What a change in scenery! The last two days we spent working in the Roma community just outside of Skopje. Apparently the area we were in was a “better” side of the neighborhood too… However, coming from our previous building site in Veles, this was a whole new experience which opened our eyes to another layer and culture of Macedonia.

The home we were helping build belonged to a family that seemed to have an ongoing slew of members that kept appearing throughout our two days. From small children to teens, wives, grandmas, aunties, patriarchs and the spying neighbors, we were left to wonder exactly who the next inhabitants of this home were going to be. We still don’t know. According to our understanding there were too many women living with different male family members, and due to their religious restrictions another home needed to be built. They seemed to shout a lot at one another, and at us. Then we realized that's how they communicate with no ill will intended.

When we arrived on the job site on Thursday morning, a partial foundation had been set up and the first five layers of bricks had been laid in what appeared to be a 30 square meter area. Over the course of the next two days, in 33 and 35 degree heat respectively, we continued hauling bricks down to the build site, mixing mortar and building a wall with the guidance of a bricklayer, Vlado, who communicated with a series of grunts and gestures. Oh, and “hellos” (read: hey idiot, what are you doing?). We also leveled the dirt foundation with what seemed to be a big stump affixed by nails to handles (read: sticks). We called this the ground smasher. Shockingly, the resourceful leveler worked amazingly well!

In attempts to escape the heat and cramped working quarters, some of us found our way to the "backyard” to play with the neglected puppy that was sadly restrained to a tree with little to do. Over the course of the next two days, other than discussing the rescue of the pup, we managed to complete the outer walls of the home, begin a partition within the house and start a barrier from their nosey neighbors. We also had the opportunity to stop by a local primary and middle school to tour the grounds, speak to some of the teachers and donate twelve laptops and two projectors.

We’d like to thank all the students who made this trip so wonderful to be on. In the face of extreme heat, menial and repetitive tasks - and often, exhausting ones - early-ish rises and shifting itineraries, everyone was consistently nice to be around. In response to, “Let’s have a team discussion,” someone said, “We’re not a team, we’re a group.” No, we are a team. Team members help one another, look out and stick up for one another, and respect each other, and our team does just that. So thank you all for being the special people that you are, and for being part of this experience. Have a wonderful summer.

 

As we mentioned already, throughout the past two on-site “working” days, our students have been incredibly enthusiastic and energetic, willing to perform any task offered without complaint. Their finishing jobs have varied from priming and painting, to cementing, digging and landscaping. Although these too are valuable experiences, we really wanted an aspect of this trip to be about building alongside a local family. Given that our initial plans of this project haven’t been possible at HfH’s current build site in Veles, we have been working with HfH Macedonia in attempts to arrange another project that might provide the experience we had previously arranged and expected.

Within the last day, HfH secured an opportunity for our group to do just this… A Roma family, living in the Skopje region, secured funds through a microfinance company to aid in the building of a home for their family. They have just begun the process of laying bricks and mortar and would like our assistance. So, alongside their family, a HfH representative and two professional brick-layers, our team will continue our last two days on this new job site in Skopje.

We had a team meeting this afternoon before our evening in Skopje to debrief the students about the change in plans. All in all, everybody seems to be looking forward to the change in scenery, routine and rhythm with high hopes that this build will provide new insight and meaning to our mission.

Until tomorrow… Goodnight (“dobra nok”́ also read as добра ноќ) from Macedonia!

This morning an enthusiastic group boarded the bus only a few minutes late! We got to the job site and quickly resumed our tasks from the day before after a short presentation on HfH Macedonia. Perhaps it’s expected that one Habitat build will be followed by another, but without adequate funding construction stands still. We learned about how HfH Macedonia’s funding comes primarily from the European head office in Bratislava, as well as from volunteers’ contributions like ours. At the moment they’ve completed two of twenty-four anticipated blocks of buildings and cannot yet continue on the next due to lack of money. This is despite the high demand for decent housing in Macedonia.

Right beside our build site there are makeshift homes that resemble what we’d consider garden sheds (read: shacks). It seems that some have electricity and even running water, although many lack windows and insulation from the cold. We were told that they were the immediate solution for collapsed homes in the area due to landslides. Although they may seem temporary due to their appearance, other evidence suggests long-term occupancy.

