Taste of Home!

The local cuisine here in Macedonia is really wonderful, to be honest--especially the skara (aka. grilled meat), bread and shopska (aka. cucumber, tomato and shredded feta salad).  However, there are just some days that I miss a good California club sandwich, a non-mixed meat burger without fries stuffed in the bun, or Cali-Mex flavors.  You know, a taste of home.  Those days tend to pop up more often during the holiday's, btw.

Well, Sunday after church while enjoying macciatos and conversation with friends, one couple mentioned finding a new restaurant called, "Taste of California."  Yes, I admit that my head snapped up and the "where?!" was out of my mouth before I could even fully process the comment.  Then came their description of real nachos, homemade guacamole, salsa, real burgers, sandwiches and, be still my heart, Cali-Mex! They enjoyed it so much they went two days in a row! [Seriously, I must admit that my mouth is watering even as I type this!] 

Yesterday another friend and I decided to track this place down and to give it a try.  Oh my goodness!  Let me just say that it was WONDERFUL.  We ordered nachos and taquitos to share/try and a club sandwich.  It was all delicious, but I must say that so far my favorite is the club: grilled chicken, lettuce, tomato, melted cheese, bacon and advocado on lightly toasted, homemade bread... the proportions were perfect and the flavor was.... a taste of home!

Yep!  You guessed it!  This California girl has signed off on this "Taste of California" in Skopje, Macedonia as being pretty authentic and a welcomed taste of home.  For those who are interested, it's located on Ortse Nikolov between DM and Hotel Tim's.

For those who are interested, it's located on Ortse Nikolov between DM and Hotel Tim's.

Overcoming Incompetence

Moving overseas into a new culture and language is like becoming a child again in many ways. Everyday things that we accomplish without thinking in our home country become monumental tasks in the new one. And our self-esteem? Well, with the steep descent from being a competent adult to a complete incompetent bowl of culture-shock-stress-filled jelly is brutal. Honestly, even the simplest tasks can make you feel like a child again.

I remember....

...the first time I purchased produce in the supermarket... and felt totally embarrassed when they had to send it ALL back with a clerk to the produce department to get weighed and priced as it's not done at the check-out.

...the stress of getting an official-looking paper saying I had to go to the customs office for a package that just arrived for me... and bursting into culture-shock-induced tears as they proceeded to grill me and I couldn't understand a thing they were saying! (fyi, it was just an exercise video).

...breaking out in a sweat when I had to take a bus... not sure I was on the right one, whether it was "private" or "public", how much it cost, baffled about what to do with a ticket if there was one and how to get off at the right stop (yes, there's even a particular etiquette for that as well and if you don't follow it the bus may not stop).

...riding in a taxi and helplessly motioning the directions to where I was supposed to go when I didn't even know the words for "left" or "right" or "stop here, please."

...answering the phone.

...the stress having people say things to me and the complete feeling of being like a "deer in headlights" when I couldn't understand a single word... or worse yet, understanding the words but not having a CLUE as to what they were actually saying.

...the uncertainty about fast food places like the one pictured and, aside from WHAT to order, but how to do it...

...the annoyance of "personal space" being much different here than back in the USA... and store clerks following you around.... to be honest, this particular one can still get under my skin.

...the continued culture-stress reality of learning to live in a constant state of ambiguity.

...my first trip to the doctor when my back went out and being told that I need to turn the air-conditioning off.

...my first trip to apply for a visa... the long dark hallways with closed doors where everyone seemed to know which door they had to go to and what the etiquette was for going through it and doing their business... I was scared spitless, to be honest...

And then there was today...

All foreigners need to register with the local police within 24 hours of coming into the country and then de-register when they leave. When you have a visa, though, that's no longer necessary.... unless your visa expires before they've processed the paperwork for the new one.

That's the situation I found myself in this morning...

When I first came here, registering with the police was SO scary and VERY intimidating! This morning? Sure, I was a little nervous (I mean, come on... who isn't nervous when they have to talk to the police... or when you have one driving behind you--even when you're driving the speed limit?!) But you know what??? It went so smoothly! I simply explained the situation with my visa and the officer didn't bat an eye and was really nice and helpful. I filled out the proper form (IN Macedonian, mind you), turned it in and confirmed that I need to return when my new visa arrives. I felt so... so.... COMPETENT! Especially since it was ALL done in Macedonian! Yay me!

