Monday, February 8, 2010
Обичате ли салам?
Obichate li salam? A question that I get often is "Do you love salami?" It's usually from the kid in the front row that still seems fascinated with the fact that he has an American teacher (even though he probably still thinks I'm from England). He is repulsed by the surfeit of produce that his grandmother grows in her garden but loves kufte, kebabche, salam, and my personal favorite, universal meat. His mouth salivates just at the thought of these words and as quickly as I hear his arteries harden I also hear his little heart break when I utter three little words. I'm a vegetarian. He looks confused at first like he didn't understand what I said, then that look turns to incredulity. But...but Gosposho why? Where do I begin? There is hardly a paucity of reasons but I don't know what would make the most cogent argument for this wide-eyed carnivore. I start with, "I think it's environmentally responsible..."Before I can even finish that thought he is asking me if class is almost over. I jump to my next point. Well, Ashley (the other American in my town) is also a vegetarian. He responds Gosposho are all Americans vegetarians? Points for remembering that I'm American but obviously he has never been to this site. I come from the country that founded McDonald's, Burger King, KFC, Dunkin' Donuts, and the Bacon & Chicken Narwhal. I contemplate trying to explain the "what right do you have to kill a sentient being argument" as I look down at my sheepskin boots I figure being a hypocrite in addition to being a vegetarian would not garner me any support. After an oddly pleasant yet exasperating conversation everyone is rustling their papers and fidgeting in their seats waiting for me to say the magic word..... "свободно" cvobodno, free, that will surely break the invisible chains I have on them. Finally I answer with the most simple straight forward and unarguable point that I can make "Because I don't like it". He laughs shakes his head and tells me I'm not normal. I don't mind. Maybe one day he'll change his mind and take some of this when I offer it.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
What I would say to my kids if I could
Alright Kids,
I know it has been a long year and I know you're tired but I need your help. Yes, me your teacher, needs your help. I know it's supposed to be the other way around but help me help you. Yes I know that was awkward and cliché but it's true. How can you do that? That's an excellent question. Let me tell you it's very easy. Listen. Not just to me but to each other. Respect. I'm shocked that you still don't understand what this word means in English or Български. You have grown up together, you see each other every day and you still think it's okay to throw around racial slurs and fight with each other. I'm sorry that you've been taught this but in my classroom I will not accept or allow this behavior. Respect my time. We only have 45 minutes (more like 40 since I always let you leave 5 minutes early), you won't starve to death, pee your pants, or go into severe nicotine withdrawal in that amount of time. Be patient with me. I know it's not fair that I can really only speak English and that many of you were stuck with an absentee teacher last year if you even studied English at all. If I could speak perfect Bulgarian to you and help you understand I would, but in the mean time please forgive my solecisms and don't make me feel like a complete idiot for saying "homemade" instead of "homework". I do the same for you.
We're in this together. Enough jabbering, let's learn some English.
I know it has been a long year and I know you're tired but I need your help. Yes, me your teacher, needs your help. I know it's supposed to be the other way around but help me help you. Yes I know that was awkward and cliché but it's true. How can you do that? That's an excellent question. Let me tell you it's very easy. Listen. Not just to me but to each other. Respect. I'm shocked that you still don't understand what this word means in English or Български. You have grown up together, you see each other every day and you still think it's okay to throw around racial slurs and fight with each other. I'm sorry that you've been taught this but in my classroom I will not accept or allow this behavior. Respect my time. We only have 45 minutes (more like 40 since I always let you leave 5 minutes early), you won't starve to death, pee your pants, or go into severe nicotine withdrawal in that amount of time. Be patient with me. I know it's not fair that I can really only speak English and that many of you were stuck with an absentee teacher last year if you even studied English at all. If I could speak perfect Bulgarian to you and help you understand I would, but in the mean time please forgive my solecisms and don't make me feel like a complete idiot for saying "homemade" instead of "homework". I do the same for you.
