Counting Down the Days of Summer

It is funny how much changes in the course of three weeks.  At the beginning of August, I wondered to myself how I would bide my time through the rest of summer.  Pivo Fest was over, money was low, and work with my organization was not exactly busy.  I figured I would count down the three weeks until my vacations at the end of August, but like waiting for a kettle to boil that only worsened the situation.  Now here I am, less than a day from my first vacation in August, and I a have more work than I ever thought I would during this summer.  In a way it feels great, and it makes these two upcoming vacations feel more deserved, but I only wish that this workload would have come sooner.

I often worried about the first summer during my Peace Corps service, because I wanted to continue to use my time to make an impact.  Macedonians take their summer holidays, especially the college students with which I work.  So I worried that I would be sitting in an empty office or at my home for most of the summer, watching movies or surfing Facebook aimlessly.  Luckily for me June was busy with IST and YMLP, and July continued to be busy with PlanCo and Pivo Fest.  But August brought about that tedium that I dreaded.

Rescuing me from this boredom were two projects that we organized for the summer.  Both projects would bring six volunteers from other countries to manage and implement activities in the Prilep area.  The first project is called Your Choice, which is a continuation of past projects.  Through this project, we have two interns, one of which is teaching Italian, and the other is teaching German to Macedonian students.  The other project is called I Promise, and its aim is to both increase the level of awareness for environmental protection among the youth and to promote our organization, AIESEC Prilep, to the young people.  I have been more involved with I Promise, and planning this project has not been too stressful.

However, planning the logistics to house and feed six interns for six weeks has taken a toll on all of us.  Since summer began, all of our members decided to take the holiday seriously, thus leaving our Executive Board, or Angela, Mihail, Pece, and me, with the responsibility of organizing these projects and planning for the year ahead.  Our LCP did all she could to set us up with a new bank account, with organizing the concepts of the project, and with finding the interns before she left for a two-week vacation to Paris.  However, during her absence, it was up to the three remaining members of the executive board to prepare the final details for the projects.

We had a few obstacles facing us only a few days before the interns arrived.  Keep in mind that we guaranteed in the job descriptions for this project that accommodation and one meal per day would be provided free of charge for each intern.  Thus, finding money or sponsorship to pay for these would be difficult to find for six foreign interns.  However, we were not allowed to fail. 

Luckily, the dean of the faculty promised us 200 Euros to pay for accommodation for the interns.  It was our job to find an apartment that would charge that much (including utilities) for only six weeks.  We were unsuccessful in finding a place until a few days before they arrived.  Luckily, somebody offered to rent the second floor of their home, with six beds, a kitchen, and utilities, for the price we requested.  Moreover, the owners of the apartment are very kind and have even offered to wash the clothes for the interns.  We were lucky to complete the most important task for the project only days before the interns arrived.

Finding food was much tougher.  The first time we approached restaurants to be our sponsors, many denied us saying that feeding six interns, even for two weeks, would cost them too much.  I proposed that we re-wrote our partnership proposal to offer more to these restaurants.  The first proposal mentioned that, in exchange for their support of our projects, we would advertise their company by including their logos on our posters and website.  However, I suggested that we also mention that, with our youth organization that will (hopefully) include over 30 students, we would prioritize their venue for all formal and informal events.  Additionally, when we host sponsored, pre-professional events, we would utilize their partnership by prioritizing them for catering.  The signs of success regarding the change of terms for partnership were instant.  Most restaurants continued to deny us, but one kafana, or traditional Macedonian restaurant, contacted us to meet further regarding the partnership.  They mentioned in their message that a partnership seemed profitable, and they were interested in learning more.  Also, another company had offered to give the interns vouchers for free lunch at its bakeries.  Thus, our interns will be fed one meal per day for the duration of their work.

Some of the interns on their first night in Prilep

Our summer interns and the EB of AIESEC Prilep

During the past few days, we have essentially been chaperoning the interns through the town.  However, these interns are very mature, and they have taken a liking to each other and to Macedonia very well.  We could not be luckier to have six interns who embody the AIESEC way.  However, this leaves me less time with work for my functional areas.  Throughout the rest of the year, I will manage the Outgoing Exchange functional area of AIESEC Prilep.  Essentially, I will be in charge of interviewing Macedonians who are interested in pursuing an internship, and with my soon-to-be team (fingers crossed), assist them in finding the perfect internship for the pre-professional careers.  AIESEC international was supposed to launch a new online platform for finding internships, but it has been postponed to November.  Thus, the more flexible and reasonable system has been delayed, and we must continue with the archaic ways of raising an intern for an AIESEC internship.  My mind has been mentally preparing in the background for the challenges I will face in the next three months.

