y_tstKEtBysILtzRdBPce3qON66NE6tamqwvVOHukswTXGOkNFyJODoitKvaTGVrpyvyVomx/s1600/556210_10150955611024859_45556124858_11735732_445240767_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmPltHDc4jgffSRCj6t0oT6PAOJYDmNzcGRXzECG5c46j6nGhyM_C7HC5VZ8m3rurZBJ9Y_tstKEtBysILtzRdBPce3qON66NE6tamqwvVOHukswTXGOkNFyJODoitKvaTGVrpyvyVomx/s320/556210_10150955611024859_45556124858_11735732_445240767_n.jpeg" width="212" /></a></div>
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Me, Ivan (my dancer), and Beti</div>
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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.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXZL2DpMaibQVB6XspCrCKuHkk5JHNQ8YRcYVwl8hTsifnQ2_1mpsQIsEHPCjrYgj5YeWQYv5LS7YggT-Fyz5BOZNooCPXSjykBPaknA0uivsQ2aBTMFK2FqR_YHavxtgezucrQth2m4K/s1600/564832_445811752095617_100000003890546_1748563_1806334170_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXXZL2DpMaibQVB6XspCrCKuHkk5JHNQ8YRcYVwl8hTsifnQ2_1mpsQIsEHPCjrYgj5YeWQYv5LS7YggT-Fyz5BOZNooCPXSjykBPaknA0uivsQ2aBTMFK2FqR_YHavxtgezucrQth2m4K/s320/564832_445811752095617_100000003890546_1748563_1806334170_n.jpeg" width="211" /></a></div>
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Me and Stefani (my dancer)</div>
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Me, Emilija, and our 4th year boys</div>
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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!! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimV0OTyc47uzEC7w5bhd2ey01IUH2K_wkpzO2bt9irXRYC2Lou1QgLkm_lv-R_rLqi9z6hLevTKpF1GYZgUcR7oWiUWFw3WdwfxHeLpbuz5yb52m4Gdz8XsH7lozjn3eQr8op42TP6JzZA/s1600/bar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimV0OTyc47uzEC7w5bhd2ey01IUH2K_wkpzO2bt9irXRYC2Lou1QgLkm_lv-R_rLqi9z6hLevTKpF1GYZgUcR7oWiUWFw3WdwfxHeLpbuz5yb52m4Gdz8XsH7lozjn3eQr8op42TP6JzZA/s320/bar.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Look how great my studio is! High-five to me!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3k8f1yy-SpHeWkj65DNLyIBpWFrCurYizWJMkJkH7Dk23hhkqAqHZw0Od9nvdFjXLtZDEvPHW9Ix7FDG87wL72hNei0PNdCmRlXxJagEbSQDRHgGwp2rmSlt9NKaE4DuB8ZYAlWW36C7/s1600/stretch2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3k8f1yy-SpHeWkj65DNLyIBpWFrCurYizWJMkJkH7Dk23hhkqAqHZw0Od9nvdFjXLtZDEvPHW9Ix7FDG87wL72hNei0PNdCmRlXxJagEbSQDRHgGwp2rmSlt9NKaE4DuB8ZYAlWW36C7/s320/stretch2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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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.</div>
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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</div>
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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. </div>
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Here's your quote for the day:</div>
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<table cellspacing="0" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-top: 5px; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="sqtdq" colspan="2" style="background-color: #edf1f7; padding-bottom: 5px; padding-left: 5px; padding-right: 5px; padding-top: 5px;"><span class="sqq" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><i><b>“Home is not where you live, but where they understand you”</b></i></span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: small;"><i><b><img align="middle" alt="" height="9" src="http://thinkexist.com/i/sq/as0.gif" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px;" title="Author Popularity 0/10" width="11" /> Christian Morganstern</b></i></span></div>
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<br /></div>Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-30871587639828039732012-05-16T16:31:00.000-05:002012-05-16T16:33:06.892-05:00The AdjustorIt's Wednesday night, and my momma went back to America today. It's been an excellent week...going through and telling you everything that my mother and I did wouldnt even do it justice!! But here a small recap in a few photos:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1. We saw a lot of beautiful sights with my good friend Arnaud.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_HJOMxIN3SXUDiMAc3lGbw2vC5J5_Sck-H7aMZcffqwYWXt9bTdw1OIk7kw6FvvuFYz-1Ymko8ZRvFv7m_xRie6Zq7u-7llCc0-RM5OcSkiQiLN5fFrj0Y90NQpg6ADHRNcWqTXd29-ds/s1600/IMG_1108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_HJOMxIN3SXUDiMAc3lGbw2vC5J5_Sck-H7aMZcffqwYWXt9bTdw1OIk7kw6FvvuFYz-1Ymko8ZRvFv7m_xRie6Zq7u-7llCc0-RM5OcSkiQiLN5fFrj0Y90NQpg6ADHRNcWqTXd29-ds/s320/IMG_1108.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxkapHGoW1ovWdBs7TVzVVpgzHg6QSPQKc4WvBF2Lne7s5wAIOHcUp1rE7ot8v4_2xESLDMmGfzbIDPWK7DlBD4KCc2t7e2ju2tU2hxb3ul1Jqbx58GsvYysQRnRpIro9RLKGa764PMfd/s1600/IMG_1114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwxkapHGoW1ovWdBs7TVzVVpgzHg6QSPQKc4WvBF2Lne7s5wAIOHcUp1rE7ot8v4_2xESLDMmGfzbIDPWK7DlBD4KCc2t7e2ju2tU2hxb3ul1Jqbx58GsvYysQRnRpIro9RLKGa764PMfd/s320/IMG_1114.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">2. We "na gostied" a lot....ate a lot of great food!!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjbrGWBskhlI7IeVqOEtEwvAH8Zebn9pJQ5FhXIdAijYLmpKot5Z0aBiCY1GKYBVpDB1e2P-FTjaZndNfzySHd7Ed9AXe4-qUwt3aKMNA2HTHFEGfQjnky8_B97PNaZ-_NEegJHOkrtZS/s1600/IMG_1135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPjbrGWBskhlI7IeVqOEtEwvAH8Zebn9pJQ5FhXIdAijYLmpKot5Z0aBiCY1GKYBVpDB1e2P-FTjaZndNfzySHd7Ed9AXe4-qUwt3aKMNA2HTHFEGfQjnky8_B97PNaZ-_NEegJHOkrtZS/s320/IMG_1135.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaVuNTkd1CoIBnWsHFpOtN-z_9asgLEXKIXwKoM9esKScW37pS_ugbbovNMLu9oiMu6eqdHhAe80A8HxzTaHOyKmGhYn1yEw5XbmQWscf9REhZWJX4NQ8xCiL3tvlk3W7-rx-HrTM3_30n/s1600/IMG_1136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaVuNTkd1CoIBnWsHFpOtN-z_9asgLEXKIXwKoM9esKScW37pS_ugbbovNMLu9oiMu6eqdHhAe80A8HxzTaHOyKmGhYn1yEw5XbmQWscf9REhZWJX4NQ8xCiL3tvlk3W7-rx-HrTM3_30n/s320/IMG_1136.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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(that's Emilija!!)</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">3. Spent a lot of time with my fantastic DANCERS!! I love these kids like they were my own.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtVCaIkpyYKns2vHc7LEwxL_r2HxYdwRRRT2h36G8YWAe9ewMRuwdRr9gsLGNUfK51EHpC1yFvrV_062F8oZ6qOLTMuWFdFjeKsVla40wmFDXDqKYrKN3MNfGy6TD9F6y2yeMUPle9cdZS/s1600/IMG_1124.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtVCaIkpyYKns2vHc7LEwxL_r2HxYdwRRRT2h36G8YWAe9ewMRuwdRr9gsLGNUfK51EHpC1yFvrV_062F8oZ6qOLTMuWFdFjeKsVla40wmFDXDqKYrKN3MNfGy6TD9F6y2yeMUPle9cdZS/s320/IMG_1124.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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(this one looks like Bobi is possessed!!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyROlbQa7xzdmoYFtOmoJKffz8tzzJfy8rkpCahhm5ShpFxqshMrRxe_yTqdF76dS26xVQoTEBnXbzYea6APwRW-5wgefE3iQchi2AyzU__LPuT4Qayzgs-s8UdWjeK1VFQOBWK-VD9ds8/s1600/IMG_1125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyROlbQa7xzdmoYFtOmoJKffz8tzzJfy8rkpCahhm5ShpFxqshMrRxe_yTqdF76dS26xVQoTEBnXbzYea6APwRW-5wgefE3iQchi2AyzU__LPuT4Qayzgs-s8UdWjeK1VFQOBWK-VD9ds8/s320/IMG_1125.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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(their new dance)</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">4. Visited Matka lake for Mother's Day!!</span></div>
