Friday, January 20, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Epiphany Ceremony in Kocani
Today was an epic day!!
Today was one of the big national holidays in Macedonia. It's called the Epiphany celebration, which is in memory of the day Jesus was baptized......on this day, every city sets up shop on its body of water that flows through the town. Priests come and bless the waters. People from all over show up. The priests then bless a small cross before throwing it into the icy waters below. Following the throw, people jump into the waters in hopes of retrieving the cross. The person who catches or finds the cross is said to receive good health and fortune for the entire year. The person who catches the cross then has a few weeks to visit every catholic home. At each home, families are expected to pay at minimum 10 denar to the person. Some families end up paying much more, and some even offer some big bucks in hopes that the person will actually stay the night in their home that night with the cross. All in all, I find the tradition to be extremely interesting!!
So Rob and I set out early this morning in order to get a good spot for the event. We got out there around 9:40 in the morning, and by 10, people were already lined up and down the water. By the time the actual event began, my toes were frozen solid, and people were pressed so hard up against me in order to find a good view of the jump that was to come. We listened to the priest bless the town, the people, and the water. Suddenly, he threw the cross, and about 60 young men jumped into the water below!! I dont know for certain the actual temperature of the water, but I can tell you that there was about an inch of ice over the top of the water....if that says anything about how cold it was!! I was able to capture the entire event on camera, while Rob videoed. Here is the online album from the event:
Cross Throwing Photos
Afterwards, we grabbed a quick cup of tea in the center before heading home for an afternoon nap. Later in the day, we were invited over to my Director's house for an evening of snacking and drinking. We were once again welcomed with the FANTASTIC Bulgarian wine, Bear's Blood. He also ordered some pastrmajlija (google it!!) and presented us with some spicy peppers, homemade sausages, and pickled veggies. We ate and drank for 6.5 hours, and it was a perfect evening!! 3 bottles of wine later, we found ourselves full and satisfied. We slowly made our way home before recounting the amazing events of the day.
Day by day, I find myself amazed at the events I've already witnessed and been a part of in this wonderful country. So many of the experiences are unique in their own ways, and I find myself blessed to be surrounded with people who are so willing to share their hospitality. As most volunteers here may say, I think my placement in Kocani has by far proved to be the perfect place for me. It feels like a home to me, and days like today make me even more excited for the months that will follow.
Next week sparks the beginning of a new semester at school. Our winter break will be over, and my new schedule with the school will begin. On Mondays and Thursdays, I'll be setting up a new dance studio in the basement of the school, running a photo club, leading the Model UN, and meeting with the mayor (fingers crossed) about starting a local animal rescue. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, I'll be spending my hours in the classroom, helping my fantastic counterpart. Fridays, I hope will be my flexible day, where I'll simply be where ever I am needed. I'm overly optimistic about the prospects I have in my immediate future....now it's all about putting them into action!!
I simply had to share my good mood with all of you. Hope you all are well. SEND ME EMAILS : )
Today was one of the big national holidays in Macedonia. It's called the Epiphany celebration, which is in memory of the day Jesus was baptized......on this day, every city sets up shop on its body of water that flows through the town. Priests come and bless the waters. People from all over show up. The priests then bless a small cross before throwing it into the icy waters below. Following the throw, people jump into the waters in hopes of retrieving the cross. The person who catches or finds the cross is said to receive good health and fortune for the entire year. The person who catches the cross then has a few weeks to visit every catholic home. At each home, families are expected to pay at minimum 10 denar to the person. Some families end up paying much more, and some even offer some big bucks in hopes that the person will actually stay the night in their home that night with the cross. All in all, I find the tradition to be extremely interesting!!
So Rob and I set out early this morning in order to get a good spot for the event. We got out there around 9:40 in the morning, and by 10, people were already lined up and down the water. By the time the actual event began, my toes were frozen solid, and people were pressed so hard up against me in order to find a good view of the jump that was to come. We listened to the priest bless the town, the people, and the water. Suddenly, he threw the cross, and about 60 young men jumped into the water below!! I dont know for certain the actual temperature of the water, but I can tell you that there was about an inch of ice over the top of the water....if that says anything about how cold it was!! I was able to capture the entire event on camera, while Rob videoed. Here is the online album from the event:
Cross Throwing Photos
Afterwards, we grabbed a quick cup of tea in the center before heading home for an afternoon nap. Later in the day, we were invited over to my Director's house for an evening of snacking and drinking. We were once again welcomed with the FANTASTIC Bulgarian wine, Bear's Blood. He also ordered some pastrmajlija (google it!!) and presented us with some spicy peppers, homemade sausages, and pickled veggies. We ate and drank for 6.5 hours, and it was a perfect evening!! 3 bottles of wine later, we found ourselves full and satisfied. We slowly made our way home before recounting the amazing events of the day.
