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Independent for scarcely a decade, Macedonia’s expat allure has yet to materialize.  Although nearby countries like Greece, the Czech Republic, and Turkey have become expat havens, a combination of poverty and political instability have brought uncertainty to life in Macedonia.  A 1994 economic boycott from Greece was followed by the huge strain of sheltering over 400,000 Kosovar refugees in 1999.  Conditions worsened in early 2001, when Albanian extremists went to war against the Macedonian state.  A US-imposed peace treaty was brokered last summer.  Although this technically meant an end to the fighting, sporadic gunfire, kidnappings and bombings continue to this day.  All things considered, it’s easy to understand why Macedonia isn’t exactly a hot spot on the expat map. The Macedonia experience: some glowing testimonials Yet some adventurous foreigners have found a way to live - and even thrive - in Macedonia.  Most are employed by English-language schools, or with one of the many NGO’s (Non-governmental organizations) in Macedonia.  These groups typically are involved with relief work, humanitarian assistance, technical training, or political interface. One expat who has made it in Macedonia is Carol Cho, a 23 year-old from New Jersey.  Carol is a photographer for a news website called Reality Macedonia.  She also teaches English part-time.  While she finds it a rewarding experience, Carol says, “I’m really an artist, and the money I earn from my job helps me to pursue my photography.” In many countries, grammatical snares are the extent of an English teacher’s concerns.  After living through a year of war, Carol has some advice for any

Chris Deliso is a frequent contributor to Escape from America Magazine. Until recently his stories for EFAM have concentrated on out-of-the-way travel articles, about pleasant places like the Greek Isles and Ireland. This article takes the slant of investigative reporting. Macedonia, in the Balkans, has been the site of civil upheaval. Chris traveled to Macedonia to find out how Expat Life is. Although not yet entirely able to rebound from the recent war, Macedonia still is home to expats who have fallen in love with the beauty that still survives. The article provides abundant resource links good for keeping pace with changes underway. .. Additional Resources Living Overseas  Unique Lifestyles  International Jobs Marketplace  Living in the Balkans  Other Chris Deliso articles  Contact Chris Deliso  More Resources Below .

Despite these sobering realities, Carol believes that Macedonia is generally a safe place to live, and the Macedonians, excellent hosts.  “Honestly, they are the most hospitable people I have met in the Balkans,”

claims Carol, who has also been to Turkey, Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia and Kosovo.  “They have been very tolerant and patient about my questions on the crisis.” Carol’s love affair with Macedonia, she admits, has another dimension: Marco, her boyfriend of almost three years.  “It’s hard to imagine, that I will have to leave this place one day,” she says.  “Yet I know that even then, I will come back again and again.  I can see it as a retirement place - some small village in the east of Macedonia.  It’s very peaceful there.” Regarding expat life in general, Carol believes that Macedonia, despite its limitations, has something special to offer.  “Everyone says, ‘America is the land of the free,’ but you know how it is there!  They tell you where to park, how to live, where to smoke,

Tank at Tetovo Checkpoint

what you can say - it’s a very regulated society in the States.  In Macedonia, there are rules and regulations, but they aren’t enforced too strictly.  You can actually live - you get to feel things for the way they are.”
 

Another perspective on life in Macedonia comes from Laura Decabooter, a 27 year-old woman from Arizona.  Laura found herself in Macedonia on assignment with the Peace Corps.  Although she was planning to stay 27 months, the assigment was cut short due to the war.  The Peace Corp contingent was evacuated to Bulgaria after exchanging tearful goodbyes with their newly-made Macedonian friends.  Like Carol, Laura also found the Macedonian people to be friendly and hospitable.  According to Laura, Macedonia was a great place for having fun: “I enjoyed my time in all the towns I was able to visit, from hiking through vineyards, to (historical) sites, to nightclubs.  I would love to go back, and certainly hope to someday!”  Laura’s fondness for Macedonia was shared by another of her Peace Corps colleagues, 62 year-old Sherry Milsap.  Having spent over a year teaching in Macedonia, Sherry

Skopsko Beer Ad

came to love the land and the people “…of all ethnic groups.”  Sherry found the Macedonians to be even more than warm hosts: “they will steal your heart if you let them,” she swears.

