Since you asked for it: A day in my life...

Many people have asked me to describe a typical day in my life here in Skopje. I thought rather than try to sum up a typical day that I'd instead just describe one day at a time. This will be especially fun in the next couple days as Macedonia gears up for their Christmas festivities, beginning with neighborhood bonfires tomorrow night.

Last night the power went out in my block, so I found myself blindly hunting around for a lighter for my candles (losing power may be normal for colleagues in Kosovo, but not here in the city). Giving up the search, I settled on a small battery-powered booklight to light my way around the apartment (thanks to AW of Trinity, Redding). It was still early, so armed with the booklight I decided to begin reading Chasing Daylight (the irony kills me). I was just paragraphs into the first chapter when a colleagues son called me looking for a telephone number of another colleague... unfortunately with the power situation I couldn't help him.

This morning I woke up with electricity restored and to a very warm apartment (city heat is great during the super-freezing days of winter because they CRANK IT UP -- as testified to by the pilar of smoke I saw rising from the city heating plant). I fed my goldfish and myself (QT and breakfast), dressed in layers and called a taxi to take me to work.

(Yes, I admit that I'm chicken when it comes to driving in this city with the layers of ice left after a snow storm.)

Arriving at the office I realized that I'd forgotten to get some much needed supplies (TP) and so dashed right back out the door (after greeting my FD, of course, who was working diligently at his desk on a sermon for Sunday). After getting the needed supplies, I solemnly disposed of the poinsetta plant leaves that had fallen during the night (seriously, I don't have much luck with plants in the office).

It's just past the end of the month, so todays work consists of compiling worker reimbursement reports, bank statements and other financial information that needs to be processed, approved by the FD, and entered into QuickBooks. Reconciling, counting, red-penning.... This work is fun, sometimes mundane, but fairly straighforward (especially when co-workers submit their reports on-time.. like this month!)

Today's work also included the now monthly heart palpitations and sharp sucking in of breath at the exchange loss that I have to post to our books this month. (As well as the realization that it's getting more expensive to live here by the day... hour... just today the exchange rate we got was $1=€0.6758!!) When will the dollar get stronger??? This was then followed by an extended conversation with the FD and our Regional Bookkeeper to find out what our options are for posting the losses, and what to do when (not if) we run out of options.... and what this means to our budget, etc. (Imagine what this is doing to the GCF buying power as well! We really appreciate and RELY on your support. Thank you for your giving.)

[Eur-USD image source: http://katara.wordpress.com/2007/07/12/press-euro-vs-dollar/]

The door opens and it's someone looking for directions to a business office that is also in the building. Flexing my weak Macedonian muscles, I give directions and wish her a nice day. This is something that happens fairly regularly as do the visits of salesmen trying to sell/push anything from sparklers and balloons to socks, batteries and hammers. (Sometimes it happens so often in the same day that just to get some uninterrupted work done, I lock the door... shhhh... don't tell on me.)

It's Friday today, so the pastors will be having their weekly meeting and prayer time for the International Church. While they meet I try to keep my keystrokes to a minimum as the office tends to echo each and every sound with loud punctuation. It is kinda neat, though, to get a preview of the sermon for the coming Sunday.

In the winter it gets dark around 4pm, so I try to wrap the days work up pretty soon after that and head home. Leaving earlier in winter is better as there are fewer taxi's available to hitch a ride home with (maybe they're just as queasy about ice-driving as I am?!) (Yes, I could walk, but with the layers of unshoveled snow left to ice up... it's quite dangerous, AND I prefer to have my feet on solid ground.) Leaving early doesn't always happen, though ... I've been guilty of staying until 8pm sometimes. This tends to happen more when I'm knee-deep in a project (or really close to closing the month). Rather than leave it in the air until the next day, I prefer to stay and just get it done.

Are you bored yet? I may enjoy this work, but for you reading about it I can only imagine that it's about as exciting as watching paint dry. But if you've made it this far, I salute you!

Tonight I don't think I'll have a problem with staying late as there are still a few items I'm waiting for before I can close the December books. As it's Friday, though, I'll likely get together with a fellow colleague and go to dinner and possibly a movie. Infact, she just emailed suggesting just that! Cool!

Well, lunch is over and so I must close this narrative. Tune in often over the next couple of days as I will try to post photos and descriptions of the Christmas festivities here in Skopje.

Среќен Божик!! (Merry Christmas!)