Ironing Underwear

(This is one of my earlier e-mails to Lee) It’s Saturday and it’s a national holiday (National Uprising Day) so nothing is open, not even the internet cafes (what is the plural of café). I’m spending the day reviewing my language materials. I was sitting in the garage with the Meovski family while they are roasting peppers and tomatoes and making rakija. Slavitsa checks my homework and is constantly giving me new vocabulary words. Kocho has been making rakija for about 18 days and it is his only source of income since he is not employed right now. The family also sells peppers and tomatoes from their garden at the market.
As I’ve mentioned before, they are taking wonderful care of me. They feed me too much, they are always worried that I may be too cold, and if I am delayed at class, they call me to make sure I’m ok and not lost. Slavitsa also does my laundry, and as is the Macedonian custom, insists that she iron my underwear and t-shirts before she returns them to me. Few families have dryers, so laundry is hung outside on the sun side. It’s somewhat comical to see my bright red and other multi-colored boxers fluttering in the wind next to the white other -things of the other family members. On Sunday Kocho is taking the day off from making rakija so that he can show me where the Straso Pindzur School is (that’s where I’ll do my teaching practicum). We’re also going to hike to an old monastery that’s about 4 kilometers from here. I’m sure I’ll have plenty of photo opportunities and will send some pictures.
I really can’t work on my blog until I get my own place and have a reliable access to the internet. We do have it here but I can’t use my own computer and at times the internet is inaccessible. So I’ll count on you to forward my current status to all our family and friends who have an interest. Time will be limited in the next four weeks during our practici (is this the plural of practicum?)to anything but teach, plan lessons, and go to four hours of language classes every day. They’ve even have weekend activities planned for us. The training is outstanding and the Peace Corps does everything in their power to make sure we will be successful. It’s rare to encounter such a group of upbeat and talented training staff. On Friday we had the pot luck dinner at the apartment of a current volunteer. I was the oldest in attendance but never felt out of place. It was entertaining to listen to some of the stories that the current volunteers had to tell. The current volunteers who are ending their two years and will be returning to the states told us that the time flies by.
The pictures include a picture of classmates in language class at the municipal building in Negotino (our instructor Despinja is wearing brown pants), a picture of two Macedonian boys that helped us when we got temporarily got sidetracked; a scene of the Tuesday and Thursday bazaar in the center where you can purchase almost anything including fresh produce; a picture of some of the volunteers at our pot luck dinner; a picture of Kocho my protector; and a picture of MAK13 taken in Philly with the Macedonian ambassador who had come up from Washington DC to thank us for giving assistance to his country.
I am now going outside to the garage to help peel tomatoes despite Kocho’s good natured warning that that it is women’s work. I’ll put this letter on a flash drive and try to get it out tomorrow (cafes closed today). Feel free to correct any grammatical mistakes before you forward it to anyone. I don’t have the time to keep checking for mistakes. Love and lots of kisses - Mikey