I have been in Bulgaria a little over a month and now I understand what it means when they (former PCVs) say “this job is the toughest job that you love”. It is hard being in the Peace Corps yet I am enjoying every moment of it. Life is hard because everyday is different from the next. Sometimes I feel like a complete idiot because I know very little Bulgarian while other days I feel empowered because I made a sentence in a different language and a native person understood me!
I have so much to say but I don’t know where to start or how to share…. I guess I will go back to the ten things I learned about myself in Bulgaria. This is not in any particular order.
I LEARNED THAT…..
1. I can wash clothes on my hands….The volunteer that lived with my host family before me came a couple weekends ago and taught me to wash clothes on my hands. Now I wash my clothes on my hands because I enjoy it most of the time.
2. I can hike…. Last week we hiked through the Rila Mountains. This was a tremendous task indeed. We climbed about 4000 feet to the top of the several mountains, which overlook seven lakes. I was totally excited because this was my first time hiking up mountains. My legs hurt for days but I learned the value of hard work. I linked climbing the mountain to my purpose in life, which gave me the energy to keep going. While we climbed I stopped many times to catch my breath and rest, however, I was always one of the people leading the group. After we climbed the mountains I even climbed a waterfall which was even more difficult with the slippery rocks! I am surprised and proud of myself at the same time. Hiking will be my new hobby!!!! Pictures are available just click on the link.
3. I can wear the same clothes over and over again….The woman I will work with once I officially become a Peace Corps volunteer invited me to stay longer during my permanent sight visit. A permanent sight visit is when a PCV goes to see where they will live for two years once they are officially a volunteer. I will get my volunteer status after 2 ½ months on October 19, 2006!!! Anyhow, she asked me to stay longer and I only had three days of clothes with me. Instead of panicking and running to the store to buy more clothes I simply wore the same outfit a couple times. It wasn’t a big deal at all. In fact wearing the same clothes a couple days in a row isn’t a big deal in Bulgaria.
4. I can catch a bus across country with limited Bulgarian….Once I left my permanent site I had to catch a bus home (to Rila) across the country with another volunteer. It took me about three buses and six hours to get home. We both speak limited Bulgarian but it was exciting figuring out the Bulgarian bus system on our own. During the entire trip I learned patience and that I know more Bulgarian than I think.
5. Sometimes I get annoyed very easily….Speaking of patience sometimes little things really bother me. It could me a comment by someone, the way someone chews their food, or a late bus. I was talking with another PCV and she said she didn’t know how irritated she got with people until she came to Bulgaria. I feel the same way. Sometimes people simply get on my nerves. Other times I am completely fine and oblivious to people’s annoying habits. I am learning patience….
6. I can make homemade pizza….One of our integrating projects was to purchase food from the store and cook a potluck dinner with other volunteers. I decided to make American style pizza and I did….with the help of my host mother. I am a good cook but she insisted on helping me through the entire process. The pizza came out fantastic!!!! I have pictures so click on the picture below.
7. I can use a Turkish toilet….If you don’t know what a Turkish toilet is you are missing out. Essentially it is a hole in the ground. When I first came to Bulgaria I thought that I would not be able to use this type of toilet but now they don’t even faze me. When you have to go you have to go…. I have a picture of this phenomenon click on the link.
8. I look for Black people….Imagine being in a world without Black people? For some of you this is the norm but for me this is abnormal. There are always African Americans near me or that I am in contact with. I thought I was the only one here until about a week ago. I was in a town called Dupnista when I saw a woman with braids in her hair walk by me. I didn’t think much of it because there are a lot of European woman here with braids until I notice the curve in her hips and her light caramel skin tone. I did a double take and yelled for her to stop. She looked at me and smiled. We proceeded to have a conversation in broken English and Bulgarian. Turns out that her father is Nigerian and her mom is Bulgarian. She spoke very little English but smiled a lot and seemed just as happy to see a black American as I was to see a mixed Bulgarian.
I ran into another black person a couple days ago in the town next to my hometown. I was on my way back from my permanent site visit. I saw him as I was going into the bus station to find out where to catch my last bus home. I looked at him and he looked at me. We smiled and I walked up to him to introduce myself. He came to Bulgaria, and I quote, “many years ago, even before I was born from Ethiopia”. He was staying in my town for two more weeks and had seen me walking around before. I think he lives in Northern Bulgaria with his family. He barely spoke English but we caught the bus home together. I even got him to take a picture with me, which, of course, is available through the link. Maybe we will go for coffee one of these days?
9. I love cafés but not coffee… the Coffee here is really strong but the atmosphere in the café is fun. The coffee in Bulgaria makes me high literally I get really dizzy and sick if I drink too much of it. I learned my lesson the hard way. When I first got here I was drinking a shot of espresso at about 8:30am and another coffee at 10am almost everyday until I started to feel dizzy. One day in language class after my second coffee of the day I had to put my head down because the entire room was spinning. One of my peers suggested that I stop drinking so much coffee, and it worked. I drink tea or soda water instead.
10. I miss going out…. I am not a huge club/disco/bar fan but I definitely want to check out the club scene in Bulgaria. I have been so busy with PC people that I haven’t had the opportunity to hang-out anywhere but the cafés.
There are many other things that I learned but I think this blog is long enough. I hope you got some idea of what I have been doing in Bulgaria for the last month or so.
Writing from inside of the café and drinking tea,
Crystal
I made this Pizza
