COS I, Matt’s Visit, and Burgas Thursday, Aug 23 2007

A Sailboat off of Nessebur

Last week I had to go into Sofia for my COS I, which is three days during which all volunteers take care of administrative and medical stuff within a month of leaving the country. It basically consists of a TB test, getting new vaccinations for any that have expired, a physical exam, and an exit interview with one of the top three administrators. My particular schedule also included getting an MRI done on my knee, which confirmed the diagnosis that the doctors had made earlier, that being a small tear in the ligament. Basically I still have to keep from doing anything that would put too much strain on the knee is all.

Matt and His Old Host Parents

I came in on a Tuesday and had my TB injection and my physical exam, and was told that I had to go back in two days to get it checked. That evening I didn’t have too much to do, so I went to the theatre to see the new Harry Potter film. I am still disappointed in it as an adaptation of the book. There were many things I felt it did poorly, such as the discovery of the DA and the revolt of the Weasley twins, but as a film in itself I really enjoyed it. The relationship between Harry and Sirius was done particularly well. After the film I went to Andrea and Boudreaux’s place, where I was staying. Ended up that Thomas and Apryl were there too, so it was a nice little group to hang out with.

Carey and Matt Entering Nessebur

The next day I had nothing to do until my MRI appointment at 6, so I ended up hanging out at Andrea and Boudreaux’s watching TV shows for a few hours before heading out. I ended up meeting Ronda eventually, who was hanging out Rachel, a friend of a third PCV named Grace who was in Bulgaria visiting from Cairo, where she’s been studying. We ended up chatting about my own upcoming trip to Egypt, which was nice. After getting my MRI done I ended up hanging out with Alex, who was in town for the SPA committee meeting (as was Ronda). We went to the mall, had coffee, and he went over SPA stuff while I wrote some note cards. Late that night Matt finally came in from Sarajevo (via Belgrade). Matt used to be my sitemate a year ago, but he left and there was a year gap before Joe showed up. We went out for beers and food and had a goof time catching up.

Nessebur’s Old Town

The next day we had to go to the office around 10:00 to go to my interview and to get my TB test done. Matt wanted to come along to meet with his old program staff and other friends still working with PC HQ that he knew from his time there (we’ve since gotten quite a few new folks to replace ones who left just before or after he did). My interview was interesting. It was with the new Country Director, who is the head of Peace Corps in a given country. Our new CD is Lesley Duncan, who has apparently been PC her whole life – rumor has it she was born while both parents were serving in the Peace Corps, or something like that, was a volunteer herself, and has been a PC staffer since. Anyway, there have been a lot of stuff going around about how Peace Corps Bulgaria is going to be very different with her at the lead, and now that I’ve interviewed her, I agree with it.

The Old Bishopric in Nessebur

She has a very specific idea of what the life of a PCV should be, and she is prepared to mold PC Bulgaria to fit that image at the cost of existing PCV lifestyles and institutions. From what I understand, she’s already shut down the At-Risk Youth Fund, a PCV run organization that gives micro-grants to organization that work with at-risk youth, and has suggested that the Volunteer Support Network, a group of PCVs that function as peer counselors and social even organizers, may be next. She also seems to have hinted that the Volunteer Advisory Committee, which is the voice of the PCVs to the administration, is not mandated for according to PC rules, and is likewise disposable. Whether or not she actually does any of this things will be quite another matter, but she shared with me her thoughts of what a PCV’s life should be, and what she said was that a volunteer should spend all his time that is not vacation or work-related leave integrating in his town. This means an end to what I like to call “freebies” for PCVs. De facto PC policy in Bulgaria had been this: if your school or organization was on vacation and you were not working on a secondary project – read already completed yours or were set to implement it later without need for immediate work – then you could leave your site without using up vacation days provided you stayed in the country. That would mean that, now that my summer camp is over and my institution has no kids, I could simply go to the beach or visit friends whenever I want to without taking official leave. This is important because that means that you could save you leave days for traveling out of country, which is when you have to use them no matter what unless it’s an official holiday. This practice has ended.

