Do You Believe In Magic?

Today, if you do nothing else (besides read my blog), read both Senators Obama and McCain's respective speeches about the election outcome. The graciousness, particularly exhibited by John McCain is humbling.

In other news, I have a fashionista update. Today, I saw a side rat tail on a teenage boy. It's like he got his mullet cut off and forgot a little strand. To cap it off, he is wearing his school uniform - a sport jacket and tie. Rat tail. It is like this, only not braided and a bit longer. Also, this particular fashion victim did not have a buzz.

Finally, I am attempting to change my return flight to the States from December to January. I went to the Air Bulgaria office yesterday around noon to find out that the person I need does not arrive until after 3:00. Awesome. This could have been avoided had a correct phone number been listed on the Air Bulgaria website. So I went back around 8 last night only to find out that this representative can't help me because my tickets are based on fares only offered in the US and so I have to contact the office in Sofia. He was tremendously helpful and actually nice. I left armed with an email address to send my inquiry. So I send off my request today and get a response that I need to go to the Skopje office to get help. I sent a reply saying I went there, this man told me to contact you and to proceed from there. Still waiting for a response. It is amazing how quickly people try to pass the buck. I am talking about the Sofia peeps, not the helpful Skopje person. Welcome, once again, to the Balkans.

Tear Jerker

This was a sign in Split. I apologize if I offend anyone. I think the message is clear. This was outside a tattoo/piercing place and on the wall. We aren't talking a mere street sign, NO! Huge wall mural.

I am not feeling well today. Uneasiness permeates my being. My friends arrive tomorrow and Thursday respectively and so after work, I want to run and then get the apartment ready for their arrival. I am uneasy personally and professionally. I am coming up to a crossroad. I have no idea how long I can commit to my internship, which strains me. I need to continue to apply for jobs while the economies of the countries I am applying to are either in admitted recessions or in denial about the on going recession. I don't want to be all doom and gloom but I am stressed out.

In other fashionista news, I saw a mullet with, wait for it, a braided rat tale coming out the bottom. Ew. Rat tails and mullets are disturbing on their own, but together, horrifying. This is what I meant to write about yesterday as well but I forgot. Or maybe I blocked it. I wish I had a picture.

I went with Asya (my new permanent supervisor), Michel (her husband) and Igor (my boyfriend) to the winter foodstuff festival this weekend. It was a total disappointment. When you think festivals, you think booths selling food, crafty products and face painting. Ha! Not this time! I was hoping for homemade ajvar (delicious red pepper spread, I cannot describe it) but instead it was a few booths of companies that sell mass-produced ajvar and cheese. Blasphemy! No small town farmers, no homemade products...so we left and went to the Old Bazaar across the Old Stone Bridge, had kebab/bbq, shopska salad, and rakia. We walked around, sat and had coffee and all and all enjoyed the pleasant afternoon.

Back to researching social inclusion/exclusion...I hope I feel better soon. I should be excited because my friends are coming.

I Try

This is a random pic from when I went to Sofia, Bulgaria. These were my hosts, Kyle and Petya. They have since returned to the States.

Recently, I was applying for a job with the US Dept of Labor researching human trafficking, forced labor and child labor with an international perspective. I had to answer all these questions surrounding my professional experience with research and how I dealt with the aforementioned exploitation in the labor market. Being the spin doctor that I am, I discuss my research on social exclusion and women's economic rights here in Macedonia and how social exclusion and poverty increase the likelihood of being trafficked, exploited, etc. I suddenly realized that I don't know exactly what social exclusion is. I hear the term and intuitively know what it means (it is fairly obvious), but upon realizing that it will be incredibly difficult to reach the rural socially excluded women from various ethnic communities, I decided it was time I discover what the EU and UN says being socially excluded means. I found this great website on social exclusion in the Netherlands that contrasts social exclusion with poverty. I learned that poverty is measured solely on the basis of income, or lack thereof. Social exclusion incorporates not just income, but housing, education, access to the labor market and social services...social inclusion is a much more holistic indicator of 'poverty' because it incorporates what poverty reduction advocates are trying to say by using their poverty indicators/statistics. It isn't just about being hungry. It's about quality of life. This makes the challenges seem that much more insurmountable; however, social inclusion also enables much more creativity in addressing the challenges. I still have no clue how to reach the socially excluded women in rural Macedonia who are members of traditional, conservative communities. I'm at the point where I am overwhelmed by the information on how many challenges there are and must digest for a moment so I can make some recommendations.

In other job news, I am sending my CV off to a research center in Greece that studies women in the Balkans. I sent them an email of inquiry months ago and they requested my CV late last week. :) Additionally, I am going to apply to be an UNESCO Young Professional, a long shot for sure. For the UNESCO YP program, the US forwards its 10 nominees off to see if any one of them is selected for the program. Same with who knows how many other countries. So yeah, slim slim slim chance at that one. Nothing ventured, nothing gained...

