It's always something.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!!
Showing posts with label dance class. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dance class. Show all posts
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
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!!
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!!
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Where we left off....
Things are going great
The Patron's Day show was a huge success!! All of the dancers rehearsed their butts off the two days before the show, and it surely paid off!! I only have two of the dances uploaded online, and you can watch them here. The first video is the dance I was in.....originally, I wasnt supposed to be in the dance, but the other boy dropped out, so I took his place. It turned out just fine : )
and here is my largest group's dance:
The sense of pride I felt for all of my dancers made me feel like a mother....I can't explain the feeling.....just seeing them smile and feel so good about their dances made the last 7 months I've spent here all worth it!! My Director also gave me a big shout-out at the beginning of the show, giving me a lot of praise....it was awesome!! At the end of the show, they announced their thanks to all of the teachers, one by one. I was the last person to get announced, and the round of applause was remarkable. I felt 100% fulfilled, proud, and overall heightened. All of the teachers gave me big hugs and very nice compliments. My Director was just GLOWING over how well it went....it was a perfect evening.
What made it all even better was having 11 PC volunteers come into town to share in the excitement. Even our PC Director, Stephen, made it into town. I was so excited to share such a great night with everyone!! After the show, we went to eat as a group. Later, a few of us decided to hit up the Irish Pub, b/c there is always a live band that plays on Thursday nights there. But really.....having your colleagues come out and show their support is something really special. I'm so thankful for them!!
The rest of my weekend could not have been better. I spent some good time with Anna, just walking around and shopping. My school got together to further celebrate the Patron's event, and they all flooded me with hugs, kisses, food, and very kind words. I really feel appreciated and like I'm actually part of the team now!! HOW GREAT!! Furthermore, the students are now much warmer towards me. I have become very close with some of my students, and I just LOVE them to death. Walking on the street, I now am always having someone say hello to me, and it really makes me smile from ear to ear. I feel like everyone in the city now knows me.....like they finally know what I do here....and I feel really positive about that. I'm still the weird blonde American, but now I'm the weird blonde American who brought something new to the city. : )
I got to see CJ and Elena this weekend too. We went to a grand re-opening of a bar here...it wasnt really our scene, so we left almost immediately. We ran into Bobi and Ivan, my two dancing guys, and convinced them to join us at the pub instead. Normally, the people who go to the pub are older than 18, but my kids fit in perfectly there. Here, it is totally acceptable for the older students to drink in bars. This concept took me forever to understand and accept, and now Im thankful to have them around on a weekend night. They dont abuse liquor like most American teenagers...a lot of them dont even drink in the bars!
Anyways!! We danced, sang, and had a great time. The night ended with a hip-hop dance party in my apartment!! We all sat out on my porch, b/c the weather was perfect for it. I showed them photos of my friends and family from back home, and we plotted big plans for the "dance crew" we are forming. I went to bed feeling so lucky to have such great people here.
Today, things seemed to finally slow down a bit. I got my laundry done and the weather has finally allowed me to hang it all up outside : ) I had an AMAZING lunch at Emilija's house with her family, and we were able to watch the entire Patron's Day show, b/c she bought the DVD of it. We were both so happy with how things worked out, so we spent the entire time bragging, haha!!
The only bad news is I think I'm getting sick. My throat started hurting real bad today, and my body feels dead. I made myself some tea and soup, but I know one of the volunteers from this week had strep throat, so I hope I didnt pick it up. I'm going to try and take it easier this week, and hopefully I can shake off whatever illness is brewing inside of me. I have one last thing to leave you all with, and that is a beautiful photo that Lilika shot of me. (yes, I have bangs now) ајде!!!!
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
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.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Stable
This is about to be an awesome post.....
First and foremost, here is a new video:
First and foremost, here is a new video:
This video covers a little bit of everything, really. You'll see my home, covered in snow-meals I eat- packages I open- my dance studio- my photography kids' photos on display- and my dancers performing at Kango's show.
