day 2: arriving in stip, macedonia
September 19, 2006
catesbool
Sept. 7, 2006
Woke up at 730 but lingered in bed. Stood up at 8 am and showered. Then I tidied away my things. Went outside my room and found Musgrave, the hotel owner (I met him the night before). He was having his Turkish coffee and offered me Ceylon tea which I accepted. He asked me what my plans are for the day and I said I needed to withdraw money.
Musgrave accompanied me to the bank which is located in the flea market area. I withdrew 10000 denars so I don’t have to keep on withdrawing money. I also bought a sim card for Macedonia for 650 euros.
Beside the Motel Shell, there was an old mosque and took a picture of it. I 
didn’t have time to walk around Skopje coz I needed to catch the 12 noon bus to Shtip. I stayed in my room and just rested. Then I checked out, paying 25 euros for the room and 20 euros for the taxi last night. I bargained for another taxi to take me to the bus station.
I saw glimpses of Skopje on the way to the bus station and they gave me a sense of unreality. I felt like I was in Rizal again, with the buildings and the roads. The taxi driver, another warm Albanian, also served as my porter. He carried my baggages around and helped me buy the ticked to Shtip. Paid him 180 denars for the taxi service.
Albanians are really warm. As I sat on the platform waiting for the bus, an Albanian woman tried talking to me. I couldn’t understand what she was saying but she was mentioning places in Macedonia so I presumed she was asking me where I was going. 
When I mentioned Shtip, she gestured to the platform to indicate I was on the right one.
The bus came and it had another unreality to it. The buses in
Manila, the ones that don’t have airconditioning, are way better. I am theorizing that the really old cars and buses of European countries are being handed over in Macedonia. It felt like I was traveling up North in the Philippines ten-fifteen years ago.
We had to transfer to a smaller bus. It was cramped and even older than the first one. I didn’t mind actually. I’m no longer used to such discomforts, but it made me reflect on how much I have pampered myself over the years. I like traveling in comfort but the bus ride on this smaller (and way way older) bus helped me get in touch with reality. It made me reflect how much inequality there is in Europe. I have seen the richest and the best of Europe in the Paris, Luxembourg, Salzburg, Vienna, Prague, Belgium and the Netherlands. This is the poor side of Europe: Macedonia and its old buses. But the people are warm and they somehow reminded me of the Philippines. The unreality is the feeling of having poor but very warm people around. You can tell from their clothes and their sparse luggages they are very poor compared to their European counterparts. But they are warm, friendly and helpful, even though we can’t communicate with each other orally. Even the bus driver was so helpful to the passengers, he made sure some of them got on the right buses when they had to transfer in transit.
The countryside was surprisingly dry. The weather was 32 degrees, again reminding me of the Philippines without the humidity. I fell asleep during the ride. Waking up in between to see the brown mountains devoid of trees and greeneries. We passed by some farms which are already in the process of being rundown. I was trying to decide whether they are already in the process of decay or they were just too poor to be maintained. Probably a bit of both, especially in the aftermath of the communism period and the transition.
The bus station was really rural. Batangas bus station is way better and I suppose, even some of the bus really rural bus stations up north in the Philippines. Tbor met me at the gate, as he promised. We got on a taxi and drove straight to Makedonia firma, the head office. The building was almost empty. It is hardly being maintained and dusty. You can see its former grandeur and poshness, again a remnant of a bygone era of communism and the transition.
Tibor and I went straight to the offices of Karmabella Makedonia. There I finally met Nikola (I thought he was a woman and was just a contact Tibor mentioned) who I didn’t expect to be the owner of Karmabella Makedonia.
His office was neat and sparse. He looked like a man who knew his business well. We sat down by the small conference table. He offered drinks and we asked for water. He and Tibor starts to smoke. Tibor begins the discussion by introducing me as “lost student no. 2”, making Nikola smile.
Tibor then explained what Nikola has already explained to him when he first came there. We discussed some of the basics with Nikola. Afterwards, Tibor introduced me to the other two guys in the office, Sasjo and Trajce, the Import/Export Specialists of Karmabella Makedonia.
Then we proceeded to the office of MPS, with Trajce driving us. It was less than five minutes from the Head Office of Karmabella by car. I asked Trajce if the car was one of the perks for working in KM but Trajce laughed and explained it was the other way around. The car is owned by Sasjo and he uses it more for the benefit of KM instead of for his own personal use.
We got into the MPS office and as we were about to enter the building (like the KM Head Office, it was also one of those buildings which reminds you of a bygone era when communism was alive and everything was just emptied out and hardly maintained), a car came with Borce and Aleks.
Borce is the Head of MPS and its Production Control Specialist. He prefers speaking in German and Tibor tells me that he is getting to practice his German with Borce. Aleks is the younger one who is part of the Communication and Administration of MPS. He acts as one of the Portolio Holders for MPS and has been with the company for three years.