I was so excited about this small triumph that I even called a colleague to share my joy who responded with equal excitement and encouragement for herself about when she needs to do it as well.

Seriously, to some this may seem like a small thing, but for someone who's moved from a country, language and culture with social rules that were part of me to a place where even paying the monthly bills inspired a certain amount of boot-shaking... this is a serious triumph! A celebration of overcoming incompetence!

If You Build it, Rain Will Come

This Autumn has been an especially wet one here in Skopje and my taxi-driver this morning informed me as to why that is. The conversation went something like this:

"How do you like all this rain? We are like London now."

"Oh, it's wonderful. I actually enjoy it very much." [Yes, I did say that and actually mean it!]

"Well, it's because of the two new lakes that we have all this rain."

"Excuse me?"

"Yes! We've had Lake Matka for many years, but now they built two new lakes on the Treska River."

Thinking to myself: I've seen at least one of them and it's not much more than a glorified puddle. And the Treska isn't big like the American River... or the Sacramento... For my Folsom Lake friends: Lake Matka is a tad bit bigger than one of the lakes in Hidden Lakes Estates... ie: a stone-throw-and-a-half across and maybe a quarter mile long.


But I responded, "Really? Honestly, I have a hard time buying that. There's more rain all over, not just in Skopje."

To which he replied with authority, "Oh yes, but it's true! My father is a meteorologist and he did a study on this and he told me this is why we are having more rain. Before 5, 6 years we had maybe 175 days of rain and now we have about 200, but with the new lakes we will have more like 260 days of rain this year!"

"Oh, so that's why they built the lakes?"

"Yes!"

So there you go! "If you build it, Rain will come!" =)

Sourdough!

Growing up in California I developed a taste for the wonder that is sourdough bread, my favorites being the ones from San Francisco and San Luis Obispo. There's nothing better than a chunk of sourdough bread and pepperjack cheese or a sandwich made with the fragrant and tasty bread.

Sourdough bread is one of the "foods" I miss most living here in the Balkans. Last year while I was in Wyoming I found an "Oregon trail" comic cookbook that had a simple starter recipe for sourdough. Upon my return to the Balkans I eagerly set about preparing the starter... but then it got this funky, smelly liquid on top and I thought I'd ruined it. So I threw it all away and started over. This time there was no funky liquid, but then the dough never rose either... I mean, I waited a whole two hours. So I threw that one away too.

I must interject an important factoid at this point: I have NEVER made bread on my own before. I've tried, but always failed. So my dreams of sourdough, while a simple thing to some, was overly ambitious for me. And the above experiences seemed to prove it.

But then a few weeks back after a mildly successful try at a simple bagel recipe (the dough actually rose!!) I decided to try my hand again at my favorite of the breads: sourdough. Instead of using the old west cookbook I decided to "Google" (don't you just love how that's a verb now??) "sourdough starter" on the internet. And this is the site I found: Sourdough Baking by S. John Ross.

He made it sound so easy, growing a "pet" of sourdough starter, so I gained a little confidence. A cup of flour and a cup of water and daily "feeding" for a week resulted in a starter that was bubbly and smelled pretty good. So into the fridge it went and now just weekly "feedings." Then on Saturday I decided that it was time. So I dumped the starter in a bowl and prepared the "sponge" for "proofing." And then I went to bed.

In the morning there were no bubbles and no "froth." Did I ruin it?? "I have such bad luck with breads," I muttered in disappointment and decided to "feed" it just once more before heading to church. Five hours later I arrived home to find my sponge was smelly and frothy like it was supposed to be! Yeah me! So in went the flour and other ingredients and then the kneading... and kneading... and kneading... And then back into the bowl to rise. It took about 6 HOURS to double in bulk, but after beating it down and forming mini loaves they rose a second time in just an hour.