The show on Friday was fantastic!! I could not have been more proud of my dancers....THEY DID EXCELLENT!!!!! The show was a great success, and for the rest of the night, all of the musicians were giving shout-outs to the dancers, and even asking them to come dance some more. My girls took advantage of every opportunity to dance, and they even managed to get some photos with some celebrities. Here are some photos from the night:
Here are some of the photography kids' photos. They were paid for by the school, but already people are expressing interest in buying some of the prints!! Hopefully now, the kids can start pricing their photos : )
Left to right: Bobi (dancer), Emilija (counterpart), me, Stefani (dancer), Lilika (you all know Lilika)
I love this people. They keep me happy on a daily basis....I dont know what I'd do without them. <3
Emilija and Me : )
Me and some of my dancers!!
Left to right: Kango, Next Time (band) singer, Kango's daughter, Next Time (band) guitarist, Kango's daughter
Me and the guys from the band. They were awesome and sang a song from Nashville, which they dedicated to their "new friend." :D
In other news, Arnaud (French friend, which you'll see in the video) and I have been hanging out a lot more lately. We've been whipping up some killer meals, playing tennis, and sitting on my mini balcony, because the weather is finally hitting 50F!! I've also spent nearly ever single day in the dance studio with the dancers.....we have to get everything together before Thursday's big show!! I'm so excited for it!! I've got 8 volunteers coming into town for the event, and I think it'll just be great.
That's all I've got for now. I've very proud of my recent accomplishments, but even more proud of all my students who have worked so hard. My students are becoming like family to me....I simply adore them!!
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Gold Field
Again....another great day.
I dont want to make these posts run together and sound like all Im doing is bragging, but Im seriously having a great ride, as of lately. Today, I started my day working with some of my dancing kids at school. I met up with the Director and his Turkish friend prior to them going to the airport, and to my surprise, I was handed a big bag full of goodies!! The Turkish guy gave me a lot of pistachios and a huge box of pistachio baklava!! IT WAS AWESOME!! I shared my goodies with some of the ladies who were hanging around the office, before going back downstairs to work, but boy was that a nice surprise!!
Later, I worked with my breakdancing boys, and Stefani, the girl who is doing one of my hip-hop dances. The other kid, who is usually her partner, failed to show up to practice again, so Im debating on taking him out of the dance. Right now, the 3 of them look AWESOME. I may or may not decide to stand in for Bojan (the kid that's missing), or I may have one of the other dancers stand in for his parts. Doesnt matter really, because what's important is how good they looked today!! They looked great doing the dance together, and it really made me feel like things were pulling together like they should.
After work, I headed to the post office to pick up two packages. One was from my momma, and it was loaded with goodies!! I Skyped her, so she could watch me open everything, which made me very happy. The second box was from the wonderful men and women of Willowbrook, and again, that box was loaded with goodies!! I am now stocked with cookie mixes, seasonings, soup mixes, new socks, a new hat, fancy marshmallows, and some good 'ol American chocolate. I couldnt be happier. I ended up making some pasta with one of the seasoning packets, and then got comfortable in bed for an afternoon rest.
Suddenly, Arnaud (French friend) rang me and asked if I wanted to meet him in the center for a quick beer. Well, it was still the middle of the day, so I figured why not?! It was nice and sunny out (although still cold), but we managed to sit outside for the fresh air. We ended up running into Bill (the other volunteer in Kocani), and we managed to convince him to join us. What turned into a quick drink, led us to drinking rakija, accompanied with some fresh cucumber/tomato/cheese salads and kebabs. I really love being able to have the luxury of sitting outside with friends in the middle of the day....just because. We had some great conversations, and while walking home I just felt so good about where I was. Im lucky to have people like Arnaud and Bill close to me. Even Elena and CJ have become closer friends, and I find them venturing into my city more often. All together, I no longer feel like I have nothing here.....it's quite the opposite really.
I cant believe tomorrow is already Wednesday!! Ive been running around so busy like, I've found time to be moving much quicker. Patron's Day is now just a week away, and I think things will definitely slow down afterwards, but I'm excited for new horizons and opportunities that will follow....especially work-wise. I suppose the next time you hear from me, I will be telling you how my dancers did at the show on Friday. Till then, keep the emails coming. I love and miss you all : )
I dont want to make these posts run together and sound like all Im doing is bragging, but Im seriously having a great ride, as of lately. Today, I started my day working with some of my dancing kids at school. I met up with the Director and his Turkish friend prior to them going to the airport, and to my surprise, I was handed a big bag full of goodies!! The Turkish guy gave me a lot of pistachios and a huge box of pistachio baklava!! IT WAS AWESOME!! I shared my goodies with some of the ladies who were hanging around the office, before going back downstairs to work, but boy was that a nice surprise!!
