Holidays & Celebrations

This past month we've enjoyed, learned about, and celebrated a multitude of holidays:



Day of the Albanian Alphabet - Albanian:
The Albanian alphabet was formalized on 27 November 1908 in what is now Bitola, Macedonia. Language is integral to their cultural and ethnic identity so this is more than a celebration of the alphabet. For more information and to see the Albanian alphabet, click here.


Thanksgiving - American:
Every year Peace Corps Macedonia organizes a Thanksgiving celebration. This year 26 turkeys were shipped in from the U.S. and all the Volunteers brought food to share...ours being mashed potatoes and party potatoes. Because the new group of Volunteers came about two weeks earlier this year, their swearing-in ceremony happened to coincide with Thanksgiving. We celebrated in a restaurant in Kumanovo with our fellow Volunteers, the host families of the new Volunteers, as well as the US Ambassador to Macedonia and the Macedonian Minister of Education.

Eid al-Adha, called Small Bajram here- Muslim (primarily Albanian & Turkish in MK):
This is a "Festival of Sacrifice" celebrated my Muslims in remembrance of Abraham's willingness to sacrifice his son. In thanksgiving for having food and shelter, families sacrifice sheep and cows and give them to the poor. This is a major holiday for Muslims and we were invited to our good friend Vjosa's house where we enjoyed wonderful food and sweets -- primarily baklava, which is made in every home. We then visited our other friends, Hyrije and Amir, for many more sweets. The hospitality of the people here is incredible and you are sure never to leave a house hungry!

* Every day around Bajram I came home with a plate -- or four -- filled with treats (mostly baklava) from friends, students and women from my English course. Being the huge baklava fan that Conor is, he loved seeing another plate in my hands.

* On our way through the village to Vjosa's house we were greeted by several of my 8th grade students who were excited for a picture.

Saint Clement of Ohrid Day - Macedonian Orthodox:
Saint Clement is a Macedonian saint and national hero. It is akin to St. Patrick's Day in Ireland (without the huge celebrations). For more information on Saint Celement, click here.



Slavas - Macedonian Orthodox:
Each Macedonian Orthodox family selects a saint to watch over and protect its house. Each year the household celebrates the day of its chosen saint. These are the most important celebrations of the year for Macedonian families, even bigger than Christmas and Easter. Families spend days preparing vegan foods and desserts and on the day or night of their celebration friends and family stop by.

We have attended four Slavas the past few weeks:

* Our good friend and language tutor Alek and his family

* Marija, Club GLOW leader, serves Conor a sweet wheat dish. It is a tradition to eat one bite of this upon arrival. And look at that bread! Marija's mom made it herself!

Day of the Turkish Alphabet - Turkish:

The Turkish also recently celebrated the standardization of their alphabet on 21 December. To see the Turkish alphabet, click here.



Albanian Wedding - Albanian:
Traditionally Albanian weddings here in Macedonia are a week long with specific celebrations each night. On the night before the final day women gather and spend the night dancing and eating together. Halfway through the celebration the bride and groom enter and join the party, however no other men are allowed. Often the close family members put a spot of henna on the bride's hand with a gold coin to symbolize a prosperous marriage. I was invited to attend this night with some women from my English course. The dresses were amazing and many of the women at the party changed up to three times throughout the night. It is also common to see several young women in bridal gowns. I have to admit I was very confused the first time I saw this, however I learned that it is custom here for women to continue wearing their gowns to other celebrations up to one year after their marriage -- at least they get a lot more use out of them than we do!

Christmas - American:
This year we celebrated Christmas with several other Peace Corps Volunteers by renting a house on a local ski hill near Tetovo. We had a great couple days and feasted on chili Christmas Eve and enchiladas Christmas Day. Unfortunately we weren't able to ski because the snow all melted due to the warm weather we've been experiencing lately, but we still enjoyed our holiday and the company of the other Volunteers.