Day by day, I find myself amazed at the events I've already witnessed and been a part of in this wonderful country. So many of the experiences are unique in their own ways, and I find myself blessed to be surrounded with people who are so willing to share their hospitality. As most volunteers here may say, I think my placement in Kocani has by far proved to be the perfect place for me. It feels like a home to me, and days like today make me even more excited for the months that will follow.
Next week sparks the beginning of a new semester at school. Our winter break will be over, and my new schedule with the school will begin. On Mondays and Thursdays, I'll be setting up a new dance studio in the basement of the school, running a photo club, leading the Model UN, and meeting with the mayor (fingers crossed) about starting a local animal rescue. On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, I'll be spending my hours in the classroom, helping my fantastic counterpart. Fridays, I hope will be my flexible day, where I'll simply be where ever I am needed. I'm overly optimistic about the prospects I have in my immediate future....now it's all about putting them into action!!
I simply had to share my good mood with all of you. Hope you all are well. SEND ME EMAILS : )
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Vevcani Carnival 2012
Well, I've successfully survived Vevcani's carnival, and it was a blast!! Here's the video, although I suggest you watch it AFTER you read this.
Vevcani video
We stayed in an AMAZING place, called Villa Boban. The entire first day there, we basically just enjoyed our accommodations. We walked around the waterfront and ate at a fancy place, where I totally ordered a steak. We ate so much food and drank so much wine, we ended up in bed by 11.
The next morning, we decided to take ourselves on a walking tour through the old part of town. In Ohrid, there are 365 churches, one for every day of the year. While walking through the old part of town, you find churches on every corner!! Some are extremely old and tiny, while others are old and big. They are all elaborate and unique. Our personal favorite is this one:
Vevcani video
VEVCANI CARNIVAL 2012!!
Ok, so this is just a preview : )
So our trip began with a 6hour bus ride down to the beautiful town of Ohrid:
The next morning, we decided to take ourselves on a walking tour through the old part of town. In Ohrid, there are 365 churches, one for every day of the year. While walking through the old part of town, you find churches on every corner!! Some are extremely old and tiny, while others are old and big. They are all elaborate and unique. Our personal favorite is this one:
Check out that view!!
Our walk took almost all day, and a lot of it was uphill, which made for quite a hike. Thankfully the weather was nice, and we had some excellent suggestions from the people who ran our Villa. We were able to find little hidden walkways and bridges that took us along the water.
We ate, relaxed, took photos, and drank lots of coffee. By midday, we were pooped!! That night, we went out for another nice dinner in the old part of town, only to hit the hay early again. The next morning, we woke up to a snow storm.
This is the view from our villa. We were honestly shocked when we woke up, because we were supposed to head out to Vevcani that day!! We had at least a couple feet of snow, and the roads were COVERED in ice!! We went and spoke with the people running our villa, and we learned we were really going to have to be creative in getting to Vevcani. To make matters worse, Rob did NOT have appropriate shoes, so our host handed him some of his own Italian leather boots to borrow!! Sometimes, I'm just shocked by the hospitable people here!!
Before you knew it, we were in an illegal taxi, hoping a ride into Struga. From there, we stood in the snow for about an hour, before a combi came and swooped us up!! We made it into Vevcani, but the bus was unable to properly take us up the hills leading into the village, because the ice was just too bad. At one point, the bus was spinning slightly on the ice, so the driver decided to back up and try and run it up the hill. Yea...it didnt work. Regardless...we managed to walk the rest of the way.
Vevcani is built on the side of a mountain. For this reason, it provided some of the most breathtaking landscapes, but so of the most snow and ice I've ever encountered in my life. The temperature that day got down to -6 Fahrenheit. SO COLD!!!!
Anywho!! Once we got there, we had to find the other volunteers. I called Sara, and she said "We are drinking rakija with some trees." Intrigued, we decided to wander the village until we found them. The hills in the village were like veins in a body. They connected every inch of the community, but often times would lead us in complicated twists and turns that eventually lead us back to the same places we were before. We'd pass people in costumes, who were always in character, and we'd pass people going about their daily lives, just trying to shovel the snow from their doorsteps. We decided to wait on a corner, because we hear music approaching us. Eventually, we were hit with quite the crowd!!
