Day 78 – Monday – 11/28/11

 Happy Albanian Flag Day!

Albanian flag hanging outside the dorms

Today was back to work, and it was also another holiday!  However this holiday people were still at work, not all students were, but staff worked.   This holiday commemorates Albania’s independence from 5 centuries of Ottoman rule in 1912.  Throughout Tetovo and on campus, the Albanian Flag was flying… on the railings of the dorms, car windows, street poles, and outside businesses.  The atmosphere was joy and celebration. 

Tonight brought my presentation on Writing a Personal Statement at the American Corner.  I was able to share the knowledge I have on how to write a personal statement. Although I do not claim to be any sort of expert, the personal statement I wrote was good enough to earn me a Fulbright Scholarship. 

The evening brought dinner at Delfin with some friends!  It was Shopska salad for me with pizza bread… I am GOING to figure out how they make that bread!!!

Lesson: Celebratory traditions may change with generations, but the joy and pride remain.

75 – Friday, 76 - Saturday, 77- Sunday 11/25 - 11/27

Black Friday! So I have never participated in the Black Friday madness… but this year I decided it would be a good first.  Cassidy, Lizzie, Justin and I headed out to brave the Black Friday madness and went to Vero Supermarket!  Now for all of you who are still scratching your heads… no Black Friday does not exist here in Macedonia.  However, we participated in heart and spirit!  We went to the biggest supermarket around, and although we did not have to fight the crowds, I did find something super special!   Here is the list: Red Curry paste, Green Curry paste, chili paste, coconut milk and rice noodles!  Very exciting very very very exciting!  Lizzie and I couldn’t wait to use our new purchases so that night we had Red Curry and Coconut milk with lots of veggies and rice noodles- IT WAS AMAZING!

Saturday brought more new experiences.  Although Black Friday does not exist it seems as though it is the start of the Christmas season here as well.  Most Macedonians are Muslim or Orthodox.  Those that are Muslim do not celebrate Christmas.  Those that are Orthodox, celebrate Christmas but not until Jan 7^th.  That being said, decorations are still starting to make an appearance, lights in the mall, a tree in the mall, decorations on city light posts etc.  It also means the annual German Embassy Christmas Market in Skopje!  Lizzie, Cassidy and new friend Nevenka, and I all went to the market.  It was a great time.  There was Christmas music, crafts, homemade waffles, and SANTA!  It really made it feel like the Holiday season had begun!

Santa and I

In front of one of the lit trees

A crowd shot

One of the booths with Christmas Lights

Sunday brought my trip back to Tetovo from a weekend of fun in Skopje. 

Lesson: Things I have taken for granted for so many years really are treasures! It took being without them to realize their true beauty and worth!

Happy Thanksgiving!! Day 73 and 74

 Being in Skopje there are some shopping opportunities that I do not have in Tetovo. One of the main differences is a large supermarket a block and a half from Cassidy’s making big purchases without a taxi possible!  It also means a huge new Vero!  Today was a day of shopping for more items for Thanksgiving.  Prior to going I looked up the names of the spices I needed in other languages (I had learned from the day before).  Great news- I found both Sage (or in Italian – Salvia) and Thyme (which was labeled Thyme).  This meant my stuffing and carrots would be made to the recipe no really significant Macedonian changes!  (Unlike Cassidy’s green bean casserole- she had to make her cream of potato soup, no cans of that!)  We also went to a green market with Anjeanette and Daniel to pick up some produce. 

Later in the day I was able to skype with my friends Ashley and Becki back home!  Together we booked them tickets to Macedonia for Spring Break!  I am so excited to have them come. Its not Cancun or Paris, but it will be an opportunity they may not have ever had otherwise!  I am already making plans for places to take them.

preparing the stuffing

When we woke up on Thursday morning, it was time to start the cooking!!!  Cassidy and I had a plan to start a few dishes here before Anjeanette came to pick us up.  Cassidy started the cream of potato soup for her green bean casserole, and her apple pie.  I decided to make the stuffing in the morning but to make the carrots at the Pout’s house.   I had left the bread sitting out for over 24 hours to get good and dry (no going to the store and buying Stove Top Stuffing Mix!!!).  I started breaking the bread while the onions and celery were on the stove.  Cassidy had to help because the bread didn’t break as easy as I thought. The recipe suggested using a rolling pin, we started with our hands, and then changed our method to crushing it with whatever we could find, I used a Vitamin C pill tube :)   I was able to get all of the pieces and parts together, but the taste test would come later…

Cassidy found an apple core remover

Anjeanette came to get us and we rushed around getting our stuff all packed, apple pie, green bean casserole, stuffing, carrot dish makings, computers, cutlery, and so on… bags upon bags in tow, we were off to Thanksgiving. We spend the afternoon with the Pout family playing games, snacking on microwave popcorn, laughing, and we even found a web cam of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade!  By 6pm Lizzie and Justin had made it to Skopje from Bitola and it was time to eat!  I have to say that we all did a pretty good job of recreating the holiday meals even though we didn’t have all of the pieces and parts… you wouldn’t have even known the meat was chicken unless someone had told you!   I am so thankful for this group of people. We were brought together because of only one reason- we were chosen as Maceodnian Fulbrighters, but now we will be forever linked because of the memories we are making together!

