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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Shut Yo’ Mouth! Wednesday, Jun 20 2007

I’m Just Talkin’ ‘Bout Vasil Levski

It’s approaching my two year mark here in Bulgaria. I arrived in August 2005, and this place seemed strange then, in the sense that it was unfamiliar. Since then it’s gotten familiar, but weird and wonderful at the same time. One thing here that shows both the splendor and horror of Bulgaria is politics.

I actually have hope for Bulgaria when it comes to politics. While it is true that the Socialist party is still in power, things are moving forward, even if at a snail’s pace. The simple commitment to a democratic state is a miracle in many ways. Look at Russia right now. That could be Bulgaria, but it isn’t. They have choosen the West. A recent milestone was joining the EU at the beginning of the year. Many Bulgarians are still uncertain about what this will mean for them, but it’s a positive move in my opinion. It will move things forward. Markets will open. Labor here will become more valuable. Employment will rise.

The socialist rule in a coalition. One of their partners is a party that, in essence, represents the Turkish minority living within Bulgaria. They are the largest minority here, taking up about 10% of the population. I happen to live in a region with a lot of Turks, and things seem fine here on the surface. But the more time I spend here I realize that it’s deeper than that. In recent conversation with a Turkish neighbor of mine who lives on my floor, she expressed a bit of shock that if I fell in love and wanted to marry a Turkish, Bulgarian, or even Roma girl that ethnicity in and of itself would not be an issue for me, my parents, or my friends. In Bulgaria, Turks marry Turks. Roma marry Roma, and Bulgarians marry Bulgarians. Marrying outside the blood is talked about and frowned upon. My old sitemate wore a t-shirt with the Turkish emblem on it ater a trip to Istanbul and got dirty looks and comment – even though he had been respected as a Peace Corps volunteer in our community for over a year at that point! The longer you’re here, the more you notice things. Even in a town as integrated as Zavet, there are still the stores where Turks shop, and the ones where Bulgarians shop, and the same with cafes. Children generally don’t play with people outside of their groups, and many grow up speaking their own languages at home and start learning Bulgarian at school.

“European Deputies Elected in Turkey? No Thank You!” – Anti-Turkish Sentiment in One of the EU’s Newest Members.

One political party in particular, called Ataka (full name “National Union Attack”) has recently made some waves. They are a nationalist movement who want to expel the minorities (especially Turks, Roma, and Jews), make criticizing things “Bulgarian” illegal, and to create laws to punish “crimes” of betrayal against the Bulgarian nation. Ataka considers most of the politicians in power, and especially those who work closely with minorities “national traitors,” who would be prosecuted for being so if they had their way. As you can tell from the banner above, they don’t like the idea of Turkey joining the EU either.

In a way, I can almost understand all of this. The Ottoman Empire DID take away Bulgarian freedoms, but a lot of it is like that scene in Monty Python’s Life of Brian: “All right, but apart from the sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system, and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?” The fact is, is that while there were many atrocities (forced conversions to Islam, children taken to serve as janissaries, and simply the illegitimacy of government – but what government was legitimate back then?). But the fact of the matter is that Ottoman rule ended 100 years ago, and as horrible as individual acts of tyranny throughout the years were, Bulgaria developed faster as part of the large economic and political bloc that was the Ottoman empire.

Which brings me to this:

Ataka Poster

This poster says “Today would be like this if we weren’t the Bulgarian nation. Stop the Fezes and now!” This misconception of history goes way beyond what I was talking about about above. This isn’t focusing on one bit of history and ignoring the other. This is plainly revisionist. I mean, right, if it weren’t for the Bulgarians, then the Ottoman’s would have conquered Europe. Who might we be forgetting here… Hrmmm… Oh right! The Habsburb Monarchy and the Hungarians! Oh yeah, and things like the fact that the Bulgarians had long been conquered by the time the Ottoman Empire stopped expanding westward. Oh, and that the French were actually ALLIES during some of those wars, and that if anyone in Eastern Europe helped hold back the Ottomans it was the Austrians and Hungarians.

