It's another hot day at the end of a hot week. The weather
forecast says this is the last day of this hot streak. I hope so - I'm not a
fan of temperatures of 95F / 35C and higher.
Today I put 3
things on my list to complete - an online real estate continuing
education course which I began on Friday and I'm 1/3 of the way through Lesson
3 (of 8) (a requirement so I can renew my license in preparation for next
year); finish writing a step-by-step lesson on how to create and use an email
account for computer novices (in Bulgarian and English); and post a photo
essay - snapshots of our Peace Corps experiences here. I don't
mind doing any of these, it just seems I prefer to begin new things over
finishing up the old. So many of my hours today have been doing my
laundry (excellent drying conditions outside) and organizing my photo folders
on my computer. I've taken thousands of photos in the past year and a half
and they are organized by date. This is helpful for chronologies but not
so helpful when I need to find a particular one I know I have but can't.
So today I've been creating new folders by topic - scenery by season,
people, flowers, animals, forms of transportation, buildings, etc. I've
also begun tagging my photos. It's not difficult, I just haven't
previously utilized this tool. Today I recognize the value of it. I've relied on naming a photo with identifying
words for sorting.
And now I'm
catching up on a blog entry. So I will have accomplished several things today,
just not the ones I had given a higher priority for the day. So this is
an illustration of productive procrastination. I have not touched the 3
projects I wanted to finish, nor the ones next on my list, like putting pen to
paper (fingers to keys?) for writing lesson plans for English classes which
resume in a few short weeks. But I am happy with what I have accomplished
(or half accomplished - I only made it through the end of 2011 organizing my
photos. It will be another - "to be finished" project for
another day.)
My last entry was
August 8th. Since then I have gone bicycling a few more times - to the
third neighboring village which is easily accessible on scenic back roads.
One more village is only about 7 km away, but 2 of the 7km are on a busy,
2-lane highway which goes all the way to the Black Sea coast. Not wide enough for trucks, buses, cars and me!
There are a couple other villages - about 14-17 km on the back roads.
Don't know if I'll make it to them - time is one factor, and bike
ergonomics are another. 90 minutes of riding and my body needs some
stretching and a different activity.
Last weekend I had
and outing and went to visit another volunteer in a village about 4 hours away
by train. Her village is tinier than the one I live in. Amy is
awesome - full of positive energy and I really enjoyed seeing a slice of her
life. We also had some heartwarming conversations, which is something I
really enjoy. So it was fun for me as well as a positive connection with
a new friend. I've posted photos - click on the link to the right -
Photos August - Sept. 2012.
Yesterday I went
on a day trip to a town called Tryavna. It is a historic center for
woodcarving and colorful (religious) icon painting. It's a lovely small town and I enjoyed walking
around it on a hot summer day. I even saw a Bulgarian man wearing a
tee-shirt that said "Arizona" on it. He didn't want to chat
though....I got one of those looks (like I was a creature from outer space)
when I said - in my very best Bulgarian - "I'm from Arizona" and
pointed to his shirt. Then I kept walking - it was clear this was not one of
those moments for a spontaneous conversation.
However, I have
been visiting several Bulgarian friends, old and new. In the evenings
when I go for a walk I'm invited to sit on benches with folks or to join them
for a longer visit in the garden. Many people have benches outside of
their gated/walled yards to sit and watch the world go by. And almost
everyone has an outdoor kitchen and table for summer. It's so
pleasant to be outdoors, frequently sitting under the grape arbors. And a lot
of canning is going on right now - tomatoes are being canned whole and becoming
a variety of sauces. One is lutenitsa which is a combination of tomatoes and
peppers and occasionally spicy hot peppers. Usually canning happens outdoors -
and often over a wood-burning fire on the street. Firewood is being
delivered and men are splitting and stacking it in preparation for winter
heating. Both canning and firewood are winter survival necessities in the
village.
Soon the school
year will begin again, and so will conversational English classes. The
busy schedule will return, so I am enjoying the more relaxed summer schedule I
have. Although I don't seem to have quite as much "free" time
as I thought I would. I'm finding ways to stay busy and to stay engaged
in my experience here.
Now I have a
question for the travelers among you. I am starting to think about winter
holiday options. I don't think I want to travel too far, but I'm looking
for ideas. Do you have any absolutely favorite places you've visited in
Greece, Turkey or Eastern Europe? I'm thinking water (like a Sea) and/or snowy
mountain idyll with an affordable spa and/or visiting somewhere with cool
natural features and animals. Someday I want to see African animals in
the wild; swim with dolphins in the open sea; and study Spanish in a Spanish
speaking country. However, none of these seem quite right for a brief
(7-10 day), moderately priced, winter holiday. Any ideas?
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