The First Month

Can’t believe that one-month has gone by since our arrival!  

This Friday, I had my formal first language assessment at the conclusion of 48 hours of language classes, plus 8 hours of review. Even though not the most advanced student, I realized that I can (even though I am not fluent) comfortably speak in Macedonian at a very elementary level, when meeting and greeting people and the accompanying social chitchat: such as asking about each others family, where they live and work, what to eat and drink and thank them for their hospitality on a visit. I can recite the alphabet and know numbers, occasionally drawing a complete blank. I also know all the primary colors, dozens of fruits and vegetables, days of the week, months and can tell time in Macedonian. I am already using simple sentence construction with about 10 of the most common verbs. Of course it is so easy in class as we all speak slowly, the real test will come when I can do all this with the general population. Meanwhile this evaluation is a big boost to my confidence and when, every once in a villager will slow down to say hello and ask a few questions I can answer!

I also started and then stopped counting after I reached 200, the number of new Macedonian words, including nouns, verbs, adverbs, adjectives and prepositions, etc. I have learned. I knew theoretically that immersion is the best way to learn a new language, and now I have experienced it and it works! I just don’t get to switch from Macedonian to English after class, so I repeat aloud many of the words to my family and we laugh till I get it right! Sometimes I remember those words and sometimes I still forget them!

A couple of nights when I was wide-awake I wished I had the wireless gadget for a true wireless internet connection (w-adsl), which I understand is available in Macedonia. My walk around allowance is not enough to pay for such a luxury item. Dreams are free, of course and I have plenty of time on the weekends to think about these things!  

Rummaging in the PC medical kit when I had a cold accompanied with fever and chills last weekend, I saw and used for the first time one-time use flat thermometers to check my fever. I am planning not to get sick again so I can bring them home for a show and tell. This kit is so well stocked that though I called the doctor, I did not have to travel from my site to get any medication. I was in bed for almost 3 days and though I am back to my normal routine during the day, I don’t go back out after returning home and miss playing soccer with the kids.  

For the time being, I am quite content with exploring the paths surrounding the village over the weekend, often walking for an hour or two. The air still feels unpolluted, though in the evening one can see many trash fires. The modern plastic wrapping is ubiquitous and coupled with the rigid packaging of products finds its way in the remotest of places, where there is no infrastructure for proper disposal. It is dumped or burned, polluting the planet either way.