Bits and Pieces

Another example of funny miscommunications:

A week ago, I asked my language trainer to come for a visit (na gosti) after classes. I had a few questions Z to make sure we are understanding each other. For instance I want her to know that I appreciate her cooking for me (when was the last time you had someone preparing you 3 meals a day, 7 days a week?). I also wanted her to know that sometimes I don’t eat “more” not because I don’t like it but because I’m used to eating differently and my body is still adjusting to the different foods here. And when I eat too much at one time, I don’t feel good. I also wanted her to know that I am grateful for her washing my laundry for me. I asked if there is anything I can help with.

And I said I appreciate all the things she talks about even if I can’t understand them. One thing that came out during this interpreted conversation was that I asked my language trainer what Z means when she says “Blu.” The way I here Z use it is to indicate that something is good or beautiful, but the language trainer didn’t recognize it as a Bulgarian word. No problem – villagers often speak more of a dialect. So when asked what “Bloo” means, Z said she wasn’t sure but it’s an American word she picked up from me. HA!

Today is shower time once again – yippee. I have come to greatly appreciate and eagerly anticipate a shower. Today it has been one week since I had my last shower. I’ve learned to take sponge baths (not really – more like wet-wipe wipe downs) the days in between showers. And my hair seems to not get super dirty (Who knew?). “Why don’t I ask for showers more often?” you say? Well, aside from the fact that I don’t think she does it any more often herself and it requires the effort of building a fire for the boiler, and I’m supposed to be assimilating into the culture, etc. ….. I am now looking out my window and this woman, 10 years older than me is splitting firewood with an axe so I can have a shower. Hmmm. I could offer to help, but it’s been 25 years since I’ve split wood. Maybe in the fall if I have my own wood-burning stove and I need to split wood, I’ll reconsider, but right now my body and mind are saying “No way.”

Easter Weekend

Today I woke up early and decided to go for a walk right away. It seems the last few times I’ve tried to work it into my day time schedule – Z has had a different plan for me. So if I want to walk I think I have to do it before “our” day begins. :>)

Every day is filled with surprises when you don’t know the language….yesterday I was pretty sure I was told that we were doing chores because today, Sunday, would be a day of rest (as was Good Friday). So I thought – great another day to catch up on homework. Not so………after breakfast I started working on some of my homework only to hear a commotion outside – 5 people arriving at the gate. I find out these were Z’s daughter’s husband, his two kids, one girlfriend and one additional young friend. I think her daughter stayed in the city, Sofia (accent on the So – SO-fia). O.K. looks like we’re having an Easter meal, and it looks like they’re settling into the guest bedrooms. It’s a gorgeous day and we sit outside. Z serves a meal she has spent much of the morning preparing (cukes and tomato salad with feta, yellow cheese & salami, potatoes cooked in sunflower oil with salt and pepper and a variety of meats (mostly pork) and sausages. The family also brought a few meat items as well as 4 litres of beer and home-made Rakia (vodka-like). The festivities begin. The hard-boiled eggs we colored yesterday were brought out and the egg-breaking ritual begins. It appears that one of the young men is going to have a very healthy year next year (see Saturday’s posting).

The family gets along well. There is a lot of animated conversation and they seem curious about me and laugh every time I try to say something in Bulgarian. The four 20-somethings have all studied English in school for multiple years, but no one speaks more than a word or two (a lot like me with my Bulgarian). Sometimes they respond when I say something in English so as is typical, they can understand more than they can speak. A scenario I am familiar with! The meal is leisurely – eating, drinking, smoking (I’m glad we’re outside). Around 5:00 one person goes to the little grocery and gets 4 more litres of beer. Wow! Around 6:00pm I ask to go to another PC volunteer’s home where there is internet access to try Skyping my sister, son and Erik. Z walks with me, I’m not sure if she wants a break or if she just wants to make sure I get there and back safely. (It’s only about 6 blocks away in a very sleepy village – I feel very safe here.)

What a joy it was to talk with Jane and Erik for the first time since arriving in Bulgaria. Hearing familiar voices of encouragement that I haven’t heard in a month. I didn’t get to talk with Ryan – was probably sleeping and didn’t pick up. Understandable! There is a 10 time difference between California/Arizona and Bulgaria. So when I was talking with Jane and Erik they were just beginning their Easter Sunday as I was close to the end of mine.

