The Grand Opening

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

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

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

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

This is from Kanal 8

This one is from TVK

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

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

“Not all those who wander are lost.” 

– J. R. R. Tolkien

You think you can dance?

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

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

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

They practiced HARD for this trick!!

I love this : )

Petar can fly!!

Ivan is so proud of his head slide!

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

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

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

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

"We accept the love we think we deserve."

Stacks

I am officially living in my new apartment, and it is AWESOME!!

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
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.

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.

I was watching the clock...
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!!

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.

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.

That's all I've got. I hope all is well at home!! My momma comes in 3 weeks!!!! Cant wait!!

Round Here

I am SO TIRED.

This week has really flown by. I have been sick and busy all at once. I came down with a nasty cold, and I thought I even had strep, but I have become better after eating lots of soup and drinking lots of tea. One thing I have NOT gotten is rest. Lele...

Well, I got SPA grant application got approved (YAY!!!!!), but there were some needed amendments that were suggested in order for the grant to be final. I was given 2 weeks to make these adjustments, re-write the grant, and get some new forms signed. I began working on this immediately, however, after trying to open the files on a computer at school, ALL of my files became CORRUPT. ughhhh, so I spent hours re-writing everything. It was so exhausting. Currently, I'm not officially done with the revision of the grant, but I think I'm close. I hope to have it all final by Monday.

Emilija allowed me to take a break from English classes during the first half of the week, but I still found myself running around and staying busy with the grant. I also opened the dance studio so my dancers could still practice, even though I was not well enough to join them. Yesterday, my Director came to me with some excellent news: He found a new apartment for me.

HELL YEA!! New home?! I was so excited, so we agreed to check the place out together last night. The place is fantastic. It's perfect for me. It is the top floor of a beautiful house. I met the woman who lives downstairs, and she is an adorable little lady. She is the perfect person you would want as a landlord....the kind you can join for dinner or ask to borrow sugar from...we got along great. She showed me the upstairs, and immediately I was in love. THERE WAS ROOM. It has three rooms total, complete with two little balconies. There is wireless internet and TV. The kitchen is about the same as what I have now...still have the toaster over and hot plates. The bathroom, however, is a total upgrade!! It's got nice tiles and a washing machine. : ) The house itself is located the same walking distance away from school. It is located right across from the bus station, which is also right beside the two big grocery stores and a little veggie vendor area. It is a nice and quiet neighborhood. I love it.

I should find out tomorrow if Im officially approved for the apartment. Right now, it seems like it is going to work out. The landlady even said I could move in as early as April 18th!! Oh man.....no more walking up 89 steps every day. No more one room with no closets. No more MEAN landlord who never fixes a damn thing. No more of any of that.....I really want this new place.

In other news, I'm battling insomnia....quite literally. I cannot sleep. I dont know why. Even sleeping pills arent helping me. I hope it goes away, b/c starting this weekend, I will be GONE. I'll be out of town all weekend.....out of town all next week. Out of town for half the weekend....back in town for the following week, but then out of town AGAIN the next weekend (going to Greece!!!!!!), and then by the time I am back, I will have 2 days to pack and move!! Two weeks later, my momma will be coming to visit!! :D I still wish my sister could come...I really miss her, but she simply cant afford it. Ill be really sad when Im showing off my momma, but my sister isnt with me too. I hope she will find the money and time to make it later in the summer.

Ok...that's all for now. Wish me luck on the grant...and on the new apartment...and on all my traveling coming up. I may not update again for a while, but Im still reading all my emails from you all.

xoxo

T-minus Two Days

One of my dancing guys, Ivan, drew me a picture as a thank-you gift for all the dancing. Check it out:

Isnt that FANTASTIC?!?!?!?! I've never received anything like it. The gift simply made my day...I couldn't express how happy and thankful I was....it was just so nice of him.

Dance practice is going really well. I will have 4 dances in the big show, which is in TWO DAYS. Two of the dances are ones we do in Zumba class, and the girls seem to have those down really well. The third dance is a dubstep type of dance, which involved some hip-hop moves and the girls actually change formations a couple of times. The formations have been the most difficult thing to teach them so far, but they are catching on really fast!! The last dance is the big hip-hop dance. This is where I have my two breakdancing guys dancing with Stefani and myself. Originally, I wasnt in this dance, but the other kid who was dancing dropped out, which left me to take his place. It has worked out just fine, because I think the dance looks AWESOME!! I am really excited for all of the dances.

There's already been a lot of talk about what we will do after Patron's Day. Right now, I think we have a "dance crew," which will include the breakdancing guys, and about 4 or 5 girls. I really want to get more guys to dance, but Im having trouble finding ones that are interested. Hopefully, after everyone sees the show on Thursday, a lot more interest will be sparked. Even if we dont find more dancers, I am TOTALLY satisfied with the dancers I have....the possibilities are endless. 