Additionally, I have volunteered to manage the soon-to-be members of four who will be a part of the Team Management functional area of AIESEC Prilep.  We currently lack a vice president to manage this functional area, so both our LCP and I will manage this functional area through the next year.  Team Management (TM for short) is the worst performing and simultaneously most vital functional area of our organization, so a lot of energy will be dedicated toward this area for the upcoming months.

Transitioning from a more relaxed work schedule to one that is slightly more stressful has certainly made me exhausted.  Two nights ago, I was unable to stay awake past 10.30PM!  But all of this work has truly brought benefits to our organization and to the two other members of the Executive Board.   Let me divulge- as we were sitting together with the interns during their first night, in Prilep we were discussing the benefits of joining AIESEC for young people.  Sure, it is a lot of work for no pay, but the intangible benefits that both members of the EB gained while preparing for these projects were outstanding.  Our VP for Marketing created many online promotions, convinced the local television station to air our commercial, printed an article in one of Macedonia’s newspapers, and was just short of succeeding in attracting 40 students for the German and Italian classes.  The VP for Finance and External Relations met with the dean of the faculty, met with the representative for Environmental Affairs at the municipality, and established two partnerships with restaurants in Prilep.  I doubt they would have otherwise attempted what they had accomplished in the course of four weeks without joining AIESEC.

Despite all of the successes we achieved among our Executive Board over the past four weeks, we still have a much to strive for in the coming months.  Thus, my mind will not be fully at rest during my two vacations.  But, at least I will have something to escape (even if momentarily!) while relaxing on the Albanian coast or exploring the former Ottoman capital.

Храна

So there may be no more important question about the Republic of Macedonia besides this one- what is Macedonian cuisine?  As our interns from AIESEC prepare to arrive in Macedonia, and as some MAK 19s ask if there are particular food items that the current volunteers miss, I figure I may as well share my knowledge and opinion on the Macedonian cuisine. 

Before arriving in country, I had no idea what I could expect to eat for the next 27 months.  I had never eaten at a Balkan or Macedonian restaurant before, so I was curious to what the traditional dishes were.  Growing up in Chicago, my experience of Greek food involved hummus, pita, gyros, and saganaki, and my experience of Slavic food mostly involved Polish dishes, which consisted of pierogis, sauerkraut, and sausages.  I figured since Macedonia is a Slavic country located close the Mediterranean, the cuisine would be some fusion between these two cultures.

Throughout my time in Macedonia, I have never eaten hummus, pita, gyros, pierogis, or sauerkraut in a traditional setting.  I was way off when it came to my idea of Macedonian cuisine.  So what is Macedonian cuisine like?  It is very similar to the cuisine in the other Balkan countries (Serbia, Albania, Romania, Bulgaria), and it is heavily influenced by the Turkish occupation.  Macedonian cuisine is very seasonal, but the staples usually include bread, beans, cabbage, peppers, tomatoes, onions, potatoes, and often sirenje (a brined cheese).  As I mentioned during PST, meat is consumed sparingly, since it is so expensive.  Finally, since Macedonia is a landlocked country, fish is rarely consumed, except during the fasting times of the Orthodox calendar (advent, lent) when fresh-water fish is fried and accompanied with beans.

A few months ago, Buzz Feed came out with a great article with the most popular/ emblematic dishes served throughout Macedonia.  I am providing the link below:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/jovcov/delicious-macedonian-dishes-for-your-inner-foodie-h04v#2eftg9n

 As you can see from the article, Macedonia’s traditional foods offer a rich, decadent dive into Balkan cuisine.  However, one is unlikely to be able to enjoy all of these dishes whenever he pleases- their availability and popularity often vary on the season.  At first I was going to write an article on the different types of cuisine available within Macedonia, but I realized that such a post would be dull and long.  Instead, I am listing my favorite dishes under certain categories, all of which summarize the dining experience in Macedonia.  Enjoy! 

(*Note- some of the pictures below are taken from the internet.  If they belong to you, please feel free to inform me and I can take them down.  It seems that I am not as much as a foodie as most people on Social Media, so I needed to borrow some photographs from the inter-web).