Later, I worked with my breakdancing boys, and Stefani, the girl who is doing one of my hip-hop dances. The other kid, who is usually her partner, failed to show up to practice again, so Im debating on taking him out of the dance. Right now, the 3 of them look AWESOME. I may or may not decide to stand in for Bojan (the kid that's missing), or I may have one of the other dancers stand in for his parts. Doesnt matter really, because what's important is how good they looked today!! They looked great doing the dance together, and it really made me feel like things were pulling together like they should.
After work, I headed to the post office to pick up two packages. One was from my momma, and it was loaded with goodies!! I Skyped her, so she could watch me open everything, which made me very happy. The second box was from the wonderful men and women of Willowbrook, and again, that box was loaded with goodies!! I am now stocked with cookie mixes, seasonings, soup mixes, new socks, a new hat, fancy marshmallows, and some good 'ol American chocolate. I couldnt be happier. I ended up making some pasta with one of the seasoning packets, and then got comfortable in bed for an afternoon rest.
Suddenly, Arnaud (French friend) rang me and asked if I wanted to meet him in the center for a quick beer. Well, it was still the middle of the day, so I figured why not?! It was nice and sunny out (although still cold), but we managed to sit outside for the fresh air. We ended up running into Bill (the other volunteer in Kocani), and we managed to convince him to join us. What turned into a quick drink, led us to drinking rakija, accompanied with some fresh cucumber/tomato/cheese salads and kebabs. I really love being able to have the luxury of sitting outside with friends in the middle of the day....just because. We had some great conversations, and while walking home I just felt so good about where I was. Im lucky to have people like Arnaud and Bill close to me. Even Elena and CJ have become closer friends, and I find them venturing into my city more often. All together, I no longer feel like I have nothing here.....it's quite the opposite really.
I cant believe tomorrow is already Wednesday!! Ive been running around so busy like, I've found time to be moving much quicker. Patron's Day is now just a week away, and I think things will definitely slow down afterwards, but I'm excited for new horizons and opportunities that will follow....especially work-wise. I suppose the next time you hear from me, I will be telling you how my dancers did at the show on Friday. Till then, keep the emails coming. I love and miss you all : )
Monday, March 12, 2012
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!!
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!!
Sunday, March 11, 2012
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...
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...
Thursday, March 8, 2012
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.
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.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
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.
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 : )
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!!
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
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!!
Sunday, February 26, 2012
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!!
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!!
Friday, February 10, 2012
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 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.
Monday, February 6, 2012
It's already February?!
This winter is SO LONG. I can't stand the single digit temperatures anymore. I must admit, if it wasn't for my wool socks, some warm meals, my working boiler, and my expensive monthly electric bills from running my heater only at night....well I dont know how I'd survive. : )
Last week was really good and productive. Things are picking up slowly with my photography club. I dont have that many kids coming, although I have a lot that are interested. The kids that do want to participate seem committed and excited!! They told me things they want to learn, and I assigned their first theme last week. The dance space should be finished this week, which means I get to start using the space the following week. I am SO EXCITED for this!! I hope I can manage to get kids to actually come take classes. Fingers crossed!! Emilija also wants to kick-start a radio station for the school. Right now, I cant even begin to think or work on that idea, because it just seems like too much to take on, but I figure it's something I can do when the weather gets better.
We also have a few other projects in the works....for instance, we are in the midst of planning our epic Patron's Day event. We got A LOT to do for that. We also have a big project going on with the Freedom Monument space in our city. We are planning a clean-up project in conjunction with the Municipality. That will begin in the Spring. Finally, we may or may not have a qualifying event for the National Spelling Bee. I was elected on the National Spelling Bee Committee for this year, so I'll be doing the tech stuff, but I'd also like to see some of my kids up there competing!! I'm also working with two other teachers this week, which will make me busier than ever, but Im looking forward to staying busy. Being busy when the weather is so miserable makes the days go much quicker, and who can complain with that?!
