A week ago, I passed my fourth (nonconsecutive) birthday in Bulgaria. At this point in my life, that means that 1/8th of all my birthdays have been celebrated here.
I never imagined this. Even this time around, I figured I'd be back in the states in time to celebrate with family and friends stateside. But life never takes you where you expect to go.
I can't complain. As birthdays go, this one was pretty awesome. My colleagues pitched in and got me fitness classes at a local studio. Angel showed up at my office with a rose. Vili surprised me at the office with a bouquet and a shirt picked just for me. My colleagues had left by then, so the three of us chatted, laughed, and took a bunch of pictures. I had been given a coupon for a detox massage about a month and a half before, so I took the opportunity to schedule the appointment on my birthday. It was an hour-long full body massage followed by half an hour under some heated blankets. Afterwards, I felt pretty weak, and I couldn't get enough water. Even throughout the night, I would wake up to drink water. I also took the opportunity to spoil myself and order Mexican food.
Birthday celebrations continued as the next day I went out to Mexican food with some other Peace Corps Volunteers. I also went to Rakitovo for the weekend. It was great to see old friends, play baseball with kids, and just be up in my mountain town.
Work has been stressing me out, but the upside of this is that I have been praying a lot. I've listened to this sermon three or four times, and I've been finding a lot of comfort in reading my Bible. I've spent moments recalling all the times that God has pulled me through before, and I remind myself that I believe that I'm exactly where He wants me to be. It's tough because I can be a little obsessive and neurotic, but I remind myself that God made me this way and He doesn't condemn me when I come to Him with my tics. I pray my weaknesses glorify Him.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Tuesday, April 02, 2013
Still in Bulgaria
I can't believe it's been about three months since I've posted.
Living in Bulgaria used to incite this *need* to write. It was like a catharsis - like if I didn't get it all out and write it down, it didn't really happen. Maybe that's what it was like to live in Rakitovo. Life was more relaxed. It moved more slowly. I had more time to observe, reflect, and write. Living in Plovdiv is completely different. I don't know if it's the reality of living in a city that's becoming increasingly more westernized or I've just gotten used to living in Bulgaria. I think it's a combination.
How is Plovdiv (and by extension Bulgaria) becoming more westernized? I think I used to have a better example I stored in the back of my mind, but now it's long gone. It was probably how I get Mexican food delivered to my apartment. I give you something I saw last night.
Sunday was Easter in the states. While some Bulgarian Christians celebrated on Saturday, Orthodox Easter isn't until May 5th. So, traditional Easter (even for those who aren't observant) is May 5th. A lot of the traditions are the same. Eggs are colored (while not necessarily hidden). Family gets together for a big meal - sometimes consisting of lamb. Something that's different, however, is the Easter Bunny. In fact, I was talking to some of our volunteers here on Sunday about Easter, and they were telling me how interesting it is that we associate Easter with rabbits and eat ones made of chocolate on that day. Well, later, at the store, guess what I saw. Chocolate rabbits (and other animals) wrapped in colorful foil and promoted on giant billboards around the parking lot. When is Easter again? What do chocolate rabbits have to do with an Orthodox Easter that is still over a month away?
Sometimes I wish there were Bulgarian traditions that would make their way into Western Europe and across the pond. Baba Marta is one of them. I've talked about Baba Marta before, as it's my favorite holiday. On the first of March, you pass out red and white bracelets and pins to your family, friends, and colleagues. These items supposedly carry health and luck. When you see a stork or a flowering tree, you're supposed to tie the items to the tree or bury them under a rock. This supposedly ensures health, luck, and happiness in the coming year. Right now, the trees are blooming all around Plovdiv. Not only are they naturally gorgeous, but they are filled with these red and white ties. It's beautiful.
I was supposed to leave March 18th. Sometime around mid-January, my boss began asking me if I would consider staying. Honestly, it was a tough decision. It took a while to get started here, and I felt a bit like I was spinning my wheels. When I prayed about it, God gave me a dream in which I found myself visiting friends in the states. I was in a panic, however, because I had to get back to Bulgaria. I took that as a sign that I should stay. After that, the decision wasn't so hard. For now, I'll be here until July.
One of the reasons I was asked to stay was to help out with NAVA's GlobalGiving campaign. (If you don't know, NAVA means National Alliance for Volunteer Action, and it's the organization I work for.) GlobalGiving is one of the largest crowdfunding platforms in the world that caters exclusively to NGOs, and NAVA has the opportunity to become a permanent member, which means it would be able to put a variety of causes up on their site for support.
