Buying Time

Heading down the detergent aisle I spotted what looked like a bottle of "Tide" only it was actually a bottle of "Time." Ha! I must confess, I simply LOVE the irony of "buying time" and how fitting it is to apply it to doing laundry in the Balkans...

For almost 7 years now I've washed my clothes in a washer that doesn't clean too well and takes up to 3 hours to run a cycle. The clothes are then hung either on a drying rack in my living room in the Spring and Fall, on the balcony in the Summer and, my personal favorite, on the radiators in the Winter.

Hung on the racks it can take up to three days for clothes to dry... and it's hard to escape that musty smell and always wondering about potential mold growth (some colleagues have had this experience, not on the clothes, but on the walls of their apartment!). In the summers, which, just like my hometown in Sacto, are always blistering here in Skopje, clothes can be dry in less than an hour for cottons, two for thicker fabrics. The next fastest drying time is on the radiators in winter, which depends upon how much the heat has been cranked up on the water pumping through them from the central station.

Trivia:
The reason why the last one is my favorite is because it's the closest my towels ever get to the fluffy soft ones that come out of the WONDERFUL dryers in the US. The rest of the year I have to settle with rough stiffness (as evidenced in the picture)... and no, fabric softener doesn't help with that much. (Oh how I miss dryer sheets too!)

The thing about doing laundry here is that it takes planning ahead. There are no quick loads of laundry. It takse time, sometimes days. That's why I love the irony of buying "Time" to do my laundry. =)

This irony deepens for me, however, because I realize how my concept of time has changed since being here... the rhythm of time in the Balkans is so much different than in the US. Sigh.... I'm really tempted to discuss these differences here, but I'm thinking it is best explored in a blog entry all on it's own. So for the moment I will simply leave you with the fascinating image of being able to literally buy some Time. =)

No Comment

No sooner were the words "I'm a bookkeeper for..." out of my mouth when she interrupted me with, "Oh! Do you have a blog??"

"Uh, yes. A Bookkeepers Balkan Update," I responded, question and surprise punctuating my voice.

"Ha! My husband and I just found your blog while looking for information on the Balkans!" she explained excitedly.

I sat a little dumbfounded and (to be honest) just a bit creeped out. I knew it was bound to happen one of these days, but was totally unprepared to meet someone in person who first met me through this blog. lol. This little interaction was followed with a fun discussion of life and culture here in the Balkans. They're a lovely couple and I'm looking forward to getting to know them over the weeks and months to come. (And if you're reading this: so nice to have met you!) =)

This was a relevent reminder that people do read this blog and reinforces the chosen focus I have for it: to simply share about life and culture here in the Balkans from an expat's viewpoint and always with respect. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy reading about the Balkans as much as I enjoy living in it! =)

Brenda Begged the Balkan Bag Bonanza

Brenda in Paraguay tagged me saying, "I thought it would be interesting to see what is in your purse way over there in Macedonia." So, I'm dutifully (though belatedly) complying with her request. =)

Here are the rules:
1) "Post a picture of whatever bag you are carrying as of late. No, you cannot go up to your closet and pull out that cute little purse you used back before you had kids. I want to know what you carried today or the last time you left the house."


My purse is all about function. I'd love to have a stylish one, but I'm clueless how to pick the right one let alone chose a color that will work with everything... and besides, style and function don't always work together. That's why I have this basic black. =)

The day-to-day contents vary, but at any one time you can bet the following are in it:

• Passport and Mac ID... don't leave home without them
• Camera... you never know what Kodak moments may occur simply walking through town
• Bible...that cute Macedonian knitted thingy has a Bible in it that was given to me by a friend several years ago while I was on home assignment... yes it was from a boy and yes we're just friends.
• Cell phone... since I don't have a landline nor an answering machine (do they even make them here??) I make sure I have my cell phone on me (and try not to lose it!)
• External hard drive.... yes, you may think I'm crazy to carry this with me, but since most of my travel entails going from home to the office and I use the hard drive to transfer files... it's a no-brainer
• iPod... this cute green thing was a gift from a friend of mine in the US who knew I was looking for one. :) Thanks! It's been wonderful to finally be able to listen to music without the CD player skipping while I walk. Now all I need to get is a docking station with an alarm clock and I'll be set at home as well!
• Inhaler... a must have with asthma
• Cough drops... still recovering from being sick and they help with singing on Sundays.
• Music for Sunday sets... typically I'm carrying them from one place to another and/or going over them in preparation.

My purse is usually stuffed full of all sorts of things, but those are the basics. =)

2) " I want to know how much it cost:) And this is not to judge. This is for entertainment purposes only. So spill it. And if there is a story to go along with how you obtained it, I’d love to hear it."

This purse was purchased in the old section of Skopje from one of the many vendors and cost about $10. There's not a big story behind it, only that I was looking for a functional purse and found this one while showing a short term team around town one summer. I've had this purse now for about 4 years and it's served me well! Though just recently one of the inside zippers broke, so perhaps it's time to get a new one. :)

3) "Tag some chicks. And link back to this post so people know why the heck you’re showing everyone your diaper bag/non-diaper bag."

I know this is a little lame, but I didn't tag anyone as I figure if someone wants to do this they can leave a comment, post their own blog and link back to this one. It's also because I don't really know anyone to tag in the first place! :)

Hope you enjoyed this silly little post. :)

Goodies!! Thank you!

As I exited the elevator my eyes glanced towards my mailbox... and what did I see?? A green card! Yes, the wondrous little post-card that lets me know there's a box waiting for me at the post office. =) Inside were some delightful goodies that have "share me" written all over them. ;)

Two "totally American" things I'm most often asked the recipes for are: Rice Crispy treats and chocolate chip cookies. And since we can't get marshmallows nor real chocolate chips here I'm really excited to share these items AND the recipe cards that were so sweetly included! Also the Starbursts will be shared soon as well. Books are always a blessing too. I love to read and it's hard to track down good titles locally. I'm looking forward to reading both of these and then passing them around as well. The last care package I had included A Thousand Splendid Suns which was fabulous and has since made the rounds to about 5 other people!

Being the recipient of a care package is always special and such a treat. The name "care package" says it all. That someone thought of you, put in fun things that they thought you would like (or in the case of my friends, things that harken to cherished shared memories or inside jokes) and pack it all up and send to you with love. I can't begin to express what a blessing it is to us workers living overseas to have a little bit of "home" sent every once in a while.

The same goes for "I'm thinking of you" cards and/or letters. It can be lonely at times here and those letters, cards and/or packages are a special reminder that we're loved and an encouragement to keep on keeping on. Infact, I have an "encouragement" scrapbook where I keep all those cards and letters... and pull out to read through on those days I'm needing a bit of encouragement... or even in times of thanksfulness and joy...

To all those who have sent letters, cards and packages over the years.... my deepest and heartfelt THANK YOU! May the blessing return to you 100-fold. :)