By the time Z and I returned home about an hour after we left, the party (and smoke) had moved inside. I hung out for a little while, but then headed up to my smoke-free room. During the day a lot of cigarettes were smoked (and one communal Cuban cigar – yes I too, had a puff – no, I didn’t inhale) and a lot of alcohol consumed. I was frequently offered beer and Rakia, but after a couple of sips I was done. I drank water, a bit of Coca Cola and other soda akin to carbonated Kool-Aid. What is interesting to me is that there were no sloppy drunks given the amount of alcohol consumed. There were many animated discussions but no heated arguments and no fights. I can’t tell you if anyone was slurring their words – I’m not sure I would know. I was told a few times that the son-in-law does not drink when he’s working in Sofia - he owns a taxi. And one of the reasons they stayed the night was so they could drink as much as they wanted and didn’t have to drive home.

Learning Curve

OK - so I have just uploaded a photo taken at the Grand Canyon in February 2011. Why you ask? Well, it seems I have "locked" my Bulgarian photos in my Windows Live Photo Gallery. Another project for another day.......hmmmm.......how to upload photos that have a little lock symbol on them. In the meantime enjoy the Grand Canyon!

BY THE WAY - look in the right column and you will see a LINK where I HAVE UPLOADED SOME PHOTOS. Again, I'm learning so they are not organized or captioned, but at least you can look at them! Ha!

An Emotional Journey

The honeymoon is over. I think for the first 10 days or so here in Bulgaria, I was running on adrenaline and excitement. Once I moved in with my host mom and began to settle into the program I began feeling my emotions again. I’ve had a few emotional releases – one was laughing so hard I was crying –during language class. The trigger was the struggles of a classmate to pronounce a long word which I too was having difficulty pronouncing. I began laughing at the funny and foreign sounds coming out of their mouth and couldn’t stop. It was an acknowledgement of pent-up frustration and worry of trying to learn this challenging language. I felt great afterwards and my classmates also got a chuckle at my laughing fit.

Then the following week, a senior staff member came to our classroom from Sofia for an hour-long check in. He came in the second hour of our class day and the first hour (on a Friday) was tough. We were reviewing some of the grammar from the week and actually having to speak in simple sentences. Everyone was a little burned out and struggling. So when my turn came to share how things were going, I began to speak and burst into tears. I didn’t know that was going to happen, but again it was a release of the frustration and angst of being in a world so utterly different from my comfort zone. I vented about everything that was “wrong” and again, felt much better afterwards and let everyone know I was o.k. – I just needed to “let it flow.”. I’m trying to be a good sport here, but I have to acknowledge that I have been really challenged by the intensity of our classes, the expectations for acquiring skills and info on the Bulgarian culture and organization and structure of municipalities. It’s all good to learn and know but it is a lot!!! The intention of this training period is to get us new volunteers up and running with the language so we can begin integrating into a new community in June – the community each of us will live in for the next 2 years. The goal is not depth and accuracy necessarily, but enough to get around, buy food and be safe. When I get scared is when I think about the 2 years and there is soooo much to learn, and of course, wanting to “make a difference” even if it’s only a small one. What calms me is to just stay focused on today and these three months of training, and that I don’t need to know everything in order to get started.

I’ve met several volunteers who have been here since last June, and they all are very bright souls. Their eyes are bright and smiles wide. And yes, they have the side-to-side head shake down for yes (Da!). They share their stories and I find it inspiring, because they too, faced many of the challenges I am feeling at the moment.

This week we’ve been studying vocabulary about transportation and time. Tomorrow we go to the larger town 20 minutes away without the assistance of our language instructor. Getting there is no problem, there is a van that seats about 12 people. There is only one bus stop in town and we know we have to be there at 7:10 (the van may come any time between 7:10 and 7:30). We pay 2 Leva and 50 pay Stotinki which is about $2 for the ticket. Coming back we actually have to go to the large bus station, ask for and buy a ticket to our specific town and find the right bus (out of about 12) to take home. Since we are doing this as a group of 5, there are no worries. It’s preparing us for doing it on our own, soon.