What is crowdfunding? Crowdfunding is the act of obtaining small amounts of capital from a large network of people. So, say you have a great cause. You don't know many people who are independently wealthy who would fully support it, but you know a network of caring individuals who could donate a few dollars here and there to help make the cause a reality.
NAVA has a great cause. There is a home for adults with intellectual disabilities - St. Vrach - on the outskirts of Plovdiv. I've been there. It's a pretty cool place. All the men there (it's all men) just want to come up and talk to you, see what you're doing, and hug you - which can be unnerving if you're not prepared for it. The men frequently pass the time by coloring, drawing, painting, and working in the garden when the weather permits. They also have a weight room where they can work out. Still, these men are pretty isolated. They don't get many visitors from the outside world, and they don't have many opportunities to contribute to society.
So NAVA plans to start an occupational therapy workshop for 15 men at St. Vrach. Young volunteers will come into the institution to train the men to make arts and crafts from corn husks. These Bulgarian crafts are gaining popularity due to their consideration for inclusion in UNESCO. The plan is to sell these items and then reinvest the funds into the workshop and the men. So, not only is the project sustainable, but the men will get the social interaction from the outside world that they so desperately need. It's a win-win!
This project has pretty much consumed my time as of late. But life isn't all work. I've been going to shows, hanging out with friends, and trying to enjoy sporadic warm weather. The one thing I haven't done much is leave Plovdiv. I'm thinking of getting away for some tulip-viewing in Istanbul. It's my favorite time of year to go, it's so close by, and it could be a nice break.
Living in Bulgaria used to incite this *need* to write. It was like a catharsis - like if I didn't get it all out and write it down, it didn't really happen. Maybe that's what it was like to live in Rakitovo. Life was more relaxed. It moved more slowly. I had more time to observe, reflect, and write. Living in Plovdiv is completely different. I don't know if it's the reality of living in a city that's becoming increasingly more westernized or I've just gotten used to living in Bulgaria. I think it's a combination.
How is Plovdiv (and by extension Bulgaria) becoming more westernized? I think I used to have a better example I stored in the back of my mind, but now it's long gone. It was probably how I get Mexican food delivered to my apartment. I give you something I saw last night.
Sunday was Easter in the states. While some Bulgarian Christians celebrated on Saturday, Orthodox Easter isn't until May 5th. So, traditional Easter (even for those who aren't observant) is May 5th. A lot of the traditions are the same. Eggs are colored (while not necessarily hidden). Family gets together for a big meal - sometimes consisting of lamb. Something that's different, however, is the Easter Bunny. In fact, I was talking to some of our volunteers here on Sunday about Easter, and they were telling me how interesting it is that we associate Easter with rabbits and eat ones made of chocolate on that day. Well, later, at the store, guess what I saw. Chocolate rabbits (and other animals) wrapped in colorful foil and promoted on giant billboards around the parking lot. When is Easter again? What do chocolate rabbits have to do with an Orthodox Easter that is still over a month away?
Sometimes I wish there were Bulgarian traditions that would make their way into Western Europe and across the pond. Baba Marta is one of them. I've talked about Baba Marta before, as it's my favorite holiday. On the first of March, you pass out red and white bracelets and pins to your family, friends, and colleagues. These items supposedly carry health and luck. When you see a stork or a flowering tree, you're supposed to tie the items to the tree or bury them under a rock. This supposedly ensures health, luck, and happiness in the coming year. Right now, the trees are blooming all around Plovdiv. Not only are they naturally gorgeous, but they are filled with these red and white ties. It's beautiful.
I was supposed to leave March 18th. Sometime around mid-January, my boss began asking me if I would consider staying. Honestly, it was a tough decision. It took a while to get started here, and I felt a bit like I was spinning my wheels. When I prayed about it, God gave me a dream in which I found myself visiting friends in the states. I was in a panic, however, because I had to get back to Bulgaria. I took that as a sign that I should stay. After that, the decision wasn't so hard. For now, I'll be here until July.
One of the reasons I was asked to stay was to help out with NAVA's GlobalGiving campaign. (If you don't know, NAVA means National Alliance for Volunteer Action, and it's the organization I work for.) GlobalGiving is one of the largest crowdfunding platforms in the world that caters exclusively to NGOs, and NAVA has the opportunity to become a permanent member, which means it would be able to put a variety of causes up on their site for support.
