The Monastery and The Grill'in

(An earlier e-mail) Any luck in finding out why you couldn’t get through the other day? My five minutes cost me $9.00. I’m trying to find out where there a Skype connection that we can use, but no luck so far.

Anyway besides eating a diet that consists of nothing but healthy foods, I am drinking a lot of rakija and Turkish coffee. No ill effects yet. My host family looks forward to correcting my homework every evening and we have lots of laughs at the mistakes I make. Trying to tell me in Macedonian that the verb is supposed to be third person plural, feminine gender instead of first person singular masculine gender takes a good half hour of hand gestures and constant referral to the dictionary that the Peace Corps mercifully provides. I am making great progress though.
On Sunday, my first real day off, Kocho and Violetta took me on a 10 kilometer hike which wound up an Orthodox Monastery that has been refurbished recently. It was built in the 15th century but with the exception of the foundation, was destroyed in one of the many conflicts. The grounds are beautiful and the whole experience takes one back in time, not unlike the feeling you get in the villages we’ve walked through.

After our hike, Kocho set up his grill and barbequed some chicken steaks, kielbasa, sausages and fresh pork. I hung around and watched, continually turning down offers to refill my rakija glass. As usual the meal was delicious and we had the leftovers for dinner. At night I sit in the living room doing my language homework while the family watches TV. Many of the shows are in English with Macedonian subtitles so I find it a great way to learn some new vocabulary. I can’t go to bed until they check my homework and give me a “Dobra”.

Included in today’s photos are a picture of the monastery, Kocho and I at the monastery, Kocho and Slavitsa, cooking on the grill and a landscape shot taken from the hill where the monastery is located.

I am typing this e-mail between the time my practicum at the “skoloto” is over and before my four hours of my language class begins. When I get to send it depends on my opportunity to get to an available computer with internet access.It was great hearing your voice on Tuesday. Tell the boys I appreciate the e-mails and to keep them coming when they have something to report. It was also great to hear from Mark and Luanne and Carmella. I hope everyone understands my inability to respond and acknowledge each e-mail due to my hectic pre-service training schedule. It’s like pre-season football drills for the mind. I’ll have much more free time in December when I get established at my permanent site.

Love to all, especially to you.
Majkal