Blogorious

After our conference in Blagoevgrad we had to wait about 2 weeks and we were all back together again. This time we were together with out counterparts. It was for our Project Design workshop and it took place in Sliven. It was great to be all together again. There are a few more photos that I was tagged in on facebook if anyone wants to see more.

All you need is Blog

So lets go back in time a bit. Towards the end of August we had a conference in Blagoevgrad, which is a city in the South Western part of the country very near to Macedonia. It was a great conference but by far the best part was getting together with my other friends and getting to meet and finally get to know some of the other volunteers. I didn't take a lot of pictures but what I did are posted here.

You be saying to yourself, why the heck haven't you blogged in so long, well to that my answer would be that better nothing than the emotional wreckage I have been trudging though. Some people put it all out there and others clam up, I would be in the latter group. I love this country, and I love the people here. I know that I read through a lot of blogs before I joined the Peace Corps. I read them to get a wide range of feelings and experiences of the people actually living the "dream". If there is anyone out there who would like to know more in detail what I have gone through or certain feelings and emotions that you may (or may not) feel your first few months I would be more than happy to share those with you. I do not feel prepared at this time to put everything in my blog though. Wow that sounds dramatic doesn't it! Seriously though, I am in a very good spot and can feel some great momentum now but it was not easy getting to this point.

Hope you enjoy the pictures!!

This was our first night together hanging out in almost a month! I had missed my girls very much. There was a very nice stairway from our hotel to a really pretty park that had some restaurants in it. It was a great location.

I am here!

What a week and a half it has been!

Hard parts I have faced so far:

• After I unpacked everything, reality sank in. I mean, I was fine during training, and then SMACK! Two years came and punched me in the stomach! I am not going to lie, I had my own personal meltdown, that unfortunately my Mom got sucked into. Pity Party for one please! I think a little of the meltdown was that my apartment was in the exact condition I left it in when I came for my visit, meaning no fridge or stove! I had to fight off some serious doubts and emotions, but I can tell you I am stronger for it. Also, don't worry not only do I know better than to look at this as two years and to just break it up into chunks of time, but I learned my lesson about not doing that.
• The language is just not coming fast enough. I can understand a good portion, and luckily I am observant enough of people and their body language even if I don't understand everything I get the jist of it. But seriously, I would like to talk at some point and have confidence that what I am saying isn't just a jumbled mess of words that I know, that may or may not make sense to the person hearing them.
• Mosquitos! Seriously, I think the amount of blood I have lost in this country to fleas and mosquitos is the equivollent to the amount I would have donated at a blood drive. To bad I don't get a pin saying a "I saved a life today".
• Washing machine. I did not and do not expect a washing machine, lets be clear, I realize there are people all over the world that wash their clothes by hand, including other people and volunteers in this country. My problem comes with the fact that I have a bright, shiny, brand new washing machine sitting in my apt. just asking to be hooked up! Lets hook that baby up!!! PPPLLLLLEEEAAAASSE!

Amazing, fantastic things that have happened:

