Not much going on now. People don't have a lot of money to go out all the time and you find the most common form of entertainment is hanging out with friends and family. An evening of Turkish coffee can be a major social event.

The weather has been unusual for Macedonia for this time of the year. We have regularly had rain and cool weather (70's) since arriving. Usually there is no rain and in the 90's during the summer. I am not sure whether to take that is a blessing or not. I can do without the heat but the girls are dying to go swimming.

Truman has taught herself the Cyrillic alphabet and when we are out she translates what the signs say. It all looks "greek" to me.

Macedonia is just now having their first case of the swine flu. It took that long to get to this part of the world.

The photo is of Riley Ivana and Baba (Ivana also). In case you don't already know, Baba, runs the show for the Cvetkovski family. She is all knowing and always right. She can do anything and does it all well. An amazing woman even if she can sometimes be a handful as a mother-in-law.

The other photo is of Dejan's Aunt Rada and Uncle Koce, who stopped by one evening for a visit. And yes, we had plenty of snacks and Turkish coffee.

My beautiful girls, Truman (13) and Riley Ivana (4).

Interesting Facts From My Daily Life in Macedonia

Now, I have traveled abroad several times so I am not a novice or hick, or worse yet an "ugly American" at this stuff. But, let me just preface that when you are a little "older", more used to the creature comforts of life, have someone to worry about other than yourself or are knocked up - things just might have a different outlook. Hence, my little diatribes below on totally meaningless things other than the fact I am thousands of miles from home and have limited access to who I can complain to.

1. Pharmacies. The pharmacies here are either screwed up or Americans are pill happy. Look at it whichever way you want. I, being American, am going to side with our very thorough pharmaceutical system. In Macedonia you cannot run into a grocery store and pick up a bottle of Tylenol or Sudafed. No mini packs are sold at the gas stations. Oh, no. These are dangerous things and must be obtained only at the local pharmacy. The pharmacy that sells drugs and only drugs. No makeup, no photo center, no picking up a roll of paper towels with your prescription on your way home. And being pregnant trying to get something from the pharmacy here may end up being more difficult than the actual delivery itself. In Macedonia they believe in not giving pregnant women ANYTHING drug wise. No Tylenol for the nagging headache. If you have a cold, well, you'll get over it. Whatever. I 've had a cold/sinus/allergy issue ever since arriving and was promptly told that if my doctor said it was OK to take something then they would give me medication. So, then I have to get my dear husband to call the doctor's office to explain that one. I need a list of "approved" antibiotics should nothing else work and a list of the U.S. approved OTC medications I can take as needed. Once I get the list I have to translate our brand name into their correct clinical term and then take the letter and request it. At this rate, I will be home by the time I get all of this straightened out.

2. $2.00 to mail a postcard. Yes, I guess it is the cost of sending a letter from the middle of nowhere. If you don't get one from me, now you know why.

3. Hot Water. Somehow I have managed to burn my leg and my arm while taking a shower all in the past two weeks. The nozzle in the shower has the usual left valve for hot water and the right for cold. But, by God if you even touch the hot water pipe going into that valve you can kiss your skin goodbye. Now, I am sure that being pregnant and showering with a four year old in a single stall shower has nothing to do with it at all. So for now I will blame the pre-Stalin era piping in the apartment building where we are staying.

4. Men Blaring at my 13 year old daughter. I am not sure if it is just totally obvious that Truman is American or the fact that she is just in general "very cute", but I have yet to find the best Macedonia expression of profanity to share with the men who so blatantly blare are her while we are out in public.

5. Toilet Paper. Again, back to the pre-Stalin era apartment building but I must also give credit to my four year old, Riley Ivana, who likes to ensure her tushie is completely clean after going to the bathroom. (Yes, she tends to use a lot of toilet paper. In fact, she may be the only four year old who knows how to properly use a plunger.) But you would have loved the look on my daughter's face as I tried to explain to her to put the pottie paper in the trash can and only the poopie paper in the toilet in order to avoid some septic disaster on the 6th floor. It may have been easier to retrain her on the virtues of proper wiping.