I couldn't believe it! Could I be "this" close to having actual sourdough bread?? Well, after 45 minutes in the oven I got to savor warm bread with melted butter... and it was wonderful! It wasn't perfect and the loaf looks a little odd, but I think it's cute and I'm so proud. ;)

And I can't wait to try making it again... and again... and again... =)

Unexpected Visitor

Sunday at church as I was listening to the message on work ethic out of Titus a slight movement distracted me. At first I thought perhaps it was a cockroach (as it's the season and they seem to be invading everywhere), but once my eyes focused to the far corner of the gym I saw that it was a lizard slowly making it's way from behind the speakers and towards the front row of seats. When it reached the bright orange extension cord it paused for quite a while and I imagined it contemplating the words it was hearing.

Well, by now several people were distracted with really odd looks on their faces... so odd that the speaker was wondering if it was their message! Nope... we were just all waiting to see where this guy would go and if it would catch a few people by surprise that they let our a shriek. That didn't happen, thank goodness. After a few minutes the guy set out on his way again, but not before a friend got this picture to document the event. ;)

Empty Nest

This morning I woke up to find that the pigeon's had abandoned their nest on my balcony. Between mom and dad they'd dutifully incubated the eggs for over 23 days and were never away from the nest more than a few minutes.

When I looked outside this morning the pigeon was hovering nearby and looking down at the nest, but after an hour it was clear they'd given up on them hatching. So that left me with the sad duty of disposing of the eggs. =( I did candle them and found that one was never fertilized and the second was only half-developed. Sad day indeed.

A couple of hours later the mama pigeon came back, hopped into the nest, rummaged around a little bit and then flew off and didn't return. Now comes the big decision for me. Do I destroy the nest and plant a couple varieties of mint in the planter.... or do I wait and see if the pigeon's decide to try again. Honestly, after almost a month of watching and waiting to see the little baby pigeons hatch, grow and fly off I'm tempted to do the latter.... hmm.... what to do with the empty nest.... what to do.... (rhetorical)....

Gone to the Pigeons!

There are pigeon's nesting on my balcony. For weeks I'd noticed two pigeon's rummaging around and kept shooing them away. They were making a right-old mess on my balcony, but then for whatever reason the pigeon's moved the nest from the floor to this planter pot. Yes, I still tried shooing them away, but then one day I noticed an egg. The next day there were two and the mama and papa pigeons were taking turns sitting on them.

A quick Google of the internet reveals that these birds are a headache and to not be sucked in by the eggs and promise of cute little fledglings.... but admittedly I caved and now am counting the days until they hatch. Can't wait actually. Kinda excited too!


Funny thing is that I've been going to the pet shop for years, wishing I could have one but knowing I can't. Dogs, cats, fish and even birds. I love having pets but it's just not possible in my current living situation and with the life I lead and schedule I keep. So in a small way these little nesting pigeon's are the perfect pet! They feed and care for themselves and I get to enjoy watching them. I find it quite fascinating, really, that they trade off on the sitting duties or that the male with come and go in the afternoons with more items to build the nest. It's pretty cool...

On the other hand, my balcony is really small (about 5'x5') and so I refuse to give it up to the birds. In fact today I did a deep cleaning of it and even planted some lavender and rosemary into the planters... all the while the poor traumatized pigeon hunkered down on her eggs watching me with a wary eye but refusing to fly off. Amazing. Though she better not get too comfortable because as soon as her babies are grown and fly away into their own lives, I will be fully reclaiming my balcony and flowers will be promptly planted in what was her nest. :)

In the meantime, though, I'm going to enjoy watching the new life hatching on my balcony.

The Smell of Summer in Skopje

Freshly cut grass in the early mornings. Hamburgers sizzling on the barbeque. Damp towels drying in the sun. These are some fragrances that always signaled the arrival of summer for me growing up in the Sacramento Valley. Tea. That is the perfume that heralds the official arrival of summer for me here in Skopje.

Tea? I'm sorry, what? Did I really just say that?

When I'd ask the local baker or taxi driver about the силен мирис (strong aroma) filling the summer air the response was always, "Leepa. For tea."

Tea? I'm sorry, what?

Totally confused and convinced that I wasn't communicating well, I took a picture of the trees to show them. Several, actually. "Becky" at the local burek shop just looked at the images, smiled and said with a twinkle in her eye, "Yes, Karolinche. These are the Липа trees... we make tea from them."

Who knew! For some reason it never occurred to me that tea wasn't just made from herbs and such but from actual tree blossoms. She was totally bemused by my mystification but I was happy to learn something new about this special city and culture.