In Vratsa, we meet with the other 3 Community and Organizational Development Volunteers for a day of information from senior staff members. Tonight I have some reading to do to prep for it.

Overall I’m good. I have had moments of wondering “Did I really sign up for this?” Yes, I did. I remind myself about wanting to experience another culture by immersing myself in it. Leaning a new language and learning about myself as I stumble about in a world totally new to my physical, emotional and mental self. I know that I am building a base from which to live the next two years and that I’m shaking things up inside of me. Actually not only the next two years, but beyond as well. Last week I was wishing I could “come home for the weekend,” but I can’t. I’m here and I have shifted gears into engaging on a deeper level than just the rush of adrenaline of a new adventure. O.K. time to go study some of that Bulgarian vocabulary and grammar. Love to you all!

Weather and Laundry

Here it is….the end of week 3 in Bulgaria. This time of our pre-service training is intense. There is so much to adjust to and learn. I’ll give you an overview of my past week or so.

Today is a sunny and warm day – probably about 70 degrees out. It’s the first day in a long time it’s been this warm. We’ve had chilly days in the 50’s and chillier nights. I mention it mostly because I’ve had to adjust to how to keep myself warm without central heating. Z, the woman who is my host mom, rarely uses heat of any kind. Twice this week she has cranked up the wood-burning stove/oven in the kitchen, which was a treat! It warms the small kitchen and adjacent sitting area where she watches t.v. and sleeps. It’s also a good time to crank up the wood-burning boiler for warm water for warm water to come out of a single shower head. It takes about 90 min to 2 hours for enough water to get hot for a shower. This week I washed my hair the same night she had a fire in the kitchen, so it could dry in the warmth of the fire. Z has borrowed a hand held hair-dryer for me to speed up the process.

We were both sick in the last week. I had a cold which went around the Americans in my group. I’m sure for me it also had to do with adjusting to colder temperatures and more dairy, wheat (and quantity of food) in my diet. I skipped a meal or two to give my body a rest. It felt great to do so. After two and a half weeks with Z, we’ve worked out individual preferences. She understands I like to eat “malko” littler amounts than she’s used to guests eating and honors my “no thank you.” She had a bout of bronchitis but I thinks she’s just about over it.

It’s interesting to observe belief systems…..I mentioned why I think I got a cold. She thinks it was because of the wind (a common belief in Bulgaria). People here run to close a door if there is any kind of cross wind or draft because that is what makes people sick. Z thinks she got sick because of the wind, and yes this could be true because one evening she was planting potatoes in the garden until 8:15 on a cold evening and a few days later she spent several hours outside washing and hanging laundry on the line. It was one of our chillier days. Then she comes inside where it’s nice and warm – maybe 62 degrees or so. (Just kidding about it being warm!).

I also wanted to eat less dairy and bread while not feeling well. I think she thinks bread and warm milk are soothing when she’s sick. Of course, this is what I interpret through actions since our communication is still in baby words. ;)

More on the laundry – Z borrowed a portable, electric washing tub from a friend. She heats a bucket of water with an wand that is plugged into a socket. Laundry is divided into groups – whites get the hot water, then lighter colors are washed, then darks. For both of us there are about 8 loads. Each one “agitates” for about 5 – 10 min. then it’s put in a tub to hand rinse with cold water and hang on the laundry line. She has me sit nearby so I can see the process but she does the laundry. She seems happy.

Since the nights have been cold, this is how I go to bed……I put my long underwear on, socks and my fleece jacket. The I crawl into my sleeping bag on the bed, zip it up and put 4 blankets over me. I warm up in a few minutes and am warm all night long. The first night I washed my hair, Z gave me a space heater to use in my room. I’ve been sparse in using it because the Peace Corps has to volunteers that electricity is very expensive in Bulgaria. Through my language teacher/interpreter I have told Z that I need to use it for a little while in the evenings and morning, to get warm. She said that is fine. So this is one major hurdle I have overcome, to be happy here…..staying warm “enough.” Other PCVs seem to be in homes where at least one room is warm most of the time. I’m having a little more rustic experience, which is an adventure!

