Almost 2 Months Gone

Last week was Roma Culture day in Vratsa. We went to the Hub center where we were able to listen to a panel discuss Roma culture in Bulgarian. I don't know what to say except that it is a relationship that is long and emotional. But looking at these photos and watching them perform I saw joy and a freedom that made me smile.

It was also the beginning of Summer School in our town. We have the students for an hour everyday. We mix teaching English with games and hope to give the students an idea of what different techniques can be used in the classroom. Something a little

different than what they are used to in Bulgaria.

Here is my class mixed with Kate's to play a word game, my Boyz, and my 5/6th grade class.

I know that I haven't been able to post so many pictures so here are some:

Kids' Day in our town. They had a butter "Puffy" eating contest and the winner got.................. More Puffy's!

Lastly, this is a group of children in our town who wanted to furt

her their experiences. They got together to form a group, THE SUN, and they meet without an adult, govern themselves, and put on performances for the town. They write their own plays, play music, study art and in these pictures put together a small museum of the town's history. ENJOY!!!!

Oh yeah, and here's my baba and her singing group. She's the one in the middle with the brown coat.

Permanent Site Placement

This past weekend all 87 met in Vratsa to get our permanent site placements. We would spend 4 days in Vratsa, then travel with our Bulgarian Counterpart to our new sites for a 2 day visit. In Vratsa, the Peace Corps drew a huge map of Bulgaria, layed out colored pieces of paper with village names on them (color coded for each program), and called each person's name and announced where they would be placed. Each person was given a carnation and a packet of information about their new site.
My site is about 7 miles from where I currently am now. Everyone laughed because we were told to bring piece of our luggage to take to our new site so it would be easier traveling later. I had to drag my heavy piece of luggage for 20 minutes on a rocky dirt road from my baba's house to the bus stop. Lug it on a bus to the next town, load it on another bus to Vratsa, then walk 2 miles (about) with it to the hotel. Then I found out that I was basically going back to my village. So then I had to reverse the whole process. Everyone laughed.

I will be living in a house (more like an apartment) in B__ S___, the town close to where I will teach. A fellow teacher at my new school and her family live downstairs. I live on the second floor with a bedroom, living room (and small balcony), and posssibly the smallest kitchen ever. It has a sink, small stove/oven (think oversized toaster oven with a hot plate on top) and through another door in the kitchen is the bathroom (water heater, toilet :) and shower).

For these days I have eaten with my new family. They are very nice and helpful. The mother is a wonderful cook. I haven't had "home cooking" since I've been here. My baba is a reheater of frozen food. I think I may just gain back the weight I've lost here in the next few days. It will be a big shock when I have to buy and cook for myself.

Today I am visiting my new school, meeting the director and teachers, and looking over the texts I will use in the fall. Later we will walk around the village and go back to Byala Slatina to go to the weekly Bazar. I can't wait to see what it is like.

I will post pictures soon. My camera battery is dead, so I have to get a new one and get some pictures from a friend's camera.

Love to all!

It's HOT here!

You all get to read 2 posts at one time. I just finished the last one and now I will write a quick something. Sorry no photos. I have some of the "field trip" we went on, but left my camera at home and it's too hot and too far to get it. So next time I post I will put them up.

We had our permanent site placement interviews this week. I think they went well but I am still not sure where they will put me. We find out this Thursday. Then on Sunday we travel with our teaching/English speaking counterparts to our permanent site to see the town, and meet the people and teachers. Then we have to find our way back to our training site on our own. Hopefully I can do this. If not, I might be seeing another part of Bulgaria I haven't seen before.

We also have our mid term language test this week. I hope I do ok. It's just a gauge as to where you are and what you need to concentrate on. I have no idea how I am doing. I am understanding more everyday so hopefully that will prove useful on this test.

The weather turned hot. It's about 90 in the shade and I don't even have a fan at home. It will have to be like living at 1526 LaSalle and cold shower it before bed.

That is all. It's too hot.

One Month In

Ok. So I've been in Bulgaria for about 1 month and here's what I know:

*I miss home more than I thought I would.

*I wish I could say more to the people I've met here.

* The food is not as bad as I thought it would be.

* Cars, airplane, and siren noise has been replaced with roosters, dogs, and cattle.

* Baba's have very sensitive feelings. They listen to gossip and believe it.

