KIDS CLUB! I started Kids Club today at the American Corner here in Tetovo. It is a club for kids 3-6 years old. It was so great to hang out with kids! Since it is National Pizza Month in America, today’s theme was Pizza! I shared with them a video of Elmo singing the pizza song, then a video of Kids Cook USA- where the kids were making Pizza, we then talked about favorite toppings, made a graph on the computer (while counting in English), and finished by drawing our own Pizzas. It was so much fun. With my 3 Albanian Classes I was able to introduce myself, ask them their names, and tell them where I am from. It got more difficult after that, I used pictures of pizza and toppings, but Saranada, one of the the wonderful people who works at the American Corner, would translate to the kids so they knew what I was saying. I think it all went very well, but I couldn’t have done it without her :) I will post pictures when I get them from the American Corner!
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| The kids |
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| Counting favorite toppings |
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| Counting in English! |
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| Drawing our favorite pizza |
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| Counting in English |
Following my time at the AC, I met Vesna for coffee, today I had Hazelnut hot chocolate. It was really tasty- hot chocolate is much more like “hot chocolate” not so watery. It was really tasty! We then proceeded to take a trip to buy a hair dryer. Before I left the states, I said to myself, I can buy one there. Then when I got here I thought, do I even really need one? So I had been going without one. But I gave in, and decided with the cold weather I wanted to sleep with dry hair, and that I also wanted the option of washing my hair in the morning without having to go to work with wet hair! While at the store, I made another purchase. I have been really wanting black coffee. Most coffee here has milk or sugar or both in it. The closest thing you can order is an espresso. So I bought a coffee maker. Now the search begins for coffee that I like. I bought some yesterday that didn’t turn out quite like I had hoped, but we found another type today to try! If nothing else, it is an easy way to make hot water- I am having some hot tea as I type this :)
I decided on the walk back to campus I hadn’t really taken too many street shot photos, so I got out my camera to do just that… it happened to be PERFECT timing, a Macedonian wedding procession passed right as I took out my camera. Weddings are a bit different here, which is to be expected. This procession of cars goes to all the locations for the day. First from the grooms home to the brides home, where there is a “struggle” for the groom to get in the house and he throws money to come in, then when they get inside, there are shoes that are presented, and the bride drinks from the shoe. Then they all proceed to the church where the ceremony is attended only by relatives and close family friends. Then it is to the municipality to sign the legal documents. Then they proceed to the restaurant where the other guests join and they have the party! Pretty cool traditions! I also learned they don’t have a wedding party like many people do in America. Usually it is just the Best Man and one other person man or woman, and then the families.
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| The Lead Car with the flag |
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| The second car and the one with the most decorations |
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| Another car in the procession |
There were other things I decided to take pictures of the walk as well! First a typical street view. Second, it is VERY common to have cars parked on the sidewalks. Third I have also seen goats in different places around the city, these happen to be having a little snack. Forth, the most modern building I have seen in Tetovo; it is a business where they get jobs for people in Iraq.
Lesson: No matter what country or culture, weddings are something to celebrate!
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