It has been awhile……

Nothing much has happened this summer.  I have not worked all that much, didn’t take a vacation or holiday anywhere.  Just kind of hung around Veles.  But i have started to exercise….thinking that i might want to run the Skopje 5K next May.  So trying to run two or three days a week, depends on the shin splints.  Which means i must  buy real running shoes. I’m off track a bit.

I uploaded new pictures to my web album.  They are pictures i have been collecting all summer in a folder called “Leto 2009″

Okay, since i last wrote Macedonia celebrated Independence Day (8 Sept).  For those of you who are wondering, that is independence from Yugoslavia.  To celebrate this occasion, we were blessed with a concert by the Ari Roland Quartet from NYC.  They were doing a tour of the Balkans as Jazz ambassadors and made a stop in Veles, lucky for us and for me.  It is always nice to know the right people.  My friend Igor and i, took the band to Snoopy for ruchek/dinner before they played.  So we were able to sit and chat about whatever.  They are a really cool group of guys, who are a lot of fun.  Plus it was just nice to hear live jazz, it had been awhile for me.  Besides just hearing the Ari Roland Quartet, there were numerous other musical acts that have been popular throughout the different decades or time periods.  We heard a variety of music, from American to Mexican to Serbian to Macedonian to Yugoslavian.  Some were good and some were alright. But the best one was a group called the “Three Sombreros” .  They consisted of three Macedonian men dressed in sombreros and ponchos, who were also playing Spanish guitars and signing Spanish and Macedonian songs.  Really, it does not get any better than that.  A good time was had by all.

About a month later, my friend Kej and i decided that we really should go visit out host families (together) and instead of staying with the families we would stay with another PCV living in Sveti Nikole.  This proved to be rather fruitful.  Jennifer Wells (is her name)  works for the local museum (which is an awesome job, one we are all most envious).  Part of her job is assisting with an archeological dig that was started two years ago, or the summer after we left the training community and moved to our sites.  The dig is located on a road that we frequently walked.  You may or may not remember but i have pictures of what was at the time believed to be the remnants of a Roman bath. At the time i posted those pictures, there was no money to fund a dig even though it was a proven fact that there was much more to be discovered.  Thanks to Texas Foundation For Archaeological and Historical Research (TFAHR), an offer for a co-operative venture was made with Mr. Aleksander Danev (director for the museum) to excavate the site.  The site itself it located closest to a small village by the name of Knezje just a couple of miles outside Sveti Nikole.  The past two summers have revealed much and the discovery was more than they hoped for.

The site has revealed the location for the ancient city of Bylazora that was once inhabited by the Paionians possibly starting as early as the 6th century B.C. or B.C.E. (before the common era).  Ancient written records barely mention tor describe the city of Bylazora in detail; because of this most modern archealogists and historians believed the ancient city to be associated with Veles.  It is now believed that this association was made on a superficial similarity between the names.  Throughout Veles, there are numerous organizations, and businesses with the name “Vila Zora”. An ancient site has been discovered at Veles (3.5 hectares), but is far too small to be the ancient site of Bylazora.

The city is believed to be 20 hectares big.  TFAHR has divided the sight into 6 sectors, with work currently being done in sector 3.  As we walked around sector 3, Jennifer was able to explain some of the key areas that have been uncovered.  We entered the site via a ramp or stone road type structure.  She explained that they believed this ramp was covered because of all the terra cotta pieces that were found laying directly on the ramp.  Also, next to what would have been the gate, they found a small area with lots of animal bones.  It is believed that when someone entered the gate they had to sacrifice an animal.  They are sure that further digging and expansing of the ramp will lead to a temple.  Along the way, she pointed out various areas of what used to be a square or guard tour, ancient wine presses, drainage areas, defensive walls, and scant remnants of buildings.  Sector 3 has uncovered an abundance of ancient local ceramics and pottery too, that is currently being held in the People’s Museum of Sveti Nikole. Mom, Paula and i saw some of these artifacts when we were in Sveti Nikole (to visit the family) and happened into the museum, August 2008.

October is now here and i am anxiously awaiting for October 17, or the time i board the plane for my flight home.  I am not coming home for good, only for a 30 day visit.  Since i have not taken any vacation time this year, the trip home is much needed.  So much has changed over the past year and the trip home is a break of sorts.  For when i return to Macedonia, i will quickly move to Skopje and start my new adventure there, but never forgetting my friends here (in Veles).  I foresee the next year going by as quickly as the last two, but this also means i will be saying good-bye to some of my Peace Corps friends who have become very dear to me. Despite this, the trip home will also be a refresher; a time to see family and friends; a time for catching up; and in one case, maybe even saying goodbye.  Thirty days seems almost to short; in between the presentations (Heidelberg, BGSU, Katie’s 3rd grade class, and the Riley Reapers); visits; parties and just spending quality time with my family, time will fly. But such is life and i’m not the first person to live abroad and won’t be the last.   Plus, the trip home means shopping….i have a list and i’m checking it twice.

