March

Zdravo!

It's been a while ago since I wrote something. There's a lot I can tell now but I'll jut share the highlights.
Soon after my last post I was planning to go hiking in Popova Shapka. That's an hour away from here. I bought hiking shoes, but unfortunately I got ill. That was not so nice, but everybody took good care of me, brought me tea, fruit and pills. And I had a chance to discover all the movie channels on the television ;-)
And my hiking shoes where good (very fashionable) for the snow here. The weekend after that me and Katka went to Tetovo to see 2 other EVS'ers and to go skiing in Popova Shapka. It was great! Ok, you can't compare it to Austria or Switzerland but it looked great, the snow was good and it was nice to be in the snow again. My shoes weren't great, so the skiing didn't really go like I wanted it, but that didn't matter. I had no camera with me, but that would've been funny, because I lent trousers and they were far too big for me. As a red tomato I came back from skiing and the next day we walked in Tetovo to the fortress. At least, we tried to, because the police didn't allow us. But we almost managed :-)

At my work I'm busy with publishing nice scholarships, trainings and conferences and the writing of articles. Besides that we're planning to have more contact with the students at the University here, to make them aware of the great possibilities that are waiting for them ;-)

Besides the work I spend my time with friends, discovering new bars and places, having parties and going to movies in the cultural centre. There's a lot to do here. I also became member of an international youth magazine, called Libertas. You can find it here.

And after a week of snow, all of a sudden it was there... spring! And that makes everything so much nicer. Everybody is outside now, walking, skating, jogging or sitting on a terrace. No more grey Skopje.

Sunny flag

I have a new hobby! Hiking! Two weeks ago we had a picknick at lake Matka, close to Skopje. You can go there by bus, but 4 of us decided to go by feet. It would take us 5 to 6 hours. So me and Ondrej met at 7 in the morning (!) with a guy from Skopje and a girl from Belgium to climb Vodno, a mountain on the border of the city. It's 1000 meters high. After 1,5 hour we were at the top.

(On top of Vodno is a big cross. You can see it from everywhere in the city. It gives light in the evening. Although it's quite controversial, it's a good landmark.)

From there we walked to the lake, it was so beautiful! And so close to the city! I really enjoyed it! The other people who came by bus joined us and we had a picknick close to the lake, next to an old monastery. 

After a nice jazz concert on monday in the Opera and Ballet building, we finally got our bikes! Very nice! And also a big adventure if you're used to The Netherlands, where everything is build for bicycles. I think it's even quite dangerous here with the mad traffic and the holes in the way. But I'm very happy with it.

This week we had a good night out with 2 german guys, travelling with their bikes. And two days later it was 1st of april, and on that day people do not only try to fool each other with stupid jokes (like fake relationships on facebook :P) but they also celebrate a kind of carnaval. That was funny. Friday I walked a lot in the city and Saturday I went with Ondrej to National Park Mavrovo. That was very beautiful! We walked the whole day there. 

Slowly I discover how beautiful this country is and I'm liking it more and more. I'm really looking forward to visit other nice parts of the country and to go to Ohrid. They say it's the most beautiful place in Macedonia. 

Right now it already feels like summer to me. During daytime it's at least 20 degrees but probably more. In the summer it will be 45 or even more. I don't really know what to think about this, because 30 degrees is more than enough for me. So if you want to visit me I suggest you not to come later than the half of june. Because after that I probably will be living in my freezer. 

Have a nice easter everybody!

Chao! Mariska