The costumes follow a type of Pagan tradition. It's almost all men who participate. There are themes that follow the costumes...some of them being demons, some of the them extremely crude, and some of the mocking some present issue. Regardless of the costume, everyone was in character at all times. The monsters would come up and growl in your face, and even kids were involved!!
After a while of watching, we finally managed to find "the trees!!"
We continued the rest of the day, hanging out with the trees. We were also joined by walruses, Nazis, Osama, various devils/monsters, and the Taliban. We went around and visited numerous houses with these people. At each house, wine, rakija, beer, and brandy were served. Fresh cuts of meat and cheese were provided, along with some bread and fruit. Our visit to each house only lasted about 10 minutes at a time, if that.
Quite frankly, our entire experience was really quite remarkable!! I believe the only reason we were invited to become part of these peoples' lives on this day was because we spoke some Macedonian. Most of them knew who the Peace Corps was, and they loved the fact that we made it to their village for the event!! Throughout the day, I kept thinking "wow....this kind of stuff just doesnt happen."
By midday, most of the characters throughout the village gathered in the center, where they did a type of parade, where everyone pretty much danced around the center. This part last for hours, and the view of it all was amazing. In the very center, people were burning their masks and/or other parts of their costumes, which is part of the tradition.
By the time the sun was going down, we were all feeling extremely tired, a little intoxicated, and very hungry. A few of us were invited to join one of the trees back to his house with some of the other characters from the day. Upon our arrival, we were greeted with more food and drinks. We spent hours at this house, and I once again found myself amazed at the hospitality. Where on earth can you find yourself in a village on the side of a mountain, eating homemade chicken with a local family and their friends?? They love sharing their lives and their culture, and sometimes you just have to soak it all in.
My experience in Vevcani was one of the most unique I've ever had in my life. Even in writing this particular update, I find that words just cant do it justice.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Macedonian Xmas
Video!!
Macedonian Christmas
It's been a hot minute since I last updated, because we've been busy!!This past weekend, we traveled down to my original home of Lozovo to celebrate the Macedonian Christmas with my Macedonian family.
Macedonian Christmas is very similar to our Xmas: you visit with friends and family, you drink, and you eat. That's about it. And that's exactly what we did. Friday, we got in early in the day, so we took our first opportunity to visit some people. My "brother" (the volunteer who had my family the year prior to me) also came in for the holiday, so we spent the rest of the evening catching up with him and the family at home. That night, all of Lozovo throws bonfires. I think there were 5 total around the village, but the largest one just so happened to be right by my house. We spent a few hours there drinking and dancing the Oro around the massive bonfire. I was able to see LOUIE (basset hound), who I swear recognized me. We had a moment too, hahaha. Afterwards, we headed over to the fire on Kenzie's side and stayed there until sometime after midnight. Rob and I went back home only to discover we had to sleep in the coldest rooms EVER. I cannot exaggerate how damn cold these rooms were....
Well for starters, I could see my breath in my room. I had my own room with a pullout couch, and Rob and Chris got my old bedroom. Neither bedrooms have heaters....why we didn't is beyond me. It was below 20F outside. So I'm standing there trying to figure out how exactly this was going to work. Rob and I decided to layer. We each had on 3-4 shirts, long johns, pants, two paris of socks, and a jacket. I'd brought my sleeping bag, so I crawled into the sleeping bag with all my clothes on and could hardly move. To make matters worse, having my face exposed wasn't fun. My lungs felt cold whenever I woke up trying to roll over. And to be completely honest, every single night was like this, and it was unbearable to sleep like that..
For the next two days, we sat around at home eating and drinking. We were woken up with fish and rakija on Friday. It's a day where they dont eat any meat or milk products. We snacked for hours before heading out to visit some people. The weather was heavy wind and rain, which we got soaked in walking through it. Each house had a warm room to retreat to though, so we took advantage of that!! That night, we gathered with the family for the traditional Xmas meal, where the family bakes a loaf of bread with a coin in it. The person who got the coin last year breaks off pieces of the bread for each member of the family (including pets), as well as a piece for the house itself. Once this part is done, the family members see who got the coin. In our case, we all got the coin, because my host dad tore off too small of pieces, so we had this big chunk of bread leftover. Of course, that piece had the coin in it. : ) So from there, whomever gets the coin is supposed to put it in a glass of wine and drink from the glass. Getting the coin is supposed to bring you good luck and health all year. It was a special night to share this with our family.
