Sunday, October 25, 2009

Village Weddings

I woke up to a wet, cold grey sky feeling a little down as I had chosen not to visit one of the larger more established touristic cities with some of the other volunteers. I went downstairs to the sounds of host mom’s friend’s voice to find that she had come for a favor – to shorten the trouser length that her son, was to wear at a village wedding this afternoon. I enthusiastically accepted her invitation to go and watch the wedding.  
It was early afternoon and raining and cold before we made our way through rivulets of water, mixed with silt and mud, gingerly stepping on stones and /or broken asphalt on the many angled roads to the groom’s house on the north end of town. After standing around for quite a few minutes in the rain it made more sense to go directly to the bride’s house near the church as the groom and his family were going to drive down. There was no one else there but us. At the bride’s house we would have opportunity to see the bride and groom just before they made their way to the church and some of the festivities. I felt a bit awkward at first standing among the women and children, either just inside the yard taking shelter from the rain under the awning of the garage and or storeroom or just outside the gates with our umbrellas. However, I was soon to share my umbrella with another women, who was getting wet and I loved the way she grabbed my arm with glee proud of her ‘Americanka’ friend in the rain! The village children were also there and came up a few times to say hello. When I could understand a word or two, it appeared to mirror what happens at many weddings – gossip about the many young people in attendance!
We stood for about half hour just watching the male guests come out of the second floor of the house to help themselves to beer from a chest on the covered terrace. I was able to ask one young man about the corsage on his left lapel and was informed that unmarried men from the groom’s family sported a corsage on the left lapel, whereas the married men were identified with the corsage on the right. 
Since, I had no idea what was happening inside while I tried to keep myself as dry as I could under the shared umbrella, I was glad when the three-man band – with an accordion, a sax and percussion/drum, started the music. The drum was elliptical, slung around the neck of the musician who beat on what looked like an 8-10 surface with his fingers! It took the family about 15-20 minutes to descend from the second floor of the house with their arms laden with gifts/trousseau/dowry of the bride, which was packed in the waiting cars. At the foot of the steps, they started the ora-traditional dance with the rich baritone of the accordionist singing wedding songs. The bride came down led by her young brother and joined the dance, only after everyone else in the family wedding party was dancing. As soon as she started her descent, a man started firing shots in the air from a long barreled rifle soon joined by another man firing pistol shots! I am quite sure a young woman borrowed that pistol to fire a shot! After circling twice doing the ora, the bride delicately stepped towards the fancy white Land Rover all dressed up to take the couple to the village church for the wedding ceremony.

Seeing no point in standing outside the church, we stopped at the ‘prodavnitsca’ more like the village seven-eleven for a tasty treat – chocolate rice crispy treats, followed by a visit to another friend’s home close by. This was the silver lining to the grey clouds that greeted me in the morning.

Pioneer Days

While it is not surprising that wood is still used in many Macedonian villages to heat homes made essentially with concrete or slate blocks covered with a mortar-based plaster, modernized new stoves still used this form of fuel. 
These stoves are approx 4x3 feet and the top is a steel hot plate with a hinged cover. When closed and covered with a pretty lace cloth, such as the one in my home it becomes a buffet and a place to keep the fruit bowl, my language books, vitamins, etc. The oven and the drawer beneath which served as additional storage for kitchen items is set to one side with two adjacent small 10”x10” compartments stacked one on top of the other. An exposed 5” sheet metal pipe cut into the side of the oven opposite the stacked small compartments vents the stove to the outside. Vents are ingeniously hidden behind ‘drywall’ back home. The top small compartment was used to burn the wood, and since the source of the heat is one side and the hot air escapes from the opposite side the entire surface of the hot plate is heated. I also presume the hot plate is not uniform is thickness or material as the heating is on side which had a small escape hole directly above the source of the heat to dissipate some heat. The large pot for slow cooking such as unpasteurized cow’s milk, sits on the far end and other cooking takes place on the hotter side.  
It is a remarkable device, very 21st century in some ways and very traditional at the same time as it allows for cooking the ‘old’ fashioned way as well as a ‘modern’ oven, performing the dual functions of a cook stove and a heater for the home. This was used when the nearby mountains had a snowfall and temperatures dropped rapidly in the homes in the village. The electric space heater was put away while this took its place.
The appliance reminded me of Pioneer Days, when we taught the 3rd graders in school how a hundred tears ago women washed clothes using washboards and cooked in big kettles over a wood-burning wood stove that also served to heat the rooms in winter. 
Even though I didn’t have enough vocabulary it was about this time that I asked why the bread was being made from refined white flour and not whole wheat. Whether we understood each other or not, I am not sure, but it was heartwarming to see Mom bring out a big bowl of whole-wheat grain. Pleasant thoughts of homemade whole wheat bread crossed my mind as we proceeded to clean the chaff from the grain. When I was about to toss the chaff and other contaminants we had picked out, they were mixed back into the remaining grain in the bowl. We were going to be served the clean grain, while the birds; ducks, chicken, pheasant, quail and the peacock got the leftovers!  