In other news, my mom is booking her plane ticket to come see me!! I AM SOOOOO EXCITED!! She should be arriving around May 7th, and she should be staying about one week. I have not seen my mom since the beginning of September....by the time she gets here, it will have been 8 months!! I can't wait to bring her to school to meet Emilija, the Director, my students, and all of my dancers!! She will be like a celebrity, hahaha. I also plan on bringing her to see my host family in Lozovo. It's going to be a great time....just the thought of seeing her makes me happy. 

White Daisy Passing

You remember those cookies I said I'd made?? Well I only have 4 left!! Haha, I've been enjoying sharing them with everyone...I simply need to make more!!

The past 24 hours have been a blast. Last night, I ate home-made gnocchi and drank sparkling wine with Arnaud, my French friend. We even prepared some fresh tomatoes with mozzarella, which I havent had since America. It's funny too, because in America, I hated tomatoes. The tomatoes here (especially the ones from the warmer weather) taste so much better!! Anyways, we hung out chatting for hours on end, until I finally forced myself to walk home and pass out with a full belly. 

This morning, I worked with my breakdancing guys some, and then I later had my Zumba class. A couple of songs into the workout, I had some guy with a huge afro walk in. He approached me and explained how he is the "Jimi Hendrix of Macedonia." Apparently, he's like a Macedonian legend in the music world, and all the girls said he was well-known and popular. Well anyways, he asked if my Zumba girls would be willing to perform at his show on Friday night....I asked the girls to raise their hands if interested, and more than half the class raised their hands. So I guess my ladies will be dancing for the show!! His name is Kango:

Apparently, there are a lot of famous people going to this show, and the thing will last from 8pm-2am. I asked Emilija if she was going to go with me, b/c he handed me a VIP pass, but her son will be in Skopje for bronchitis, so I dont know if she will be around to go with me. Either way, I'm flattered that he asked my girls to dance, and I'm even more proud that they have the confidence to agree to dance!! I can't wait to watch them on stage...I'll be like a proud momma!!

After class, I decided to go upstairs and visit with the Director and his Turkish friend he's had in town. The Turkish guy is a big Salsa dancer and I think a world champion. He runs a dance school in Turkey, and we have been talking about bringing some of his dancers over for workshops and stuff. We've also discussed making a trip to Turkey to visit his school and get some workshops for ourselves, which I'm really excited about!! We ended up Salsa dancing in the office, followed by coffee, and more discussions over future plans for the dance studio. The vice Director even gave me the nicest compliment today. When I apologized for how I was dressed (b/c I'd just gotten done with the dance class), he said not to worry and that I always looked nice, no matter what I was wearing. I laughed and said, "no no you are lying." He said  that I always come in with a smile on and I'm always very positive. He then gave me a high-five handshake, and that compliment just made me feel fantastic!!

The last great thing that happened to me today, was I received a letter in the mail from one of my students. The letter was so sweet, it just made me glow. I showed my mom on Skype, when I got home, and she actually got a little teary-eyed over it. It was really sweet, and it is something I'll keep with me. : )

Well, that's all I've got. I'm exhausted, and my ankle is hurting me from jumping around too much. I plan on doing nothing but resting and eating in bed all night. : ) Night!!

Light Year

First off, I want to let everyone know I just made the most delicious chocolate chip cookies. Thanks to my momma sending me some Trader Joe's chocolate chips, I was able to construct some "super chewy" ones, thanks to an online recipe. Hot damn...these cookies are GOOD!!

Friday, I was at school for the majority of the day, working with some of the kids who will be performing in our big event. I made a short video based off their tricks, because I had too much fun watching them!!

I had a really good weekend. Friday was an easy night for me. I stayed in and rested, because I really felt like I needed it. I'd been running around all last week trying to get everything done, and all I wanted was a night alone to celebrate the completion of that damn grant. : ) Saturday was spent at school ALL DAY. I had a lot to do, and thankfully I have a Director who is cool enough to unlock the doors for me over a weekend. :D I taught a group of Zumba girls the opening dance for our Patron's Day event. They did an EXCELLENT job!! I was so proud of them. They learned the entire dance in an hour and a half. That night, I bought some fresh veggies. (FINALLY, veggies are coming back to life here!!) I made quite an epic dinner with some lovely company, watched a movie, and called it a night.

This week is going to be crazy busy, and next week is going to be worse. I need to get the show together....we still don't have enough acts, but that is hardly my responsibility, even though I feel like it is. I also switch back to first shift at school this week, so Ill be waking up at 6am again. : ( Finally, I will be practicing almost every day with all the dancers, AND I'll be beginning the adult night class this week. The constant exercise is doing wonders for my mental health, and spending more time with the girls keeps me happy as well. Again...still very happy right now.