Category #1- Homestay Food

When fully integrating with a homestay (meaning that one eats all of his meals with his homestay family), one will typically adhere to the Macedonian meal schedule. This means that breakfast is light and often prepared by the volunteer, lunch is the largest meal, and dinner is much lighter than lunch, often consisting of salads, lunch meats and cheeses, and sometimes just popcorn.  The most commonly served food is manja, basically soup consisting of vegetables and sometimes meat.  Manjas vary by base among cabbage, potato, or beans (my favorite was always beans).  As one lives with homestay families, eventually he will become tired of manja, but it is the cheapest way to prepare a hearty meal with just vegetables.

А large dish of musaka from PST

Stock photo of polneti piperki

There are many dishes that are only available through a homestay.  Most often served in the summer is polneti piperki (stuffed peppers).  Musaka is probably my favorite staple dish.  However, the best homestay meal I have ever eaten was…

Roasted Rabbit!  Before my site visit to Prilep, my host mother cooked a hearty casserole of rabbit, rice, and chicken.  It was the most delicious thing I had ever eaten in Macedonia, but I had never heard of other volunteers eating such a dish before.  This may prove that my host mother during PST was a culinary genius.

My host mother's roasted rabbit from PST

Category #2- Kafanas

Kafanas are restaurants that serve traditional Macedonian dishes.  They are often the cheapest option when dining in Macedonia.  Ordering from a Macedonian menu early during the volunteer service is daunting because there seem to be so many options to choose among the skara, or grilled meat. However, as a volunteer goes through his service, he will realize that most of the skara options on a menu are just variations of chicken or pork filets or ground beef.

Uvijac

Every volunteer recommends that one orders uvijach when dining at a kafana for the first time.  Uvijach is a gooey chunk of cheese wrapped in a pork or chicken steak, further wrapped by a few slices of bacon.  It is indeed delicious.  However, my favorite skara at a kafana is…

Kebabs!  Kebabs are so simple, yet so delicious!  And even though they are just ground meat rolled into deliciously bite-sized portions, they are usually some of the cheapest options for skara on any kafana menu.

Kebabs

Category #3- Salads

Salads are also a major item when ordering food at a kafana.  As I mentioned in a previous post, salads are often consumed while drinking rakija, so salads play a central role in Macedonian cuisine.

Shopska salata is the quintessential salad in Macedonia.  It is simple- cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions, mixed in oil and topped with sirenje.  I often make this salad for a quick meal at home (bez kromid!).  However, my favorite salad to accompany my rakija is…

Shopska Salata

Makedonska Salata!  Slightly varying from the shopska salata, Makedonska salata consists of tomatoes, onions, and roasted peppers.  I usually put my own twist on a Makedonska salata by substituting the onions for sirenje.

Category #4- Snacks

Nothing says snacks like a bunch of carbs or fat, and Macedonia has its fair share of delectable goodies that would break any diet.  Most snacks can be bought at bakery-like shops, with a variety of fried breads exhibited under glass cases.  The most dangerous of these snacks is the burek, which is a flaky, pie-like snack that is usually filled with sirenje, meat, or “pizza” (ketchup, ham, and cheese).  It is often consumed with yogurt (essentially plain yogurt in a more milky, drinkable form).  Back in the States, I would say that a hard day’s work must be rewarded with a nice, cold beer.  In Macedonia, similar solace is found in burek.  But my favorite snack is…

Burek and yogurt (bottled in the left-top corner)

Topeno Sirenje!   This dish is essentially a pot of cheese, similar to fondue.  There is nothing to not love about this dish (unless you are lactose intolerant).  The best topeno sirenje dishes involve experimentation with other ingredients.  The best topeno sirenje variations can be found at Bitola’s Metro Pizzeria (where they mix the cheese with chili) and at Struga’s Pizza Angela (which is mixed with garlic).

Topeno Sirenje

Category #7- Turshija

Turshija, or winter foods, are foods that are prepared and jarred in the fall to last through the winter months.  Many vegetables, like cabbage, peppers, and carrots, are stored in jars of vinegar for their own sour hibernation.  However, the only turshija that really matters in this category are the spreads- ajvar (pepper spread), pinjur, malijano (similar to ajvar, but composed of eggplant), and lutenica.  They each have their own value, but my favorite is…

Freshly jarred turshija from PST

Ajvar!  Pinjur tastes fresher, and malijano puts a nice twist on a morning breakfast, but you have to go with the classic.  The best ajvar is homemade, so those living with host families get the real deal.  Otherwise, there are a few good brands that are available in stores as well.