Peace and love

http://picasaweb.google.com/JenMArnold/Leto2009#

This is a tragedy

15 dead as Macedonian tour boat sinks Story Highlights 15 dead, 54 rescued as tour boat sinks on Lake Ohrid Search for more casualties ongoing, spokesman says Party of Bulgarian tourists among the dead By Per Nyberg CNN (CNN) — At least 15 people are dead after a tourist boat sunk in a lake in southwest Macedonia on Saturday morning, a government spokesman told CNN. Three more are said to be in critical condition. The vessel sunk about 200 meters from the shore in the cold waters of Lake Ohrid around 11 a.m. local time (0500 E.T.), said Ivo Kotevski, a spokesman for the Macedonian Interior Ministry. “So far we have pulled 15 bodies out of the water, but the search for more casualties is still ongoing,” he said. He said 54 people have so far been rescued from the water and are now being treated in a nearby hotel. Macedonian authorities don’t know the identities of all deceased yet, but a group of Bulgarian tourists are among the dead, Kotevski said. The waters were calm when the incident happened, but the accident could be due to the boat being overloaded with passengers, Kotevski said. “The ship, which was made in the 1930s, was examined in May this year. Everything was fine with the ship and it was given a license to operate for another year,” said Kotevski. Police also have video footage of the sinking, because some tourists who were on the shore of the lake filmed the boat going down. An investigation will be launched into the cause of the accident, he said. Several senior Macedonian politicians have visited the site of the accident, including the country’s president and prime minister, Kotevski said. Bulgarian authorities have been contacted and they will provide an airplane to bring home the surviving Bulgarians. Lake Ohrid spans Macedonia’s southwest border with Albania and is a popular tourist attraction. The deepest lake in the Balkans, it is known for its natural beauty and fishing.

Open letter #1

Well everyone, i haven’t been so good about writing in my blog as i thought.  The goal was to write once a week and not once a month or so.  Sometimes, there just isn’t anything to write about.

Summer is officially here and after about six weeks of rain every afternoon, it is reaching around 35 – 40 degrees celsius (100 – 112 degrees F).  Not much goes on during this time, and we have also reached the holiday season or vacation season.  This runs from around mid July to the end of August.  I will only be going to Ohrid and Strumica this year. Strumica is on the otherside of the country from Ohrid and there are some Peace Corps volunteer friends there, who i want to visit.

As many of you have heard by now, i am extending another year.  This decision was not easy and should not have been made without consulting Dusko first.  Not my boyfriend, but my colleague in Skopje.  When i found out we didn’t get the National Endowment for Democracy Grant, i thought for sure this was the sign.  I was going to go home at the end of November.  This decision did not sit so easily, and i cried and cried and cried.  The thought of leaving here was devastating…it was obvious i was not ready to leave after only 27 months.  I needed another year, and Dusko has given that to me, though i have to move to Skopje.  Skopje is the capital and biggest city in Macedonia.  Moving there will be an adjustment, for i won’t be able to just walk outside the city into the hiking trails and small mountain tops that have brought me peace in the past.  There will be different adventures in Skopje and i’m almost anxious to get there.

Sometimes life here is hard and lonely, but in general, i am happy and like it here very much.  Life here is simplier and in some cases slower, people enjoy each others company, they know each other, get together for large meals, coffee, or just rakija and salad. I have made friends in the least likely of places and it is wonderful.

On numerous occasions i have had the opportunity to visit my friend Vesna and her family at their lake house.  This is always so much fun and relaxing.  Her and i will cook together, she will teach me some Macedonian dish, and i some American dish.  When i go next, she will teach me how to make this eggplant ajvar i like so much, and i will teach her how to make veggie burgers with my recipe.  One of the last times i was there, we had a long 3 hour ruchek with the neighbors. Lots of drinking and eating, it was a lot of fun.  Even though i don’t speak the language so well, i can understand a lot and get what they are talking about.  I will try to speak Macedonian and they tell me i do it well, though i know differently, but they are giving me the benefit of the doubt for trying.  A lot of times, if someone speaks even the tiniest bit of English, they will try to speak with me.  This is a connection that is greatly appreciated by all.

Which brings me to a story about 4th of July weekend.  The whole weekend was a story of fun, work and relaxing.  But on Friday night the 3rd, we all pitched in and made a big “Macedonian” type dinner.  Present were Jason, Ruchelle, Aleksander, Igor, Trajche, Mimi and 3 of her friends (Mimi and her friends were only there for the night, they hiked to a different mountain house the next day).  My contribution to the meal was sushi and chopsticks.  These guys had so much fun trying not only the sushi, but eating all the food present with the chopsticks.  We had to teach some of them how to use the chopsticks and they were good spirited about it too.  The moment was priceless and as Jason said, one of his favorite Macedonian times here.  I agree.  But i have diverted.  The story i was actually thinking about occurred on Sunday 5 July.

Sitting at breakfast with us was another couple and Aleksander.  Once introductions were made and we learned a little about each other (They are in their 60’s, she is Macedonian, born in the village, and now lived in Germany with her German husband.  They were on holiday, bla bla bla.)  we were invited to na gosti at their village house just down the road.  This was so awesome for many reasons.  As we sat at the table and drank rakija and ate food from Germany, we spoke 3 different languages all at once.  The husband only speaks German; the wife and Jason, English, German, and Macedonia; Ruchelle and i only Macedonian and English.  All three languages were spoken, sometimes within the same sentence and all of us had no problems understanding each other.  We laughed and had a good time.  I’m glad i had the opportunity to meet and spend time with them.  She had on display pictures that were very old and they really were a window into the past of the village.  They (the pictures and the couple) were amazing.  The whole weekend was unbelievable.  The reason we went was to assist in the annual cleaning of the mountain house, and that is how we spent our 4th of July……cleaning.

My time here has been life changing in so many ways.  You learn a lot about yourself when you submerge yourself in another culture.  I have so much respect for those who have come to the United States to go to school or whatever.  This is not easy.  In spite of not being easy, it is quite joyful living in another culture.  The world is huge and there is so much to learn and discover.  That is why, i would like to pursue a career abroad.  So many programs and so many opportunities.  The Peace Corps experience has opened my life to an endless world of opportunities that i thought were never possible.  Life is good.