Life in Macedonia: drawbacks and dangers

Lest such testimony convince the reader of Macedonia’s perfection, we must also mention the negatives.  Economic hardship has cast a general malaise over the place, and the American consumer accustomed to having many choices will often be thwarted.  Telephone booths can be few and far between, and require 

cards or tokens.  For this reason, a mobile phone quickly becomes a necessity. While Macedonia is generally safe, there are pockets of violence and areas to be avoided.  Poverty and crime are common, and feed off of one another.  Indeed, in a country where the average citizen removes the wiper blades when parking his (very) compact car, while enormous SUV’s are driven by the mafia, dangers and temptations are easily found.  Just be aware that it is easy to get into trouble in Macedonia, and that there are some areas where the police can’t help you. As anywhere else, there are the occasional horror stories.  One famous case involved the American woman who married an ethnic Albanian villager, and was forced to follow the traditional lifestyle - that is, “working from home” by producing children.  After

Skopje Chestnuts

eight years and four babies, the woman tried to escape, but her 20-person “family” headed her off at the US Embassy.  Such stories are the exception rather than the rule, however.

A Candid Assessment

If anyone knows about the ins and outs of expat life in Macedonia, it’s Dr. Sam Vaknin a 41 year-old Israeli living in Skopje.  The head business analyst for UPI, and a former economic advisor to the Macedonian government, Dr. Vaknin has been living in Macedonia since 1996.  In that time, he has developed a somewhat cynical view of the whole “expat community” idea.  He even claims that such a thing “…does not exist - expats meet only casually.  This is the first country in my career where no such community has emerged, though there are well over 20,000 registered foreigners here.”
 

In any case, the lack of a large expat community, and its residual distractions, may have worked in Dr. Vaknin’s favor - after all, he did meet his Macedonian wife here. On the whole, Dr. Vaknin characterized the Macedonia experience as “frustrating.”  This verdict has been colored by his experiences with short-sighted bureaocrats and an economy still very much in transition.  Yet the very elements which diminish opportunities for the average Macedonian can also benefit the resourceful expat.  In Macedonia, says Dr. Vaknin, “there is a dearth of good economists, international lawyers, marketing people, managers and even journalists.  In the land of the blind, even the one-eyed man is king.”

Ochrid Stair

Where to Go and What to Do

The majority of expats in Macedonia live in the capital, Skopje.  Here one finds most of the job opportunities, and fairly modern amenities.  In recent years, Skopje has become more expat-friendly (check out the new “Irish Pub”).  Skopje has plenty of bars, cafés, and nightclubs; these are mainly concentrated downtown, in the vicinity of the open-air shopping mall which passe for Skopje’s retail hub.  A good bar is the Piazza Liberta, replete with long wooden tables and bookshelves, its wooden floor strewn with peanut shells.  The “Blue Café” is another popular meeting-place in the city center. 

Outside of the city, one quickly encounters Macedonia’s spectacular natural beauty.  Unfortunately, the majestic Sar Planina mountains in the west of the country are in the control of Albanian warlords, and are mostly off-limits.  Further south, however, Ochrid remains Macedonia’s prime attraction.  Featuring an enormous, placid lake dotted with cliff-top churches of Byzantine design, tranquil Ochrid is a popular getaway for swimming, boating and nightlife.  Further to the east is Bitola, a former Ottoman capital once famous for violin-making.  The traces of Turkish occupation can be readily found in Bitola; some of the streets use the Turkish name (‘Sokak’), and the natives have that Turkish look.  But be sure not to tell them- Bitola people are said to be most patriotic in all Macedonia.
 

The unsung east of Macedonia is the country’s forgotten half.  Happily excluded from violence in 2001, it has also been excluded from development.  The lack of infrastructure means that many of the villages are slowly becoming depopulated, as people head for a better life in Skopje.  Nevertheless, the heavily forested east of Macedonia is a haven for hikers and nature-lovers. These are just some of the many options that await in Macedonia.  Given its small size, the country has surprising variety, diversity - and adventure- enough to keep any expat busy.  A vulnerable, sometimes volatile country still very much in transition, Macedonia has the potential to go in many different directions.  Macedonia is a small country, yet a vital one; being there, you start to feel a palpable excitement - that you are participating in history in the making.

Sunset in Stence

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