** Stay tuned for an update of our coming festivities: **

• December 31: New Years
• January 6: Orthodox Christmas Eve (costume party like Halloween)
• January 7: Orthodox Christmas
• January 13 & 14: Old New Years - Vevchani Carnival
• January 18: Martin Luther King Day
• January 19: Vodici (Epiphany)
  

And it's . . .

Up with Montana Boys . . .

Más Que Un Club

Have I gone to the dark side? Forsaken all that is holy in American life and traded in an allegience to football for futbol? No. However, it has been fun to gain an appreciation for futbol while at the same time defending, arguing, and teaching about American Football (e.g. despite notions to the contrary, the punt returner is not the best, but, is in fact, the worst position in all of sports -- those with doubts need only watch this). I have come to appreciate the fluidity of soccer, although games can at times be mind numbing. It also takes a lot of persuasion to convince people that a game that stops every 3 to 6 seconds is physically straining. As Dan Carr noted, the best analogy to help futbol fans understand football is to think of it as a giant chess match, as a thinking man's game. Whereas futbolers run around constantly, hoping to get lucky, football teams work together to execute meticulously orchestrated plays, often working to set up plays two, three, four plays, or even quarters, in advance. Defenses try to out-smart the offense. I concede futbol has the fluidity and improvisation of a John Coltrane jam session, but football has the complexity and depth of a Beethoven symphony.

Futbol does, however, have a much richer history than American football and has occupied a role in society that American football could never dream of emulating (despite Raiders and Eagles fans half-hearted attempts). Clubs have historically been just that -- clubs -- and not until recently, huge entrepreneurial enterprises. A rich and sometimes violent past is put into perspective with the realization that clubs were formed, made up of, and took on the persona of their supporters. Thus, Glasgow's Celtic became the champions and social outlet for Glasgow's Irish Catholic working class immigrants while Rangers became the bastion for the nationalist anti-Catholic Anti-Irish population in Glasgow. Certain clubs have despicable histories, having been the place for people to voice opinions few can praise. A club like Chelsea has a right-wing Antisemitic past, and to an extent, present, which includes fans making "Shhh" sounds, imitating the the sound of gas at Nazi concentration camps. Other clubs have laudable histories they can be proud to stand on. And standing and shoulders above the rest, is FC Barcelona.

Futbol Club Barcelona embodies what professional sports franchises should be. FC Barcelona was the only futbol club in the entire world not to display corporate sponsorship on their shirts. They would not even entertain an offer until 2003. This changed in 2006. Remarkably, the club turned down lucrative offers that could have brought in tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars to instead display UNICEF on their jerseys. Moreover rather than receive payment for this endorsement, they DONATE nearly $2,000,000 a year to UNICEF! FC Barcelona was the only place during Franco's reign that Anti-Franco, anti-fascist, and pro-Catalan sentiments could be voiced. They also had to fight the fact that Franco's Real Madrid was financed by the state. The club has been a refuge for Catalan culture and leftist belief in Spain. This leftist sentiment transcends mere nostalgia and is manifest in the fact that the club is a true collective -- season ticket holders vote on the club's administration; nationally televised presidential debates decide who will run the club, and the club must answer to its fans (ticket holders, for a rough comparison, think the Green Bay Packers, although this does no justice to FC Barcelona). Historically they have had no problem getting rid of players that fans feel are not giving 100%, even when those players are their stars. And get this, the most visited art museum in Barcelona is not, as one might expect, the Picasso gallery, or any number of other impressive institutions, it is the museum at the football club which houses, maintains, and displays an impressive art collection. Finally, despite the Spain's violent history, Barcelona fans have never exhibited the vitriol or violence of other European futbol fans. Thus, Barcelona's motto, más que un club, "more than a club," makes perfect sense.

