гола вода

We are back in America

2009-12-27T23:46:00.002+02:00

our time in Bulgaria was excellent and we miss all of our friends and colleagues terribly. We have returned to the United States and are adjusting to not feeling as important, looking for work, and enjoying easy access to English-language books, news, coffee shops, etc.

Thanks for reading!

Easter

2009-04-20T22:15:00.007+03:00

Christ is Risen! says your Bulgarian language teacher, Indeed, He is Risen!, you struggle to reply - because you just learned the phrase that morning. Christianity is the official religion of Bulgaria and similar to in the States, Easter, along with Christmas, is one of the busiest days of the church. What isn't similar is how embraced the holiday is by the state, with city sponsored concerts, school bazaars, and giant pastel eggs hung on the trees along our main pedestrian street. During the midnight service held when Saturday becomes Easter Sunday, the mayor even stood by the priests helping to hand out the flame the faithful would take back to bless their homes. More on that in a moment!

First, the traditions here are a little different. As you may have noticed the date this year was a week later than in the States. Normally, Easter is celebrated on the Sunday after the first full moon after March 21 (the vernal equinox). But the western church uses the Gregorian calendar, which has leap years to correct the inaccuracies of the Julian calendar, which I guess is currently 13 days behind the Gregorian. The Bulgarian Orthodox Church uses the Gregorian calendar for fixed celebrations like Christmas, but the Julian calendar for the movable celebrations like Easter. This year the two dates were actually in alignment, but the Orthodox Church also maintains that Easter celebrations should be held the week after passover, if passover falls on the same scheduled weekend, which this year it did. So because passover celebrations occurred last weekend, Easter was celebrated this weekend.

So this Saturday, we went to a friend's house and dyed eggs. The first egg is always dyed red and is then used by the oldest woman in the house to make the sign of a cross on everyone 's foreheads, thereby blessing them. The eggs are decorated like in the states with special dye you mix with vinegar and also fancy stickers and this thing called 'crystal' which i have never seen but which gives the eggs a sparkly texture. I was quite proud of how our eggs looked when we were finished. The final touch was adding oil to make them shine.

On Easter Sunday, instead of hiding eggs, people have egg battles. This is what it sounds like. You take your egg and you smash it against someone else' egg, and the winner is the one whose egg hasn't broken. I think good luck and health will be won by whoever has the strongest egg. Eggs are also given to other people as gifts. They can be used in an "Easter salad" which is lettuce, radishes, oil, vinegar, cucumber, and sliced boiled eggs. Another easy, tasty dish is simply cutting and mixing the eggs with dill and oil.

On Saturday, we went to the midnight church service, which of course we couldn't understand, but we lit a candle, and held it as we walked around the church three times with hundreds of other Bourgas residents. (It reminded me of candle light services I have attended during Christmas, where the initial flame comes from the pastor and then spreads out to everyone else symbolizing the Light coming and illuminating the world.) After walking around the church, you take the flame home (people put cups around their flame to keep the wind from blowing then out) and you walk into every room with the lit candle to spread a blessing for the year.

Easter morning, we went to a presentation of traditional dancing and the setting out of special Easter bread at the ethnographic museum. Bulgarians bake a very sweet bread with intricate designs on it that is broken and shared with everyone. Our friends from a nearby village whose children do traditional craft projects had invited us. We joined in a little traditional dancing, tasted the bread, and visited the museum. Easter is a relaxed time, spent with families and everyone has the day off of work. In fact, even the Monday after Easter is a holiday from work - we kept the spirit of Easter, spring, and new life alive by planting some flowers and herbs in our new balcony flower boxes.

Tsvetnitsa

2009-04-20T22:12:00.003+03:00

Tsvetnitsa, or Palm Sunday took place two Sundays ago and brought with it some interesting traditions. I vaguely remember Palm Sunday from when I went to church as a kid, but it took me a while to understand that was what we were celebrating when it arrived. In Bulgaria a palm frond isn't used on Tsvetnitsa, instead people go to church and line up to receive long willow branches that they then form into wreaths. They can then be worn on your head and are taken home and placed above the door to keep out evil spirits. After receiving the willow, we bought candles and lit them inside the church. On Tsvetnitsa Bulgarians not only celebrate Palm Sunday but anyone who was named after a flower (Violetta, Lily, Margarita (Daisy) as well as a variety of boys names) celebrates their name day. Outside the church people had set up stalls to sell flowers and since so many people are named after plants and flowers the restaurants and cafes were packed with people celebrating. It was a perfect day.

Baba Vanga Bulgarian Mystic

2009-04-20T20:49:00.007+03:00

At the beginning of April we went on an excursion to Macedonia and South-west Bulgaria with my school. The country of Bulgaria has taken on many shapes over the last couple hundreds of years. We are often told that Macedonia is (shh don't tell them this) really Bulgaria and just pretending to be different. So we traveled through "far western" Bulgaria and on our way back across the border stopped in Petrich and Rupite to visit the house of Baba Vanga (some times called Leila Vanga) as well as her shrine.

Baba Vanga was born January 31st 1911 in Strumica, a town near the Macedonian/Bulgarian border. Legend goes that as a young girl, she was out in the fields one clear day when a tornado like storm dropped out of the sky overtaking her. It picked her up and flung her miles from where she had been. Friends found her there blinded by dust and sand and carried her home. As time progressed her wounds did not heal and she was sent to a school for the blind to learn to care for herself. A few years later she came down with a grave illness and after recovering understood that she had gained the ability to see the future. During WWII she was visited by many people hoping to receive knowledge about their loved ones and looking for reassurance. Throughout her life she attracted many believers and skeptics. She was visited by high government officials, famous people and normal people alike. They would line up en mass outside her house waiting for the chance to speak with her. To this day her house and government built shrine/complex is a very popular Bulgarian tourist attraction where people come to pay their respects to this marvelous mystic.

