My real name is Jennifer, but everyone calls me Jenny in Macedonia. I currently live in the Republic of Macedonia, with my husband. I studied to be an Accountant and half-way through the Associates Program, I changed my mind, and decided I wanted to be a hair stylist. I then began an 11 month program to become a hairstylist. I felt bad leaving behind unfinished business with my Accounting degree, so I finished up the classes and got my Associates Degree in Accounting. After that, I decided to get my Bachelor's Degree, while I was on the school kick, and graduated from the University at Buffalo. In my senior semester, I accepted a position to work for the Department of Defense, Inspector General, in Cleveland, OH. In May 2009, I took a temporary assignment in Afghanistan and while I was there, I met my future husband and June 2010, I quit my job and moved to the Republic of Macedonia to live permanently.
Jul 17, 2011
Jul 16, 2011
"The Weight of Chains" Great Movie about the tragic breakup of Yugoslavia
Yesterday, I watched the documentary, "The Weight of Chains." and all I can say is wow!! This film was a real eye opener. It takes a critical look at the role that the US, NATO and the EU
played in the tragic breakup of a once peaceful and prosperous European
state - Yugoslavia. Skip down to the bottom for information on this film.
Max goes to the Vet
I don't know if it's the heat in this country or what, but I'm losing it over here. Seven days, with temperatures over 90 degrees, and heat advisories issued on the news, I'm wondering...is this normal? I've been hiding out in my bedroom with the a/c on, but that's not helping much because the A/C is giving me a headache and I developed cabin fever. Yesterday, I got out of the house for a little while. We took Max to the vet for his second round of vaccinations. The doctor was very annoyed that I kept asking so many questions. It's my first dog, I wanted to make sure everything was okay. But, he didn't speak English very well, and I didn't know how to say some of the words in Macedonian, so my fiance ended up translating all my questions, then all of his responses. I was mostly concerned with the amount of ticks this dog gets. I have never seen a tick in my life until I came here. I don't understand why my dog keeps getting ticks. We live in a urbanized city, there is very little wildlife, but for some reason, this dog manages to acquire 2 or 3 of these disgusting little blood suckers everyday. The vet provided very little assistance on this matter. He said to keep him out of the grass because this is the season for ticks. Thanks, that helped a lot. And he mentioned we could buy one of those medicated collars
to kills fleas and ticks. But when we went to the pet store, we found out that they banned the sale of tick collars, for safety reasons. I think insects sucking the blood from my dog and spreading disease is much more of a safety concern, but I don't pass the laws here. However, they did have a medicated collar for fleas, so we purchased that one instead. Apparently, it's not as strong as the tick one, but what choice do we have? Hopefully it will work. Here's a video of little Max in action:
However, I have found other ways to get the medicine. Amazon, lol, probably illegal to have it shipped here, but maybe they won't notice. Finger's crossed.
Hartz-Ultra Guard flea and tick Collar for Dogs 2 Pack
Merial Frontline Plus Flea and Tick Control for Dogs and Puppies, 6 Doses, For Dogs 89 to 132 Pounds
Merial Frontline Plus Flea and Tick Control for Dogs and Puppies, 6 Doses, For Dogs 89 to 132
Hartz UltraGuard Rid Flea & Tick Shampoo for Dogs 18oz (Citrus)
to kills fleas and ticks. But when we went to the pet store, we found out that they banned the sale of tick collars, for safety reasons. I think insects sucking the blood from my dog and spreading disease is much more of a safety concern, but I don't pass the laws here. However, they did have a medicated collar for fleas, so we purchased that one instead. Apparently, it's not as strong as the tick one, but what choice do we have? Hopefully it will work. Here's a video of little Max in action:However, I have found other ways to get the medicine. Amazon, lol, probably illegal to have it shipped here, but maybe they won't notice. Finger's crossed.
Hartz-Ultra Guard flea and tick Collar for Dogs 2 Pack
Merial Frontline Plus Flea and Tick Control for Dogs and Puppies, 6 Doses, For Dogs 89 to 132 PoundsMerial Frontline Plus Flea and Tick Control for Dogs and Puppies, 6 Doses, For Dogs 89 to 132
Hartz UltraGuard Rid Flea & Tick Shampoo for Dogs 18oz (Citrus)
Jul 14, 2011
Vistors in Macedonia & Turkish Coffee
It is not uncommon for guests to stop by
unannounced in this country. Cousins, friends, neighbors, just pop in,
whenever they feel like it. It's like an open door policy here. And
when they come, it is customary to offer coffee and food. Specifically, Turkish coffee, and it's prepared in a specific
way, usually not more than one or two cups at a time. 
