10 days out !

I can't believe it's almost time! It's September and feeling way more real. I'm done with my work commitments now, and able to pack a bit more, so luggage is finally taking shape... soon, Washington, D.C. -> Vienna -> Skopje, Macedonia! I can't seem to stop grinning like an idiot these days.... I'm super excited!

So with these last ten days comes your last pre-departure update of miscellaneous Macedonian factoids! It's a shorter list today, but I hope it's nonetheless interesting!

Update

T-minus 10 days! 

Countdown! Miscellaneous Macedonian Things

1. Language: The last minority language in Macedonia is called Aromanian, also known as Vlach. This time, the name is not a misnomer - Aromanian is a language closely related to Romanian -- considered a dialect by many -- and is spoken mostly in Greece, with varying amounts of speakers in Albania, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Macedonia. While Aromanian holds much in common with Romanian, distinguishing factors include its external influences: Romanian is surrounded by Slavic languages and has been influenced more by them, while Aromanian has been in more contact with Greek. Macedonia holds the title of being the only country that had recognized Aromanians as a national minority until Albania did the same in 2007. 
   
2. Music in Macedonia: While one of my first posts mentioned the late Toše Proeski, Macedonian music star, and he sang mostly in Macedonian as well as Bosnian/Croatian/Serbian, he himself was Aromanian - here's a recording of a song he sang in the language.
   
   
3. Geography: Toše Proeski was from the centrally-located town of Kruševo, with a population of 5,330. It is also the town located at the highest altitude in Macedonia, at around 4,440 feet above sea level. Aromanians comprise almost 20% of the town's population, with the language spoken by around 14% of the population. 
4. History: Kruševo was also home to an historical event in the Balkans, the Ilinden Uprising of 1903. It was a rebellion of the local population against the Ottoman Empire, resulting in the short-lived proclamation of the Kruševo Republic, lasting a mere ten days. Resulting battles were violent, and the territory was soon reclaimed by Ottoman forces. Not long after the end of WWI, which saw multiple battles and much action during the Balkans Campaign, the Ottoman Empire was officially dissolved in 1922.