Merry Christmas

This tree is in a town called Lyaskovets and I love the "balloons" they use for lights.  They aren't really balloons but they are big!  I'd say bigger than a basketball. 

Wishing everyone a holiday season filled with

                             Love

Laughter

                                                                    Peace 

Saturday

Today has been a lovely day.  It's been a day of baking gingerbread, shelling walnuts and making Christmas cards while listening to a variety of Christmas music - American and Bulgarian.  It's been a day of reflection of Christmases past and of family and friends - old and new. 

What I have observed so far is that Christmas season here is less commercial than what I'm familiar with in the US.  And celebrations don't begin too far in advance - just a week or 10 days before Christmas.  I have heard ads on the radio for holiday sales, and probably if I watched t.v., ads would be there too.  The village stores have stocked some Christmas items like a few toys, decorations and candies.  But I'm not missing Black Friday, the constant messages of buy, buy, buy, nor the frenzy I often feel between Thanksgiving and Christmas.  One obvious reason - no Thanksgiving at the end of Nov. here.  Regardless, things seem more mellow here.  People are preparing for community celebrations - singing, dancing, readings, etc.  Oh, and one thing I don't like is firecrackers and bottle rockets.  For the past week or so they've been pretty loud and frequent in the evenings. 

Tonight I joined ladies from the village at a "disco" in the village for dancing, camaraderie and a "tumbler" (aka raffle).  There are many prizes so lots of people get to go home with something.  They are simple but it's the idea of the drawing of numbers adds to the fun of the evening.  Prizes ranged from a roll of toilet paper, soaps and creams (essentials) to vafli (favorite wafer sweets), napkins with a Christmas design and one adorable mini-poinsettia (items for fun).  A lady at my table won 2 items several minutes apart and she got two identical stick-em hooks in the shape of a flower.   :>)  It's fun.

In my English classes I've been sharing Christmas vocabulary.  One thing I have realized is that there are no candy canes in Bulgaria.  No one I've spoken with seems to know that they are pepperminty sweet treats.  I looked for (basic) ribbon for gifts and I didn't find any.  Granted I may not have been looking in the right places, but I looked in the villages and in the bigger towns so I don't know how common it is here.
  
Here's a little bit of info on Bulgarian holiday tradition (I borrowed the info from worldofchristmas.net, and put my comments in parentheses).  Much of it has been explained to me but I wanted to double check my understanding. It's a time when families gather and share food and gifts.

Christmas Eve Celebrations
Prior to Christmas day celebrations, Bulgarians observe a 40 day fast, until the eve of Christmas. (I wasn't aware of this until I read it.  I don't think many people observe this in the village I live in.) The fast begins on November 15th of every year. During the fast, people stay away from animal products, yoghurt, cheese, butter, eggs and milk. Christmas Eve is as important as Christmas day during which an extravagant vegan meal is prepared for the entire family. Christmas season starts off from 20th of December and extends up to the 26th of the month. It is commonly believed in Bulgaria that Mary gave birth to Christ on Christmas Eve, but announced the birth on Christmas day. This is exactly why mothers of a new born announce the birth of their babies only a day after they are born.

The Extravagant Feast
Bulgarian customs state that the Christmas feast should have more than seven meals or nine, and that it should be an odd number. This is because there are seven Gods in Bulgaria while nine is the number that symbolizes the nine months of pregnancy. The dishes made on Christmas Eve bring out unique flavors. These dishes contain beans, cabbage, round leaf and involve dried fruits (oshav) and nuts. Children, pregnant women and the old are exempted from the fast. The Christmas meal is a meal which marks the end of the fast and soon after meat is presented on the table, it's time to eat. Banitza, a traditional dish, is served with cheese, poultry, pork, etc. It makes for a joyful completion to the fast. Small pretzels are prepared during the festival for young men (koledars) who visit places and sing for the health and prosperity of the house.

Christmas Traditions In Bulgaria
Bulgarians follow the ethics of the Eastern Orthodox Church according to which the forty day fasting period and the much adored Christmas Eve meal are prominent. The exchange of Christmas gifts has become an important aspect in Bulgaria, especially for children. This was not too common in the past. This is done on Christmas morning and the western myth of Santa Claus prevails among Bulgarian children. During the 20th century came the advent of the Christmas tree. The Christmas tree usually stays in a house until New Year Eve or sometimes even after. 

 

Another tradition that is observed even to the present day is inserting a silver coin in a loaf of bread. An elderly person cuts the loaf and distributes it equally among members of the family. The person who finds the coin is believed to have good fortune for the rest of the year. Future predictions are usually made while everyone is seated around the table for the feast. People are keen to know to more about their fates and in some homes it is done by breaking open a walnut. If it turns out to be good and delicious, the person is believed to be lucky, while the one with empty walnut has nothing but bad fortune awaiting him/her.

 

All for now.....