Category #6- Sweets

I am not a fan of sweets, so this category is a no-brainer for me.  Macedonians love their sweets, and there is no shortage of options for sugar fixes in this country (just take a look at the chocolate aisle in any major supermarket here).  Macedonians most often indulge in sweets during individual celebrations, including birthdays, slavas, and name days.  Often trays of bonbonis, or small candied treats usually consisting of chocolate, drape the tables.  However, there is only one treat that I can consume interminably, and that is…

Baklava!  Yes, baklava is a Turkish food, but it was certainly adapted with zeal by Macedonians.  In fact, I am sure baklava is one of the most popular things the Ottoman Empire brought to the region, ranking much higher than religious/ social repression and tax burdens.  But seriously, I have never had bad baklava here, and I am lucky that they are widely available in stores AND both of my host families had made them at some point during my service.  No further explanation is needed since I am sure that many of you have eaten baklava, as it is widely available in the States.  If you have not, you are missing out on a great pleasure of life and go buy some now!

Baklava

Category #7- National Dish

So this dish takes the cake- err, not sure if food wants cake. But anyway, only one Macedonian dish can reign supreme as the representative delicious dish of Macedonia. 

Pastermajlija in Veles

Sarma

Chkembe Chorba (with stomach lining)

There are plenty of great options for this category.  Sarma is a Christmas classic, and I sometimes dream about popping these little pillows of cabbage filled with rice and meat in my belly.  Pastramajlija (baked bread topped with eggs and brined meat) is worshipped with its own festivals in the fall (in the cities of Shtip, Veles, and Kratovo), and who can resist a pizza-like meal?  On the other hand, there is doner, a gyro-like dish that is widely served in Albanian communities.  Finally, one cannot forget about chorba, a soup (the most popular of which is composed of tripe, or stomach lining) that is said to cure hangovers, hence served in the morning and largely consumed by older, Macedonian men.  However, my vote for Macedonia’s national dish goes to…

Tavche Gravche!  This dish is just too good to pass up.  It seems simple- an earthenware pot caked in beans.  But the spices that contribute to its overall goodness are indescribable.  Homemade tavche gravche is definitely the best, and I can eat it all day paired with some freshly baked bread, dried spicy peppers, and some beer.  However, it is also often one of the cheapest dishes on a menu at the kafana, so it has that going for it too.

Tavche Gravche from a Kafana

So there you have it.  I hope that my description of Macedonia cuisine has you hungry.  At first I found Macedonian cuisine to be repetitive and lacking spices.  But after a year of living and eating in Macedonia, I am used to the monotony and fully embrace the cuisine, especially when many of the dishes are served with the fresh spring and summer harvests.  Hopefully you will have the opportunity to try the cuisine, even if you do not visit this beautiful country.  Either way, на здравје!

Смрт или Слобода

August 2 marked one of Macedonia’s most important holidays, Ilenden.  Ilenden commemorates the independence of the first Macedonian nation.  According to Macedonian history (see http://makedonija.name/history/ilinden-uprising#a), a group of rebels organized a number of uprisings against the Ottoman Empire within the territory of Macedonia.  The first uprisings took place near Bitola on August 2, 1903, but the most successful uprising occurred in Krushevo on the same day.  Once the town of Krushevo was liberated, a democratic government was quickly established with the mountain town serving as the center of what would have been the Republic of Macedonia.  Hence, the first republic is remembered as “the Krushevo Republic”. 

Krushevo

Unfortunately, Macedonia’s first republic only lasted ten days.  Immediately after the initial successes of the uprisings, Turkish reinforcements were deployed, and they quickly gained control of all of the cities that rose against the Empire.  The Macedonian rebels retreated to Krushevo, and the Turkish forces surrounded the town.  On August 12, the Macedonians fought the Turks head on in a battle near Krushevo, at a place called Mechkin Kamen.  The rebels were defeated, and the Turks allegedly pillaged Krushevo in retaliation.