Playing games

posing with our snack during the game

in the kitchen

The table

The finished Stuffing

My plate- looks familiar

The desserts - pumpkin roll and apple pie

The table

Enjoying conversation after the meal

Lesson: Today was about making new memories and sharing traditions, I am thankful for all of the opportunities I have been given in my life, including this journey to Macedonia. 

Day 72, 11/22/11 – Tuesday

This week is a week of Holidays!  Today was - Day of the Albanian Alphabet.

There are several types of holidays here in Macedonia.  The first kind is when all people have time off from work. This would include New Years, Independence Day… and other non-religious holidays.  The second type is holidays that are related to the Macedonian ethnicity and in this case people who are Macedonian do not have to come to work.  The third type is holidays that are related to the Albanian ethnicity and on those days, people who are Albanian do not have to come to work.  Today, Day of the Albanian Alphabet meant that people who are Albanian did not come to work.  South East European University has mostly Albanian students and a high percentage of Albanian staff members. This meant that the campus was pretty empty… but a few of us still came to campus. (Well, I live on campus so I didn’t “come” to campus I was already there I just went to the Language Center)  When we arrived, we realized that the internet was down, and that most everyone else had not come to campus so we called it a day by 9:45am.  No internet meant that my room would be pretty quite and lonely… so I packed up and headed to Skopje for the weekend a day early.  You might be thinking, but Jen, its only Tuesday… well with Thanksgiving on Thursday I had planned to go to Skopje on Wednesday after classes, but my planned changed when it was announced that Wednesday was Tree Day.  This is a holiday for both ethnic groups.  It is like our Arbor Day, all people are to plant a tree on this day.  With this holiday being added to the week, I decided I was off to Skopje.

When I arrived in Skopje I got to accompany Cassidy to a presentation at The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.  It was a class of 1^st year students all starting their journey for an engineering degree.  It was interesting seeing the difference in this university setting than what I see each day at SEE-U.  University students are similar no matter where you are… but the difference in facilities was interesting.  The classroom looked older and had desks that were older that filled the room, one side to the other side.  The teacher desk was right in the center of the front of the room, and it was placed on a slightly raised platform and in front of a chalkboard. The classroom was furnished with a projector and smart board though. At SEE-U the classrooms are more modern and desks can move around the room.  There is a teacher table, that also can move, and marker boards. But we don’t have projectors for each classroom.  Just comparisons…

The most amazing bread and cheese dip - OH MY WORD!

Pasta, red sauce and calamari

 

For lunch we went to this AMAZING Italian Restaurant. I had to take pictures of the food!

Then it was back to Cassidy’s to make plans for food for Thanksgiving. I have decided on Stuffing and also a Roasted Carrot dish.  I have never made either… and my attempt to find Thyme and Sage was unsuccessful this evening. I will try again tomorrow morning…

Lesson:  Try to remember to look up names of items you might need from the store prior to going… otherwise you too will be in an isle, shaking little seasoning pouches hoping you can smell through the packages in an attempt to find what you are looking for…  

Day 71, 11/21/11

Today was a really special day.  I was invited to go to the village of Zherovjane, which is south of Tetovo.  One of the master's students at the University is teaching there and invited me to come to her classes today.  The school's name is Liria.  In the mornings the school is for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. There are two classes of each.  In the afternoon the younger students come and use the same school and classrooms. They attend school in shifts.  There is one teacher for each area or subject like Math, Geography, English... the teachers rotate classrooms and teach the students.  In other words, the student stay in the same classroom and the teachers come to them.  There is a homeroom teacher that they meet with on Mondays. Between classes there is a 5min break.  The teachers go back to their office which is one office for all of them. There is one big table, and cabinets that they use.  During this break time the teachers may have a snack, smoke a cigarette, or have a Turkish tea.  I participated in having a Turkish tea ( this is just brewed tea, that is fairly strong, hot and drank from a small glass cup. Many people put sugar in it, I do not.)  The teachers also bring with them the grades for the class they have just taught. It is a big red book, where the students names are written down the side with the subjects across the top. Teachers can make notes, and put grades in this book, and it travels with the students. Female teachers where a uniform; it is a solid colored jacket that they put on top of their clothes.  From the pictures you will also be able to tell that the conditions are much different in this school than those many of us know in America. Chalkboards with water erasers, wood burning stoves, desks that seat two students, a teacher desk that is used just during class.... 

