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A Good Year!

Context: Exactly one year ago today, Peace Corps began its first-ever worldwide evacuation of all Volunteers from all host countries.

Hi all!

In the movie "Jurassic Park" there is a brief moment when the camera is focused on the rearview mirror of a park jeep. The mirror reflects the image of a pursuing Tyrannosaurus Rex and below his toothy grin is the warning: "Objects in mirror are closer than they appear" How clever to put that little tongue-in-cheek humor in a moment of monster-sized terror. Looking in our rear view mirror at the past year, we see our 2020 getting smaller and now we get to look forward to a 2021-22 that will look more like 2019. One hopes!

With this brief update, you'll be current with my pursuits and speculation of the path ahead. If bullet points are charged as the refuge of the lazy writer, I plead guilty:

Peace Corps:
- As of this date, no Volunteers have been reinstated to any host country
- There are no firm dates for doing so
- There is unambiguous commitment to reinstate Volunteers to as many host countries as possible...as soon as it is safe to do so.
My Activities:
- Helping Peace Corps Recruiters attract and retain Volunteer applicants by participating in virtual events for prospective applicants.
- Increasing awareness of the Rotary - Peace Corps Partnership by making virtual presentations to dozens of Rotary groups including clubs and their youth groups Interact and Rotaract.
- Curating and culling my 44,000 image photo library. A handful of them are herein, see the links below for more. Of course, I'm continuing to snap away!
- Reading and listening to books steadily. Narrative history and historical fiction are favorites. Just completed "Amsterdam" by Russell Shorto which I highly recommend.
- Hiking and walking the hip streets and hills surrounding the East Bay. A total approaching 1,400 miles if the iPhone Health tracker is correct. In steps, that's a touch over 3,000,000! My soles are worn but my soul is arched.
- Reconnecting with friends and family thanks to the modern conveniences of information technology. I rarely frequent the rolling hills of social media. If we haven't chatted recently and you'd like to, please reply so we can do so.

I hope this short missive finds you happy, healthy and beginning to take safe steps towards unrestricted activities. Stay safe!

Peace!

Cal

Volunteering for Peace Corps is not all work and no play. Here three of my fellow Volunteers hairily celebrate reaching a rock outcropping that provides a great view of the capital city of Skopje.

After successfully competing at a regional spelling bee, this talented young lady is happily looking forward to the finals of the National English Language Spelling Bee. The contest, initiated by a Peace Corps Volunteer in 2011, annually engages more than 2,000 public school students from all over North Macedonia. The 2020 competition was completed online due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Just one of the many artistic treasures on display at the Museum of the Republic of North Macedonia in Skopje. Housed in a beautiful stone building on the edge of Bit Pazar (Old Bazaar), a visitor can enjoy the architecture and the contents, too. Admission is 50 denars, about one dollar per person.

(Left) My friend and Peace Corps Summer Intern Nikola expresses perfectly a combination of relief and mirth at the end of his first freshman week at Skopje's Saints Cyril and Methodius University. Jumping forward to the present, Nikola is wrapping up his undergraduate law degree and will soon apply to a Masters of Law program.

(Right) Colorful face-painting is just one of the activities provided to school children at a Peace Corps Volunteer-organized summer camp. In North Macedonia, more than twenty camps provide fun and educational activities to 1,000+ students each year.

Introducing American-style soccer-baseball to young Macedonians provided the opportunity to demonstrate my dog-whispering skills. As you can see, my not-so-attentive canine friend is content to watch the game from the pitcher's mound. "Play ball!"

Back in California

Nearby University of California Berkeley is not hard to find as the tall, beautiful and loud chimes of Sather Tower (It is more commonly known as The Campanile.) is visible and audible for miles around.

The forested hills above Berkeley are home to a wide array of indigenous and imported species. This frilly Rhodedendron is a welcome sight for this Washington State expat as it's the Evergreen State's official flower.

(Left) Little library boxes strewn throughout the Berkeley and Oakland streets provided thankful neighbors with an eclectic array of books while the public libraries (now open for take-out) were closed by health officials. This charming library even offers a bench to get started with your reading.

(Right) A beautiful hand-painted and hand-lettered thank you note from one of my Peace Corps Prep mentees. PC Prep is a campus-based program that helps prospective volunteers get ready for their application to Volunteer. The program is offered at more than 140 U.S. colleges and universities nationwide. The artistic Savana is a sophomore at Tulane University.

One of the best parts of a hike in the East Bay hills is taking a rest and enjoying the sweeping views looking out over San Francisco Bay. Tired feet rejoice.

California poppies line the trail ahead and, speaking of which, if you or someone you know is interested in learning more about the opportunity to volunteer for Peace Corps, please reach out to me via email. I'm always happy to share my knowledge of this impressive government agency.

(Left) My hip pack now sports a Peace Corps logo to keep me pushing on. On close inspection, you will note that the thread ran out before I completed the entire circumference. I decided to leave it that way symbolic of my Volunteer service which remains incomplete.

(Right) Along the trail, frilly fungi catch the light as they do their part to break down this old tree stump.

The Last Word

For this edition, I'll take the last word and sent my encouragement to you to keep up the good work with the health precautions. #VaccinesWork

More Photos?
I have several online albums which are open to public viewing. I add photos fairly often so you can check back between newsletters if you'd like to see what's up:

Album Links:

Faces of Macedonia

Best of Macedonia

Marketing & Merchandising

Public Art, Architecture & Infrastructure

Food Glorious Food

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.)

P.S. Do you want to see more about Peace Corps North 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

PEACE CORPS DISCLAIMER: The content of this communication is mine alone and does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Government, the Peace Corps, or the government of the Republic of North Macedonia.

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