Kukeri

2009-04-20T20:12:00.010+03:00

Towards the end of winter in Bulgarian villages all over the country, the clanging of a multitude of cow bells will seize your attention as a parade of figures known as kukeri, often similar in appearance to those creatures found in the American kid's book Where the Wild Things Are, march through the village and chase away any lingering evil spirits. They shake their sticks, dance around, and nowadays, attract crowds from all over the country to festivals where kukeri groups get to show off their elaborate costumes and rituals.

We went to Shiroka Luka last year for their annual kukeri festival and enjoyed it so much, we convinced some of our Bulgarian friends to join us this year. Shiroka Luka is located along a picturesque river valley in the Rhodope Mountains. All the buildings are white with stone roofs and built in a style where the second floor sits larger on the first. The festival, which started around 10 and lasted an hour, was followed by a giant town dance (the horo) as a live traditional band played bagpipes, drums, horns, guitars, and bass into the city center. Vendors hawked their wares and we enjoyed looking at their traditional rugs, jewelry, pottery, and ate from the many street grill stands. Several different groups performed, some more frightening than pretty. Some had giant cone hats the size of 3-4 men tall, some had traditional dancers, some had bears (men in bear suits) who danced, and some had actual horse-heads crafted into monster masks. Each group had a slightly different ritual, but from what we could understand, a common theme involved an old lady giving birth, devils being chased and beaten, and a giant plouw tilling the ground and grain being thrown. They made a cacophony of noise as each group had members with many cow bells attached to their belts and they jumped up and down in unison. We were told it is an ancient tradition having to do with fertility rituals, preparing for spring, and chasing away evil. If you're interested, a more in-depth analysis by Bulgarians for their English-speaking readers can be found here. Some of our favorites were the groups that had little children in kuker costumes, which reminded us of the Ewoks. We also enjoyed the one that ended with the kukeri jumping over a fire and the one that had a large man beating two other men pushing a plow with a giant branch.

That night we enjoyed a nice dinner with our friends at a traditional tavern. The traditional dish most of us ordered was a potato pancake and while eating, two bagpipe players came in and like something in a movie, another one of the guests stood up and started singing. It was the sort of event I was amazed to witness; the sort of the thing you hope happens when you have guests. There is a ghastly quality to this type of Bulgarian music, regardless of how much the singer or bagpipe player may smile, and despite not understanding the lyrics, a definite sense of powerful loss and mourning permeates the songs.

Baba Marta

2009-04-20T20:08:00.004+03:00

After waiting all winter, the 1st of March finally brought one of my favorite Bulgarian holidays and the promise that winter would (hopefully) be coming to a close. Baba Marta (Grandmother March) is a holiday unique to Bulgaria. On this day people give each other bracelets or pendants made from red and white string called martenitsa (martenitsi for plural). Sometimes small dolls made from string as also given. These dolls are called Pizho (the white male) and Penda (the red female). In Bulgarian folklore Baba Marta was a grumpy old woman who changed her mood very rapidly. Her mood was reflected in the changeable March weather. When she was smiling the weather was sunny and warm, but if she got angry the cold would stay for longer and it might even snow. By wearing these red and white bracelets and pendants people ask Baba Marta for mercy – that the cold weather will pass quickly and spring will arrive. People wear these bracelets until they see the first sign of spring (either a stork or a new bud on a tree). At the first sign of spring they take them off and tie them to the nearest fruit tree. This transfers the good luck that you receive when you are given a martenitsa to the tree and gives it long life and prosperity.

One other interesting March tradition - the day that your birth date falls on during the month of March is an important one. The weather for that day determines your year. For instance if you are born on July 21st (as Wil is) good weather on the 21st of March means you will have a good/happy year, bad weather means it won't be a great year for you. How is my year going to be?? Mighty fine.

Travel Monkey

2009-04-20T19:46:00.004+03:00

We haven't been very good about updating the blog recently. We put it off through the winter and, just as we were re-inspired to blog, both of our computers died. Two totally different but equally debilitating problems. Now a month later we are back with a new little computer shipped from the States we have affectionately nicknamed Travel Monkey. We've missed quite a few holidays, so we will get right to posting.

Gas Crisis!

2009-01-10T21:32:00.013+02:00

You may have read in the news recently about a dispute between Russia and Ukraine resulting in the natural gas being cut off to many countries in Eastern Europe. Since we live in a country affected directly by the crisis (Bulgaria receives 90% of its natural gas from Russia), we hear about it from our co-workers. Jess's school is in the area of the city that is heated primarly by natural gas and because of this had co-workers who had no hot water from the tap and had to heat water in the microwave to wash their faces and brush their teeth. Some school districts have declared holidays to conserve the gas used to heat the buildings. Jess' school was not shut down, but its hours were reduced - starting later and finishing sooner. Our apartment has always been heated with an electric powered radiator, so our hot water and heat has been unaffected by the gas crisis. We do, however, suffer the normal minor inconveniences of winter. In general, we solve our weather woes by confining ourselves to the bedroom easiest to heat, preparing more soups, cocoas and coffees, and Jess has started dressing like a blanket-covered ninja.

Yordanov Den

2009-01-06T14:41:00.004+02:00

Yordonov Den (St. Jordan's Day) or Epiphany takes place every year on the 6th of January. In towns across Bulgaria priests bless crosses and throw them into lakes, rivers, and the sea. Brave men from around the town then jump into the ice cold waters and swim to retrieve it thereby receiving the priest's blessing for the year. This year it was a balmy 4 degrees (39 degrees for all you Fahrenheit folk) and with snow still on the ground we made our way to the sea where Bourgas' celebration is held. Now I have a little confession. Last year when I was told of this cross throwing event, I was imagining more of a Jesus crucifixion cross and not the small wooden cross of a priest. So needless to say I was a little disappointed, since all year long I had envisioned men diving into the water and pulling out this humongous cross. When we arrived at the pier a sizable crowd had already gathered. We went down on to the beach hoping to catch some good photos, since only the press is allowed in the area where the actual event takes place. The ceremony starts at the church and the priests make their way on foot to the sea. 19 men and boys took part in the event this year and from where we were we could just make them out on the end of the pier. When they were all ready the priest threw the cross and they jumped in, braving some pretty rough seas, to retrieve it. While the boy was receiving his blessing we noticed the people on the beach near us walking toward the water and realized that they too were going forward to receive theirs. The belief is that when the priest throws the cross into the water, it becomes purified and many people went to touch it and bless themselves. A couple of people even bottled the water. On his way back to the church the priest blessed the crowds (and us!) with water by dousing some branches and flicking them at the crowd.