A Seagull on the Tarp Above Our Table

There are arguments to be had for both sides of this decision. Some would say that the extra freedom allowed us to see more of Bulgaria and take in more of the culture of the place. I’ve been all around this country, and much of that would have been impossible if I had had to do it with just the 48 vacation days you get over two years, especially when you look at the limitations they put on when you can spend them – not in the first six months from your arrival and not within three months of leaving. There’s nine months where you can’t travel already. Of course, if you travel outside of the country, you’re probably leaving for extended periods – visiting home, traveling Europe, etc., so those days can go quick. So it made sense to say that the official policy was not as healthy a policy in a place like Bulgaria and that we should adapt it to our own needs. In a place where the only place you’d go is the capital city, it makes sense to keep PCVs dispersed in the country and from gathering in the capital constantly. However, Bulgaria has places to go all over the place, and there’s something to be said about being able to talk about the whole of Bulgaria when we get back (as that’s one third of our mission as PCVs!).

Folks on a Beach in Nessebur

On the other hand, one could say that being forced to spend the majority of your free time in your site makes you that much more integrated. If you’re gone every weekend and never hang out with the locals, you’ll never know what it’s like to be a normal Bulgarian. However, I think that the belief that PCVs are being negligent of their integration into their host communities to the degree that Lesley might imagine them being is misguided. Sure, we travel a lot, but we do it in spurts, with large blocks of time spent right at home with our local friends and neighbors. She seems to want to make that the be all and end all of PCV life outside of the work environment – unless it’s your one free weekend a month, a holiday, or you take leave. She spoke of how she went out into the fields on her free time, and that PCVs here should go work tobacco here in Bulgaria if they have nothing else to do. I really think that’s extreme. I know Matt did it while he was here, but that was because it was his girlfriend’s family’s plot. I don’t imagine that working to bring in crops which I think are a blight on the world to begin with is something I should be encouraged to do. PCV life in Bulgaria is going to have a lot more sitting down with locals doing nothing. That’s not integration; that’s assimilation. Don’t forget, folks, they’re supposed to learn from us too. We’re volunteers folks, and I know there are rules and that they exist for a reason, but life for PCVs in Bulgaria is going to be a lot harder now, and I feel really bad for the folks who, like me, have to live without a sitemate for any period of time or are stuck in small town or, worse, both. Looking at this, I think that organizations like VSN and VAC are more valuable than ever. I hope they don’t get shut down.

Anyway, that’s that, and I’m leaving. So long Bulgaria. I’ve only 17 days left with you. I feel bad for those I leave behind, but at least it’s not my problem. So aside from all that, I thought the interview went well. I had a good talk about my own service, let her know my opinion on a few things, and got out alive. After that, Matt rented a car and we were out of Sofia by 18:00. On our way to Burgas we went to visit his host family (see pic above). We got lost on the way because the roads are so confusing here and are poorly marked, but we surprised them and stayed for about an hour or so. After getting back on the road we got to Burgas without too much trouble, though we didn’t arrive until about 01:00. The next day we got up and went to Nessebur with Carey, who had not seen it before. I had been when seeing Sting in concert a year ago, but it was nice to see it again, as it’s a pretty place, as you can see from all the photos. That night we went out with a bunch of folks to a cool bar where I danced a bit and listened to some of our party play the piano too. It was a good night.

Oh No!!! The Site from the Window

The following morning, however, we discovered that Matt’s rental car had been vandalized! Someone threw a lot of yellow and red latex paint all over it and also let air out of two of the tires. We were able to clean up the important windows and mirrors and inflate the tires, but the body’s paint job is probably ruined. Thankfully the locals hanging out in front of the bloc were able to help us out (paint thinner for the windows and mirrors, a pump for the tires, etc.) and Matt bought insurance, but what a shame! Apparently there was a similar vandalism the week before too! They even showed us where it happened – just on the exact other side of the street we had parked! You can see the paint that dropped on the pavement from the previous week in the picture above – just feet away from our car! Matt had to make a police report for the rental company, which I can tell you is a pain in the butt in this country. Luckily the car was still drivable and Matt didn’t let it spoil his trip. He was soon off to Zavet to visit his friends there. I gave him my keys and stayed in Burgas one more night, which was fun. Carey, Jack, Ronda, Mary-Kate, and I all had a night in watching a movie and eating home cooking. Carey made yummy sandwiches and Ronda did another great lemon meringue pie. Carey and I left the next day, but it was great hanging out at the sea with Jack and Ronda one last time. Below are more pics of the vandalism.