I was quite sure she would produce a hand-mill to grind the grain from among her belongings and we will be making bread from the grain. However, that didn’t happen, but I learned something new. The whole-wheat grain was cleaned and boiled for over an hour on this stove – much more efficient that using the electric stove and served it with sugar – homemade cereal! May we have many more moments such as these! I now have whole-wheat cereal as an alternative to store bought cereal for breakfast. It also tastes better vastly better than wheat germ that we add to cereal.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Toshe Proeski

Today is also a very special day for all Macedonians and it's diverse communities.  They still remember that tragic day two years ago when they lost -Toshe Proeski a singer and pop star in a tragic car accident at the age of 26.   He was an overnight sensation when he released his debut album in 1999 -" HeKade Bo Hokta" (Somewhere in the Night).  Everyone loved him not only for his beautiful melody and songs but also because he was one of the rare persons who dedicated their talent and lives to help others and at the same time representing Macedonia, it's people and culture in its best light through songs.  You should download and listen to him.

This week also gave us a taste of what to expect for winter.  It was one miserable Tuesday this week. The sky was overcast - the wind whistling and whining through the windows bringing in the cold air from the mountain a little west of us, which were covered with snow. Time to bring out those winter garments.  Yet at the same time, the mountain views are awesome and like a picture postcard real good to look at but not so much fun to live in without the right gear. I have started dressing in layers, put away my dress shoes for sturdy boots and the ever ready raincoat to ward of the rain. Ughh!  

The classroom remains pleasantly warm with the heater, so it is easy to forget the cold air outside, though the metal screen keeps rattling. The lessons this week were a little difficult, as we have started on future and past tense. Though it has made present tense feel and sound easy in contrast.

Even cold days have a bright side! With the windy days I don’t feel guilty picking up one or two walnuts fallen from the trees the night before. I have done this only on the way out as my host family has a container full of them inside. I enjoy using a random stone from the path to crack open the walnut just picked up with the seed cover barely fallen off. It had never ever crossed my mind that I will be living in an area where the black walnut trees are so abundant, that no one here has a “plantation” of trees, ready to be made into a cash crop or cares a lot about fallen walnuts. One or two trees per family take care of their yearly needs and more. One evening, my host mom crushed two cups of walnuts in a 21st century plastic mill most likely made in China. She made a batter with eggs, sugar, sunflower oil, a packet of baking powder, some water and approx 3 cups of flour with a pinch of salt. No measuring cups were used. She mixed in the walnuts and poured it in a large lightly greased and floured pie pan – the same pan used to make the traditional “burek”. She added handfuls of the apple-peach-pear-plum marmalade (made last month) to the batter – not mixing it, just left it to sink in some spots and baked the mix for approx 15 minutes! When she served this moist walnut cake-like bread for supper, I could not resist that extra piece or two I had watched carefully and hope to recreate many of these dishes without using recipes and measuring cups and spoons.