The Linden (aka Tilia) trees line the streets here in Skopje and their heady scent is reminiscent of gardenias, lilacs, lilies or other florist favorite. It envelopes you and its bouquet gets into clothes and hair and stays with you long after coming indoors.

Yes, summer has arrived here in Skopje. And next winter when the ice is thick on the ground and the sky heavy with snow, I'll only have to wrap my hands around a steamy mug of linden tea, close my eyes and breathe in deeply the lovely warm scent of summer and smile.

Скопје

While walking through the center yesterday, after having lunch on the Kej (along the river) with some colleagues and out of town guests, I caught sight of this sign. Sure, the center square is all a mess as the city is in the middle of a transformation with new buildings and statues going up all over. YET... as I came across this sign I thought to myself, "I do love this city," this place that has been home to me for several years now. Everywhere I go carries with it some cherished memory of the time spent here and the people I've spent that time with. I've not blogged much lately, but that sign got me to thinking: perhaps it would be fun over the next few posts to share with you just a few of the things I love about the people, place and culture here.... because, like the sign says, "I love Skopje."

Yep! I must admit that I do! =)

April Fool's Day Macedonian Style!

This morning some ladies and I met for breakfast at a favorite restaurant in the mall and periodically would see unusually dressed people and munchkins walking by outside. At first I didn't think anything of the two ladies that were dressed in the white and blue Mother Theresa style habits (you see them occasionally as this is where she was born)... but then a guy with Bozo hair passed by.... then a class full of little munchkins dressed up in everything from a princess to a cowboy with wands and guns waving.

Then it hit me.... Aha! That's right! It's April 1st and "Maskinball" here in Macedonia.

On my way back from breakfast this morning I stopped into my local burek place just to say "hi" and just in time for the owners daughter to arrive in her costume. So after taking a picture of mom and daughter, the little girl persuaded me to put on her mask and hat for a photo of my own!

Ha ha... I stopped writing for a moment because I heard a large group of teenagers passing by on my street.... they were gathering together to line up in formation so that they would arrive at school in "style"... several were dressed up as professionals in suits, others as flight attendants, a soldier, a "tourist" wearing a huge sombrero, a couple flamenco dancers, a beach bum, lady bug, Tweedle Dee and so many others.... I wish my batteries hadn't chosen this moment to die because it would have been a pretty funny picture to share!

Welcome to just another interesting day here in the Balkans! =)

"I signed I signed my life away... "

One of the newest songs we've been singing at the International Church has a chorus that goes, "You gave you gave your life away.... You gave you gave your life away.... You gave you gave your life away.... for me!" Well the tune was skipping on that line in my head this morning while I was at the bank, though admittedly with some minor changes to the lyrics.

Two days ago I went to the bank to close an account... and spent well over an hour there and had to fill out SO MANY forms with so MUCH detail. Just to CLOSE the account! Well, after feeling like I'd given almost everything but a kidney, I left the bank cash in hand thinking that all was good.

Not so.

About 3 hours later I got a phone call to inform me that in the process of closing the account they had posted interest (cool)... and so placed it in my main account. Huh? I'm sorry, "what?" My "main" account? I thought I'd closed everything.... at least that's what I told them I wanted to do...

Apparently it got lost in translation...

So back to the bank I go this morning... and spent ANOTHER hour there to close an account that I'd thought was closed two days ago. And as each piece of paper was shoved through the small slot under the bullet-proof glass that song's tune was playing in my mind to the lyrics of, "I signed I signed my life away... I signed I signed my life away... I signed I signed my life away... bank-iiinnnngg!" TWENTY-THREE signatures in all... Yes, you read that right: 23!

Another version of the song would be... "We killed we killed a tree today... We killed we killed a tree today... We killed we killed a tree today... this morning!"

Oh yes... and the best part of all this (feel the slight tinge of sarcasm)... it was all for €7.81. LOL.

On another note, though, the teller and the manager who was helping me were very helpful, courteous and nice... and so made what could have been a nightmare culture experience not so bad at all... and quite pleasant. If I need to open another bank account someday I wouldn't hesitate to use the same bank.

Среќен Осми Март! Happy Int'l Women's Day!

