What does daily life look like in the Vardar region of North Macedonia? Through Tina’s story, we explore family, work and routine, revealing how small moments and strong community shape life in North Macedonia.
I had the chance to interview my work colleague Tina Nestorovska.
Tina grew up in the town of Viniča, about 100 km from our village of Rosoman, which, in Macedonian terms, is just far enough to feel like a different world, but close enough that your family still knows everything you’re doing.
Vinica is famous for terracotta pottery, like real deal clay pots made from the earth there. The soil is packed with iron and minerals, which basically makes it perfect for shaping into pottery. So imagine generations of people just casually being like, “yeah, we’ll just make bowls out of the ground today.” Casual.
Over time, Vinica had a bit of a glow-up; first known for wooden furniture (oak and pine, very solid, very Balkan), it is now also home to a snack factory called Vinčinni. So yes, the same town that makes ancient clay pots also makes packaged cookies. Balance.