In conclusion, there is no need to fear Europe has brainwashed a love of football from my brain, or that I am now in jeopardy of joining the legions of hooligan fans. I still deplore the "everyone wins" attitude of American soccer that disregards the game's score and refuses to teach heading. Upon return to the US I won't be rushing out watch DC United or the Galaxy but will savor having regular access to football and basketball (college and high school). I have though, come to appreciate futbol more than I ever thought I would and I enjoy sitting in giant socialist-era hotel restaurants or small Yugoslav corner places and watching futbol with legions of Macedonian fans. And now, when I'm invariably asked who my club is, I can proudly respond: Barcelona!



(Thanks to Franklin Foer's How Soccer Explains the World, Alek, and Ronan)

Macedonia Slideshow

Kacey worked hard to put together this slideshow of pictures we've taken over the last year. The pictures are set to a song by Toshe -- who was a national hero and pop star who was killed in a car accident two years ago. Enjoy!

**CLICK HERE FOR SLIDESHOW**

Happy Halloween!

This weekend Tearce celebrated Halloween for the first time. As I approached the school on Friday I could hear the excitement coming through every open -- and closed -- window. The students had been waiting all week, and finally the day arrived. The door to the gym was opened about 97 times and curious eyes, outlined in black and white face paint, peaked in as the English teachers and I prepared for the party. The Macedonian students have their own holidays in which they dress in costume, however for most of the Albanian and Turkish students this was the first time in their lives they've had a reason to "dress up". Much explanation was required throughout the week to ensure the students understood the concept of a "costume" as many of them simply thought it meant they needed to wear their nicest clothes, however it was evident they finally caught on to the idea as princesses, zombies and monsters poured in as the clock clicked over to 1:00.

Bobbing for apples, carving pumpkins and "mummy wrap" were just three of the many games students could choose from throughout the party. School parties such as this are extremely rare, if present at all, throughout Macedonia. Every element was planned in advance, even down to lines taped on the floor to designate where students needed to stand to wait for each game. However even with this, much explanation was needed as students have absolutely no concept of a "line" and seemed to not understand how to stand on the tape. The festivities finally commenced though and it was apparent through shining eyes and wide smiles that the day would never be forgotten.

On Saturday, another party was offered at the American Corner for kids from Tetovo. Again, the children could barely contain their excitement and showed up in costume anywhere from 45 to 30 minutes early. First 7 to 11 year olds came, followed by 3 to 6 year olds. Conor and two other Volunteers came to help with this party which again turned out to be a success. I am also very grateful to the English teachers, our friend and tutor Alek, as well as two high school girls from Club GLOW that volunteered their time to help with the parties.

School Excursion

Yesterday my school organized an "excursion" on the mountain just behind the village. We spent several hours there picnicking and playing games, and at one point I was approached by a crowd of students wanting an "interview". Unfortunately in this video you can't see the large group that surrounded me, but I smile when I think of how creative they were! Several children were holding imaginary cameras and big microphones like the paparazzi. What a great way to practice English!

interview

brothers

roasting chestnuts

Beach Boys Kosovo

Looks like these guys had a little time on their hands --

Click Here for Beach Boys Kosovo

Kacey's Club Glow

A while back Kacey wrote about her experience at the Girls Leading Our World summer camp. Building off the momentum they generated at camp Kacey and the eleven girls from Tetovo who attended the camp have started a Club Glow here in Tetovo. The girls went to every high school in town to recruit other girls before their first meeting last week. At their first meeting over 60 girls showed up! I'm posting a link to an article a local newspaper ran about club (translation below).