It's Осми Март and the annual celebration of women young, old, single and married. As a colleague mentioned earlier today, she likes this holiday better than Mother's day because it includes her too (she's single like me). It's funny, but according to Macedonia language rules (and thus cultural) you're not a жена (woman) until you're married... so even though I'm 40, I'm still referred to as a девојче (girl). So, I must confess that I'm liking this holiday as well because even us девојчиња get to celebrate it along with all the жени! ;)

The fun thing about days like today are that the men around town are more likely to be courteous and open doors and such. Infact, a colleague up in Kosovo was given a ride home by her language teachers husband in honor of the day. It's a distance she normally walks, even in the snow and ice, but not on this day! It's also typical that various parties or celebrations be held around town. It's International Women's Day (IWD)!

An interesting tidbit about this day is that it's not a strictly "American" or "Macedonian" holiday. It's actually celebrated all over the world. Infact, it's been around for 99 years! Here's some text from the IWD website: "International Women's Day (8 March) is a global day celebrating the economic, political and social achievements of women past, present and future. In some places like China, Russia, Vietnam and Bulgaria, IWD is a national holiday."

OK, so all that said, I must confess that I didn't even really celebrate it today! Yeah, shocker! But it was snowing all day and I just didn't want to go out. Yes, I do admit to having an irrational fear of falling on the slippery uneven sidewalks. I did get a couple of surprise phone calls, though, from some Macedonian friends. It'd been a while since we'd talked and so it was really nice to hear their voices and to make plans to see each other when I get back from Switzerland at the end of the month.

Anyways, to celebrate International Women's Day, I've posted this picture of some Springish daisies that I bought to cheer up my apartment a couple of weeks ago. And yes, that IS snow in the backdrop.... gotta love the contrast... =)

Happy International Women's Day!

Taxi Conversation #1: Spring is like a woman

This morning the air was filled with the sweet musky fragrance that only a Spring rain can bring... the rain had past and it was now sunny with a mix a puffy and ominous clouds filling the sky as I hopped into a cab to head to various destinations... After the usual conversational pleasantries I commented on how spring-like the day was.... it began with beautiful warm sun, then clouded over, becoming dark and ominous as a downpour was unleashed, only to clear up a little when a strong wind blew through....

His comment? "Ah, yes! Spring. Just like a woman, always changing her mood and completely unpredictable! Spring is the time of the woman!"

It took me a moment to grasp that he was really saying what I thought he was saying... and then busted out in laughter, to which he joined me, quite pleased that an American woman got his joke and enjoyed it. lol.

A-4 Paper and the GCF

This morning on my way to work I dropped into an office supply store to purchase some A-4 paper. When I asked which brand was the least expensive they suggested the yellow one at 220 denars. When she said this I was mid-reach to the brand that I usually buy as it has, until now, always been the cheaper one.

With my hand paused mid-air I asked her how much my usual brand was. When she responded with 260 denars I simply couldn't hide my shock and blurted out, "Seriously??? I remember when that same paper was only 190 denars!" Of course she was not basking in the same glow of disbelief as I and simply blinked and looked at me with a blank unmoving stare as if to say, "so?" Pause.... "Yeah, you're right," I said to myself, "it is what it is..." And then I purchased the yellow one...

Perhaps the price of paper is standing out to me more simply because we've tried to go as paperless as possible at the office. So it tends to be a while before I have to buy more paper.... Though it seems like we still use a shocking amount! Anyways, to help you understand my shock this morning as the realization of inflation and exchange rates dawned anew for me, let me translate this into dollars and cents.

Seven years ago when I first arrived, $1 was equal to 61.4 denars and a ream of paper cost only 190 denars. AKA $3.10

Today, that same ream of paper at 260 denars and an exchange rate with USD of 43.75 translates to $5.94.

That's a $2.84 price hike per ream! And that's just paper.... this makes me wonder what sort of percentage price increases there have been on other items.... items that our budget has to cover.... Sigh.... let's leave those thoughts for another day... All that said, though, it is a strong reminder to be thankful for the Lord's provision and to remember to thank everyone who's given to the GCF so that we can make these types of purchases that are a basic but necessary part of ministry. Thank you.

