Thornton Academy – AP Language 2018-2019

      The small European country, the Republic of Macedonia, is not one that appears often in the media. However, the republic made national headlines in January as it ended a two decade-long dispute with Greece, which resulted in a name change for the former Yugoslav state.

      The Republic of Macedonia is a relatively new country, having formed in 1991 after declaring independence from Yugoslavia. The state, which borders Greece to the south, derived its name from the ancient Macedonian Tribe that previously occupied northern Greece.

    Unfortunately, immediately after FYR* Macedonia seceded, conflict arose with its southern neighbor. Grecians were concerned because the state shared a name with the bordering Greek region (also called Macedonia.) The Greek government implied that FYR Macedonia was claiming ownership over Greece’s Macedonia, who had held the title since Alexander the Great’s time.

   As a result of the dispute, Greece, as a member of NATO and the EU, adamantly denied FYR Macedonia’s membership requests for both groups. After years of conflict, disagreement, and unsuccessful attempts of joining supranational groups, FYR Macedonia’s prime minister, Zoran Zaev, decided to attempt to resolve the issue.

     In June 2018, prime ministers Zoran Zaev and Alexis Tsipras of Greece met and came to an agreement: the Republic of Macedonia would officially change their name to the Republic of North Macedonia, and Greece would allow them to join NATO and the EU. After both countries ratified the agreement, on February 12, 2019, the Republic of Macedonia changed its name to the Republic of North Macedonia.

*Former Yugoslav Republic

There is a concept pertaining to life that has always caused some sort of begrudged reaction when mentioned. This aspect is called change, and while many times we look forward to change in our lives, there are plenty of other times when we view change in a negative light. So why do we have all of these mixed feelings about change?

A primary reason for this fluctuation of feelings over change can be due to the fact that change often means that something in our lives becomes different. Mainly this change in our life can seem scary, because we are unfamiliar or uncertain of the result. In these present times, the American culture is looking for and in many regards demanding us to seek perfection. So with this change there is a possibility of failing.

But no matter what society may want, it is important to remember that these lives are ours. Change can be very good for us mentally, for example taking us out of a toxic relationship and surrounding ourselves with positive people who believe in us instead. Although you may undergo grief by letting go of that harmful relationship, in the end you are better off. In the end change may be hard and difficult for the human race, but it could possibly be the key to our problems or the remedy that relieves us of our daily anguish and pain.

I used to never wear hats. Not only did I think I looked bad in them, but I thought they were uncomfortable as well. But now, because of what happened to my hair, I wear a hat every time I leave the comfort of my home. I’ve gotten used to it by now, but every now and then, I get reminded of my lack of hair.

For example, when we have to stand for the pledge of allegiance. I stand and put my hand over my heart, but the hat stays on. Can you imagine the reaction if I took off my hat? It would be like that Spongebob episode where everyone yells ‘bald’ at King Neptune. Even if people didn’t react like that, I know I would get some funny looks. It’s not every day where you see a high school kid with hair like mine, or lack of it.

Now, you’re probably wondering how my hair got to this point. Well, about a year and a half ago, I found out that I had alopecia, which is a hair loss disease. It started with a single spot on the back of my head, before spreading and spreading until I had no hair left. Even my eyebrows and eyelashes were gone. There is no definitive cure for alopecia, so dermatologists just tried just about everything to get my hair to grow back. They tried creams, shampoos, steroids, even injections into my head (yes, it hurt very much).

No matter what they tried, none of it was enough to cause significant hair growth. Now, I am taking a new kind of pill that will hopefully help. In the meantime, I will still wear my hat.

I remember returning to Vietnam for the summer after my first year in the U.S. It was exciting to finally see your family and friends after ten months apart. As my relatives greeted me with the warmest hugs (although it was approximately 100 degree outside), they kindly asked me questions about my life in the United States. One of my favorite questions is, “What do you find different between life in the United States and life in Vietnam?”

There are multiple answers that could satisfy their curiosity, and one of them is the marketplace, specifically vendor markets

In Vietnam, many people buy groceries at established markets or vendor markets. Vendor markets are stalls that were set up near crowded neighborhoods, usually where there are many apartment and tenement buildings. We endearingly call these markets “toad markets,” not because they sell toads, but because they “jump” every now and then. As a matter of fact, vendor markets are not allowed to exist as they occupy pavements, which can possibly be used as parking spots for motor scooters and for pedestrians. Whenever a truck with ward police is coming, shoppers and sellers quickly gather the products and pile them up into the closest closed space in the neighborhood. A few minutes later, business occurs again. Each seller usually specifies in certain products: fresh fruits and vegetables, meat, fish, sticky rice, etc. In addition, vendor markets are where some of the best restaurants are located. Many Vietnamese believe that “good wood is more important than good paint,” in which they place more focus on how delicious the food is than on how the restaurant looks like.

“Toad” markets represent some of the best things about Vietnamese culture. Come check them out for yourself!