• My counterpart is just amazing! She is funny and very hard working. She is fun to be around, and I think over the next few years we are going to have a great time (especially as the language comes.)
• The family who is renting me an apartment on their "compound". They are so generous and it just doesn't seem to stop. They saw I had purchased some veggies from a local stand and 10 minutes later they were at my door with arms full of fruits, veggies and eggs from their garden and chickens . They also told me not to buy them any more and to just help myself to the huge garden that provides me with an amazing view to wake up to. I will probably still buy them though, since it not only gives me language practice but gets me out in the village.
• My work. I have a lot to look forward to with my work. The door is essentially open to me, to do what I can and as I please as far as activities and programs to start up.
• First Sunday here, I met up with some other volunteers one other B26 and a married couple from B25 group. They live in Plovdiv and were wonderful giving us a tour and giving us the details we needed to have! I was able to pick up a map of Plovdiv that has the bus routes on it. That will come in VERY handy!
• My first weekend here (not including the unpacking weekend) I went to this amazing International Folklore Festival in Plovdiv. It was free and at the ancient roman amphitheater. There were groups from Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine, Portugal, Serbia and of course a local group from the Plovdiv area. It was as amazing and cool as you are picturing, and probably even a little cooler than that. It is an annual event so if anyone is interested next July would be a good time to think about a visit.
• Also in my first weekend here, I maneuvered myself via public transportation to Plovdiv all by myself and met with a big group of volunteers (without getting lost). We even saw "Inception" in english and air conditioning at a mall! =) Less than a dollar gets me into the 2nd largest city in Bulgaria! Location Location Location....
• The dance group I am still holding out hope I will be able to join soon. We were actually supposed to meet, but when I got there they were sitting at a cafe and there were only 3 of them so not tonight, maybe next time? I was happy to get out tonight. I was able to see the real activity of this town. I am mostly only out during the days since I kind of live a bit outside of "downtown". I got to say hello to a whole new group of people.
• The people in this town have been so nice. They enjoy hearing all that I can tell them in my limited Bulgarian and seem to want to hear more when my language gets there. Today as I as walking home a woman who sells tomato's and cucumbers on the street stopped me, mind you while she was in the middle of selling some cucumbers, and gave me two to take home with me. It was so sweet! Random acts of kindness like that happen all the time here, and I can tell you as someone who is away from all the people and comforts of home, those acts completely make not only my day, but days, and maybe even week! As soon as I start baking (which may not happen till it cools off!) I plan on sharing some goodies with her.
• I have been promised rain either tonight or tomorrow which couldn't come soon enough it is VERY hot here! I do love the rain..

Below are some pictures of the festival. Enjoy!

This is actually the end of the Festival. These people know how to have a good time.

This is the group from Bulgaria. They also dance at the Festival my village puts on in June.

I believe this is the group from Ukraine. They were one of my favorites.

This was Georgia. They were my other favorite. Their dances were amazing!

Portugal. The women had baskets of what I assume was flour balanced on their heads for much of the dance. It was amazing. Not one of them dropped it and I only saw one girl touch her basket during the dance!

17th Annual International Folklore Festival, Plovdiv 2010 (in case you can't read Cyrillic)

This is the Mayor of my village and my counterpart Gergana.

Pre Service Training Wrap-Up.** Updated!! 8-4-10

Well suddenly it was 3 months later. Not sure how that all happened but I think that is what everyone says. Training is over with and I am now a volunteer as of Friday July 23rd. I had a wonderful time in training and although I was eager to get the freedom of my own living space back, I miss my host family very much already. I will be back there for Christmas if not earlier. I have a few last photos of training I wanted to share and let you all know that I have arrived safely at site. I am in the process of getting acquainted with my village, apartment and counterpart. I will update soon about site but these are just the last of the training pics.

**One story I forgot to mention in my blog that happened in PST was the day they brought me a soup to try. Normally my host Mom makes great soup. I steer clear of the meat but the flavor is great. Well I had a spoonful of the soup, again staying away from the "meat". Then I noticed they were watching me. Then they told me, I had just had a spoon full of cow stomach soup! I kind of just looked at them and laughed. They asked if I wanted any more and very kindly told me I didn't have to eat it. I decided when the hell am I ever going to get this opportunity again, so I actually pulled up a chunk of cows stomach from the bottom of the bowl and ate it, of course that was all of it that I ate, and I gave the bowl to my host Mom right after that. But it wasn't horrible. The hardest part was knowing what it was. After that it was a running joke with my host Father at every meal time! =)

This is my host Father Petar, his father and brother during my last week in training. I got very close with my host family during training and miss them all very much already.

These are two very special people in my life, my language trainer who helped me out in so many ways other than just language and my host mother who is just amazing!

Went to dinner at a "cousins" house and before I knew it they brought Petar a drum, and then the wife comes busting through the door with her husbands accordion! It was hilarious but the best part was that as we were leaving he started playing the accordion again and we started dancing in the streets in the middle of the night! A great memory for sure.

Here we are before the show got started.

Have I mentioned the scenery here?

My host family very generously took me on an outing the weekend before I left. We traveled to Ledinika Cave and to a Hristo Botev Monument. Both spots were really interesting.

This is Petar and one of my host sisters Inna. She is wonderful and goes to school a couple hours away from us but she came and visited a couple of times while I was there.