 

 

Tidbits

Last Weekend I watched "Dances With Wolves" over two evenings.  The first time I saw it - oh so many years ago - I liked the scenery but thought it was too long and questioned some of the acting.  This time I liked the scenery and questioned how in the world a white man could become so fluent in an Indian language in just a few short months!  From my current perspective, I'm not buying it!

How can I tell it's gotten colder?  In the hot summer, I took a shower every day.  Now I'm down to maybe once every two or three days and only in the middle of the day.  The unheated, tile bathroom is pretty chilly and I can't face it first thing in the morning or later in the evening. (But my kitchen is nice and warm.)

Remember the "good ol' days" before national store chains and big-box megastores?  Life in a village requires one to be more accountable for mishaps.....you break it - you bought it.  So that 2/3 full bottle of liquid cleaner I accidentally knocked onto the floor while reaching for something else was purchased and is now in with my cleaning supplies. 

The Last Week of November

It's definitely autumn - on it's way to winter.  Daytime highs have been around 40 lately and night time lows below freezing.  This weekend I got a chance to get out walking - I go in the afternoons now, not early in the morning.  Today the sounds I heard as I walked in the hills above town were numerous chain saws cutting firewood in the village blended in with the usual cacophony of dogs barking.  I can see that I'm going to have to challenge myself to stay active outdoors during the chilly days of winter! I have posted a few new photos.

However my kitchen is cozy and warm.  I am now using the kitchen table as my desk. The computer cable just reaches, but I have to move the table closer to the fridge which makes for acrobatics whenever I want anything out of it.  I have a big radiator (33" long) which does a good job of heating up my kitchen and bedroom - there is no door between the two rooms.  I do not heat the second bedroom and it stays around 40 degrees.  Needless to say I don't spend my time in there.  In the villages here, there is no central heat - you just heat one or two rooms and close the others off.  I remember my grandparents doing that in their house when I was little.

Two of the libraries where I work have small rooms and wood stoves to keep them warm.  The third library is a large room with only one wood stove.  Luckily my desk is near the stove but I'm still wearing more layers of warm clothes and I've started heating water for tea on the stove to keep my core warm.

 Last week was a little out of the ordinary. Peace Corps held an In-Service Training for all of us volunteers who arrived earlier this year.  It was great to see everyone I haven't seen in a while - for most that is last June.  There was useful information and ideas for our different areas of service.  Questions were asked and answered.  And there was lots of sharing about our journeys over the past 5 months. Everyone has concerns about the pace of learning the language.  It's important to me because no one I work with in the villages can speak English well.  Some people have the opposite challenge - everyone they work with speaks English, so there is little opportunity to learn and practice Bulgarian.

We were in a town called Kazanluk which is the "Rose Capitol" of Bulgaria. Not this time of year, of course. There was great food (I had broccoli for the first time here), delightful camaraderie with other volunteers as well as PC staff. It was nice to travel 3 hours to a different part of Bulgaria - not too far away, but different.  And hearing other peoples stories and situations, made me appreciate the people I am with in my 3 villages even more than I already do.  I'm thankful for their kindness, patience and support. So many people have been so generous with me - sharing food out of their gardens, and now out of their cellars; inviting me to visit; inviting me on organized day or weekend trips; giving me a ride to the train station at 7:00am; and now with winter - knitting me warm booties to wear on my cold tile floors.  Everyone is patient with my Bulgarian and appreciates my efforts at learning it.  I fell very blessed and look forward to deepening these relationships over time.

Someone recently sent me a delightfully long email recently telling me about her life as a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco.  I liked her comment about blogs being "one way conversations."  This is pretty much my experience and while I enjoy sharing my experiences here in Bulgaria with everyone who reads my blog (I know there are quite a few of you - thank you!), I have to remember that I'm predominantly doing it for myself as journal of my life here. But feel free to comment on anything of interest to you, or email mail me about something interesting in your life. I've been in Bulgaria a full 8 months now. Lives move on.....change or don't change.......just know even though my weeks are busy here, I do think about my friends and family and I always appreciate updates from you.  And yes, I have been meeting new friends but remember Girl Scouts?  Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold.

English Class Update

I seem to be posting here on my Blog only occasionally now - my schedule is busy.  My weeks have generally settled into a pattern of English classes in the village I live in and two other villages every week.  I'm really enjoying the people I work with. I visit Kinder-gardeners in 2 villages and we have a lot of fun.  We've played with colors, numbers and the alphabet; have watched several Power Point songs, with words for fruit (Yummy in My Tummy!) and adjectives (tall/short, fast/slow, etc.).  And at the end of the lesson they like writing the words we used - following dotted lines of the words in English. They are happy with action and writing.  It's a blast! In one village I also work with 1st and 2nd graders in a combined class.  There is a lot of variety there - sometimes they like the lessons, sometimes they focus on something else.  When they aren't interested, I walk around and see what they are doing so they know I am there.  The 7th graders include a few kids who know quite a bit of English and those who know very few words.  One class they liked was a class on Microsoft Word vocabulary in English after someone else gave them a hands-on lesson of Word. My final class with children includes a boy who is about 11 and a girl who is about 6.  They both are really interested and when the lesson is "easier" it's a review for the boy and when it's more "advanced" I try to have a simple variation for the younger one.