Why Are There Little Kids Beating Me?

2009-01-01T14:04:00.011+02:00

The survachka, a New Years tradition unique to Bulgaria, brings good health to all those touched by it. Survachki are made with short branches from a Cornel tree. The best ones are those that have branches directly opposite each other, as they are twisted and tied into half moons on each side, creating circles. The branches are then decorated with bits of colored wool and string, popcorn and dried fruit. Kids carry them around on New Years Day, tapping grown-ups and reciting poems for good health. In return they are given money, usually pocket change. One of the most popular poems goes as follows...

Сурва,сурва година, (Happy happy new year)
весела година! (merry year)
Едър клас на нива (good harvest)
голям грозд на лоза, (big grape on the vine)
жълт мамул на леса, (yellow ear in the field)
пълна къща с коприна, (full house with silk)
червена ябълка в градина, (red apple in the garden)
живо-здраво до година, (alive and healthy all year)
до година, до амина (all year, Amen)

Happy New Year

2008-12-31T13:20:00.012+02:00

Chestita Nova Godina! We wish everyone a successful and happy New Year. Our holiday was spent in Bansko, a ski resort town in Bulgaria. Last year we didn't do anything but gaze wistfully out the windows of our apartment while people set off fireworks and this year we were determined not to miss out on the festivities. After a mini-break between holidays we set off once more for the other side of the country on an overnight train. This is notable because after a pretty crummy experience in our train car involving some loud-talking, chalga-music-video-playing drunk people, we have decided to never take the night train again :) We met up with our friends in Sofia and continued on to Bansko to an apartment we had rented from a British lady. It's very common for foreigners, especially the British to own property in Bulgaria and the apartment was AMAZING! It had heat in every room, new appliances and dishes, comfortable beds and couches and just about everything you could imagine including access to a jacuzzi and sauna. We passed our days there playing games, making hot cocoa coffee drinks, watching movies, taking walks and even headed up to the mountain for an afternoon of sledding. Bansko is situated at the foot of the Pirin Mountains, but the Rila Mountains are visible as well and everywhere you look you can see snow covered peaks. It was much larger than we thought it would be. It has been built up and developed a lot over the past ten years but still retains bits of its historic old-world charm. A lot of the buildings were built or renovated to resemble houses from the revival period and mehanas serving traditional Bulgarian food abound. Bansko gets a bad rap for being expensive and it was a little awkward to tell people we were going there because the assumption is that you will be paying a lot of money therefore you must be rich, but we cooked all our own meals and spent a lot less than we imagined! We didn't get to ski because it was pretty expensive, but after seeing the result of a couple ski mishaps most of us agreed it was probably for the best.

On New Years Eve people usually go to a restaurant, which would have been booked long in advance. There is a set menu with entertainment and the party lasts the whole night. At midnight in the center of town there are performances by singers and dancers, fireworks, a blessing by the priest, a televised address by the President of Bulgaria and horo dancing. Wil and I were so excited for the horo because we recently started taking dance classes and it is one of the only ones that we know. However, when the time came for this special dance called the Dunavsko Horo, we didn't even get to do it because most of the people there didn't know how and you have to start on the right beat in order to do it properly. Oh well. On New Years day people cook banitsa and put fortunes inside it that tell you something about your future for the coming year and kids go around with their Survachka tapping people and reciting good luck poems for money. In some towns Kukeri (men dressed in costumes of goat hair and bells) dance to scare away bad spirits. The next day we woke up to a fresh blanket of snow which made the views really nice on our train ride back through the mountains. A perfect start to our year.

White Christmas

2008-12-28T14:39:00.010+02:00

Last week we traveled back to Kyustendil, our old training site, to celebrate Christmas with Wil's host family. Much to the disbelief of practically everyone, we love Kyustendil. Maybe it's the people, or the mountain, or the pace of life, but we always feel happy to go back. Christmas is a big family holiday in Bulgaria with lots of food and steeped in tradition. The main celebration takes place on Christmas Eve or Budni Vecher. It is always a vegetarian (and sometimes even vegan) affair. Some people even spend the weeks leading up to Christmas abstaining from meat and dairy products, but our families just observe this tradition on Christmas Eve. There always has to be an odd number of dishes served as even numbers are often reserved for bad luck and the dead. We arrived on Christmas Eve from Sofia and began by helping with preparations for dinner. Blaga is a good and patient cook and let me help so that I could learn how to make some of the dishes back in Bourgas. By the end of the day we had cooked many dishes made from peppers, rice, beans, and lots of sunflower oil. After all the food is set out on the table the oldest male in the house breaks the pogatchka or round bread. Inside this bread a coin is hidden and it is said that the person who finds it will have luck in the coming year. Bits of bread are broken off beginning with a piece for God, then the house, and then each person in descending age order. This year Pepe (Wil's host dad) found the money. After this, dinner officially begins and continues for at least another couple of hours. There is also a tradition that involves breaking a walnut. Each person cracks one open and those that have a full healthy nut will have good luck and those without a nut or whose nut has withered will of course have bad luck. One of the neatest things about eating food in smaller villages and towns in Bulgaria is that many times food has been grown, canned, or hunted by the families themselves. We enjoyed homemade wine and rakia, salads that had been canned in the fall and Wil even got to help make homemade sausage from wild pig that Pepe had hunted. At the end of the night the food is left on the table for deceased relatives and spirits to come and feast. Christmas day is spent relaxing and eating. Unlike in the U.S. all the stores are open and it is pretty common to go have coffee with friends and family. On Christmas night we went na gosti to the house of Wil's host brother's wife's parents. Bulgarians celebrate their name days (the day of the saint whose name is closest to theirs) and the 25th is a name day for anyone with a name derived from Christ. As we walked around town on Christmas Day we got a present I haven't had since I was a kid. We had a white Christmas.