Though I promise myself I will not talk about food, it is inevitable that as long I live with a family and don’t cook myself, I have a lot to say about the meals. After a long day of class and site visits, it is so welcoming to walk into the parlor to find it heated with a space heater and my lunch. One day it was fried local fish (much like lake Michigan whitefish in taste but only 7-8 inches long), slices of lightly battered and fried eggplant, fresh tomatoes and cucumber salad. A slice of freshly baked bread finished the meal, with a dessert of fresh sliced apple. 

When the sun is up and the day is at it’s warmest, I like walking about the many village streets. I have yet to find one that is not a cul-de-sac or that disappears into the field. None appear to connect to others, so one can walk in a grid like or criss-cross pattern. Each one comes down to the main street. This must be true of all villages nestled in valleys as this one it. From the main road these side streets look so inviting so I just take the plunge going up and down – often running into people I know, who don’t seem to understand what I am doing walking randomly up and down. This week I came across my first totally abandoned property – the main house had only one wall standing, ravaged by the changing seasons. One could make out the outline of what might have been the fire hearth. The house was made of stone and clay. On that same street up a couple of houses up stood a newer structure with a beautiful green lawn and what were riotous flower beds that the previous night’s frost had killed the plants, turning them black. I wonder if it is owned by the same family…..?????

Mother

Today is Mom’s birthday and this blog is dedicated to her memory. It is been a year since you left us a few days after celebrating your 92! 

Mother is such a special word and exploited by so much sentimental writing, so I write this in simple words and as a mother myself.

Motherhood is one role, albeit an important one in the life of a woman.  A mother is also the young girl with dreams; a young woman with aspirations; a woman with the responsibilities; a woman who may choose to raise a family with or without a career, a woman who is often a wife. Mother is a woman’s nurturing side, a role that often reshapes her view of life around her and may cause her to push aside her aspirations to meet the needs of those who depend on her – children, husband, parents and the community. Sometimes she is pushed into a role not of her own choosing.

Mom, I know you best in your role as a mother and...........I remember your use of prayer to help ease your burdens of day-to-day trials and tribulations, many of which may have been caused by my own behavior........... I remember you never starting the preparation of a dish without a Wahe-Guru! Your unwavering faith is a source of strength for your family today..........I remember that day when we lived in Kanpur and I biked to school. I was tired and took a nap in the afternoon. I remember getting ready and looking for me to get my breakfast and lunch box, which you always had ready for us before school and I found you sitting and chatting with neighbors on the verandah. You did not laugh like the others as you realized at once I had confused dawn with dusk!

Today I am grateful for our morning walks two years ago among the flowers of the park, with the dew barely dry from the early morning rays........I remember your delight seeing the paragliders’ practicing their jumps and the billowing brightly colored ballooning fabric like large butterflies in the blue sky..........I remember your love of the view of the mountains and the brightly colored bougainvillea’s in many hues.........I remember your willingness to exercise your arms and legs even as you sat in your wheelchair, inspiring so many other people so much younger than you out for their morning walks.

I most certainly got my love of the outdoors from you.

I remember your other roles when listening to you sharing stories among your siblings, cousins and peers. When you shared your memories with your sister in law in my hearing two years ago, I learnt about the young woman with aspirations before becoming a mother. The light in both your eyes accompanied by the laughter is now a part of my memories of you.

Your love of the poets Shelley and Coleridge and Shakespeare always came through in the letters you wrote. Finding and reading the romance books you read before becoming a mother bespoke of the young girl with dreams!  

When I decided to leave home to go half way across the world to follow my own dreams, you never stopped me, just encouraged me. Today your granddaughters span the continents, following their dreams and aspirations giving credence to the saying “educate a woman and you educate the world”. Look at me now; here I am in Macedonia achieving a 45 year old aspiration from my childhood! Credit for this lies directly at your feet. 

Saturday, October 10, 2009

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. 

