Makedonia - my second trip

From the air it looks like a huge swatch of bubblewrap, with similarly dispersed and sized mounds rising uniformly from a drab olive-colored floor.

But from the ground, Macedonia is much more colorful. The cities, an eclectic jumble of Soviet-bloc housing, post-modern high rises, and vibrant ads. The people, a soft and consistent blend of Greek, Turkish, and Slavic looks – which basically means short, trim, attractive, dark featured, curly-haired folk with high cheekbones. The food, a healthy mélange of fresh and local fruits, veggies, and small animals. And the culture – the most colorful of all – a flamboyant merger of Orthodox, Catholic, and Muslim ideals flecked with post-Soviet pushy commercialism and stirred together with a relaxed, smoky Mediterranean feel.
What’s that all mean? Well, this was my second time here in three months and I’m still not sure. It’s more diverse than New York and more backwards than Greece. And it’s a lot of fun.

(Especially thinking about what these mounds look like from the air).I was here, of course, for TDY, giving presentations to government officials from many surrounding states on the how to handle the media during a disaster. The work itself was a little slow and the people in my group needed some motivation. But, after goading and prodding, we set our sights low, barely accomplished them, and celebrated at the end like we’d just cured cancer. Such is the way of life here, I guess.
Here is about half of my group - the others were too "busy" to have their picture taken.

Unfortunately, and unlike last time, I spent most my time in the hotel. I should have learned from my Georgia and Azerbaijan experience that that’s no way to travel. But I’ll be coming back one last time in November and will certainly make more time for exploring, sightseeing, and of course, celebrating.