I have 5 small groups of women in the 3 villages.  Some have been studying with another Peace Corps volunteer over the past couple of years and have a good start on vocabulary.  Others are new to English and want to proceed very slowly - which is fine with me! The 5 groups total about 12-16 women (and one has 2 school girls too), so everyone gets time to ask questions and read exercises.  And all the women bring something different to each meeting - questions which get me thinking about English in new ways; or great laughter - often at my attempts to pronounce a long, complicated Bulgarian word (definitely laugh-worthy).  These times together are highlights of my week and keep me busy.

I have more refining I need to do with my planning process, but I am feeling more comfortable now.  Once I realized I am NOT an English teacher and that I am offering more casual conversational classes, I felt better.  Our classes are pretty informal which allows personal interests to come through our conversations.  Another neat thing, is if I can't explain something because I don't know the words in Bulgarian yet, someone else in the class who understands usually explains in perfect Bulgarian! I use a couple of "English for Bulgarian" books which I bought here and they are helpful because they explain details in Bulgarian. I only have one copy so I have to take out exercises and information that I may want to use.

Last week I shared a few thoughts about the American holiday of Thanksgiving.  It seems like most had heard of it.  And there was interest in the menu.....the only thing not familiar here was cranberries.  I think canned cranberries might be in grocery stores in the bigger cities.

A Weekend at Nikiforova House (Никифорова Къща)

This weekend I went on an “Excursion” with 8 members of the Woman’s Club in my village (and one very helpful husband). We traveled by car about 1½ an hours from my village Saturday morning.  The rural roads tend to be rough with potholes and uneven pavement in many locations.  We made a few unplanned stops due to two ladies who got carsick - not very much fun for them.  However, I was pleasantly surprised that there was much laughter by all, including the ladies not enjoying the car ride.  When I’m feeling nauseous I don’t feel like laughing.  The roads are also scenic and curvy.  And Bulgarian drivers do like to drive fast, Dancho slowed down once the ladies started feeling woozy and he responded right away when they asked for emergency stops. 

If I were at “home” in Arizona right now, it’s most likely that I would be the one in the driver’s seat.  I haven’t driven at all since arriving here over 7 months ago.  I love driving and usually when I move somewhere new, or visit somewhere new, I can’t wait to go exploring.  That usually includes a car getting me from point A to B to C…. I look for cool places to go walking and hiking; I look for grocery stores and/or farmer’s markets that carry what I like; I try new restaurants and I just drive around to get to know the new area.  Obviously that’s not happening here now.  The odd thing is, is that I don’t really miss it.  So many aspects of my experience here are new that I’ve been pretty engaged just being wherever I am.  I’ve had my share of bus journeys and once in a while a train or someone driving me.  Once in a while I imagine where I might go if I was able to drive, but generally I haven’t missed it.  This is surprising to me.

We stayed in a guest house just outside a tiny village named Miykovtsi.  I’m uploading photos.  It was lovely.  An elderly couple run it and it’s meticulously clean and comfortable.  As soon as we arrived and dropped off our bags in the bedrooms, some of the ladies got right to work in the kitchen.  Bread (Pitka) was made, meat made into meat patties for the grill.  Lots of delicious Bulgarian food – canned goods from summer gardens (peppers stuffed with pickled cabbage, pickles, hot peppers, eggplant, green beans).  

I looked for places to offer help, but everything was moving along very well without my help.  It’s like a big family gathering where everyone knows what needs to be done, only I’m the guest here and as I watch – the routines and food are not familiar to me.  I don’t know how things are done, or dished up or put away afterwards so I watch and learn. And of course, washing dishes is helpful in any language.

After a lot of eating and chatting, several of us went for a walk to the center of the village.  It’s about a mile to a mile and a half away, and a bit lower in altitude.  It was a beautiful autumn day and the walk felt good after a big feast.  We found a café for beverages.  One thing I love about the Bulgarians I’ve met is that they love to socialize.  They chat, they laugh, and they laugh some more. Even though I’m still understanding only a few generalities, and a few details (not necessarily in the same thread of conversation) I love watching the cheerful interactions.

We walked back and spoke with the owners a little while.  We were given apples right off the trees and medlar as well.  I still haven’t tried a medlar – they aren’t quite ripe enough yet.

