Home Stay Family

After a hectic and informative training week at the hotel in Kumanovo, all 37 of the Mak 14's (Macedonian Volunteers in the 14th group)were nervous and excited to meet our host families to begin what the PC (Peace Corps) calls PST (Pre-Service Training). The smaller groups include 6 volunteers where each person stays at a host family who provide room and board. It is a way for the volunteer to transition into the language and customs of the host country. The week is very structured: language classes from 8-12 with our LCF (Language and Cultural Facilitator), lunch, training projects in the afternoon, dinner, homework, maybe free time or just good-old-fashion sleep. After a day of trying to wrap your head and mouth around the language, sleep comes easy. Overall, I feel very lucky with my PST experience of group, LCF and host family. Being placed with 5 other bright and talented PC Trainees, I feel like we are becoming a team. Also, our LCF, who has experience teaching Macedonian Literature at the University, carries with him a quick, dark wit that makes class fun with jokes and stories of the cultural barriers where some others have gotten caught in the hurdle. Moreover, having a host mother to cook amazing meals and do my laundry didn't take much adjusting to. We had a few awkward conversations over the language barrier about what I like and don't like to eat. Mostly it was just a matter of me pointing to things and giving the thumbs up or down. Yovanka has a smile that warms the morning and is always ready to make a cup of tea for me. With two host sisters, Dace (Dat-say, 16) and Eugenia (Af-ghan-ee-a, 15) who speak English, there is always someone to talk to. Sometimes we stay inside and do our homework, or got to the cafe and chat or people watch. Of course the home stay wouldn't be complete without a cat, Leo (Lay-o) who is a striped tabby and loves to cuddle up on my lap. With one week of PST training still swirling around in my head, I feel a little bit better about having a routine and working on the language with my host family and in the shops in town.