Strumica: final part

Yes, the party was great at the end. We stayed at that loud bar next to my internet cafe. We did not go inside because there was a nice wooden floor outside (which we broke later in the night...) and the music was loud even outside. We seemed a bit attraction because many people came to sit around us and watch and only a couple of Turkish guys joined in dancing. But better few good Turkish dancers than 300 Macedonian cigarette-dancers. I did have a loooooooooooot of fun dancing with one guy, completely sweaty and cheeks aching from laughing. Some of the weirdest kind of aerobics Strumica has ever experienced :)
After that we went for a big fast food meal and back to the crazy students busses. At 6 something I was at home and before 7 I was in my soft bed.
Put my alarm at 10:30 because we had to go to the Children Village. After some fresh air yesterday before and after the little bit of rain, today was fking damn hot. I was sunbathing in short-sleeve t-shirt while kids where pressing potatoe "stamps" on a piece of cloth. While sunbathing I made some stamps from potatoes: star, boy, house (even 2), heart, and a chicken foot.
Did my accounting for January and February finally. And then went for a jog in the football warm-up field. Then I had a beautiful aromatic bath in our short bathtub which required some deal of flexibility. And my bath was especially romantic because we still don't have any light in the bathroom and have to use a candle.
Had a talk with my mom about her trip to Macedonia (very very soon...next week) and a cup of hot cocoa. And now it is really time to go to bed again!

night in Strumica

I am now sitting in an internet cafe Dakar in Strumica. There is a load music from a bar next to it. It is a nice cafe but full with these teenage boys even in the biggest night of Strumica Festival (carnival). I did not plan to come here at all. But then I went to Kiril&Metodij university today, to the AEGEE-Skopje office at the Law Faculty and the student union next to it had a poster offering a ride to Strumica at 16h and back at 4am for 349 MKD. I thought a bit and why not. I have not seen any of these crazy carnivals here in Macedonia. And Strumica is one of the most famous ones. Almost each town has it and nobody really knows what is the meaning of them and how this tradition started. They try to imitate the Brazilian carnival and it is somewhat connected to pagan traditions, fasting, spring etc. All I know. But it is fun, some groups have really worked on masks, decorated trucks and choreography, but some guys just walk alone. One old lady had made a bit cross with something like butterfly wings and had real trouble carrying the construction...:) Anyways, it is very democratic and that's why it takes so long time. Half of Strumica participates plus guests from Macedonia and all the Balkans.
Well...so I took the student bus. There was a bit of chaos. Again some traffic problems, all traffic lights were off and policemen were organizing the traffic. Big traffic jams and 2 busses were lost somewhere. As I was alone I just joined one bus and sat on the seat next to the driver. Really nice seat actually with a nice view :) There was lots of singing and parodies of Tose Proeski songs. Mojot zhivot became Mojot index (there are texts about unwritten and torn pages etc. :))
The shitty thing was that all the smokers came to smoke in front, sitting on the stairs on the floor. And mostly girls, some 3 girls came 2 times. And they were asking for Pauza since we just moved. All the way :P The driver said that we are going to make 8 hours long Pauza in Strumica :)
I cannot sms Inese or Viki because it seems that the network is down. Too many people here. I think I am going for a drink now, really thirsty...and I dont know what I am doing for 5 hours...
Ok, managed to reach Inese thanks to Skype. She said they are coming here in 30 min. Maybe we have a nice party at the end. Just the stupid thing is that I went into a supermarket and fell in love with a set of 4 mugs. So I have to carry some (modern) Chinese porcelain with me into a nightclub :P

springy rain feeling high

Still sticking to my busy schedule, smelling the seducing aroma of spring rain, enjoying blossoms blossoms blossoms, feeling sorry for poor gypsy horses, enjoying the snow in the mountains, visiting very-beton university of Kiril and Metodij, nice AEGEE-Skopje people, observing the local business meeting style...magic eyes of a pretty grey cat on a balcony, one bottle of Laško Temno and I need to run to catch a student bus to Strumica Festival. I did not plan to go there but don't want to miss all weird Macedonian festivals :)