Someone pulled out a deck of cards and they were playing gin rummy (or rummy – I‘m never sure what the difference is.)  I recognized it and jumped in at the next hand.  But as I went along I discovered there are different rules than I’m used to here.  You can’t lay down any cards in runs of suits or numbers until the score you would have is at least 44 (face cards being 10).   And they play with the jokers.  You can use a joker as a wild card and down the line if someone has the card the joker is substituting for they can change it out and then they get to use the joker (but this can only happen after they’ve laid their first cards down totaling 44 or more).

I excused myself after a light supper and went upstairs around 8:45 – very early on a Saturday evening.  I was tired and my brain wasn’t doing a great job listening to Bulgaran any more today.  I did a little reading and settled in for a snooze to the rhythm of the coversations and laughter in the dining room below me.  It was an only partially successful endeavor.  Around midnight, everyone called it a night and we all headed off to sleep.

Sunday was a new day.  I was up by 7:00 and headed out for an early walk.  It was peaceful.  Being in nature soothes my soul.  I feel connected.  Breakfast was homemade Pitka or Banitza again and very tasty – similar to layers of phyllo dough with feta cheese, although the cheese they make here in Bulgaria is called Sirene (sear-a-nay).  More chatting and sharing – Soduko, Crossword Puzzles (none of us knew what the river in Brazil is that has only 3 letters).  Another walk exploring the hills around us. And there were many apple trees rich in fruit.  Everyone enjoyed picking apples and I was the beneficiary of about 10 pounds of apples.  Time to bake!  Then another meal before packing up and heading home.

It was a delightful weekend.  Yes, I wish I could communicate more with the people around me, but for now I am mostly an observer and the 3 or 4 word sentence queen. And every day I practice making peace with being where I am with my language skills while I continue to study and practice little by little.  One day soon, I expect all the little pieces I've learned and have in my head to come together and flow freely out of my mouth!  He-he-he. Until then I am very appreciative of everyone's patience and assistance.

Enjoy the photos!

Autumn Harvest

I am still receiving gifts from gardens.  I visited Hrisa's garden early last week and got lots of peppers and parsley. Katya took me to her garden last Friday and I came home with leeks, turnips, walnuts, tomatoes and parsley.  Wow!  A popular way to eat turnips in Bulgaria is to grate the raw turnip and serve tossed with oil and salt.  It's supposed to be a good companion to drinking Rakia!  I'm posting photos of the morning visit to the garden.  I have lots of eating to do!

Autumn Colors in My Corner of Bulgaria

It is definitely autumn...the days are cool (50-60ish) and the nights are right around freezing.  I now have a heavy blanket/quilt on my bed and it does a pretty good job keeping me warm.  I also have a new space heater and hair dryer, because I have felt the chill of what is to come when winter is here.  The space heater I use as little as I can, but I've been using it more than my oven now.  And my landlords brought me a very large radiator/heater which did a great job of warming up my second bedroom/office......the first day.  Not sure what happened, but it hasn't worked in the week since it arrived, but they are going to figure it out for me.  My landlords have been very kind and responsive in making sure I have what I need to be comfortable (and safe) in my apartment home.  I'm very grateful for their support.

I have never been a big user of hair dryers, but it is soooo chilly, I want don't want icicles in my hair.  :>) I'm not sure how long the one I bought is going to last.  I put it on the lower voltage setting when I used it the first time and within 30 seconds, I had sparks and smoke and it shut itself off because it overheated.  Hmmm.  I went to work with wet hair.  I am now wearing layers which include turtle-necks, sweaters, a puffy, fiber-filled vest (which I bought at the pazaar a few months ago) and long underwear.

The days are also hours shorter.  It's still dark at 7:00 in the morning.  Being cold and dark makes it really hard to want to get out of bed! Sunday morning Bulgaria has it's time change, so now I'll only be 9 hours ahead of Arizona instead of 10.

The pazaar doesn't have as many fresh fruits and vegetables as it did during the summer, but there are cabbages (some of the biggest ones I've ever seen - basketball size), leeks, peppers, and apples.  Someone gave me a fruit called medlar (or cornel) which I have in a dish waiting for them to get a little rotten looking so I know they are ripe and can eat them.  Online, it says the Japanese medlar are also called loquat.  I've never had one - I'm looking forward to trying it.  I bought some fresh, dried St. John's wort at the pazaar to make into tea to help keep the winter blues at bay and it's also good for clearing lungs.  That seems to be a big deal here, which is no surprise given the huge numbers of Bulgarians who smoke - a lot.  I wrote down the names of the other herbs this woman picks in the surrounding hills and sells. I think one is rosehips and another is oregano. I have to translate them so I know what they are.

Good things about colder weather is there seem to be fewer fleas, and it doesn't matter that I have a small fridge any more - I can keep things cold on my enclosed balcony.

