Hello, how are you? (It's just too easy to not quote Adele in this post) It’s been awhile, hasn’t it? I apologize for not writing for so long…about 5 months long. There have been a few technology obstacles that have prevented me from writing. Shortly after my last post, my laptop stopped working. It was in a local shop for about 2 months because the workers couldn’t figure out the problem. Apple products are not common here because they are very expensive, so it took the shop to solve the problem. On the day I finally picked up my laptop I jokingly said, I hope I never come here again,” because there was so much back and forth with my laptop. But, I have my computer, but I had to update everything from my hard drive since everything was erased. Anyway, I’ll spare you the boring details. It’s working and that’s all I care about. Also, last week I lost my iPhone in Albania with all my pictures. It’s not the end of the world but that means less pictures for my blog :/
With the New Year comes new resolutions. And of course that means more consistent blogging. Don’t worry, I’m not 2 weeks late-Macedonia also celebrates the Old New Year on January 14th, an Orthodox holiday according to the Julian calendar. Also Macedonia just celebrated the Orthodox Christmas which was January 7th, but the big dinner was on the 6th called Badnik. You can refresh your memory with my post from last year.
Anyway, tonight families usually have another dinner and bake a savory pie dish with a coin inside. Whoever gets the piece with the coin will have luck for this year and the other guests should give them money. I would love to be that person!
So, let me recap what’s happened in the past 6 months since I’ve been away:
With the New Year comes new resolutions. And of course that means more consistent blogging. Don’t worry, I’m not 2 weeks late-Macedonia also celebrates the Old New Year on January 14th, an Orthodox holiday according to the Julian calendar. Also Macedonia just celebrated the Orthodox Christmas which was January 7th, but the big dinner was on the 6th called Badnik. You can refresh your memory with my post from last year.
Anyway, tonight families usually have another dinner and bake a savory pie dish with a coin inside. Whoever gets the piece with the coin will have luck for this year and the other guests should give them money. I would love to be that person!
So, let me recap what’s happened in the past 6 months since I’ve been away:
September:
-School started and I’m focusing on 2nd-5th grades and I’m working with 3 amazing counterparts. During this month was International Day of Peace, so our students colored paper doves and wrote a wish they had for happiness (in Macedonian because they’re not that advanced in English yet, but we’re working on it!)
-The new group of volunteers arrived (MAK 20s-20th group)!
October:
-One of my days of my Peace Corps Service: My then friend and now boyfriend visited my 5th grade classrooms and presented about his life. He’s a Turkish volunteer living in my town and my students love him. The goal of this presentation was for our Turkish speaking/Roma students to be in the spotlight. Selami spoke to them in Turkish and then those students translated to the Macedonian students. It was so successful and our Turkish speaking students were so excited. Usually we forget that Macedonian is not their first language, so recognizing their abilities as multilingual students was wonderful to see.
-All the Peace Corps Volunteers gathered in Skopje to welcome the new Macedonian volunteers for our annual Field Day.
-Halloween of course! We decorated the classroom and threw a Halloween party for our 4th and 5th graders. It was pure craziness.
-Also, I hosted a Halloween Party with volunteer and local friends! (Far right picture-I was a troll)
-School started and I’m focusing on 2nd-5th grades and I’m working with 3 amazing counterparts. During this month was International Day of Peace, so our students colored paper doves and wrote a wish they had for happiness (in Macedonian because they’re not that advanced in English yet, but we’re working on it!)
-The new group of volunteers arrived (MAK 20s-20th group)!
October:
-One of my days of my Peace Corps Service: My then friend and now boyfriend visited my 5th grade classrooms and presented about his life. He’s a Turkish volunteer living in my town and my students love him. The goal of this presentation was for our Turkish speaking/Roma students to be in the spotlight. Selami spoke to them in Turkish and then those students translated to the Macedonian students. It was so successful and our Turkish speaking students were so excited. Usually we forget that Macedonian is not their first language, so recognizing their abilities as multilingual students was wonderful to see.
