This health-crazed-nut learned fairly quickly, she would have to make some adjustments to her previously strict diet of no grains, sugar, or dairy- unless she planned to starve to death here in Kosova. Browsing the grocery store shelves was a bit overwhelming the first few days here (and jet-lag added to this). There are some familiar looking jars, boxes, cans... but of course labels and ingredients are in Albanian or other languages making it a bit tricky. Thus, I set out on a food investigation/exploration to acquire some key nutritional ingredients.
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| Yes, that is me with a flat of eggs (30) |
Step 1: Purchase local farm fresh eggs from staff at PHS. When I heard that there was a staff who owned 100 chickens- I knew I had to befriend him quickly (Ismet, the same man who invited us all over to his home for Byram). By my 3rd day in Pristina, I had 30 fresh eggs waiting for me at the school. And these are fresh eggs- there was even a feather stuck to one of them! So delicious and nutritious!
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| Sacro- in front of the honey shelf |
Step 2: Locate the one and only health co-op type store in Pristina and befriend worker. "
Sacro" <-Click the link to read the article that brought on my search for the store! Sacro has only been open for 4 months and little by little it is gaining popularity (I've been spreading the word of course) and growing it's inventory.
Here, I met Daniella and her teenage son, Alfred. I purchased a few things that day and made sure they knew I'd be back. Daniella and Alfred have since become my friends and food guides.
Step 3: Purchase ingredients for home cooked meals that I can feel good about (and safe) eating.
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| Dinner ingredients- notice the handsome little chicken |
I've been in Pristina for just under 3 weeks and since been to numerous markets- there are so so many in this city- ranging from super markets to mini markets and outdoor venders. The big difference in the grocery stores here is the lack of options. The stock at the markets is the generally the same but there are those few [speciality] items at certain stores that I've had to hunt for. Such golden items include; wild rice, tahini, chickpeas, whole wheat flour...
Produce is all over the city but everything seasonal- that means a vast decrease in produce come the winter months. Also, everything must be washed very well- I've been doing a vinegar/water soak prior to eating just to be safe.
The meat was the next area for me to tackle. Daniella recently took me to the market she trusts for buying good fresh local chicken. Much of the chicken in markets is frozen- and this becomes a concern when there are frequent power outages- the fresh frozen thaws (potential for bacteria) and then re-freezes.
Step 4: Enjoy the local traditional cuisine.
I'm learning what a struggle and truly waste it is to travel to a new country and get stuck on eating what you are used to. While it is nice to re-create those home-land dishes, I'm determined to try as much as I can while I'm here and even experiment with cooking as the locals do.
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| Pasul, Speca me meze, shopska salad, Ajvar and buke |
One of the American teachers, Kelsey, had us over her house for a traditional dinner. She has learned a lot about the culture from her Albanian roommate. In the center is Speca me meze (grilled peppers in sour cream), the dishes around is the Pasul (white bean stew), shopska salad (cucumbers, tomatoes, onion, cheese, olive oil), Ajvar (roasted pepper spread) and bread for dipping. We all sat around and ate "family style."
The best part of eating here in Kosova, is enjoying a meal with friends. In a lot of ways, I'm grateful for the limits. Sure, I do miss certain things that cannot be found here, but I'm starting to accept what is available and work with it. And slowly I am learning how the food we eat is a very small part of our lives. I figure, it was God who brought me here, and if His plan is for me to stay, He's gotta keep my body going :)
"And he said to his disciples, "Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat nor about your body, what you will put on. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens; they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor ban, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds!" (Luke 12: 22-24)
-A
September 13th was our school open house. With only 2 weeks into the school year, feeling unprepared was a definite understatement for me. However, it went surprisingly well. There wasn't a huge turnout but I was pleased to meet the families/parents of 3 students.
The school is set about 2 miles outside the city, Pristina. Students arrive via school transportation- van or newly purchased mini bus. Parents do pay to send their child to PHS and it is not cheap for them. There are a small number of students on full scholarship. For the rest, their parents must pay and I believe that this is the largest deterrent from attending the school. While, ideally there would be no cost for attending, there just simply must be with all the different costs (including rent, utilities, maintenance and a few of the staff- those native receive pay for their work). The school is not making any profit- just holding on for as long as possible while trying to make an impact for the greater good of the city and country.
I have 18 students total in my 10th grade English class, but this is split over two periods- 10 in one and 8 in the other. I am indeed blessed with 2 small class sizes. Some of my colleagues have up to 22 students in one class. And to think of those even larger class sizes that are typical in most public schools- I don't know how they do it. I feel truly blessed to be given this experience- an insider's perspective.