This summer, I found out I'll be working as the videographer for the all girls camp, Camp GLOW. I'm hoping they will let me teach a photography workshop, or maybe some kind of volleyball class. All I know is I'm in charge of videoing, photographing, and blogging the entire week...I feel privileged that they asked me!! I'm also participating in the PC Magazine, Pauza. I wrote an article about my shitty toaster oven/hot plate combo, complete with recipes. Not sure when the next issue comes out, but I'll link you all the PDF version of it. : )
On a side note, I had an AWESOME day today. I started the day off with school stuff. My Model UN kids got together, and I spoke with two of my kids about getting them into college in America. I am going to assist them in applying, and it looks like I might even be going to Bulgaria with one of them, just so they can take the ACT test. Not one place in Macedonia offers that test, so our next option is Bulgaria. Anywho, after being at school for a while, I set out with Sara (who's in town for our meeting tonight) for a short shopping spree. I've been aching to buy some hair accessories, so I went and found a place that sells fun bobby pins and hair clips. I ended up with a few fun things, and only spent the equivalent of $4. Later we went to my favorite store to buy kitchen things. I LOVE this place...and not just because I've gotten all my best kitchenware there, but because the man and woman who run the place are awesome. For instance, when Sara and I got in, and I immediately went to look at the blenders, toasters, and coffee machines. The man pulled out a bottle of homemade cherry rakija and offered us all a glass. We enjoyed an afternoon rakija in order to "cure the cold" going on outside. (It's been 18F and snowing all day) From there, he helped me test the blenders.....see, I'd decided I was going to buy one nice thing for my kitchen, and I narrowed my best option down to buying a blender, solely for the fact I can make smoothies.
What I ended up with is the BEST PURCHASE EVER in this country:
I MEAN, HOT DAMN!! How awesome is that?! It comes with PARTY MUGS!! I was so elated, you just have no idea. I can do so much with it. That being said, after looking at the recipe book it comes with, we discovered it might be a knockoff version....the writing in the book is not exactly written in English....or maybe it was translated poorly. Who cares though...I have a blender!! So Sara and I bought kiwis and oranges, the only fruit you can get right now, and we poured in some juice as well. Voila!! We had some fantastic little smoothies, and I could not have been more pleased. This day was a major success!! Maybe next month I'll see if I can buy a grill or a coffee maker, but I dont want to get too ahead of myself :D
Ok, this blog post has been long and random, I apologize....no real organization going on in my mind right now. Let's hope this snow/cold spell, which by the way is on NATIONAL NEWS in America, goes away soon. Till next time...miss and love ya'll.
Last week was really good and productive. Things are picking up slowly with my photography club. I dont have that many kids coming, although I have a lot that are interested. The kids that do want to participate seem committed and excited!! They told me things they want to learn, and I assigned their first theme last week. The dance space should be finished this week, which means I get to start using the space the following week. I am SO EXCITED for this!! I hope I can manage to get kids to actually come take classes. Fingers crossed!! Emilija also wants to kick-start a radio station for the school. Right now, I cant even begin to think or work on that idea, because it just seems like too much to take on, but I figure it's something I can do when the weather gets better.
We also have a few other projects in the works....for instance, we are in the midst of planning our epic Patron's Day event. We got A LOT to do for that. We also have a big project going on with the Freedom Monument space in our city. We are planning a clean-up project in conjunction with the Municipality. That will begin in the Spring. Finally, we may or may not have a qualifying event for the National Spelling Bee. I was elected on the National Spelling Bee Committee for this year, so I'll be doing the tech stuff, but I'd also like to see some of my kids up there competing!! I'm also working with two other teachers this week, which will make me busier than ever, but Im looking forward to staying busy. Being busy when the weather is so miserable makes the days go much quicker, and who can complain with that?!