This particular poster is rather extreme, even for Ataka, but it is symptomatic of things here. Bulgarian education is a product of 50 years of the communists’ lies followed by democratic upheaval. Education in history is very Bulgarian-centric. World history and things like geography are tertiary concerns, and a lot of conceptions held now are more myth than anything. When your teachers are products of a communist education system to which truth was irrelevant, how does the cycle break?

What I feel is the greatest irony is that the most celebrated of all national heroes in Bulgaria, Vasil Levski, was a true democrat. He believed in a Bulgaria for all peoples, and envisioned equal rights in a democratic state for all peoples – Bulgarians, Turks, and Jews (my sources, however, are suspiciously silent on Levski’s thoughts on Roma). His image is iconic in Bulgaria, schools, roads, and football teams are named for him, and yet the idea he died fighting for is being betrayed by people who claim his legacy. The same with Gotze Delchev, another prominent figure, and others. It’s a tragedy that the images of these men of principle are tarnished by the vileness of ethnic hatred. It’s just so frustrating.

But like I said, I have hope. Most people here know Ataka and their ilk are holding the nation back. The stereo-type of an Ataka supporter is an angry old man who lives in the past and has no vision for the future. I have friends who are supporters of the liberal party here (as in free market liberal meaning not socialist). They are hopeful that democracy and liberty will work here, if given the chance. The cultural segregation here isn’t hatred. It’s just folks keeping to themselves because it’s more comfortable that way. The same way I have more white friends than black friends back home. I have more in common with those of a similar background to me. But there is hope. Another Bulgarian friend here in town is dating a Turkish girl. It’s spoken of, but they do it anyway. A new generation is moving the nation forward. The liberalization of information is also helping. Things like the internet, international news, and more freedom to travel are educating the people informally. Perhaps it is time for it to be morning in Bulgaria?

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What’s wrong with this photo? Friday, Mar 30 2007

Click photo to enlargen. Leave your comments.

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Issues We Deal With Friday, Dec 15 2006

Recently a girl at LSU who is a Peace Corps Nominee (meaning that if she clears medical she’ll probably be invited to serve) got in touch with me through a mutual professor. One of the things she asked me was this:
“I was also wondering about cultural differences: What are some cultural differences that you are faced with? How do you deal with them? Are there any ethical desicions that you have to make based on ethical conflicts(Meaning, something that you believe is ‘right’ and they believe is ‘wrong’ and visa versa)? What are they and how do you deal with them? How do you maintain your own identity and your own beliefs while, at the same time, complying to their culture (being in their domain and all, I’m sure that’s important)?”

My response is what follows. It’s probably the most I’ve put into actually explaining these issues to anyone back home (i.e. not a fellow volunteer who knows where I’m coming from already). I felt it would be good food for thought.

—

Let me premise this by saying one VERY important thing. This is a very general outline. I say things here about “Bulgarians” and “Bulgaria” by painting them all with one brush stroke. There are of course numbers of exceptions to everything I say. Bulgarians, like any people, are a diverse bunch. I have some really good Bulgarian friends who are not like this at all. Also, all of these issues tend to be subtle. While things like a nationalist party hating on the minorities certainly have a high profile, in your every day life you generally only encounter these issues in muted ways. Most of these issues are ones I only occasionally encounter, and usually try to simply skirt around when I do.

Certainly there are many things that one must “adjust” to here. I suppose the biggest thing everyone in Peace Corps Bulgaria seems to have the most trouble with is the fatalism that exists in post-communist nations. That is to say, in Bulgaria people don’t understand that they can make change in their environment by doing. This is merely an example, but if one was to try to do a project to beautify a town park: pick up trash, repaint benches, repair play sets, etc., the average Bulgarian response would be, “why? It will just get dirty and ugly again.” This is paired with the general attitude that if it is not their job, they won’t do it. This is both because under communism, it WAS ALWAYS someone else’s job to do it anyway. Now it’s no one’s job, but no one feels responsible. Thus it’s difficult to get locals to invest in projects. PCVs here often function as much as motivators as they do as facilitators. This is the largest problem I deal with every day. Between the apathy and the lack of thinking outside the box when it comes to problem solving, a PCV can often feel like a bird with its wings clipped.