The school gate

Liria Primary School

Today in the 7th grade classroom, I taught their regular lesson on Superstars.  It is expected for the students to stand when the teacher comes in and when the teacher leaves the classroom.  This was an obvious difference from American Schools.  We did some exercises in the book, and then I printed off famous people from the United States and descriptions about who they were. The students then wrote sentences to describe their superstar.  It was a fun lesson and a way to introduce them to more icons from American Culture.

7th grade group and classroom 

With the 8th grade group I played games. I had the vocabulary words that they have been learning, so we played two games with the words.  I think they really enjoyed the games!  In this culture, most of the teaching methods do not include much communication or group work.  I have noticed in my time here that it is difficult for them to get comfortable with this style.  One time in my University class one of the students said: "remember teacher, this type of work is new for us."  I asked the student, are you learning okay?  He replied, "yes we like it very much, it is just different".  I knew this to be true before today, so I was prepared.  When I had the student work in pairs, it took several times of me saying, it is okay to talk with your partner before they actually did it.   At the completion of my time with the 8th grade group, the students asked if they could take a picture with me. I was already planning on take a photo of them.  We took a group photo that you can see below, but then their mobile phones came out and they wanted to take pictures with me...  It was quite an honor!  It made me think back to my childhood. I can remember some great things that teachers did in schools. It has been quite a few years but I still remember some of the activities and guests we had with vivid pictures and emotions.  I can only hope that Meleke (the teacher) created something like that for her students today!!!

8th grade group

As we drove away, many of the students came outside to say goodbye again and wave.  It was a wonderful experience!  I am so glad that Meleke invited me to come to her school and classroom.  When asked if I could come back - I of course replied that I would LOVE that! Hopefully next semester's schedule will allow me the opportunity!!

Lesson: The smallest moments in time can make the longest and most lasting impression.

Day 68 and 69 – 11/18/11 and 11/19/11 – Friday and Saturday

Anniversaries are something celebrated in American culture.  The past two days I have been able to witness an anniversary in the culture I now live in.  South East European University was 10 years old!  Over the two days there were visitors from around the world, recognition of supporters and those who helped start the university, a statue unveiling and of course some great food.

On Friday- the anniversary celebration included the handing out of watches to people who had been at the university since it’s beginning in 2001.  Although I have not been a part of the universities journey, I felt the nostalgia and pride.  Each of these individuals who received the recognition (in addition others who joined the university staff over the years) took on a challenge to create the first opportunity for students to attend higher education using the Albanian language.  They took this on and have created what today is a flourishing university that celebrates 10 years today.  Pretty amazing- it is awesome what a few inspired people can do.

Friday's recognitions

Saturday’s ceremony included representatives from all of the countries that supported the universities beginnings and continue to support today.  One of the greatest country supports came from the United States. This was key for the university but was also a step for the US, since SEE-U was the first European University that the US had aided in this fashion.  In addition to the countries being recognized the Rectors of the other Universities in Macedonia, Kosovo and Tirana Albania were recognized for their partnership and support.  Getting to sit in a room where people from so many countries, ethnicities, and cultures were coming together for a single cause was truly amazing.  Following the indoor ceremony all in attendance walked to the Administration Building for an unveiling of a statue of the late Max van der Stole.  He was the original visionary for the university and passed away just last winter. His son and daughter were there to speak and unveil the statue of their father.  The events of the past two days are ones that have made a lasting impression upon me.  In a time of turmoil and struggling in the country (2001) was born this university that has brought people together from all over the world.

Statue of Max van der Stoel

Rector Dika speaking

The table at the front of the ceremony

Cassidy, Vesna and I after the ceremony 

Out front of the administration building

The front of the administration building

food from the cocktail party - GREAT STUFF!

Lesson: Over the past 10 years, the common goal of higher education was able to bring together groups of people that had been divided. Education has done this all over the world, and will continue to do the same. Not just in building universities, but becoming educated citizens of the world. 

Days 65, 66, and 67 11/15/11 – 11/17/11

Hello Teacher!  Hello Teacher!  Hi Teacher!  Teacher.. Hi!

