Volunteer Field Day!

Once again, it has been too long since I have written in this blog. Yesterday (10/19/13), Peace Corps Macedonia had our annual "Field Day," where all the volunteers gather and mingle with one another. This is a great opportunity for the new volunteers to meet the ones currently serving. Last year, field day was held at the NOVA school in Skopje. This year, our event was in "Gradski Park" (Macedonian for "City Park") in Skopje. We had great food, great wine, games (including American football!), and drinks at the local Irish pub when we were done at the park. It seems as if any event with Peace Corps ends at the Irish pub...a lot of expats can be found there as well.

We found out where all the new volunteers will be placed! After a month of training, Peace Corps volunteers find out where their final placement for the next two years will be. Unfortunately, we will not be getting anymore volunteers in my city of Gevgelija, but we are getting some great volunteers in the cities of Strumica and Negotino...about an hour away from Gevgelija. I am excited for the adventures that await them.

These events remind me of the great people that I am fortunate enough to work with, and I am thankful for the few times a year that we can all get together. Due to heavy workloads and the placement of volunteers throughout the country, it is rare for everyone to be together in one place. Field Day was a great opportunity to "recharge" with my friends and find out about the great work that is going on in each of their communities. The MAK16s (the group who arrived a year before us) will begin their departure from Macedonia in the next two months, so it was a bittersweet moment as I said my good-byes. I know they are off to do great things in America (like eat Mexican food.....Mexican food, I miss you so much!), but I will miss them. I hope I make meaningful connections with the new volunteers (MAK18s) as well.

Above: Last year's Field Day Group photo (only MAK17s...my group)

Above: Group photo of some of the MAK16s, MAK17s, and NEW MAK18s in downtown Skopje. Currently, there are about 90 volunteers serving in Macedonia. By the end of December, there will be about 65-70. Many MAK16s have decided to "extend," meaning that they have signed a contract to stay in the country longer and finish some of their volunteer work.

This is Harry and I! Harry is one of my favorite volunteers! We trained together in Kratovo. Here we are at the Irish Pub.

Stay tuned for more adventures!

I have a blog?

Well, it's been almost a year since I've wrote on this blog.....yowzah. All I can say is that me NOT using this blog shows that I am out and enjoying life! After my time spent in Kratovo, I was permanently placed in Gevgelija, Macedonia. This small city is about 3km away from the Greek border. I am living with a WONDERFUL homestay family and enjoying my time here. I work for the Apollonia Foundation, and I work on a variety of projects to help special needs individuals, the environment, arts and culture, and much more. Recently, my foundation received an 80,000 euro grant that I helped write! The grant will benefit special needs individuals in southeastern Macedonia.

Attached to this blog I have a great Huffington Post article on the importance of Peace Corps and diplomacy. Please read.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mario-machado/service-as-diplomacy-the-_b_3937024.html

Until next time, everyone!

I stole my friend's inflatable cow...

Hello Everyone! Once again, sorry that I haven't been posting, but I am definitely keeping busy here!

The post for today is dedicated to my good friend, Alexander Dunn, who brought an inflatable cow with him to Macedonia (WHY?!?!??!). Alex was really silly and left the inflated cow unattended in his hotel room with the door open. Because Peace Corps made it very clear to us in DC that you should always lock your door during service, I decided to employ a little "tough love" and kidnap the cow to take with me to Kratovo. Below is a photographic journey of the cow in Kratovo. She is now enjoying her time at the other two training sites, Probishtip and Losovo, before she will be returned to her rightful owner in Romanovce.

 

 This is Alex Dunn's Inflatable Cow, Erin Rodgers

Alex is very proud of his "crava" (cow in Macedonian), and he took very good care of it (see him inflating it on the right....)

But Alex left it unattended one night and she wandered into my room. Here she is in my shower. (Note - Alex did not notice that Erin Rodgers was missing for a day and a half).

She tried to find Alex all over Kratovo (Kratovo Town map above). 

Kratovo Town Map *Note - My brat's (brother's) cafe is right above this map!

Erin was on her way! But what country was she in? She didn't recognize anything that resembled America...

Luckily, she found some graffiti in Kratovo that told her what country she was in!