6. Turkish Coffee vs. Cold Water. I am still trying to figure out how having the customary Turkish coffee three times a day is good for my health but drinking cold water at any given time will surely mean my cold/sinus issues will turn into the bubonic plague.

7. Air Conditioning. Along the same lines. I have been severely warned on numerous occasions that my exposure to such things as air conditioning, a cross breeze coming through the house or wet hair will ensure my medical doom. But by gosh, I am standing by my belief in the central air and heating system technologies of my native country and refuse to give up the AC for one minute. I may have to take antibiotics for the entire stay but I will not falter in my devotion to AC.

8. The Gypsy Call. And finally, I must get off my chest the gypsy that welcomes me at the same time each day coming through the neighborhood calling out to all residents - "Hey, I'm here. If you want to sell me something bring it out." The first day I heard this, I was ok some drunk man is yelling to his friend off his balcony. By the third day I was thinking ok this guy can't afford a phone and chooses to yell at his neighbors daily. Finally I broke down and asked my brother-in-law for the correct translation/meaning of this daily chanting. Ok. Got it. Now I only wish that I could ascertain just where he was yelling from in the neighborhood so I could try to hit him with something from our balcony.

More Party Photos: Cousin Tomi and Truman, Cousin Lydia and Baba Tica; Slavica and Ljupco; Truman and cousin Stefan.

On Saturday night we went to the section of Skopje called Madjari where Baba's sister Tica and husband Ivan (pronounced E-van because I-van means "jerk") live.

They have split their home into two sections dividing their section with their son and sister-in-law, Ljupco and Slavicia. It seems splitting a house in half works well for family relations. That would definitely work wonders for many families in the US. They are fortunate to be able to have a large enough house to do this as most do not. And in a country where it is customary for wives to go live with their in-laws once married, everyone must have great interpersonal skills.

Anyway, it was Baba Tica's grand daughter, Martina's 7th birthday. All I can say is any birthday in Macedonia is a reason to have a party, regardless of age. In fact, almost any milestone Americans would take for granted is reason enough for a party in Macedonia whether it is a new job, new car, new apartment etc. Even more surprising is having a party in Macedonia can also cross international lines. For example, when Riley Ivana was born the family here in Skopje had a huge party in honor of the event. Happy, party people, aren't they? Slavicia expertly had a different room set-up for each age group - adults, teens and kids each with ample food and drinks. Everyone had a wonderful evening. Riley bonded with Martina holding her hand as they played games in the yard. They couldn't communicate but they sure could smile.

More Photos From The Turkish Bazaar (double click to enlarge photos)

On Saturday morning we went to the Turkish Bazaar in what is considered the most ancient part of the city. It is said to be one of the best preserved examples of urban Ottoman architecture in the Balkans. Along the cobblestone streets there are small handcraft shops with everything from tailors to tinsmiths. The Muslim mosques loom in the background of the tiny shops and I was hoping we would be there long enough for Truman to hear the call to prayer. No such luck, but she did see plenty of Muslim women with their head dress and fully covered arms and legs (without regard to temperature). Also here is a bit bazaar, which I can only compare to being one heck of a flea market. You can find endless fresh fruits, cheeses, herbs, spices, clothing etc. Anything you can think of at the cheapest of prices. You can't be guaranteed the quality but by gosh it is cheap.

Riley Ivana has officially adjusted! After almost two weeks, Riley has finally warmed up to her Macedonian family she hasn't seen in two years. All I can say is God help them! From the minute she gets up until she goes to sleep Riley demands, not requests, their attention. She says take me here to swing, take me for a walk, play babies with me, let me fix your hair, let me ride on your back like a horse. I hope they are up for this both physically and mentally. It seems my daughter's bossiness has crossed international lines.

Photos 1 and 3 are playing with Dedo and photos 2 and 4 are torturing Uncle Rade.

Republic of Macedonia

GeographyArea: 25,713 square km. (slightly larger than Vermont).

Capital--Skopje 600,000; Tetovo, Kumanovo, Gostivar and Bitola 100,000.

Geography: Situated in the southern region of the Balkan Peninsula, Macedonia is landlocked and mountainous.

