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.

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!

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!

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?

Chestit 6 Months!

I just wanted to let everyone know that as of yesterday I have been in Bulgaria now for 6 months! Crazy. That means about a quarter of my time here is officially up! It's been an adjustment but things are finally starting to settle down a bit in school...Egads I actually had students come to me for help with their homework! It meant more work for me but I didn't mind because it's the weirdest thing, time seems to go faster when kids actually WANT to learn. Why can't they do that all the time? 

Happy Almost Thanksgiving Everyone!

Please eat copious amounts of treats, indulge in the finest libations and think of me. 

Svinski Gripe is the new snow day

Whelp it's official. 
For those of you who don't follow Bulgarian news as fervently as I, SCHOOL IS OUT. Well only for a week, but Svinski Gripe also known as that little she-devil H1N1 has hit Bulgaria with A VENGEANCE. I'm currently drafting up my plan of action to attack this epidemic, mostly lesson plans stressing the importance of soap and not spitting in your teacher's face. Spittle in the face of a teacher is a recipe for the gripe. 


In case anyone was actually worried though. I'm completely healthy and probably will spend this next week in bed watching back seasons of 24, relishing every moment of my pre-christmas break.

Bulgaria is my own personal Fat Camp/Rehab

Attention loved ones!

Due to stricter EU regulations I am no longer "allowed" to receive food or pills from abroad. However if you just so happen to blank on the word candy and write undergarments  on the customs form I mean that's an honest mistake. Kind of like how my mom used to forget that she put bags of sour patch kids into socks that she sent me in the mail. 

Thanks for the letters and packages so far everyone! I feel really special especially since I get my stuff at school and my kids are in awe when I say its "Ot America"