 

Unfortunately, this cop caught her by the graffiti and asked to see her passport (When I arrived in Kratovo, I had to show them my passport as well). This is actually the security guard for the municipality building where I go to language class. He's very friendly, and everytime I leave the building he asks "Powzah?" (Break?) He knows our schedule well...like when we go to the internet cafe!

"Don't worry officer, she's with us!" (Me, Lidija (my language teacher), and Patrick....Patrick is going to shoot Erin with a banana).

Erin was in the safe care of the other volunteers

 (Other language teacher, Ana D and fellow volunteer Joe!)

She was accepted into the group as a fellow volunteer! 

(Joe, Lurdes, and Daren...fellow Peace Corps volunteers with me in Kratovo).

"Hello/Zdravo! Why yes, I am holding a crava right now. Why do you ask?"

Erin makes friends with the locals.

This is Toshe, Patrick's host brat (brother) who lives in Skopje. I mentioned him in previous posts.

Erin makes more friends with locals! The one on the left is my brat (brother) Goran! The one on the right is his friend Oliever. Oliever is a waiter at our favorite cafe!

 

Harry is NOT amused that Alex left Erin Rodgers behind! 

(I love this photo of Harry! He is another volunteer with Peace Corps).

Erin makes more Peace Corps friends! Originally, Alex thought that he was ROBbed (This is Rob. He is a Peace Corps volunteer at the next closest training site, Probishtip). I like how he put his hat on Erin. This is Rob's SECOND time doing Peace Corps. He originally did the program about 40 years ago.

Erin becomes even MORE popular with the locals!

 (This is Botcia! I made ajvar *traditional Macedonian dish* with her).

Erin Rodgers is well fed my her Macedonian Mikea (Mother).
This is my homestay mother, Sunchi! Notice the old TV in the back....we just got a new one!

Erin bonds with her Macedonian Tatko (father). This is my homestay father, Zoran! When I explained to him the story behind the cow, and how I stole it, he told me in Macedonian that I was "very, very witty."

The crava relaxes at one of the many famous "moctea" (bridges) of Kratovo. Kratovo is known for their Turkish towers and bridges. This one is right outside my home.

Erin reads the plaque for one of the bridges. She's learning so much!

There's so much to see in Kratovo! Erin visits the famous 400+ year old tree of Kratovo! (on the left of Patrick). Kratovo was formed in the crater of a volcano many years ago, or so legend says.

Erin even gets an opportunity to make ajvar! 

(with Patrick's parents Vlancho and Mira. Mira is Bosnian).

"Look, Erin! This is how it is done!"

Sadly, Erin got bored with her life at home, and decided to take a ride into the city. Peace Corps says that PC Volunteers can't ride motorcycles, but they didn't say anything about a crava riding one! (Riding on a motorcycle is one of the things that will automatically get you kicked out of Peace Corps). This is Botcia's husband's. His name is Vladko.

Erin decides, "Why yes, right now IS a good time for a Dab!"

 Dab is one of the Macedonian beers here. This awning is the Macedonian equivalent of "It's Miller Time!"

....but Erin overindulged and embarrassed herself. How did she get here?

Erin has some "burek" to help with her overindulgence. 

Burek is a greasy, meaty, doughy Macedonian food that is supposedly really good after one goes out drinking. I have yet to have it. The chocolate thing to the right is a cookie! It was Ana D.'s birthday, and in Macedonian culture the birthday guy/girl has to bring treats for everyone, not the other way around!

Erin picks up more bad habits, besides drinking. She is with my language teacher, Lidija.

Bad, Erin, Bad!

Nancy and Linda stage an intervention to help Erin get back on her feet.

Nancy is another fellow Kratovian volunteer with me. Linda is in her second year of service, and works in Kriva Polanka. She was here to help us with Community Development training.

Nancy and Linda helped Erin get a job at our favorite cafe hang-out.

This is Lucky! I mentioned him in my first Kratovo post. He's friends with my brother Goran and helped me learn the Macedonian alphabet. He sometimes works at the cafe as well.

Erin wanted to see what else Macedonia had to offer. Less than a half hour away are the famous Kuklica  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_town_of_Kuklica (Rock Dolls). Legend has it that a man was to marry two women in one day, and when one of the women found out what he was doing, she cursed the other women's entire wedding party and turned them into stone. Be careful that you don't get turned into stone, Erin!

