Hi, I know it has been a little while since my last update.
I have been quite busy with daily language, lessons, several TEFL lessons, and
much bonding with my host mother. As well as no internet in my house, which is
probably the main reason why I have not updated sooner. I now have a weak
signal that I borrow from the neighbor that goes in and out, and is nearly
nonexistent in the evening. I have met many lovely people in the town of
Probishtip, which is small in size by American terms, but is an average-sized
town for Macedonia. My experience so far has been very good. I have become
friends with my host mother’s 4 year old granddaughter, as well as a 10 year
old daughter of my host mother’s friend, and a 16 year-old neighbor, so I am
surely working up the chain to my own age, haha.
In Macedonia, there is a term for visiting friends called
Negosti, and this seems to happen with my host mother and I on Saturdays. I
have visited with her to meet some of her closest friends, and her friend and
our neighbor Rosa has gifted me a great cultural DVD of some classic Macedonian
dances, a nice gem that her husband collected as he is a geologist, and some
other informational cultural material. Everyone here is so nice, welcoming, and
generous.
With fresh vegetables and fruits gifted often from neighbors,
I feel so much healthier. My host mom is apparently on a health kick, so what I
eat is often different than what the other host families eat. I definitely have
drastically cut back on artificial foods. Peppers are in season here. Not hot
ones, thank god. They turn the peppers into Ajvar here or piperki. Ajvar can be
canned and saved for the winter, and it is put on bread. My host mother does
not make Ajbar as it is very labor intensive, but we were given some by one of
her friends and it is delicious. We have made several bottles of apple juice
that will stay good for a long time with fermenting. My host mother has about 5
apple trees in her yard.
Language lessons have been going well. I do feel like I am
making progress, and words I thought difficult to say or spellin the beginning
have gotten much easier. I have been able to learn a little from the 4 year old
granddaughter of my host mother as well, haha! I sincerely hope that I can make
strides language-wise with my host mother as she is inclined to speak English around
me, but is surely speaking a little more Macedonian now. We will see…
I miss everyone at home, and can already see what I am going
to miss in the upcoming two years. But, that is expected I suppose. I really
miss my family and all of my friends. It’s different, though the other Peace
Corps Volunteers and I have bonded, and so many are so very nice. We make a
great community, and I am so happy they are so cool and accepting.
Remember, if you have any questions about the process
thusfar, feel free to ask. But remember each volunteer’s experience is
different.
