PST: Pre-Service Training

Our training was held in the town of Kavadarci from late March until June 16th.  We originally started with 19 volunteers, now we are down, but holding steady at 13.

Our host parents were Sonja and Slavcho.  They have two daughters, Deanna (11 years old) and Zhivka (10 years old).

Training was a bit brutal.  About 4 hours of Macedonian language classes and 3 to 4 hours of cultural or technical sessions everyday.  Along the way we had a weekend getaway with a language instructor (to test our language skills with the general public), spent a weekend with another volunteer (and got to experience a day in his / her life as a volunteer), and had a "survival" weekend (where we headed off to explore a new city with one or two fellow trainees).

    Here are all the language professors and some Peace Corps staff.  Can you find the two Americans?

    OK, so training was not all hard work.  One day we had to classify ourselves as either an eagle, beaver, turtle, or wolf.  Can you guess what group I'm in?

    A group of us hiking in the mountains overlooking lake Tikvesh.

    The Mayor of Kavadarci invited us all for a weekend in the mountains.  He even hired a live band.  Here is Julie, me, Angali, and Sherri next to the campfire.

     Our "Swearing-In" day.  Jane and I are with the Chashka school director, Mayor, and our host family.

Dancer in traditional dress at our "Swearing-In" ceremony.