On Second Thought Maybe Not...

2008-12-18T17:55:00.002+02:00

The other day for eco-club Wil and I thought we would do a little presentation on reduce, reuse, recycle and then make some Holiday cards with old Newsweeks that we've been collecting since we've been here. So we went through the magazines and cut out some letters and shapes to make snowmen and trees for an example for our classes. We thought it would be a good use for these magazines we aren't sure what to do with. Bulgaria doesn't do recycling yet in most cities and we didn't just want to throw them in the trash. So we explained the purpose and how to go about it and set the kids loose. Now, Bulgaria isn't what you would call a puritanical country. Most days I am on the bus I could look over at just about anyone reading a newspaper and see literally half naked ladies baring their "goodies" for all the world to see, so we didn't bother to go through the Newsweeks before handing them out- assuming they would all be appropriate. However, less than 30 seconds after handing them out I began to hear things like "Goli Hora" (naked people) and lots of laughing. From time to time Newsweek does articles on African tribes, but they also have done the bulk of their reporting on war recently and later in the day, as I flipped absentmindedly through some magazines to help Wil finish his card, I was a little surprised to see holes where executioners and other "not so cheery" men had once been. Needless to say I'm just a tad worried that I have a bunch of kids who will be giving their parents a "You Better Have a Merry Freakin' Gitmo Christmas" Card this year.

How You Know It's Winter in Bulgaria

2008-12-17T20:35:00.005+02:00

You've started to live in one room because the others will never warm up to your liking. ***** The winter mold has returned and started to creep up your walls, forcing you to spray bleach and then leave your windows open all day...did I mention it's winter? ***** Vegetables start disappearing at the pazar and what's there just doesn't taste right. ***** You begin to notice all sorts of things you never realized were there - a symptom of naked trees. ***** You start sporting outdoor wear inside. It's not normal to wear gloves and hats indoors? ***** Your daydreams shift from lazy days on the beach or in a cafe to knitting and legwarmers. How could they possibly ever have gone out of style? ***** The cat population appears to diminish and you can't seem to find your favorites on the street anymore. ***** People start to string popcorn and dried fruit on tree branches. ***** The speakers by the municipality building are blaring "Woof Woof Woof" to the tune of Jingle Bells. ***** Wil gets asked to dress up as Santa...twice! ***** Work begins to slow (if it hasn't already halted) for a two week vacation for just about everyone. ***** Your clothes don't dry outdoors anymore; in fact they freeze on the line. Even indoors they take five days! ***** You come home reeking of cigarette smoke as people can no longer stand to smoke outside. ***** You think nothing of dropping 50 leva on baba socks. ***** Baking takes on a whole new dimension - it's for food AND house warmth. ***** You begin to reconsider showering - that streak from the bathroom to the warm room is just too painful. ***** You think nothing of wasting a day in bed watching movies or t.v. shows. ***** You oversleep everyday because waking up at 7 just doesn't feel right anymore. It can't be 7. It's still dark. ***** On the old buses there is precipitation INSIDE the bus, not just outdoors. ***** AND It's time to visit the host families again :)

Nikulden

2008-12-08T17:00:00.007+02:00

December 6th was Nikulden - or the Day of St. Nicholas. He is the patron saint of children (yes, he is that St. Nick) and of fishermen. Since Bourgas is on the coast, he also happens to be the patron saint of the city. That night a lighting ceremony of the city's decorations accompanied a concert and some words by the mayor and a dazzling display of fireworks. Afterwards, we went to a na gosti. When you visit someone for dinner or coffee, it is called a na gosti. It is customary to bring chocolates and wine. We brought homemade pumpkin soup - by request. It's a little dish I've learned to make while here, and judging by the number of requests for the recipe, it's a good one. They had a ton of food on the table when we arrived. Bulgarian meals are always 'family style' - where the bowls are set on the main table that everyone sits at and you just take what you want from the big bowls and put it on your plate. There were salads, potatoes, wine, bread, and at least five different types of fish, the biggest being a carp that was filled with beans and seasoning - I read that the cross on the skull of this fish makes it sacred and that some people will bury the skull in their yard after the meal for good luck!

Giving Thanks for Thanksgiving Festivities

2008-12-05T22:37:00.000+02:00

Most Bulgarians know about American holidays from movies and songs, so a few weeks before the fourth Thursday in November, we were asked what we were doing to celebrate Thanksgiving. So, of course, we said, 'We're having you over for a big American Thanksgiving meal!" Jess invited her co-workers and tutor and I invited mine. We cooked late into the night the Wednesday before, making homemade cider - juicing apples and boiling in the spices, preparing pumpkin soup, and cooking the cranberry nut-bread. That Thursday we made mashed potatoes (with garlic), stuffing (with bread we had cubed up and left out to dry), yellow corn, and I went out and bought 4!!! chickens from the store (along with some wine and almonds). We got roasted chickens because our oven isn't large enough for a Turkey, and to be honest, we had never prepared one before and didn't want our first attempt to be a bad first taste for all our Bulgarian friends. The food was ready just as all of our friends arrived (all at the same time) and before we ate I explained the tradition of Thanksgiving as best as I could in Bulgarian! That weekend, we gathered with the other Peace Corps Volunteers in our group and had a second large Thanksgiving meal. At this one, before the meal, each person shared what they were most thankful. What am I thankful for? "Jess, Jesus, and Obama" of course.

