Poroj: Village life outside Tetovo

We had such a lovely time visiting friends who live in a village outside Tetovo:  the village of Poroj.  It was a lovely spring day for enjoying the home and gardens of our friend Gazmend and his family. He has 3 children, and my daughter had such a fun time playing with them!

cherry tree!

so delicious!

 

it was like the proverbial "loaves and fishes"

delicious homemade jam

and Turkish tea

the kids had so much fun playing together

 

 

and delicious homemade chocolate treats

then we went to this lovely restaurant

enjoyed the sound of this stream (video below, so you can enjoy it, too)

such lovely mountain views

Tetovo: Some highlights of my time at the State University of Tetovo

This semester I was privileged to have been a Fulbright Scholar -- "Rule of Law and Civil Society" in Macedonia -- teaching 3 courses with 3 faculties at 2 universities in 2 cities.

One of those universities was the State University of Tetovo.  I was working with 1st year Political Science Students ("Democracy and Civil Society") and 3rd year Law Students ("Constitutional Law").  I also delivered guest lectures with graduate students on the Tetovo campus, and I met with students at the SUT extension campuses in Skopje and in Struga.

The Rector Vullnet Ameti, Vice Rector Arber Celiku, Head of the International Relations Office Hatibe Deari, Dean  Ferat Polisi, and faculty members of the Departments were so welcoming and have made me feel very much a part of the academic community here. 

A very special thanks to Vice Dean of the Law Faculty Jusuf Zejneli and Political Science Professor Shefik Shehu for handling all the details of my courses and for making me feel a part of the Departments.

I have gotten to know my students well over the course of the semester. In addition to our lectures on campus, we have spent time together on a number of field trips and community service projects (e.g., visits to the Constitutional Court, the Mayor's Office, NGOs, etc.)

My students were bright, engaged, and committed to working for a brighter future for Macedonia.

I am looking forward to our continued cooperation! I hope this semester is only the beginning.

Here is a look back at some of the blog posts from my time in Tetovo:

Welcome to the State University of Tetovo
http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/02/welcome-to-state-university-tetova.html

Meeting with the Dean of the Law Faculty
http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/02/meeting-with-dean-of-law-faculty-and.html


Political Science Faculty -- "Democracy and Civil Society"

Field trip to Skopje -- TV24 -- Taping of "Open" and meeting wtih NDI
 http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/04/at-taping-of-tv24-show-open-otvoreno.html

Field Trip to Gratnica, meeting with NGO Happy Life
http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/05/field-trip-to-vratnica-my-democracy-and.html

Field Trip/Visit to meet with Mayor of Tetovo Teuta Arifi
http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/05/meeting-with-mayor-teuta-arifi-my.html

Say No to Violence Against Women event -- Tetovo
http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/05/say-no-to-violence-against-women-tetovo.html

Say No to Violence Against Women event -- Skopje -- with SUT students in Professor Gjyla Celiku's class at State University Tetovo Skopje campus
 http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/05/say-no-to-violence-against-women-event.html

Field Trip to Forumi Gruas
http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/03/tetovo-field-trip-wtih-my-state.html

Youth Conference - "Youth Leading in the Digital Era"
http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/03/tetovoregional-student-conference-youth.html

Site Visit: Democracy Lab
http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/05/democracy-lab-site-visit-new-offices-in.html

The views from our classroom
http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/04/tetovo-state-university-view-from-my.html

Assessing community needs
http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/03/tetovo-democracy-and-civil-society.html

Our first seminar
http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/02/first-day-democracy-and-civil-society.html

Law Faculty -- "Constitutional Law"

Field Trip/Visit to the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Macedonia -- Visit with Judge Gaber-Damjanovska and Judge Ismail Darlishta 
 http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/05/constitutional-court-my-constitutional.html

Field Trip/Visit the Ministry of Economy and Minister Driton Kuci
 http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/05/ministry-of-economy-my-constitutional.html

Supreme Court Bingo - and - gavel pencils for everyone!
 http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/02/dr-jsms-us-supreme-court-bingo-comes-to.html

How to Brief a Case Workshop -- and US Constitutions for everyone!
 http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/05/final-constitutional-law-seminar-at.html

Minister Driton Kuci stops by our Constitutional Law seminar
 http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/04/tetovo-meeting-with-minister-of-economy.html

Law Library at the State University, donation of course materials
 http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/02/law-library-at-state-university-tetova.html

First Lecture
 http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/02/first-day-of-constitutional-law-at.html



Meetings with other State University of Tetovo students:

Guest lecture with the MA students in Tetovo
 http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/05/guest-lecture-civil-liberties-in-us-at.html


Visit the State University of Tetovo extension campus in Struga
 http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/03/struga-visit-with-state-university.html

Guest Lecture at the State University of Tetovo extension campus in Skopje -- "Campaigns and Elections in the US"
 http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/04/state-university-of-tetovos-skopje.html

Media Events with State University Faculty

Guest on TV24 Show Open with SUT Law Professor Arta Bilalli-Zendeli
http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/05/guest-on-tv24-show-open-24.html

Guest on TV21 International Women's Day program with SUT Political Science professor Gjyla Celiku
 http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/03/tv21-program-international-womens-day.html

Other events and activities with students:


students in both law and political science came to the American Corner for my presentation about the US Supreme Court
http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/03/tetovo-presentation-at-american-corner.html

Open Day at the State University
http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/04/state-university-of-tetovo-open-day.html

Of course the piece de resistance was

Prom - Senior weekend - Struga
http://jainmacedonia.blogspot.mk/2017/05/struga-senior-weekend-and-prom-state.html

Bukovich: Making Flia with my SEEU students

I was delighted when my students suggested to me, after the semester was over, that we visit the home of one of the students in her village where I could learn how to make flia - a traditional Albanian/Kosovar dish that is made for special occasions. 

This dish is made outdoors -- here you can see the baking dish and the lid.  Flia takes hours to prepare. Layer after layer after layer is added.  Remove the lid, add another layer, put the lid back on and wait for a few minutes, then remove the lid, add a layer, then return the lid, and so on and so on for about two hours. You can see that this is over the fire and on the ground, so you are going up and down, up and down.  My student Meral's mother and aunt showed me how it's done.

While the flia was being prepared, it started to rain, chasing us (temporarily) indoors. Which presented another opportunity for me to add valle steps to my repertoire - and to provide much-needed comic relief for my students during exam season.

I treasured this opportunity to learn more about village life - and the traditions and customs here.

THANKS SO MUCH for this special day!!  Thanks to all of the students who suggested the idea, drove the cars in the caravan, donated supplies - and especially to Meral and her family (and extended family) for opening up their home to us and giving us such a warm welcome!!

 

our 3-car caravan from Skopje (SEEU campus) to Bucovich

the flia-making was underway when we arrived -- the process takes several hours -- layer after layer after layer

this is where the lid rested while adding the new layer

the ingredients

a lovely courtyard

the "hostess with the mostess" -- Meral

my daughter with her new friends

it was like the proverbial "loaves and fishes"

a little rain chased us inside temporarily - but this was good news - as it led to

Yay! Another chance to learn valle

 

snapchat pic with the Hostess Extraordinaire - Meral

 

a feast!

FLIA -- you can see here the many layers

 

meanwhile....my daughter was having fun with her new friends

a friendship bracelet. LOVE

with her new friends. (my daughter's t-shirt here strikes me as appropriate - since I am sure all the girls are fluent in emoji ;-)

THANKS SO MUCH for your hospitality!! Everything was delicious! And I loved learning how to make flia - and adding steps to my valle repertoire

 

and - on the way back - we could see Matka Canyon