Climate: Three climatic types overlap--Mediterranean; moderately continental; and mountainous, producing hot, dry summers and cold, snowy winters.

Population (2006 est.): 2,042,894.

Ethnic groups (2002): Macedonian 64.18%, Albanian 25.17%, Turkish 3.85%, Roma 2.66%, Serb 1.78%. Religions: Eastern Orthodox 65%, Muslim 29%, Catholic 4% and others 2%.

Government: Parliamentary democracy. Constitution: Adopted November 17, 1991; effective November 20, 1991. Amended January 6, 1992. Independence: September 8, 1991 (from Yugoslavia).

Economy:

GDP (2008 est.): $9.624 billion.

Annualized inflation rate (2008 est.): 8.4%.

Unemployment rate (2008 est.): 34.5%.

Trade: Significant exports--steel, textile products, chromium, lead, zinc, nickel, tobacco, lamb, and wine.

Official exchange rate (2008 avg.): 41.9 Macedonian denars = U.S. $1.00

Have I mentioned Macedonians like singing? At least half of the television stations are dedicated to singing - concerts, music videos, music competitions anything you can think of related to singing. Unfortunately, the common music genre is what I would describe as folk music and usually after a few hours I have massive headache. Here are the kids dancing at Dejan's sister's apartment during their version of the American Idol. Did I mention their "American Idol" lasted 8 months!

Speaking of television. I am having serious "House" withdrawals. They have several American tv shows with subtitles, which helps me add to my Macedonian vocabulary but it is not like being home. It amazes me that my husband used this format to learn English.

Everyone..... E-V-E-R-Y-O-N-E walks here. Baba sends Dedo out a minimum of 8 times a day to pick up things at the local market. Dedo go by some cabbage. Dedo get some juice for Riley. Dedo go get some bread. Thankfully, Dedo enjoys these errands. Perhaps that is his secret to a happy retirement - he is always on the go. I would say he walks at least 2-4 miles per day. And even the children here walk everywhere....except of course my daughter, Riley Ivana. Riley walks around the corner and starts whining she is tired. On day one I saw this was going to be a problem for her sanity and mine as well. Thankfully, Dejan's sister Biba asked around and found a friend that was no longer using their stroller and offerred to let us borrow it. Hence, the photo to the right. Riley gets plenty of stares from locals and we cruise around town. I am sure they are wondering what is wrong with this child. She is too big for a stroller. Is she sick? Is she "slow"? No, she is lazy. We can't leave the house without her i-pod, something to snack on, her juice and sunglasses of course. I told Dejan's family I was going to put a sign on the back of the stroller that says, "Here comes the American Kid!"

I think these photos express it well. Macedonia is a land of contradictions. In two photos you have a shopping mall that has been built in the last two years. New, beautiful, air conditioned with Diesel, Lacoste etc. but who in the hell can afford it? The prices are as expensive as it is in the states and yet the average monthly income in Macedonia is $300. They even charged $2.00 to park for an hour at the shopping mall. This is a country that has left socialism but still struggles with how it is to embrace capitalism. A system set up to keep the rich rich and the poor poor. There is almost no middle class and those that technically are classified as such could spend their entire lives just getting by. There is no hope of an "American dream" here. As normal as it is to see such places as this mall just a few feet away the other extreme stares you in the face.

We are slowly making our rounds visiting various family members. Of course, I am being the good Macedonian wife and always bringing gifts of chocolates and coffee to each family we visit. (Customary practice)

Baba's sister lives in a subsection of the capitol city, Skopje. Maybe a 10 minute drive from their apartment. A lot of gypsies live in this village. No easy way to explain what they term as gypsies and I haven't gotten the nerve to take any photos yet. They are very dark, skinned; much like my husband after being out in the sun all summer (smile). Anyway, her sister has a home that is more "out in the country" per se. They have a yard where they grow peppers, other vegetables and flowers. And the big excitement, for Riley Ivana, was they had rabbits and roosters. Riley had various family members running her back and forth to their cages all evening long. Then she wanted to water all of the flowers. She went through every jar they had filled with water and then asked for them to be refilled. She was in heaven. On the way back to Baba and Dedo's she asked if "we could live on a farm?"