Note This Side Has Flat Tires

One funny thing to come of it all was a news article about the vandalizing. Some PCVs get news briefs sent out from PC with all the headlines. Here is an excerpt showing how much a paper can get wrong in this country:

From 24 Chassa A liquid the color of oil was thrown over the vehicle used by an American national in Burgas’s Pobeda neighborhood on Saturday night. The car had its tires flattened too. Matt Thomas from Washington was staying with friends who had recently got an apartment in Burgas when this incident happened. Reportedly he was teaching English in a village in Razgrad region. Monday – pg. 5

Come on, “a liquid the color of oil?” And it’s Matt Thompson, not Thomas, and he USED to teach English in Zavet, which is a small town, not a Village. Oh, and Jack and Ronda have been in Burgas for a year now. There’s nothing recent about the move. *sigh*

Anyway, back in Zavet this week things have been spoko. Monday Will came over from Isperih to help Joe with Baseball. Tuesday I was able to send a package home of all the stuff I don’t want to pack with me but don’t want to leave behind from Razgrad. Yesterday I cleaned house quite a bit, and last night Joe and I went out with some local girls and had a good time at our favorite little bar. Last night my boiler stopped working, but I got it fixed again. If it stops again the guy knows what part he needs to replace, so that’s good. He’s the same guy who fixed a different problem on it before, and isn’t charging me anything, which is great. We had a good conversation where he explained what was wrong to me, and little by little I got it. Apparently the switch inside the boiler that senses the water is cool and should be heated is faulty. I was quite proud of myself for getting all the other details too, but that’s the actual problem. In other news, I have some pics of the kitchenette units that we purchased with my PCPP money. You can see one of the units below. If you click on the picture for a larger image, you’ll see the nice new tile work on the floor, and some on the wall, which still needs to be finished. I think that’s what they’ll all look like in the end. I’m hoping they’ll be done in two weeks, so I can see the finished product when I’m done.

Sink, Stove Top, and Fridge All-in-One

That’s pretty much it for now. I have only a few weeks left and I can’t wait to start my travels. If you want a post card, by the way, let me know. I’ll send you one from somewhere if you give me your address.

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Super-Massive Über Post II Sunday, Aug 5 2007

A Happy Bridesmaid with the Bouquet

So it feels like a month of Sundays since I’ve posted, and I’m sorry about that. I say that every time. I suck at posting regularly. I do it in spurts. I get the itch to say stuff here, do so in a fit of being prolific, and then I end up not posting again for a month. Oh well. If anyone is reading this, however haphazard I end up posting this stuff, I guess I’m doing something right with the content.

This post is going to be another large one covering lots of topics, so just bear with me as I go through what I’ve gone and done since Istanbul (wow, that I haven’t done a real journal post since then seems crazy when I think about it!).

The Bride and Groom Slice the Cake

The first big event that happened since Istanbul is that I went to a party in Gorna Oryahovitza. Gorna is a major rail hub for Bulgaria in the center of the country just north of the Balkans. Anyway, Melanie was throwing a themed party there, the theme being weddings. The idea was that since most volunteers will miss at least one wedding while in Peace Corps that we should have a party to celebrate the weddings we had missed. To do so Melanie planned out a faux-wedding reception. We all drew cards with our role for the evening on it (Bride, Groom, Best Man, Maid of Honor, etc.) and acted out the wedding reception according to our roles. As a bridesmaid, I was able to catch the bouquet as you can see in the first pic at the top of the post. Of course after we got through all the ceremonial aspects (toasts, dances, etc.) we all just sorta had a normal party, but it was still really fun and silly. We also filmed a toast to all the new couples back home, which I’ve uploaded onto YouTube:

Anyway, that was the weekend of June 8. The next thing that was fun and interesting was the weekend before my birthday (weekend of June 22), when we decided to celebrate the day a bit early at Carey’s apartment in Veliki Preslav. Lots of folks made it down for it, and all in all we had Carey, Jack, Ronda, Susan, Gina, Anna, and myself. It was a good crowd of great people, and Carey did some good cooking to boot. Sadly, I didn’t take any pictures of that weekend, so they are lost to memory only.