I'm very excited about one of my recent purchases.  I looked and looked and couldn't find it and people kept telling me they aren't used in Bulgaria.  But I found one in my small village pharmacy.  What is it?  A hot water bottle.....yippee.  I've used one for years to heat up my bed before climbing in.  It makes all the difference.  A lot of people use electric blankets - I guess they don't leak.  The one I found was made in China and I had fun reading the English translation of the directions.  But I am happy to have a warm bed.  Sometimes it's the little things in life that make the difference between smiles and frowns. I'm smiling these days.

Another wonderful autumn food is the fresh walnuts.  I've been eating a lot of them.  I'm almost out of my "shelled" supply and will have to begin cracking shells soon.  Honestly, they are some of the best and most beautiful walnuts I've ever had.  I put them in my oatmeal, or mix them with yogurt, molasses and honey or simply grab a few and pop them in my mouth.  Mmmmm.  The down side is that if I don't pay careful attention, there can be pieces of shell in with the nuts.  About 10 days ago I bit into a shell and hurt a tooth.  I gave it a few days to get better because I didn't see any cracks or chips, but by the third day I had some excruciating pain that made me just want to scream.

I didn't scream but I did call my Peace Corps advisor and ended up going to Sofia to see the dentist.  I was nervous about the pain that came in waves, and I was nervous about going to a new dentist.  I am nervous about going to the dentist anyway, but at least the ones I know have been gentle and kind.  It turns out there are gentle and kind dentists in Bulgaria too.  It was a really positive experience - especially since a digital x-ray (are they still x-rays if they are digital?) showed no physical damage.  The dentist (who by the way, grew up in Sweden and went to school at the University which gives out most of the Nobel Prizes) thought I had traumatized the tooth and it would just take time to recover.  Now a week later, it is still a bit tender, but no long painful.  Peace Corps was very responsive and supportive in helping me get care.

It's a 4 hour trip to Sofia from my village.  I had a late afternoon appointment with the dentist and couldn't make it back in time for the "end-of-the-day" transportation back to my village, so I spent the night in the big city.  I had an unexpected response to being in a city again.  I loved it.  I like living in the village, but the busy-ness of the city, the stores, the traffic, the sushi, all made me very happy.  I walked around a little in the early evening and enjoyed seeing the varied mix of people.  In the morning, I wanted to find my way to the Peace Corps office and hopped on the #8 bus ending up on the wrong side of town.  It should have been the #8 tram.  Eventually, with some help, I found my way.  But I was ready to return to my humble village.

There's a problem with sitting down to write blog entries only once every couple of weeks.  There is too much to say for only one entry.  But I don't want this to be so long that it's a pain to read.  So I think I'll call it a night.  I'm going to upload some photos and a video.  The 30 second video is for those of you who don't have the opportunity to stand in the country and have sheep walk by and would like to.  Enjoy.(Well -- it appears that I have some learning to do about uploading videos.  It didn't work, so look for it at a later date - maybe).

Two Saturdays

I just uploaded some "Newer Photos" and comments from my adventures over the past two Saturdays.  Take a look......

The Weather Has My Attention

It's been a couple of weeks since I've communicated.  At times I've been very busy and other times restful with the computer turned off.  My weekly schedule is inherently busy working in 3 villages.

It seems like the heat of summer was just a moment ago. But this week the nights have been really chilly - tonight it's supposed to reach freezing.  One night, I finally gave up, and got up in the middle of the night to find my sleeping bag to slip into in bed.  The summer blanket was no longer adequate.  Now I'm toasty warm sleeping in my long underwear, fleece jacket and sleeping bag.  I've added a few items to my "next time I'm in a big town" shopping list.  A portable heater is at the top of the list.  Right now I'm sitting in my kitchen with the oven on and the oven door open.  I also have an A/C - Heat wall unit in my bedroom which seems to put out a decent amount of heat.  It takes a while for things to warm up because I have a lot of tile floors and they are very cold!  Electricity is pretty expensive, so it will be interesting to see what my bill is like for the next 30 days.  Yikes.

Second on my list is a hot water bottle.  Even in Sedona I loved having one warm up my bed on cold nights before I crawled in.  Someone also suggested an electric blanket.  While I'm not a big fan of sleeping under an electrical current all night, I might give it a try for an occasional localized warm-up while sitting at the computer or in a chair reading a book.  And I'm trying to think of a back-up plan for those rare times there is no electricity....it could be really chilly!

Today I got validation for feeling cold - we had a very gust-y hail storm for about 10 minutes.  Little hail balls but they were almost horizontal.  I've uploaded a short video looking outside of my apartment. 

That's it for now.  Think warm!

A Little Uneven

Bulgaria still maintains a lot of it's "naturalness."  Many gardeners do not use pesticides or chemical fertilizers on their plants.  Much of the work is still done by hand - pulling/hoeing weeds from sidewalks; scything crops; laundry, and so many other things I've mentioned previously.  Part of the naturalness is lots of uneven surfaces - dirt roads, paved roads with many potholes and patches, uneven stairs - different sizes in a single flight; sidewalks made with 12' tiles which over time have settled every which way, different surface levels on patios, entries or buses with no identifying features to warn someone (me).  Since arriving I have stumbled, tripped and almost fallen so many times, it almost seems normal.  It's just as normal to walk looking down at the ground - a lot - one has to - I have to.

