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Compared to Serbs, North Macedonians have rounder faces, stockier bodies and darker hair. Although I didn't want to make this observation about North Macedonian women, my friend Alex spoke for me when he said, "Serb women are much more beautiful!"

I noticed this grave because her face was practically Asian, and hours earlier, I had seen an old woman whose face, size and body type were more than 2/3 like a Vietnamese.

As Alex and I were surrounded by at least 40 people in a large, mostly outdoor cafe, I said, "Look, man, everybody here has dark hair!"

On Alex's maternal side, there's a story about a Gypsy family who settled in their village about 150 years ago. Extremely poor, they lived in a makeshift dwelling by the willow tree, next to the river, and made baskets to sell. Still, they starved. Desperate, the man sold three of his five daughters to Slavs, and it's speculated Alex' family ended up with one of these Gypsy women.

Alex, "My mom and aunts insist this story is not true, but my wife is convinced I do have Gypsy blood. She said, "Every time we go to a wedding, you start acting like a Gypsy as soon as the music starts!'"


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