Epiphany

"I live in the Balkans." Sometimes that realization makes me catch my breath.... or pinch myself. Standing on the bank of the Vardar River with a few thousand of my neighbors to watch a cross be thrown into the river on a chilled January day known as "Epiphany" I was again caught up in the wonder of it all.

This California girl who took high school Spanish with Mr. Marelich, but never really applied it, was now bundled up listening to the priest bless the river in Macedonian... and actually understanding more than a fair bit. Most of my days are spent communicating in a strange mix I refer to as Makaenglish: Macedonian in stores, taxis, on the street, with friends and English just as often.

Then there's the cultural learning... somehow after living here for several years I've learned to live with the constant state of cultural stress and ambiguity, knowing that there will always be things, cultural subtleties, that I won't understand. To be honest, there are some days that the stress really wears on me and I'm tempted to pack up and go back to the familiar of "home" in the US...

But then there are conversations over turkish coffee, shared meals, the human connections that happen in the sharing of lives, hopes, dreams, joys, fears..... and days like that cold one two weeks ago where I find myself simply soaking it all in: the people, the language, the culture, the.... the unfamiliarity of this place where East and West converge that somehow has become so familiar in my heart. My personal epiphany I suppose you could say. Yes, I love the people here, the place, the culture.

I live in the Balkans.

Vaca-Daze "Jumping Beans" & Rich Brownies

What a novelty it was to post several blogs in a row... so much so that I'd toyed with the thought of doing one a day for the full year.... but then that was the luxury of the holiday season and some additional and, I might add, MUCH needed vacation days... aka vacadays. As you can see by the 1 week gap in blogs... reality has obviously settled in! =)

It's now Friday and I've been back in the bean-counting-office for the week. It was really hard in the beginning but the pressure of the work to get done didn't allow me too much time in the vaca-DAZE. Now at the end of the week the DAZE is almost behind me and I have a large sense of accomplishment for what I was able to get done this week: car serviced, 2 sets of books completed and turned in, meetings, several reports and information submitted to requesters, follow-up on several jumping beans (aka... challenges/issues that need resolution but that are elusive for various reasons...) and much much more.

The highlights for my week, though, were three conversations that happened in the pause of the work day and over a cup of coffee and a brownie. Three different connections with three very different people... but conversations that were as full and rich as the brownies we shared. So while it's good that I was able to get so much "work" done, it's the connections with people that make it all worth while and give me a sense of completeness to this week.

Another really cool thing that will be wrapping up this week is the music practice tonight for Sunday's service at the International Church. Those practices are always fun, musically challenging yet also rich and sweet like a brownie, always full of great connection time with some really quality people and always with joy lifting up voice and instruments in praise to our Creator. Can you tell how much I look forward to these days? Honestly, I do. Break's over, though, so back to some more bean-counting and chasing after jumping beans. =)

Image credit: http://axisofstevil.com/answers.htm

Hope is Shattered but Peace Remains

In the process of taking down the Christmas tree today.... Hope just slipped from my fingers and, in a flicker of caught breath, shattered at my feet! Crash! I just stared in disbelief as the sounds of small shards of glass spun and tinkled across the floor boards. "Hope" was part of a set of Christmas decorations that were given to me by a roommate several years ago when she moved back to the US. All that remains now is "Peace". I am so grateful that the hope I have in Jesus is not so fragile as that glass ornament. And like the Peace that remains, so remains peace in my heart because of Him. No matter what things may shatter at my feet. :)

O Christmas Tree.....

Now that Christmas is over it's time to take down the tree, pack up the ornaments and move the furniture back to their proper place. Sigh. It's a sad time. There's just something so charming and home-warming about a sparkly tree decorated with items I've collected over the decades: a saddle from Wyoming, a decorative egg from Budapest, a hibiscus from Hawaii.... And it seems so empty after having been such a fixture in the living room for over a month. Even as a kid part of me longed to hold onto the holidays and to beg Dad to wait just "one more day" before he sawed up the tree into pieces perfectly sized for the fireplace. But he was right. It was time. And thus today it's time as well to, in this case, take the tree apart and to stow it away for another year...

Snow! It just may be a White Christmas this year!

Last night I went to bed very late after a very full day exploring all around Skopje with friends, shopping, enjoying the lights, restaurants and cheeriness of the city bedecked in holiday enchantment. At the end of the day I Twittered that the only thing that could have made it even more picture-perfect was if there were snow. Unfortunately the weather forecast was only for rain.