Gina, Center, Looking Resplendent as a Bridesmaid, Alana Left

The following weekend weekend was John Dunne’s and Tia Goodwin’s wedding. They are two TEFL volunteers from the group before mine. John had had to go home early, but came back to marry Tia in Bulgaria “where they met.” I wasn’t planning on going at first, but Gina said that Carey and I were expected to be there and that we were to take lots of photos. The wedding itself was held in the Methodist church in Shumen. I was rather surprised that it even existed, to be honest. John’s dad did the ceremony, which seemed fraught with confusion at points and gave the impression that it wasn’t rehearsed at all, but that actually seemed to lend sincerity and honesty to the whole affair. It didn’t seem at all like pageantry, which weddings sometime come off as, especially in Bulgaria.

Carey with Alana and John McKinney

I sat with Carey and the McKinney’s, to whom I would be saying goodbye that evening for the last time until I see them again in the states. They were finishing with Peace Corps in the next few days and flying home. It was a good opportunity to say goodbye to them, as well as Gina, who was also leaving. After the ceremony we went to a restaurant that had been hired out for the reception, which was a lot of fun. Lots of drinking, dancing, and general merry-making.

Erin Looking Elegant, Jeremy and John Behind

There was an… incident at the reception during which I felt unjustly abused. I won’t go into details here, but I felt embarrassed not only for myself but for the bride. My friends sitting around me were shocked at the behavior of the perpetrator and were rather upset on my behalf. Anyway, at that point it was decided, quite wisely, that the only thing to do was to get over it and have a nice time with my friends, which I proceeded to do. Aside from seeing John and Alana and Gina for the last time, I was also able to catch up with Erin, Jessie, and Jeremy, more TEFLs for whom I have an affinity. Grace and Melanie, some volunteers a year behind me were also there, and it was good to see them too. Finally, there were also some Bulgarians that I knew there. Anyway, Carey was right, and I ended up having a great time anyway.

Mounted Up and Having Fun, Care-Bear

The Monday following the Saturday wedding my brother Jason and his wife Allison arrived in Russe for a week-long visit to Bulgaria. They had come in on a morning bus from Bucharest. I was to meet them at the bus station, but they got an early start and I was delayed by a slow bus, so we arranged to meet at a cafe that they could get to easily via taxi. After our initial greetings and a cup of coffee, I arranged to drop our bags off at the apartment of a volunteer in Russe, after which we strolled around the center and had lunch at a street cafe on the “Glavnata,” which is Bulgarian for the main road (usually meaning the main pedestrian shopping street in the center rather than a highway). Afterwards we met back up with the volunteer holding our bags and went to the bus station for our trip to Zavet.

Jason and Allison in Russe

After a short rest in Zavet we took a trip out to Ahinora, a local cultural site. I had arranged for a friend to drive us out there with his car. Jason and Allison thought the area was really interesting. The only disappointment was that the Thracian tombs, which are part of the attraction, were closed that day. Still, they got a kick out of visiting the tomb of Demir Baba, a holy man for the local Turks who supposedly caused the local spring water to come forth from the rocks. Afterwards we came home and just had a quiet evening at home having dinner and watching a movie.

Allison Drinks from the Holy Spring

The following day we had a lightning tour of Zavet and Razgrad, where we ate lunch, before heading to Veliko Turnovo. We spent the afternoon walking around and doing some shopping, which was fun. Turnovo is my favorite city in Bulgaria, and it’s really something apart from the rest of the country. That evening we dined with Alden and Crystal, a couple of PCVs serving in Turnovo, and I think Jason and Allison really enjoyed the conversation. They had only seen Peace Corps Bulgaria through my reports and experiences, so having someone else tell them of their experiences gave them some perspective. The next day we had planned on a pik-nik lunch in Tsaravets, the local fortress, but we were all a bit tired and just stayed in before our bus to Sofia.