Alright...that's all I've got!! More dinner tonight with more good company. Now if only the weather would get warm and sunny...

I'm really happy.

Can I just say I'm the happiest I've ever been while living in Macedonia-

Things are going so well. I'm truly SO happy right now with everything I have going on. I'm so busy with work, but it all feels so rewarding. Just this week, I finished writing the grant for the dance studio. Having completed that (and mailing it in tomo) is just such an accomplishment. On the same note, dance classes are still going really well. I have so much fun dancing with my ladies!! All of my girls are doing so well. Some of them have picked up a lot of the basic moves, so when we do new songs, they have no problem!! It's also brining me a lot closer to some of the girls, which is a blessing, because I love them all. To be completely honest, those classes are now my favorite part about every week.

The big Patron's Day event is coming up on March 22nd. Initially, I was in charge of just doing the dancing bits, and then helping Emilija get the English speeches and stage design set up....now, however, none of the other teachers have been doing anything to help. Therefore, Emilija and I are kind of up a creek in that we need to pull up the slack and get more talent in there!! Ive been working with two great kids on making a hip-hop piece, and just today, we had another awesome kid decide to join the dance with his awesome breakdancing skills. I also have a group of girls Im going to work with on Saturday for the Intro dance to the show. It's all based off Zumba moves, and I think the girls would be really good!!

I made a new friend this week!! Actually, I made a couple, but one in particular really stood out, and I think we might become really close. I had the most amazing little day adventure and ended the night with another local friend eating endless amounts of good food, drinking good wine, and just enjoying everyone's company. I love that Im beginning to have local friends. It makes me feel like I really have a home here....ya know?? I'm already beginning to have weekly traditions come about, like new Sunday dinners and weekly tennis matches, once the weather gets warm again!! I'm also spending a lot more time with someone who is becoming like a sister to me, and she knows very well who she is. : D

Lately, every talk with my mother has been about all the good things that are happening and how completely fulfilled I feel right now. At the end of each week, Im thankful to have the time to rest, but Im thrilled about everything new in the upcoming week. I know that things may die down after a month or two (even thought I hope they dont), but it's remembering weeks like these that will inevitably remind me why I'm here. Right now, I feel like my possibilities are endless.

Time to get dirty

Hey everyone, so guess who has water again?! THIS GIRL!! But let me just say....it wasnt easy.

People from the city had to actually come out to my apartment yesterday afternoon to fix the problem. Three men who spoke no English at all stood in my apartment, checking me out, looking at my stuff, and then talking about me in Macedonian, thinking I couldnt understand them. I decided to suck it up, because they were slowly fixing the water issue one step at a time. Sink- FIXED. Shower- FIXED. Washing machine- FIXED. Oh, but the toilet....nope, still not working. It required them to take apart some of the piping in the wall. I had some legit construction going on in there. Finally, they called me into the bathroom to show me part of the pipe they'd cut out. It had a solid chunk of black/brown matter stuck in it. Whatever it was had completely solidified, hence why I was getting no water.

As we are standing there assessing the problem, I realized the pipe sticking out of the wall was completely exposed and open. Suddenly, we were hit with a jet of water, much like what I'd imagine a fire hose would feel like, if struck by one. The force of the water slammed us into the walls and the door of my bathroom. Black and brown water flooded my bathroom and my hallway. The walls, floor, and quite frankly every single surface in the bathroom and the hallway was soaked in this black/brown gunky water. Unbelievable.

Here, you can see some of the aftermath. The photo simply doesnt do it justice. Once they fixed the problem, the maintenance men left. My landlord (who showed up after the flooding) decided the mess was simply not his problem to deal with, so I called Peace Corps. On the phone, my landlord explained to Manuela that the mess really "wasn't that bad." He kept saying it was nothing....really, like it wasnt a big deal at all. I was so livid, I grabbed the phone and demanded help. Manuela agreed to let me take out a small bit of cash out of my upcoming rent to pay for the cleaning supplies (ie. mop, chemicals, etc.) When I told the landlord this, he was pissed. He threw an utter fit and started trying to half-ass clean up the mess. The photo above is after his attempt of cleaning. The photo from above is what he thought was a job well-done. In fact, when I tried to take photos, he would try to stand in front of my camera, while shoveling chucks of black matter UNDER MY WASHING MACHINE, like it was just going to disappear down there. Eventually, he agreed to leave, and I ended up spending 2-3 hours cleaning up my bathroom. 

