My family, live and in person!

It was pretty trippy to open my front door and see my mom, dad, brother, and sister-in-law all standing outside. But there they were, come to see me in Macedonia! We started the visit as one must, toasting with rakija and eating ajvar. My family was a greater fan of the latter than the former--rakija takes some getting used to. Those who know me well will not be surprised that this sitting around business was short lived and soon we were literally running around so I could show off my home away from home.

The running began with a rousing game of Ultimate Frisbee with the American Sports Club. My family was rightly impressed with how well spoken and polite the kids are, while my dad got a kick out of being told that no Macedonian man his age would play sports like he was. And I forgive my dad for hip-checking me to the ground--I'm pretty sure I know where my competitive streak comes from.


The favorite site we visited, by my family's account, was either ever-lovely Ohrid where we got a great tour from David or the scenic vineyards near Demir Kapija where we drank wine with Zach. In addition to David and Zach, my family got to meet several other volunteers that I was happy to introduce as good friends that I've made here.

Not surprisingly, it was the people part of Macedonia that seemed to most impress my family. They got to visit my host family in Sveti Nikole, who really rolled out the welcome mat with a lunch feast prepared by my host mom. Going there I was nervous that relying primarily on me as a translator might make for a long, quiet visit but it wasn't a problem at all, particularly since my host dad just cracks joke after joke, language barrier be damned, putting everyone at ease.

My landlords also had us over, giving us a homemade walnut liqueur at 9 AM and of course feeding us despite my protestations that we would have eaten before our visit. In my brother's words, on comparing his week in Greece and then in Macedonia, "I especially enjoyed seeing Macedonia, the people there are really nice." A special shout-out to my brother, Teddy, for getting his private pilots license last month. Even though I told him it worries me to have him up there flying, I'm glad he's pursuing his dream.

And lest you think that's all we did, you underestimate my ability to cram vast quantities of sightseeing into a single week. We also saw two archaeological sites, went to a lovely village in Pelister National Park called Malovishte, shopped at the open-air market where I get my produce. visited a monastery and 3 cave churches, and toured the capital, Skopje. Kudos also go to my sister-in-law, Jenny, for presenting at the American Corner about how to become a U.S. university student.

Tired yet? I was, but still I am so happy that my family came to visit me. For one, Macedonia is a wonderful country that deserves more visitors. Secondly, it will be nice to have people at home who really have a sense of what it is like to live here for two years and serve as a Peace Corps volunteer. And finally, they are the only guests from home that have made it all the way to my doorstep--it was far, I know, but I hope it was worth it. For those who haven't made it all this way, feel free to check out the photos and you can virtually tour with us.

Ultimightier Ultimate?

Saturday was the Bitola American Sports Club's first event, Ultimate Frisbee, and when I awoke to a light but steady rain, all I could think was, "Oh no!" The kids did such a great job promoting the event with flyers around town, a Facebook page, and a website, but all I could imagine was that nobody would come to play in this kind of weather. Dutifully fellow volunteer Kaylee (who got up at 5 AM to come help) and I went to the meeting spot and were pleased to see a few hardy souls waiting. All told, 10 kids showed up to play!

I feel like I can't emphasize enough what troopers these kids were--first of all, it is a half hour walk to the field where we played. Then they ran warmups in the rain, practiced throwing in the rain, listened to the rules in the rain and, you guessed it, played Ultimate Frisbee in yet more rain. We were wet, we were sliding around on the muddy field dodging cow pies, and we had a blast! I posted some pictures on Picasa, but it really doesn't do justice to how terrible the conditions were but clearly everyone was smiling and having fun nevertheless.

I am happy to report that, if we can figure out the shipping and customs, we will be getting a donation of baseball equipment from a group in the U.S. and another organization may be donating American football equipment. I am not sure what sport we'll tackle next month but we are having a planning meeting tonight to figure it out. I am certain, however, that we will play Ultimate Frisbee again sometime!