It’s always interesting to see what type of work the students will gravitate toward. Some commit to a certain task and wont let go. Others commit to a certain tool and wont part with it. Then there are some who adopt a marché style approach to the job and sample this and that depending on how they feel, who’s doing what, and how hot the sun is cooking their flesh! Regardless, everyone was working hard with intermittent moments of play (see video of painting pole tricksters Gwen, Shun and Jack). Sam was working through all of that. Sam’s been quite the machine these last few days. He’s definitely won the favour of our site foreman, Zarko, and has perfected the ratio of water to primer mix.

This evening we headed into Veles, a nearby one-horse town, where we had some free time to peruse the neighborhood followed by a lovely traditional Macedonian meal.
 

Sorry for the delay. Uploaded with the slowest internet connection on the planet!
 

 

Sam: “First day of working… It’s going to be a long week.” And it probably will be! The combination of sweltering heat and hard labour will prove to be exhausting sooner than later. One of our parents insisted that we work his boy hard on this trip, so we can proudly say that we’ve begun to deliver. The pickaxe was irremovable from his hands, and he had the Eye of the Tiger!

Planning months in advance, you never can tell what stage a build will be at when you arrive. Expecting to erect a structure we found it already in place, so we’ve been left with a whole slew of other grunt work; from sanding, painting, to digging trenches for irrigation and landscaping.

Nevertheless, our students took it all in stride, as we’d expected, and wielded their pickaxes and paintbrushes as enthusiastically as anyone would hope them to. If there’s anything to be proud of today, it’s not the products of their labour, but the attitude with which they approached each task. When it comes down to it, we’re here to serve the community and that takes a variety of forms.

Arriving back to the hotel some crashed hard from exhaustion, others seized the inflatable raft and made for the (read: our) pole. The avid readers read for pleasure and for their summer IB homework. And all that was followed by a lovely dinner together where Sam and Gwen graced us with their humming renditions of Sky Jazz internet radio, Sho gallantly samurai-ed mosquitoes, we talked about the wonders of the Personal Project, Shun fell asleep, Maayan and Micah discussed the Southern pronunciation of naked as well as shared baking tips, and Hiroki showed us how you should eat a lava cake.

Miscommunication was strong as an order of lattes produced some peach iced tea, Emilie got three different desserts before the right one came, Alex – a true gentleman – waited for her before he started, Sho froze in mid-chew when Sam told him he was eating the wrong dish, Mika diplomatically turned away her Romantique Cake with a “it’s not my taste”, and Yen got everything right all night, but Yen does tend to get things right. Jack’s sabred meat dish was the envy of the evening, and was won over to the camp that believes the lemon to be the noblest of fruits.

Did you know that Alexander the Great was actually called Alexander of Macedonia, and that he fought alongside the Ottomans for Macedonia? And did you know that Mother Teresa was born and grew up in Skopje, and her birth name was Gonxha Agnes Bojaxhiu? Well, we didn’t. These details have yet to be verified, but for the time being we’ll consider ourselves enlightened. Our day began with a tour of Skopje. The rebuilding after the devastating earthquake 40 some years ago is prominent everywhere we looked. There was construction all around, and even our prime destination, the Fortress of Skopje, was closed for renovation. Grand cultural buildings are going up everywhere in an effort to rebuild what was lost from the earthquake, but also raise the morale of the people of Skopje – a city that’s home for half of this country’s population. Statues and sculptures are being erected in all corners of the city centre, including a 2-part monstrosity of the Great [Macedonian] Alexander. I think it’s one of the biggest statues any of us has ever seen. During our tour it became clear that throughout the history of Macedonia the people here have struggled to maintain their culture, land and national identity.

In typical form, the most exciting part of the day was the free time to purchase this and that. With the lake and water in mind some of the group bought an inflatable raft (oars not included), an inflatable mattress and ball. Ah, and the water pistols. All were put to good use when we returned to the hotel. As you can see, Sho got a hat that brings a new level of sophistication to the gentleman, and Shun found his mannequin double.

A constant so far has been a great deal and variety of tasty food; there seems to be something here for all gastronomical preferences. We ate a little lighter than usual this evening away from the main dining area because there’s a wedding going on. So we’ve been privy to what a Macedonian wedding reception may be like, circle dancing included.

That’s it for now. Tomorrow we’ll do a brief tour of Stobi to visit the ruins, after which our plans are unknown but will likely involve water fun, sun and Marco Polo.