This morning, I woke up feeling really good about how clean my bathroom ended up becoming. I went to work, ready for the kids to participate in the National Spelling Bee qualifiers. Basically, in order for a kid to pass a qualifier, they must spell 10 English words correctly. So in each class, I had kids come up, one at a time, and try it out. The word list for the high school students is actually kind of tough!! I had SEVERAL kids who made it to their 8th or 9th word and then make a very small mistake and lose it all. I felt horrible for the kids who made it so close...I want to take them all with me to the Bee!! By the end of the day, I had two students successfully complete the challenge. I am hoping I will have more kids participate on Friday from different classes, although I'm not sure yet. I'm proud of all my students. I seriously had a lot of fun with all of them today!! Here are a few photos from the day : )

I personally like how it says "toilet business" on the board, even though that was not intentional. I also did not make this discovery until I uploaded the photos, and boy did I have a good giggle!! Anyways, this kid is one of the two who will be going to the National Spelling Bee to compete.

I think this is a great shot. Emilija took all the photos, and we are putting them on the Spelling Bee's site.

I like this one, because clearly something has made me laugh very hard.

Just a shot of one of my classes. This gives you an idea of what my classrooms look like.

One of my favorite classes. I just love them!!

Another class I adore!! The girl sitting beside me is the other student who will be competing. 

Anywho, it was a really good day!! I also found time to visit with my Director for a hot minute this morning. I begged him to help me find a new place to live. Seeing as how we dont have the classified ads in papers here, nor do we have CraigsList, the only chance I have of finding a new home is through word of mouth. He's promised to do everything he can to help me, so let's keep our fingers crossed!! There's also been a lot of talk around school about the dance classes. The class from Monday apparently has been quite the topic of conversation, and a lot of girls have already inquired about when the next class will be held. Tomorrow starts the first dance class with the other shift of students, and Im feeling confident this class will be just as great as the first one!! Starting next week, I will also provide a night class for the teachers, as most of them are very interested. : D 

Alright...that's all I've got for now. I'm hoping tomorrow will bring warmer temperatures, because today only brought more snow, and I'm really getting tired of the winter. I know all you guys in America are just living it up in your short-sleeve shirts, so you just hush! ; ) Ciao!!

Dance Class!! HOT DAMN!!

I had my first dance lesson yesterday, and it was AWESOME!!

I was seriously a bit nervous about how the class would turn out, but the second Emilija showed up in her workout clothes, I already felt a lot better!! She was super excited, and a lot of girls began to show up even 20 minutes early. We ended up beginning the class 5 minutes early, because I already had a huge crowd of ladies!! I was so pleased that I had such a good turn out....honestly, I wasnt sure how many would show up, but we had so many people we filled the room to the max!! I'm afraid some girls couldnt even participate, because there wasnt enough room.

I began the class with a simple warm-up. I even used the warm-up song we danced to in America, so I followed the same basic moves to get them stretched and ready to dance. I explained to them that all they had to do was follow me, and if they got confused on a step they just need to improvise. By the end of the first real dance song, I had a round of applause. I felt it was important to encourage the applause after every dance, in order to make everyone feel even better about their workout. The girls seriously kicked ass!! I was SO PROUD of everyone!! They all worked so hard, and they all kept up. After the first few songs, I asked if anyone needed a break, and they all shouted "NO!!" I gave them one after the next two though. :D

By the time we were taking our break, I observed how everyone was feeling. Everyone was talking about how good of a time they were having, and we had even managed to form a crowd of watchers who were simply curious. They'd never seen anything like it!! I even had one of the teachers downstairs with us for a majority of the class. What made me feel even better, was having everyone be so supportive of each other. Some of the girls giggled at some of the moves, but not in a negative way. They were having fun!! And sometimes, I noticed some girls having a hard time picking up a step, but they did what I said, and they improvised. Again, I cant tell you how proud and happy this made me.

By the end of the class, I turned on an Adele song that's really popular here. I cooled it down with some ballet, and then lead the last round of applause before thanking the ladies for joining me and doing so well. Emilija and Lilika came up to me with big smiles on their faces, and Emilija still wanted to dance more, haha. Everyone's faces were so red, we all looked like we had sunburns. I couldnt have been more pleased, and I dont think it could have been more successful. HOT DAMN!! :D

Today, I have a private lesson with some of the seniors for the Patron's Day event. I choreographed an awesome hip-hop piece that I'll begin teaching today. The girl I will be teaching came to class yesterday, so I know she will do a great job. Thursday will be the second day of Zumba classes, and that will be for the other shift of kids...so all new girls. I hope it goes as well as the first class. Then that night, I will be leading yet ANOTHER class, but this one will be for adults. Although having 3 Zumba classes a week, on top of having the 2 private classes a week, on top of teaching with Emilija, on top of running the Model UN, and on top of running the photo club is quite the load to handle, but it's making me feel excellent about my contribution to the school and the community. I already feel like I've achieved so much, and I can't say how proud I am.