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I mean...we did A LOT. Mom met nearly everyone that's ever met me in Macedonia. We ate a lot. We traveled a lot. She met Lozovo and my host family. She met the whole PC staff. It was great. It was definitely sad when she left this morning, but she is almost home now, so I feel ok. </div>
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I won't get into work or anything, bc it has been stressing me out a lot lately. I really wish some people at my school would appreciate what all I've done...anyways, here's two videos to tie you over!! On of them is kind of old, and mostly involves food. Here it is:</div>
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The next video is of one of the recent performances my Zumba girls did. I loved it!! It was for an event my mayor put on. Check it out:</div>
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Other than that, here's your quote of the day:</div>
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<i><span class="huge" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 15pt; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;">If you don't know what you want, you end up with a lot you don't.</span><span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;"></span><br style="font-size: 16px; text-align: left;" /><span class="bodybold" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><a href="http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/c/chuckpalah201086.html" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #660099; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Chuck Palahniuk</a></span></i><span style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
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<br />Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-49596550818029038422012-05-03T14:24:00.000-05:002012-05-03T14:46:37.509-05:00House of Leaves<div style="text-align: center;">
I love being back at work. </div>
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I also love that it feels like summer outside.</div>
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This weekend was perfect. Two other PCVs from Kumanovo came into town with some of their friends and surprised me on Sunday. I was already preparing a HUGE dinner, complete with pasta, salad, and some tasty drinks, so we had plenty t share for everyone. We ate early, so we had time to sit around and chat about everything under the sun. Sunday felt like a perfect Sunday to me. It felt like Sundays I've had back in America....good company, good food, and having that one person who manages to stay after everyone else has left, just because the conversation is that good. Even better, was I was really able to share my new house with everyone. GOOD GOD, how great it is to have <b>room </b>for people. I mean, I can comfortably fit 8 people in my living room!!</div>
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Monday was a national holiday, also known as "May Day." It is like the Macedonian Labor Day. Everyone goes into the mountains. And I mean EVERYONE. It's picnic time, and people load up their cars with food and drinks, and everyone finds a mountain to setup camp on for the entire day. My lovely friends were still in town, and they picked me up first thing in the morning to join them for their picnic. It was really hot outside. I mean....it's like 90F lately, no kidding. They'd already setup blankets, so we sunbathed while the food was prepared. A Roma band found us and decided to play music for us, which was the highlight of the day. By the late afternoon, the heat and exhaustion was getting to me, so we called it a day. All together, it was a great way to spend the holiday. I love getting the opportunity to explore the wilderness here. </div>
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Since I've been back at work, I have been BUSY. </div>
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Today, work began at 9am for me. I had a big long meeting with my Director this morning, and he is totally loving the idea of the dance camp. Furthermore, he is interested in ways to expand on the idea, which is great. Later, I had two dance classes. My dancers have a show this Friday night, and we've not had a lot of time to practice. Fortunately, we have many new girls performing this time, which I am so pleased about. I love meeting and working with new girls. I wish I could work with all of them!! We also had Zumba today, which was great. I still can't do all the moves, nor can I "go all out," when it comes to dancing, but I am taking it slow and being careful. I cannot afford to injure myself again. Being back in the studio made me feel at home.</div>
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I cannot find words to describe the utter chaos...seriously, chaos...that happened this afternoon. Emilija and I had a meeting at the Mayor's office, because they are interested in using my dancers for a show on Wednesday. It was a great compliment to have their interest. From there, we began to work on the <b>new </b>construction of the dance studio. We got our grant money this afternoon, so we went into action! Bank #1, Western Union, fast food, appliance store, bank #2, appliance store, post office, home, eat, 30-min break, back to work, hip-hop class till 8:30pm, shower, and done. Thankfully, we got most everything purchased this afternoon, and they will be delivering things such as the <b>air conditioner </b>and the TV tomorrow morning. Tomorrow, we should also get the new dance floor installed into the room. From there, I'd like to drill the ballet bars into the ground and maybe even tear the titles off the walls, so we can paint some kind of mural on them. There's a lot we can do, and with people like Emilija and myself running everything, our possibilities are endless!!</div>
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I would like to add that Emilija and I are a damn good team. We can bargain and make friends with just about everyone. We spent so long in that appliance store today, waiting for the paperwork to get done, and at one point we were even enjoying a coffee with the shop owners. I could not ask for a better person to rely on when I really need it. I would not have been able to accomplish so much today without her. </div>
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Finally, I'd like to say this coming week is going to be huge for me. Monday, I will have a new dance group beginning choreography. We will also begin a new ballet class! Tuesday, MY MOMMA COMES INTO TOWN!! Wednesday is the Mayor's big EU show, and Thursday is the day where I want to bring my mom to school so she can meet everyone. I cannot wait for her to meet my kids.....I might cry, cant lie about that!</div>
