Гости in the House

We have had visitors at the school this past week - ten kids and six teachers from England, Wales and Turkey. The school has been apart of a EU project called Commensius this past year where they have been sharing cultures and traditions. During the course of this two year project the kids and teachers will have the opportunity to visit each other's countries as well as make holiday cards, calendars, multi-language dictionary resources and exchange recipes and learn about traditions that are important to each other. Not being from a European country, I'm a little jealous that the kids/school have the opportunity to participate in things like this. I think it's probably a priority of the EU to have these types of programs so that as they integrate the countries don't lose what makes them unique.

Last school year they had the planning meeting and the first trip to Turkey. I had seen some of the pictures but this was my first opportunity to participate and I had a really good time! I got to translate and help with Bulgarian and go on trips with the kids and teachers. It was a long week with a lot of meetings and late night dinners but it was really nice to share observations and swap information. Not having a lot of exposure to British English it was pretty funny sometimes when Bulgarians (who learn British not American English) could understand something better than me. During the week we went to multiple beaches, saw firedancers, visited Varna and old towns along the coast. The kids stayed with Bulgarian host familes and it was fun for me to see them connect even when they didn't know each other's language well. Although I won't be heavily involved in this project this year I was really grateful to have been able to participate in hosting. At the end of this school year there will be one last trip to Wales where the kids will exchange national dances and learn more about that country.

New Beginnings

Mid-September marks the return to school of the kiddos in Bulgaria. I can't really remember what the first days of school were like for us when we were kids, but in Bulgaria the first day as well as the days leading up to the first day are a complete celebration. It's a nice way to get back into the swing of things. On Sunday we arrived at the school at noon and were greeted by two kids in traditional Bulgarian dress holding bread (called pogacha) and salt. It is customary to welcome guests this way. Each person tears off a bit of bread and dips it in salt (or sometimes honey) and eats it. We were then given zdravets (or wild geranium) as a symbol of luck and health. Zdrav means healthy in Bulgarian. Each year on the Sunday before school starts the they invite a local priest to come and give his blessing for a good school year. As each person files into the room they take a candle and light it. The ceremony lasts for no more than ten minutes while he goes through Orthodox songs and text. Wil likens the prayers to an auction and in a way that is what the prayers sound like. After prayers he blesses people individually by tapping them on the head with the bunch of leaves that he has dipped in water and then he goes from room to room sprinkling water in the classrooms and blessing them as well. After a coffee and treat break we toured the school to see the classrooms. In the weeks leading up to the first day the teachers were very busy cleaning up and painting their rooms and they look amazing. The first grade building was especially amazing because since the kids are all new to the school this year the teachers wrapped up their books and set out presents and balloons to welcome them. Monday was the official first day and included an official ceremony where some of the kids performed songs and dances. They raised the Bulgarian flag and it ended with one of the kids throwing water on the steps (also for good luck). Then all of the kids file class by class under a wreath. The kids then went to their classrooms with their parents (there are no actual classes on the first day) and watched presentations by the teachers. In the principal's office we popped open some Champagne and toasted to a good school year. That night there was a discotheque outside the school - they had invited a clown DJ and the kids danced until the fireworks ceremony after it got dark.

Energy Efficiency is Coming to Bourgas

Whoohoo! I am pleased to report that our project for Energy Efficiency at Mihail Lakatnick Primary School has been funded. In October we will be renovating the classrooms to install new light fixtures with energy efficient bulbs and new regulation knobs on the radiators. I'm hopeful that this, coupled with the educational component, will make a dent in our consumption and expenditures. Below is a slide show taken of the "before" classrooms. The classrooms that look like they have more sun will also be getting the regulation knobs since they receive more sun year-round than the other side of the school. Since they can't stop the heat (and believe me it gets hot in there) they end up having to open the windows! Notice how one classroom alone has 18 light fixtures! When the lighting guy came to the school he said they are so dirty and old that it's likely that only 30% of the light is actually permeating anyway! Let's hope the new stuff does the trick.

My Work Watching Birds

Having just returned from a ten day camp at Lake Atanoskovo, I thought I might share what my daily work schedule is like. I work for an environmental NGO, the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds, www.bspb.org Specifically, I spend most of my time at the nature center 'Poda' situated south of Burgas. As part of Bulgaria's largest wetlands complex and with many mixed breedig colonies, it is a great place for birders and lovers of nature.

In general, my workday begins with me walking to the bus stop and riding the twenty minutes to the stop nearest the center. Often, I meet my counterpart, Anton, on the bus where we catch up on each other's weekends, nights, health, whatever. Mornings at the center usually begin with a cup of coffee, checking email, and looking through the telescope to see what birds are out and about. Having an idea about what birds tourists are likely to see before they arrive is helpful for me in case there are birds whose names I don't know, I can look them up in a guidebook or ask for assistance before the tourists arrive and start asking me. I usually know the names of the birds in the area, but every week it seems new birds arrive and the old ones leave, so I am constantly having to renew my knowledge of our winged friends.

Then we wait for tourist groups. Usually, there are a couple of tour groups in the morning. If they are a German group, I may work at our small souvenir stand and communicate with pointing and a calculator. If they are an english-speaking group, then I may give the tour. The presentation downstairs lasts about fifteen minutes as we discuss the three different water habitats and then we head upstairs to the viewing terrace for another fifteen minutes or so, where I point out a few birds if they are about and let folk look through binoculors the center provides. After the tour groups leave, we often get started on various work projects. Throughout the day, individual groups of tourists will visit and spend possibly hours on the terrace or in a blind in the area.

Past work projects have included painting the entire center, varnishing display bird-houses, cutting reeds, and general maintenence. I know quite a bit more now than when I started about different types of birds and also about nature conservation center management.

Before - PODA in the Spring

After - PODA after our hard work!