P a g e
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P A U 3 A !
Travel Tips
By: David Fox, MAK9
The winter holidays
have long since
ended and school has
long since been in
full swing. So, what
does a TEFL Volunteer do for 3 weeks,
just having arrived at
site, or not able to go
to school? Some of
us go home. Others
have secondary projects. For me, I took
a few weekends and
traveled to some
little parts of Macedonia for fun, festivals, and friends.
Two places I would like to share with you:
New Years was spent in
Skopje. Lots of fireworks illuminated the
sky, and because they
had the celebrations in
2 places, the center
wasn’t as crowded as it
was last year. This is as
close as you’ll get to
Times Square in Macedonia, oh, and don’t forget to
brush up on your oro. No matter how crowded, they
always seem to find enough room to dance.
We had a small
but good turnout at Steve’s
house in Shutka.
It is interesting
to visit the Pazar
where the usual
greens are available and also to
see all these
trinkets
handcrafted by Roma people. The culture of this corner of
Skopje is very unique, and none like it exists elsewhere
in Europe.
The other New Years, January 14th, I spent in Vevchani.
There, we have one of the oldest carnivals on the Old
New Years, January 14. The festival is older than the
Orthodox traditions, and quite the opposite in meaning. The Pagan roots flare with fire, masks, and evil
spirits. The idea is that the day of "evil" drives out such
spirits for the
coming
year. In reality, the parade was interesting with
everything
from Alexander the Great
to political
figures and
statements through the costumes worn, largely, by
community members.
Guests included many government officials and
the American Ambassador. We had a great time
also, and it was a good intermingling of MAK 9
and 10 PCVs. I'm glad I got to see this in my time
here. It's worth seeing once. I'm not sure how
much it repeats itself year after year, but I also
enjoyed last year, the traditional celebration we
have in DK on the 14th with the local block parties,
skara, and fun with neighbors and friends. I'd recommend one holiday where you live to get to
know the people, and the
next year, try the carnival
in Vevchani. Just watch
for the occasional wood
being thrown in front of
you by the prankster in the
red mask or the party goers who have had a bit in
excess of rakija. The surroundings are beautiful,
though; the village has
some interesting springs
and a church to see as
well. And don’t forget your passport, or borrow
one from a friend to gain free entrance to this oneday Republic for free. Otherwise, the first prank
will be an officer charging for a Visa and stamp
into the Republic of Vevchani. It’s all in good fun.
Try it if you can, and bring a mask if you’re able.
Sometimes, the clubs in Struga also have mask
parties and it’s nice to be able to participate.
So, happy traveling
to all of you and
looking forward to
your sites and experiences in other
little known parts
of Macedonia.
.