We're in this together. Enough jabbering, let's learn some English.
Monday, February 1, 2010
It's funny because it's true.
The most aptly put statement on life in Bulgaria
"Our life is like the black and white part of an infomercial....Cut to a PCV saying 'There's got to be a better way."
...It's funny because it's true. P.S. Blessed be our regional/semi-regional friends
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
1 semester down
With tomorrow being the last day of my first semester I think it's time to stop and take note of some pretty important self-realizations that have occurred.
1.) I'm not nearly as patient as I thought I was but surprisingly more patient than I ever thought I could be.... especially when the kids get into battle mode and use chairs as weapons.
2.) Even though your friends are scattered throughout an entire country, just know that somewhere at the exact same time another PCV is watching the Jersey Shore.
3.) Winter sucks, that's not just a local phenomenon. Yes it's cold but that's what happens in winter people. It's no reason to ET. Besides being so bored and cold can be channeled into other more productive activities like studying for the GRE.
4.) I don't like studying for the GRE. I guess that's not so much a self-realization as much as a statement.
5.) I don't really have anything else to add, in fact I was done at #2 but I thought I needed to have at least 5 things to make this seem semi-valid.
1.) I'm not nearly as patient as I thought I was but surprisingly more patient than I ever thought I could be.... especially when the kids get into battle mode and use chairs as weapons.
2.) Even though your friends are scattered throughout an entire country, just know that somewhere at the exact same time another PCV is watching the Jersey Shore.
3.) Winter sucks, that's not just a local phenomenon. Yes it's cold but that's what happens in winter people. It's no reason to ET. Besides being so bored and cold can be channeled into other more productive activities like studying for the GRE.
4.) I don't like studying for the GRE. I guess that's not so much a self-realization as much as a statement.
5.) I don't really have anything else to add, in fact I was done at #2 but I thought I needed to have at least 5 things to make this seem semi-valid.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
The Joy of Cooking or rather lack thereof
Lets call a spade a spade.
I can't cook.
I watch my site mate cook up magical feasts fit for kings as I look over my own lugubrious meal. Tonight it's an Asian fusion combo of broccoli and zucchini. I call it "Asian" because I put soy sauce on it and "fusion" because I burned it and most of it fused to the bottom of the pan. I've been getting bored making what any other sane person would buy. My speciality is granola, I make a mean mix but instead of focusing my energy on making breakfast for 3 meals a day I thought it would be nice to incorporate something green. I think this realization kicked in a little while back when were were forced to take a survey on everything we spend money on in a 30 day period. In 30 days I ate over 60 containers of yogurt. No, correction. I bought 60 containers of yogurt, I remember that month some were gifted to me as well by my tutor's mom. At 400g per container I don't even want to do that math.
I've always considered myself an independent person, but being in Bulgaria, living alone completely changes that meaning of independence. Growing up in New York it meant being the person who would order take out on the phone because no one else would do it, here I don't think they even comprehend delivery service. At the cafes in my town getting a menu isn't even automatically a given, you have to ask for it.
Being here I'm forced to take care of myself in a whole different way. The existential experience I had in the supermarket oddly sums up my life in Bulgaria and Peace Corps service so far. I am a person with free will but I must work within the means that I have. While there are a limited amount of resources here I just have to be creative and resourceful to make the most of what I do have. And yes, this conversation was had in my head over the frozen vegetable section at the supermarket trying to figure out what I could make with the array of condiments in my refrigerator.
Happy New Year Everyone!
I can't cook.
I watch my site mate cook up magical feasts fit for kings as I look over my own lugubrious meal. Tonight it's an Asian fusion combo of broccoli and zucchini. I call it "Asian" because I put soy sauce on it and "fusion" because I burned it and most of it fused to the bottom of the pan. I've been getting bored making what any other sane person would buy. My speciality is granola, I make a mean mix but instead of focusing my energy on making breakfast for 3 meals a day I thought it would be nice to incorporate something green. I think this realization kicked in a little while back when were were forced to take a survey on everything we spend money on in a 30 day period. In 30 days I ate over 60 containers of yogurt. No, correction. I bought 60 containers of yogurt, I remember that month some were gifted to me as well by my tutor's mom. At 400g per container I don't even want to do that math.