Today, however, was the first time I fell.  I was out for a leisurely evening walk around the village and I didn't do anything unusual - I just looked up at an unfortunate moment.  With the next step my ankle twisted and then I was doing a tango move all the way to the ground.  I'm o.k. which is the good news but it is unsettling to feel that body-to-ground contact. I'm taking a homeopathic remedy called Arnica to help ease muscle soreness from the bumps and bruises. If I had a tub, I might take a bath tonight but all I have are buckets - all too small for me. 

As I was heading home, I passed a woman's home who I've met through the other volunteer who was here before me and who is in one of my English classes.  She invited me in to her garden and fed me a small bowl of fresh bean soup.  She also offered me a white substance which she cut into small, small pieces (1/2" x 1/2" x 1/4" thick).  It almost looked like fresh (mature) coconut meat with a little of the skin on it.  I took a bite and it was quite salty.  I asked what it was - veggie?  meat? what?  Note to self - next time don't ask Patricia.  I think the answer was that it's pork belly.  She smiled when she told me.  I think she enjoyed it.  :>)  Fair enough - I smile when I serve someone some weird tofu dish and they make a face.  She too, was most generous and sent me home with purple grapes, green peppers and 3 figs she picked from her garden as she was giving me a tour.  Once again, thank you Bulgaria for your kindness.

Now it's time for rest.  Good Night.

Bulfrenglish

I'm happy to say I'm operating at about 90% wellness.  I've had two "more normal" days and am grateful for my health.

Yesterday I had a very interesting language experience. After I arrived at one of the villages I visit, I had a little "free" time so with new resolve I began looking at my Bulgarian vocabulary words and was pretty focused.  Then a woman showed up and asked for me by name.  She asks me if I speak French.  I said a little.  She's a lovely woman in her early 70s and when she was a young girl in school the only foreign languages taught were French and Russian.  She can communicate in both in addition to her native Bulgarian.....and she knows a few words in English.   For the next 30 minutes or so we attempted to have a conversation in French.  This is where the fun begins.

My brain was doing somersaults English-Bulgarian-French-Bulgarian-oops-English-French. Oh my gosh - it was like a Keystone cops routine in my head or a re-play of Abbot and Costello's "Who's On First."

Before coming to Bulgaria, I was working on brushing up on my French, and in my first few weeks in Bulgarian classes, it was easier to find French words than the new Bulgarian ones I was learning.  Now however, I had to dig deep to find my French vocabulary.  She reminded me of words I forgot and I managed to know a few she forgot.  So we had a conversation in Bulfrenglish  or Frenbuleng.  I was laughing so hard in my head at what my brain was trying to do!  For people who are fluent in multiple languages it must be like a dance moving from one to another, mixing and matching words.  It could be fun - but I think the key word is fluent. 

Then it was time to teach English - ahhhhh.  But yes, I need to use as many Bulgarian words as I know to answer questions people have.  The women in this class are delightful and I enjoy it very much.

A little later Jordanka and I went to visit Lela (Aunt) Marie, an older woman with an enormous garden and heart.  I visited her a couple of weeks ago too (but this time I avoided saying hi to the pig and its population of fleas)!  However, I am posting a photo of me holding one of (she has 30) her favorite chickens.

She has many, many grape vines and her green grapes are some of the largest and sweetest I have tasted.  And she sent me home with a generous portion.  I think I may try drying some in the sun so I'll have raisins to enjoy later in the fall.  She also gifted me with a lovely bowl and plate with a design I have seen frequently in this part of Bulgaria.  And lots and lots of embroidery and lace/tatting I'm sure she spent many winters hours creating.  Oh my gosh....such plentiful gifts. I feel blessed by the generosity of so many Bulgarians - fruits and vegetables, acts of kindness, enormous smiles and oh-so-much patience with learning the language.

Lela Maria's Grapes and Jordanka

Lela Maria's favorite!

This may be strange to anyone who lives in a country setting - but this is the first time I have held a live chicken.

Lovely Bulgarian flowers.

Lots of interesting plants and flowers which are new to me.

and more.

Only a partial view of all the grape vines in Lela Maria's care.

Lela Maria's tomatoes

This day I had two hiking companions.

Early Autumn colors - now this part of Bulgaria looks more like California than the midwest in my mind's eye.

Coming Out of a Tailspin

All day yesterday and half of today I spent resting in bed with a running nose, headache and sore throat.  It's time to re-set my thoughts and behaviors. I've tried along the way, but apparently the trying never manifested into a shift that changed my behavior.  So the Universe provides the catalyst for change - getting sick.