Riley Ivana is having the most trouble adjusting. My getting around has been somewhat limited by Riley. She has no interest in walking. She keeps saying Baba and Dedo are speaking Spanish and she doesn't understand what they are saying. When we first arrived the drama was Baba was hugging her too hard and we had to get past that.

She asked me last night if we had to take three planes to go back home. I said yes and she proceeded to drop her head on the table in desperation - like oh, my God I won't make it if I have to do that again. Little does she know, neither will I.

Photo: She has been eating ivar (red paste made with eggplant) along with bread, yogurt and ham almost every day - sometimes twice a day.

I HAVE SET UP THE BLOG SO ANYONE CAN ADD COMMENTS. PLEASE DO. IT WILL PROVIDE ME WITH SOME ENTERTAINMENT.

Sitting here uploading a few photos while the family is watching the Serbian version of American Idol. I think the whole city is watching it - like a national holiday or something. Baba, Biba, Rade .... everyone has their favorite contestant. To me the music is as appealing as Muslims chanting their prayers at 5 am in the morning. I am well on my way to having a headache. I am waiting for someone in the family to pull out a handkerchief and start dancing around the room. Oopha!

Theodora (Te'a) and Truman. Big trouble!

Ace (Alexander, age 10 and Riley Ivana) at playground in the grocery store.

View from Baba and Dedo's 6th Floor Balcony

It was 1am Macedonian time when we landed so you really couldn't see much outside. Dejan's sister (Biba) and brother-in-law (Rade) met us at the airport with a colleague driving a second car to accommodate our additional luggage.

Rade was telling Truman this was Skopje (the capitol) and Truman replies "Where?" Can't help but laugh at that one.

We arrive at Baba and Dedo's apartment with them standing in the parking lot to welcome us.

Up to the 6th floor and we all visit and chat until around 3 or 4 in the morning. When I finally try and get Riley to sleep she is beyond exhausted and starts loosing it. Mainly crying for Daddy. A phone call to Dejan and much hugging later and she was asleep.

Truman immediately connected with Theodora (Tea), her cousin who is also 13. Truman is sleeping with Theordora at Dejan's sister's apartment which is about one mile down the road and has my one and only internet access unless I go to an internet cafe both of which require Riley to walk. Dejan's sister and brother-in-law have the only car, so proper/acceptably comfortable transportion for Miss Riley rests with them.

I must add that the entire family has gone beyond out of their way to welcome us. Dejan's Mom and Dad had their apartment painted and the bathroom updated. They gave Riley and me their only bedroom, with brand new sheets of course. I had mentioned once to them if I could purchase a pregnancy pillow here to help me sleep on my side. When I got here Baba had made me one! They had our favorite drinks in the fridge and the air conditioning was turned on since they knew that was what we were used to. No one could have made us feel more welcome.

Unfortunately we found out upon arrival Dejan's brother-in-law had lost his job that same day. They were already struggling and this will make paying their bills for July impossible. Thankfully, Rade is set to arrive in the US in August and at least this opportunity to come and work in the US is one bright cloud on the horizon. We also determined very quickly Truman and Tea were going to need a constant chaperon and Rade's unemployment will come in handy in that respect. Truman and Tea are absolutely inseperable. Both beautiful of course. They get along great. They share one another's clothes, fix their hair together etc. Just the best of friends and I am thrilled Truman will have this experience.

Ok - I have finally gotten back to a computer. It seems Riley is too Americanized and doesn't want to walk really at all. And everyone here walks. So I am waiting for Dejan's sister to borrow a stroller from a friend so that I can better accommodate "The Princess."

Let's see. The flight to Budapest. Well Truman always wanted the window seat but didn't want to crawl over me and Riley to rush to the bathroom to puke so she made use of the barf bags - regularly I might add. I felt so bad for Truman. She was miserable and there was not much I could do for her. Riley continued to wonder why we weren't there yet. The three and a half hour flight was fairly uneventful since we were able to keep the puke in the bags and not on any of us.