Club Glow Newspaper Article


American Corner Tetovo in cooperation with the U.S. Embassy in Macedonia and students of all secondary schools founded Tetovo girls club "Glow Glub. The purpose and mission of this club is to work and develop activities to make women a key factor in society. With the motto "Girls lead our world" they intend to work in various activities planned throughout the next year. "American Experience, in English and led by an American appropriation will enable the language and skills relevant to women was a relevant factor in society", said the coordinator of American Corner, Gim Solomon, adding that the club is led by Kacey Molloy, Peace Corps representative to the U.S. in Macedonia. He explained that girls have now formed the different departments that will enable the functioning of the "Club Glow", while the day of establishment have taken part about 70 girls. Participants of the club say they will be in trend with the world and will work with commitment, to become the online voice of civil society. "Experience we received during the multi-ethnic summer camp, in Pelister, want to share with other girls in Tetovo. Based on our other motto 'Be a woman, be yourself' hope to achieve our mission to deliver awareness and breaking of more than stereotypes already known about the female world, "said Vlora Memedi, one of the founders of this club. Meanwhile, spokesperson of the "Club Glow" says Tetovo is now connected with other clubs in Macedonia and throughout the world. "All girls together aim to develop the natural potential that lies in Tetovo young women by providing them with necessary knowledge to become active leadership in society. All this being carried out through training, construction of personality, leadership profile, the cultivation of team work, problem-solving current and cultivation of creative skills, "said Rexhepi Arjeta, the department responsible for public relations in "Club Glow" Tetovo.

Tetovo, Macedonia

We thought we'd share some short videos of where we live. The following three are of the green market (pazar in Macedonian/treg in Albanian) here in Tetovo. (I must apologize in advance for the shaky camera; I tried to keep it steady while walking but obviously I need more practice.)











A short clip of one of the busy intersections in town:





The following two videos are of our apartment. We have a great place with basically all the amenities we had at home -- nothing like what we pictured when joining the Peace Corps, but we can't complain!




You can see inside our apartment by clicking the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1u-YzSy_28



*Stay tuned for more videos of the village Kacey works in and the municipality and NGO where Conor works!

Camp GLOW - Girls Leading Our World

I must admit that it is often hard to see the impact my work as a Volunteer has here in Macedonia. Because Macedonia is a developing country, Conor and I do not share in the well-digging or school-building type projects in which many other Peace Corps Volunteers partake. In many ways this is more difficult and provides separate challenges from infrastructure building and program building from the ground up. We are here to help change or alter mindsets, and being that our influence is not as physically evident, it is easy to become discouraged and feel as if we aren't making a difference. It really makes me value times that I see changes in behaviors of those I've worked with. I recently had one of those experiences, an experience unlike any I've had before, that made me see the true impact we are having on this little country and it gives me so much hope for the future of Macedonia.

This summer I was selected to be a counselor at a summer camp focusing on girls' leadership and empowerment. Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) is designed by Peace Corps Volunteers and its mission is "to develop the inherent potential found in the young women of Macedonia by providing them with the skills and knowledge necessary to become active leaders in their communities". High-school aged girls from all over Macedonia are invited to apply and 80 are selected to attend each year. The Camp is also representative of the ethnic make-up of Macedonia in that 70% of the girls selected are Macedonian, 25% are ethnically Albanian and 5% Rroma, Vlach, Serbian and Macedonian-Muslims. This in itself is a unique opportunity for students here because in their home communities people of different ethnicities rarely interact. In fact almost every school, primary and secondary, is divided by shifts or classes based on ethnicity. The Camp is conducted entirely in English for several reasons, a large one being to create commonality. In addition, Macedonia is a very patriarchal society in which women have very little voice. A program designed specifically for women's leadership here is unheard of.

The first night of Camp

Although Camp GLOW was designed by Peace Corps Volunteers our goal is to make it as sustainable as possible. Therefore, each year components are added that give more responsibility to Macedonians. Jillian, this year's program coordinator, did an outstanding job and further ensured this piece by adding a counselor training. Each PCV counselor was paired with a Senior Counselor (a girl who has previously attended Camp). The PCV and Senior Counselor worked together to lead a small group throughout the week. Four Junior Counselors were also very active in the successfullness of Camp GLOW.

Counselor dance to "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"

Throughout the week young women attended classes focused on various issues such as: Democracy in Action, Self-esteem & Body Image, Peace Education, Effective Communication, and Diversity Appreciation. (You can find a complete list of classes on the link below.) Each session was taught by a Senior or Junior Counselor with the assistance of a Peace Corps Volunteer. During each of the classes I sat in awe watching the young women teach their peers. I was completely blown away by their poise, knowledge and passion.