The past several weeks I've been in an unproductive and frustrating loop around planning English classes.  I've spent way too much time researching and not enough time getting a plan on paper.  For instance - taking 5 hours to plan two 30-minute classes. Part of the problem for me is that I wasn't sure what to level of English to expect from some of the students who have studied it before.  Another part is that I'm teaching young children, older children and adults.  So I was trying to "over-prepare" for multiple levels and contingencies.  I also have unrealistic expectations for myself.  I need to embrace that this is new to me and it's o.k. 

After my first week of classes, I realize that I was trying to do too much.  But I continued anyway.  This frenetic behavior and worry wore me out.  Over the weekend I felt I was coming down with a cold.  Sometimes I can redirect it with Vitamin C and liquids, but this time I ended up in bed feeling miserable.  Rest is good.  And it certainly gives me time to think.  Of course there is a certain amount of whining at first, but then there is a shift.  Taking deep breaths and knowing that things will get better is some of the best medicine.

Today midday, I had a shift - I have more energy and I'm more relaxed about preparing for classes.  I want to remember this space and if I get obsessive again about something, I want to begin the deep breathing and re-directing myself before I get sick. And I want this to be the enjoyable experience I know it can be.  I'm looking forward to getting to know the kids and adults in my classes.

Names and Such

Yesterday was the first class for my 4 advanced beginner women here in my village.  They asked me what the short names are for Patricia.  Everyone here uses nicknames for their formal first names. (And they always introduce themselves with 3 names.  There is a lot of commonality between first and last names, family names are traditionally passed on to new generations, so the middle name is usually a distinguishing factor in introductions.  There may be 20 Nevena Petrovas but only 1 Nevena Dimitrovena Petrova.)

Anyway, the ladies wanted to know if I ever used a short version.  After going through my name history of marriages (2)  and a chosen name change  for 10 years (all of which they thought was hilarious) we talked about nicknames for Patricia - Pat, Patti, Tricia, Trisha, Patsy, Ricia.  I said I had been Patti (which in Bulgarian would be Pati (they don't use repeating letters often).  The laughed because Пате (Patay) means cute little duckling.  Awwwww - maybe it's time for a new nickname.  I like it.

Fleas - again

This morning I once again woke up with a few new flea bites.  I stripped my bed and washed (by hand) the sheets, duvet cover and two blankets covering the chairs in the room.  I mopped the floor and I sprayed the mattress with a product called "Bio-Kill."  Everything hangs outside on the clothesline in the Bulgarian sunshine and breeze.  This evening I put the clean sheets on the bed and lie down to meditate........I see a flea on the sheet. AAAArrrghhhhh.  What to do???? (After flushing the flea, of course).

Is this a test - focus on the solution, not the problem?  Don't Sweat the Small Stuff (my welts don't feel that small)?  Chicken Soup for the Annoyed Soul?  Sh*t My Dad Says - stop scratching!

Captions for Newer Photos

Due to technical difficulties (not sure if it's the technology or the operator) here are some comments for the most recent photos.  I couldn't post captions below the photos.

A rose at the Chicken Soup Festival in Kozarevets, 10-Sept-11
Two photos of the winning soup chef and soup preparations.  Her garnishes included croutons and roasted peppers and fire-roasted okra (photo)
Singing Babas from a nearby village.  Notice Petur playing the bagpipes as the accompanist.
Another vegetable carved floral arrangement. 

A Week in the Life of ... Saturday – HAPPY BIRTHDAY RYAN!!

For continuity - please begin with A Week in the Life of.... Monday

Today I wanted to go for my usual, longer weekend morning walk in search of treasure.  Today’s treasure I’m looking for are walnuts and hazelnuts.  This is the first time I’ve picked walnuts and hazelnuts off of trees.  I never realized that walnuts grow inside a big green shell (kind of like coconuts do) or that hazelnuts are like peas in a pod – well not exactly but they have a fringed “cozy” they grow in.  I suppose it would be helpful if I had pictures to illustrate the way they grow for others who also have never seen them. 

 

I headed out of town on one of the main roads towards the community guest house (hizha) near the river.  Lots of trees,  but not many treasures.  A car stopped – it was someone I know – and he said he has lots of walnut trees at his house and he will bring me some on Monday.  Yippee.  Another friend here in the village let me gather some hazelnuts from her tree earlier in the week, but it’s a small tree.  Tomorrow I  will get a nutcracker so I can actually eat some of these fresh nuts.  My round trip walk was about 2 ½ hours.  I came home and had breakfast then took a 1 hour nap.  Ha!

