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Shopkeepers in Skopje's "Bit Pazar" (Old Bazaar) take afternoon tea and share some laughs. Not everyone is off duty as you can see by the tailor at work in the background shop.
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Street art gallery on this Skopje sidewalk provides a nice bit of visual humor to passersby.
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Goce Delcev University - Stip student, Christian, spends a beautiful Sunday helping to prune grape vines at a friend's vineyard. To help maximize the next season's grape crop, each vine is strategically cut back to a main trunk with offshoots for this season and next. Many families have small vineyards where they grow grapes for fresh markets and for personal consumption. Much of this crop will go to making rakija (Rah-key-yah) the high alcohol distillation used for celebration and medical use. (See video here: Making Rakija)
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(Left) Peace Corps Intern Extraordinaire Nikola gets the choice piece of the cake that celebrated our 24th group of Volunteers at their swearing in ceremony. Nikola is a second year law school student, fluent in English, a dedicated youth leader and yet another reason to feel positive about the future of North Macedonia.
(Right) Information Technology manager, Zoran, keeps Peace Corps many computers, software and networks running smoothly. Drinking coffee out of a Washingtonian mug makes him even better at his job!
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That blood red liquid is pomegranate molasses that I made fresh from the abundant fruit available in winter markets. It's an easy recipe that results in a sweet-but-tart flavor with complexity that goes well with a variety of dishes. Here it is spicing up my spinach and cheese omelet breakfast.
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Taking a brief break from tree planting in the hills high above the city of Stip. My fellow volunteers are local youth leaders and Douglas, in green, an American Fulbright professor from the state of Missouri.
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Dejana, a high school junior in Stip takes a minute to pose on a frigid winter day. That scarf she's wearing is courtesy of my ever-supportive sister, Helen. Dejana is a top student and active in a variety of extracurricular activities related to developing herself and helping to make her community even better.
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Volunteers Emma, Katie and Lauren point to their names on the Close of Service wall at Peace Corps North Macedonia's headquarters office. Signing the wall is a celebratory event that marks the end of 24 months of service. All three of these outstanding young women took meandering travel routes home before beginning a new job or entering graduate school.
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Chatting at a meeting to celebrate a year of productive collaboration between Peace Corps and Rotary Clubs of North Macedonia.
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Members of Rotary Club of Stip pose with leaders from the Rotary Club of Kochani-Vinica as the Kochani club celebrates their charter anniversary.
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The US Ambassador to North Macedonia, Kate Marie Byrnes, (back right) visited Stip for a conversation with Peace Corps Volunteers, a Fulbright teacher and Macedonian host family members. Having been in country for under a year, Ambassador Byrnes soaks up everything she can in order to better understand this country and better serve the interests of the American government. Among her many talents is an ability to perfectly recall and pronounce Macedonian names, places, events and cultural details. We gathered at American Corner - Stip in a corner of the public library.
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Peace Corps leaders have fun posing at the event where our 24th group of Volunteers swore in. From left, David (Director of Programming & Training), Bina (Director of Management & Operations) and Mark, (Country Director). Their tireless hours planning, organizing and managing give Volunteers the skills and methods to be effective in their assigned community.
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Speaking to a group of high school students in Kochani-Vinica.
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Taking a roadside break during a leisurely bike ride into the rolling fields surrounding Stip municipality. The cloudless day and warmer than normal temperature made for a perfect Sunday afternoon.
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Sunday afternoon in Stip provides a good opportunity to climb into the hills and enjoy the views of the three valleys that converge here. My hiking buddies are selfie photographer, Douglas and local university student, Christian.
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Relaxing with friends on a chilly afternoon in Skopje.
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(L) When it comes to staying warm on a cold winter day, this elderly gentleman cares not a whit about fashion.
(R) Macedonian Rotarians love to get dressed up, celebrate at parties and take selfies to capture the fun memory.
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A taxi driver in Veles awaits a fare at the city bus station. His colorful jacket and pensive look caught my attention just seconds before the bus whisked me off to Skopje.
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This poor old wreck of a car waits for someone to come along and provide a new headlight, a bath and a bit of encouragement.
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More Photos?
I have several online albums which are open to public viewing. I add photos frequently so you can check back between letters if you'd like to see what's up:
Album Links:
Instagram (Here you will find various images from Macedonia and beyond. I post here every week or two so it's a good way to keep up with what's happening here.)
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P.S. Do you want to see more about Peace Corps Macedonia activities? View the Facebook page here...and "like" it to stay up-to-date.
FAQ: To address your good inquiries, I have a "Frequently Asked Questions" page which you may view here: tinyurl.com/PeacedoniaFAQ Submit your questions and I will answer them or I will avoid answering them in a way that will make you wish you hadn't asked.
To learn more about the Peace Corps volunteer service opportunity see www.peacecorps.gov
P.P.S. If this email was forwarded to you, you may join my email list here: tinyurl.com/PeacetopiaR1
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