Ice

On my day of departure to the USA from Macedonia, Prilep received its first major snowfall.  It was gorgeous, and since Prilep only saw snow twice last year (during which the snow never stuck for very long) I solemnly left assuming that I would probably miss Prilep in its winter-wonderlandness.

On the return flight over Macedonia, I was pleasantly surprised to see all of the country blanketed in snow.  The situation was no different in Prilep- the city looked more winter-ey than I had ever seen it before.  However, walking home with my large suitcase was no pleasure.  All of the side roads were covered in ice.  At first I thought that the small back roads leading from the bus station to my place were the only ignored parts of the city after the winter cleanup.  However, after trekking through the city over the subsequent days, I discovered that besides the main thoroughfares, all of the roads in Prilep were covered in a half a foot of ice.  The square was covered in ice.  The entrance to most buildings were covered in ice.  Everything was covered in ice.

Since Prilep is a city with a sizeable elevation shift, and since sidewalks are pretty much lacking, icy roads should be a major hazard.  Yet some how people got by.  Cars continued to drive along these newly paved lanes, and old people scuttled along like penguins to buy their basic needs from the local shops.  For a week the temperatures stayed low and the ice stubbornly remained.  However, it was after the thaw that I discovered how inefficient the response to winter is in Prilep.

About a week ago, as the ice melted into slush and puddles, people started to utilize their shovels and ice picks.  No, not ice picks as in making a martini.  Ice picks like prospecting for gold.  People started to hack away at the softened ice covering the entrances to their homes and businesses.  Encouraged by this activity, I decided that I would join in.  So after returning home from the gym, I asked my host mother for a shovel (лопата, lopata in Macedononian) and ice pick (казма, kazma) and decided to hack away at the ice in front of our house.  The ice exposed to the sun was easy picking, but as I started to attack the ice hidden in the shadows, the work became increasingly more difficult. I also tried to create a path for my host mother on the main road, but I gave up halfway, especially since I started developing a rip on my palm.  Many of the pedestrians passing by thought I was crazy picking the ice on a public street, but my resolute determination was reinforced by a handful of these gazers slipping on that same ice.

How I feel during this Prilep winter

Additionally, being away for so many days while Prilep experienced prolonged frigid temperatures evidently destroyed my bathroom.  My host parents discovered one day that water was leaking through the ceiling of their bathroom.  Ascending to my bathroom, they discovered that the ice in the toilet had frozen, and the water was overflowing and leaking out onto the floor.  Something must have been amiss with the pipes to the shower, since the cold water would not function for a week or so upon my return.  The shower has since been fixed, but for some time I resorted to bucket baths, a chilly alternative in my unheated bathroom, but overall not such a horrible experience since I typically shower after working out (when my body temperature is high enough to fight off the cold).

Experiencing snow and ice in Prilep really made me appreciate Chicago’s ability to clear the snow in the winter.  Not only am I surprised that Prilep’s snow plow does not pass through all of the majors streets or lay salt on them, but it perplexes me that people do not shovel their snow as soon as it falls.  Instead, they exert even more energy trying to pick and shovel away the ice days later.  According to my counterpart, this is the longest time in five years that ice has stayed in Prilep for so long.  Juxtaposed to last year’s winter, this one feels like a new experience, and I cannot wait for all of this ice to melt.