Not to end things on a sour note or anything, but I STILL dont have any water at home. I'm getting really fed up with my apartment and my landlord. He acts like I'm stupid, and then he refuses to actually fix a damn thing. I am hoping today will fix everything, because it would be nice to flush my toilet, wash my clothes, or take a shower at home, rather then going to everyone else's house. So please, if you get bored today, take out a hot minute to send some positive thoughts my way, in the form of WATER. :D 

Cheers!!

2/26/12

Here's a video including events from the last couple of months....nothing too exciting, but you will see some of the people I am close with in it, as well as the Epiphany ceremony. If the sound doesnt work, I apologize : (

In other news, I had quite the eventful weekend. I feel like I say that in every single post...maybe I do, who knows...but I really did have a packed weekend!! Prior in the week, I was helping with the final touches with the dance studio. I'd been running around like a crazy woman, so I was looking forward to the weekend. I knew, however, that my weekend would not exactly be relaxing.

Saturday, I had to wake up at 4:45am to catch the bus into Skopje. By the time I got into Skopje, I was so tired!! 6 hours of sitting in meetings just about killed me, but I enjoyed working with the other volunteers. We were there to organize stuff for the Spelling Bee, and we ended up getting a lot done!! We got done by 4pm, and I rushed to catch the 4:30 bus back to Kocani. As soon as I got in, I hoped in a car with Emilija and her family. We were hoping to catch the end of the carnival in the city of Strumica.

Every year, this city celebrates this carnival, and it is a mixture of Halloween and Mardi Gras. Unfortunately, we missed the parades, but we were able to walk around the city for a while and observe everyone's costumes. Later, we visited with some of their friends, who were all dressed up like snakes. It was wild!! By midnight, Emilija and I were sleeping in the car as her husband ran around frantically trying to find one of their kids at a disco. By 1am, we were all sleeping in the car during the hour and a half ride home. At one point, I woke up to Emilija's daughter sleeping on me and Emilija sleeping on the other side of the car. We were all SO TIRED. Boy, it felt good when I got home that night!!

Sunday was a good day. I went over to Emilija's first thing in the morning. I havent had any water since Thursday (I know, it SUCKS), so she offered for me to take a shower at her house. Later, we ate some good food, sat around watching TV, talked about upcoming projects, etc. Suddenly, I got a call from my French friend, Arnaud (the one who has a Macedonian gf), and he was inviting me to come make tacos with them!! He's been asking me to make him tacos, since I always have his gf pick me up tortillas from her city, so I gladly accepted.

We ended up having 5 people joining in on the feast!! It was a blast!! We all sampled a couple of different good wines with our dinner, which was such a good way to relax. I showed them how to properly prepare the meat, salsa, and tacos. They LOVED the food!! We all ate so much food, it was just a perfect meal!! It's always wildly entertaining when I get together with him and his friends, because there are always 3 languages being spoken. We have English, Macedonian, and French going on, which I always find to be so funny. We always manage to communicate in some way or another, and I love them for that. Arnaud also has the best friends...I really enjoy the company he brings around. By the end of the night, we were enjoying some type of traditional drink from France made out of prunes and listening to Johnny Cash. Such a cultural experience, haha!!

Tomorrow starts the beginning of yet another busy week. I dont know how I will survive this week, but Im hoping that being busy will keep me sane, in a way. Tomorrow starts the beginning of my dance classes. Im actually really very nervous. Then on Tuesday, I have some private lessons for a hip-hop dance I've choreographed for our Patron's Day even coming up. Tuesday and Wednesday are also all-day classes for me. Thursday is more dance classes, along with more photo club. Then, this weekend, I may be going out of town yet again...we shall see.

Im feeling pretty good about things. Overall, Im always a little stressed, but in general I feel really good. Im hoping these dance classes will open up a door for me here and that the kids will enjoy and appreciate the classes as much as I will. I also plan on hopefully looking into finding a new apartment this week (shh!) : ) Alright....I need sleep. Sleep tight everyone!!

Bad days here suck

Man....I had an awful day yesterday. It all started with the weather.

IT WAS BEAUTIFUL OUTSIDE. You might be wondering why that upset me. I guess after living in the coldest winter known to man, waking up to 40 degree weather hit me like a brick. I instantly felt excited about being able to go outside. I thought "What do I want to do with my Sunday?" A list of things I can only do in America came to mind, making me instantly hysterical with homesickness. This is how my list began:

-Go to the dog park with Turtle
-Sit on the porch with my sister and the pups
-Invite friends over for "Sunday dinner" with Lauren
-Go to the farmer's market, and buy fresh veggies
-Get coffee with Aaron at Same and Zoe's
-Drive out and spend the day with my mom
-Play volleyball with Amanda, followed by Mexican food
-Drive somewhere, just to drive somewhere
-Etc, etc, etc...

