Glory Ho

I must give Michael the credit for this title. . .

And just as he begins to get his grip, I believe I may be losing mine. Indeed, it’s a little frightening to realize that we will be here for more than two years. But, of course, this is the whole point. Peace Corps is a very deft trickster. We thought we were prepared for anything. . .anything! and yet our life is still full of surprises. And fleas. And stray german shepherds. And 10-hour weddings. (No kidding, Dad. There’s no way you would have lasted. And we left early!) Indeed, we have somewhat lost control–Michael likens it to a ride at Disneyworld. Once you’re on the boat, there’s really no joystick, exit or bathroom break (not that you would want to hit the public restroom–we’re talking Kam’s quality here, folks). You just sort of go with it. Look there are some pirates! Watch out–a crazy Bulgarian driver (pothole avoidance takes priority over pedestrian/runner safety here–it’s by far our biggest risk). And there–it’s a group assignment for Peace Corps–but what are they doing still at the cafe–they’ve been there for hours!!). What’s happening now? We’re doing a traditional Bulgarian dance–step step step kick kick step step step kick kick. And what’s that I see on TV? Oh it’s Friends with Bulgarian not dubbed, but spoken over the real voices. (Of course, here’s where my collection of rerun memories finally comes in handy–I’ve seen this one and I already know what happens!) On our left is birthday party–they’re beginning with salami, cheese and pepperoni. Notice that everyone gets a small cup of Rakia (homemade liquor) and a ‘chaser’ of Fanta or Coke. And everyone has what us American’s might consider a small plate. In fact, this is the only plate they will receive. (a nifty trick–Bulgarians are, for the most part, quite slim) But, we’ll circle back to them later. Please turn your attention to the right now where you’ll see a family riding through town in a car. Let me affirm that your eyes are not playing tricks on you–there is no car seat in that vehicle for the baby and yes, they just ran that stop sign. (Stop signs, which are in English, seem visible only to foreigners here. We don’t know why.) Straight ahead now, you’ll see a runner. Doesn’t seem like a big deal, does it, but mark my words, the people she or he passes will stare at them in confusion and slight suspicion. (no worries, we are foreigners after all). Remember that dinner party–well, an hour has passed and those people are still eating (not even close to finishing) their salami, cheese and pepperoni. Some are smoking (inside, at the table) and some are listening. Few seem to be talking. I guess the people are more interested in each other than they are in the food. A good sign, I’d say. Maybe four or five hours later this same group of people will still be sitting, (no mingling really occurs) nibbling at their main dish, when they finally sing Happy Birthday in English (yes, it’s that universal).

Our ride is over for the day, (I must run up to Michaels’ before heading home) but for us, Bulgarialand is open every day. Tomorrow will be a new adventure.

What’s strange is that while the differences are many, they are few when compared to the similarities. We’re all humans–each typically seeking love, maybe some freshly-picked raspberries, a soft blanket, good health and a caring family.

So, besides Bulgarian, what are we doing? Well, every week, we have a Community Skills project, a Home Skills Project and a Language Assignment, along with frequent trips to Pazardjik and Plovdiv (1-2 hours away) and Sofia for safety classes, NGO seminars, project process lessons and admin tasks. For last week’s Community Skills projects, we had to speak with the Mayor (as it ended up, another director, as he was occupied) to discover what services the Municipality handled as well as their projects, community partners, government relations, strategies, elections and hierarchical structure. We then wrote a short, two page report on what we learned. This week, we must organize and prepare for a community meeting–create logistics, an agenda, invitations and decide who should attend and develop a topic. For our Home Skills project last week, we learned about our home–the boiler, the fuses, the appliances, the household chores, the plumbing, how to pay the bills, etc. and reported back to the teacher in Bulgarian. This week, we must interview both young and old Bulgarians to discover their hopes and fears and report on this. In addition,we will interview the Polizia here in town so we establish a relationship with the Kostenets authority. Coming up are a cooking assignment, our big meeting and much more.