Rock Dolls

Hiking up the hill

"What's in this cave?" 

"I bet I can climb up this wedding guest!"

"Look at me! I'm a cursed wedding guest!"

Erin and I at the Rock Dolls. This area reminds me SOOO much of the South Dakota Badlands.

Now that Erin Rodgers is so famous in Kratovo, she received her own bust at the top of the city. (These are two famous Kratovians. I forgot who they were....guess I should have read the plaques).

One of the many beautiful paths in Kratovo that Erin is enjoying.

SO many people were interested in Erin Rodgers that I started receiving "negostis" so that people could meet her face to face. This is Mate (Mah-tey). He's 2 years old, and I utilize all the Macedonian I know when I have conversations with him. He's my neighbor and is in love with Erin Rodgers.

Mate tried to steal Erin Rodgers. His dad also tried to buy her off of me. 

Mate didn't want Erin to be naked, so he dressed her up in seat covers.

Mate showing his love for Erin. His tatko (dad) Dragan asked me where he could find one. He went with my father on a work trip to Bulgaria and searched all the toy stores for an inflatable cow to make his son happy, but no luck. Erin is Pure American!

But guess what! Mate has an inflatable donkey at home that he likes to ride. Looks like someone else just joined our "negosti"! (Visit)

This. This is what Peace Corps is all about. Riding inflatable animals and building bridges.

No comment.....

After the negosti, Erin got a little homesick, so she expressed her feelings through song. 

(This is a toy guitar that I gave to my fellow volunteer, Sam. I paid four US dollars for it, and when I got it home and out of it's packaging, it had clearly been used. It also came with a heart-shaped pick).

Erin decided to look up Alex Dunn's Facebook to see what he was doing in Romanovce....

"He doesn't even miss me...."

At this point, I had decided to FINALLY give the cow back to Alex. He figured out I had it (surprisingly, after I waved it around as he drove by in a van through Kratovo one magical Friday afternoon). Alex missed Erin, so I staged a reunion (unbeknownst to Alex).

On our next hubday in Kumanovo, Erin tagged along with me. We went to a bar/restaurant in the city center. Erin took a seat behind Alex, and ordered a beer. Alex walked right by her and didn't notice. (HOW DO YOU NOT NOTICE YOUR INFLATABLE COW SITTING ALONE AT A TABLE NEXT TO YOU!) This is Alex and Patrick. Alex is mean-muggin' for the camera, but has no idea why I am taking the picture. Can you spot Erin Rodgers?

I come over to take a picture with Alex. He knows something is up. Look at me strategically pointing in this photo to where the cow is...

Still pointing. Alex still has no idea (with Jessica, Casey, Alex, Patrick, and Kelly)

Alex has given up trying to figure out why I am taking so many pictures...Or why it looks like I keep pointing at him in the pictures...)

REUNITED! 

*Alex's reaction when I told him to turn around* = "MY COOOOOOOWWWWW!!!!" *ecstasy*

Because taking the cow was such a big hit, Kelly took the cow next to Probishtip. I don't have any of the photos of Erin in Probishtip, but here are some photos of us when the Probishtip volunteers came to visit...with ERIN!

Erin and I reunited! (Kelly is to my right)

This is the inside of Talisman, another one of my favorite hang-outs.

"I've missed you. Look deep into my eyes!"

Kelly got her dirty. Kelly is not being a very good homestay mom!

I think that the cow needs to come back to Kratovo. Kelly says "Nay!"

"Give me back my cow!"

Looks like Erin has picked up some other bad habits!

 (With Nick and Emma, 2 other volunteers in Probishtip)

Uh-oh!

In case you missed what Erin has written on the side of her body.

It's going to be cold in Romanovce! We better bundle her up! 

(Notice how Nick is putting his glove on her udders. So thoughtful!)

With Nick, Emma, and Lurdes

She's ready to go back to Alex in Romanovce!

So I hope this helps you get an idea of what life is like in Kratovo! I am very privileged to live here. Some of the other pictures I was unable to get include Erin the Crava inside my brother's disco/club, Erin on the "chopping block" as my father cut wood outside our house, Erin at the turkish toilet *shudder* http://sanchezjohnson.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/dscn0945.jpg ...I refuse to use one of these, and Erin being effected by promaya. All well! Thanks for reading!