Just a few things I'm thankful for....

The last pie for tomorrows Thanksgiving meal with colleagues is in the oven and I thought it would be nice to take a moment and express some things for which I am thankful on this special day:

• The Lord's provision in every way
• For the love and support of my family even though they may not always get what I'm doing
• Delightful conversations with nephews thanks to Skype.... gosh they're growing in to such fine young men
• Dear friends who are content with the reality of limited connectedness when I'm overseas, accept that our time together is brief while I'm in the US and who support and pray for me through it all.
• Colleagues who've become dear friends and family away from family
• That I get to live in a fascinating place, do what I love and be apart of something much bigger than I.... and getting to see and hear the resulting stories...
• For new colleagues
• For new friends locally and from many different countries
• For laughter, lots of laughter
• For girl's days out and trips to our favorite hair stylist
• For snowflakes and fireflies
• For the "girl Friday" without whom I don't know how any of us would make it through the visa process... she's amazing
• For the support and encouragement of those back in the US
• For city heat and radiators that dry the clothes in winter
• For the simple and wonderful Christmas card carrying a greeting and prayer already received in the mail
• Language and cultural coaches/teachers who are so patient
• For the many lovely life conversations in these past few months
• For those who've spoken into my life over the years, encouraging me or challenging me to grow.
• For sweet friends who loan me pie pans so I can make the pies in the picture for our team Thanksgiving dinner. :)

Funny how what I thought would be a short list has become much longer... frankly I could keep going. :) It's a good perspective check for me, though, to really reflect upon the Lord's blessings and to give Him thanks for everything. A good exercise for each day, I think.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Snowflakes and Fireflies

I opened my eyes later than usual on Saturday morning, but when I got up and looked out the window I couldn't believe my eyes! The first snow had come! Who knew?? Just the night before it was a balmy 60-ish evening with a wicked-mean wind. While it didn't blow in my windows like I thought it might it must have been what carried in this first winter dusting. :)

Snowflakes and fireflies are two things that simply enchant me, so I was pretty excited about this fluffy surprise greeting my sleepy eyes. There's just something about the stillness and quiet that comes over the city as it is delicately blanketed in white. Smile.

Just today a taxi driver told me that Macedonia has two seasons: Summer and Fall. They used to say, "Summer and Winter," but with the warmer than normal winters over the past few years that's changing. Well, I certainly hope that this wonderful dusting is just a hint at what is yet to come. Ajde, sing with me... "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas...."

Chewing Coffee

"Karolina, in the morning, first thing take a little honey. Because it's sweet all the bad things will be drawn to it in your stomach. Then drink one coffee to make everything dark so that the bacteria doesn't see what's coming. Then you drink a little rakija and it will kill then all."

That was a little story a local told me a while back. I think it was her father's daily routine to keep healthy. It's not surprising that his morning ritual included coffee as this is very much a coffee culture, though the type of coffee is much different than in the states. US coffee is frequently referred to as, "flavored water." One drink of the local brew, commonly known as "turkish coffee," and you would see why. Just be careful not to chew it...

The coffee beans are ground to a fine powder, similar to the consistency of cornstarch. A heaping spoonful for every cup (approximately 1/4C in size) of water is heated together with a lump of sugar (optional) until just boiling and foamy. It's then immediately removed from the heat and served one spoonful at a time so as to evenly disburse the foam between the cups.

My first encounter with turkish coffee was 8 years ago. As I sipped I kept getting mouthfuls of coffee grounds and found myself literally chewing the coffee. I was bewildered that people would actually enjoy coffee that way. Then I noticed that none of the locals were drinking yet... then the 'DUH' light went off in my head and I realized that the cup needed to sit for a while to let the grounds settle to the bottom before drinking. Aaahhaaa!

Those grounds become a finely-packed sludge on the bottom of the cup which some ladies will "read" much like some read tea leaves. When I was in Bosnia our host lady would flip her cup over when she was finished drinking and let the grounds drain down. Later when she was doing the dishes she'd look intently into the cup to figure out what the grounds were saying. Then with a "hmm" and a nod of her head she'd then wash the grounds away. I have no idea what she "saw" but she seemed satisfied.

I can't tell you how many cups of "turkish coffee" I've had over the years, but I can tell you that each cup represents many wonderful conversations and connecting with locals: learning language, hearing their life stories, future dreams and becoming friends. And for the privilege of that I'll happily keep chewing coffee. :)

A Builder's Invention

There is an amazing amount of new and continued building constructions going up all around Skopje. Blink a second too long and a new building will have replaced your favorite store. One day you're buying coffee from a corner shop, the next day the existing building is torn down, and on the next day the foundation for a new one is laid and rebar delivered. Blink.

Living in an apartment building in the city center I get somewhat of a birds-eye view of the construction process. The other day I looked out and saw this nifty invention quickly hammered out to hold the worker's coats, bags and lunches. The guys even have a plastic tarp ready to go if rain is forecasted. Pretty smart... and makes for a fun picture too. :)

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Side note: notice how amazingly close the new building's foundation is to the old one??? yikes!