So you can imagine my surprise (and JOY) to wake up this morning to a fresh blanketing of snow over the city, piling up on rooftops and clinging to trees! This is a site I've come to really look forward to just after the New Year... I was hooked three years ago when it snowed right on New Years Day. Then last year it was January 2nd. This years New Year dusting happened a little later, but JUST IN TIME to fulfil a childhood dream of a "White Christmas." Can you hear my girlish squeal of delight???

White Christmas??? Yes, I did say Christmas. That's because Macedonia celebrates the holiday according to the Julian calendar, so January 7th is the day. You might find it interesting that "Santa", Christmas trees and gift-giving happen for New Years. I've recently learned that this transition happened during communism where New Years, being smack in the middle of the "Catholic" Christmas and the "Orthodox" Christmas, seemed the right compromise. The happy by-product of this is that Christmas is just about Jesus' birth, which is pretty cool.

Christmas in Macedonia is celebrated a bit differently as well. I've shared some of the celebrations and traditions in previous years' blogs and so will try to take a different perspective this year. The festivities start tonight with the Kolede bonfires, which have their roots in old Slavic folk religion, but like the Christmas tree, have taken on new meaning over the years ("Christ's light coming into a dark world."). Still, though, the locals tell me they go just for the fire, dancing, food, rakija and visiting with friends and neighbors. With the new layer of snow today, it should make the fires a bit more inviting. :) Anyways, as the tradition unfolds this year I will try to share some stories and pictures along the way.

Until next time, here's a pic of the pile of fuzzy snowflakes that I awoke to this morning....

A not-so-typical Sunday... sharing another "day in my life"

This morning started much later than a "normal" Sunday as I didn't need to be at church at 8:00am... so I slept until, shhh don't tell, 9:00am! The reason why is that I took this week completely off from worship team: no singing, no music picking, no practice and no overheads. The past couple months have been really hectic with Christmas prep and I was beat! I must confess that it was REALLY nice and MUCH needed to have the break.

Just as I was heading out the door I looked outside to see myriads of white puffy flakes storming down across the city, blown fiercely by a cold, horizontal wind. It totally reminded me of the blizzard that snowed in my friends and I in Wyoming last Spring. But alas, this riot of snow was not to last. Sure enough, by the time the taxi dropped me off it was already tapering off.

Church was great this morning. It was a little weird, though, to have no responsibilities, but I must confess that it was nice. :) The message was one of those that tends to hit ya between the eyes as well... about Lordship and is He really FIRST in my heart and life.... lots to chew on here.
After church I went home, made lunch, then cuddled under a fleecy blanket to watch a favorite 80's flick. Then it was time to get to work. Yes, I said, "work." You see, in the flurry of busy-ness in this past month with "refried beans" (aka bookkeeping) and preparations for the Christmas Eve service I was short on time and thus missed a writing deadline. For some reason, this particular report was a little challenging for me to write... writer's block I'd guess you say.

After a couple hours of making no real progress on the report, I ended up putting it on hold again to head off to "Soul Craft" (a church service that has contemporary worship and topical messages and all in Macedonian). With my responsibilities elsewhere it's been a long time since I've been there. I was SO NICE to see many faces that I've not seen for a while and to do some catching up. Walking home my heart was full with joy of reconnecting with some dear people. One of my "goals" (not "resolutions") for this new year is to spend more time with my Macedonian friends and work on reconnecting. Soul Craft is a place to start. :)

Once back home I set back to work on the year-end narrative. This time the words came a little more freely as I sought to sum-up this past year's work. It still took me quite a while to finish, but I'd determined to not go to bed until it was done. 2am Monday morning rolled around and I finally let my head hit the pillow having just emailed the report. Whew. What a day. (My perfectionist tendencies were most likely the culprit in it taking me so long to write something so simple... but that's another blog for another day)

Yes, so as far as blogs go, this one is likely more mundane and boring than others, but for those of you who wonder about a day in my life... here was another one for ya. :) If you made it this far, BRAVO and THANK YOU for taking the time to read. Thank you too for your continued prayers for me and my work here in this wonderful place called, "Macedonia." Until next time....