So I cried. A lot. I havent had internet all week, but my phone occasionally picks up wireless, so I was able to get enough of a connection to call my sister at 6am her time. I told her about my frustrations for about a half an hour. Suddenly, Emilija called. She sounded so happy!! I killed her mood by crying to her as well. Thankfully, her mom instincts kicked in, and she was at my apartment within 10 minutes to rescue me.

It's really difficult for me to put my pride aside and admit when Im having a hard time. I also hesitate on telling people here, because Im afraid people will just think "OH, she's going to go home." The term "ET" here stands for "early termination." It is probably the most talked about subject among Peace Corps volunteers. People make bets on who will be the first or the next to go, and I hate feeling like I'm going to end up on someone's list one day. I don't even know why I care, but it adds to my refusal of wanting to talk to anyone about being homesick.

The thing is, I feel like I'm far more attached to my family back home than some people can understand. Some volunteers here are more independent from their families. Although I view myself as someone who is independent and strong, I have no shame admitting that I am deeply connected to my family and friends in America. Before coming here, I always spoke with my mom AT LEAST once a day. I saw her, my sister, and my grandmother frequently. My aunts and cousins also join in about once or twice a week for family dinners somewhere nice....not to mention, every holiday was another excuse for us to all get together over some good food and wine. I had a solid group of friends whom I saw regularly. My dog is the love of my life, and I planned everything in my life around spending time with her. I can't help but feel like I am missing out on so much by being here....like everything at home is changing drastically, and I'm missing all of it.

The thing is, I know I'm missing out on a lot. I know nothing will be the same when I get back. I also know I'm experiencing a lot by being here. I'm in love with my city, my counterpart, my school, and a select few individuals who have invested time in getting to know and support me. Some days, like yesterday, are far too overwhelming for me though. I often fight the urge to call my family, look at photos, of think about everything I miss. Then, some days, I cave.

When you are going through PC training, the admin people will often ask you how you will deal with being stressed, homesick, or depressed. Naturally, I answered honestly:
-I'll cook.
-I'll paint.
-I'll exercise.
-I'll find a new hobby.

What a volunteer is not aware of is the lack of resources for those activities. For instance, it's taken 5 months for me to find acrylic paint here. I just bought it last week while I was in Skopje. Yesterday, my first thought was to paint, however, I had no surface to paint on. Canvases don't exactly exist here, which leaves me with cardboard boxes or regular paper....not exactly fulfilling. So I decided to cook, which again provides a lack of resources. Although I must give myself credit for finding ways to cook a good meal here, on my bad days, I often want something familiar....like a casserole, yet they do not sell the required ingredients here. I cant even get fresh produce right now, other than apples, because of the winter. Even the cabbage here is turning brown. I then turn to exercising, which by the time I think about it, I cant even motivate myself. In America, I made myself go to the gym, but I dont have that option here. So instead, I find myself turning on a movie, which is exactly what PC told us not to do.

I know that the warmer days will be good for me. I know being outside is what I need. The dance studio should be final this week, which will provide the exercise I need. I also need to really get back into my other projects, like the animal facility. I know I'll have my bad days, and I know I'll have my good days. The purpose of this post is to vent without worrying what people will say, even if I end up on someone's ET list. I think it's important to be honest with yourself, especially through writing. Already, I feel MUCH better today.

Thank goodness for the weekend!!

I'm so glad it's Friday...I am looking forward to hibernating and staying warm in my apartment!!

It's snowing...again. It's currently 21F, which isn't that bad. The weather has made me come down with yet another cold. Runny nose, sore throat, cough, and exhaustion is how I'm ending my week. Thankfully, I've got the weekend to rest and catch up on my health. Already this week, I've made A LOT of smoothies, so I plan on continuing that healthy habit. My mom actually sent me a lot of Emergen-C packets, so tossing one into a smoothie is helping me too.

So I thought my exciting week was over, but I was wrong!! I've had quite the busy week. Last night, I had Lilika over. We spent the evening getting her registered to take the ACT test in April. Her and another student, Martin, will be taking the test together there. CJ and I will be accompanying them. Unfortunately for us, the closest center for testing is in Bulgaria....and not only that....it's on the coast of the Black Sea, which is about 11 hours driving distance from us!! леле....That being said, we will look into travel arrangements soon. For now, Im trying to concentrate on helping them both study. I am more than confident for both of them. I have no doubt they can and will both get into a good college in America. Im so excited to help them in this exciting step...I feel like a proud momma!!

