Winter, Without Power & NYE

          Well the holiday season has come and gone for everyone and mine is just getting started.  I did have a nice Christmas hanging out with my fellow Ohrid PCV's.  For most of last week I was without power because of a snowstorm that turned into an ice storm.  I finally got power on NYE, which was a good thing because no one wants to dance with a smelly man. 

          First, take a look at the snowstorm, it's beauty and what I did without power.  Honestly, it was really refreshing to not have power, a connection to the internet and TV.  I read several books, played dominoes, cards and chess with my family and cooked on a wood fire stove.  Almost all of my family back in TN has a fireplace or wood fire stove so I was quite comfortable working with one.

This was the Christmas Eve sunset.

The snow started Sunday afternoon and didn't quit until Monday.  It's quite rare for Ohrid to get snow so this was a surprise for the whole town.

Shoveling the driveway before the temperature dropped to -10 C, 14 F, was a great idea. It didn't get above freezing until a week later. 

"Оган" or fire.

It was clear, gorgeous and cold.

This picture was taken just before the snowstorm started since we'd had a little bit of snow Saturday night. The castle in the background is Samuil's Castle that overlooks Ohrid.

My host father and I threw down on some chess. 

Since it was -18 to -20 degrees C, or 0 degree F, the crowds were a bit smaller for NYE in Ohrid than normal.  Also, the roads here were shut down for most of the week so traveling was difficult. 

Still there were plenty of people out and about.

Victoria, Alex and I 

No that's not a ponytail that's a foot long rat tail behind Alex.

Yeah they're dancing on the tables. I dug it.

          

I made some friends. 

We took full advantage of my returned electricity, made guac, nachos and watched college football. It was a great feeling seeing UT whoop up on Iowa.  Butch knows how to take great talent and make them work to be better.

          Now NYE was a lot of fun but I did feel two things.  First, I finally had culture shock.  I haven't really felt it yet because everything looks, feels and smells so similar to home.  It was when I was out talking to Serbians, Bulgarians, Croatians and the locals that I realized how culturally different we are from one another.  I would speak in Macedonian for a few sentences and everyone would answer in English because they knew I was foreign and probably American.  Second, I've got to find a soccer club or some sort of athletic club to meet some local people.  After not playing anything for months I'm ready to get on a field again and make some friends that way.

 Today is Macedonian's Christmas Eve.  I really don't know what to expect but I know that there's going to be a large dinner here.  

Срекна Нова Година (Happy New Years)