An Excursion

On Friday the 22nd I had the opportunity to Skype the sixth graders from the Blanchard Memorial School in Boxborough, Massachusetts. I had taught there for 33 years and retired two years ago so it was great to see the faces of so many students that I last knew as fourth graders. They grow so fast. My former colleague, Rob, set up the meeting with the help of the Blanchard staff. Although there were audio problems, I was able to answer their very-well thought out questions. Next school year, when the computers are finally installed at the Nikola Karev school, we’ll have some great opportunities to have the students from both countries interact and work together on some fun projects.

On Saturday the sixth and seventh graders from the Nicola Karev Primary School went on their end-of-the-school-year class trip and I went along with them. At 7AM five home room teachers and about 80 students on two busses, took off for a day of travel to five different points of interest in the surrounding towns and villages.

The first stop was in Radovis, an agrarian town where we stopped to view a new church that was recently built by a Macedonian gentleman who had made a fortune in the U.S. Upon his return, he built this beautiful church for his community in thanksgiving for his blessings (This is my understanding of the story. If anyone reading this blog has more knowledge on this topic, please feel free to post your comments at the end of this blog.) The church is exquisite and will be around for many centuries.

We then boarded the busses for Smolari, where there is a waterfall that is well worth seeing, hidden in the mountainous forest or forested mountain. We had to pass through a small village, and hike up a steep trail to get to the waterfall. It was well worth the challenging effort to spend a few Kodak moments on site. On the way down, we bought freshly picked cherries from some of the local youths who had set up a lemonade-for-sale style stand in the forest. Needless to say, they were delicious although I question whether they had been washed. The students found a vendor that sold ice cream and so as to blend in and since it wasn’t winter and I wouldn’t catch a cold from eating one, I contributed to the local economy and bought a bar- an ice cream bar that is.

Our next destination was Bansko, another agricultural town where the plan was to have lunch. Bansko is also known for its hot springs and there used to be numerous places to use the water to treat various health issues. It was about lunchtime and the day was heating up and the farmers were coming into the village on their tractors to grab some refreshment at one of the cafés. The students wanted to wait until the next stop before eating lunch and so they refreshed themselves with ice cream and soft drinks from the local prodavnitza (convenience store).

The next, and as it turned out to be our last, stop on our excursion was the town of Strumica – established in the 2nd century B.C. There were parks , and amusements, and shops and malls and cafes and fast food. The students from Probistip were set free and told to report back to the busses in three hours. The teachers found a nice outdoor restaurant where we rested and leisurely dined, and when the bill came, I was told that I had been treated to lunch. Macedonian hospitality again.
After a brief stroll through the center and a few minutes of throwing in the park, the frisbees that I had brought, we departed for home.

I learned a lot more about Macedonia on our trip. I witnessed how well the students got along with each other and how supportive they were of each other and how they are so much like the students in the USA. I got to practice my Macedonian and they were able to practice English in an informal and relaxed atmosphere. I was able to drive Alexandra crazy with questions about agriculture, business, education and law in Macedonia. I discovered they grow rice and mine gold here.

One of the neatest things while traveling on the bus through the” food belt” of Macedonia was witnessing areas where ancient farming techniques are still being practiced. I saw hectare upon hectare of tobacco fields where each tiny plant was tenderly hand placed in the ground. I saw a farmer scything a field while another worker was pitch forking the dried hay onto a horse-drawn cart. I saw more horses and donkeys than tractors and cars. I saw a fish farm. I saw shepherds and goat herders. With the exception of a passing motorized vehicle every now and then disturbing the setting , one would come to believe that he had been transported back to the 16th century.

I also learned that farmers can grow poppies that are used in the production of morphine. I saw many blossoming poppy fields while busing through this area. The growers must sell the whole plant, not just the pods, to licensed pharmaceutical companies.

Luckily, Monday was a National Holiday – Saints Cyril and Methodius – a relatively new holiday (you couldn’t celebrate saint’s days during the former communist days) which also recognizes the country’s teachers. The long weekend was needed to rejuvenate body and mind in preparation for the final weeks of this school year.

While I was writing this blog, my apartment building shook a few times. The area experienced some earthquake tremors from a seismic occurrence whose epicenter was in a town some distance from here. Not to worry I’m told, it happens all the time. So the next time my walls sway and the sofa vibrates, I’ll be sure not to be concerned.