Girls maneuver through an obstacle course as a group
during a team-building session

Throughout the week I was honored to be witness to remarkable growth from the girls attending. They came to Camp already outstanding young women, but left with the skills necessary to be active leaders in their communities and in our world. It was inspiring to see Macedonians and Albanians embrace, Rroma and Macedonians stay up into the wee-hours talking, and Vlachs and Albanians laugh and sing together. Tears were shed all around as the girls shared what Camp meant to them on the last night during a candle-lighting ceremony, and I left Camp GLOW knowing that these girls will make a difference in Macedonia.

One girl's dream

Nine girls from our home-town of Tetovo attended Camp this year and one additional girl returned as a Junior Counselor. Immediately following Camp they expressed their sincere interest in starting a Club GLOW here to teach and inspire other young women in our area. We had our initial meeting last week and will have another in just 3 days. In this one week they have been active in designing ways to spread the word about the Club to all eligible girls. Their desire to "be the change they wish to see in the world" is evident on their faces and in their voices as they discuss what it means to lead.

I am grateful for the opportunity to work with such exceptional young women...get ready Macedonia!!


*Please view the following link for more info. (and check out the video from last year!):
http://sites.google.com/site/campglowmacedonia/Home

One Sweet Month!!

We've just finished 5 incredible weeks! Jim and Casey arrived at the end of June and we explored Macedonia. Kacey left us for 11 days to work the Girls Leading Our World summer camp. The four of us then visited Istanbul for 5 days before heading to Athens and the surrounding area for another 5 days. Jim and Casey flew home and we flew on to meet Harry and Jeanne in Rome. We spent three great days in Rome before heading south for two days in Naples and Pompeii. A train took us across Italy to Bari, where, despite a few setbacks -- they canceled our ferry -- we made our way to Durres, Albania. One wild taxi ride later we were back in Macedonia for another fun week of exploration with Harry and Jeanne!

Highlights included: Jim drinking, with much struggle, his second cup of coffee EVER; A Muslim "monk" lecturing on the intricacies of American Democracy; plenty of Rakija -- for details ask Jim or Jeanne; A 4'5" 9 year old girl pitching a baseball to a 6'10" 19 year old who was swinging for the fences -- from 8 feet away; An interesting bonding experience for Kacey and Casey at a traditional Turkish bath; Three straight nights at an Irish Pub in Athens; Harry and Conor screaming at Roman waiters nearly to the point of blows ("Boy, you sure screwed up this time" -- HH); Hours of ear pounding music at an Albanian wedding; Harry and his sheep (no details); Jim learning how to taste wine -- feel free to ask for a demonstration; And one "successful" encounter with Rroma kids in Skopje!

We've created an online photo album at snapfish. Unfortunately you need an account, although the account is free. If you want to check out the pictures email one of us and we can send you an invitation and link.

Hiking Marathon

Two weekends ago we joined another Peace Corps couple, Dan and Jillian, on a 27 mile hike from one town in eastern Macedonia to another. The day began with a 4:00 am taxi ride from their town of Kriva Palanka to the town of Probishtip. After a tour of 800 year old Lesnovo Monastery where both Jillian and I had to put on skirts and Conor pants due to the presence of a monk, we set out. This 3rd annual marathon hike is organized by the Kriva Palanka hiking club and we accompanied 30 members ranging in age from 17 to mid-60s.