Waiting in...er... line?

This morning I made my annual trip to the "9th Floor" to submit my visa documents, get finger-printed and get a photo taken. It was early but there was already quite a crowd waiting in front of the 2 working elevators that would only take 5 people at a time. Each time the elevator doors opened the people would surge forward to try to be one of the lucky few.

Once on the 9th and while waiting our turn outside the picture-taking-finger-printing office I took in the cultural phenomenon around me with regards to line etiquette... or, rather, the seemingly lack of it...

There was a crowd of people waiting and with no discernible sense of a line, everyone just seemed to know what there place was in the waiting order. New arrivals simply asked, "who's the last person?" received their answer and then went lean against a wall or sit on a bench to wait for their turn. Occasionally exceptions were made for families with young children, who were then allowed to cut to the front. Other's, however, simply muscled their way through in an effort to be the next one in the door regardless of the fact they were actually the last to arrive.

So it was with one particular man. Every time the office door opened the waiting crowd surged forward as if to insure the right person pops out the front and goes in next, and every time this one man tried to cut... sparking an intense verbal exchange. He was so insistent at points that others called the security guy over which sparked yet another heated discussion complete with animated hand gestures.

While all this was going on I couldn't help but long for the "Take A Number" machines that you find in California's DMV offices and other places.

Finally it came to our turn. The door opened the crowd surged forward and before my friend and I could get in that man had muscled his way in front of us and shut the door in our face! The security guard who'd put the man in his place earlier saw this but I think like the rest of us, though irritated by his cultural rudeness, were tired of this man's belligerence and let him go. In the end the security guard apparently gave him another talking to and as my friend and I were ushered in the man was all smiles... seriously, looked like a completely different man... and offered to buy us and the man who'd been next after us a coffee for our trouble.

Two words: Ле ле!

We politely declined as we all had a schedule to keep. It didn't take long to take my prints and to pose for my unsmiling picture (you're not allowed to smile... pictures are supposed to be serious). It was a bad picture, btw. Good thing I'm only stuck with it for a year (unlike the awful passport picture I've had since 2000). Anyways, this morning was another really good lesson in line etiquette here in the Balkans: know your place in the crowd, wait your turn and stand your ground... unless you can slip inside the door. :)

Some excerpts from today's papers...

Today's newspapers in Skopje were again full with news and commentary on the US election. Here's a peek from three local papers:


"Obama Writes History"
Morning News (Утрински Бесник), p. 1, 6 November 2008:
...then from p. 2:
Obama Abolishes Racial Barriers in America

"With the choice for Barak Hussein Obama, the US completes the most radical political precedent in their history."

"'Will President Barak Obama be a modern Franklin Roosevelt who will lead America out of the economic crisis or will he be a dismayed copy of Herbert Hoover', asks a British 'Independent' yesterday in light of the new boss of the world's superpower."

"This decision demolishes the racial barriers in the US and shows that the world is rapidly moving towards change, even though sometimes there's no time to carry into history... Barak Obama definitely is a part in this history. He is the new John Kennedy for the Americans [and] the new Martin Luther King for African-Americans... "

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"Obama Accomplishes the American Dream"
The Times (Време), front page, 6 November 2008
...then in the article on p. 2:
"Barak Obama Realizes the Dream of Martin Luther King"


"Obama's win is a huge message to all multi-ethnic countries that values need to be expressed that don't belong to a particular community."

"Will he continue the advocacy of Bush for Macedonia"
"The Balkans remain on the American agenda"

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Here's a couple of links to Balkan Insight for articles completely in English: "Macedonia Hails Obama Amid 'Name' Woes" and "Balkan Leaders Praise Obama Victory"

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Anyways, that's just a clip but you get the idea. The local news as well as the international news is saturated with commentary on this historic election. Additionally, all day yesterday I was peppered with questions by locals: "So who did you vote for?" "Who did you want to win?" "Are you happy with the result?" And chatted with local friends from other European countries who joyfully exclaimed, "I was really quite ecstatic that he won actually." It truly is amazing this sense of excitement that those here and around the globe have.

The News (Вест) summed it up by saying, "The World Gains New Hope."



"I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone- for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." 1 Tim 2:1-3 NIV

Today's Headlines

I thought perhaps it would be interesting for you to see this mornings frontpage headlines here in Macedonia:

The Times (left) reads:
"Obama with one foot in the White House"
The article below it refers to the continuing name issue with Greece

New Macedonia (the paper on the right) says:
"What is there to say to the new US President: Don't Forget Us"
The inset in the middle is a letter of congratulations to the President-elect, gives best wishes for the future and then urges him to continue the US's policy towards Macedonia and the name issue.

Because of the continuing name dispute with their neighboring country most Macedonians supported McCain and now that there will be a change of party and leadership they are very concerned that the US's policy towards them and the name issue will change.

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Note: With this post and the previous one my intention is not to make political comment but to simply tell you what people are talking about and what concerns they have at this time.

Election Day - "So who did you vote for?"