What is crowdfunding? Crowdfunding is the act of obtaining small amounts of capital from a large network of people. So, say you have a great cause. You don't know many people who are independently wealthy who would fully support it, but you know a network of caring individuals who could donate a few dollars here and there to help make the cause a reality.
NAVA has a great cause. There is a home for adults with intellectual disabilities - St. Vrach - on the outskirts of Plovdiv. I've been there. It's a pretty cool place. All the men there (it's all men) just want to come up and talk to you, see what you're doing, and hug you - which can be unnerving if you're not prepared for it. The men frequently pass the time by coloring, drawing, painting, and working in the garden when the weather permits. They also have a weight room where they can work out. Still, these men are pretty isolated. They don't get many visitors from the outside world, and they don't have many opportunities to contribute to society.
So NAVA plans to start an occupational therapy workshop for 15 men at St. Vrach. Young volunteers will come into the institution to train the men to make arts and crafts from corn husks. These Bulgarian crafts are gaining popularity due to their consideration for inclusion in UNESCO. The plan is to sell these items and then reinvest the funds into the workshop and the men. So, not only is the project sustainable, but the men will get the social interaction from the outside world that they so desperately need. It's a win-win!
This project has pretty much consumed my time as of late. But life isn't all work. I've been going to shows, hanging out with friends, and trying to enjoy sporadic warm weather. The one thing I haven't done much is leave Plovdiv. I'm thinking of getting away for some tulip-viewing in Istanbul. It's my favorite time of year to go, it's so close by, and it could be a nice break.
Saturday, January 05, 2013
Netherlands
After spending a lovely evening with some Bulgarian friends I had made in New York City, I had a wonderful, and much-needed vacation in the Netherlands over Christmas and the New Year. I stayed with a friend whom I've known for several years, her husband, and her almost-one-year-old daughter.
The first few days were filled with the purchase of presents and food, a dinner with friends of the family, and a lot of walking around the town of Groningen.
On Christmas day, we went to visit the largest steam pumping station in the world. Depending on weather conditions, it's only turned on about once or twice a year. So, we (along with a rather large crowd) went to see all the wheels and gears pumping to keep parts of the Netherlands from flooding. My friend mentioned that the Dutch have an understandable obsession with water - as most of the country is under sea level. The country is crisscrossed by canals and various waterways - a lot of which come very close to residences. And there's a delicate balance to try and keep just the right amount of water within and a whole lot of it without. Afterwards, we came home and had a wonderful Christmas dinner. (I ate a lot of rich and delicious food while I was there.)
The next day, on the 26th, we celebrated Second Christmas. My friend is married to a Dutchman, so his father had been with us the day before. On the second day, his mother, brother, sister, and their significant others came over. It was a busy Christmas. We opened presents. (His parents even brought me something!) We had another fancy dinner, and we played a game.
My friends and I spent the coming days playing more games, eating more delicious food, and going on a few day trips. We went to Camp Westerbork, which functioned as a concentration and transit camp during the Second World War. We went to Fortress Bourtange, which was built during the Eighty Years' War and is located near the German border. I went down to Kinderdijik, where the largest concentration of windmills in the Netherlands is found.
My friend and I went out on the town a couple of nights, and for the New Year, they had friends over. We ate a lot of food, played a game, and watched the local fireworks at midnight. I had a really great time just hanging out with the family and playing with the little girl. And the Netherlands, while gray, was beautiful. I could see myself spending significant time there.
My flight back was eventful. It was too foggy to land in Sofia, so we were diverted to Varna - a town on the Black Sea. (I wish I had taken a picture from the plane of Sofia. The fog made it look like soup, and only the top of factory smokestacks were visible from the air.) After about six hours in Varna, I got on a plane that stopped in Burgas and then continued on to Sofia. After getting to the airport around 1:30 a.m., there was some confusion about getting my passport stamped, and I learned my luggage hadn't made the trip. Maybe it was somewhere still in Paris. It took a couple of days, but I learned my bag has arrived. I'll have to go to Sofia tomorrow to pick it up. Other than this minor snag at the end, it was a really great trip.
I've been back at work for the past couple of days where things have been busy for me. In fact, I need to work this weekend. Problem is, I'm just still in a vacation frame of mind.
The first few days were filled with the purchase of presents and food, a dinner with friends of the family, and a lot of walking around the town of Groningen.