The views were amazing and as Dan puts it, "We passed through no less than half a dozen terrains and I think several microclimates on our journey, including a boggy marsh, a beautiful meadow, some loose boulders and for about 500 meters, a desert." During the first third of our trek we had to cross a river - not particularly deep, but with a rocky, uneven bottom. Up to this point two small dogs from Lesnovo Monastery had joined us and wanted to continue, and as we reached the other side of the river we heard much whining and splashing as the littlest jumped in. He got swept downstream and over a small waterfall, and instead of swimming to the side he relentlessly tried climbing back up the falls. He was pulled out by a fellow hiker and sat there drying off and resting from his laborious swim. We continued on our way, assuming the two pups had gone home until the other one showed up as we were eating lunch. After ten more kilometers it was obvious he intended to complete the hike with us. Near the end as we commented on his determination, the leader of the hiking club answered back, "Oh him? He comes along every year and then he walks home."

At the peak of our hike

We arrived at Osogovski Monastery in Kriva Palanka around 8:00 pm just as the sun was fading, and finished off our day with dinner and beer. It felt nice to finally put up our feet. While resting though we couldn't help but think of Jim (Conor's dad) who's on his own journey on the Santiago de Compostela trail in Spain, hiking nearly 500 miles in four weeks.

Osogovski Monastery in Kriva Palanka

Tearce Student Council

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdHjOnh636c

Kacey has started a Student Council for seventh and eighth graders at her school in Tearce, Macedonia. Working with one of the English teachers (there are five at her school) they brought together a multi-ethnic group of Albanian, Macedonian, and Turkish students. At the first meeting they explained to the students the point of the club was to have the student leaders identify areas or aspects of their own school that they wanted to see improved or changed, that it was up to the students to figure out what to do, and it was up to them to figure out how to involve the other students in the school.

Walking them through this process, the students immediately identified trash (an endemic problem throughout Macedonia) as the biggest problem at their school. The school grounds, both inside and outside the school, are covered in trash (as is the entire village). The students decided they wanted to cleanup the mess. Importantly, they also came to the decision on their own that they needed to educate all the students at the school why they should not litter and instead use garbage bins in order to address the root cause of the problem.

The students decided they needed to meet with the school Director (principal) and solicit her help. Kacey and the other teacher arranged a meeting between the students and the director. The director was very receptive and listened as the students asked for garbage bags, trash cans for inside and outside the school, gloves, and the opportunity to teach all the classes. The director agreed and asked how the students would feel about collecting 20 denars from each student (40-50 cents). The students thought it was a great idea and a way to show the other kids that they were the cause of the problem and they had an invested stake, both in the problem, and the solution.

Next, a meeting with an NGO was set-up and the students presented their proposal and plan to address the trash problem. They are still waiting to see if the NGO will help fund their project. Currently they are working to organize a school-wide cleanup and education.

Kacey put together this video and it was presented at a town clean-up day organized by the municipality. The municipality was inspired by the students effort, and the video was screened to a packed gym of a few hundred people.

As a little background, Tearce is halfway between Tetovo and the Kosovo border - 7 miles each direction. During the conflict in 2001 it was a center of violence and all the Macedonians fled to Skopje. The group Kacey has brought together is made of up kids from three ethnic backgrounds. Although most of these kids have attended the same school their entire lives they have had little or no interaction; for some kids it is their first real interaction with peers the same age, from the same school. The school is run with ethnic classes, meaning Albanian kids have class with only Albanian kids, Macedonian with only Macedonian, and Turkish with only Turkish. Not wanting language to be a barrier to any student, Kacey and the other teacher decided the Student Council would operate in any language. They manage meetings with a lot of translation and patience, but the students have been incredibly receptive, many attempting to speak a language other than their own in order to help make their peers feel welcome. In the video the kids are each speaking their own language, Macedonian, Albanian, and Turkish, and two speak in English. Thus, the video has four languages.

enjoy!