The next day was pretty relaxing. We were able to eat meat again, so we had some chicken and pork with more bread and some other foods. Milevka's family came over, and we spent the day playing cards, watching TV, and of course eating some more. That night, I intentionally went to bed early so I could wake up early to make it back to Kocani. All in all the weekend was nice and relaxing...if it hadn't been for those cold bedrooms, I know we would have been much more comfortable...looking forward to going back when it's warm again, that's for sure!!
Since we've gotten back to Kocani, we've spent the majority of our time resting in my warm apartment. Sleeping in the cold made my cold from last week linger a little longer, so I needed to rest. As always, things are breaking left and right in the apt, but we are making the best of it, haha!! I successfully made baked apples for the first time, and we've eaten the hell out of some Ranch dip as well. All in all, the last two days have made me feel a lot better. This week, we set out for Vevcani and Ohrid. We ride out on Thursday down to Ohrid with my friend Anna. There, we will stay for two nights enjoying the city. (google it!!) On Saturday, we will ride into Vevcani for the 2nd day of the carnival. That night, I think we are getting together with the other volunteers to celebrate Claire's bday. Should be a great weekend....Im honestly really looking forward to it.
Well that's all I've got for now!! I'll have a ton of photos and videos coming soon!! : )
Macedonian Christmas
It's been a hot minute since I last updated, because we've been busy!!This past weekend, we traveled down to my original home of Lozovo to celebrate the Macedonian Christmas with my Macedonian family.
Macedonian Christmas is very similar to our Xmas: you visit with friends and family, you drink, and you eat. That's about it. And that's exactly what we did. Friday, we got in early in the day, so we took our first opportunity to visit some people. My "brother" (the volunteer who had my family the year prior to me) also came in for the holiday, so we spent the rest of the evening catching up with him and the family at home. That night, all of Lozovo throws bonfires. I think there were 5 total around the village, but the largest one just so happened to be right by my house. We spent a few hours there drinking and dancing the Oro around the massive bonfire. I was able to see LOUIE (basset hound), who I swear recognized me. We had a moment too, hahaha. Afterwards, we headed over to the fire on Kenzie's side and stayed there until sometime after midnight. Rob and I went back home only to discover we had to sleep in the coldest rooms EVER. I cannot exaggerate how damn cold these rooms were....
Well for starters, I could see my breath in my room. I had my own room with a pullout couch, and Rob and Chris got my old bedroom. Neither bedrooms have heaters....why we didn't is beyond me. It was below 20F outside. So I'm standing there trying to figure out how exactly this was going to work. Rob and I decided to layer. We each had on 3-4 shirts, long johns, pants, two paris of socks, and a jacket. I'd brought my sleeping bag, so I crawled into the sleeping bag with all my clothes on and could hardly move. To make matters worse, having my face exposed wasn't fun. My lungs felt cold whenever I woke up trying to roll over. And to be completely honest, every single night was like this, and it was unbearable to sleep like that..
For the next two days, we sat around at home eating and drinking. We were woken up with fish and rakija on Friday. It's a day where they dont eat any meat or milk products. We snacked for hours before heading out to visit some people. The weather was heavy wind and rain, which we got soaked in walking through it. Each house had a warm room to retreat to though, so we took advantage of that!! That night, we gathered with the family for the traditional Xmas meal, where the family bakes a loaf of bread with a coin in it. The person who got the coin last year breaks off pieces of the bread for each member of the family (including pets), as well as a piece for the house itself. Once this part is done, the family members see who got the coin. In our case, we all got the coin, because my host dad tore off too small of pieces, so we had this big chunk of bread leftover. Of course, that piece had the coin in it. : ) So from there, whomever gets the coin is supposed to put it in a glass of wine and drink from the glass. Getting the coin is supposed to bring you good luck and health all year. It was a special night to share this with our family.
The next day was pretty relaxing. We were able to eat meat again, so we had some chicken and pork with more bread and some other foods. Milevka's family came over, and we spent the day playing cards, watching TV, and of course eating some more. That night, I intentionally went to bed early so I could wake up early to make it back to Kocani. All in all the weekend was nice and relaxing...if it hadn't been for those cold bedrooms, I know we would have been much more comfortable...looking forward to going back when it's warm again, that's for sure!!