Jason Demonstrates How Best to Travel on a Bulgarian Bus in Summer

Once in Sofia the comedy of errors started (though I suppose with my bus to Russe being late the the Thracian tombs being closed you could argue that Sofia merely was the start of Act II). As soon as we arrived I left Jason and Allison at the bus station to wait on me to buy our train tickets for the following night. We wanted to take a night train to the coast to have some time at the sea before they left for Istanbul. Well, we arrived at a reasonable hour in the early evening (6 or so), but, of course, the ticket office for sleeper cars was closed. There were at least a half a dozen other ticket offices open, of course, as there always are 24 hours a day, but God forbid that Bulgaria’s largest train station have a centralized computer system for selling sleeper car tickets (or tickets in general!) so that one can buy them at any booth. Anyway, I returned empty handed to take Jason and Allison to the hostel. We checked in without problem and headed to dinner with Andrea and Boudreaux, some of my favorite volunteers, who live in Sofia. We had dinner at Taj Mahal, an excellent even for America Indian restaurant. Again, I felt it was really good for Jason and Allison to get the PC Bulgarian experience from someone else’s eyes. That night we three retired to Hambara and Apartamenta, my favorite bars in Sofia, for a night cap before going to bed.

Jason and Allison in Hambara (The Barn), or “Candlebar” as Ex-Pats Call It.

The next day I sent Jason and Allison on a trip to the Rila Monastery while I took care of some business with Peace Corps. I wanted to get the lenses in my replaced, and I also had an appointment to get my knee looked at (I apparently tore a ligament while dancing at the wedding… again). Anyway, that took most of the day for me, but I met up with Jason and Allison again that afternoon. They were able to explore a bit of Sofia between their trip and my return from the doctor’s, which was nice. I had given them a quick night tour the previous evening, so I think they were able to look around for themselves and have some idea of where they were and what they were seeing. Sadly, I was unable to secure night train tickets yet again as the sleeper car had sold out. I made the executive decision to take an early morning bus instead. Well, that was a poor idea since the hostel was booked up. Thankfully Assen, the owner of Hostel Mostel, has a soft spot for volunteers and gave us an apartment that the hostel also lets out for the same price, so yay Assen! That evening we went to a store called Traditzia, which sells Bulgarian hand crafts from around the country at a fair-market value. Jason and Allison really loved the place (as did I), and I really think it was one of the highlights of the trip for them. They bought a LOT of stuff and seemed gleeful that they got most so much of their Christmas shopping out of the way. After shopping we went to a place called Priyafata, a restaurant that serves really good Bulgarian fair, which we all really enjoyed. A Spaniard named Louis who went on the Rila trip with Jason and Allison was sitting alone, so Jason invited him to join us. He seemed really nice and we all had an enjoyable conversation. Afterward we all went back out to Hambara for another set of night caps.

Jason and Allison in the Black Sea

The next morning we got on the bus for Burgas alright, but I missed our stop because it wasn’t at the bus station in Burgas that I knew. I thought we were in Pomorie and by the time I righted myself we had gone an hour too far. I was extremely upset at myself at this point, having failed to get sleeper car tickets and then adding two hours travel time before getting to the beach. Jason had been having a really rough time with the buses (they usually aren’t very well air conditioned and it was in the 90’s), and I felt like I had let them down. When we finally arrived (back) in Burgas Ronda met us at the bus station and took Jason and Allison to get a kebab while I watched the bags. They brought one back to me and I chowed down on the way to Jack and Ronda’s apartment. We turned straight around and went to the beach for a few hours so as to salvage a bit of the day before meeting Jack, Ronda, Tye, and Christin at a Chinese place for dinner. Jack and Ronda are another set of favorites of mine, and I was really, really happy they could meet Jason and Allison. Tye and Christin and I ended up going out to a bar that night while the other went home, which was fun. The bar actually played real jazz music, which was great. The rest of the time in Burgas was spent on the beach. We had a full day on Saturday (having arrived on Friday). Sunday morning we got a quick breakfast and said goodbye. Jason and Allison went to Istanbul, and I went to my COS conference. It was great seeing them both.