On Christmas day, we went to visit the largest steam pumping station in the world. Depending on weather conditions, it's only turned on about once or twice a year. So, we (along with a rather large crowd) went to see all the wheels and gears pumping to keep parts of the Netherlands from flooding. My friend mentioned that the Dutch have an understandable obsession with water - as most of the country is under sea level. The country is crisscrossed by canals and various waterways - a lot of which come very close to residences. And there's a delicate balance to try and keep just the right amount of water within and a whole lot of it without. Afterwards, we came home and had a wonderful Christmas dinner. (I ate a lot of rich and delicious food while I was there.)
The next day, on the 26th, we celebrated Second Christmas. My friend is married to a Dutchman, so his father had been with us the day before. On the second day, his mother, brother, sister, and their significant others came over. It was a busy Christmas. We opened presents. (His parents even brought me something!) We had another fancy dinner, and we played a game.
My friends and I spent the coming days playing more games, eating more delicious food, and going on a few day trips. We went to Camp Westerbork, which functioned as a concentration and transit camp during the Second World War. We went to Fortress Bourtange, which was built during the Eighty Years' War and is located near the German border. I went down to Kinderdijik, where the largest concentration of windmills in the Netherlands is found.
My friend and I went out on the town a couple of nights, and for the New Year, they had friends over. We ate a lot of food, played a game, and watched the local fireworks at midnight. I had a really great time just hanging out with the family and playing with the little girl. And the Netherlands, while gray, was beautiful. I could see myself spending significant time there.
My flight back was eventful. It was too foggy to land in Sofia, so we were diverted to Varna - a town on the Black Sea. (I wish I had taken a picture from the plane of Sofia. The fog made it look like soup, and only the top of factory smokestacks were visible from the air.) After about six hours in Varna, I got on a plane that stopped in Burgas and then continued on to Sofia. After getting to the airport around 1:30 a.m., there was some confusion about getting my passport stamped, and I learned my luggage hadn't made the trip. Maybe it was somewhere still in Paris. It took a couple of days, but I learned my bag has arrived. I'll have to go to Sofia tomorrow to pick it up. Other than this minor snag at the end, it was a really great trip.
I've been back at work for the past couple of days where things have been busy for me. In fact, I need to work this weekend. Problem is, I'm just still in a vacation frame of mind.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Коледа
I got hit on. Finally.
Christmas has come to Plovdiv, and there are lights everywhere. Some decorations are pretty, and some are glowing orbs of ugly. To be fair, most are in good taste. There's even a small Christkindlmarkt in the center. I was admiring some miniature (severely overpriced) Christmas trees along the main boulevard. One of our volunteer coordinators had the idea to ask the municipality to buy these trees for the local technical high schools. Then the schools - for fun and as a kind of advertisement - would decorate their tree according to the specialization of their school. So the automotive school attached toy cars to their tree. The fashion design school turned their tree into a doll in a dress. The school that deals with electronics put circuit boards and pipes on their tree. And the food technology school put carrots and plastic plates with pictures on their tree. You get the idea.
I was admiring the twelve trees when a guy came up and said he would sell me one for cheap. He asked me what it would take to ask a girl like me out without seeming too impertinent. I teased him that us Californian like flowers. It's almost too bad that I convinced him to "make like a tree" (and leave, get it?) because he was cute! Oh well.
Work has started to get a little bit better. I was finally able to sit down with the head of the organization, aka my boss, and get her personal attention. I shared with her some of the ideas that had been marinating in my head, and she liked them. And suddenly I have four or five different projects with different levels of priority to work on. It feels good to be busy, but more so to feel as though you're adding value.
The weekend before last, the volunteers at my organization organized an educational initiative for December 1st (World AIDS Day). Volunteers gave out red ribbons and hugs, had pedestrians attempt to properly place a condom on a plastic model, engaged passersby in Jeopardy!-like games, passed out informational pamphlets, and spontaneously "attacked" other volunteers with HIV and AIDS until the "Condom Militia" came and "saved" them. It was all quite festive. Later that evening, I joined some of the volunteers for local outreach at a cafe. Then I went with them to a discotheque for a charity campaign to collect funds for a boy who needs constant physical therapy. It was a busy day.
December 5th is the UN-designated International Volunteer Day, but we celebrated the Sunday before. Again, it was a festive program with games, prizes, music, dancing, and, most importantly, cake. We were also celebrating 13 years of NAVA - the organization I work with, so it was celebratory all around.