Since we've gotten back to Kocani, we've spent the majority of our time resting in my warm apartment. Sleeping in the cold made my cold from last week linger a little longer, so I needed to rest. As always, things are breaking left and right in the apt, but we are making the best of it, haha!! I successfully made baked apples for the first time, and we've eaten the hell out of some Ranch dip as well. All in all, the last two days have made me feel a lot better. This week, we set out for Vevcani and Ohrid. We ride out on Thursday down to Ohrid with my friend Anna. There, we will stay for two nights enjoying the city. (google it!!) On Saturday, we will ride into Vevcani for the 2nd day of the carnival. That night, I think we are getting together with the other volunteers to celebrate Claire's bday. Should be a great weekend....Im honestly really looking forward to it.
Well that's all I've got for now!! I'll have a ton of photos and videos coming soon!! : )
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
It's that time of year....AGAIN!!
Today, Rob and I got to meet with my Director for some afternoon coffee and chatting time. During the middle of the conversation, my Director offered us some wine. Graciously, we accepted, only to discover the most fantastic looking bottle of wine...
This is called BEAR BLOOD. I mean, look...there's a photo of a growling scary bear on the front. Isn't is fantastic?? Apparently, a close friend of his really likes the wine, so he ordered some from Bulgaria. I just had to share it with ya'll. Oh, and for the record...the wine was FANTASTIC. Seriously delicious. I want to keep the bottles and use them as vases though...seriously.
Oh, and we were able to chat a bit about an idea I have for the Freedom Monument area in Kocani (the place the with graffiti).....kind of like how Nashville does its "movies in the park" during the summers, we were discussing getting the necessary things together to hookup a movie night up there!! It could also be a weekly thing with some vendors. We have access to most of what we'd need, and the advertisement for the event is something that wont be a problem at all!! The idea sounds promising, but right now we really need to concentrate on getting the dance area setup, as well as some of the other after school activities. Point being, I keep getting PUMPED about all the great things I get to do with my school. I love the endless possibilites.
ANYWHO....Tomorrow, Rob and I head out to Lozovo to visit the family for the Macedonia божик (xmas). It's going to be a 3-day celebration; Thursday night beginning with a village-wide bonfire. Friday will probably be an entire day of visiting other families and eating a lot of food. Then Saturday is a "just the family" kind of day with another epic meal. Sunday, we will travel back to Kocani. I'm really excited to see everyone and be back in Lozovo with the family!! I hope my language skills are still solid enough for some catch up convos with the family...otherwise, I'll be getting an ear-full. : )
The following weekend is something to get pumped about as well....today, we just booked a stay down in the beautiful Lake Ohrid area for Thursday and Friday. It's Claire's bday (my best bud from Lozovo), and she lives a stones throw away from Ohrid. So Friday night, a bunch of us will be getting together to celebrate. Then on Saturday, we will travel into Vevcani for the crazy carnival:
Vevcani Carnival info
We were able to book a room at a villa down there too, so we will make a weekend out of it!! Already, I am so excited for the two upcoming weekends. I've been seriously looking forward to the Vevcani bit, and I'm even more pumped that a lot of volunteers will be around to celebrate!! I need to make some masks....
So that's that. I wont have internet again until this Sunday, so if you happen to email me, I wont be able to respond just yet. I'm seriously having a great winter break so far.....having some company surely doesnt hurt!! And I'm looking forward to being able to travel around the country a bit more in the upcoming weeks to help these frigid winter months move a little faster.
This is called BEAR BLOOD. I mean, look...there's a photo of a growling scary bear on the front. Isn't is fantastic?? Apparently, a close friend of his really likes the wine, so he ordered some from Bulgaria. I just had to share it with ya'll. Oh, and for the record...the wine was FANTASTIC. Seriously delicious. I want to keep the bottles and use them as vases though...seriously.
Oh, and we were able to chat a bit about an idea I have for the Freedom Monument area in Kocani (the place the with graffiti).....kind of like how Nashville does its "movies in the park" during the summers, we were discussing getting the necessary things together to hookup a movie night up there!! It could also be a weekly thing with some vendors. We have access to most of what we'd need, and the advertisement for the event is something that wont be a problem at all!! The idea sounds promising, but right now we really need to concentrate on getting the dance area setup, as well as some of the other after school activities. Point being, I keep getting PUMPED about all the great things I get to do with my school. I love the endless possibilites.