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Here's your quote for the day:</div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"><i><span style="color: #bf9000;"><b>"I
think the next best thing to solving a problem is finding some humor in
it." - Frank A. Clark</b></span></i></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-31550492788674811272012-04-29T17:26:00.000-05:002012-04-29T17:26:27.254-05:00Go hard, or go home<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm in a <b>great</b> mood, and I want to share it.</div>
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Today was the first day I was able to walk NORMAL again, and it was awesome!! At times, my hip still got stiff and felt a bit of pain, but it didn't stop me from walking. I was SO happy, you have no idea how good it felt to be out again.</div>
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I was at school from 3:00-6:15 with my dancers today. Because I've been absent, we havent had any time at all to practice for all of our upcoming events. My crew kids learned more of their new dance, which was difficult to teach it, because I wasn't able to dance yet. Instead, I had to rely on my arms and using the proper words to express the move I needed from them. Surprisingly, it worked great, and the kids did a FANTASTIC job. They have already learned more than half of the dance. Now, all we need is to make it sharp. </div>
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Later, my Zumba girls joined me for practice, because they have a show this Friday!! They will be performing 3 new Zumba songs at a Kango show in the park. What really made me happy was the amount of NEW girls who will be performing. Some of the girls, I'd never seen in class, and I was like "Who are you?! You're an excellent dancer!" I'm happy that I keep discovering new dancers.</div>
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Tonight was also perfect. My crew kids joined me for dinner. I made my favorite dish ever, Lemon Zest Pasta. I also prepared a MASSIVE salad, but no one hardly ate it, haha. The kids ate the hell out of the pasta, and they loved it. We also turned on Step Up 3D (a dancing movie), and we all admired the awesome and fancy dance moves. It was a blast!! It makes me so happy to see them get inspired, and I can see the wheels moving in their heads with ideas of new moves and tricks. I loved spending some time with them outside of the studio. I hope I'll have more of them come spend time with me now!!</div>
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This week, I am still supposed to take things slow, but I am totally going to work. I've got a busy day tomorrow, and then later I'll have Elena, CJ, and Bill joining me for food and drinks at my place. My week is packed with rehearsals, interviews, dance classes, and English classes. On Saturday, I'll be in Stip all day for the big Model UN conference, but then I'm only 3 days away from MY MOMMA BEING HERE!! Hot damn!! I cant believe it's so close...I really can't. Anyways, enough ranting from me; here is your quote for the day:</div>
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the judgement that something else is more important than fear.</i></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8.5pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i><br />
</i><span style="background: white;"><i>—Ambrose Redmoon</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-35870301228385771432012-04-28T04:29:00.002-05:002012-04-28T04:33:02.178-05:00Meet me in the morningI have been stuck on the couch for exactly one week. I have to admit, being stuck at home really frustrated me. I hated not being able to go to work, not being able to dance, not being able to see all my kids, not being able to really be out in public at all! I will say, though, that some excellent things have come out of my time on the couch.<br />
<br />
1. <u style="font-weight: bold;">Travel Plans-</u> As mentioned before, I got most of my travel tickets booked for my trip in June. Im still not over the excitement of booking those tickets. I began looking up things we can do in each place, and I discovered some really fun things! For instance, we fly from Greece into Milan on the 23rd....in searching festivals and celebrations in Italy, I found that on June 24th, there is a huge celebration over the Como Lake. Fancy that, b/c Como is only an 8euro train ticket away from Milan AND it is on our way to Venice. HOT DAMN!! I'd have never discovered this, if it wasnt for the time on the couch. :D<br />
<br />
2.<u style="font-weight: bold;">Dance Camp-</u> That's right. DANCE CAMP!! I've mentioned this idea in passing to some of my students before, because I wanted to create something more we could do in the summer. Well, all of my "student dance teachers" came to visit me this week, so I talked with each of them again about it. I then began to put the plan into action. I set dates. I made brochures and flyers, which we plan on distributing to local businesses, schools, homes, etc. I made a website. I made an outline for the classes we will provide. I spoke to people who have offered their time for things like registration and food/water donations. I've done A LOT. The website is complete, but I am not posting a link to it until I get the OK on two more details.<br />
<br />
So camp will be a Kocani thing, but it is not limited to Kocani kids. Ideally, everyone who lives within a reasonable distance from the city will be able to attend, free of charge. The website is setup so that kids will register online. From there, I plan on grouping the kids, based off their age, dance experience, and the classes they are interested in. We will have one day of registration and orientation, complete with some activities for everyone. Then we will hold 3 days of dance classes, which will be held in rotational blocks. On the last and final day, we will hold a recital, so the kids can show off what all they've learned. This event will be open to the public, and I hope it will generate even more kids to attend dance lessons during the school year. Furthermore, this will be excellent for my student teachers, so they can start fully taking over more classes next year, allowing me less opportunity to re-injure myself!!<br />
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Well, that's all I've got. It is a beautiful day here, and I'm actually going to get out of the house. Enjoy your quote for the day:<br />
<br />
<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>"What we think, or what we know, or what
we believe is, in the end, of little consequence. The only consequence is what
we do."</i></span></span></div>
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333;"></span><br />
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; color: #333333;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>—John Ruskin</i></span></span></span></div>
