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.