Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Sadly Saying Goodbye to...

Goodbye enterprising gypsies recycling bottles with their horse drawn carriages. Goodbye old men drinking rakja at any hour of the day next to Pance's apartment. Goodbye our favorite one of Skopje's 20,000 stray dogs: the one with the bat-dog ears and Ewok face (he's the smallest of the pack but the king of the neighborhood). Goodbye fruit that dribbles just the right amount. Goodbye Lupjco popping peas in nothing but his underwear. Goodbye 80 year old grandma milking a goat to serve us milk and honey on a hungover morning. Goodbye Fast Food 7 and their highly efficient french fry piling system. Goodbye shopska salad (only to be considered shopska if it has peppers AND onions in addition the basic cucumbers, tomatoes and the cheese we purchase by asking, "shopska cheese?"). Goodbye hearing bravo as it was meant to be said. Goodbye afternoon ice cream and boza, that pre-beer yeasty mystery. Goodbye to rakja and those boys who are crazy enough to spike their beer with it. Goodbye gypsy children with their sun-tanned skin and ember eyes bathing in the river (or the awesome public water fountains). Goodbye our favorite geeky (but smokin' hot) couple. Goodbye Nescafe ladno that is never as ladno as you'd like. Goodbye Ayjvar - that delicious red pepper goop that simply must be homemade. Goodbye occasional and nostalgic squat toilet. Goodbye Kafana food and trying to order it without translators. Goodbye tomatoes the size of oxes' hearts (don't worry, they're biologic). Goodbye spaghetti-armed women outfitted in dresses that should be shirts and heels that could be lethal weapons. Goodbye 22 year old boy, who despite having bruises from his last run-in with the cops, cleans up your apartment quiet as a mouse while you sleep off your drunkenness. Goodbye homemade juice. Goodbye an entire country of people who leap to pay the bill. Goodbye people who will not hesitate to find your Turkish coffee (a mainstay in any house) and make it for you. Goodbye smoking cigarettes where it will not get you condemned to social hell. Goodbye radiant girl who is willing to track down a car, driver, archaeologist and smorgasbord of beer and snacks to watch the sunset over NASA's 4th finest. Goodbye to Macedonia and all the friends that have made it the beautiful, fun, hospitable and f*^$ing hot place it is - we will never forget you!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

simply beautiful..it's much more beautiful seen by the eyes of the others! we forget from time to time the little things that make our home country a wonderful place to live in. Thank you for every word,every compliment and every opinion!
Take care,u're always welcomed!

Tomi said...

Thanks for visiting and good luck girls! Don't forget to have fun wherever you are!

Anonymous said...

Goodbye two lovely, fun-to-be-with and freedom-loving friends, who [despite the short stay here] managed to impact our internet space =).

Happy trails! =)

Anonymous said...

| am touched of your thoughts about Macedonia and the lovely memories of the time spent here. I wish I could have met you to make your life more interesting and help you discover more of Macedonia.

Thanks for having all this fun in beautiful Macedonia and spread the our message of good faith and love everywhere. Wherever you go, Macedonia will be with you, in your harts.

Alex

Anonymous said...

Goodbye and thank you for visiting.I meet with you and i thing thet your very interesting girls.I like to say only to dont forget our country and come back next year.
from Beovo town

Unknown said...

A very funny, insightful story. Even for a Macedonian. People sometimes don't see things right in front of their eyes, in their every day lives. Thanks, you made me smile and think :).
Btw, looking at the pics made me think i might have seen you in Goce Delcev student dorm's internet cafe...Were you ever there?
Best of luck girls!

Anonymous said...

It's so interesting to read this text because reading it you realize that this is your everyday life and it's perfect with all of its flaws. It's so sad that we start to appreciate things when we lose them. With this text you made us realize that we are actually so lucky to live here.
Hope you come again!

Gabriela said...

What a touching and tender farewell. I'm pretty sure everyone mentioned here must have tears in their eyes when reading it. I'm having tears in my eyes!
I'm not Macedonian, in fact, I'm a Peruvian, but even so, I felt really moved.
All the best!

Anonymous said...

You are welcomed again to visit our country. ;)

Anonymous said...

Girls, you have felt it in the right way!!!

Welcome back to our small, lovely country...