Uncovering Macedonia

Imagine a city that looks like America in many ways, with fresh fruits and vegetables, clean drinking water, universities, universal Wi-Fi in most places and bakeries lining the streets.

 The city of Veles

You may have read my previous blog posts and they are very generic. Now is my time to tell you some observations and experiences in Macedonia. The underlying issues of this country are beneath the surface etched in the pavements.

Stray dogs run rampant. Some with yellow tags on their ears indicating they have received their vaccinations while others are puppies searching the dumpsters for scraps of food. I can’t seem to wrap my head around the fact that all of these dogs run wild and not much is done about it. Even the ones that are pets typically are kept outside and chains keep them from moving freely. I don’t know if I can ever get used to seeing this. It is surprising that there aren’t many beggars. Maybe it’s because this isn’t that big of a city.

One of the Veles dogs chained to his dog house 

People seem aged by the life they live. When observing the people here, they seem very serious, a smile not engraved on their faces. Now of course this isn’t true for all Macedonians but as a whole they don’t seem joyful at a quick glance.

If you wear shorts it’s like you’re a prostitute in this very conservative country. I don’t understand how people survive in the sweltering heat of summer but I guess in time I will observe this first hand. Working out is considered both “not a priority” and “selfish.” The people here like to enjoy life and they don’t find joy in exercising. As far as it being selfish, Macedonians can’t understand why Americans like to spend so much time alone. They think time should be spent all together. Running is foreign to them and I constantly feel like an alien when I run. There is an annual marathon race in Skopje (the capital). As an outsider, I am making speculations based on what I have heard in cross cultural training and observed.

The streets are dirty, full of trash and cigarette buds. Graffiti is spread across dozens of walls and the parks and play areas are barely maintained. Recycling is basically non-existent in this country and there is no collection of trash. People throw it away in dumpsters spread throughout the city. Imagine having to live near one of these dumpsters. Many stores line the streets, especially bakeries. Like the Spanish, Macedonians eat freshly baked bread with every meal. It is bought daily and has no preservatives. It is simply fantastic but be careful not to eat too much!

Traditional Macedonian bread my host family bought for dinner

While I mentioned bread, I might as well talk about diet. Macedonians love love love carbs! They eat more bread then I thought possible and then have potatoes or other forms of carbs with their dinners. I think this is a tradition passed down from generations. Bread is cheap and will fill you up so during hard times, many families ate bread as a staple in their diet. They also seem to eat a ton of tomatoes and peppers. This is harvest time so the vegetables are in abundance but from what I have seen, those items seem to be a staple in their diets.

Macedonian politics is a whole other story. In most cases, it’s better not to even mention this because of how high the tensions are between Macedonia, Greece and Albania. I will save that story for another day. For now I want to give you an honest look into the Macedonian way of life. Although they have their problems, I have been shown more generosity then I could have ever expected from the people here. My host family is very flexible and loving. The Macedonian Peace Corps staff wear there heart on their sleeves and have huge smiles on their faces. Over time I will begin to dig beneath the surface and find some possible answers to why things are the way they are here. For now I am left with my own assumptions.