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</span>Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-16789222144194107702012-04-26T17:30:00.000-05:002012-04-26T17:36:41.716-05:00Junebug WaltzJust got home from round two at the hospital in Skopje. I got to see an orthopedic doctor today, who basically gave the same diagnosis. The root of the problem all stems from the overuse of my body from dancing, so I need to have some physical therapy before I can jump back into things (no pun intended). As frustrating as that is, I know I should listen to my body on this one and just take things easy and slowly.<br />
<br />
The good news is, I can walk much better today!! My swelling is going down, and my limp looks less and less like a gangster's walk. :D My pain was also significantly better today. I'm still not going to be able to go to work tomorrow, but I'm confident I'll be much better after the weekend passes, and I've spent a couple more days on the couch.<br />
<br />
Yesterday morning, Ivan and Stefani, two of my dancers, dropped by my house for a visit. They brought me cookies, salami, and juice!! I LOVED seeing them!! They stayed for a while, and we worked out ideas for a big event we want to do this summer. They were just as eager as I was, so I have no doubt we can pull it off. I won't get into it too much, b/c it's still too early. Later, Ivan and Lilika helped get the rest of my belongings from my old apartment. Lilika and I had some much needed time to catch up, and she helped me put some final touches on my new apartment. IT LOOKS AWESOME NOW! (pics to come)<br />
<br />
Last night was a real treat though. Arnaud and his gf offered to come make dinner at my place. They'd bought things to make homemade lasagna, so we made a feast. They did most of the cooking, b/c I couldn't be up much, but the final result was delicious. Good god, it was so good!! They also brought me my own thing of Sprite, since I couldn't take part in the wine while on my pain medication. It was just really thoughtful of them to put it all together. I feel really fortunate to have so many people care about me in Kocani. I went to bed more than happy.<br />
<br />
My mom is less than two weeks away from getting here, and I'm getting more anxious by the day. I don't know how I will contain myself. I just want to introduce her to everyone here! I do wish she were coming for a longer period of time, but I do understand the anxieties of leaving the dogs behind for the first time. Fortunately, we will have a solid week together, and half of that will be in the comfort of my new home (thank goodness!!) Soon after she leaves, I have my EPIC summer vacation, followed by camp. Expect updates.<br />
<br />
I've been thinking of good ways to end my blog updates, b/c I feel like they always lack, so I've decided to start ending them in quotes. Here's your quote for the day:<br />
<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;">“Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake.”</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"> </span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 18px;">― </span><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/210910.Napoleon_Bonaparte" style="color: #666600; line-height: 18px; text-decoration: none;">Napoleon Bonaparte</a></div>
</span>Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-29788688052946870402012-04-24T18:20:00.000-05:002012-04-24T18:20:18.404-05:00Can you CanCan??Well, I'll get right to the point.<br />
<br />
On Monday, I went into Skopje to see the Peace Corps doctors. The pain in my hip was still really bad, and they wanted to give me a proper evaluation. Well we ended up at the hospital, and they gave me an MRI to rule out any possible spinal problems. Although I have some scoliosis in my lower spine, they couldnt find anything wrong that would be causing my hip pain. I was definitely relieved, but at the same time, we were all a little frustrated with not knowing the root of the problem. They wanted to keep me in Skopje to see another doctor to rule out some other possibilities, but I REALLY wanted to just go home and rest in the comfort of my own home with proper pain medicine. After being given some pain meds and muscle relaxers, I got a ride back to Kocani with a local family I know (and now love).<br />
<br />
Seriously, this family is awesome. One of their daughters just got accepted into the YES program, which allows students from here to travel to the US and study in an American high school for one year. Their daughter, Elena, is SO sweet. She is going to do an awesome job while she is there. We talked a lot about her thoughts on leaving, and it's really very interesting, because her and I will be in VERY similar situations. She will be missing her family, friends, and home, much like I do here. I also spoke some with her parents, and I offered for them to meet my mother when she comes (in only a couple weeks!!!!), so that the moms could talk...they, too, will have a lot in common. Anyways, this family took me, free of charge, into Skopje with them. Along the way, they treated me like I was one of the family..bought me food and drinks and insisted I didnt need to pain any money. Most people in Macedonia are hospitable, but some people are exceptional. The care they showed me really made my day and my pain so much better....it may not seem like a lot to any of you, but it meant a lot to me.<br />
<br />
So I've been stuck on my couch since Saturday. I've watched a lot of movies and TV shows online. I've managed to make food and drink plenty of coffee and juice. I booked my travel plans for the summer trip I will have with Chad. We booked tickets to go to Corfu, Thessaloniki, Athens, Zakynthos, Milan, and Venice. Along the way, we also want to hit up Rome and maybe Florence or something. All together, our flights cost UNDER $400 total per person, which is remarkable!! Living in Eastern Europe sure does have its perks. :D I'm really very excited about this trip.<br />
<br />
In other news, I had a some really great things happen today. This morning, 3 of my dancing ladies came by my house for a visit. I was SOOOOO happy to see them. I missed them!! They brought me bananas and juice. We sat around talking for a while, and it made me so proud to hear that they'd been still holding Zumba classes, even when I wasnt there. Furthermore, they did a great job and had an excellent turnout. I couldnt have been happier.<br />
<br />
As the girls were leaving, I was at the door, and my neighbor from across the street waved for me to come over for a coffee. Seeing as how it was a couple of feet away, and my only other option was to go back up to my couch, I decided to seize the moment to get to know my new neighbors better. I'm so glad I did, b/c I had a great time meeting the family. The grandmother and mother dont speak English, but we communicated just fine in Macedonian! The son of the family came home near the end. He is 24, and last summer he worked in Gatlinburg, TN. SMALL WORLD, RIGHT?! He spoke excellent English, and the whole family offered an open invitation for me to visit whenever I want. Oh, and they had a big beautiful white dog, which I got to pet and love on the whole time, which also made me really happy. :D<br />
<br />