I've always considered myself an independent person, but being in Bulgaria, living alone completely changes that meaning of independence. Growing up in New York it meant being the person who would order take out on the phone because no one else would do it, here I don't think they even comprehend delivery service. At the cafes in my town getting a menu isn't even automatically a given, you have to ask for it.
Being here I'm forced to take care of myself in a whole different way. The existential experience I had in the supermarket oddly sums up my life in Bulgaria and Peace Corps service so far. I am a person with free will but I must work within the means that I have. While there are a limited amount of resources here I just have to be creative and resourceful to make the most of what I do have. And yes, this conversation was had in my head over the frozen vegetable section at the supermarket trying to figure out what I could make with the array of condiments in my refrigerator.
Happy New Year Everyone!
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
A Festivus for the rest of us
Get your Festivus pole out and start airing your grievances....
I made it.
I've been waiting for Christmas Vacation ever since, well ummm, the first day of school and it is finally here! I along, with the rest of the school, have been mentally checked out since last Thursday. The majority of my lesson plans included Hangman, Bingo, and Name that Animal. Yes that last one I just made up on the fly, but the kids seem to really like to say "Rabbit". It's not even as much of a game as it is I point to a picture of an animal and they say it but hey whatever works. I don't question the madness. If it'll get them to stay in their seats, not fight, and speak English then I consider it Mission:Accomplished.
Merry Christmas!
I made it.
I've been waiting for Christmas Vacation ever since, well ummm, the first day of school and it is finally here! I along, with the rest of the school, have been mentally checked out since last Thursday. The majority of my lesson plans included Hangman, Bingo, and Name that Animal. Yes that last one I just made up on the fly, but the kids seem to really like to say "Rabbit". It's not even as much of a game as it is I point to a picture of an animal and they say it but hey whatever works. I don't question the madness. If it'll get them to stay in their seats, not fight, and speak English then I consider it Mission:Accomplished.
Merry Christmas!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
For shame Glee, For Shame
So, ok maybe it's not so secret knowledge that I love things with a singing/dancing component. SYTYCD, You Got Served, America's Best Dance Crew, That one episode of Buffy where it was a musical, Teen Witch. Ahem, not Sabrina the Teenage Witch, but rather a CLASSIC 80s movie, which also prompted me to believe that at 16 I too would realize my wiccan powers and make brad (obviously any 1980s hot guy had to be named Brad) fall in love with me. Do I even need to state the obvious that that wasn't the case?
This brings us to Glee. A little gem I've come to adore on the dark and lonely nights in the BG. That was until this atrocity occurred. (Please watch video now so you can be shocked and disgusted) This bothers me on so many levels because A.) Is this what I look like late night when I get the compulsive urge to rap this song? B.) What? These kids are supposed to be in high school Country Grammar came out in 2000 which would make them about 8. Were 8 year olds having "jam sessions" to Nelly that I didn't know about? I'm pretty sure I was still listening to Raffi at that age. C.) Does Nelly know about this and can I get his reaction?
This brings us to Glee. A little gem I've come to adore on the dark and lonely nights in the BG. That was until this atrocity occurred. (Please watch video now so you can be shocked and disgusted) This bothers me on so many levels because A.) Is this what I look like late night when I get the compulsive urge to rap this song? B.) What? These kids are supposed to be in high school Country Grammar came out in 2000 which would make them about 8. Were 8 year olds having "jam sessions" to Nelly that I didn't know about? I'm pretty sure I was still listening to Raffi at that age. C.) Does Nelly know about this and can I get his reaction?
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