When the "Terminator" won the "Total Recall" election in my home state of California, I was in Croatia. There and back home in Macedonia the news of the "Governator" was met with bemusement. In 2004 the world was watching but the contest between Bush and Kerry was couched in appropriate measure amidst the rest of the daily news. 2008, however, has been a much different experience. The interest is keen and dominates the news both locally and internationally. Everyone has a strong opinion on this election and most are quick to share it--especially as today, November 4th, 2008, loomed on the horizon.

In this past year I cannot tell you how many conversations I've had with locals and internationals about this election. They happened in cabs, corner stores, old town streets, hair salon, church, cafes, homes, etc... Politics is a favorite subject of most Balkan people--especially American politics. My colleagues have had similar experiences as well. These were not conversations we ever sought out, yet inevitably when someone finds out or knows that you're an American they take the opportunity to express their opinion and then are anxious to extract from you your thoughts about who is going to win and who you are going to vote for.

My hairstylist, for instance, knew I was a Californian and so considered it his mission to "convert" me to the "right" party, Republican, and to support McCain. Conversely there were others who were determined to persuade me from my wayward Republican ways and to be a faithful young Democrat and to vote for Obama. When I went to the post office to airmail my official absentee ballot, the workers handled it with such care, with a sense of great import, and then they too began to pepper me with questions as to who I voted for.

Tonight as I locked up the office and headed home I could not help but reflect upon all this and the keen interest this election holds worldwide. Some countries, like Bulgaria, even held mock elections today while people in other countries are having all night parties to watch the election returns. It's a bit strange to see such great international interest in the US Presidential election and then a bit humbling to realize that I actually had the privilege to cast a ballot. The world seems so small at this moment and no matter who wins there is a sense that we are all living in a vastly historic moment, a world moment, and the excitement of all is palpable.

As I write this I confess that I've got CNN International humming in the background, and no, I'm not going to divulge who I voted for. My answer to you is the same as it was to all those previous askers: it's between me, God and my ballot and I ask you to please respect that. I will, however, say this: Let us be in prayer for our President-elect, no matter who he may be, to be a strong, wise, grace-filled and discerning leader. Likewise, as this election does hold such worldwide interest, let us remember that in broadened prayer as well.

Notes from a Sunday

Today was a day off of sorts for me. Basically I'd had the week off from singing on worship team. I did, however, do the clicker this morning for the overhead slides and I must say "hats off!" to all those that do this each Sunday. It's hard to sing and click at the same time. Kinda like walking, chewing gum, patting your head and rubbing your stomach at the same time--especially on a Mac because if you click just a second too long the "One Note" advances to the end and then there's the quick clicking forward to get back onto the right slide. Then there was the one point where the slide wouldn't advance at all! Have I mentioned recently that I'm not a Mac-fan? ;) The wonderful thing, though, is the graciousness of the congregation. :) If they knew the song they kept singing with boldness and those who didn't waited patiently for me to get the Mac to respond.

After service a couple gal colleages and I went to the city center for lunch, one was down visiting from Kosovo and so it was nice to catch up with her. We ended up eating at a fun place on the center square called "Dal Fufu." Yes, that really is it's name. Great pizza, pasta, meat and potatoes dishes. :) Afterwards we went to a new coffee place that is the closest thing we have to a Starbuck's... my carmel macchiato was amazing. They even had Nutter Butters, Oreo cookies and Snapple... though very expensive. Still, not something we can normally find here. Later we found our way to my apartment and chatted some more before parting ways as the waning sunlight brought the day to a close.

Skopje, by the way, has some of the most spectacular sunsets that I have ever seen in my life. Today's was no exception. The only odd thing was that it was happening at 4pm! But that's early compared to a month from now when it'll be dark by 3:15. Anyways, the picture up top is from this evening that was especially beautiful.

It's now well into dusk and a sliver moon is beginning to set above Mt. Vodno. An end to another lovely day here in the Balkans.

An Autumn Day in Skopje

Saturday is usually my day to cook, clean and do laundry, but I got a bit distracted on the way to the market because it was simply a gorgeous day. It seems most of the city got sidetracked as well as the walking street and surrounding restaurants and cafes were literally teaming with people enjoying the warm "Gypsy Summer" day. I found myself enchanted by the activity:

• the light cool breese sending colored leaves descending towards the cobblestone
• fathers carrying their young children on thier shoulders
• friends walking arm-in-arm and laughing about some inside joke
• the young couple stealing a kiss underneath a majestic tree colored in greens, yellows and oranges
• a group of young adults carrying signs offering "Free Hugs" to passersby
• the strains of the theme song from "The Last of the Mohicans" giving melody to days activity by men in native dress
• the venders selling fresh roasted chestnuts, mini-krofni (aka "American" donuts) sprinkled with powdered sugar and chocolate surrip, or hand-crafted jewelry, belts, or tourist items
• a little girls surprise when her balloon pops and her mothers reassurance that she'd get her another one
• the news crew setting up to interview the "Free Hug" kids and to take video of the general activity of the day

What a beautiful day is was here in the city.