I admit that there are times in America when I go into a store looking for something and can't find it, but there's a certain logic to most things that you learn over time. Peanut butter and jelly tend to be near the bread, coconut milk is in the Asian foods section, and tomato sauce is next to the pasta. These patterns do not hold in Macedonia--peanut butter (yes, we have it here in a jar with a picture of the Statue of Liberty on it) is in the refrigerator case next to the butter butter, coconut milk is in the liquor section next to the Malibu rum, and tomato sauce is with the ketchup in a whole other aisle from the pasta. And if there's something I can't find in an American store, it's no problem to ask a salesperson. Here, I may not know the Macedonian word for what I want and even if I do, they might not understand my pronunciation. A request this week for nutmeg--muskat, according to my Peace Corps-issued cooking-in-Macedonia cookbook entitled, "Eat, Eat!"--had the saleswoman directing me to muesli, seasoned salt, and cinnamon before I gave up on finding nutmeg.
What I really want to talk about though is how Macedonians are great about going out of their way to help the wayward American when they can. Monday illustrated this in spades. My go-to place for questions is the American Corner, a resource center for Macedonians about American schools, culture, and the English language. Now, I'll be the first to admit that my query on Monday shows that Macedonia is not the type of country the name Peace Corps conjures up--I wanted to find a place to get my eyebrows done. Maybe I should let my brows go native for two years but hey, I'm in a country where I can get them done so I am. The gal working at the corner, Tasha, didn't know where I could go but her friend who'd stopped in to say hi offered to take me. Not only did she go out of her way to take me to the salon, she told the woman there what I wanted and made sure I was set before she left. Afterwards, I went looking for a longer modem cable so I can sit more than 2 feet from my modem (I know, another less-than-Peace-Corps-esque image but it can't be helped--this is Macedonia). First I went into a hardware store and they didn't have the cable, but a customer heard my request and said he'd show me to an electronics store that carries cables. Sure enough, he walked me about 3 blocks to a place that had just what I needed. I've certainly had people in the states give me directions, but I can't remember anyone physically taking me somewhere, let alone two in one day. I'm pretty lucky to be assigned to a country where people are so willing to help a stranger in a strange land.
I'd chalk my experience up to Christmas spirit, but Christmas in Macedonia isn't until January 7th. This is the first time I've been somewhere where December 25th isn't Christmas and truthfully it feels strange. On the plus side, a goodly-sized contingent of my fellow American volunteers are coming down my way to celebrate American Christmas and I'm looking forward to sharing the holiday with them. I don't know if you can quite consider this blog a Christmas letter, but it's the closest that I'm bound to get around to so Merry Christmas! I hope the spirit of helpfulness reaches your side of the globe too.
P.S. A few folks have asked for my snail mail address--if you want it, send me an email and I'm happy to pass it along.
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