Food

Week #1 in the village - food

Today is Sunday part 2. It’s been a full week. Today I spent most of the afternoon in bed with a cold.  My host mom thinks it’s because of the wind. (I’m going to call my host mom Z from here on out) I have lots of theories….

My theories…

I’ve tried to be gracious and to jump into Bulgarian life in a small town. 6 days later I have to make some changes.

Food - All the food is cooked. The only time I have had any salad is the first week at the orientation – we had sliced cucumbers and tomatoes available for every meal, and frequently had a cabbage and carrot slaw. Fresh fruit was also provided for dessert. In the village, it is early spring and gardens are being planted – it’s too early for fresh produce. The tiny markets are limited in what they carry but occasionally there are fruits and vegetables. A banana is about 75 cents and they even had kiwi fruit for about $1.50 each. Expensive by US terms and outrageous by village terms. The coffee that is served is espresso (not brewed) and that is about 35 cents a cup. Oh yeah, it’s served in small plastic cups which soften with the hot liquid.

So what have I been eating? Z has been generous with the food - too much so. The following are served at every meal – a 2”inch slice of white bread (she’s gotten used to me saying I want half of it), feta-like cheese called white cheese, jack-type cheese called yellow cheese, salami, marinated little peppers and tea (the Bulgarian word for tea is chai) with sugar. Breakfast might include soft-boiled eggs; a “sandwich” bread dipped in beaten eggs, yellow and white cheese on top and broiled; left-overs from the night before; yogurt (plain). I have had two of my favorites – apples and yogurt and yesterday we found a box of granola in the little store so this morning I had granola and yogurt. Z tried the granola and didn’t like the taste of it. She thought it was way too unhealthy too…….white bread is much healthier for the body.

Lunch and dinner overlap – meaning she’ll prepare something and we eat it until it’s gone. Nothing is wasted here. Food scraps either are eaten or go to the dog or 6 chickens. MishMash is a casserole of diced potatoes, ground meat (not sure what type) and maybe eggs and/or cheese. Moussaka is similar – not sure what the difference is yet. Cooked spinach with onions, garlic and vinegar and maybe some white cheese melted in it. This one I liked a lot. Rice pudding (white of course). Z’s brother lives nearby and has dairy cattle so that is a great source of fresh milk – delivered right after pasteurization (aka warm) in a recycled plastic water or juice bottle (1 litre). Yesterday I finally said no to the milk – the cheese is o.k., the yogurt is great, but I don’t like milk. Friday night we had a special treat – we had vanilla ice cream as our appetizer. ;) Z doesn’t have a freezer, so it had been in the fridge for a while. I must say the food is very tasty, but I haven’t decided if it’s the salt or the oil that makes it so….

I have made progress is expressing my preferences even though I’ve tried to honor her efforts cooking for me, her Americanka. She knows I like “malko” a little of this and that; I like yogurt and tea with honey rather than sugar; I like apples; I don’t drink their homemade hard liquor – Rakia – I will drink malko red wine (also home-made). Z does have a sense of humor and seems to laugh at my preferences and then tells her friends when we visit about my odd tastes.

So why do I think I have a cold………too much food in general and too much dairy, oil and salt. Yesterday I noticed I had swollen ankles (water retention) for the first time in 28 years. So today – being sick is an opportunity to take time off from eating and to flush with extra water (which is bottled). A few other volunteers have been drinking the local tap water and have not gotten sick, so I may head in that direction. Bottled water is not too expensive, but it creates a lot of empty bottles. And as I mentioned earlier, the only form of recycling is to re-use bottles after they are empty. Just about everyone does for one thing or another – it doesn’t matter if they are hot or cold liquids. Z also uses the bigger bottles as starter pots filled with dirt for seedlings.

A Shower

6 April 2011

Shower #1

Today is Sunday. It’s been a full week. Today I spent most of the afternoon in bed with a cold. My host mom thinks it’s because of the wind. (I’m going to call my host mom Z from here on out)

There is no central heat (aka no heat) in my house. The only time the “great” room has been warm was on Wednesday evening when there the wood-burning cooking stove was fired up as well as the wood-burning water boiler near the shower room. A cement room the size of a large closet. Both rooms got quite toasty. The host families have been instructed to offer volunteers showers more than once a week. This night was an example of the difficulty of communication in two different languages.