* Bulgarian is VERY hard to learn; especially when you automatically put in French words in for Bulgarian ones when you don't know what the word is.

* The family chicken had babies and I just saw them yesterday.

* Kids are kids everywhere. At Risk is At Risk and I want to take them all home with me.

*I will miss my support here when we have to move to our permanent placement.

*I miss Mac-N-Cheese, Taco Bell and pasta.

*I think my Baba is trying to fatten me up. I say "No more." and she laughs at me and hands me more bread.

* I know that I can pee anywhere in the world and have no problem (inside or out).

* Taxis drive however and wherever they want. The potholes are a big problem and everyone drives around them regardless of what is coming at them. I cover my eyes a lot.

* The term "meat" is open for interpretation.

* Coke does not taste the same here.

*Coffee is awesome!!!

Ok. So enough with the list. Here's the latest info. This week was busy with cooking, teaching and being observed, and family strife.

We had to cook a Bulgarian meal for our language trainer. I don't think he had much confidence in our cooking experience. He "hovered" and kept telling us how to do things, like peel potatoes, stir a pot of food, and how to dress a salad. We told him we'd cooked before, but he was still skeptical. Everything turned out fine. Kate made banitsa ( traditional Bulgarian dessert), Megan a cool cucumber tarator (cold cucumber soup), Nikki made Mousica (like a meat, potato, and veggie  hotdish), and I made basically potato pancakes.  And just to prove my language trainer right, I cut my thumb. DAMN!

My observation went well. They were impressed with my teaching skills and were excited to have me here to teach.
As for the drama, my poor BABA heard some gossip in town that I wanted to leave her house. I came home to a very upset grandma yelling in a language I don't understand. I called my language trainer and made him help me understand. I told her I loved her and didn't want to leave and things are better.

Stress level was high.  But coping skills getting sharper by the day.

A pretty picture.
Where my laundry hangs. A nice view from my house.
Wild turkeys in Bulgaria!! Just so you don't think that I am imagining them!
Local horses for community use. See the chain. This one's baby is super cute. It skittish though.
Me and a local girl at the Alphabet celebration day. She was in my 3rd grade class that I taught.

So, I know I just posted, but I wanted to add a few more pictures of the town. Hope you like them.

I am Here

Here is a local sheep farmer by Kate's house
This is the national holiday last Monday. It celebrated the men who created the alphabet.
My eating area. The white door in the center is where we eat. The building to the left is the kitchen.
My shower room. Enough said. Watch out for spiders!
My sleeping area. See my REI backpack?
I know this is late, but this is the first time I've had internet since I've been here. I am in a little town about 40 minutes north of Vratsa. I live with a Baba (aka Baba Johnny) at the very outskirts of town. She is a little eccentric, but I love her. She loves to hug and kiss on me. She's very proud that I am with her. I get shown off a lot in town.

I don't want to post too much, because I know it get difficult to read. So I am going to put up pictures of my life so far in Bulgaria.

Lessons are going well, although I wish I could learn faster. Now that I've been here for awhile, I actually want to converse with my Baba and the people of my village.

Food has been interesting. As most of you know, I have texture issues and some food choices have been interesting. But I try everything and hope not offend anyone.

I try to stay positive. It's hard not knowing what is going on around me, but it's nice to have my 3 other Peace Corps members close by.

Hopefully the pictures will give you an accurate picture of my life. I will try to post more specifics later.

Final Countdown

It is so satisfying to cross things off a list. I feel like that's all I've been doing for the last month. I might have to take a picture of
all the lists I've made and of my daily planner to show how crazy my daily schedule has been.

I feel like I am almost ready to go. The only thing I have left to do is pack. I can't seem to make myself do it. Maybe it is my subconscious telling me something. Maybe it is just daunting to have to pack your life into 2 suitcases. But today's the day. I leave in 4 days and have to have things packed now so I can check weight and content. But maybe I'll just take a nap.

The last way I know that I am ready to go is that I am getting tired of talking about Bulgaria--already. Not that I am loosing my enthusiasm, but it's hard to talk about it all the time. I know it is exciting for people to hear about, but I can only give the same limited information so many times. But I am blessed to have so many people who are interested and care about me and my journey.

So I will say goodbye to you all one last time-- AGAIN. Thank you for the well wishes, gifts, and advice, and I will post next time from Bulgaria when I have new and exciting things to tell.