ANYWHO....Tomorrow, Rob and I head out to Lozovo to visit the family for the Macedonia божик (xmas). It's going to be a 3-day celebration; Thursday night beginning with a village-wide bonfire. Friday will probably be an entire day of visiting other families and eating a lot of food. Then Saturday is a "just the family" kind of day with another epic meal. Sunday, we will travel back to Kocani. I'm really excited to see everyone and be back in Lozovo with the family!! I hope my language skills are still solid enough for some catch up convos with the family...otherwise, I'll be getting an ear-full. : )
The following weekend is something to get pumped about as well....today, we just booked a stay down in the beautiful Lake Ohrid area for Thursday and Friday. It's Claire's bday (my best bud from Lozovo), and she lives a stones throw away from Ohrid. So Friday night, a bunch of us will be getting together to celebrate. Then on Saturday, we will travel into Vevcani for the crazy carnival:
Vevcani Carnival info
Just some random photos I found online from the carnival.
We were able to book a room at a villa down there too, so we will make a weekend out of it!! Already, I am so excited for the two upcoming weekends. I've been seriously looking forward to the Vevcani bit, and I'm even more pumped that a lot of volunteers will be around to celebrate!! I need to make some masks....
So that's that. I wont have internet again until this Sunday, so if you happen to email me, I wont be able to respond just yet. I'm seriously having a great winter break so far.....having some company surely doesnt hurt!! And I'm looking forward to being able to travel around the country a bit more in the upcoming weeks to help these frigid winter months move a little faster.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Hello, 2012
Well a new year has already begun. It's crazy that I've just survived my first set of holidays over here. Although Xmas was difficult (as expected), New Years was MUCH easier!!
Last Wednesday, I woke up SICK. I was so mad. My throat hurt when I spoke or swallowed, and I had headaches with my congested head. Rob was flying into Macedonia that night, so I spent the rest of the day after school trying to sleep it off. Rob got in safe and sound that night, but I still felt pretty ill. By Friday, we rode into Skopje to see the PC doctors, which is really a pain to go there and back. The trip is like 2.5 hours each way on a bus. Then, once you get to Skopje, you have to get on another bus for another 30 minutes just to get to the PC office. The good news was I was able to get some proper medicine, and the doctor told me I just had an upper respiratory infection. We spent the second half of that day walking around Skopje, enjoying the Xmas lights and eating Arabian food. haha
Saturday, we woke up to snow on the ground!! We decided to make our errands quick so we could literally spend the rest of the day and night inside. And that's exactly what we did!! For our New Years celebration, we made A LOT of Mexican food....I mean, A LOT. We seriously ate the hell out of some tacos and nachos. By midnight, we were able to stand out on my mini balcony and watch the locals shoot off fireworks from house to house. Kids ran in the streets, shooting fireworks at cars passing by. The view was actually spectacular...and not because of the fireworks, but because I was really able to register where I was for the celebration of the New Year. It felt good.
The last couple days were a lazy mess. I've slowly gotten over my illness by resting in bed and watching a lot of movies and TV shows on my computer. Rob has so far gotten to meet Emilija and her family, as well as Paul, which is AWESOME!! I was trying to explain how good it feels to have someone come here and see where I live, meet the people I adore, and even do the basics like running errands with me (he got to see the butcher shop!) It's also nice to have someone from another country to talk about the cultural differences with.....overall, it's just nice to have his company here!!
Starting on Thursday, Macedonians will begin to celebrate their Christmas here. It all begins on the 5th and lasts until the 7th. I'll be going into Lozovo for this occasion, and I was just told by Milevka last night that Rob is welcome to join as well. We are going to have a full house!! Thursday night will be a big village-wide bonfire, complete with food and drinks. Friday is a type of fasting day, where families mainly eat lentils and salads and stuff...nothing with meat in it. We will spend a good chunk of that day visiting the other families and volunteers. Then, Saturday is the actual Christmas day. I'm not sure if we are staying that night too, but we will see. I'm already anticipating how cold that house is going to be!!