How to make Turkish Coffee:
1. With a Turkish coffee pot
, add a cup of water, and place it over heat. In the summer we use these miniature gas stoves
to save money.
2. Add 1 tsp. of sugar per cup, wait a minute.
3. Then add 1.5 tsp of turkish coffee,
of your choice, or any coffee brand that is very finely ground. 4. Wait until the coffee starts to bubble and rise, and then remove it from the heat and slowly pour into cup, dividing it equally between two cups, if more than one cup was prepared at a time.
How to make Turkish Coffee:
1. With a Turkish coffee pot
, add a cup of water, and place it over heat. In the summer we use these miniature gas stoves to save money. 2. Add 1 tsp. of sugar per cup, wait a minute.
3. Then add 1.5 tsp of turkish coffee,
of your choice, or any coffee brand that is very finely ground. 4. Wait until the coffee starts to bubble and rise, and then remove it from the heat and slowly pour into cup, dividing it equally between two cups, if more than one cup was prepared at a time. Jul 12, 2011
My married surname...ski, ska, or neither?
If it isn't difficult enough to get married in Macedonia, this process just made it worse. Okay, let's face it my husbands last name has 15 letters in it, I have yet to meet an American capable of pronouncing it correctly, including all of my family members, no matter how many times I say it, or how slow I pronounce it. Not to mention, if I take his last name, people will think I'm a man in this country, literally. Why is that? Because in this country, women take their husbands' last name and change the last letter to "a".
I won't go into too many details regarding the Macedonian language, but the ending of a noun, determines the gender, and female names are no exception. Married females, in alignment with the Macedonian language, place an "a" at the end of their name. For example, if my father's last name was Domanovski, my name would be, Domanovska. And if I married a man I would do the same with his last name and place an "a" at the end.
I understand that keeping my maiden name isn't that big of a deal these days, but I kind of always wanted to share a name with the man I love. There's something very "connecting" about it. But, if I take a different name, altogether, what fun is that? You see, I don't have a problem with changing my last name, I just don't know what to change it to.
Here are my options:
- Keep my last name for convenience
- Take my husband's last name, & deal with the gender issues
- Take my husband's last name and change the last letter to "a"
- Keep my last name and add his last name, thus creating the longest name in history
- Keep my last name, add his last name and change the last letter to "a"
Jul 11, 2011
Ajvar: National food of the Republic of Macedonia
Ajvar, is a traditional meal of Macedonia. It is a savory roasted red pepper dish found across the Balkans, usually prepared closely to fall, the peak harvest time for red peppers. Family cooks roast batch after batch of the colorful vegetables, making plenty of ajvar for their winter pantry. The smoky and tangy spread and sunflower oil, can be a bright garnish for a dish of grilled meats, paired with Mediterranean salads, or simply devoured on a piece of fresh bread.
If you don't want to spend an entire day making this you could always buy it Ajvar commercially made, but it won't taste as good.
Links to Ajvar pre-made:
If you don't want to spend an entire day making this you could always buy it Ajvar commercially made, but it won't taste as good.
Links to Ajvar pre-made:
Jul 10, 2011
Holy Trinity Church & Saint Nikola Church, Kumanovo, Macedonia
These are two Christian Orthodox Churches in Kumanovo,
Macedonia. The first church is Holy Trinity Church, built in 1902.
The second church is Saint Nikola Church, built in 1851.
For more information or to schedule a private tour, contact Dzike53@yahoo.com
Holy Trinity held a large congregation about 30 years ago where people from all surrounding villages would join in. The locals tell the story of the church restoration: “It was a Roman church, and later restored. The Turks wouldn’t let us build a church”. They donated money for the restoration of the church. It was finished in 1894. In the past century, there was an old man, Stamen, who moved in here from the Rudare village and he would heal people who would come for remedy using the mineral water from the springs.