After resting on the couch for the rest of the day, I took some more medicine so that I could tolerate going to the school's French show. I had helped a group of 4th year girls put together a CanCan dance for the show, and my French friend, Arnaud, and his girlfriend offered to drive me. We had a great time!! Honestly, I was embarrassed by everyone seeing me limp so badly. I felt like I looked ridiculous. And I think a lot of people were just confused as to what was even wrong with me, but it's just hard to explain. It doesnt matter though, b/c the girls did an EXCELLENT job. Check it out:<br />
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After the show, I really wanted to just go home and rest my hip, b/c I was in pain, but Aleksandra and Arnaud offered to go eat. I love sharing meals with them, so I agreed. We had a feast of frog legs, fried onion rings, and salads. It was great!! Stefani also found time to swing by, which made me so so so so happy. She gave me her senior photo with the sweetest note written on the back, and IN ENGLISH!! I love that girl, and I'm going to really be sad when she goes off to college this summer. </div>
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I wont be back at work tomorrow. Honestly, I want to try to go to school on Thursday, just to observe the Zumba class and see all my ladies and Emilija. This weekend will just be resting, and hopefully I'll be feeling much better. If the pain doesnt get better in a couple of days, Ill need to go back to Skopje to see another doctor, but let's all think positive thoughts. :D </div>
<br />Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-74703356737685127112012-04-21T14:44:00.000-05:002012-04-21T14:44:11.544-05:00UghIt's always something.<br />
<br />
Yesterday morning, I woke up in my new apartment. I sat up in my new bed, threw my housecoat on, and slid my legs off the side of the bed. As I began to stand, I fell back onto my bed, because the weight of my body caused an intense pain shooting from my hip down to my foot. Panicked, I tried again and again to stand, until I finally could.<br />
<br />
For the rest of the day, the mysterious pain from my hip kept re-emerging. Often times, it would happen right after I'd been sitting down for a while. Other times, it happened out of nowhere, while standing. I even found myself stranded in the grocery store, unable to walk. Not even a limp was possible, but each time it came, it also found time to pass.<br />
<br />
By last night, I'd began taking some medicine for the pain. I had a great night with Elena, Arnaud, and friends, but my hip continued to send me spurts of pain. After getting home, I immediately placed myself in bed, but I found myself so uncomfortable while sleeping, I just knew it would be there again in the morning. Sure enough, I found myself immobile in the morning, and only after some time was I able to walk again. I was beginning to panic a little. I knew it felt like a nerve, but the pain was more consistent, so I wasn't sure if I should contact PC about it.<br />
<br />
Well today was a big Model UN workshop in Stip. Thankfully, I now live only 2 minutes from the bus station (as opposed to 15 from my old place), so I had no problem walking to the station. Soon after I got there, I felt the pain beginning in my hip again, and it spread across my side and butt. The pain shot down my leg to my foot, so I forced myself to sit. I suddenly realized I would not be able to attend the workshop in Stip. I didnt think I could walk to the bus, much less be able to walk off the bus. The pain began to spread across my lower region, and the next thing I knew, I was in tears.<br />
<br />
To make a long story short, I probably embarrassed the hell out of myself at the station. I cried. A lot. PC told me to get to a pharmacy, so Lilika helped me get a cab, b/c I couldnt walk there. I spent about an hour talking with the doctor and the women, and after getting a lot of pain medicine, I got in another cab and went home. They said I have sciatica, which is just a fancy word for the extreme pain I'm having from a nerve, but we still dont know what is causing it. I've been having lower back pain for sometime now, so it could be something relating to a disc. But for now, I was told to just stay at home...to not do anything...and to just rest. So that's what I am doing.<br />
<br />
Really, Im just frustrated with being stuck at home. Im so busy lately, and I like being busy. I hate that I cant go to dance practice tomorrow, or Zumba on Monday, or even begin my new ballet class on Monday night. I simply cant. And I HATE that. Last week, I had so many girls come to class...am I going to lose their interest if I miss a week?? My kids want me there...they want to work and dance..and I hate that Im being told to stay home. : ( I feel like I'm letting everyone down if I stay home, and I dont want to disappoint my kids.<br />
<br />
If the pain is still bad by Monday, I'll probably go to Skopje for the doctor. I'm hoping it'll all go away in a couple of days though....I just dont have time for this problem. The one good thing about all of this, is that Im in the comfort of my new apartment, and THANK GOD for that!!Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-30448189139892524092012-04-20T02:53:00.000-05:002012-04-20T02:53:56.782-05:00StacksI am officially living in my new apartment, and it is AWESOME!! <br />
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I moved in two days ago now, and I still have not hardly had any time to settle in. After getting everything moved in, Arnaud and I walked into the center to get some food. We ended up running into some of his older local friends who INSISTED we join them. Upon sitting down and saying my name was Morgan, one of the men who owns a few businesses in the area said "Morgan Paige?" HAHA I was like "Yea, but how do you know me?!" Turns out the first internet I had (the bad one) was another one of his companies, but there were no hard feelings. :D<br />
It turned into a couple of hours of rakija, salads, pizzas, and some new local friends!! Everyone was so nice. There was a mixture of Macedonian, English, and French being spoken, but we all managed to have a hilarious time. Im looking forward to seeing them all again.<br />
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After getting home, I "na gostied" with my landlady. She is so nice!! We talked for almost an hour, and she said I spoke excellent Macedonian, which really made me feel good. Later, I began to finally unpack my belongings, and wait for Rachel (a friend I grew up with from Hendersonville) to arrive. Her bus was supposed to get in around midnight, and her phone has internet, so we figured it would be easy to get her once she was in.....well it wasnt.<br />
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I was watching the clock...<br />