The biggest conflicts that could be described as ethical generally have to do with the big three: racism, sexism, and discrimination against homosexuals. The biggest is racism, prejudice, and discrimination again the Roma population in Bulgaria. For instance, the Ataka political party is a nationalist organization that formed in the last parliamentary election and also ran a presidential candidate this year. Their platform is basically get rid of the Jews and Roma and Turks and make Bulgaria for the Bulgarians again. Supposedly this will magically make all of Bulgaria’s problems with crime, poverty, education, healthcare, and everything else imaginable disappear, because Bulgarians themselves are all obviously model citizens with great morals and a high level of education. *sigh*

The Roma have it pretty bad here, and a millennium of exploitation and hatred towards them hasn’t made them exactly want to assimilate either. Roma families pull children out of school early, marry off young girls to other families, etc. They live in segregated neighborhoods, and usually don’t speak Bulgarian as a first language, preferring Turkish or a distinct dialect of their own, depending on which community you’re talking about. Any conversation about the Roma you have with the average Bulgarian will usually go south pretty fast. They just think they’re all “dirty tzigane,” which is about a close to calling someone a “dirty nigger” as you can get in Eastern Europe, though it is not as considered as taboo here. They are considered filthy, theives, lazy, etc. Of course the actual lifestyle that Roma people live doesn’t help. Many of them ARE thieves. Most of them ARE unemployed. Most of them ARE stinky. But Bulgarian’s just don’t have the attitude that this is due to their environments and just write them all off as a group. The worst is when they say that their problems with the Roma are like our problems with black people back home (not that we’d ever phrase it that way!). They see things like American music videos and television shows and think that all blacks are gangsters and things like that. Maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration on my part, but the only experience Bulgarians have of black American culture is the latest 50 Cent video.

Married couples and women serving here also experience the brunt of the sexism here. There’s not a single husband who has had colleagues over that hasn’t been told when helping in the kitchen that that’s woman’s work, or a wife who has been told that it’s shameful that she doesn’t take better care of her husband or apartment. Often times single female volunteers will complain about the fact that they are often talked down to by male colleagues, especially when the topic has to do with traditionally masculine things, such as mechanics, business, or politics.

Most gay volunteers generally choose to stay closeted to Bulgarians, even if they come out to fellow volunteers. Homosexuality is still something very volatile here, despite the presence of certain gay celebrities. Much like back home, calling someone the Bulgarian equivalent of “faggot” is a common insult (I’ve been called it a few times when finally resorting to profanity myself when politely telling a prostitute I’m not interested failed to stop her from physically molesting me). There are a few places in larger cities that give LGBT people an outlet, such as gay night clubs, but these are still places one wouldn’t want to have to tell the taxi driver you’re going to. One recent experience that comes to mind is at Thanksgiving I hosted many volunteers from around Bulgaria at my apartment for the weekend. On Saturday night, when we had out Thanksgiving meal (we don’t get American holidays off, so we make it up on the weekends usually), I invited the director of the institution that I work at to join us. A fellow volunteer was talking to her about the kids at my institution, and how she felt we did things a little differently back home. One of the reasons some of the kids at my institution are there is because, on top of other problems, they’re “gay.” How anyone can know this about a 9 year old is beyond me, but regardless that’s the excuse. This volunteer expressed the view that it’s not seen as something that is either wrong or right and that we don’t judge people about it. This of course opened up a can of worms that made me decide it was simply time to go get seconds on the turkey and stuffing.