Today, Saturday, is not a weekend day for most Bulgarians.  Next Thursday is “Independence Day” and a national holiday, and the government has said that Friday will be a holiday observance day.  However, today was a work day to make up for the lost work day next Friday.  So everything that is usually closed on Saturday was open today – the post office, the mayor’s office, the doctor’s office, the community center, the school (kids went to school today).  This is the second time this month this occurred and everyone seems to be on the same page about when this happens. Obviously I didn’t go to work today. I went for a walk.   :>)  

Then I made a salad and ate lunch.  Next, I defrosted the little freezer compartment in my little fridge.   I unplugged it, opened the door wide, put all the contents in a small plastic tub together to keep it cold and turned a fan on high to circulate the warm air of the day.  It only took about an hour for the chunk if ice to melt, then I put everything back and plugged it in.  Easy!

While I had a long list of things to accomplish today it seems like I’m done a few.  I’ve also spent about 4 hours writing for this blog.  It’s been a while since I have written so I think it’s worthwhile.  But my eyes are getting tired so I think it’s enough for today.  I have written about 6 out of 7 days of “A Week in the Life Of….”  I probably won't have time to write tomorrow, so I’ll give you a little preview instead.

On Sunday mornings there is a marvelous market here, where one can by fresh garden produce (to supplement all the veggie and fruit gifts I receive), local honey, clothes (some new, some used), household supplies, fishing equipment, second hand electronics (radios, speakers, etc.), and other things.  I'll probably take a quick look during my morning walk.  Then I have class planning and Bulgarian to do before midday when I go to a larger town to get my hair cut.  Not a dramatic change, but about 3 – 4 inches shorter. Tricia goes to someone who works out of her home and we are having back-to-back appointments so I can see where she lives.  Then I’ll take an afternoon bus home and will meet with my tutor in the evening (and I promise to not be grumpy! – see Wednesday). And most importantly – after two days of being very itchy, my flea bites will be mellow on day three and no longer an annoyance (see Thursday). 

Ciao!

A Week in the Life of ….. Friday

I wake up with a headache – must be from all the angst of whether or not I got all the fleas out of my apartment.  I think so – but there might still be a renegade, because I do have a couple new bites (thankfully, not another 20).  I let the whites soak in the soapy water overnight, so I rinse them and hang them on the line.  Today I have a visitor coming to my village.  It is Vyara from Sofia.  She is a wonderful support person for PC Community and Organizational Development program here in Bulgaria.  It’s her first “check-in” site visit since I arrived here 3 months ago.  Yippee.

We talk about my integration into village life in Bulgaria, goals for the next few months and of course, how I am feeling about my experience here.  She gave me a few great ideas that I hadn’t thought of.  One of Vyara’s best suggestions was to ask for a Bulgarian to join me in the classroom with the kids, at least in the beginning.  Someone who knows the kids and who the kids know (think order and discipline).

As long as I stay focused on the big picture about why I am here with the PC and why I wanted to come in the first place, I do well.  I am doing well in the big picture even though there are moments here and there when I have fears and doubts (pretty normal, I think).  One of my life long attitudes which I have continuously worked on changing to a more positive mindset is the attitude of “I’m not_______enough.”  Fill in the blank with almost any positive quality and it might be what I have thought about myself at some time earlier in my life.  Gratefully, I’ve come a long way in the self-confidence and trust department – generally through life experience and learning to look for the things that are going right.  Basically unlearning a lot of childhood belief systems.  So here are some examples of my mind-speak:  

~Yes, I am continuing to study and learn the Bulgarian language (I have my own pace and yet I am learning consistently. …I’m on the turtle team …he he heh…..and we all know the story of the tortoise and the hare, right?).

~Sometimes I see things differently than others see them (diversity is a good thing as long as there is tolerance too) and I just have to keep communicating if I want to be understood.  And I have to keep listening so I understand others.

~I’m nervous, I haven’t formally taught classes before (everyone has to start somewhere, and I know once I get the hang of it, all will be fine). 

I’m grateful for the support the Peace Corp Bulgaria team provides.  They are always available to answer questions and to share resources and ideas. 

Vyara also brought some copies I asked her to make for me – the printer I use here is inaccessible at the moment.  And she brought more bug spray and cortisone cream that I requested from the medical team as well as a water distiller.  I’m going to try the distiller to see how it works and if it helps me feel more comfortable about using tap water to drink.  Even in Arizona I had a water filter, but here I’ve been buying bottled water and then refilling the bottles at a local spring.  The spring water tastes great but when I boil it for coffee or tea or soup, there is a heavy mineral deposit on the container.  So I’m going to experiment with the distiller.

In the afternoon at the library, I did a little more prep work in the classroom upstairs.  I have decorated the walls with some colorful postcards from America (more gladly accepted!) and am putting some grammar info up as well as some classroom words in Bulgarian that I want to be able to use for reference until I learn them.

In the evening I went for another walk and met some new folks (again).  By the time I get home, take a shower, clean up a bit – its bed time.  I also like to find a little time to read books on my Kindle.  I’ve read a couple of books I really enjoyed this summer, but now I seem in a phase of “duds” starting and stopping several.   Post in comments or email me if you have any great book suggestions.