DJ Ice Koub

COS stands for Conclusion of Service, which is one of the many acronyms that you learn as a PCV (Peace Corps Volunteers). The conference was the last time everyone in the group of 50 (at that point more like 35) that I came to Bulgarian with in August of 2005 were together at one place. It serves as an opportunity to tell us all we need to know about finishing up our service and to help those that need it prepare to reintegrate back home. Of course, the volunteers also use it as an opportunity to have one last bit of fun together as a group. As such a karaoke night was organized. I DJed and was quite impressed with how well it all went. The sound system could have been a lot better, but we made do. I was able to pull up lyrics to any song anyone found on my large collection of music from a wireless internet connection and have them projected onto a screen within seconds. I was even able to download a song or two on the fly for people who wanted to sing something I didn’t have.

The Boys Sing a Song (Bob Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me,” I Think)

I sang “Take This Job and Shove It” and “Friends in Low Places” myself, with a bit of help from Carey of course. The highlight of the evening, though, was obviously Matt Sumpter singing “Baby Got Back” with backup dancers Tim, Carey, and Andy. Tim and Carey went with a bikini top each, but Andy just went for the Speedo. It was hilarious. That night I stayed up late playing pool with a couple of the boys.

Everyone Dressed Up for Dinner

During the days we spent most of our time in meetings and at the pool. Each night after dinner there was usually something to do, and the third night we took all the stuff we used to karaoke to another room to have a dance party. It was a lot of fun. This was the night of the official dinner, so everyone was already dressed up, which added a bit of class to the evening. It felt good celebrating with everyone. We’ve been here for two years and have survived and done well. I for one thought we all deserved a good time, and I was all the happier that we looked good while doing it.

Dancing

Ultimately, the lessons of my COS conference are that I’m extremely proud of not only my service but the service my friends have done and that I’ve matured a lot in these two years. Little by little we’ve all made Bulgaria a better place. Some of us have done big things, others lots of little things that add up. Either way, we’ve made change in the lives of the communities of which we’ve become a part. On a personal scale, I’ve learned a lot about myself in terms of who I am and what I can do. I also learned a lot about how I fit into a group. I know now that I am strong and can do just about anything that I want to do if I try hard enough. This is also the first time in my life that I’ve don’e something completely different than what my older brother has done. I followed Jason from our old high school to the Louisiana School, a boarding school for gifted Jr.s and Sr.s, and then to LSU. I followed in his footsteps for six years, and I have finally taken a path he hadn’t taken. I feel like I’ve, literally, come into my own.

Carey Makes an Entrance

On top of all that, and maybe most importantly, I’ve learned not to sweat the small stuff. I can deal without things now. I’ve grown much more patient with circumstances I can’t do anything about, and have learned not to tolerate people who aren’t worth it. There are friends I have from my group that I will keep for life, and, while it’s a sad situation no doubt, I now know that there are some people in my group that are not worth keeping in touch with. There are people that I don’t like, and who don’t care for me much either. For the first time in my life I feel that I’m ok with not being liked by someone, and that’s an incredibly large step for me. If you knew me before I came to Bulgaria and during the first long bit of Peace Corps, you know that I was someone who tried to make everyone happy, and let the inability to do so get to me way too often. I’m passed that now I think. I’ll keep in touch with the ones I love, and, like the small stuff, not sweat the others.

Camp Happy Summer 2007

After the conference I basically had one week to prepare for my town’s annual summer camp. Veselo Lyato or “Happy Summer” was started five years ago by a TEFL volunteer in my town and is still going strong. This year we had about 90 kids total. Including myself, I was able to recruit 21 non-local volunteers to help out. Most of them were only able to come up for a few days of the whole week, but some were there for 4 or 5 days. Two of them weren’t even Peace Corps. We had a friend of mine from Sofia come and help out and an English girl that another PCV knew. She was in Romania while traveling Europe and came down to my camp for 3 days! I was very happy to have the help. The camp was a great success, and I think that the new PCVs that came (there were a lot of the newest group) got some great experience. There were a lot of different activities led by volunteers, including baseball, kickball, rugby, quiditch, ultimate frisbee, tai-chi, and ballet. It would take a post this long and more to describe the camp and all the activities, so I’ll do it in pictures only:

Simona at the Start of Camp

A Base Hit, No Doubt – Kickball

Trevor, Nicky, and Kristina Tuckered Out

Trevor Teaches a New Game

I Don’t Know Who’s Cuter

Decorating Pin Cushions

Volunteers Take a Break to Play on Their Own

Making Picture Frames

Patchwork

Ballet Led by Elizabeth

Toni Leads Tai-Chi

It was a wonderful week, but very tiring! I was very glad to slow down a bit, finally, after that. I’ve done a few day trips here and there since then, but mostly I’ve stayed put in Zavet and have tried to keep my head down. This weekend right now Zavet is having its town festival. Joe, my new sitemate, and I have been going each night. There is folk dancing from Bulgaria, Hungary, and Turkey each night followed by a concert by a different Bulgarian pop singer. Last night was Emiliya, and tonight was Andrea.

Representing America in the Crowd of Internationals

The first night (last night, Friday), Joe and I headed out, but when we saw a procession of flags from the international dance troupes, we decided we needed our own. First we thought of putting it on a jerry-rigged pole, but then decided a cape would be much more interesting. Anyway, you can see the result above. That night we watch the folk dancers and then the concert after. It was interesting, and is definitely a big deal to have something on this scale each year. Rossen, a Bulgarian I know, is the organizer, and it’s amazing that a town like Zavet can pull this off in this country.

Joe, in Cowboy Hat Goodness

One of the first things we did at the festival was that Joe bought a hat. We had both planned on getting one, but I decided that the only reason I wanted it was to travel with, and it wouldn’t hold up well in travelling conditions (they were pretty cheaply made, but still expensive in price by Bulgarian standards), and so didn’t get one for myself. Still, Joe in cowboy gear and I with my flag cape made quite the pair.

Hungarian Dancers

The Hungarian dancers were by far the coolest. Their dances were certainly Western as well, but with obvious Eastern influence. It was need to see how the two dancing styles came together in their traditions. Afterwards Emilya sang. Joe, who had won two artificial flowers at the shooting gallery allowed me to take them and give them to Emiliya, which I thought was hilarious.

Emilya Takes the Flowers

Emilya was my first real Chalga concert. Chalga is a kind of popular music here in Bulgaria. It’s popular all throughout the Balkans under different names. In Serbia it is called Turbo-Folk, but it’s the same stuff. Anyway, I had seen live Chalga before, but never a whole set, so this was a first. It was fun as a cultural experience, but I’m pretty sure I have had my fill. She didn’t even play my favorite song of hers that she does.

Emilya Sings

The second night (tonight), we went out again, but only watched the Hungarian dancers, who we had established as our favorite from the night before. We ended up hanging out with them a bit afterward as Rossen noticed Joe and I admiring some of the prettier Hungarian girls and introduced us. Some of them spoke English and we had a pretty decent time. They even taught us some of the most basic moves for male folk dances.

A Pretty Hungarian Girl

Ends up they’ll all be back tomorrow night for a third exhibition. I’m looking forward to it and being able to talk to them again. I’m thinking I might even teach some Cajun dancing to them in exchange for the quick lesson on Hungarian folk dancing they gave us tonight (and I’m gonna bring along an LSU brochure for the 16 year old guy with the best English) . I’m really glad I got to experience the festival this year, as I missed it last year. It’s been fun.

Joe and I with Hungarians

Finally, in other news, I finished Ben’s old SPA project’s paperwork in Shumen, and have purchased all the materials for the kitchenette project that I got a PCPP grant for. Oh yeah, I wrote a grant and got 3,251 Leva in funds from donors via Peace Corps! We’re building small kitchens on each floor of my institution’s dormitory hall. Anyway, I went to Russe to by the all-in-one kitchenette units with some of my staff members and had enough money left over since the units fell in price to buy pots, pans, glasses, grills, and coffee pots for all three units! The most interesting part of the experience though was the fat wad of cash I pulled out of the bank to pay for it all. So, if you want to know what 3.25 thousand Leva looks like, check this out:

This Would Choke a Donkey

And that’s the news. I’ll be home on October 1, so I’ve less than two months left, and only a month and 5 days left in Peace Corps. I’m ready for the end, and am really pumped about closing this chapter of my life and starting a new one. Hopefully I’ll find a job quickly, so wish me luck!

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