After 2+ weeks of being pretty tightly wound (for no good reason – eh, not that there really ever is a good reason to be anxious), I needed to chill.
[I was wound from loads of visits for Bajram and overdosing on baklava/sugar (I think this messes with my system more than most peoples’). …and wound from drama and music practices for the Christmas outreach, working at the Center extra hours, a silly cookie decorating time with Gjilani gals that shouldn’t have been a winder, a LONG church party/festy/ (draining) day, another LONG day for the Christmas outreach/rehearsals, more visits. …and wound from feeling an ever-increasing pressure to get caught up on my out-of-control inbox, to plan for this upcoming Jan-June, and to plan/apply/etc. for post-KS schtuff.]
Again, I needed to chill. My relaxation started Wednesday a.m. with a 2 ½ hour walk around snowy, gorgeous Novoberde, which is a mountainous area with a fort/castle and 6” of snow (compared to rainy, muddy Gjialn). It was fun, energizing, and lovely. Then I took a bus to Skopje (a bus, dropped off under an overpass but didn’t wait long enough, started hitchhiking to the station, friendly person made a u-ie and passed like a maniac so I could jump on the Shkup bus). I arrived a smidge early to Skopje and spent an hour+ meandering the gorgeously decorated downtown area and enjoying the Christmas lights and décor. I then sat through a Macedonian lecture on Impressionism and Debussy, made/ate dinner around 11.30pm, and slept in the next morning. My friend and I walked for over an hour. Then I went to colleague family Christmas – yummy food and conversation and games. That night, I went to a university Big Band concert (mad fun to be around college students and Gershwin/Sinatra/etc.). Then we walked around the downtown area and admired the view some more.
The next morning, I took my first city bus and made it to the station. Then, much to my chagrin, I either missed the 9am (although it was before 9am) or it was full. Shucks, the next bus didn’t leave until 11a – so I ate Macedonian burek, drank a makiato, and had 1 ½ hrs of unhurried journaling, Bible-reading, and chill-axing in a 4-table coffeebar. Delicious – possibly the best part of the whole 2 days. Then I took a bus ride back to Gjilan, arriving at 2p (starting my transportation journey at 8.15am…!).
Although it’s in no way a time-saver, I heart public transportation – maybe being up a little higher makes the view more enjoyable or something. Plus, each time is different and is it’s own (often inconvenient) adventure. This is when living in a culture whose heart isn’t a clock is kind of freeing and chill-axifying.
[I was wound from loads of visits for Bajram and overdosing on baklava/sugar (I think this messes with my system more than most peoples’). …and wound from drama and music practices for the Christmas outreach, working at the Center extra hours, a silly cookie decorating time with Gjilani gals that shouldn’t have been a winder, a LONG church party/festy/ (draining) day, another LONG day for the Christmas outreach/rehearsals, more visits. …and wound from feeling an ever-increasing pressure to get caught up on my out-of-control inbox, to plan for this upcoming Jan-June, and to plan/apply/etc. for post-KS schtuff.]
Again, I needed to chill. My relaxation started Wednesday a.m. with a 2 ½ hour walk around snowy, gorgeous Novoberde, which is a mountainous area with a fort/castle and 6” of snow (compared to rainy, muddy Gjialn). It was fun, energizing, and lovely. Then I took a bus to Skopje (a bus, dropped off under an overpass but didn’t wait long enough, started hitchhiking to the station, friendly person made a u-ie and passed like a maniac so I could jump on the Shkup bus). I arrived a smidge early to Skopje and spent an hour+ meandering the gorgeously decorated downtown area and enjoying the Christmas lights and décor. I then sat through a Macedonian lecture on Impressionism and Debussy, made/ate dinner around 11.30pm, and slept in the next morning. My friend and I walked for over an hour. Then I went to colleague family Christmas – yummy food and conversation and games. That night, I went to a university Big Band concert (mad fun to be around college students and Gershwin/Sinatra/etc.). Then we walked around the downtown area and admired the view some more.
The next morning, I took my first city bus and made it to the station. Then, much to my chagrin, I either missed the 9am (although it was before 9am) or it was full. Shucks, the next bus didn’t leave until 11a – so I ate Macedonian burek, drank a makiato, and had 1 ½ hrs of unhurried journaling, Bible-reading, and chill-axing in a 4-table coffeebar. Delicious – possibly the best part of the whole 2 days. Then I took a bus ride back to Gjilan, arriving at 2p (starting my transportation journey at 8.15am…!).Although it’s in no way a time-saver, I heart public transportation – maybe being up a little higher makes the view more enjoyable or something. Plus, each time is different and is it’s own (often inconvenient) adventure. This is when living in a culture whose heart isn’t a clock is kind of freeing and chill-axifying.
A bit of humble pie: I made an ode to public transportation that sounded more like “roberta-is- full-of-herself-because-she-thinks-she-is-identifying-with-nationals-blah-blah.” Yep, missing a bus and not getting back in time to follow-through with a previous commitment is pie in the face.
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