Since starting my rotation through the English Skills courses, I have started to not just be a strange red head walking around campus… but instead the “teacher from America”.  When I walk around campus this is what I am starting to hear.  :)  The title ‘teacher’ is given to all professors, that part is not unique, but I don’t think the “hello” part is as common.  Getting to go to classes with all the students learning English, means at some point, I should see every student here on SEE-U campus.  It is a requirement to take English while being a student at SEE-U.  Having the opportunity to work with every student at SEE-U while I am here is quite an honor!  As a native speaker, this is a great way to have the most students have exposure to English as possible.  This has also meant being busier this week - which is not a complaint!  I also have a schedule of classes all the way to the end of the semester. 

Mr. Hedgehog has traveled with me to each class!!!

Thursday night - the American Corner has power once again!!  It has been several weeks since the AC has had power.  This has meant no clubs or activities.  Tonight it was re-opened and I went to (and participated slightly) in a presentation on International Education opportunities in Macedonia. People came who were interested in hearing more about ways to study and learn in the US.  It was an honor to get to share for a minute or two about my opinions and pointers on applying.  I shared with them, and I share with you now -  “If you are thinking about applying for a scholarship program- do it.  No matter if you get it or not it is a great experience!”  I would give that advice to each of you reading this too. If you are thinking about trying something new- do it.  Successful or not, it will be good because you learn from every experience!  (that is the Lesson for the day too!)

Day 64 – Monday 11/14/11

 I started going to English Skills courses today. The goal is for me to get to each class before the end of the semester.  These courses are English Language learners from level 1 all the way to level 4.  Not know each groups’ dynamic and level exactly planning the “right” activity posed a challenge.  I had many different ideas of what to do to bring American culture, how to make them do most of the talking, but the challenge was finding the right balance between the two for each individual group.  I went with a vocabulary game that is similar to Musical chairs, only they pass an item and the person with the item when the music stops has to name the vocabulary word from a picture.  The students seemed to have fun with it!  I also brought prizes from America many of the things were from the requests I had made to all 50 states for items to take with me.   One challenge today had to do with a language barrier.  Since I don’t know that much Albanian or Macedonian, I don’t always know what the students are saying – well let’s be honest I RARELY know what they are saying.  But I knew enough vocabulary to make them wonder what I did or did not know :)  Tricks of being a teacher!!

Lesson: Although teaching here is different since I am in a different culture- some of the tricks of the trade remain the same!

Day 63 – Sunday 11/13/11

Another slow morning- a great way to start a weekend day :)  At noon we went to meet Vesna for coffee. She picked up Lizzie and I at the gate and said she would take us up to a Monastery just outside of Tetovo if we wanted to go!  Um, of course we wanted to go!!!

The monastery was in the village of Leshok, to the north of Tetovo.  It was an entire grounds with a restaurant, monastery, area to bring animal/livestock offerings to the church, and 2 orthodox churches.   The newer of the two churches was destroyed during the 2001 conflict.  Following the conflict many people both ethnic Macedonians and ethnic Albanians donated to have it restored.  Since it was just restored, the paint inside of the church was very bright and fresh looking.  We then walked down to the Church Saint Madonna, also on the Leshok Monastery grounds. This church was first written about in 1326… it was absolutely amazing to stand inside of a place of worship where people have gone for hundreds of years!   Vesna mentioned that several of the paintings on the walls were not ones she has seen in Orthodox churches before. 

Vesna, Lizzie and I

Inside the newer of the two churches

Part of the church they did not remodel

Up close

The Church of Madonna

Inside The Church of Madonna

Inside The Church of Madonna

Inside The Church of Madonna

Lesson: Wars, conflicts, and tragedies like this week at Penn State and here at Leshok Monastary, can be terrible things, but it is what comes after them that can define who we are.

Day 62 – Saturday 11/12/11

The park

Since Lizzie was visiting Tetovo for the first time, we thought it was a good idea to go up to the Kale today (the castle on the hill/mountain).  We also had a leisurely morning, so in planning for our day we decided to walk to the center, take a taxi to the top, and then walk back down.  The reasoning behind this was that by the time we started our journey, it was 1pm, and walking up and down it would take us longer than the number of hours of daylight we had left.  On our way to the center we stopped at the park next to the Vardar river where the Painted Mosque and Turkish Bath are located.   I have to share a few more pictures of the area that I took this time.

Painted Mosque and wall

Painted Mosque up close

Looking through the gate

Turkish Bath

Painted Mosque from across the park

This was my second time to Kale, but I saw more things this time that I did not last time.  Here are some of the pictures from this trip. The colors of fall were so beautiful!  The mountainside was covered in trees of orange, yellow and browns. 

At the Ottoman Castle- with Tetovo in the background

THE ARCH

Walking back down

When we got back to my dorm from our day of walking, we decided to cook dinner.  Also, Lizzie found the Husker game being streamed online!  So we ate our yummy dinner and watched some football!!

Lesson: The second time seeing things can allow you to find things you never saw before!