There are usually a lot of “Why?” questions that many applicants, and a lot of Invitees get  before actually departing for service in the Peace Corps. There are also  many well-intentioned questions from family and friends alike about whether it … Continue reading →

For nearly four months I have been living with two different host families, first in Kratovo                 and, then Negotino. Living out of my bags while having a room of my own in … Continue reading →

The religions and culture in Macedonia combine to provide a rich experience mid  winter. Christmas and New Years as we know them in the Western World are celebrated, BUT the predominantly Orthodox Religion, and its associated calender, provides that another … Continue reading →

Numbers. My Peace Corps experience keeps getting represented on paper by numbers. It has been 50 years since I had the initial desire to join the Peace Corps. I summarized those years very briefly in the About Me section of … Continue reading →

Throughout PST (Pre-Service Training) we are repeatedly told that the American Volunteers get frustrated with many of the differences in the Macedonian culture from what we are accustomed to in the States. One of the big differences that become a … Continue reading →

PCA, PCI, PCT, PCV I started this journey as a PCA, became a PCI, then a PCT and am now a PCV Some people measure progress by the passage of time, the summary of successes, or the accumulation of assets. … Continue reading →

So, the day started with early desk work to try to stay on top of our language training. I was interrupted by my host mother, who instructed me to go across the street where my host father was talking with … Continue reading →

Today is October 31st and all photos for this month have been uploaded to  my Web Album. The photos for September were updated during this past month. to see either Web Album, go to: September 2011 Photos: https://picasaweb.google.com/102902699669731472290/LewWithMAK16Sept2011?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCN_uvq6B9c22rgE&feat=directlink October 2011 … Continue reading →

This is our 7th week since arriving in Macedonia. We had one week of orientation for everyone combined and we have had 6 weeks of training in small groups composed of trainees who will be given similar work assignments. I … Continue reading →

During the application process and especially immediately before Staging, the specifics of what I would actually do in the Peace Corps were few and far between. But, that didn’t really matter because it was the spirit of the Peace Corps’ … Continue reading →

It has just occurred to me that I am learning the Macedonian language at a rate that is supposed to get me to a satisfactory level of conversational ability in another 5 weeks. That will be the same level I … Continue reading →

First, some catching up is in order. Posting has been delayed due to lack of Internet connectivity. This is being written in the hopes of finding an Internet connection for uploading as soon as possible. This should begin with a … Continue reading →

Final farewell dinner two days ago: With Mary, Her sister, Kathy and Jim, Kathy’s husband as well as our son, John and his wife, Mandy So, it has come down to the last day before I meet the other Invitees … Continue reading →

Yikes! It has been a little more than 16 months since I submitted my application on-line. During that time, days seemed like weeks and weeks seemed like months. The thought of actually departing the States to serve in another country … Continue reading →

For those who have followed my previous Blog at http://www.palew.blogspot.com, this blog picks up where that one left off. For those who have not followed that blog, it was an accounting of my experiences through 16 months of the PC … Continue reading →