You might think that because Kosovo is predominantly Muslim, there would be less holiday celebrations. That is not the case. They have been decorating the shesh's, the stores, and the restaurants with holiday cheer for all of December. It is done later here than in the U.S., but it is definitely a thing. That being said, the 24th of December is not a holiday, but I am not teaching today as our classes have been shortened and we are headed to Prizren. The 25th is a holiday, and there will be no buses running.
We are headed to Prizren for a Christmas celebration with other volunteers. On Christmas Eve, we will decorate a Christmas tree, and tomorrow, there will be a Christmas dinner. It will be nice to have a semi-traditional holiday celebration. On the 26th, we will catch a bus in Prizren to Skopje. In the early evening, we will catch our flight for five days in Malta.
We chose Malta because I wanted to go somewhere warmer, and it is a direct flight from Skopje. Currently, it is showing temperatures in the mid-60s for Friday and Saturday. I am missing the sun as it is cloudy and gray almost every day here. Yesterday, I saw a peek of the sun for about five minutes. I also feel the need for a break, so the timing is good. In Kosovo, our winter break starts on the 25th of December and runs through the 7th of January. We have a full two-week break.
Already, we are seeing license plates from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and other countries that have winter breaks that started last weekend. It is a good time to get away. I am never fond of the return of diaspora.
Last Sunday, we did a local hike, but it was different and really fun. Unfortunately, it was a little muddy along the way. We hiked from Kaçanik to Stagova, but we took a different trail that led up a hillside through the woods. After about three or four hours of hiking, we ended up and a hut with fires blazing and food waiting. The owners of the hut are friends with members of our hiking group, and they do this hike annually. We missed the event last year, but we were happy to join this year. The hut had a wood stove, where they had prepared Turkish tea. Their wives made flia, pickled tomatoes, and pickled peppers. There was an abundance of rakia, scotch, and ouzo. It was a definite party for all.
Photo on our first break
Danny and I walked to a waterfall with one of the owners and his son. It was a beautiful little walk. Eventually, the party ended. Some of the guys decided to hike back, but many of us hiked to several vehicles, and then we got a ride back to Kaçanik. It was another great hike.
Last night was our holiday dinner with the Gjethi guys and their wives. It was so nice, and it was great joining them again during the holiday season. Although Thom sees Sami on a regular basis, I don't see them much.
I have been doing some holiday cooking. I have been doing some ot the dishes I do in the U.S. with a Kosovo flair. I made a stuffed pumpkin with bread and bulgur stuffing. On the weekend, I made my butternut squash wellington with honeynut squash and a burek shell instead of puff pastry. I baked lemon sugar cookies and snickerdoodles. For lunch yesterday, I made potato latkas. I won't be cooking for Christmas Day as one of our new Response Volunteers is handling the meal.
Happy Holidays to family and friends. I am looking forward to celebrating the holidays in the U.S.A. next year.
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