I still get together frequently with my favorite people in Plovdiv: Angel and Vili. My organization is hosting a Peace Corps training, and there is an American Christmas/birthday party this weekend, so it will be a busy yet fun one.
I'm going to The Netherlands next week to visit a dear friend and her family. I'm so looking forward to it. It'll be nice to get away for a bit.
I've also met a cute Hungarian. Good looking people, rewarding work, upcoming vacations, time with friends, and a festive mood in the air. So many reasons to be jolly.
Christmas has come to Plovdiv, and there are lights everywhere. Some decorations are pretty, and some are glowing orbs of ugly. To be fair, most are in good taste. There's even a small Christkindlmarkt in the center. I was admiring some miniature (severely overpriced) Christmas trees along the main boulevard. One of our volunteer coordinators had the idea to ask the municipality to buy these trees for the local technical high schools. Then the schools - for fun and as a kind of advertisement - would decorate their tree according to the specialization of their school. So the automotive school attached toy cars to their tree. The fashion design school turned their tree into a doll in a dress. The school that deals with electronics put circuit boards and pipes on their tree. And the food technology school put carrots and plastic plates with pictures on their tree. You get the idea.
I was admiring the twelve trees when a guy came up and said he would sell me one for cheap. He asked me what it would take to ask a girl like me out without seeming too impertinent. I teased him that us Californian like flowers. It's almost too bad that I convinced him to "make like a tree" (and leave, get it?) because he was cute! Oh well.
Work has started to get a little bit better. I was finally able to sit down with the head of the organization, aka my boss, and get her personal attention. I shared with her some of the ideas that had been marinating in my head, and she liked them. And suddenly I have four or five different projects with different levels of priority to work on. It feels good to be busy, but more so to feel as though you're adding value.
The weekend before last, the volunteers at my organization organized an educational initiative for December 1st (World AIDS Day). Volunteers gave out red ribbons and hugs, had pedestrians attempt to properly place a condom on a plastic model, engaged passersby in Jeopardy!-like games, passed out informational pamphlets, and spontaneously "attacked" other volunteers with HIV and AIDS until the "Condom Militia" came and "saved" them. It was all quite festive. Later that evening, I joined some of the volunteers for local outreach at a cafe. Then I went with them to a discotheque for a charity campaign to collect funds for a boy who needs constant physical therapy. It was a busy day.
December 5th is the UN-designated International Volunteer Day, but we celebrated the Sunday before. Again, it was a festive program with games, prizes, music, dancing, and, most importantly, cake. We were also celebrating 13 years of NAVA - the organization I work with, so it was celebratory all around.
I still get together frequently with my favorite people in Plovdiv: Angel and Vili. My organization is hosting a Peace Corps training, and there is an American Christmas/birthday party this weekend, so it will be a busy yet fun one.
I'm going to The Netherlands next week to visit a dear friend and her family. I'm so looking forward to it. It'll be nice to get away for a bit.
I've also met a cute Hungarian. Good looking people, rewarding work, upcoming vacations, time with friends, and a festive mood in the air. So many reasons to be jolly.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Thought vs. Reality
I finally made it to Rakitovo a few weeks back.
The weather was gorgeous, but no one was out. It seems to have gotten even quieter there somehow. I stayed with Baba Tsvetka in the house adjacent to where I used to live. My former landlady, Margarita, was out of town. I had planned to stay in my old place anyway (as she had invited me regardless of her presence there) or in the hotel. Someone appears to live in the hotel room on the first floor (that's where I stayed when I visited for the very first time), but it doesn't appear to be in operation any longer. I don't know who would stay there anyway - other than me in a pinch.
I was properly spoiled by Baba Tsvetka and also made the rounds to a few places. I saw Yanko and Ani. Maria had her 19th birthday, and I stopped by her new house to give her a present. I saw Reneta. Angel and I went out and checked on his horses in a local field. And I mostly just ran into people if they happened to be out. But, like I said, very few people were out.
The next weekend, I went to Varna with a group of our volunteers. It was actually a lot of fun, and I felt like I got the chance to get to know some of them better - especially since we were all packed in a van for the six-hour ride there and back.