long way to snowy Sarajevo and some big thoughts

I am just back from midterm training in Sarajevo and full of energy to do something. Today I am trying to think of a youth exchange bringing together young creative people from different countries with a common wish to change things, create their own way and throw away the take-job mentality. In one word: young entrepreneurs.
But regarding Sarajevo. It was cool in all possible senses. We had a problem with cloth and shoes choice because we did not expect it is going to snow (and snow so much!). The snow was melting and my fabric sneakers were getting wet in the exact second I stepped out of hotel. Now I am back in sunny, dry, 20 degrees warm Skopje and Sarajevo looks like a distant dream.
The training was nice, was so nice to see almost all the familiar faces from my on-arrival training and some new faces as well. It felt so cozy to share our similar experiences and feel understood. And yes, as I said at the end: I was amazed how smart and talented we all are! The future of Europe is in good hands:)
The first night was great irrespective of the rude service at the Brewery. But I really enjoyed Akademski Kulturni Centar, the live music, no oxygen, almost naked guys, singing along, heat... the atmosphere was magic. And the next nite we organized our own magic party at Hotel Grand. First bringing alcohol with big bags on a muddy trail over the rails and an empty train station, second dancing at something like Bregovič, second drinking a lot and lot of Herzegovin red wine, having very deep nonsense conversations and still being drunk in the morning. I think I missed it and it was the right time and the right place, and the right company.
It was sad that the training was only 2 days. I had the feeling that it finished just after it began. And I am starting to get the same feeling about my EVS. My best mates here Viki and Anja are leaving in less than 1 month and I have less than 4 left for myself. Where are all the things we planned to do together? A bit depressing... and a bit stressing. Now I want to run and grab everything, take it to the maximum. Enough of opušteno!
Yesterday we went for a nice dinner with Viki. There was a wedding in the restaurant but we could get a chicken steak from the grill and Šopska salad. And we had a long talk at my glass of wine and Viki's glass of Gorska Voda. About the pros and cons of the life in the Balkans.
Yeah, maybe I am really undergoing that 2nd BIG CRISIS...

t'qifsha gripin e nones*

I went for one weekend only to Kosova, for the independence celebration. But the end I stayed there almost 2 weeks and I arrived in Skopje only 2 days ago - on Thursday afternoon.
First, as I wrote, my boyfriend could not be in Prishtina for the independence declaration on Feb 17. He returned to Pr only on Feb 18 and I wanted to spend some time with him. Ok, a little bit unstable situation, a very extraordinary event - everybody will forgive me if I stay a couple days more. When I was already packed and ready to go "home", I found out that all kids are sick with flue at SOS Children Village and that we don't need to go to "work". Ok, it was Thursday then....on Friday there is no work. I can stay for another weekend, why not?
I met 2 Latvian KFOR soldiers and their interpreters. We met in the National Park, had a coffee and then we all joined my boyfriend, his friend and some other guys for a basketball game. One of the soldiers went to play while I was talking to the other one. I was a bit nervous because of their strict rules, and what to ask and what topics I should avoid... plus I don't usually like to be considered crazy because I do not feel I am crazy myself. Still, it takes time to change this predisposition. I also know with what kind of katunars (peasants) they need to work with and there are many of them (katunars, I mean)... Anyways, the bottom line is that I was a bit stressed and negligent towards my boyfriend. Plus a few more misunderstandings, and we got into a silly fight. I did want to leave the next day but he did not want to let me go before we reconcile completely. And I did not feel like going either.
And then we got the damned FLUE. Maybe the fight killed our immunities, so it hit us especially badly. But it sounds that this year it is especially nasty. The nasty year. It is characterized by high fever (38-39C), terrible deep cough, pain all over the body (especially back...dunno why), stuffed nose - of course.
But now I feel much better and soon going to Sarajevo! MIDTERM TRAINING!


*untranslatable swearing in Albanian