Monday the 15th.
I got home from school just to walk through the front door to see a blue notecard with my name on it, and a bunch of other Cyrillic letters on there. I recognized my address. Thats a start. I knocked on Aleksanar and Marija's door (the landlords that live on the bottom floor) and was greeted by smiling as always Marija. I held up the card and smiled saying, "I've got Mail!" She laughed as Aleksanar sitting at the table for lunch (the dinner here that typically is at 4 p.m.) motioned over to me to sit. English is pretty broken with these two, but we chit chat enough for me to find out that they are both retired. Aleksanar used to work... I couldn't figure out what he did though, something for the state, however, he worked during the socialist period so I think that most jobs were for the state. Either way, he is enjoying the retired life and meets with friends to "enjoy". I think this means drink wine and smoke cigarettes on the patio and talk about politics.
The lunch I sat down to was a feast compared to what I have been cooking myself. Not that I don't eat, I promise you I have been doing that. Marija had prepared a main dish a salad and two sides... I might get two of those on my own. haha. I had some fried trout (way better than I was expecting) that comes from one of the nearby rivers from the mountainside - not River Vardar - with a home made onion sauce to spoon on top of the fish. The onion was very strong but fantastic, kind of the consistency of pesto but onion instead of basil... Then there was this salad, that I am going to try to replicate this week. Shallots, apples, celery lime juice and I think cilantro. Easy peasy, good and good for you. The rest was pretty basic: potatoes, bread, skopsko.
After lunch and small talk Aleksaner told me, "You go get your passport and wallet and when you are ready we go to the Post office. I go outside to wait." Getting to the post office took me further to the east than I have ever gone before. It seemed pretty industrial a little dirtier than where I have been. Not missing much. On the way there Aleksaner was explaining the traffic to me. We were driving into the city, people going home work driving out of... "people are now leaving where they work to go to where they sleep, many cars, we'll take the long way." Pretty broken and basic. Makes talking interesting. I also found out on the way to the post office that they have another son that is in Japan. He also has/had pet fish in his apartment that Aleksaner was assigned the task to feed. It's been two months... I'm thinking that Gus the Guppy is floating upside down.
As we got home from the Post office I felt like it was Christmas all over again. I got a camera, a shirt, and a pair of pants. : ) Wednesday we did the same thing all over again. THANKS MOM!!! Funny thing is the package that arrived first was sent a week after the package that arrived second. Doesn't matter, I now have a camera, sunglasses, and various other things I left in Idaho. YAY.
Tuesday I met with some fellow foreigners and locals alike at a local pub for a Couch Surfer get together. I think I have mentioned couch surfing before; you join an online club type thing where you create a profile and that essentially invites travelers to surf (sleep) on your couch while they are visiting the city you live in. I joined before I got here to meet friends and maybe find a place to live... It was pretty good time, met several people from Skopje, a girl from Belguim (we both long for better beer than skopsko but can survive based on the wine Skopje has to offer) two French guys, some one from Bulgaria, and a girl from Florida. There was an AMERICAN! She is here researching for her masters in Balkan studies. I had no clue that was a degree. At any rate, I had forgotten what mouths we Americans have. We are opinionated and like to swear. She reminded me of that. ha. Conversation was all over the place and I learned a lot about not only Macedonian culture but Belgium and a bit about France as well. See that's the point of couch surfing, to meet people from other cultures learn from them, and share yours. I'm planning a trip to Sofia, Bulgaria this weekend using it. more on that next week.
Wednesday I bailed on Ice skating, even after a beautiful day. For some reason I was wiped. I am really starting to integrate my own methods a little more each day in the classroom. This is a big deal because the vision of education here is very different than it was back home. There are still some things that I don't get to do simply because it doesn't challenge students enough. What I want is to differentiate students materials so that we meet their individual needs and they each able to have expectations in which they are able to not only succeed but be challenged as well. Instead each student is given the same level of challenge, and it really is challenging for 90% of the students. Some can't keep up. The ideaology is that those students that can't keep up at school need to work harder at home. Right. I look at this situation as a learning experience for my future classroom. Differentiation really matters. - cross that interview question off -
Thursday - I made cookies with my friend Dalibor. He studied in Georgia for a year and really missed chocolate chip cookies. I'll take any excuse to make sweets. Added bonus the flat smelled SOOO until saturday when I left all the windows open to soak up the sunshine... Cookies turned out good - duh - a little cakey though... Who can help me with that? what did i do wrong?
Friday I went to the center for dinner, grabbed a small pesto pizza, shopska salad, and vodka. After dinner I hoofed it back home. Luckily it was still early no gypsies to worry about..... More tomorrow. it's bed time.
I have to apologize for putting this off so much. I will really make an effort to keep up on this. there is plenty to share for Saturday, Sunday, and today... Will update that soon.
Chao!
Evan
P.S. I knew I would miss certain events while I was here in Skopje that are going on at home. Happy Birthday Brother Nic! The little guy turned 21 today! YAY! Everyone go have a Vodka Cran for the young one, no cran, just shoot the vodka, if not that boxed wine will work too.
Ne Dravje!!! (Cheers)
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