The following weekend, I went to a small village in the Rhodopes to celebrate Thanksgiving with 10 other Peace Corps Volunteers and some Bulgarians. The weather was gorgeous, so we took an awesome hike through the hills nearby. We played games. We cooked and ate a lot of traditional and non-traditional Thanksgiving food. (My cooking skills relegated me to dish duty.) We went out at looked at thousands of stars. We relaxed and had a really great time. I felt grateful to be invited - especially since I'm not part of their contingent, and half of them didn't know me. That's hospitality for you. The volunteers in my region have been great about including me.
This past weekend, I stayed in Plovdiv. I went out and saw some friends. I cleaned my apartment. I turned in some applications. It was a much-needed break.
I have been going to a lot of shows with Vili recently, which is amazing. We went to a jazz concert. We went to see a modern version of a Bulgarian play called "Bai Ganyo." (To my shame, I barely understood a word of it. My lame excuse is that some of the actors didn't project well. Also, they spoke too quickly in dialect.) We went and saw a Bulgarian musical featuring the music of Queen - which was pretty awesome.
I've also been to see some movies: Looper and Cloud Atlas. Like I said in my last post, it is certainly different in the city.
For about a week, I was busy with a campaign to help a friend of mine. I referenced him in my last post. He is still in critical condition in the hospital, and he is not well enough to insert the shunt. I'm praying for him - as I know are many others. I'm still in awe about how quickly the campaign came together. I had brainstormed another idea with a volunteer, and she was excited and on board. It really was a great idea, and I was looking forward to collaborating with one of the volunteers. We'll just have to keep it in mind for something else.
Work is... well, I have mixed feelings about work. I'm generally busy, which is good. As my program manager at Peace Corps seems to enjoy saying, "This is the most important thing." I find myself constantly wishing I were better... smarter. But I bet a lot of people wish that about themselves.
I've started a love affair with the radiator in my apartment. I have a fairly large living room that doubles as my bedroom. This thing can heat - as long as I close the doors to my hallway and kitchen. If I go in my kitchen, I can feel the temperature drop by several degrees. But I keep the window open in there, so that's not surprising. I wish my bathroom had a window, but I digress.
I'm being extorted by a baba in my building. (I kid.) I've taken to visiting an 84-year-old woman about two-three times a week. She suffers from dementia, and she believes that there is no one around to care for her. (The neighbors tell me a son comes in and checks on her about once a week.) She has taken to keeping her door propped open in the mornings, and when she hears someone coming, she cries, "Help!" She then complains of chest pain. I try to visit not because I'm a good person. I actually find myself getting rather impatient with her if she's downcast. I visit because this is someone's grandmother. (In another life, this could be my grandmother. But I've been blessed with two very healthy grandmothers.) I visit because one day I might be 84 years old. And if I live that long, God forbid that I think I'm all alone in this world. Because dementia makes it true.
The weather was gorgeous, but no one was out. It seems to have gotten even quieter there somehow. I stayed with Baba Tsvetka in the house adjacent to where I used to live. My former landlady, Margarita, was out of town. I had planned to stay in my old place anyway (as she had invited me regardless of her presence there) or in the hotel. Someone appears to live in the hotel room on the first floor (that's where I stayed when I visited for the very first time), but it doesn't appear to be in operation any longer. I don't know who would stay there anyway - other than me in a pinch.
I was properly spoiled by Baba Tsvetka and also made the rounds to a few places. I saw Yanko and Ani. Maria had her 19th birthday, and I stopped by her new house to give her a present. I saw Reneta. Angel and I went out and checked on his horses in a local field. And I mostly just ran into people if they happened to be out. But, like I said, very few people were out.
The next weekend, I went to Varna with a group of our volunteers. It was actually a lot of fun, and I felt like I got the chance to get to know some of them better - especially since we were all packed in a van for the six-hour ride there and back.
The following weekend, I went to a small village in the Rhodopes to celebrate Thanksgiving with 10 other Peace Corps Volunteers and some Bulgarians. The weather was gorgeous, so we took an awesome hike through the hills nearby. We played games. We cooked and ate a lot of traditional and non-traditional Thanksgiving food. (My cooking skills relegated me to dish duty.) We went out at looked at thousands of stars. We relaxed and had a really great time. I felt grateful to be invited - especially since I'm not part of their contingent, and half of them didn't know me. That's hospitality for you. The volunteers in my region have been great about including me.
This past weekend, I stayed in Plovdiv. I went out and saw some friends. I cleaned my apartment. I turned in some applications. It was a much-needed break.