Now onto today's news!! Today, I went to classes with another teacher, Lidija. I'm quite fond of her, because we seem very similar. She's my age, and her teaching style is similar to mine too!! Her classes were a kick. I loved them!! The kids asked me lots of fun questions, and we are now setting up a pen-pal system, so the can write back and forth with students at my old school. By the end of the day, I was ready to go home and eat, when suddenly I was summoned to the Vice Principal's office. I thought, maybe it had something to do with the dance studio (which should be done by Tuesday!!)

WELL....I get in there, and to my surprise the news crew was there. The woman standing there explained they wanted to interview me. They wanted to ask about the projects I was involved in and how I was liking the school and city. Delightfully surprised, I agreed to do an interview. Suddenly, I realized I was going to have to do it in Macedonian.

во македонски? (In Macedonian?)
да... (Yes..)
еее....јас зборувам лош македонски. (Umm...I speak bad Macedonian)
но ти разбираш многу. нема проблем!! (But you understand a lot. No problem!!)

I just sighed....got really nervous...starting pacing. The Vice Principal kept telling me I spoke fine and that I'd do well. Suddenly, Emilija opened the office door. WHAT A RELIEF!! Seriously, thank goodness for her showing up. From there, I attempted to do the interview in my poor Macedonian, but it was too bad. Instead, the woman interviewing me had Emilija sit to the side and translate, which allowed me to answer her questions in English. They asked about the projects I was involved in, how I liked my students, what I wanted to accomplish in my two years here, and then they told me it was impressive that I used to dance ballet. I don't know what I would have done without my lovely counterpart, because she definitely translated my responses so well.

Unfortunately, I don't have a television. I told the reporter that, and she was shocked!! Hahaha They agreed to put the segment on a CD and bring it to the school for me. I told them "мајка ми ќе сака да гледа." (My mother will want to see!) They laughed. Later, I went and chatted with some of the admin staff. The secretary brought up AGAIN how interesting it was for me to have a conversation with the Minister of Education. hahahaha, he kept wanting to know what on earth we'd said to each other. It was a great note to end my week on.

Next week should be BUSY. I'm hoping it wont be busier....I've got to be in Skopje on for the first of the week. Then, the school will be getting evaluated. Beginning Thursday, the dance classes are supposed to begin. Im honestly very nervous about beginning classes. What if no one shows up?? What if they show up once, but not again?? What if they dont like the classes?? What if I get a mental block during class?? And most of all, how on earth am I going to choreograph and teach a dance by March 22nd?? It's quite the task to take one, especially with all the other projects at hand, but I am SO excited to have such a unique opportunity. I am constantly thankful for the PC placing me in what is clearly the perfect city for me.

It's almost been 5 months....WEIRD.

Things are really shaping up at school!! I so excited about all the little projects I've got going on already.

The entire space in the basement of the school is all cleared out now. It already looks so different!! I have a big room all for dancing. This week and next, they are installing full-length mirrors and ballet bars. We are also putting a rug in one corner, along with some tables and chairs. I'll hook my computer up to some speakers, and off we go!! I'll be teaching beginners ballet at first. Later, I will begin teaching waltz for a dance we have near the end of the year. I'm also trying to figure out if I can do some kind of "zumba" class down there....I figure, worst case scenario is I'll be down there zumba-ing it up, and if kids feel inclined to learn and join, then the more the merrier!! I'll convince Lilika and Emilija to at least join me : )

I also had my first photography club meeting this week!! Only a few kids showed up, but I blame that on the fact the posters didn't get up until Friday, so a lot of kids weren't even aware of it. I have another meeting this Thursday....I have to have everything twice a week, because the school has two shifts....it's difficult having an activity that all kids can attend, so my only bet it to hold each activity twice. The shifts overlap, so I really have no other option, but that's fine. I've already had a few of my kids approach me today about the club, and I even have some kids coming from another school to join us. I'm so excited!! We will be having themes each week. Kids will have to shoot according to the theme, and then the following week we will observe and critique the work. I'll also give some techniques lessons, and I'm trying to plan monthly excursions for photo opportunities.

We also have this huge event coming up on March 22nd. It will by our school's Patron's Day, and it is being held in Kocani's Cultural Center. I designed and printed some invites this week to be sent out to the US Embassy. We are expecting an elaborate turnout!! I need to choreograph at least once dance for the event, as well as prepare the other acts that will be shown on stage. I also plan on exhibiting a lot of the kids' work from the photo club at the event. Actually, I plan on exhibiting their work all over town!! Anywho...point is, I've got a lot on my plate and a lot to look forward to. I simply prefer being busy...who doesnt?? And I NEED this right now....the winter here is just killing me, mentally.