-All the Peace Corps Volunteers gathered in Skopje to welcome the new Macedonian volunteers for our annual Field Day.
-Halloween of course! We decorated the classroom and threw a Halloween party for our 4th and 5th graders. It was pure craziness.
-Also, I hosted a Halloween Party with volunteer and local friends! (Far right picture-I was a troll)
November:
-Thanks/Friendsgiving. For the first time in my life I hosted Thanksgiving. It was another highlight of my Peace Corps service. There were 4 Americans, 2 Turks, and 6 Macedonian friends all together. They loved the meal and more importantly, opened up about what they are thankful for in life. It was a wonderfully emotional experience and I was a very happy camper, especially when they waddled out my door with bellies full of butter and starch.
-Then, that weekend after Thanksgiving, many volunteers gathered in a beautiful rented home in Skopje and had a potluck with even more delicious food. I definitely gained a few kilos that week but I’m not mad about that.
-Also, this was the time when many volunteers from the previous group were ending their service, like our beloved Daveche (Dave) who lived in my same town. So there were many goodbyes, but we know we’ll have to visit once we are all stateside.
-Thanks/Friendsgiving. For the first time in my life I hosted Thanksgiving. It was another highlight of my Peace Corps service. There were 4 Americans, 2 Turks, and 6 Macedonian friends all together. They loved the meal and more importantly, opened up about what they are thankful for in life. It was a wonderfully emotional experience and I was a very happy camper, especially when they waddled out my door with bellies full of butter and starch.
-Then, that weekend after Thanksgiving, many volunteers gathered in a beautiful rented home in Skopje and had a potluck with even more delicious food. I definitely gained a few kilos that week but I’m not mad about that.
-Also, this was the time when many volunteers from the previous group were ending their service, like our beloved Daveche (Dave) who lived in my same town. So there were many goodbyes, but we know we’ll have to visit once we are all stateside.
December:
-Another big project I've been working on is a girls and boys club in my town. Now don't think I created this, it is already an existing club in other towns, I just brought it to my town. I formed the groups (GLOW-Girls Leading Our World and BRO-Boys Respecting Others) from the campers who attended the GLOW and YMLP camps this summer (do you remember I was a class facilitator at the YMLP camp?) Anyway, we hosted a wonderful holiday party where we made crafts and played various games. It was a great time!
-As winter break quickly approached, school was winding down, but the craziness was as high as ever. Many classes consisted of crafts, Christmas music, cookies, Santa vocabulary and X-Factor organized by one of my counterparts.
-On Christmas Eve, I hosted a relaxed Christmas get together with the American and Turkish volunteers (who are much more than volunteers to me, yet very good friends!) We played White Elephant, the version where no one spends money-they have to bring a gift from home or make something. We had milk and cookies as we played the game-it was a perfect and relaxed setting, just what I could have asked for.
-Another big project I've been working on is a girls and boys club in my town. Now don't think I created this, it is already an existing club in other towns, I just brought it to my town. I formed the groups (GLOW-Girls Leading Our World and BRO-Boys Respecting Others) from the campers who attended the GLOW and YMLP camps this summer (do you remember I was a class facilitator at the YMLP camp?) Anyway, we hosted a wonderful holiday party where we made crafts and played various games. It was a great time!
-As winter break quickly approached, school was winding down, but the craziness was as high as ever. Many classes consisted of crafts, Christmas music, cookies, Santa vocabulary and X-Factor organized by one of my counterparts.
-On Christmas Eve, I hosted a relaxed Christmas get together with the American and Turkish volunteers (who are much more than volunteers to me, yet very good friends!) We played White Elephant, the version where no one spends money-they have to bring a gift from home or make something. We had milk and cookies as we played the game-it was a perfect and relaxed setting, just what I could have asked for.
**Of course I cannot write about everything, so I will post a slideshow in my next blog. Stay tuned for my New Year's post as well!
XOXO
-R
XOXO
-R