After a Year of Trying...

A year ago, I found out the grant I wrote, which was approved, would not be funded (the Peace Corps small project grants went away with USAID).  I waited until June, when we found out that there was another possibility to fund the technology for the English language lab in the school where I volunteer.  This GoFundMe-style grant required a rewrite, but I was able to complete it quickly. Thanks to the support of family and friends, the money was received in late August.

The smartboard finally arrived in December, but it sat for several weeks.  We still needed heat for the room.  Over winter break, we purchased the heat, and it was installed right before school started up in January.  We started using the room, and it was nice and warm.  The director (think principal) is an electrician, and he did the electrical work to connect the smartboard. 

My new counterpart and I have been using the technology.  For the most part, the kids have been really excited.  They are happy to have a warm classroom and new technology.  We do have a couple of classes where student behavior has not been great.  These are the plumbing classes, and students have a low level of English.  The other full-time English teacher is also using the lab.  He is extremely appreciative of the new lab.  We only overlap for two classes, so he is using it for the rest of his classes. 

My counterpart with a student using the write feature

A student tries her hand at adjectives and adverbs

Our new printer

We are connected

We purchased a printer for the lab.  It prints better copies than the one in the staff lounge.  I have a few purchases left -- a laptop and a projector.  This can be used by the other language teachers when the lab is occupied.  We are still working on getting additional desks in the room.  But we are close to having a really nice classroom.

I like working with my new counterpart.  So far, we are working well together.  

We did not hike this past weekend, because we ended up going to Prishtina for our PC book club meetup.  But the Sunday before last, we hiked to Straza.  It was a good hike with snow as we neared Straza.  We had tea and coffee at the restaurant.  We walked down from Straza a bit and had lunch.  It was really cold when we stopped.  Overall, it was a great hike.

Photo from the hikes

We had some blustery weather last week, and some snow.  This week, the temperatures will be in the 40s, and that feels really good.  I am still waiting to find the exact date when I will be leaving my service.  I am hoping for a date in early April.

A snowy, blustery Wednesday

Along the Nerodime

Homemade pomegranate molasses

Muhammara Dip (Walnut, red pepper with pomegranate molasses)

Rain and Snow...

It rained on and off on Thursday, and I was really glad not to have school.  It turned out to be a good couple of days.  On Thursday, Thom, Gazmend, and I went to Ferizaj to get a heating unit for the English lab.  We bought the klima, and scheduled delivery and installation for Saturday.  We ordered a printer as well to be delivered on Saturday.  We now have the big ticket items for the lab, and with the heating unit, it will be warm enough to hold class there.

On Friday, Thom and I decided to check out Prishtina Mall.  Prishtina Mall is fairly convenient from Kaçanik, but we have never been there before.  We arrived at noon and walked around a bit before having lunch. The mall was built in 2023, and it is very nice inside.  It is open and airy with lots of windows.  There are a lot of different stores.  We were pleasantly surprised.  After lunch, we met Alyanna and Sarah.  We walked a little longer before stopping for tea and coffee at a coffee shop.  After Sarah and Alyanna left, we walked some more and then picked up some groceries for the Interex at the mall and headed home.  

Fresh snow taken from our balcony

Open area for performance at the entrance of the mall

The mountains from the mall windows

Friday night, the rain changed to snow, and there was a little snow on the ground.  I went to the school while the guys installed the heating unit.  There is a leak in the ceiling, which will need to be fixed.  The printer was delivered later.  It was great to have these items purchased.

Pool of water from the ceiling leak

The installers putting in the heating unit

Saturday night, it snowed some more.  There was a fresh coat of snow when we joined our fellow hikers at the van to go to Reçak.  The hike is a memorial to the 44 people massacred on January 15, 1999.  This was a turning point in the conflict as NATO stepped in after William Walker (US Diplomat) exposed the brutality of the ethnic cleansing in Reçak and throughout Kosovo.