We then had a six hour layover at the Budapest airport. (BTW - Hungary will probably not be top on my list of places I would like to visit.) The section of the airport we were in was fairly new and spotless I might add so that was in our favor. But, for some God forsaken reason there was only ONE bathroom at the entire airport! Being we were three females traveling together I must have visited the restroom at least 20 times during that six hour period. Another plus was the chairs did not have arm rests in between the seats so you could take up an entire row lying down, which all three of us took advantage of at one point or another. By this point Truman had still not been able to keep any food down and Riley kept saying the food "didn't taste right." She ordered spagetti in London and pizza in Budapest but I just don't think they met her American taste bud standards.

When checking in for the last flight the airline staff informs us the plane is too small to hold our carry ons and they must be checked in; as suspected we got stuck with a prop plane for our final leg of the journey. But we make it. All in all we each had maybe 3 or 4 hours of sleep. I am probably as close to a melt down as Riley was. To have to explain to her we then had to go through customs before seeing Baba and Dedo was beyond her comprehension. She just wanted it over with. Luckily, in Macedonia some old school tactics apply. Often who you know or who you can pay can go a long way. When we arrived to the baggage area a gentlemen immediately came up to me - "Angela?" He was already putting our 6 pieces of luggage together and then walked us through to customs. Once in customs another gentleman asked, "Angela?" and then motioned for us to go on. No opening of bags, no questions, nothing. Ah, the first "easy" thing we have incurred in over 24 hours!

Ok - I knew it would be a challenge but my God! I seriously considered turning around by the time we got to London.

5 hour car ride to DC. Riley cried to say goodbye to Dejan. Truman was just pumped with excitement. First, complaining of how are we going to sleep on the plane. I finally told Truman
"It is amazing what you will do when you have to" - soon to be theme for trip and when you are tired enough you can sleep anywhere.

About two hours into the flight Truman says she has a headache. Hour three. Massive puking out of no where. No warning. No time to do anything. All over Truman's shirt, pants, seat and floor. I and the attendants clean things up as best we can. I am carrying puke bags to the lavatory. Trying to remain calm and tell Truman it is alright. Riley is clinging to me freaked out.

Look at my watch - Over three more hours before we arrive in London. Truman has to rough it out in the puke clothes as she didn't bring a backup outfit like Mommy told her to. Riley doesn't want to sit near Truman now as she smells. Riley is on top of me in my lap for the rest of the trip. Of course, I am stressed over blood clots so I am wearing my grandma socks, adding the weight of Riley and trying to make my body in a comfortable position for her to sleep was a task and not an easy one. Really none of us slept but maybe an hour or two. People around us on the plane holding their nose looking like my kids are going to give them the swine flu. Which of course, we probably infected everyone in the section with the stomach virus.

Get to London. Beautiful airport but British are too cheap to use the a/c properly. British regularly using words as lovely to describe everything which Truman thought was cool. British are insane about security. Takes forever. Have to pull out all cosmetics/toiletries from our carry ons, put them in clear plastic bags to run through scanner separately. Yes, pain the ass with two kids but if there was a terrorist issue, I would be thankful. First task to get Truman out of the puke clothes. People walking by her staring at her holding their nose. Very limited on choices. Harrods had t shirts when converting the currency was $60! Hell no! Finally found a sports shop and get her a dress for probably $50 but it had to. We all go the bathroom to sanitize Truman and bag up the smelly clothes.

Next order of business - food. I find a restaurant. Truman tries to eat and then goes to the bathroom to puke again. I leave them in the restaurant to run to the pharmacy for medicine for her. When I start to eat a bit then Riley says, Mommy my french fry is going to make me puke. No, Riley it won't. Calm down. Here comes the puke face. I snatch Riley up and start exiting the restaurant to head out to the restroom. Don't make it. She pukes there in the floor with dining customers, on her clothes and me. People around us were again grossed out. By this time the puking musketeers are used to the routine. In the bathroom the attendant points us to the sink where she continues to puke. I then clean her and myself off and go back to the restaurantto collect Truman, our bags and once again go back to the restroom to clean everyone up.

Next... the flight to Budapest.

Well, my world is now defined by one word - MACEDONIA.