Holidays in Bulgaria

Holidays in Bulgaria

Today is Thanksgiving!!! Bulgarians don’t celebrate this American Holiday, so volunteers are often left to find a way to celebrate themselves. Although I am away from the states I am not too far to celebrate with friends! Volunteers that live close to my town invited my site mate and I to dinner. I just got my stove two days ago so I decided to make my favorite holiday food (i.e. pumpkin pie, dressing with gravy, deviled eggs, and cornbread). This was a huge task to accomplish!!!

First I had to go to the store and find cornbread. I knew that had it in VT because the volunteer that was here before me left a half package full. I went to about two stores on Monday and did not find any. Yesterday, I decided to go to another store after my tutoring session. My language instructor kept asking me if I wanted her to go with me, which was a little annoying because I know how to buy things from the grocery store. Anytime I don’t know the name of an object I either write it down in Bulgarian before I leave my house or describe it to the clerk in Bulgarian words that I know. Anyhow, I found cornbread and everything else that I needed from the local market ALONE.

I started to cook the Pumpkin pie first. Peace Corps has a cookbook for volunteers, which has recipes and shows how to substitute items that are not in Bulgaria. I am so proud of myself. I made the entire Pumpkin pie from scratch! That includes the dough, and the Pumpkin Puree. Secondly I made the cornbread. Cornbread is not that difficult to make so it was a blast. My third task was to make deviled eggs while the cornbread cooked. As the eggs boiled I mixed the second batch of cornbread for the dressing. When the deviled-eggs were done and I put them in the refrigerator. The last item I made was gravy to go with the dressing. If you don’t know, dressing is very similar to bread filling except we use cornbread in the place of bread. This is everything I made for thanksgiving with my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers. I hope they like it!!!! The only problem is that now I have to get the food to my friend’s apartment by train. Its about noon here know, the party is at 6pm!!!! I will let you know how it went.

Thinking of a feasible way to transport food by train with limited Tupperware,

Crystal

P.S. I don’t now if I will be able to take pictures, because something is wrong with my camera! The stupid lens thingy will not go back in. I am so pissed because I have only had the camera for six months!!!! Urggh… Who told me to buy Nikon?!


HAPPY TURKEY DAY!!!!

Being in Bulgaria

I feel like a complete idiot. I live in one of the best cities in Bulgaria and I live in the best neighborhood in my town. My street has some of the oldest houses, apartments, and stores in the entire region. My town has a castle, theaters, cultural centers, clothing stores, supermarkets, and even a large mall.

When I got to site my apartment was not ready and I was very disappointed. I complained about the injustice of having to stay a week with a Baba (grandmother) because I was looking forward to having my own apartment. When I finally got my apartment I complained about how dirty the volunteer that lived there before me left it. When my host organization cleaned the apartment and painted, I complained that the paint job was horrible and repainted my bedroom myself (I am currently in the process of painting the other rooms). After they gave me furniture (bookshelf, wardrobe, and two couches) I complained that I would have to buy decorations to “make the place feel like home”.

I went to dinner with a Bulgarian friend and brought her home to see my horrible apartment to understand the injustices of life. As we walked to my apartment I noticed she was cold in her thin leather coat, so, I offered her my scarf. She accepted and proceeded to tell me how she needed a winter coat but she couldn’t afford it because it cost 160-206 leva (Bulgarian dollars). She just started a job that required her to dress professional. I could relate because I wouldn’t pay that amount for a coat. We walked on complaining about the cost of clothes and the quality of clothing until we started to reach my apartment. She seemed to get quiet as we got nearer to my door. I unlocked the downstairs door and ushered her in. As we walked up the stairs I could tell she was thinking. I unlocked my door and her immediate response was “you have a big apartment”. This is the response I always get from Bulgarians when I describe my apartment. To me it isn’t that large. I have a mini kitchen, a bathroom, a small living room, a closet, and a bedroom.

She walked from room to room in surprise. I could tell she didn’t understand way I was complaining. In fact I saw myself through her eyes. I became that American that has everything and complains about paint on the wall or things that don’t matter because I have nothing else to complain about. To her my apartment needed to be organized room by room but it wasn’t anything serious. She offered to help me paint and decorate until everything was they way I wanted it.

I felt like a complete idiot because as I looked the apartment over through her eyes I realized that I actually do have a wonderful apartment!!! It needs to be decorated because I just moved in, but the place is wonderful. I have never experienced being “the rich person” and I don’t know if I like it. IS THIS REALLY THE PEACE CORPS!?!!?

Yes I live in an apartment with running water, and electricity. Yes I have most of the modern conveniences found in the western part of the world, but life isn’t any easier. Bulgarian culture is very different from American culture. I think I will write about that next time though because as always this is too long.

Humbly,
Crystal