Train Ride

2008-12-01T16:02:00.007+02:00

The other day I travelled by train to Sofia. Travel west about 6-7 hours by train and you will reach the capitol city where the Peace Corps office is located. When traveling in Bulgaria, there are a couple of options available for Peace Corps volunteers. And a couple options forbidden. For example, we cannot drive vehicles ourselves and we cannot ride horseback. Usually, we just stick to taxis, trains, and buses. From Bourgas to Sofia, Jess and I prefer to take a train. There are express trains, fast trains, and slow trains. If we take an express train, it only takes 15-30 minutes longer than a bus, but taking the slow passenger train can sometimes take an extra four hours. We like the train because we can use the toilet whenever we want and there's more space to stretch out. And most important, it's much cheaper - especially if you have a frequent rider card like we do. Occasionally, we need to take the bus. It is less spacious and you have to wait for the driver to stop (usually at the halfway point) to use the restroom. It is more expensive (sometimes twice as much), but is quicker and runs more frequent.

To give you an idea of what traveling is like, my trip to the dentist last week in Sofia went as follows: I woke up at 4:30, showered, grabbed a day bag, and walked ten minutes to the station. I bought my ticket at the cashier window and got on the train which left at 5:30 am. It arrived at 12 and I rushed to the tram stop (connected to the train station through a small underground tunnel). The trams have automated machines in them to buy tickets with computer screens that dish out ride-cards, but I have never seen anyone use them. Everyone just buys paper tickets and very carefully punches them and hopes that there is no problem when the tram officers come to check them. (It is always safest to punch two if you have a bag with you - if it is determined you have cheated the ticket punching system in some way, you can be physically removed from the tram and forced to pay ten times the ticket price). I got on the tram, punched my paper ticket, and rode to the dentist office. There I got a new fake tooth, which my counterpart jokes must be for my new microphone to communicate with the new president. After that, I rushed to a doctor's appointment at the Peace Corps office, grabbed some lunch, and then took the tram back to the train station to catch the 3:55 train back to Bourgas. I arrived in my city of residence at 10:30.

While on the train, I can usually read a small book. (It's about 13 hours of travel!) It's hard to write letters and I usually have a hard time sleeping, even with the gently rocking of the train car. Jess on the other hand has no problem sleeping the entire six hours. Outside, the countryside is amazing. This past week, I enjoyed watching hawks hunt in golden fields, then seeing freshly snow-topped mountains, passing through valleys and by rivers, then being surrounded by all-white fields and mountains again. We like travelling by trains, it's relaxing and peaceful but occasionally, we read a scary story about train accidents. Last year, several people died in a train car that caught fire, and just yesterday I read this story: "From Trud: The daily leads with the news about a potential train accident which reportedly was about to happen early Saturday morning, December 6, near the Lesicheri and Resen train stations. The accident which allegedly would have been caused by an oversight on the part of the Resen railroad dispatcher was prevented thanks to the quick reaction of the engine drivers of the two trains which were about run into each other. The daily notes that this is the second time that such incident is prevented by the engine drivers in the last 20 days." However, we have never personally encountered any problems and enjoy the opportunity to take public transportation - something not so readily available in the U.S.

Another Plea for Brownie Mix

2008-11-23T07:36:00.004+02:00

Ever wonder how we make American foods we crave whose ingredients traditionally cannot be found in Bulgaria? Often, we use material mailed to us from the States (like when we make tuna-mac), but sometimes we attempt to do the best we can with what we can find here. Last night I attempted to make brownies from scratch. Brownie mix is not available here in Bulgaria, but I did find what I thought looked like a nice recipe online using cocoa powder, sugar, butter, and flour. I was cooking pumpkin soup for dinner - since it is delicious, there are lots of funny shaped pumpkins at the bazaar, and I rather enjoy enjoy making it (a note for would-be followers of this same recipe - I usually double it since Jess often eats about 6 bowls and I also don't add the water the recipe calls for because we like the soup thick!)
So last night, while I was making the soup I also began to make the brownies. I wanted to surprise Jess so every time she entered the kitchen I chased her out with a ladle. She worried that I might try to change the soup recipe because I have a tendency to try and 'improve' recipes that often don't need improving, but in fact, I was doing a test run on making brownies because we were out of mix from America and we are holding a Thanksgiving dinner at our apartment Thursday night and wanted to have some for dessert. (Most Bulgarians have never eaten a brownie!) So the mix started well enough. The cocoa and sugar and butter mix was chocolate looking, the eggs turned the mix slimy, but the flour turned the mix more into a cookie dough consistency. I thought perhaps I should add some oil or water, but having already heard a few admonitions to stick to the recipe regarding the soup, I thought it best to shrug it off and just put it in the oven. This is when things got weird. Every time I opened the oven door to check on the brownies they were sizzling. A lot. Especially in the low spots (the dough was very thick and even though I spread it out as best I could, there were a few valleys in the pan.) So I would think to myself, 'that's odd,' shut the door, and hope when I returned they would look normal. Eventually, I thought, 'sizzling or no sizzling, I should take them out, they must be done!!!' I now believe the sizzling was the butter in the mix, evaporating like water in the desert and taking all the flavor with it. For when I cut the concoction and tasted it, it was indeed dry, desolate, and in need of много moisture. Since I spent so many hours in preparation, I felt obligated to eat one or two, but in the end, my home-made brownies ended up in the trash, not in my belly. Ah well, it was fun, but I think we will stick to home-made chocolate chip cookies in the future and wait to make brownies only we after receive boxes from home!

Chorapi Keeping My Feet Warm

2008-11-16T21:53:00.005+02:00

The nights seem to get chillier as they grow longer. We try and sit close to the plug-in radiators, but we've found that in addition to wearing a pull-over and possibly a sock-cap, it is absolutely necessary to have a nice pair of what we affectionately refer to as 'baba-socks.' The name refers to the older ladies who usually make and sell them. 'Baba' means 'grandmother' and also refers to older ladies. In most cities or villages, there is a bazaar or just people selling their wares on the street; if you're lucky you can find a kind old lady who has sown together a pair you like. They don't always have a large selection, so if you are picky you may have to hunt around. But I would say that these toastily-warm woven wool socks are essential for surviving the impeding chill. Last year, I was told horror stories from other volunteers who lived further inland and who found that they had to put their water in the refrigerator overnight because if they left it on the counter in their kitchen it would be a block of ice in the morning! Most volunteers only manage to heat one room during the cold winter and spend most of their time in that one room, so you can see, these socks really are essential. The memory of the many chilly evenings of last winter has me wanting to gather as many 'baba-socks' or чорапи in my sock drawers as possible this autumn before I begin to see my breath in the living room again!