Anywho....I'm excited to see my family and the volunteers again. It'll be a nice little break. Once I get back, teachers are supposed to go back into work to plan what they are going to do in the coming year. I have a lot to plan with both my director and Emilija, and I'm excited to start talking about the new little projects we want to implement. There is already talk of a photo club, a school newspaper, a radio station, and (my favorite) converting the basement area into a dance studio. The gym teacher wants me to teach the kids some ballroom dancing for their upcoming prom. HOORAH!! I'm also excited about being able to show Rob some more of Macedonia while he is here. There is a festival down south in a couple of weeks we are already planning on hitting up. It's the one carnival that looks kind of like Halloween....people dress up all crazy in the streets and stuff. Seriously looking forward to that one.
I hope everyone had an excellent New Years celebration. I can honestly say I had a great one. Looking forward to hearing from everyone!!
Last Wednesday, I woke up SICK. I was so mad. My throat hurt when I spoke or swallowed, and I had headaches with my congested head. Rob was flying into Macedonia that night, so I spent the rest of the day after school trying to sleep it off. Rob got in safe and sound that night, but I still felt pretty ill. By Friday, we rode into Skopje to see the PC doctors, which is really a pain to go there and back. The trip is like 2.5 hours each way on a bus. Then, once you get to Skopje, you have to get on another bus for another 30 minutes just to get to the PC office. The good news was I was able to get some proper medicine, and the doctor told me I just had an upper respiratory infection. We spent the second half of that day walking around Skopje, enjoying the Xmas lights and eating Arabian food. haha
Saturday, we woke up to snow on the ground!! We decided to make our errands quick so we could literally spend the rest of the day and night inside. And that's exactly what we did!! For our New Years celebration, we made A LOT of Mexican food....I mean, A LOT. We seriously ate the hell out of some tacos and nachos. By midnight, we were able to stand out on my mini balcony and watch the locals shoot off fireworks from house to house. Kids ran in the streets, shooting fireworks at cars passing by. The view was actually spectacular...and not because of the fireworks, but because I was really able to register where I was for the celebration of the New Year. It felt good.
The last couple days were a lazy mess. I've slowly gotten over my illness by resting in bed and watching a lot of movies and TV shows on my computer. Rob has so far gotten to meet Emilija and her family, as well as Paul, which is AWESOME!! I was trying to explain how good it feels to have someone come here and see where I live, meet the people I adore, and even do the basics like running errands with me (he got to see the butcher shop!) It's also nice to have someone from another country to talk about the cultural differences with.....overall, it's just nice to have his company here!!
Starting on Thursday, Macedonians will begin to celebrate their Christmas here. It all begins on the 5th and lasts until the 7th. I'll be going into Lozovo for this occasion, and I was just told by Milevka last night that Rob is welcome to join as well. We are going to have a full house!! Thursday night will be a big village-wide bonfire, complete with food and drinks. Friday is a type of fasting day, where families mainly eat lentils and salads and stuff...nothing with meat in it. We will spend a good chunk of that day visiting the other families and volunteers. Then, Saturday is the actual Christmas day. I'm not sure if we are staying that night too, but we will see. I'm already anticipating how cold that house is going to be!!
Anywho....I'm excited to see my family and the volunteers again. It'll be a nice little break. Once I get back, teachers are supposed to go back into work to plan what they are going to do in the coming year. I have a lot to plan with both my director and Emilija, and I'm excited to start talking about the new little projects we want to implement. There is already talk of a photo club, a school newspaper, a radio station, and (my favorite) converting the basement area into a dance studio. The gym teacher wants me to teach the kids some ballroom dancing for their upcoming prom. HOORAH!! I'm also excited about being able to show Rob some more of Macedonia while he is here. There is a festival down south in a couple of weeks we are already planning on hitting up. It's the one carnival that looks kind of like Halloween....people dress up all crazy in the streets and stuff. Seriously looking forward to that one.
I hope everyone had an excellent New Years celebration. I can honestly say I had a great one. Looking forward to hearing from everyone!!
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Christmas in Macedonia
Merry Christmas, everyone!!
Here's the video from the weekend:
As you all know, I was in Kamenica for the weekend to celebrate Xmas with my fellow volunteers from all over the country. Friday, I rode into town to help Sara set up for the coming days' events. There, we met up with Paul and Julie. That night, we began our celebration by making and hanging the paper snowflakes (shown above). We hung them all over the ceiling so the place could feel a little festive!!
This is Sara's kitchen, and this is Sara building a real fire inside of her wood burning stove. Friday night, we waited for the rest of the first crew to show up: Enid, Kenzie, and Andres. Upon their arrival, I realized just how much I've been missing them. Seeing them again felt like I was having a family reunion!! That night, we headed into town for some kebabs, chicken fingers, salads, and beer. There was some live music, so we stuck around for a bit before heading back to the house.
