Pauza Magazine Spring 2007 | Page 4

Culture Welcome Home A Visit Back to the Host Family Aryn Bloodworth, MAC XI I ’m sitting on a white leather sofa staring at the plastic-wrapped hunk of cornbread wedged precariously in the top of my bag (to ensure that I don’t starve on my 45 minute trip from Kumanovo back to Skopje). The house is shining after a long day of Sunday Cleaning, and I’m wearing one sock while my other one dries; my host mother, Advije, is trying to explain that it’s bad luck to wear a single sock—I won’t get a man if I don’t take it off. I’m laughing and pretending not to understand because my foot is cold, and I tuck my feet up under me as she shakes her head, smiling. What will she do with this American she has adopted? What has she gotten herself into? “Am I now thelives in daughter who the city and comes to visit on weekends?” Two hours ago, I was kneeling in front of the bathtub in borrowed pajama pants, slippers and a beige sweater vest of Advije’s that came down past my knees, elbow deep in warm water soapy enough to wash 12 loads of laundry. Instead, I scrubbed about that many carpets. My fingers turned t ???????)?????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????????????)?????????????Q??????Q????????????????$???)???????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????????????????????????)$??????????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????!?????)?????????????????????????????????????)????????)M??????????????????$???????????????????)????????????????????????'?e????????????)??????????????????e?????????????????????)??M?????????????????e???????????5???????$((`()A????Y??????????()????????????????????????????????????$)???????????????????????????????$????????????)?????????Q????$????????????????????????)?????????????????????$???????????????)????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????)?????????$?????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????=????$???)??????????????????????????????????????)???????????????????????????????)?$????????????????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????$???????????????????????????)?????????????????????????????????????????)????????????????????$???????????????)???????????????????????????????)????????5?????????????????????????????????)%????????'?e???????????????????????)????????????????????????????????????????)??????????????????????O?M?????????????'?e???????)????????????????????????????????????????)?????????????????$?????????????????)??????) ??$??????????????????????????M???????()M?????????((???????????????A4((0