Experiencing The Life in Bitola via EVS

Здраво. Јас сум Ајнур од Турција. Јас сум тука речиси четири месеци.  Учам на македонски јазик. Можам да зборувам малку македонски. по четири месеци, се чувствувам како да сум Македонка.

It seems that it has been 4 months of my arrival here. As time flies and the weather changes as quickly as the weather in England, I have completed my 121^st day. I have grown with new experiences day after day. In my first day in Macedonia I was young. Now I feel like I grew older, and when I complete my project, I will be even older. “Living” life and “experiencing life” are two different terms.  One can live the life without experience but one cannot experience life without living. Living is the prerequisite for experience. Yes, in this respect, I am living anyway with taking a simple breath ? Experience is not that much easy as living. Here I have experienced the life. I have met people. I have faced even the different climate rather than İstanbul’s. I am 750 km away from home. While leaving my home with my suitcase, I was thinking like what I was going to face in the different country. What challenges was I going to have? What culture was I going to meet? People? Food? OMG! Too many questions. Briefly, when I set off on my journey, my suitcase was full of clothes and my mind was full of questions.

From the first day of my arrival, I started receiving replies of these questions.  On my way to Bitola from Skopje, I faced the heartwarming, friendly side of this culture.  On the bus, I was curious about the place where I was, and I asked a passenger who was not speaking English but trying to help me by using his body language as he was pointing the place out and saying “Bitola, Bitola.” That moment was very heartwarming moment for me to see here in my first day in Macedonia. That time was the signal for the future events.

And in my arrival to Bitola, I met the staff members of the organization; I felt comforted when I saw their friendly behavior towards me. We have become such a family with my organization. They are so friendly that they even invited us to their houses. I have been the other volunteer’s mentor’s birthday party, which took place in her house. I met her family, we all had fun together. Then, I have been to my president’s house for his father’s “name day”. People in Sfera organization are so generous that they all want us to be participated in all events.

I spent my 121 day doing some activities such as teaching Turkish Language to local people, translating a Project from Turkish language into English, designing posters/flyers for events, helping organizing Art attack event being a participant in Youth Exchange programs. Besides working, I have also traveled to Ohrid, Matka, Albania.

Photo from the first Turkish Lesson

While teaching Turkish language, I have learned that we have many common words such as, chakmak, chanta, chorap, kapı, bacanak, baldız, cezve, gevrek, and so on. Catching some common words in a conversation help me to guess the subject of the conversation, which is spoken in Macedonian language. I have been also learning Macedonian from my Turkish language student Viktoria, who is Macedonian teacher. It is kind of language exhange ?

I have been also helping my organization about translation. I have recently translated a Project about refugees. I have also designed posters for my Turkish language class and charity event, and I will continue designing posters in need. My organization carried out Youth Exchange programs. I was participating in these programs to help my organization in needs.

Christmas Dinner with Sfera Macedonia Members

I have also experienced Christmas here. We all had the Christmas dinner together in hotel Sumski Feneri. We ate, drank, and enjoyed all together. I also experienced Вртење Мазник on the 13^th of January; I felt like I had that luck to find the coin to have that chance during the year but не, немав среќа ☹

The Lake of Ohrid 19th of January

And then on the 19^th of January there was an event of Водици.  I went to Ohrid for the purpose of seeing this event. I went there with my friends Alisija (Macedonion), Ezgi (Turkish), Patricia (Romanian). We took our place at the lake of Ohrid to see the event. For the first time I had experienced this event. When the cross was thrown into the lake, people jumped into the freezing water to get the cross. I was amazed how people could do that in the freezing weather.  Who finds the cross, that person will be lucky during the year.

From left to right (Santi, Busra, Me (Aynur), Borja) in Ohrid in October, 2017

Until now, I have met many volunteers in my organization such as Nikola (Croatian), Busra (Turkish), Borja (Spanish), Santi (Spanish), Claudia (Romanian), Patricia (Romanian). We had lots of fun together.

with Together Macedonia In Pelister 27/01/2018

Besides, volunteers from Sfera Organization, I have also met Turkish volunteers in different organization, Together Macedonia, you Derya, Demir, Ezgi. We became like a family here; when there is an event in one of our organization we invite each other to have fun all together.  People here in Bitola are so sociable and friendly. Sometime we went for a coffee, drink or eat something together.

As a result, I am glad what I have done so far here. I have only two months left. Half of my heart will stay here, the other part will carry all memories that I have had here to the future with me. All experiences that I have had here will be my memoirs, EVS memoirs that I will never forget 😀