Saint Nikola is a monumental basilica type building, characteristic for all of the sacred buildings in the Balkans in the 19 century period. It is built from stone and bricks. On the northern side there is a porch with colonnades. The central aisle is over topping with four blind domes. Above the northern, western and southern part of the church extends a gallery where unique collection of icons is placed. Above the western part of the gallery extends another one but with smaller dimensions.
For more information or to schedule a private tour, contact Dzike53@yahoo.com
 |
| Holy Trinity Church, Kumanovo, Macedonia |
Holy Trinity held a large congregation about 30 years ago where people from all surrounding villages would join in. The locals tell the story of the church restoration: “It was a Roman church, and later restored. The Turks wouldn’t let us build a church”. They donated money for the restoration of the church. It was finished in 1894. In the past century, there was an old man, Stamen, who moved in here from the Rudare village and he would heal people who would come for remedy using the mineral water from the springs.
 |
| Saint Nikola Church, Kumanovo, Macedonia |
Saint Nikola is a monumental basilica type building, characteristic for all of the sacred buildings in the Balkans in the 19 century period. It is built from stone and bricks. On the northern side there is a porch with colonnades. The central aisle is over topping with four blind domes. Above the northern, western and southern part of the church extends a gallery where unique collection of icons is placed. Above the western part of the gallery extends another one but with smaller dimensions.
Jul 9, 2011
How I learned to speak Macedonian
Interested Readers:
I'm happy for your curiosity in wanting to learn how to speak Macedonian, a language spoken by only 2.5 million people. It was always my life long dream to learn a foreign language; and although I haven't fully mastered Macedonian, I can say that I can hold a conversation reasonably well. After only 6 months of self study, I learned to speak Macedonian. When I first started studying Macedonian my fiance, at the time boyfriend, was so excited that I wanted to learn Macedonian. He thought I was doing it for him, but really, I was so frustrated that I couldn't understand anything him and his friends were saying. I had a hell of a time trying to find software to learn Macedonian. Not many well known language software companies, ie. Rosetta Stone, make software for a language spoken by only 2.5 million people.
1. But I did find, "Talk Now! Macedonian
"from Amazon. I even had it shipped out to Afghanistan while I was working there. I have to say, I really liked this software, it was very user friendly and actually kind of fun. It has some fun memory games that
helped to build my vocabulary. I used the ipod accessory as well, and
would practice while I exercised. They give you certificates for each level, Bronze, Silver, Gold. I never obtained the Gold because I left the CD in a work computer and it was lost forever. Which leads to the only problem I had with this program:
Con's:
I'm happy for your curiosity in wanting to learn how to speak Macedonian, a language spoken by only 2.5 million people. It was always my life long dream to learn a foreign language; and although I haven't fully mastered Macedonian, I can say that I can hold a conversation reasonably well. After only 6 months of self study, I learned to speak Macedonian. When I first started studying Macedonian my fiance, at the time boyfriend, was so excited that I wanted to learn Macedonian. He thought I was doing it for him, but really, I was so frustrated that I couldn't understand anything him and his friends were saying. I had a hell of a time trying to find software to learn Macedonian. Not many well known language software companies, ie. Rosetta Stone, make software for a language spoken by only 2.5 million people.
1. But I did find, "Talk Now! Macedonian
"from Amazon. I even had it shipped out to Afghanistan while I was working there. I have to say, I really liked this software, it was very user friendly and actually kind of fun. It has some fun memory games that
helped to build my vocabulary. I used the ipod accessory as well, and
would practice while I exercised. They give you certificates for each level, Bronze, Silver, Gold. I never obtained the Gold because I left the CD in a work computer and it was lost forever. Which leads to the only problem I had with this program:Con's:
- Every time I wanted to use it, I had to load the CD in my computer. I couldn't just install it once, and discard the CD. That was annoying for me.
- And they do not provide replacement CD's, unfortunately.
Church of St George (St. Gjorgii) – village of Staro Nagorichane, Macedonia
The Church of St. George, which contains outstanding wall paintings of
the late 13th and early 14th centuries, was constructed on the remains
of an earlier church, founded probably by the Byzantine Emperor Romanus
IV Diogenus (1068-1071).
 |
| St. Gjorgi of Staro Nagorichane, Macedonia |
For a Private Tour: contact Dzike53@yahoo.com
Jul 8, 2011
Getting Married in Kumanovo, Macedonia
Let me start with a little background information. I am an American Citizen getting married to a Macedonian citizen in Kumanovo, Macedonia. I warn who ever reads this, that getting married in this country, is not as easy. I will explain my journey, as best I can, so that others can learn from my mistakes.