Time for a flash fashionista update. I saw a man with long hair in a pony tail and a tan fanny pack, on the side (I guess it is better than worn on the front) in a cafe. First of all, in a dimly lit cafe, tan stands out, especially when wearing blue jeans and a black shirt. If one must wear a fanny pack, do us all a favor and not draw our eyes to it. Second of all, I do not have a feeling this fanny pack is for the purposes of toting a gun around due to being "undercover," not that I support toting around firearms. Remember the guy from the summer who was wearing leather pants, biker boots, a sleeveless shirt and fanny pack - that would be firearms in my humble opinion...I told my boyfriend that while I understand there are differences in what is considered fashionably acceptable, especially in eastern Europe, I told him that fanny packs are unacceptable under any circumstances. I received a blank stare. I am hoping it is because he never once considered donning a fanny pack. And yes, he knows what I am talking about. I made sure that.

Fanny Pack Update and My Current Project

Zdravo (hello) from ridiculously hot Skopje. Apparently, the heat intensifies in July. Awesome. So, you remember my post about the man and the fanny pack? Well, I was talking with my co-worker about this fashion blunder and I was informed that, most likely, the fanny pack contains a gun. What?! My fashion victim is, potentially, an undercover cop or the like and, since it is too hot to wear a jacket to conceal a weapon, a fanny pack is used. This brings to mind a couple issues. First, if everyone knows that when you, as a man, wear a fanny pack on the front, are most likely an undercover agent of sorts, does that not blow your cover? Would it not be smarter to figure out a way to actually maintain your undercover identity that does not resort to an obvious fanny pack? There are other possibilities to this situation. He could be a thug carrying a gun in a fanny pack or the fanny pack could contain no weapon whatsoever and he could just be a mere, civilian fashion victim. Regardless, I think I will do what I did on Saturday - just keep walking.

So, you are probably wondering what I am actually doing for UNIFEM at this point. Right now, I am editing a study surrounding current legislation and policy framework with respect to gender equality and women's economic rights in Macedonia. We hired a consultant to put it together prior to my arrival in Skopje. English is her second language so I am making sure the report flows. This is actually quite more labor intensive than I imagined. It is difficult to re-word things in the way the author intended, but in a way that makes sense. Last night, I was so tired at 9, I just went to bed (after reading a chapter in my book). I think editing, coupled with my language lesson wore me out. Doing this project will help me with my next step in my internship - identifying entry points for UNIFEM on the subject of women's economic rights. I have a few thoughts, but I will wait to share them with you. I need to conceptualize them further.

Finally, I know if you are wondering if I am writing this post from my home. No. I still do not have internet at home. I will save my venting for another day. Recent update: they some how think they installed the internet in May. Um, no, the first time they came to my house was June 9. That was the first 3 hours and 4 men. A week and a half later was the next 3 hours and 4 men. Now, they will probably want to charge me for June. I will see if I can get someone who speaks Macedonian to advocate on my behalf that I have not had connectivity for June so, until I can get on the internet, I don't pay. They will charge me for June. I just know it. Welcome to Macedonia. This is me waiting for my internet.

A Shallow Moment

It is strange to write about this after my recent blog posts, but I could not let this pass without comment. I seem to encounter leather pants a lot. I consider it a gift - the fact that I seem to encounter leather pants. The leather pants I encounter are not hanging in a window, rather they are people actually wearing leather pants. To make matters more interesting, my last 2 encounters with leather pants have violated my fashionista sensibilities. Now, I do not claim to be completely qualified to comment on fashion, despite watching a lot of FashionTV in the past few weeks (not voluntarily - it is on at the coffee bars). That being said, I think you will agree with me on this fashion comment. I saw a man wearing leather pants on a day that was over 90 degrees outside. To make matters worse, he was also wearing a fanny pack, on the front. While fanny packs may be convenient, they are seriously not acceptable, under any circumstances, but especially with expensive, leather pants. In addition to the fanny pack, his shirt was sleeveless to show off his muscles. I wanted to tell him that it is really hard to appear tough while wearing a fanny pack. The fanny pack manages to cancel out any ounce of coolness that may have been present with the leather pants, sleeveless black shirt, biker boots, muscles, good hairdo, etc. Clearly, this individual has some issues surrounding appropriate clothing combinations. I can appreciate the fact that he decided fashion over comfort, considering the temperature outside; I cannot abide the fanny pack, on the front, no less. I have noticed many fashion victims during my time here, but this one, so far, takes the cake. Forgive my digression.