This was Petar showing his creativity with the angle of the camera. This is one of my training friends. We always had great white wine when she came over for dinner!

My host mom always picked out great snacks. These little things were called "Lucky Girl" I call them "air snacks" cause it was kind of like eating air. But they came with a prize, so Maryana, host Aunt Julia and I all put on our bindi's

This is the park that we focused our community project on. We cleaned it up installed the equipement the kids are playing on, and later we painted the benches.

These are my girls from training! Brittany's family took us to this great look out spot.

Working hard at on our community project!

I want to thank everyone for all their love and support. I have my address now so just send me an email if you want it!

Flea bite log, July 3 2010

The bites just keep coming. I spray with repellent and with stuff that kills them and yet I keep getting new bites. Oh well right, it builds character.

I have returned safely and soundly from my permanent site visit. It was a relief to find everything out and at the same time the pressure is building because I want to be ready and able to fulfill the needs of my community. I have been placed very close to the second largest city in Bulgaria, Plovdiv. I will have the best of both worlds, village life with the ease and comfort of city life. Here are some pics from my future apt.

This bathroom is so nice it might as well be plated in gold!! I have this all to myself in a few short weeks.

Kitchen!

This is my living room/bedroom, that is full size bed you see, no twin bed for me.

I will be working with the Cultural Center in my town, helping to create programs and activities, in order to help make it more used and useful to the community. I will also work with the schools and the Mayor on a few projects. They are excited to have me and I am just as excited to be working with them.

We are going to complete our "Community Project" this weekend and pair it with our 4th of July celebration as long as the weather cooperates. Hopefully it will because I don''t really know what we will get another opportunity but I am sure it will all work out.

Lets talk about packages briefly. I will have my address very soon and hope to start recieving some packages as well. Some people have expressed that they just don't know what to send. Well lucky for you I have a few ideas, you can send anything and I would be happy and thrilled but a few things I have thought of are: a fave lip gloss or eye liner, food, nail polish or clear fast drying top coat polish, manicure set, seasoning packets, PICTURES, games, movies, cd's, magazines. This is a pretty good overview of things for now that I would enjoy getting. I can get much more specific and probably will as time goes on. Also the USPS has what is called an M-bag which may be worth looking into if anyone is interested in sending me books.

Hope everyone is well. I miss you all!

Come one, come all!

So I have a problem with bugs......I have fleas. I have been dealing with those since the beginning. Next there were spiders all over in my shower. I then found that my concerns were correct and there were termites eating the desk in my room. But last night was the straw that broke the camels back. I had heard the rattling near the end of my bed and certainly had my suspicions, early this morning I found out what that was. A giant cockroach. We had each other cornered for about 2 hours before I finally worked up the nerve to escape my bed and run to the door. My host mother was just waking up when she saw me standing oh so awkwardly in the door way. She, being the brave women she is, picked up the blanket it had rested on and walked it out side. It was awful!! I can only hope that there really was only the one. I only heard the one (I think) and I hope I only saw the one and not his twin brother...... So rest easy tonight in your nice cool houses and not hearing the bugs in your room come out at night!

So much, So little

Camera? Check. USB cord? Check. Pictures? You know it!

Have I mentioned how pretty it is here?

This is the petting zoo that walks down my street daily.

This is a Ready Mix plant I stumble upon while hiking with my family. Not going to lie, it almost made me cry!

So much is going on, and yet so little to report. I don't know if I have talked about the turkish toilets yet. They are the equivalent to a portable toilet in smell and yet they are far superior because you cant see into the depths of the toilet, and you don't have to sit on anything. However it is likely that you will pee on your shoe at least a little before you figure out control and placement of your feet. Trust the footing. If you have never used one, roll up your pants and trust the footing.

Thursday is when we find out our permanent site placement followed by a counterpart conference where we meet out counterparts. Sunday we travel with our counterparts somewhere in Bulgaria that we will live for the next two years. On Wednesday we will travel back to where we are training alone! It is very exciting and we are all very anxiously awaiting. I think everyone I have been emailing with is pretty annoyed I keep talking about this. I know I would be if they kept talking about this big thing that is going to happen someday...But it is almost here and then you won't have to hear about it again until we get close to our Swearing in Ceremony.