This is a day I will NEVER forget. Now I can say that about many of the days I have experienced since arriving here, but today was extra special...
The day started in the office working on the various things I need to do before leaving. This also includes preparing for a few more clinical teaching experiences this week. SEE-U was also hosting an event today to promote International Scholarship opportunities. Representatives were invited to come to SEE-U to have booths and present on their country's opportunities. Gezim and Saranda from the American Corner, along with Gazmend from the US Embassy were in attendance. I assisted as much as I could with the booth, signing up new members for the American Corner, answering questions, etc. It was a great time!
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| The booth |
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| Standing behind the booth |
Following SEE-U we went for coffee and then lunch. Gezim ordered us delicious pizzas from a local restaurant. I need to preface this with- it was delicious and I would eat it again... however when it was set down in front of me, to my surprise there was an egg right in the center. Now I have had breakfast pizza, but this was not breakfast pizza, it had meat, cheese, peppers and olives on it as well... I have already experience adding ketchup and mayo to pizza, but this was new. As I said, the pizza was delicious, but I may not eat the egg if I ordered it again.
A few months ago I decided that I wanted to do a book drive for the American Corner. My original hope was to get a few hundred children's books for the kids to check out at the American Corner. I shared my thoughts with my family and the school I work at back home, Holmes Elementary. After talking with them, I increased my hope to 1,000 books. Well after months of hard work from kids, teachers, school administrators, community members, Temple Chapter Order of the Eastern Star, Mainfreight Omaha, Runza Restaurants and many many many friends...over 14,400 books arrived today in Tetovo!!!
These books traveled through the USA, to Canada, to Hamburg and then across Europe and arrived just as they were sent from Lincoln. We are planning a book donation event in Tetovo on May 31st (Thursday). Because of all of the hard work of the people of Nebraska, the lives of so many kids throughout Macedonia will be changed. These books will go to all parts of this country...way more than I ever could have hoped for!! A special thanks also goes out to a few of the members of the American Corner Tetovo for helping unload the almost 100 boxes of books!
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| Truck backing up to the door |
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| One of the signs from Holmes that were wrapped with the books |
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| The unloading crew |
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| THE BOOKS!!!!! |
I also had a very special invitation today to eat dinner at a colleague and friend's home. Hajro one of the professors at the Language Center, and his fiance Nita invited me to their home for a scrumptious meal. Nita shared that Hajro was quite the cook, I can say with certainty that she is right! He made us bruschettas with fresh tomatoes and pasta with a tuna, tomato, garlic and parsley sauce - WOW! For dessert Nita's mother had made homemade Tres Leche cake. Although the food was memorable, the conversation was even better. I so enjoyed spending time with the two of them talking about life and living. Hajo was a Fulbright scholar to the US so his insight about the transition of coming home was also priceless.
Lesson: People make the difference.
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