Off topic, my friend Mary came in town last weekend for a night. We had a blast!! For lunch, we went out to the nice restaurant that overlooks the dam, just outside of Kocani. Afterwards, I was able to have some one-on-one time with Mary over some mulled wine in the center. LAter that evening, a group of us went to the Irish pub. I have to admit, the first and only other time I've been there made me unimpressed. HOWEVER, this time I simply fell in love with the place. It felt like a typically nice bar we have in the states. Mary and I got cocktails (which I NEVER get to do), and we sang along with Blink182 and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was 2am by the time we made our way home, and I could not have been more satisfied. I have missed her more than I realized. I'm glad to have a piece of home here with me.

I've been talking to my mom and sister about their inevitable visit over here!! Looks like they will be coming sometime in May, which works out really well for me. The weather will be SO MUCH better, and school will be winding down a bit. They should be coming in for a week or so, which won't give us a whole lot of time, but it's something I cannot look forward to enough!! Not seeing my family for so long is harder than I'd imagined it would be...thank goodness for Skype. On the same topic of travel, I've got my old roomie from New Orleans, Chad, coming into town in June. We will be island hoping in the Greek Isles for about a week or so, and then hopefully hitting up Italy for a hot minute as well. I'm excited to finally use my location to its advantage.

That's all I've got....I'm not getting as many emails from everyone though...gotta say, I little disappointed and missing my family. Send me an email just saying hello...nothing fancy.  : ) Miss ya'll

It's almost been 5 months....WEIRD.

Things are really shaping up at school!! I so excited about all the little projects I've got going on already.

The entire space in the basement of the school is all cleared out now. It already looks so different!! I have a big room all for dancing. This week and next, they are installing full-length mirrors and ballet bars. We are also putting a rug in one corner, along with some tables and chairs. I'll hook my computer up to some speakers, and off we go!! I'll be teaching beginners ballet at first. Later, I will begin teaching waltz for a dance we have near the end of the year. I'm also trying to figure out if I can do some kind of "zumba" class down there....I figure, worst case scenario is I'll be down there zumba-ing it up, and if kids feel inclined to learn and join, then the more the merrier!! I'll convince Lilika and Emilija to at least join me : )

I also had my first photography club meeting this week!! Only a few kids showed up, but I blame that on the fact the posters didn't get up until Friday, so a lot of kids weren't even aware of it. I have another meeting this Thursday....I have to have everything twice a week, because the school has two shifts....it's difficult having an activity that all kids can attend, so my only bet it to hold each activity twice. The shifts overlap, so I really have no other option, but that's fine. I've already had a few of my kids approach me today about the club, and I even have some kids coming from another school to join us. I'm so excited!! We will be having themes each week. Kids will have to shoot according to the theme, and then the following week we will observe and critique the work. I'll also give some technique lessons, and I'm trying to plan monthly excursions for photo opportunities.

We also have this huge event coming up on March 22nd. It will by our school's Patron's Day, and it is being held in Kocani's Cultural Center. I designed and printed some invites this week to be sent out to the US Embassy. We are expecting an elaborate turnout!! I need to choreograph at least once dance for the event, as well as prepare the other acts that will be shown on stage. I also plan on exhibiting a lot of the kids' work from the photo club at the event. Actually, I plan on exhibiting their work all over town!! Anywho...point is, I've got a lot on my plate and a lot to look forward to. I simply prefer being busy...who doesnt?? And I NEED this right now....the winter here is just killing me, mentally.

Off topic, my friend Mary came in town last weekend for a night. We had a blast!! For lunch, we went out to the nice restaurant that overlooks the dam, just outside of Kocani. Afterwards, I was able to have some one-on-one time with Mary over some mulled wine in the center. Later that evening, a group of us went to the Irish pub. I have to admit, the first and only other time I've been there made me unimpressed. HOWEVER, this time I simply fell in love with the place. It felt like a typical nice bar we have in the states. Mary and I got cocktails (which I NEVER get to do), and we sang along with Blink182 and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was 2am by the time we made our way home, and I could not have been more satisfied. I have missed her more than I realized. I'm glad to have a piece of home here with me.

I've been talking to my mom and sister about their inevitable visit over here!! Looks like they will be coming sometime in May, which works out really well for me. The weather will be SO MUCH better, and school will be winding down a bit. They should be coming in for a week or so, which won't give us a whole lot of time, but it's something I cannot look forward to enough!! Not seeing my family for so long is harder than I'd imagined it would be...thank goodness for Skype. On the same topic of travel, I've got my old roomie from New Orleans, Chad, coming into town in June. We will be island hoping in the Greek Isles for about a week or so, and then hopefully hitting up Italy for a hot minute as well. I'm excited to finally use my location to its advantage.

That's all I've got....I'm not getting as many emails from everyone though...gotta say, I little disappointed and missing my family. Send me an email just saying hello...nothing fancy.  : ) Miss ya'll