midnight passed.....1am passed....1:30 passed.....nothing. I checked my email a million times and tried to call her cell phone A LOT, but it kept going to voicemail. I began to get worried, but tried not to be. 2am passed....2:30 passed....by 3:00 in the morning, I was really worried, and I sent her another email. By 4:00, I decided something had really gone wrong, so I set my alarm to go off every 30 minutes to check my phone. By 7am, I had Lilika start calling the bus station in an attempt to find her. By 10am, I was desperate to find her, and I tried called her phone again, and it FINALLY RANG!! Finally, Rachel had made it, after falling asleep on her first bus to Kocani. She'd gone THROUGH Kocani and made it all the way down to Bitola (near the Greece border), and had to catch a few more buses back!! Poor thing....she was just as stressed and tired. But she was one hell of a trooper, b/c as soon as she got it, we went to work!!<br />
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Rachel got to see so many things and meet so many people in the one day she was here. She observed Zumba, went shopping in the bazaar, hung out with Bill, met a new local friend, Kosta, ate fresh fruit an veggies, which we'd bought at the bazaar, met my landlord, Emilija, Lilika, and a lot of my students and teachers....Later, we went to a nice dinner with Arnaud, where both of our exhaustion was kicking in heavily. Sadly, Rachel had to get in a car and ride back to Bulgaria at only 10pm, but I must say her trip here was fantastic!!!!! I LOVED seeing her, and I hope she comes back for a longer trip next time.<br />
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As far as work updates go...I've got a lot in motion. We've still got the Zumba classes going, which have had around 30 or more girls in each class. I think the Easter show has made more girls interested again :D The dance crew also began learning their new dance last night. Taking the time to properly choreograph a dance is hard work!! Furthermore, I will begin my new BALLET class next Monday night. I think we will have a huge turn-out. Let's see.....oh, and I'm still doing Model UN with my kids. We are going to another workshop out of town tomorrow, and then they compete next Saturday. I'll be glad to have one more thing done. I think by Tuesday, I'll have a little time to breathe and get settled in my new awesome home. Once Ive got it set up more, Ill post photos.<br />
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That's all I've got. I hope all is well at home!! My momma comes in 3 weeks!!!! Cant wait!!Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-56239153115319350602012-04-17T05:35:00.000-05:002012-04-17T05:35:15.650-05:00Egg Breaking and Being Awesome<div style="text-align: center;">As promised, here is my video from Easter:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ICkWrKQHu-E" target="_blank">Easter Video!!</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">You'll see the egg breaking tradition, a lot of Lilika's family, the double rainbow, and even a short bit of me chatting with my momma!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Today, I get to open up my bank account for the grant I got. From there, it should only be a couple of weeks before we get our money and begin installing everything. I'M SO PUMPED!! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Right now, I'm waiting on my Can-Can dancers. That's right....there's a French show coming up in a week, and I've got some 4th year girls who will be performing. I also get to begin new dancers with my other dancers this week, which I'm excited about (and so are they!!) </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">FURTHERMORE, I have a friend from high school coming into town to visit me!! She's traveling around Istanbul and Bulgaria right now, so why not jump next door to visit me!? :D I'm excited for this week. That's all for now. Enjoy the video!!</div>Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-34046713757969631462012-04-16T09:06:00.001-05:002012-04-16T09:11:50.784-05:00An Update Through Photos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I've survived another busy weekend, but I must say that this one was one of the most fun I've had here!! </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">I woke up at 3:00am on Saturday morning and hopped into a car with Lilika, Lilika's uncle, Martin, and Bill. It was dark out, and without any lights guiding us on the streets, I found myself zoning out in the blacked out world around us. About 3 hours later, just as the sun came up, we arrived in Thessaloniki, Greece for the kids' ACT test. Although we were about 15 minutes late for registration, and things got a little intense for a moment, we managed through it. The first stop after the ACT test was STARBUCKS. Observe pure bliss below:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkcrJQazehrJARRJ0u3Y0t4aM8wkLUHCHH_XU7sIrEmGZfl6XyBh8oldyj9f-scNsuG9XULykBdho7B5e7XGsyC7qGP6C5s1KmOUc9jLDaSQvCcoY-I0Pup-c8Nfz9J3scPbmvPV-c0uzq/s1600/IMG_1070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkcrJQazehrJARRJ0u3Y0t4aM8wkLUHCHH_XU7sIrEmGZfl6XyBh8oldyj9f-scNsuG9XULykBdho7B5e7XGsyC7qGP6C5s1KmOUc9jLDaSQvCcoY-I0Pup-c8Nfz9J3scPbmvPV-c0uzq/s320/IMG_1070.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">That's a Venti Caramel Macchiato right there. I inhaled that drink in about 10 minutes and debated on buying another, but my nerves were in shock, so I decided against it. Going 8 months without a legit fancy coffee drink sure can do weird things to your body. :D</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfQ-SyOi8Y4t7gfkYfjY28lqJ6KGlpnC09oVO4cA__YCAjagcQeahyaDfFhxX8ErBh2pn4H0-EldhlH20aWeh_3KYGsUDxgSIt_9LKL27RB59AKD5rruvWKtBskOJBHNybAn1EyNdrIJ9U/s1600/IMG_1071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfQ-SyOi8Y4t7gfkYfjY28lqJ6KGlpnC09oVO4cA__YCAjagcQeahyaDfFhxX8ErBh2pn4H0-EldhlH20aWeh_3KYGsUDxgSIt_9LKL27RB59AKD5rruvWKtBskOJBHNybAn1EyNdrIJ9U/s320/IMG_1071.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The above photo is of the square in Thessaloniki. It was a really nice town!! There were a lot of shops and restaurants everywhere. I miss having such variety. Although it rained off and on all day, I'd still say we managed to have a beautiful day for strolling around the city. After the ACT test was done, we decided to shop for the rest of the afternoon. Lilika and I set off on an adventure in various stores, and often got in trouble for having the camera out....</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcs21OdcJrMoYKY5VF_HSNf8KVK2aWLTvLNNa5WDZfOxDZqrQZCzqmRY5Q8ey_42LQpO7k6g7e0Z834TAjR9Dpz3uqwF3x-zdIEwjvVxsvjnuaugD0sArUpp2LqRXACM36xBewGwh6sP5I/s1600/IMG_0424_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcs21OdcJrMoYKY5VF_HSNf8KVK2aWLTvLNNa5WDZfOxDZqrQZCzqmRY5Q8ey_42LQpO7k6g7e0Z834TAjR9Dpz3uqwF3x-zdIEwjvVxsvjnuaugD0sArUpp2LqRXACM36xBewGwh6sP5I/s320/IMG_0424_Snapseed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;">For lunch, we stopped at a fast food Asian type of place. They offered noodle and rice dishes, but I instantly found sushi available and seized the opportunity. I was in HEAVEN. Again, not having sushi for 8 months is not pretty. :D</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23Mu2Trxt24wq5sYAyX9ndloV9WQOI6h9S6FWP1WIYu9o-DjfTEY0OQuys6xzcgeXxuyJw5AQe7A6BNuVgUyWsoIboSc9QjwvKULFp4vHv_OHHkf6DZRMS85dWepKoaSMOwZVBhcs7U5m/s1600/IMG_0432_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23Mu2Trxt24wq5sYAyX9ndloV9WQOI6h9S6FWP1WIYu9o-DjfTEY0OQuys6xzcgeXxuyJw5AQe7A6BNuVgUyWsoIboSc9QjwvKULFp4vHv_OHHkf6DZRMS85dWepKoaSMOwZVBhcs7U5m/s320/IMG_0432_Snapseed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Originally, Bill and I were going to stay the night. However, after discovering that everything would be closed on Sunday and realizing we'd gotten all the shopping out of our system, we decided to ride back with the group. It was a BEAUTIFUL ride home. The landscapes were remarkable. Everything was breathtaking, and we found ourselves pulling over quite often for photos.