Yes I am Still Alive and Residing in Macedonia

OK, so I know it has been since New Years that I have posted on the blog and I knew this would happen, I really don't have a lot to update you on so I guess I will give you a really "brief" synopsis of daily life for me thus far.

First, just as I was beginning to think Winter had passed us by it snowed last night. I am told they had their heaviest snowfall last year the end of February, so I guess there is still time for the big one. Thus far we have had very little snow and of course that does not bode well for agriculture. It is very evident by the seeing the water line on Mavrovo lake, to me it looks really low.

Tutto (incase you forgot is the owner of the hotel/restaurant bearing his name and the person I work for) is still i the process of remodeling the restaurent. He hopes to reopen on the 20th of February, but I don;t think we will make it. Me, I sit and watch as I am not allowed to do any of the work (Peace Corps regs). It is interesting to see the differences between here and the US in the way they do construction. None of it woud ever pass building inspection, not that there are any to inspect the work. They think nothing of jack-hammering up a tile floor just to lay a drain pipe that should have been laid wehen the place was built five years ago. Electric is really cool, they just run wires wherever they need power and call it good. Aesthetics is not a big deal and of course it drives me crazy to see wires hanging from ceilings, with nothing attached. In addition, OSHA would have a field day writing violations. Well, it all works in the end so I guess it really doesn't matter. They will be doing most of over again in a couple of years anyhow. I think a lot of the mentality stems from the communist era when full-employment was mandated. Things were not built to last so people would have work to do in the future, not a bad concept I guess, besides who knows the difference.

I have resumed language lessons with a woman whose husband is in the hospital with severe asthma (he smoked for 30 years) and they have no source of income, so my meager payment of $6 per hour ($48 per month) will help keep some food in the house. Snezana learned English in school and has tutored several other volunteers. I am looking forward to getting lessons on how to carry on a conversation rather than just learning grammer. My first assignment is to read some first and second grade books, are you kidding me! Guess I gotta start somewhere, newspapers are next. I spend a lot of time with the dictionary and Google translate.

I have been suffering, for the past four weeks, with the typical annual, Macedonia "crud" that has turned into a sinus infection. So I went to see Doc MiMi this week and got a drug store full of drugs. She says I should be "right-as-rain" by next week. Free medical is one of the many bennies afforded PCVs as well as free drugs. I even had to sign for the Sudafed, to be sure they know who to come after when I turn the stuff into Crystal Meth...the long arm of the DEA.

Oh yeah, my daily routine. Well I get up around seven and go downstairs and make coffee, if there is any (seems to be a real shortage) and sit and read my Kindle until Tony (the chef) wanders in around 8:30. We build a fire in the wood stove (our source of heating) and he fixes me breakfast. Usual breakfast i scrambled eggs (they have yet to figure out how to turn a fried egg over) bread that has been toasted, or burned, on the wood stove. Some days I get mystery meat and cheese. They make something akin to French Toast that is deep fried bread dipped in eggs, a bit too greasy for me, but tasty. Oh yeah, back to coffee. You have three choices, Turkish, which if you have not had is a real treat. It is like a shot of espresso with the grounds still in the coffee. You get it and let the grounds settle then drink down to the grounds. If it is not prepared properly the grounds stay suspended in the coffee and that, my friends, is a real treat - a mouthful fo coffee grounds. Then there is filtered coffee, much like you would experience at home, however, there is rarely coffee to make the coffee so they use the fine grind they use for Turkish - WOW! Of course they like it strong so they fill the filter to the top with coffee and let 'er rip. The third kind is what your grandparents used to drink - Nescafe. Yup, a teaspoon full in hot water. This is extremely popular in restaurants, fast, easy and cheap. But here, when ther eis nothing eles it will do.

OK, so that takes care of breakfast. By this time Tutto and the workers are here and I get to watch until around 2 when we have lunch. Lunch is prepared for around 15 people and generally consist of some type of soup with meat, bread and more bread and more bread and pickled vegetables (tomatoes, peppers, pickles). And, if we have been extra good we may have some sort of dessert (torta), depends if Laresa (Tony's wife) wants to make it or not. By the way did I tell you that Tony smokes 4 packs of cigaretts per day and his wife is close behind him. One day he ran out of cigaretts and I thought he was going to have a breakdown - it was scary!

So after lunch I watch some more until around 5 or so when the villagers start showing up to inspect the days work and add their advice. They stand around smoking and drinking rakija for a few hours and then off they go. By this time I am off to my room to read and play on my computer. And thus ends my day. And thus ends my blog post.

I hope everyone is safe and healthy. Brandon and Britt are on a celebration this weekend so congrats to them. I miss everyone lots and look forward to getting your email with current events. Take care, GO NRA!

The three regular workers and Sara

Water control, one of many

Tony, the chef

Tutto giving "instruction"

Tutto working

Tutto smoking

Snow today 8 Feb

They insisted I get in the picture