This summer, I found out I'll be working as the videographer for the all girls camp, Camp GLOW. I'm hoping they will let me teach a photography workshop, or maybe some kind of volleyball class. All I know is I'm in charge of videoing, photographing, and blogging the entire week...I feel privileged that they asked me!! I'm also participating in the PC Magazine, Pauza. I wrote an article about my shitty toaster oven/hot plate combo, complete with recipes. Not sure when the next issue comes out, but I'll link you all the PDF version of it. : )
On a side note, I had an AWESOME day today. I started the day off with school stuff. My Model UN kids got together, and I spoke with two of my kids about getting them into college in America. I am going to assist them in applying, and it looks like I might even be going to Bulgaria with one of them, just so they can take the ACT test. Not one place in Macedonia offers that test, so our next option is Bulgaria. Anywho, after being at school for a while, I set out with Sara (who's in town for our meeting tonight) for a short shopping spree. I've been aching to buy some hair accessories, so I went and found a place that sells fun bobby pins and hair clips. I ended up with a few fun things, and only spent the equivalent of $4. Later we went to my favorite store to buy kitchen things. I LOVE this place...and not just because I've gotten all my best kitchenware there, but because the man and woman who run the place are awesome. For instance, when Sara and I got in, and I immediately went to look at the blenders, toasters, and coffee machines. The man pulled out a bottle of homemade cherry rakija and offered us all a glass. We enjoyed an afternoon rakija in order to "cure the cold" going on outside. (It's been 18F and snowing all day) From there, he helped me test the blenders.....see, I'd decided I was going to buy one nice thing for my kitchen, and I narrowed my best option down to buying a blender, solely for the fact I can make smoothies.
What I ended up with is the BEST PURCHASE EVER in this country:
I MEAN, HOT DAMN!! How awesome is that?! It comes with PARTY MUGS!! I was so elated, you just have no idea. I can do so much with it. That being said, after looking at the recipe book it comes with, we discovered it might be a knockoff version....the writing in the book is not exactly written in English....or maybe it was translated poorly. Who cares though...I have a blender!! So Sara and I bought kiwis and oranges, the only fruit you can get right now, and we poured in some juice as well. Voila!! We had some fantastic little smoothies, and I could not have been more pleased. This day was a major success!! Maybe next month I'll see if I can buy a grill or a coffee maker, but I dont want to get too ahead of myself :D
Ok, this blog post has been long and random, I apologize....no real organization going on in my mind right now. Let's hope this snow/cold spell, which by the way is on NATIONAL NEWS in America, goes away soon. Till next time...miss and love ya'll.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
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
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
Friday, January 27, 2012
Just an update
It's been about a week since I last updated. Things were getting to be so busy there at the end of my winter break!! Alas, it was time to go back into work this week.
My first week back at work was a good one. Monday, I went and worked with people at the school about the dance studio space. They have been working hard to get it all cleaned out since then. Hopefully, this coming week will finalize what needs to be done: install mirrors, bars, and a new floor. If the pace continues, we'll be starting dance classes the following week!! I was also able to meet up with CJ and Bill (new volunteer who just moved back to Kocani...long story) to discuss the animal facility. I think we covered a lot in regards to what we could successfully accomplish. We have a basic structure to follow, so we will be taking baby steps with this project. With the help from CJ and Bill, Im feeling optimistic.
Tuesday and Wednesday I spent teaching with Emilija. Those are her longest days where we have all first year students. Although those days are really long, I really enjoy myself in the classroom with Emilija. Her and I simply have way too much fun together. All in all, the weekend was a great way to break back into the swing of things. Hopefully, once we get the dance space rolling, I'll spend more time back in the classroom. I'll also have my photo club on Mondays and Thursdays, which Im really excited to meet the kids who want to join.
Wednesday night was a big handball match (google it) between Macedonia and Serbia. Rob and I met up with my French friend, Arnaud, one of his friends, and a new Macedonian friend of ours who is actually from Kocani, but lives in Skopje. We all went out to this nice little restaurant I hadn't been to before to watch the match. I had a lot of fun that night!! We snacked on kebabs and shopska salads while drinking some good 'ol Macedonian beer. It felt normal, which made me feel really good....often times, it's still hard to feel normal here. Afterwards, I went home and Rob stayed out to watch some soccer with the guys. I'd felt guilty with him being cooped up all week, so Im glad he was able to get out that night too!!
Let's see....other things that happened this week.....
