So I tired to post this entry today but the internet was not working at one of the internet cafes so the other one was completely full so there was no computer for me to use the internet on.

Anyway I am having a great time. All the people in my PC group and my smaller training group are awesome. My host family is excellent. I have an splendid room and my host mom makes awesome food. I have a host father, mother, and brother. I have not met my host father yet because he is at a conference somewhere in Europe for a few weeks. My town is very beautiful and full of hills and it is great to walk around. I will take some pictures soon and one day when I get to use the internet I will post them up. I have made some great friends. I am slowly learning the Macedonian language. I have a totally great teacher, Maria. She is Macedonian. We have language class every morning for 4 hrs and other cultural/technical meetings/training for 3 or 4 hours in the afternoon.

Highlights so far:

• Between Austrian Airlines and traditional Macedonian and Albanian folk dancers, I have seen approximately 50 pairs of red tights since September 28th. You know, like red tights you wore with your green and red plaid dress at Christmas when you were 5 years old. But the ones I have seen have been on teenagers and adults.

• I watched Juawannaman with my host mother on my first night with my host family. It was in English with Macedonian subtitles. For those of you who don�t know Juawannaman is a bad 1990s movie where a black guy who does not make the NBA or something ends up cross dressing as a woman to play professional women�s basketball. It is very silly and really the last movie I would ever expect to see here. It is the kind of movie I would expect to see on TBS at 3 am or something.

• I have eaten a cake that had glitter on it and it was good. Who knew you could eat glitter with no consequences?

• My first night with my host family we went on a visit to some other relative�s house and I met most of the extended family. They were making ivar (which is AWESOME). It is a traditional fall food here. You roast red bell peppers and eggplant over a fire. Then you peel off the burnt parts and the skin. Then you mash it all together with some spices I don�t know how to pronounce and you are done. It is usually eaten with bread and this kind of cheese that is like feta but from a cow. It is delicious.

• My fellow volunteer Phil came home with me today to hang out with my host brother. My host mother served us a salsa type spread to eat on bread with that cheese stuff and then because Phil was our special guest, pig intestines. I managed to eat a very small piece. It was not bad but now since I know what it is it prevents me from eating it.

• Pomegranates are hard work but good.
  

My hair is slowly growing out again and hopefully soon I will stop looking like Hugh Grant.

byeness