Workin It.

"your life is not all about you! you are about life!"

-Richard Rohr

I’m the only woman in a small room crowded with men of all ages from the village. I can see the mixed emotion of shock, curiosity and predicament in their eyes as they ponder why a shiny, young American woman has imposed upon this traditionally all-male, late-night meeting of the village men with their Mayor. This spur of the moment gathering is an opportunity for the men to voice their concerns, suggestions and hopes for bettering life in the village. From the looks of their weathered faces and hands, these men either work the land or are employed by the local coal mining industry. As we take our seats, the store owner offers us a coca-cola while pouring shots of rakia for the elders who are already dozing in their seats. The Mayor listens attentively as the men voice issues of imminent importance – from long-awaited road repairs to one man’s emphatic pleas for money favors to finish construction of his home. At one point the shout-outs escalate to a full out shouting match as the men fall into disagreement with one another. As they quarrel among themselves, I can’t help but smile as a truly dynamic and democratic process unfolds before my eyes (and ears).

I tagged along on several occasions as the Mayor held town meetings like this one throughout the villages of our municipality. With nothing better to do on a Friday or Saturday night, it was a unique opportunity to meet the people I would be working on behalf of. The Mayor and my colleagues have gone out of their way to help me feel at home here. They have already invested time and money in me, including dinner parties, trainings throughout Macedonia, and a tailor-made suit (skirt, pants, jacket). The mayor’s wife even insisted I come over for coffee at 3am once (after a dinner party), so I did, albeit a bit tired, but the best conversations happen over coffee here. She and the Mayor were eager to hear about my life in America, and I just so happened to have enough Macedonian to share stories with them of family and friends. It was a nice moment of connection. With all that’s been invested in me thus far, I am eager to get to work and do what I can.

Job description: Community Development Volunteer, pioneering environmental projects for the Municipality of Novaci. I have 25 colleagues, 2 counterparts and the Mayor is my boss (and neighbor). Our office is located in the Village of Novaci, only a 3-minute walk from my house. The Municipality of Novaci includes 43 villages, over 3,500 people and an abundance of historical and natural resources. It’s also home to the largest coal-burning power plant (in addition to 2 coal mines) in Macedonia, generating over 80% of the country’s energy, as well as providing much-needed jobs to several thousand local people. The power plant (REK Bitola) towers above Novaci, casting a shadow on our village with plumes of smoke. The air quality is that of a big city. With air quality as an obvious starting point, last month my counterpart and I submitted a grant application to Germany’s Climate Initiative for a 300,000 Euro project that will mitigate air pollution through the installation of monitoring stations and the planting of a greenbelt in Novaci.

The Municipality of Novaci waited for 3 years to get a Peace Corps Volunteer, and it is my pleasure to be its first. The site placement feels like a natural fit, from the environmental focus to my fabulous counterparts. I work on a team with Nikolina and Igorche, local employees of the municipality who want to make a positive difference in their community. It was Nikolina’s idea to apply for a Peace Corps Volunteer. The first time I saw her, I knew she was who I want to be when I am 40 – she stepped out of the car with long sleek black hair, a stylish trenchcoat, heels and bright red lipstick. She carries herself with confidence and is truly stylish, passionate, and charismatic and knows how to get things DONE. Igorche is 28 years old and was assigned to work with me because he has the best English of all the employees. We make a good team (with a lot of laughter) – he’s teaching me how to have fun at work, per Macedonian custom. I was actually scolded this week by a Supervisor for working too hard and not coming to visit her office, so yesterday I made a point of taking a break and having coffee with her. It’s surprising how odd (or hard) it is for me to allow myself to take such breaks. I recently read an article about addictions to stress. I definitely have an addiction to “To-Do Lists” and all things efficiency-related. Although I am a product of American work-ethic, I’m looking forward to the challenge of weaning myself off of stress these next 2 years and increasing my quota of smiles, coffee breaks, and fun.

Here's to a fabulous February!

XT