Stopping for tea and coffee before the hike

The whole group

The temperatures were just below freezing for the hike.  It was not too cold as long as we were walking.  The fresh snow was beautiful.  With earlier rains, the snow was clinging to the trees.  We enjoyed the hike and, as always, our hiking companions.

The beautiful trees on the hike

Monday, I went back to school on Monday.  It was a beautiful, sunny, blue sky day.  The students were in great moods.  I met the new counterpart.  Our classes went really well.  After class, I had coffee with Mirvete.  Then we went to check out the new lab.  It was so nice and warm.  Also, the ceiling and the floor was dry.

The Time Between...

We returned to Kaçanik on January 1.  Schools in Kosovo start back after Orthodox Christmas on January 8th.  We returned to better weather, with blue skies and sunshine.  We didn't have a lot of plans, but we walked every day, had coffee with Danny and Elise, and hiked with the hiking group on Sunday.  

Luboten, the sun, and blue skies

On New Year's Day, we called and talked to family.  Our first hike of 2026 was a hike to the foothills of Luboten.  While it hasn't been foggy or smoggy, it was off and on rainy during the hike.  It was never heavy, but as we headed up toward the peak; it was a bit windy.  We saw some guys in a car that one of the hikers knew, and they gave us the key to one of the cabins.  So while some of the hikers went further, most of us stopped at the cabin to get out of the rain and to eat some lunch.  We had some fun reminiscing about our previous hikes, in particular the rainy hike we took in October.  It was a miserable hike, but now we could laugh about it.  Especially, as we were sitting in a dry cabin out of the wind and drizzle.  Last year, there was snow on the ground.  This year, there is only snow on the peaks.  

Since Sunday, it has been raining a lot, especially on the western side of the country.  This morning, I found out that start of school is being delayed until Monday, so we do not have classes on the 8th and 9th for all of Kosovo.  This is due to flooding in areas of the country.  

I also found out that my counterpart is taking a new position with the municipality.  He will be the director of education for the municipality.  This means there will be a new English teacher in his position.  They have hired the new teacher, and the plan now is that I will be working with her starting next week until I leave in April.  So when i start back again, it will be new experience again.

Another finished crochet project

  

Last Day in Malta...

As our flight on New Year's Eve didn't take off until 10:15 pm, we had plenty of time for a day of exploration before leaving.  It rained throughout the night and was still drizzling slightly when we left the apartment at 10 am.  The drizzle was short-lived as we made our way to the shop where we could leave our backpacks for the day.  We decided to visit the set of Popeye the Movie on the northwest side of the island at Mellieha Bay.

In front of the movie set

We took two different buses to get to the village.  From the first views of the village, we could tell that it was the real set of the 1980 movie.  After finding the restrooms, we went to see a short film on the filming of the movie.  We found out that the director (Robert Altman), chose the location in Malta for it's monochromatic sandstone rock, that added to the cartoon affect.  The entire set was built in 8 months.  The cove that it was built on was a beautiful blue in the bright Maltese sun.  The village is 19 buildings and it didn't take us long to walk through.  We then walked along the cove to the cliffs across from the village to get some postcard perfect photos.  I enjoyed the cartoonish effects of the building construction and the painting techniques.

The view of the village from the cliffs across the bay

Thom makes a better Popeye

The Oyl House

Inside the set

The cove 

Characters dancing

A beach in Mellieha

After touring the village and a short walk, we walked 20 minutes to the bus stop and headed back to Valletta for a late, late lunch.  We walk around until about 6:30 pm.  Then it was time to pick up our backpacks and head to the airport.  Our timing was perfect, as we just missed the rain, which started while we were on the bus to the airport.

The parliament building in Valletta

Best photo of the National tree

The fountain with the lights on

Our flight was uneventful.  We arrived just before midnight.  We actually saw fireworks as we flew over Greece at 11:00 pm, as they are an hour ahead of Kosovo.  

It was colder in Kaçanik than when we left.  But we have gotten out to walk every day and enjoyed coffee or lunch with friends.  I am happy to have a break.

Snow on Luboten