</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zOWYR_qZY4YmFv4FBKittWhOIv65f5immlvwVf6QzHnZmqhJcOTYe4RkKz7DvPx6bNDqOGR7fpcZqrDncarp_OGaAWhdJE21JAAdsK7yfWNkRSs0DgnaW4PR5uI6385pAyD0JDnEzR9x/s1600/IMG_0434_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2zOWYR_qZY4YmFv4FBKittWhOIv65f5immlvwVf6QzHnZmqhJcOTYe4RkKz7DvPx6bNDqOGR7fpcZqrDncarp_OGaAWhdJE21JAAdsK7yfWNkRSs0DgnaW4PR5uI6385pAyD0JDnEzR9x/s320/IMG_0434_Snapseed.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is Bill, the other volunteer who lives with me in Kocani. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpYXllSbMVdeY8f5yXhNQjJkdpJ3qG0BvIF56EmOb7tmhRf5FN1Nc4oMavkfcxt3xRWIW_KkAJ1gwC8WGZTSZcOqH_MvJNinsOmKi-VhCjVPl2TTywjjOi1o6Y5Xe0YSZDltL2FfjVRCF/s1600/IMG_0445_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpYXllSbMVdeY8f5yXhNQjJkdpJ3qG0BvIF56EmOb7tmhRf5FN1Nc4oMavkfcxt3xRWIW_KkAJ1gwC8WGZTSZcOqH_MvJNinsOmKi-VhCjVPl2TTywjjOi1o6Y5Xe0YSZDltL2FfjVRCF/s320/IMG_0445_Snapseed.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Martin and Lilika....taking advantage of the scenery for some good photos!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Later in the drive, we were all getting pretty quite. I think our exhaustion was really kicking in. Suddenly, I turned to my right and saw an enormous rainbow...TWO, in fact!! I yelled "rainbow," and the next thing you know, we are on the side of the road. </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_vIHpEIQBdA6n2NzEDuTVNKXHwuq9Gdz2xd7E7O_mgxE6DpHP-vpanOtarWSnnGwJ99tSRDGJYo598_PTeXqU6UiHn96kifatQ2oEWhaYmvRo_jIyDcTM6v1J03RWkZi7Ks4cLWRJfObr/s1600/IMG_1098_Snapseed_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_vIHpEIQBdA6n2NzEDuTVNKXHwuq9Gdz2xd7E7O_mgxE6DpHP-vpanOtarWSnnGwJ99tSRDGJYo598_PTeXqU6UiHn96kifatQ2oEWhaYmvRo_jIyDcTM6v1J03RWkZi7Ks4cLWRJfObr/s320/IMG_1098_Snapseed_Snapseed.jpg" width="320" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1UbKOtZT_YtwgJW7WFfL1T1oc0msu4MoK2fWjFG6aJ5CX5KZawsXGJOoCsq5w-zAVFC3DPdrXf71MTb_UukCbXlJ-JIXJipjOJuDJWbWsaPQUQpX3a7514XRnYdjkjVyqJvbIVdjoZERC/s1600/IMG_1096_Snapseed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1UbKOtZT_YtwgJW7WFfL1T1oc0msu4MoK2fWjFG6aJ5CX5KZawsXGJOoCsq5w-zAVFC3DPdrXf71MTb_UukCbXlJ-JIXJipjOJuDJWbWsaPQUQpX3a7514XRnYdjkjVyqJvbIVdjoZERC/s320/IMG_1096_Snapseed.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;">You see what I mean about wonderful and breathtaking scenery!?!?!?! We got in pretty late, and my body reacted like it had jetlag. I went to bed early, and after sleeping off about 10 hours, I woke up to Easter in Kocani. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Macedonians celebrate the Orthodox Easter. I found their traditions to be very similar to ours in the US, and I was lucky to have many people to share the holiday with!! I began my morning drinking coffee and Baileys with Bill and CJ at Bill's new apartment. Bill finally found a new home too, and he is now right in the center as well. After enjoying the morning with the boys, I made the 30 minute walk up to Emilija's house. Upon entering, I discovered Emilija was already hard at work preparing a nice lunch, complete with pork, salads, homemade bread, and meats with cheese!! I finally got to have some good sit-down quality time with Emilija, which was much needed!! </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisslqBbGTzo_J1UI0m7isMZJT3u-cyAnlwEM_EcgqOMOO4NkUtB7LiS-UmdhBQqW62fXm0ALefAmKuBsYT-UDOuqlX61gSvHg0o_uwDeO9uSl52wt_FPR_lgp88_ijQJJxkOXFkwXcjLu/s1600/IMG_1101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhisslqBbGTzo_J1UI0m7isMZJT3u-cyAnlwEM_EcgqOMOO4NkUtB7LiS-UmdhBQqW62fXm0ALefAmKuBsYT-UDOuqlX61gSvHg0o_uwDeO9uSl52wt_FPR_lgp88_ijQJJxkOXFkwXcjLu/s320/IMG_1101.JPG" width="320" /></a>From there, I walked back down into town to Lilika's family's house. They'd jus finished their first lunch, and were about to begin their next. Here, when you "na gosti" (aka visit people), you are expected to eat. Personally, I have no problem with eating, but after having two meals prior to a visit, eating another meal can be painful. That being said, I was offered one of my favorite dishes, Sarma (stuffed grape leaves), along with some whiskey, soup, breads, pork, potatoes, and endless salads. I was glad to finally spend some quality time with Lilika's family. Her uncle was still there (the one who took us to Greece), and her mother and father were there as well. The family was awesome to share some time with!! They were even entertained when I attempted to carry on in Macedonian. I got to take part in a local tradition of "cracking eggs." I had a running record, but alas, it came to an end. You'll see this is my new video!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">After a few hours, I decided to head back home so I could lay FLAT, in order to breath properly. :D</div><div style="text-align: center;">It was a great weekend, and today has been a much needed day of rest for me. I've been trying to pack up my apartment for the big move on Wednesday. I cant wait!! I'm not sure how crazy this week will end up becoming, but I do hope I have another day or so to play catch up on everything. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Ah...I almost forgot. VIDEOS!!!!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Ok, first off, I've actually got TWO videos, but one of them is taking FOREVER to upload onto YouTube. So to hold you over, here is a short video from the event we had on Thursday with the school. I promise I'll post the new video once it's uploaded fully. : ) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/ldZOtjnbL6A?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div>Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-61730976397506132992012-04-13T20:50:00.000-05:002012-04-13T20:50:12.402-05:00EasterIt's been almost a week since I've updated!! All I can say is that I've been so busy lately.<br />
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First off, my grant got its final approval this week!! I've spent more hours than I can count on that thing, and it feels so good to have it all pay off. With this money, I'll get to install some new proper rubber matting type of flooring for the dance studio. I also get to buy things like an air conditioner, speakers, etc. Yay!!!!<br />