I have been going to a lot of shows with Vili recently, which is amazing. We went to a jazz concert. We went to see a modern version of a Bulgarian play called "Bai Ganyo." (To my shame, I barely understood a word of it. My lame excuse is that some of the actors didn't project well. Also, they spoke too quickly in dialect.) We went and saw a Bulgarian musical featuring the music of Queen - which was pretty awesome.
I've also been to see some movies: Looper and Cloud Atlas. Like I said in my last post, it is certainly different in the city.
For about a week, I was busy with a campaign to help a friend of mine. I referenced him in my last post. He is still in critical condition in the hospital, and he is not well enough to insert the shunt. I'm praying for him - as I know are many others. I'm still in awe about how quickly the campaign came together. I had brainstormed another idea with a volunteer, and she was excited and on board. It really was a great idea, and I was looking forward to collaborating with one of the volunteers. We'll just have to keep it in mind for something else.
Work is... well, I have mixed feelings about work. I'm generally busy, which is good. As my program manager at Peace Corps seems to enjoy saying, "This is the most important thing." I find myself constantly wishing I were better... smarter. But I bet a lot of people wish that about themselves.
I've started a love affair with the radiator in my apartment. I have a fairly large living room that doubles as my bedroom. This thing can heat - as long as I close the doors to my hallway and kitchen. If I go in my kitchen, I can feel the temperature drop by several degrees. But I keep the window open in there, so that's not surprising. I wish my bathroom had a window, but I digress.
I'm being extorted by a baba in my building. (I kid.) I've taken to visiting an 84-year-old woman about two-three times a week. She suffers from dementia, and she believes that there is no one around to care for her. (The neighbors tell me a son comes in and checks on her about once a week.) She has taken to keeping her door propped open in the mornings, and when she hears someone coming, she cries, "Help!" She then complains of chest pain. I try to visit not because I'm a good person. I actually find myself getting rather impatient with her if she's downcast. I visit because this is someone's grandmother. (In another life, this could be my grandmother. But I've been blessed with two very healthy grandmothers.) I visit because one day I might be 84 years old. And if I live that long, God forbid that I think I'm all alone in this world. Because dementia makes it true.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Ivan
I have a lot to update this blog with, but we will get to that... eventually.
For now, my friend Ivan was in a terrible car accident in Rakitovo. He's been in the hospital in Plovdiv for a few weeks, and now doctors say he needs a shunt to regulate the intracranial pressure in his brain. The shunt costs about $2800 and is not covered by insurance. Both of his parents are unemployed. For the past few days, at the request of his father, I have been doing an online campaign to try and help Ivan get the shunt. As of this post, we are a little over $200 from reaching our goal. If you would like to learn more about ways you can help (there are other ways besides donating), please click here.
Thank you in advance for your prayers and warm wishes for Ivan and his family.
For now, my friend Ivan was in a terrible car accident in Rakitovo. He's been in the hospital in Plovdiv for a few weeks, and now doctors say he needs a shunt to regulate the intracranial pressure in his brain. The shunt costs about $2800 and is not covered by insurance. Both of his parents are unemployed. For the past few days, at the request of his father, I have been doing an online campaign to try and help Ivan get the shunt. As of this post, we are a little over $200 from reaching our goal. If you would like to learn more about ways you can help (there are other ways besides donating), please click here.
Thank you in advance for your prayers and warm wishes for Ivan and his family.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
It's Different in the City
My clothes smell of smoke. The weather has turned cold, and I'm wearing the same heat-retaining underclothes I wore to a bar last night. Technically, Bulgarians are no longer allowed to smoke indoors - being in the EU and all - but I don't know what the rule is for bars. Wikipedia tells me it's not allowed as of June of this year. But Bulgaria is not a country that's quick to play by the rules - especially when smoking is a cultural norm.
I was out last night with a couple of volunteers from my B-18 contingent who happened to be visiting. One of them, like me, kept a pretty comprehensive blog during his time here. He said that he felt compelled to "get it out there." Even if no one read it, "it made the experience real." I know exactly what he meant.
I've taken on an English student. One of the volunteers will be going to Cyprus in about a month for a short training. We're going to be meeting twice a week so he can practice his English. Others have mentioned interest in speaking English with me, and I'm wondering how long it will be before I get back into having classes. I'm reluctant because it's not my favorite thing to do. At the same time, I feel guilty denying people who want to learn. English opens a lot of doors.
I spent a few nights out with Vili this week. We went to the mall to see a movie. I also convinced her to come to a jazz concert with me. It was long, but it was awesome. Eastern Europeans rocking jazz.... I was impressed.