The next morning looked like this. We all laid around on Sara's pull-out couches and just caught up on how things were going at each other's sites. We snacked on Anna's famous banana bread, drank coffee and tea, and listened to Xmas music. Later that day, some of the people went up the side of a mountain and cut down a Xmas tree for us. We made homemade decorations out of aluminum foil. Here's our tree:
Andres and I in front of one of the two churches in the town. Here, we met one of the priests who gave Sara all the details about people she knew in town. It was pretty entertaining.
That night, we made a lot of Mexican food. We had a taco bar set up, and we made a troth of nachos to go along with it. We played Apples to Apples that night and spent a good chunk of time just dancing and joking around. We also shared a "white elephant gift exchange." The deal was we all had to bring something that was in our home when we first moved in...something weird or funny. Some people got some wildly hilarious gifts, while others got gifts that were oddly perfect for them!! For example, I got these cute little knit slippers that are TINY. I was literally the only person whose tiny feet could fit in them, and I somehow managed to get that bag. It was perfect!!
Sunday morning was kind of a slow one. We woke up, and Julie had made everyone "stockings" out of Sara's socks. In them, she put a bunch of random items, like veggies, candy, mini American flags, and tea bags. She left this message from Santa on the table:
It was really sweet. From there, we decided to finally sit down all together to watch a Xmas movie...so we put on The Grinch. I loved being able to sit around with everyone for that. It was probably the most festive feeling moment of the entire weekend. Some people fell asleep, while others stayed up and laughed along. Regardless, we were all curled up together, and it felt like a family. After we all finally got moving, I began to work on our Xmas day meal. We didnt have much, bc the local bazaars were empty last week. It must have been from the snow we had. We made due though!! We baked 3 small chickens with potatoes, carrots, and onions. We also made some moussaka. Then, we all gathered around the den for one last meal:
Shortly after we ate, I decided to catch a ride back into Kocani. I was feeling extremely homesick and a little sad I wasnt able to see my family yet. As soon as my ride began to pull into Kocani, I began to feel so much better. Even walking up my 6 flights of stairs felt good....it just felt good to be home. I immediately turned on my cheap little Xmas tree and got online to Skype my momma, who was just getting up. She walked me around the house as her and Jessica got ready for the day. I watched Xmas movies on their TV across the internet. I chatted with them as they put on their makeup and did their hair. Later, I was carried around on the computer as my family opened all their presents and stockings. I was able to see and speak to everyone, and it truly felt like I was there! I was SO HAPPY to feel like I was still able to share such an important holiday with my family. Being able to hear them laugh and joke around made me miss them all so much more, but I was smiling from ear to ear when I finally shut my computer.
Suddenly, Lilika, the student from school I've grown close with, showed up at my house with a jorgan, which is kind of like a super heavy blanket. She sat around and met my mom and sis via Skype with me and helped me admire how wonderful their Xmas tree was. We sat around for a bit, eating popcorn and chatting, before Emilija called me. She was on her way to pick me up!! Emilija and her husband showed up with a piece of cake for me, and then they took me down to the center for some pizza, salad, and coffee. Having them drop what they were doing on a Sunday...the one day Emilija and her family have to themselves..made me feel like part of the family. It became evident how much they cared, and even though I know they care, their simple act of taking me out on Xmas meant so much to me, I simply cannot explain. Emilija and Lilika really own my heart here. I love them so much for being there for me on what we all knew would be a difficult day. By the time I shut my eyes for sleep, I was a happy and fulfilled girl.
I went into work on Monday, and it felt a little slow. I was just feeling tired, I guess. And then his morning, I woke u with a sore throat. I decided I'd get through work so I could spend the rest of the evening in bed with tea and soup, which is exactly what I've done. I think it's really the extreme drop in temperature that's made me feel like I'm getting a cold. Regardless, Im going to battle through it, b/c tomorrow Rob comes into town!! Hoorah!! His plane gets in late, so I am probably going to be beat by Thursday. Not sure what we are going to do for the New Year yet....we may just stick around here. I dont think either of us would mind that...it will feel good to relax.
Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. Although I survived this year, I must admit I think I'll have to come back next year for sure!! I miss and love you all. Keep the emails coming : )
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