Back to "Normal"

In Service Training is over and done with, and I’m back in Preslav getting back into the swing of things. I was greeted back into my little blok with a package from home containing a much needed sleeping bag (perfect for those sleep-on-the-floor PC get together moments), 2 bottles of my favorite hot sauce, and some other convenient comforts of home that I will be enjoying for a while.

I started and ended my week in Plovdiv (of which I'll post some pictures), and it was incredible getting to just walk around and explore the city for a while. I was also able to watch the Super Bowl and its amazing finish huddled with some good friends around a laggy internet stream of the game, but we indeed saw it all. Tampa looked good ;) . My birthday came and went in the midst of IST sessions, but it was alright because I was with friends, and I got to blow out a giant awkwardly placed candle in the middle of a piece of cake. Sweet!

As for IST itself – I got some really good ideas from the other volunteers, and at times the sessions were pretty informative and interesting. Above everything, however, it was awesome getting to spend the week with some of my favorite people here. Outside of the sessions we played some classic American games and bowling to pass the time and keep our minds off of work. The best part was probably the warm mineral pool at the hotel, where we hung out almost every day (not to mention the slide, hot tub, and sauna… fantastic).

I found out exactly how much I have progressed in the language by taking another LPI, and I got “Intermediate-High” which is a step above what I got last time I took it. I really can’t imagine what it's going to take to get to advanced level, since even though I am feeling more confident with the language, there are a lot of things that I still have problems with... There's a lot of things that I'm unable to say. I guess it just goes to show that I still have a long way to go. Even so, I picked up a Turkish language book to start studying later, since a lot of the kids at the orphanage speak it (and use it as a sort of "secret language" to hide things from the staff).

My counterpart and I have decided to work on a project involving a resource center for life skills materials at the orphanage, with which we will coordinate a life skills class for the kids there. This is something that I wanted to do going into site, but this has made things a bit more concrete on that front, and we now have something to work for, and we’ve banged out some ideas. Another volunteer and I are also going to coordinate a camp here for some of the kids, pending the approval of the directors of both orphanages. It would be a lot of fun and great for the kids to have this kind of learning experience and exchange, especially since our two orphanages are so different. The theme will be centered on the archaeological digs at the ruins of the old capital here, and hopefully we'll be partnering with the museum in Preslav as well. This is still kind of hypothetical right now, but I’m getting pretty excited about the idea of it.

For now, however, it’s back to life as usual in Preslav, with preschool in the morning and the orphanage in the afternoon. The change will be that I have some new ideas for groups, projects, and activities, and I’m really looking forward to trying some of these out. I think I’ll also try posting more about life here in Bulgaria in general, with more posts about food, culture, etc…
In the meantime, enjoy these pics of Plovdiv:

Until next time...

Paris of the Balkans

Hello from Plovdiv - probably my favorite city in Bulgaria. I'm sitting in an internet cafe looking out the window at a Roman stadium that was built probably 2000 years ago. And when I say that I'm looking out at it, I mean that I'm looking directly out the window at the stands - the complex in which this cafe is located was built down into the stadium itself, something that is really unique.

Plovdiv is full of little surprises like this, being one of the oldest cities not only in Bulgaria, but also in Europe, a settlement being located here since the neolithic era. The result is a city of layers - a city built on top of itself over and over again throughout the years - each layer revealing something about the history of the place. The old town is the best example of this: a beautiful area of cobblestone streets winding through Victorian era buldings and Bulgarian national revival architecture built directly on top of an ancient Roman city. While walking through the old town, you can look down onto the old Roman city, and look up at modern art on the still busy streets lined with trendy stores, bars, and restaurants. The entire city is crowned with a beautiful amalgamation of all 3 - a remarkably preserved Roman theater set at the top of a hill surrounded by historic Bulgarian buildings that house museums and little modern cafes - not to mention one of the best views anywhere in Bulgaria, looking down at this amazing little city.

The best part? No bloks.

Needless to say, that whenever I get the chance to come out to Plovdiv, I gladly take it. This particular occasion is due to a couple of things, both of which I've been looking forward to for a while. Firstly, I'm meeting up with a bunch of friends to watch the Super Bowl. We figured that the second biggest city in Bulgaria would have at least some place at which we could tune in and watch the action, and at the very least, we'll be able to tune in through the internet in the hostel's lobby...

Secondly, Plovdiv is very close to the place at which we B24s will be attending our "In Service Conference," a week long training that marks our 3rd month of service at our sites. It will be nice to be able to exchange ideas and experiences with everyone, since this will be the first time since the Swearing-In Ceremony that our entire group will be together. We'll be staying a week at a hotel in a town called Hisar, a town that has a popular brand of Bulgarian bottled water named after it, and a lot of mineral pools and springs.

I'll be sure to keep you all updated, and I hope to put up some pictures of my favorite places in Plovdiv at some point... This has been a very busy time here in BG, and I'm not updating as much as I would like to. I think after IST more posts will be coming your way.

Until next time...

Makgohavgc

So I just got back from an awesome trip down to the gorgeous Rodopi mountains to visit another volunteer who works at an orphanage to see how things are run over there. I got some great ideas, and sometime soon I'll get around to posting some details of that experience. However right now, I have another important story to share...

I finally got to eat at a McDonald's. This was my first McDonald's experience here in Bulgaria after I tragically missed my opportunities the last 2 times I was in Sofia. I was walking around Plovdiv (second biggest city in Bulgaria) waiting for my next train when I saw the familiar glow of the Golden Arches calling out to me. Admittedly I was a bit skeptical at first, asking myself if I should cave or if I should go somewhere else to eat. Somewhere more... cultural. Additionally, having worked in a fine McDonald's establishent back in high school I have very high standards. Realizing I didn't have a lot of time, I decided to treat myself to a little taste of the States.

The Cyrillic signage scared me little bit at first (yes, even though it looks like "Makgohavgc" that is pronounced letter by letter "MacDonalds"), but when I walked in, I was greeted by all the familiar sights and smells of home: Posters of people impossibly excited to eat fast food, fries sizzling in a giant vat of oil, and the characters of McDonaldland... I got so excited that I didn't even order in Bulgarian and was understood perfectly.

I ordered the "Big Tasty" макменю (mcmenu/value meal). Some of you might remember the Big Tasty (called the Big *and* Tasty back then) from a while ago - marketed as a delicious amalgamation of a quarter pounder and a Big Mac, with a little more "class." Unfortunately it was discontinued shortly after being introduced, making the Big and Tasty another item in the awesome Bulgarian tradition of resurrecting great things long forgotten in the States - like neon clothing and Alf.

Just in case anyone forgot, the description is located on the tray liner, conveniently translated into Bulgarian: "So appetizing and tempting - with more than enough grilled beef meat, melt in the mouth Emmental cheese, crispy iceberg lettuce, fresh tomatoes and onions, special smoke sauce and golden toasted bread."

Upon taking my first bite of this amazing sandwich I was immediately transported into realms of joy I haven't experienced in a long time. It was so good I ordered a cheeseburger to try to prolong the magic. A wave of patriotism washed over me and for 30 glorious minutes I felt like I was back home.

Thank you McDonald's Plovdiv for being there for me... I will gladly drop 10 leva at your establishment again.

Anyway... after that post I feel kind of dirty and very un-Peace-Corps. This was definitely not a sustainable and awareness-spreading post. Therefore I will try to start posting more about actual Bulgarian foods and drinks such as Shkembe Chorba (tripe soup) and Boza (disgusting). I love talking about food, and all of these have great stories attached deserving of their own posts.

Until next time...