Long Live Marx - and $4.50

Day of the International Solidarity of Workers, or Labour Day, is still celebrated May 1st here in Macedonia. It remains a national holiday and people flock to the hills and mountains for "picnics." A teacher Kacey works with invited us to join him and a group of friends for a picnic in a tiny village on the side of a mountain. What he didn't tell us was that we would be leaving Tetovo at 8:30 am. With little time wasted we began drinking Rakija (Kacey's favorite) promptly at 9:00. It rained all day, but the picnic area, which is at a centuries old church, was covered. The view was spectacular (when it was clear); we could see much of the Polog valley with the views stretching far south of Tetovo and North into Kosovo. The day was filled with eating (five different salads, pork, chicken), drinking (Rakija, Skopsko beer), and lots of singing (1991 soft rock classics intermixed with Macedonian folk songs) accompanied by the guitar.

At the green, or open air market Saturday we bought 25 pounds of Potatoes, 2.2 pounds of tomatoes, 2.2. pounds of cucumbers, one cabbage, one head of lettuce, 1 pound of onions, half a pound of peppers (and one complimentary lemon because we spoke Albanian) -- all for about the equivalent of $4.50.

Turkish?!

Along with Macedonian and Albanian languages, Kacey and I have started Turkish language lessons. The Peace Corps has funds available to pay a tutor for two hours of language class a week. Because we are in the dual language program they approved 4 hours of tutoring for us - 2 in Macedonian, and 2 in Albanian. At our recent In-Service Conference, which included three days of language training, we asked about the possibility of also learning Turkish. Some volunteers opt not to have a language tutor, resulting in extra money in the pot. Thus, we now have Turkish language lessons on top of our Macedonian and Albanian lessons.

So how are our language skills? Well, we just had to take our language tests, which are oral interviews, tape-recorded and scored against a world-wide standard rubric, and we both passed higher than was required. I passed both tests at a level expected for someone only learning one language. Kacey on the other hand blew the testers away. Having only been in country for six months, Kacey nearly scored in the "advanced," or highest range in Albanian language, a score nearly unheard of for a first exam. Many volunteers who learn only one language leave the Peace Corps never having reached the level she is at already. She also scored quite high in Macedonian.

In our daily lives we can function fully in our community and are no longer nervous to go shopping, ask about prices or directions, direct cab drivers, order at restaurants, or enter into conversations. Learning two (and now three) languages simultaneously has been easier, in many respects, than we thought it would be. Most of the time we don't get them too confused and we mix them far less frequently than we did at first. The hardest part is when we need to make sudden transitions from talking in one language and switch instantly to another. It's incredibly fun however, and it's hard to describe the respect and reaction people have when we are able to talk to them in their native language. It was definitely the best decision we've made in the Peace Corps, and the decision that has had the biggest influence on our service.

We're Alive!!

Of everything we've learned since arriving in Macedonia, the most evident is this: We are horrible at this whole blogging thing. Since our last post - about Thanksgiving - we have much to report. We can confirm that Borat was not entirely made-up. We can tell stories about cleaning 66,000 pounds of trash from a river. And we can talk about this amazing town we now call home - Tetovo. But, you'll just have to wait, or write us an email if you want the details.

Instead, we'll just start by describing last Saturday.

Saturday we finished a week-long conference (three days of technical, work-related info, and three days of language training on the shores of beautiful lake Ohrid). Lake Ohrid itself is pretty similar to Flathead Lake; Lake Ohrid is a bit smaller, but they are roughly the same size, both enclosed by mountains. The difference - The town of Ohrid has been continuously inhabited for 8,000 years. After the conference 6 of us stayed in town with another PC Volunteer who lives in Ohrid. After exploring the city, the seven of us spent the afternoon and evening drinking wine on a cliff over the lake, directly below a 13th century church. The weather was beautiful, and we were able to spend our first visit to Ohrid with a great group of close friends, one of whom is coincidentally from Missoula.

After our evening at the church, we enjoyed a traditional Macedonian meal in a restaurant over-looking an ancient Greek and Roman amphitheater and returned to our friend's apartment for more fun and laughter.




On Sunday morning we attending a Catholic church for Easter mass (one of only three in the country) and then headed back home to Tetovo. We are back in our routines and promise not to wait another four months before posting another update!!