OH, I finally got my light fixture in the kitchen fixed. We havent had light in there for a couple of weeks now, and I was able to finally get the landlord to send someone over. Lilika was over for an afternoon visit, and then she got suckered into running errands for the man. I felt so bad for her!! We also installed a hanging orange lantern. I bought it in orange, b/c the carpets are all orange, but now the lantern makes the whole room shine with an orange light, it's so funny!!
I also learned how to make the most amazing pizzas EVER. I found some pre-made pizza crust, that looked iffy, but I decided to give them a try. I put on some tomato sauce, sliced up some salami and peppers, shredded some cheese, and sprinkled some oregano on top. The toaster oven did a surprisingly good job of cooking it perfectly. We loved the pizzas so much, we made them twice more by the end of the week. NEW COMFORT FOOD FOR ME!!
All in all, the week was a good one. We've had snow non-stop for a couple days....I've never lived with so much snow and ice. We've also just hibernated with watching movies on my computer, b/c there's really nothing else to do when it's so cold outside. Highs are in the 20s, and lows are around 10. This weekend, I've got my Mary coming in town to visit from Kumanavo!! Im so excited to see her!! We havent really since each other since our swearing in ceremony in November. It should be a great weekend.
Till next time!!
My first week back at work was a good one. Monday, I went and worked with people at the school about the dance studio space. They have been working hard to get it all cleaned out since then. Hopefully, this coming week will finalize what needs to be done: install mirrors, bars, and a new floor. If the pace continues, we'll be starting dance classes the following week!! I was also able to meet up with CJ and Bill (new volunteer who just moved back to Kocani...long story) to discuss the animal facility. I think we covered a lot in regards to what we could successfully accomplish. We have a basic structure to follow, so we will be taking baby steps with this project. With the help from CJ and Bill, Im feeling optimistic.
Tuesday and Wednesday I spent teaching with Emilija. Those are her longest days where we have all first year students. Although those days are really long, I really enjoy myself in the classroom with Emilija. Her and I simply have way too much fun together. All in all, the weekend was a great way to break back into the swing of things. Hopefully, once we get the dance space rolling, I'll spend more time back in the classroom. I'll also have my photo club on Mondays and Thursdays, which Im really excited to meet the kids who want to join.
Wednesday night was a big handball match (google it) between Macedonia and Serbia. Rob and I met up with my French friend, Arnaud, one of his friends, and a new Macedonian friend of ours who is actually from Kocani, but lives in Skopje. We all went out to this nice little restaurant I hadn't been to before to watch the match. I had a lot of fun that night!! We snacked on kebabs and shopska salads while drinking some good 'ol Macedonian beer. It felt normal, which made me feel really good....often times, it's still hard to feel normal here. Afterwards, I went home and Rob stayed out to watch some soccer with the guys. I'd felt guilty with him being cooped up all week, so Im glad he was able to get out that night too!!
Let's see....other things that happened this week.....
OH, I finally got my light fixture in the kitchen fixed. We havent had light in there for a couple of weeks now, and I was able to finally get the landlord to send someone over. Lilika was over for an afternoon visit, and then she got suckered into running errands for the man. I felt so bad for her!! We also installed a hanging orange lantern. I bought it in orange, b/c the carpets are all orange, but now the lantern makes the whole room shine with an orange light, it's so funny!!
I also learned how to make the most amazing pizzas EVER. I found some pre-made pizza crust, that looked iffy, but I decided to give them a try. I put on some tomato sauce, sliced up some salami and peppers, shredded some cheese, and sprinkled some oregano on top. The toaster oven did a surprisingly good job of cooking it perfectly. We loved the pizzas so much, we made them twice more by the end of the week. NEW COMFORT FOOD FOR ME!!
All in all, the week was a good one. We've had snow non-stop for a couple days....I've never lived with so much snow and ice. We've also just hibernated with watching movies on my computer, b/c there's really nothing else to do when it's so cold outside. Highs are in the 20s, and lows are around 10. This weekend, I've got my Mary coming in town to visit from Kumanavo!! Im so excited to see her!! We havent really since each other since our swearing in ceremony in November. It should be a great weekend.
Till next time!!
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