Every year, Macedonia celebrates August 2 sort of as its day of independence (even though the current Republic of Macedonia officially gained independence from Yugoslavia on September 8, 1991).  Ilenden, as August 2 is called, is most heavily celebrated in Skopje, Ohrid, and of course, Krushevo.  Each year, about 50 Macedonians ride on horseback from Skopje to Krushevo, arriving to the mountain town on August 1.  On Ilenden, they lead the march to Mechkin Kamen, which is about an hour’s walk from the Krushevo center, to commemorate the first Macedonian republic and the fallen soldiers who liberated this first nation.  Afterwards, another group of riders mount the horses and start their march toward Ohrid.

This past weekend, a few of the volunteers and I had originally planned to go to Bitola for the weekend to hang out at the club and have a “bro’s weekend”.  However, when many of the volunteers dropped out, Jake and I were able to convince Husted to instead go to Krushevo to enjoy the Ilenden festivities.  Luckily, a thunderstorm hit Pelogonija early in the afternoon on August 1, so by the time we arrived in Krushevo, the rain had stopped, the weather was cooler, and the crowd was much smaller than we had imagined. 

When we arrived in Krushevo, we met with Sarah Stone, a MAK-16 who had extended numerous times.  She welcomed us warmly and showed us a beautiful kafana near the center where we ordered some dishes that were unique to Krushevo.  When we finished our meal, we decided to buy a few bottles of beer and wine and relax near the lake before the concert started.  The journey to the lake was a bit dark, but by the time we arrived at our destination, we enjoyed the serenity of that night.  However, that peace was quickly interrupted by loud music, shouting, and a few gun shots coming from across the lake.  Curious, we decided to investigate this scene.

As we arrived at the other side of the lake, we noticed that there were many horses tied up around the bank.  Most of the noise was coming from a house up the hill, so we approached it, inquiring whether these people were the riders who were integral to the Ilenden march.  They confirmed that they were, and they invited us to sit with them for some beers so that we can learn more about the Ilenden tradition and the history of this holiday.

It was a real treat to enjoy their company for about an hour.  Most of the riders did not speak any English, but after some repeating we were able to pick up on a bit of the history regarding this tradition.  According to the riders, many of them came from all over Macedonia, and they really took pride in being part of the march.  Skopje had been hit with a large storm only a day after they left for Krushevo, so I asked them if it was very difficult marching through such a squall.  They said that it was tough, but no obstacle could negatively impact the pride they felt for representing Macedonia in such a way.  Eventually, a few of the riders brought out a rifle that was a replica of the gun used during the revolutionary times (according to the riders, it is very similar to the gun used by Mrs. Stone, an American who was kidnapped by Macedonian rebels back in the day and who, due to Stockholm’s syndrome, eventually joined the rebels in their crusade). 

The riders!  This lady is the only female on the march this year.  Her father, bearded and to the right, is named Dule and lives in Sveti Nikola.

Ms. Stone and her fellow Americans

I also learned two very emblematic displays of Macedonian nationalism while discussing with the riders.  First, they taught me the phrase “Смрт или Слобода”, pronounced “Smrt ili Sloboda,” and meaning “Death or Freedom”.  The phrase represented the frame of mind of many of the Macedonian rebels in their uprising against the Turks.  Many Macedonians chose to die rather than giving up their newly founded republic.  The second display of nationalism seemed a bit like a gang sign to me.  When Macedonians make the “OK sign” (index finger making a circle with the thumb, and the three other fingers raised high) and keep their hand close to their heart, it is supposed to symbolize the true Macedonian republic.  The circle represents the current Macedonian republc, while the pinky finger represents the Macedonian land currently part of Albania, the ring finger is the land currently part of Bulgaria, and the middle finger is the land in Greece, the largest and most significant part of the Macedonian territory lost to the Greek republic after the Balkan Wars.

Sarah, Jake, Husted, and I eventually left the riders to spend some time at the concert.  There was hardly a crowd at this event, and the music was not very interesting, so we decided to walk around the Makedonium, a popcorn-shaped memorial dedicated to the uprising.  At midnight, fireworks were launched, and we made our way to the city center to enjoy another meal at a kafana.  Unfortunately, Jake and I slept in the next day, so we were unable to walk with the crowds to Mechken Kamen for the continuation of the Ilenden celebrations, but I felt lucky enough to personally meet the riders and learn about Macedonian history from them.  By 4PM, the festivities were over, the riders made their way to Ohrid, and we all decided to take a kombi back to Prilep.

Enjoying the concert

Makedonium

Ilenden rider at Mechken Kamen (photo courtesy of Nick Husted)

Ilenden Riders (Photo courtesy of Nick Husted)