After talking about Wed. night being shower night, there was a problem with water getting to the boiler – it didn’t. So I understood that the shower would have to wait until the next day. I was fine with that because I was tired and wanted to go to bed. Just to make sure I understood correctly, I called my language teacher to interpret for me. She also talked to Z. My teacher said yes, there was a problem and I could have a shower the next day after classes after the problem was fixed. Great. A short while later Z goes and stokes up the boiler. Hmmmm. The only reason she would be stoking it up is for a shower. And because of the effort and cost in wood, it would not be for just one of us. Its 9:15 and I’d happily crawl into bed, but no, the water will be hot by 9:45. At this point I think that Z might have interpreted my desire to contact my teacher because I wanted to complain about her instead of just wanting to clarify communication. So she made her best effort to make sure I got my shower. And I was on the verge of a melt-down because I was so tired. Miscommunications are on both sides of the language difference.

I was in the shower by 9:45 and pleasantly surprised that the cement room was warm because of the heat generated from the fire in the boiler (there is a reason they call it a boiler). It looks like it might hold 20 gallons or so, so I got my hair wet, turned off the water, shampooed, turned on the water, rinsed, turned off the water to put conditioner on and wash myself, turn water on…..you get the idea. I had plenty of water and I hope she did too.

I got out of the shower and then there was a lot of concern on Z’s part that I could not go to bed with wet hair. I wasn’t looking forward to it, but it wouldn’t have been the first time. The up side was that she pulled a space heater out of storage and turned it on in my unheated bedroom. Yeah! She brushed it out for me standing over the heater and after getting about 75% dry I was allowed to go to bed. I unplugged the heater and happily climbed into my listing bed with my sleeping bag and 4 blankets provided by Z. Once I get warmed up, all is good.

First Impressions

Tuesday 5 April 11

So many “first” impressions:

This morning I went for my initial walk around the village. Today is our first day off since we met in Philadelphia 9 days ago I went to bed last night at 10:00 and woke up this morning at 9:30. I didn’t know I was so tired, but it sure felt good. The bed I’m sleeping is quite different than what I’m used to.

I walked to the storks nests which I saw when we drove in on Sunday. The storks build huge nests on the very top of a single utility pole. One nest had babies. They are about the size of the Blue Herons in Sedona, but they are black and white. The villagers like them because they are a sign that spring has arrived (they migrate elsewhere during the winter). I’m enamored because I haven’t seen them before.

On my way I passed a few horses “parked” on grassy corners along the simple and sometimes dirt roads. They are on a long “leash” tied to a spike in the ground. It’s spring and the grass is green although not too long yet. And the good news is that it is still cool enough – cold at night – that the fleas continue to be dormant. Everyone talks about the fleas - don’t cut through the grass path – walk on the road; coming in from the outdoors, drop your clothes at the door; all dogs and cats I’ve seen stay outside.

Walking on the streets through the village it’s obvious I’m not a local, nor even Bulgarian. Everyone probably knows I am an American with the Peace Corps – since there are 5 of us in this village of about 900. Some of the families have participated in hosting a volunteer for three months last year, but my “Baba” is new to the program this year. Yesterday we went to a large town and our interpreter said someone asked if we were Italian. It’s spring vacation for students. There was a group of teens in the little market when I walked in to buy bottled water….it got silent for a minute while they whispered to each other. Then they went back to chatting.

It’s a very challenging experience to be in a country where I only speak about a dozen words. My Baba has been trying her best to teach me words, but if I don’t write them down, I don’t remember them. We’ve been communicating with a lot of sign language and I’ve understood things like – the two outlets in the back of my bedroom are dead but the one in the front works. When there are so many things I’d like to ask and say, it’s frustrating to be so limited. Three months, let alone two years, seems like a long time at this point. Alas, tomorrow our classes begin. We will have 4 hours of language a day (5 hours for the first 4 days). Brain….get ready. It will be good to learn within the culture so I can apply it right away. Can’t wait to learn colors, numbers over 10 and more words for foods.

I said Good Morning to everyone I made eye contact with – probably a dozen people. Everyone was friendly. So many small villages live a simple life. Priorities are different than most Americans.