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Cops, fever and food

This blog covers a period of a week and is not necessarily in chronological order, as the greater part of the week was spent on training, training and more training! Language classes, field visits for technical training, history and politics of the region! Add to this mix language homework and there is very little free time. 

It is absolutely amazing to me how a brisk walk outside has a way of uplifting one’s spirits. When I woke up to an overcast sky on Saturday morning after a night of continuous rain that continued into most of the day. I felt quite lethargic as I had a scratchy throat and the start of a cold. So at first I didn’t want to step outside at all.  
I do walk in the rain back home so I did go out, adequately clad against inclement weather with a pair of warm pants and jacket, boots and a raincoat. 

I set out on the main road up a steady incline covering approximately one mile. On my way up I encountered a black dog and when I didn’t stop or show any fear, he just turned around and went back into his yard. I was on a public road and he had wandered out of his yard! On my way back, the police car that I had seen making it’s way towards the village was stopped and the two policemen were busy stopping cars speeding towards the village. On close inspection, there appeared to be a hand held radar detector that was laying on top of the hood, while they were engaged in conversation with the drivers of the three stopped cars. I would’ve missed all this excitement had I stayed indoors! 

By this time the rain had stopped but the clouds still lay across the hills and farther away the mountains, like grey necklaces. Closer the fields had the fresh washed look, the greens, browns and yellow hues blending in at random with haystacks (actually they are made up of corn stalks). I really knew nothing about this part of the world till I was given the option to come here as a volunteer. The little reading I did was more to do with historical perspective and never really spoke of how nature has made this place a combination of harsh stony rocky environment mixed with fertile soil set in rolling hills with extremes of temperatures! I have yet to see most of this country and yet it is already tugging at my heartstrings during my walks!  

My recent adventure at the local bank to withdraw money was funny. Since, I couldn’t use the ATM as I had kept my PIN number documents in such a safe place that I couldn’t find it readily, I stopped by the main bank. The teller spoke enough English to let me know it will not be a problem to withdraw money without the PIN. However, after a lot of keystrokes at his computer he tells me in officious sounding words that my registration wasn’t complete, and proceeded to pass my passport and debit card to a personal banker. At this time, all my Macedonian deserted me and I could only converse in English. I really didn’t need the money that moment anyway! Fortunately, a colleague rescued me. I had better find that PIN number if I ever needed any money!

My host family coddle me when my tongue twists and I have trouble with conjugations, verbs and nouns. Age is a great leveler in understanding culture and value, especially in this situation. Last week when the father asked me to make coffee for his guests (the mother was in the backyard finishing up making her aivar), just saying ‘Happie’ and ‘cafĂ©’, I understood at once, without elaborate sentences! My host mother understands me enough and helps me by articulating the correct way to say it back to me and I repeat it back till it sounds right! With a mix of pantomime and picking up objects, I was able to convey to her that with the fever and cold that I was nursing over the weekend, the heater in the room would draw all the moisture out and will make my coughing worse. We found a way to increase the humidity by placing a pan of water next to the heater, something I remember doing as a graduate student!

More on Macedonian food! One of the host families in our village is an excellent cook. We had heard so much about her food that word got back to her and she invited all of us to her home for rucheck (lunch). She served a salad with roasted (?) pickled (?) sliced eggplant marinated in olive oil, garlic, parsley, salt, on a plate with marinated cucumbers and pickled peppers. They were so delicious that I had 2 additional helpings. Other items were moussaka, a potato salad dressed with tomatoes, grilled chicken and meat kabobs (meat, onions, and?), freshly made apple pie (pita e yabonka). There were baskets of fresh bread, plain and filled and aivar that seems to accompany every table at this time of the year in this region. 

I bet I haven’t tasted the full variety of foods of Macedonia! All this was followed by the generosity of her neighbor who had us over for coffee right after the meal and in addition to more apple pie; she served crepes filled with mixed fruit jam sprinkled with powdered sugar similar to the crepes served in France!