We go upstairs, with Borce and Tibor carrying my luggage. I felt so embarrassed with them having my baggages. I wasn’t used to have somebody carrying things for me, with the exception of my husband of course, who does it for me every now and then.
We go all the way up to the fourth floor. The building is so empty except for MPS, who rents it from the owner. Upstairs, I meet Ana, another one of the Production Control Specialists. Then Vejsna and Daniella, Portfolio Holders and part of Communication and Administration for MPS.
Immediately, they have a discussion with Borce in Macedonian. They go over their databases, computers and Borce’s cellphone immediately starts ringing. He picks it up, talks with somebody and then barks orders to Daniela. Ana calmly listens and answers to some of Borce’s queries while Vejsna and Aleks busily works on their computer. It was 3 pm and you can tell by the hum of activity in the room that they are discussing orders and doing some negotiations. Tibor explains some of them to me. During the occasional lull in their frenetic activities, we ask them some questions. They were busy people who manages a laugh or two in between while gulping down some coffee. The hum of activities and all the talks remind e of the office work I used to do and the pressure of trying to deliver things on time.
Tibor and I sit by the coffee machine observing the activities. Then Tibor explained to me patiently that I need to ask them directly the questions I have instead of asking them through him. After a struggle, I worked up my nerve to approach Vejsna and inquire about seeing some of the process of production in one of the factories. Vejsna tells me that I can go if Borce and Nikola says okay. Earlier, I have already asked Nikola if I can go to Miko, a factory he owns and he has verbally agreed. I asked for the cellphone number of Daniela, Ana, Aleks and Vesna. They helpfully write it down on a small piece of green paper.
After some time, I worked my nerve up to approaching Ana to ask if I can go with them on Saturday to the factory and just observe what they are doing. I assure them that they don’t have to show me around yet and they just proceed with their work like I’m not there so I don’t disturb them. I said I will just try to observe the whole process. Ana smiles at me (the first one she gives me and her face lights up) and informs me they will be at the office at 830 am. Tibor chats with Borce again in German. Then Tibor arranges for a taxi to take us to the apartment with Vejsna. A man comes into the office with a pleasant face and Tibor introduces me to the other Trajce, another Production Control Specialist.
Tibor goes out and in a moment calls me. He excitedly shows me the CAD machine printing out the design sent by Denise from Bierman in Holland. It looked like a coffin and I took some pictures of it.
Then not wishing to be in their way longer, we bid them goodbye for the day and goes down with our baggages. We wait for a taxi downstairs. Vejsna has already called for one for us and explained where to deliver us. It was an uphill-downhil-uphill-downhill ride for us.
We get to the apartment, which came as a very big surprise. 
Viljana, a young blonde woman shows us around the apartment. It’s got 4 bedrooms, a bathroom, a kitchen, a dining room and a living room with entertainment system. The apartment is carpeted (even the stairs) and multi-level. Most important of all, it comes so cheap and it’s better than staying in a hotel. It costs us 6 euros per person per night. Viljana gives us some fresh plums. They were nice and soon becomes my favorite fruit.
After asking about taxi and shop hours, Tibor and I chose our respective rooms. I chose the smallest room which had a small library and a single bed in it. It faces the street and the house across. I chose it because it is beside the bathroom and has a small desk where I can do some work. Tibor chose the biggest room on the third floor beside the balcony where he can smoke every now and then, leaving the two other rooms for Mavis and Lee when they arrive.
I unpack my things and rests for half an hour. Afterwards I showered and got dressed. At 7 pm, I called up to Tibor and asks if we should go to town in search of food and internet café. He promptly comes down. We lock the door and ask Viljana again for directions to town. It was ten minute walk from the apartment. Again, it reminded me of the Philippines. On the way down, we passed by a road which is being dug up for piping and water system. The air was fresh and we can hear crickets singing, reminding me of the countryside in the Philippines.
We follow the road beside the river, or what used to be a river. It’s dry now (it’s still summer) and what’s left in lieu of the water are green vegetations. The air was cool and pleasant and there’s not much pollution around. We remark about the old cars running around town. We pass by old people enjoying the cool breeze around the park. People are out in the streets, enjoying the night as the next day would be a holiday for them.
We pass by the flea market and the Irish pub. Further on, Tibor stops to withdraw money from the ATM machine. Beside it is a grocery store. I come inside to look around. Two minutes later, Tibor comes inside also and we shop for some food. We accidentally bump into Borce who was with Viktor, his handsome son. Then we bump into Trajce of MPS with his wife and two beautiful daughters.
After paying, we go into the Irish pub for dinner. Tibor orders chicken steak and I order for pork steak. Borce and his son joins us fifteen minutes later. Tibor and Borce talks in German all throughout dinner, with Tibor sometimes translating to me their conversation. Borce leaves with his sleepy son an hour later. Then we walked back to the apartment.
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