Making the Protected Black Sea Shoreline Pristine

2008-11-01T18:41:00.012+02:00

The volunteers I see every week at our Wednesday Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds in Burgas meetings are a passionate bunch. From all walks of life - high school students, pensioners, working professionals, university students, and guests visiting from other environmentally-minded groups in Bulgaria - they are united by their desire to learn more about birds and if possible, have a positive impact in preserving Bulgaria's rich natural heritage. During the summer, tourists would often ask me how Bulgarians felt about nature. Usually, I would tell them that it's probably similar to how people in their own country felt about nature. Some people must not care, because there is trash lining the sea-shores and plastic bag orchards on some stretches of road, but that I was surrounded by volunteers who were actively trying to improve the health of their natural parks and engaged in projects that would encourage population restoration of threatened species. In the year I've lived in Bulgaria, I have gone on bird monitoring trips, attended a week long work-camp to watch summer migration, and participated in several 'volunteer work days' - including creating nest-boxes, re-marking protected area boundaries, and several clean-up days.

Most recently, BSPB joined forces with a couple of other organizations to clean up the protected bay of Ченгене – скеле in honor of the International Day of the Black Sea. Напълниха се над 30 чувала с отпадъци - over thirty bags of waste were filled! We were on Bulgarian TV news and got the peace-filled satisfaction of being able to walk along a pristine Black Seashore that hours before had been covered in plastic and nylon.

Halloween: An American Tradition in Bulgaria

2008-10-31T21:50:00.010+02:00

Last year we weren't very inspired to celebrate American holidays in Bulgaria. We made a couple of weak attempts, but this year invigorated by our trip home we decided to approach them with a renewed sense of earnest and interest. Halloween isn't a holiday typically celebrated in Bulgaria. People know about it for sure (mostly from American t.v shows and movies), but it isn't celebrated with nearly the same fervor that it is at home. At the high schools people will dress up (though we've been told mostly as policemen and prostitutes) and there are some parades and parties but no trick or treating. We came back from the States armed with a plastic pumpkin, cookie cutters, and about 400 pieces of candy. We were just going to stick to celebrating at our works with our co-workers (and in my case kids) but our friend (and my tutor) Kate suggested a Halloween party. So we dressed up as cats, made some Halloween cookies, and brought along the pumpkin and some food coloring (for tinting our drinks blood red and witch green). On the bus we did get a few strange looks. It's not often cats ride the buses in Bourgas. They usually confine themselves to the trash cans. At the party we encountered two witches, a fortune teller and other less festive looking creatures, saw a carved pumpkin that would put many American pumpkins to shame, ate lots of food and enjoyed the company of our Bulgarian friends while telling stupid Laffy Taffy jokes and explaining the real way to eat a Candy Corn. Our cabbie on the way home even got into the holiday spirit by meowing at us as we entered and left the car.

Luckily this year Halloween fell on a friday which is my day for classes. So again I donned my Gabrovian cat costume and dragged my bags of candy to school. If nothing else I like to think I brought a little cheer to school that day. The looks I got were pretty priceless and it offered me a nice opportunity to walk around offering Americanski bon bonis. In classes I was surprized to find out how much my kids already knew about the holiday, but we reviewed some key words like coffin and zombie with the help of some flashcards Wil made. The morning of Halloween a package arrived for us - some friends from back home had sent pencils and stickers which helped make the day that much more special - thanks Jessica and Stephen!

At night we went to find the parade we had heard would be happening downtown and happened upon a fire-dancing performance instead. It was pretty wild and they were able to do some pretty intricate moves with only a few drops of the flaming balls here and there. All in all it was a spectacular Halloween in Bulgaria.

КАФЕ ВСЕКИ ДЕН

2008-10-29T15:34:00.002+02:00

Or rather, Coffee every day. Coffee is ubiquitous in Bulgaria. You can get espresso shots in little plastic cups from a variety of stores, machines, and cafes to sip while you wait for the bus or walk to work. It usually costs a little under half a lev, or roughly 40 cents. In the mornings while I waited for the bus that heads out to the protected area, I would either buy a mocha-flavored coffee from a machine on the street or a simple espresso from a little store near the bus-stop. This was before we got an espresso machine at the nature center. Now I wait until I arrive in the morning and make the espressos myself for myself and my coworkers - which we enjoy as we watch the fog rise off the reeds and wonder what species will be revealed by the morning sun. Ah, what joy to be awakened and invigorated by a drink universally enjoyed - whether in America or Bulgaria, you begin your day with the same beverage - a drink that crosses cultures and yet at the same time, allows differences of custom to influence its imbibing.

The most noticable difference between coffee in Bulgaria and America is that, in general, it will be very difficult to find a place that serves American-style coffee in a mug. By American-style, I mean that it is prepared by hot water dripping through ground beans through a filter into a large pot which is then poured into coffee mugs. It is possible to get what is known as 'long coffee' - this is an espresso left under the espresso machine a little longer, allowing more water to condense through the grounds. But the 'long coffee' is still not even half a mug. This also means that Bulgarians find American coffee very weak and watery. It is also not common to add all the different flavors to coffee that we do in the states. Jess and I have had to be a little creative when we have had cravings for Caramel Machiattos. Some cafes serve steamed milk with caramel. We simply order one along with an espresso and when they arrive at the table, mix them together. But it would be very rare to find a place that offered such a sweet concoction on their menu. Another noticable difference would be in the coffee culture of the two countries. It is much more acceptable to go a to coffee house alone in America and to spend hours there reading the paper or surfing the internet, all the while enjoying the solitary company of yourself. In Bulgaria, cafes are much more singularly meeting places to gather and enjoy conversation with others. It is unusual to see someone alone in a cafe in Bulgaria. This is probably simply evidence of our cultural preference of enjoying time to ourselves. In any case, Jess and I are conscious of behaving differently culturally when we go to a cafe to only read a book.