Jul 7, 2011
Observations at the Christian Orthodox Church, Republic of Macedonia
My observations:
Here are some things I noticed at the Christian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Macedonia. When leaving the church, Macedonians exit the Church backwards, then perform the sign of the cross, from right shoulder to left shoulder, three times, then kiss their fingers. I guess the reason they exit backwards is to show respect to God, by not turning their back on him. I didn't see any of them dip their hands in Holy Water, like we do in the Catholic Religion, but I have seen containers with Holy Water in the Church. And being Catholic, I perform the sign of the cross from left shoulder to right shoulder. Also, in Macedonia, people wear their wedding band on their right ring finger, not their left ring finger. I didn't realize this at first, because most of the married women I've come in contact with, wear gold bands on both left and right ring fingers. Oh, and most people here don't rock the rock. They wear a solid gold band, no diamond included; and usually yellow gold. I have yet to see someone wearing white, platinum, or silver.
Back to the Church, after the service, many people light candles, for their family & friends. These candles burn outside the Church, probably for safety reasons. There are two levels of candles. The lower candles are burned for those that have died and the ones on top are for the living. The service is an hour and half, and afterwards, some people come sit outside on the benches and eat breakfast; usually a piece of bread, or a bread pretzel, then go on their way.
I am a Roman Catholic and my fiance is Christian Orthodox, so I was curious about the differences between the two religions. FYI, Roman Catholics are allowed to marry in the Orthodox church.
These are pictures of the two Christian Orthodox Churches in Kumanovo, Macedonia. The first church is Holy Trinity Church, built in 1902. The second church is Saint Nikola Church, built in 1851.
To see more pictures of these Churches see my other post:
Holy Trinity Church & Saint Nikola Church Kumanovo, Macedonia
Other Churches in the Republic of Macedonia:
http://macedonia-blogs.blogspot.com/search/label/Churches
Here are some things I noticed at the Christian Orthodox Church in the Republic of Macedonia. When leaving the church, Macedonians exit the Church backwards, then perform the sign of the cross, from right shoulder to left shoulder, three times, then kiss their fingers. I guess the reason they exit backwards is to show respect to God, by not turning their back on him. I didn't see any of them dip their hands in Holy Water, like we do in the Catholic Religion, but I have seen containers with Holy Water in the Church. And being Catholic, I perform the sign of the cross from left shoulder to right shoulder. Also, in Macedonia, people wear their wedding band on their right ring finger, not their left ring finger. I didn't realize this at first, because most of the married women I've come in contact with, wear gold bands on both left and right ring fingers. Oh, and most people here don't rock the rock. They wear a solid gold band, no diamond included; and usually yellow gold. I have yet to see someone wearing white, platinum, or silver.
Back to the Church, after the service, many people light candles, for their family & friends. These candles burn outside the Church, probably for safety reasons. There are two levels of candles. The lower candles are burned for those that have died and the ones on top are for the living. The service is an hour and half, and afterwards, some people come sit outside on the benches and eat breakfast; usually a piece of bread, or a bread pretzel, then go on their way.
I am a Roman Catholic and my fiance is Christian Orthodox, so I was curious about the differences between the two religions. FYI, Roman Catholics are allowed to marry in the Orthodox church.
These are pictures of the two Christian Orthodox Churches in Kumanovo, Macedonia. The first church is Holy Trinity Church, built in 1902. The second church is Saint Nikola Church, built in 1851.
|
| Holy Trinity Church, Kumanovo, Macedonia |
|
| Saint Nikola Church, Kumanovo, Macedonia |
Holy Trinity Church & Saint Nikola Church Kumanovo, Macedonia
Other Churches in the Republic of Macedonia:
http://macedonia-blogs.blogspot.com/search/label/Churches
Jul 5, 2011
Another Day Ends
Just finished the best dinner ever. The neighbor came over tonight, as he usually does, once or twice a week. Mostly to entertain and make fun of America, especially Obama
. I usually don't care for his company because he smokes a lot and drinks far too much rakija (home brandy); but he always provides a little bit of wisdom for me each visit; and tonight was no different. The 4th of July in Macedonia
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