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Secondly, I signed my new lease this week. That felt SO GOOD. I even started packing up my apartment already. When I first moved in Laura, the volunteer who was here before me, left me a lot of things, but I havent needed most of the stuff, so going through and getting rid of some things has been helpful. I'll get to move this Wednesday, and I will feel like a new person once I've gotten all moved in!!<br />
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My school threw its big Easter celebration on Thursday. Kids from every class set up tents and booths to sell Easter art they made. It was adorable!! Everyone in the city was out on that day, and the weather was perfect. We had 4 dances total in the show. ALL of them did so well!! Here are two links to a couple of the dances:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><object width="320" height="266" class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://2.gvt0.com/vi/-oo_bFnlP5I/0.jpg"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/-oo_bFnlP5I&fs=1&source=uds" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/-oo_bFnlP5I&fs=1&source=uds" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/2sjW5gnNMTY?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>I also made a video from the Easter event, but my internet cord is pretty damaged, so the internet goes in and out too much, I havent had time to properly get it on YouTube. I will get it up as soon as I get back in town.<br />
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Currently, Im waiting for a car to pick me up, b/c this morning I am going to GREECE!! :D Two of my students, Lilika and Martin, will be taking the ACT test today. I think they are going to do an excellent job. Lilika has personally spent hours studying with me. We've gone over everything, and although she is nervous, I feel confident she is going to do well. We will stay the night in Thessaloniki tonight, and then HOPEFULLY head back to Macedonia tomorrow. If buses arent running properly, we might just try to grab a ride over the border and crash with another volunteer. We honestly dont know. It's Easter weekend here, so you can imagine.<br />
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That's all I've got, time-wise, for an update. In about 3 weeks, my momma gets here!! Im so excited, you have no idea!! Missing all of you at home still. <3Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5929034878108177039.post-13856225344805470562012-04-08T04:45:00.000-05:002012-04-08T04:45:24.179-05:00What do you go home to?First thing's first...HAPPY EASTER!!<br />
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Being here for the holidays is a mixture of feelings. After having such a hectic week and weekend, and after not being home since Tuesday, I am SO HAPPY to be spending Easter in my new home of Kocani. Of course, on every holiday, I tend to miss home a lot, but that cannot be helped. Aside from missing home, I also tend to examine and re-evaluate my life.<br />
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I take inventory.<br />
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What do I have in my life right now, that I didn't have before? What do I <i><b>not</b></i> have in my life anymore? Do I <i><b>need</b></i> or <i><b>miss</b> </i>that thing? Who's in my life? Who's <b><i>not</i></b> in my life anymore? Unfortunately, I've had many people I care about leave my life. Some were just friendships that fell apart. Some were much closer people who seemed to have just given up. Two family members have stopped speaking with me in the 26 years I've been alive. It's still beyond me how a family member can just shut you out and not have any desire to reconcile. As a child, I worked very hard on being a positive staple for everyone, but now that I am older, I've discovered it isn't part of my journey to have such negative people share in the great experiences I've been able accomplish. I'll accept the fact that I'm not worth it to them. I simply dont have the capacity to put forth anymore effort on people who do not wish to do the same. And to be completely honest with you...I am at peace with that.<br />
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<b>FORTUNATELY</b> for me, I now have so many people in my life...people I really sincerely care about. Having been in Kocani since late November, I've slowly found and built on some new relationships here. Some have proven to not be worth my time (which is ok), while others have become like family to me. My perspective on what truly makes a person important in my life is much different than it was before I came here, and I'm very comfortable in that.<br />
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On a different note, I've been over-worked lately, and I can feel it physically. Last week, I was in Ohrid for a week-long IST training session with Peace Corps, all the volunteers, and a lot of the counterparts. Emilija came with me, and we had so much fun together. I was constantly proud to have her by my side. I really love her and her family, and I think our relationship shows when we are together. Sadly, she had to go back to Kocani on Thursday, and I had to finish the training. By Friday, I was already tired and wanting to go home, but I couldnt. Instead, I had to get on a 3-hour bus ride to Skopje, because the National Spelling Bee was the next morning at 8am.<br />
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The "Bee" was great!! I was part of the committee, so I was there from 8am-6:30pm doing every job there was. We had over 900 children qualify, so we held a bunch of "mini bees," and then we held the final ones. I had 5 kids from Kocani compete, and all of them did a FANTASTIC job!! Even though they didn't win, I could not have been more proud. : ) After the Bee, I had to get on another 3-hour bus ride back to Kocani. In the 15 minutes I had to walk home with Lilika, I felt the exhaustion kicking in, and I just wanted to shut my eyes for days....but right now, I dont have that luxury, haha!!<br />
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This week is going to be packed, again. We've got an Easter show on Thursday, and my dance crew kids, "Local Gods," will be performing their new dance. The dance is seriously amazing...they've all worked so hard on it, and I cant wait to see how the public reacts. On Saturday and Sunday, I'm riding down to Greece with Bill and two students, so they can take the ACT test. We will hopefully enjoy a nice meal Saturday night in celebration of the Macedonian Easter, and then ride back home on Sunday. By the time I get back, I will need to begin packing my things, because on Wednesday I will MOVE INTO MY NEW APARTMENT!!<br />
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I'm a "hot mess" right now, but life is still really good..ya know?? I'm really happy....I'm really tired, but life is GOOD. I wish all the best to my family and friends back home on this Easter Sunday, and I'm looking forward to some new emails. : )Morgan Paigehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14637803507008536626noreply@blogger.com0