Not a day goes by here in this wonderful place where I don’t learn something new or get a different perspective on living in this world. I always thought that roosters crowed only at sunrise, because in the stories I read as a child, that’s what they did. But the fact is they crow all day. And so the crowing roosters, baying donkeys, squealing pigs, singing birds, barking dogs, and yowling cats create an auditory environment that at times is enchanting and at times annoying.
Now as you know, if you’ve read my previous blogs, I live near the center of the town in the apartment complex built for the miners’ families. So on warm days, the women (and some men) on my street sit outside at hastily built tables of scrap wood and talk about whatever women talk about. I am now a familiar face with a wife, and so upon my return from school, I walk a gauntlet of smiles and “Dobar Dens” (Good Day) from the groups sitting in front of each apartment. It’s nice to know I’ve been accepted into the neighborhood.
The men in my neighborhood have been busy the last few weekends cutting, splitting, and stacking recently delivered wood for next winter’s heating and cooking. I still marvel at the fact that, for the most part, each apartment in each building has its own woodpile. But wood is less expensive than electricity, so I can understand the rationale behind it. Luckily my apartment has been retrofitted with an electric heater and the Peace Corps picks up the tab for electricity.
The bread here is crusty and chewy on the day you buy it. But the next day it is somewhat dried out and tasteless (the result of having no preservatives). So after six months of enduring day old bread, I figured out that maybe if I toasted it, it would be more enjoyable. Not having the luxury of a toaster or an oven broiler, I discovered that I could put a slice of day old bread on a stovetop-heated pan without oil and it would manufacture a pretty good piece of hot toast, so good in fact that I plan on throwing away our toaster when I return to the States.
I take lots of pictures. Occasionally I will get a good picture of a student and have it developed at the local photo shop for equivalent of about twenty cents. When I present it to the student, they are so excited and so appreciative. The smiles are immeasurable and the rest of the class seems to share in the joy of the recipient. Twenty cents can buy much, much more than a pack of gum here in Macedonia.
Soda is the drink of choice among the children. Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Fanta and many locally produced sugar laden beverages take up more shelf space in the shops than any other product. Sadly, many of them advertise themselves as “energy drinks”. Diet sodas are almost non-existent in Probistip. Needless to say the prevalence of sugar drinks has contributed to the need for more dental care than is available to many of the students. I recently read or viewed somewhere, that one measure to help reduce the enamel eating effect of soft drinks is to sip the beverage through a straw. This, as I understood it, would help eliminate the “bathing effect” on the teeth that drinking from a glass or bottle creates. Mad sense to me. So yesterday for the first time in the 8 months I’ve been in-country, I thought I’d try a locally produced cold soft drink. I purchased a “Cola”, bottled in Macedonia. Much to my surprise, when I opened the bottle, there was a straw in the bottle from which to dentally-healthfully (you know what I mean)enjoy the “energy drink”. Cutting edge – straw IN the bottle!
Cabbage is a staple, much like bread. I will see people purchase 10 cabbages and twenty onions at the Wednesday market (pazaar). All sorts of fabulous salads and dishes can be made with cabbage and onions but I always wondered how a person could use so many cabbages and onions in a week. One cabbage and one onion will last me a week. As it turns out, a person buying that many cabbages and onions is probably picking up them up for family, friends and neighbors. Question answered. Next question: How much do 10 Macedonian cabbages(not those whimpy cabbages they sell in American supermarkets) weigh? Answer: Too much.
Strawberries and cherries are in the market now. They are picked when they are ripe and at the market the same, or no later than, the next day. Deeelicious! Tragically, In their 3000+ years of existence, Macedonians have never tasted a strawberry or a cherry pie (USA style). Strawberries with rhubarb – nope!
I tried to find a pair of sport sandals herein Probistip but the only ones I could find were either “not my style” or were the flip-flop kind that I always struggle to keep on. Leather shoes are very expensive in Macedonia, so most available footwear is made of synthetic materials. So through the convenience of on-line shopping I ordered a pair of Made-in-China sport sandals from the All-American company in Freeport, Maine – LL Bean. As usual, they were great and despite the $35 shipping fee and the $4 pickup fee at the post office (Powsta), which were fees beyond the control of the Bean Corporation, I am very pleased with my purchase. Besides owning one of the most expensive bathrobes in Macedonia, I now own the nicest pair of leather sport sandals in Probistip.
The new U.S. Embassy is now open in Skopje. It’s a fortress-looking structure, located in a prime location in the capital. It’s quite ostentatious (my personal opinion). Previously , the various Embassy offices were scattered about the city. Now everyone on the staff is located in one place which improves the security for everyone involved. Sadly, with the world situation the way it is, you can’t just drop into the Embassy. You need to make an appointment at least three days in advance to gain entrance.
The Embassy staff is very supportive of PCV’s. They invite us to many of the holiday events that happen at the Embassy, let us have access to the swimming pool , and provide us with access to the Skopje Scoop- a newsletter that keeps the Embassy community attuned to what’s happening in town. The only catch is that unless you’re a PCV serving in the capital or in a nearby municipality, you really can’t take advantage of their hospitality.
I remember when Yugo’s came to America when Yugoslavia introduced them to the American car market. They weren’t a big hit and became somewhat of a joke because of their poor quality construction. Well here in Probistip those babies are still on the road. Those four cylinder, diesel engined marvels , along with their sister Zastava’s, are workhorses. They all have tow bars to which are attached trailers that transport everything from mattresses and household goods to cement and fieldstones. These vehicles have been on the road for over forty years. So much for poor quality, America!
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