Breathe

Sunset at Lake Ohrid


I may have to go to Sofia, Bulgaria to change my ticket. Um, what?! I have the lady who booked my ticket helping me work something out but seriously?! What is the point of having an office in Skopje if it can't change oh itineraries? Hence the name of my blog this time - it is a song, but it is also what I am attempting to do at a calm rate. Never fly Air Bulgaria. They also lost my luggage on my way to Skopje.

In other news, I have enjoyed my past two afternoons staring at an excel spreadsheet and making budgets work. In all reality, I liked it because I forgot how great Excel can be, once you unlock the magic. Function key. It is all about the Function key. If only there were a Function key to fix my issue with Air Bulgaria...

Things are good. I uploaded my pics to facebook and I should do the same for you here. I will give you a few teasers...




Skopje Center Square

Makedonija Street, Skopje




Painted Mosque, Tetevo

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.

Total Frustration

I am very frustrated. I thought I had internet at my home, after spending 6 hours with 8 different men in my house from the cable company during the installation process. Yes, you read correctly. 8 different employees of the cable company have been to my home to provide yours truly with a cable modem hook up. I tried to use my Mac this weekend to no avail so I think, "I'll just take my work PC laptop home and use that." Ha ha ha ha HA. No dice. Somehow, I STILL don't have internet at home. I just started crying. What else can I do? I am sure have 2-3 more hours of various cable men coming, again, to my flat to figure out the problem. I haven't had a real conversation with my mother since I arrived - they have been 10 minutes in length, max, and I have been at work. I am trying to refrain from obscenities and lashing out about my personal thoughts as to why there could be economic problems here, but for now, I will keep quiet. Calabaza, my friend from Spain, suggested I use Spanish profanities in lieu of English ones. I liked this idea until I remembered that many people here watch Spanish Novellas. What if they understood the words coming from my mouth? Of course, I would not direct my profanities at individuals, rather, the situation in general. But no. If you can't say something nice, do not say anything at all. For the most part, my stay here has been wonderful. This internet situation, however, is just an exercise of pure frustration.