Generally speaking, just like at home, talking to someone about these types of beliefs isn’t going to change their mind. It takes life experience to do that. Most volunteers recognize this and choose simply to avoid the topic, even ignoring it if you can pull off simply not being able to understand the speaker’s Bulgarian (even if you do!). However, it is something that comes up every now and then. We often have discussions on the best response to give when asked about how we deal with our society’s pariahs. One response punted by our Country Director (the head of PC in Bulgaria) over our list serve was

“Many Americans used to think that way about black people, Asians, Hispanics and other people. It’s taken us a long time and a lot of work, but we’ve reached a point where most people realize that thinking like this just made us weaker as a country. Now, many of our best leaders, business people and teachers are people who used to be considered inferior because of where they came from. By learning to appreciate everyone’s humanity and potential, America has become much stronger and harmonious…”

He also said, “another approach might be to point out that in Western Europe many Bulgarians are feeling the sting of racial/ethnic stereotyping, being lumped together as thieves and stupid people just because of where they come from and how they look.”

No one has found a definite answer to this issue, but I find that generally the best way to to avoid direct conflict and simply lead by example. Show them that you can be friends with a Roma person by being so. Talk about friends back home of a different background when delivering an anecdote to show that race isn’t an issue for you. They may think you’re naive and don’t know better, but on occasion someone realizes that in America it works because we let it (at least, sort of!).

In the meanwhile, we all do a LOT of venting. Many of my weekends are spent with other volunteers complaining about Bulgarians, Bulgaria, work, missing home, the backwardness of it all, the uncomfortable buses, the boredom of a small town, and everything else. With other Americans, especially once you’ve found your niche of friends, you can deflate and be yourself and, as you put it, “maintain your own identity and beliefs.” Also, being an LSU graduate, beer helps.
Anyway, I hope this has answered your questions fairly clearly. I know it’s a lot to digest.

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Holiday Donation Drive Wednesday, Dec 13 2006

Hey folks!

As most of you know I work in a school for youth offenders in Bulgaria. All of the children I work with are boys, aged about 7 to 17. Of those boys most are of Roma ethnicity (Gypsies). In Bulgaria as well as most of the rest of the world, the Roma live on the lowest rung of the social order. In Bulgaria they are highly discriminated against, are the poorest, and the least educated of all the peoples that live here. Most of the children at my institution are simply kids who have never had an even break in their lives and who have had to do whatever it was that got them to my institution to survive.

Last year through your donations I was able to buy each child at my institution a new pair of shoes and socks, something that helped keep them warm during the winter. This year I’d like to try and help them again. Your donations will go directly to their winter needs of shoes and socks. Extras will go towards enrichment to their lives as children, including sports equipment and other recreational activities.

Monetary donations can be sent to my PayPal account or to my parents’ home in Leesville. To donate over PayPal simply look me up under my email address: elkoubi@gmail.com. To send checks to my parents use the following mailing address:
Michael El Koubi
173 El Koubi Rd
Leesville, LA 71446

Also, Slinky’s Bar on Chimes Street in Baton Rouge will be hosting a fundraiser on Thursday, December 21! Apparently even the Bud girls are going to be there. Please show up to have a good time and donate some money!

Don’t forget that you can help make a difference in the life of a child in need!

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A Bad Day at Work Tuesday, Dec 5 2006

Today was a bad day.  A student was beaten severely by others.  He was believed to have run away but was actually napping and hadn’t told anyone (not that he hasn’t run away many times before).  When I saw what was happening I had to pull off some of the others multiple times before they stopped.  He was bleeding and crying for mercy.  This is a boy who used to be in a psychiatric ward before he came to my institution; he doesn’t belong here.  None of these kids really do.  They need help and reform, not sequestering and neglect.  The drugs he’s on (which I understand are to make him less aggressive) give him the severe shakes.   No wonder he tries to run away.  Sometimes I hate this place and feel powerless to change it at all.  Merry Christmas.

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