There are also several different options for coffee drinkers in Bulgaria. Besides the aforementioned espresso, it is common to find Nescafe served in restuarants and cafes. Jess and I enjoy 'Tri-vuv-edno' or 3in1 Nescafe at home. That's powdered coffee premixed with sugar and milk, so its like a sweet little pre-made latte once you add the hot water. Even at a nice restuarant, a cappucinno may be hot water added to a cappucinno packet instead of an espresso shot mixed with steamed milk. Another option available in most places is Turkish coffee. This is coffee made by putting the grounds (and sugar, if desired) in a special pot and heating it until the drink begins to foam. It is poured into a little cup and you have to wait to allow the grounds to settle at the bottom before you drink. Afterwards, the grounds can be knocked onto a saucer and read by a fortune teller. I have never had this done with my own future, but only because fortune tellers are much rarer than Turkish coffee.

Besides the terrace of the nature center, coffee can be enjoyed almost everywhere in Bulgaria. I already mentioned the many automated machines that sell instant coffee - they can be found on the streets and in the bus and train stations. It is common to serve coffee in your home when people visit for 'na gosti.' In every town, there is usually a pedestrian street lined with outdoor cafes where people gather. Some cafes are simple with plastic chairs and tables, some can be very fancy with plush cushions and hanging beaded cutains. In most it is possible to keep current with the latest international pop hits. There are small convenience stores in every neighborhood, sometimes just a basement window near a busy intersection, from which you can buy coffee to go. I personally believe Jess and I are the luckiest of all the coffee-drinking Peace Corps volunteers, since we are able to enjoy our coffee on the beach in one of the many beach cafes. I should also probably mention that I have been happily reading the press releases announcing the eminent arrival of Starbucks coffee in Sofia.

On the Catwalk

2008-10-12T15:56:00.018+03:00

I love cats and in Bourgas there are a LOT. In fact I took a little catwalk today to show you the cats in our neighborhood. There is a lady who lives in a house around the corner from us (or at least I assume it's a lady - cat lady sounds much more reasonable that cat man) and she has at least 17 cats. It's hard to keep track since they keep having babies and dying. Actually, it gets a little difficult to see it day after day. On any given night you can hear cat fights and cat love and the screeching really stresses me out. So do the one eyed cats and the cats so thin you can see their little bones. It doesn't take long for a newly born kitten to get an eye infection or loose it's tail and to me nothing is more depressing than a depressed kitten.

We have had our favorites in the year since we've been here. And we even thought about kidnapping one off the street but didn't want to have to return her when we left. Out of all the cats - Маймуна (monkey in Bulgarian) was the best. She lived in the center by a bunch of cafes with about nine other cats and we happened upon her one winter night and fell in love. She was so friendly - she let us pet her (which is unusual for these feral cats) and even climbed up my jacket and sat on my shoulders (hence the name Маймуна). Every couple of days we would go back to the center and feed her and her friends bags of cat food and when I had extra food I wanted to get rid of I always went straight to her. So we decided she would be better off living with us than on the streets. In preparation for our new cat we went and bought kitty food, litter and a toy, talked to our landlords to make sure it was okay, found a vet and then went to Wil's work to get a bird cage to take her home in. However, when we got there she seemed more interested in eating trash than coming home with us and when we finally got her in the carrier she flipped out so intensely that I felt bad and we had to let her out. After that she wouldn't come near us again. And then one day we went to feed her and she and her little kitty friends had disappeared. The city had killed them all.

We have since realized that friendly kitties are actually just in heat and interested in "sexy time" (as the man on the street warned us when we were getting attached). We've reconciled ourselves to just feeding them and petting them when we have hand-sanitizer nearby. But each day as I take my morning or afternoon catwalk I dream of a Bourgas where the cats are healthy and thriving with two eyes and sleek coats.

Hiking Around Sandanski

2008-10-04T22:43:00.021+03:00

Before we attended our mid-service conference, Jess and I traveled to the southwestern region of Bulgaria for some hiking. We met up with some other Peace Corps volunteers in the Sandanski region, in the heart of the Pirin Mountains. We had quite an adventure. The first day we chartered a private bus (there were 17 of us or so) and went up to Rozhen Monastery. It dates from the middle ages (with some remodeling in the 18th century). It was very pretty and of course had incredibly detailed , colorful frescoes. I enjoy visiting Orthodox churches and admiring the frescoes. Sometimes the scenes are historical or of tales with which I am not familiar, but usually there is a depiction of stories I recognize from Sunday school. Bulgaria has many beautiful monasteries. During the Ottoman occupation, many served to preserve the culture and national identity of the Bulgarian people. Unfortunately, I don't have the language skills to understand the religious thoughts of most Bulgarians, but in general, regardless of one's feelings towards religious devotion, the monasteries are viewed as part of an important cultural heritage. Adding to this monastery's charm was a courtyard overhung with green grapes. I grabbed a few and after a taste wished I had grabbed a bunch! From Rozhen we hiked down a trail with amazing views of the unique sandstone pyramid landscapes to the town of Melnik. Melnik is famous for two things. One, it is the smallest village in Bulgaria; and two, it makes great wine. Every Bulgarian whom we told we were going to Melnik responded with, 'Drink the red wine!' So we enjoyed a lunch with a lot of red Melnik wine and traditional Bulgarian food. I even bought a bottle to bring back to my work.