I saw Angel briefly. He had run into some mutual friends of ours from Rakitovo, and I caught up with them in the center. They had not expected to see me, and there were crushing hugs all around and promises to meet up soon. After they left, I learned that Angel was comforting our mutual friend, Vesco. Vesco, who used to work with Future Foundation in Rakitovo, is in Plovdiv because his son is here in the hospital. His son was in a terrible car accident, and it's unclear just how badly he's doing. Vesco wasn't making any sense when he was talking to me, and I struggled to respond. I know he was trying to say how good it was to have me back in Bulgaria, but who can be coherent when their son is touch-and-go in a hospital? All I could say was that I would pray for him. Vesco thanked me and said my prayers would work because my spirit is "pure." God knows this isn't true, but I know He hears and answers prayers regardless. Thank you, Lord.
The U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria, Marcie Ries, happened to be in Plovdiv on Friday and decided that she would like to meet with Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) in the region. She was originally scheduled to come to my organization, and my colleagues were understandably excited. At the last minute, plans changed, and we moved to a cafe just down the street. Her husband (a former U.S. Ambassador to Greece), mother, and assistant were in tow, and we were five PCVs. It was a relaxed and informal conversation about our impressions of Bulgaria. I was greatly impressed that she took that time with us, especially since she's only been here about as long as I have - a month. I've never heard of a U.S. Ambassador coming to hang out with PCVs just because. So cool.
As we were saying our goodbyes, her mother suggested that I come and visit them in Sofia. She seemed sincere. I stuttered. How do you just show up as a guest at the Ambassador's residence?
I offered Ms. Ries a bag filled with goodies from my organization. I expressed to her my colleagues' disappointment that they hadn't been able to meet her.
"How long are you here? I'll come back," she said. Again, it seemed genuine. So cool.
I was out last night with a couple of volunteers from my B-18 contingent who happened to be visiting. One of them, like me, kept a pretty comprehensive blog during his time here. He said that he felt compelled to "get it out there." Even if no one read it, "it made the experience real." I know exactly what he meant.
I've taken on an English student. One of the volunteers will be going to Cyprus in about a month for a short training. We're going to be meeting twice a week so he can practice his English. Others have mentioned interest in speaking English with me, and I'm wondering how long it will be before I get back into having classes. I'm reluctant because it's not my favorite thing to do. At the same time, I feel guilty denying people who want to learn. English opens a lot of doors.
I spent a few nights out with Vili this week. We went to the mall to see a movie. I also convinced her to come to a jazz concert with me. It was long, but it was awesome. Eastern Europeans rocking jazz.... I was impressed.
I saw Angel briefly. He had run into some mutual friends of ours from Rakitovo, and I caught up with them in the center. They had not expected to see me, and there were crushing hugs all around and promises to meet up soon. After they left, I learned that Angel was comforting our mutual friend, Vesco. Vesco, who used to work with Future Foundation in Rakitovo, is in Plovdiv because his son is here in the hospital. His son was in a terrible car accident, and it's unclear just how badly he's doing. Vesco wasn't making any sense when he was talking to me, and I struggled to respond. I know he was trying to say how good it was to have me back in Bulgaria, but who can be coherent when their son is touch-and-go in a hospital? All I could say was that I would pray for him. Vesco thanked me and said my prayers would work because my spirit is "pure." God knows this isn't true, but I know He hears and answers prayers regardless. Thank you, Lord.
The U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria, Marcie Ries, happened to be in Plovdiv on Friday and decided that she would like to meet with Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) in the region. She was originally scheduled to come to my organization, and my colleagues were understandably excited. At the last minute, plans changed, and we moved to a cafe just down the street. Her husband (a former U.S. Ambassador to Greece), mother, and assistant were in tow, and we were five PCVs. It was a relaxed and informal conversation about our impressions of Bulgaria. I was greatly impressed that she took that time with us, especially since she's only been here about as long as I have - a month. I've never heard of a U.S. Ambassador coming to hang out with PCVs just because. So cool.
As we were saying our goodbyes, her mother suggested that I come and visit them in Sofia. She seemed sincere. I stuttered. How do you just show up as a guest at the Ambassador's residence?
I offered Ms. Ries a bag filled with goodies from my organization. I expressed to her my colleagues' disappointment that they hadn't been able to meet her.
"How long are you here? I'll come back," she said. Again, it seemed genuine. So cool.
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