The next day we went hiking in the Pirin mountains and slept in a hija. A 'hija' is a mountain hostel. Usually they have dorm style rooms and serve food and drinks. Bulgaria has several mountain ranges and a network of trails with 'hijas' scattered throughout for lodging and rest. Despite our hija being unheated, we enjoyed a very warm night's rest and hot soup and stuffed peppers in their dining room. The hike was incredibly beautiful. I had smoked sausage and pistachios in my pocket that I snacked on as we walked through a gorgeous valley. The weather was perfect with a mixture of clouds, sun, and refreshing chill. My new knowledge of avifauna let me recognize a few kestrels hunting near a mountain lake. Kestrels can hover in mid-air, so if you see a raptor hovering, it's probably a kestrel. Our trail followed a romantic flowing stream up the mountain and led to a pleasantly peaceful mountain lake below a ring of jagged peaks. On the way, we paused to rest beside waterfalls, climbed treacherous boulder-strewn ways, passed through pine shrubs, and meadows peppered with lamb's ear. There was good conversation and occasionally a history lesson or two from our Bulgarian guide. Before hiking, we had purchased hiking insurance for 2 leva, which we were told is required to hike in the Pirin Mountains; and good sense since if you need to be rescued or helicoptered out - the insurance will cover you, but you could get charged over 700 leva if you had a problem without getting the insurance!

Something A Little Silly

2008-10-04T22:01:00.010+03:00

No it's not winter time yet - just in the freezer.

Гости in the House

2008-09-20T18:47:00.022+03:00

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

2008-09-17T21:16:00.012+03:00

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

2008-09-09T16:03:00.010+03:00

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

2008-09-01T11:33:00.013+03:00

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!

Why Can't the Summer Last Forever?

2008-08-10T19:34:00.010+03:00

Summer is by far the best time in Bulgaria. The winter has it's own beauty and I suppose depending on where you live it can be an amazing time, but in Bourgas nothing is better than the summer. I've never been much of a beach person. I don't mind vacationing there but I never thought in a million years that I would ever live there. Even coming into Bulgaria I was hoping that with it's seven mountain ranges and knowing that one of us would be an environmental volunteer we would have a pretty decent chance of ending up in or near the mountains. But alas when placement time came it was to the beach we went. We visited the water off and on through out the fall and winter, but after the umbrellas are packed up and all the cafes and restaurants close the beach is just that... a beach - and a natural ashtray and dumping ground for trash. It isn't until May comes around that it begins to wake up a little.

The winter (as I eluded to before) is awful. We don't get the snow that other parts of Bulgaria get since our weather is tempered by the sea but what we do get is a lot of мъгла that's right - fog. It settles over the city making even the most optimistic of souls think that spring will never come and the depression will never lift. It's not helped by the fact that for most of the winter you have to contain yourself to one room where you eat, sleep, and watch movies, sometimes never getting out of bed at all on the weekend - because why would you? It's too cold to cook in the kitchen and your little radiator only makes the room heat up to 63 degrees anyway. But in May, after you have already sworn to yourself that being this miserable just isn't that worth it and thinking maybe you should just take a job in the states, things pick up. Even though the greenery begins to seep back into the landscape at the end of March in time to discard your baba marta bracelets and you notice the trees have begun to "puff out" in April, May is the month where you begin wondering where the heck all these people were in the winter and how much more crowded the streets are going to become because tourist season hasn't even arrived yet.

The end of May is when school ends for the year and the official summer begins for me - and what a good time it's been. In fact, I can't believe its just three weeks before it all ends. School starts for the teachers on the 1st of September and the kids will be back on the 15th. Don't think it's been all fun and no work though. The Peace Corps wants you to stay busy and to my amazement I have been. Weeks before school was about to end I wandered around the city doing my "I will be an out-of-work volunteer" spiel in hopes that someone would take pity on me and employ me for the summer months, but as it turns out, it was quite unnecessary. Bulgarians have a phrase "Има Време" (There is time) which doesn't sit well with most Americans who worry and plan in advance. But in typical Bulgarian style it all works out in the end - and this is the case with EVERYTHING. In fact most of the time it's not really worth planning or having your heart set on a particular schedule because things don't really turn out how you plan anyway. So needless to say. I have had work, which has been a huge relief.

At the end of June (after we got back from Turkey) I started working on a SPA project for my school. SPA is Small Project Assistance and was a program funded through U.S.A.I.D. when Bulgaria still qualified for funding. This was the last possible project cycle since they lost their funding as a result of joining the EU, so my school was very eager to submit an application one last time. I couldn't be more thrilled - one because writing grants is a really good experience for everyone to have and two because the school wanted to write a project for energy efficiency! Given my green building background I was thrilled, but even more thrilled that the idea was initiated from the school. The plan is to install regulators on their old style water radiators so that they can control the temperature. Last year we did energy monitoring but because of the old system we have no way to regulate the energy usage and the temperature inside the school. The energy improvements (including updated light fixtures and bulbs) would be coupled with energy conservation education at the school that will include monitoring and presentations and eventually sharing these materials with other Eco-Schools in Bulgaria. We won't know for a bit if we are funded but we do know this last round is going to be really competitive. This project would start in October and run through the end of the next school year.

Other projects I have been working on through the summer have been translating and editing for Wil's work and working with a fellow PCV from Macedonia who came to Bourgas for two weeks with a bunch of kids. It was fun to practice American style games with the kids and it gave us the opportunity to make contacts in Bourgas which will hopefully make the next year more bearable. For this last month I will be doing trainings for the new group of volunteers on the other side of the country and working with Wil at the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Birds environmental brigade. On the weekends you can find us reading and relaxing under the umbrellas at the beach and wishing, as always, that the summer would never end.

It's Been A Year To Remember

2008-08-09T23:39:00.003+03:00

It has been a year almost to the day since we arrived in Bulgaria. There were times when I don't think either of us thought we would make it through the winter and even be contemplating our last year here, but here we are and I do believe summer might actually have been worth waiting out the winter. We are going to try to keep a regular posting of our last year here and all the traditions and other amazing things we have encountered to share more about our experiences. We hope you find it educational and at least a little entertaining.