tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-247538202011-12-05T11:35:57.666-05:00This blog does not reflect the views of the United States government or that of the Peace Corps. The purpose of this journal is to share my life/traveling experiences as an African American woman and as a volunteer in the Peace Corps. The ideas represented here are mine and mine alone. The address of this blog was inspired by the following: nero= black; brazen= bold and unashamed; diva= successful woman. If you have any questions, please contact me. ~CrystalNeronoreply@blogger.comBlogger961100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-31670833501908349962010-08-31T13:13:00.003-04:002010-08-31T22:31:12.250-04:00

I am thinking to start writing on my Blog again. Its been about 9 months since I wrote anything about my experiences abroad....

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-80677131909429670892009-11-12T03:32:00.003-05:002009-11-12T03:46:15.985-05:00

I just remembered this conversation I had with this Bulgarian guy on the bus. Of course, he did not expect me to speak Bulgarian so he kept attempting to translate with his broken English things the announcing lady was saying. It was actually really sweet of him. Once he figured out that I could understand Bulgarian we started a great friendship that lasted throughout my bus ride. One of the

Neronoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-35760238149840764742009-11-12T03:28:00.002-05:002009-11-12T03:31:26.832-05:00

Hey All, I made it to Vienna and checked into my hostel!Vienna is a beautiful clean city so far as I can see. I am planning to do some sightseeing to get a better perspective. It is very interesting to travel alone from Bulgaria (the Balkans) to Central Europe as an African American. I get the feeling that people really want to know more about me. I hope I make some friends soon...Actually I am

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-48201164372887461902009-11-11T03:27:00.003-05:002009-11-12T03:32:02.052-05:00

My Peace Corps service ended today! Wow three years and 3 months in Bulgaria who would have known. Being in Bulgaria has caused me to see life in a new way. Being Peace Corps Volunteer has also caused me to see myself in a new way. I am very happy to have had the chance to experience this.... For some reason I cannot go into more detail about my life these past three years. I have a lot to

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-44404123645675878552009-05-31T15:26:00.013-04:002009-05-31T16:01:38.844-04:00

Wow! I have been in Bulgaria for three years already. Time has just flown by. I am leaving Bulgaria in the fall to return to America. I am really happy that I spent so much time here, but it is time for me to go home. I want color back in my life! I want to write more about what it is like being African American in a Post-communist country but at the moment I can't. There is just too much for me

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-77586368347397955742009-03-02T17:25:00.015-05:002009-03-02T17:47:45.829-05:00

Hello all,I hope you have had a wonderful holiday season meaning Christmas, New Years,and Valentines day. I am still moving and shaking in Bulgaria. Wow, can't believe it is my third year here. Time is moving so quickly. I have been very busy teaching and traveling this past few months. My latest trip was to the wonderful country of Serbia. I was only in Belgrade but it was a wonderful experience

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-68495712563473067552008-11-02T01:59:00.008-04:002008-11-02T02:16:26.372-05:00

I voted Friday. I was totally afraid that my vote would not count while I was in Bulgaria but thank God for absentee votes!!! I can’t wait to see if my candidate will win the votes. Only God knows who will be in office come November. Of course I am a democrat so you can only guess who I voted for… Obama, Obama, Obama. I think it is about time America has had some diversity in the White House.

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-50150455511775484922008-10-11T07:04:00.010-04:002008-10-11T08:04:05.200-04:00

If you look at my clock ticker you would see that my PC service would have officially ended today. BUT NOPE I am staying here for another year. I found my profession... teaching young people at the University is proving to be rewarding. My students love me and I love them. This third year in Bulgaria is turning out to be very good and I am happy. I was supposed to travel to Serbia last month but

Neronoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-27154853322963895742008-09-15T03:20:00.017-04:002008-09-15T06:04:32.238-04:00

Well Summer has ended in Bulgaria. Today the sky is dark and gloomy with the threat of rain. It has been like this since yesterday but I love this weather because I get to stay inside with warm tea and a nice book....Ok so I have finished deadlocking my hair. Actually all I did was get another PCV to put tiny breads in my hair that will eventually turn into dreadlocks. She put them in Monday and

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-71853759170737836712008-08-29T09:20:00.013-04:002008-08-29T09:58:52.359-04:00

It has been a while since I wrote but I want you to know all is well in the land of Bulgaria. I have officially decided to extend my service with the Peace Corps for another year. I will not be working with the same organization but the move is for the best. It def is not easy being of African descent in Eastern Europe but I can’t let that stop me from reaching my dreams and being who I am. I

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-63993733819918638722008-07-02T07:02:00.011-04:002008-12-11T19:54:25.236-05:00

Wow it is only 3 months to my official COS date however considering I am extending my service another year the timeline above doesn’t apply to me. I will miss my friends from the B20 group when they leave but I am looking forward to my extra time in Bulgaria. Anyhow, this past Monday I went to meet a friend’s sister for her track meet in Sofia. She won the 400 m dash.. yea! Also, I had the best

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-61122457920734254322008-06-06T06:15:00.001-04:002008-12-11T19:54:26.365-05:00

The director of PC Bulgaria sent an email informing us of the normal highlights for the week. The email really caught my attention towards to end when I read a fellow Peace Corps Volunteer in Botswana had passed away. This particular volunteer was extending her service for one more year until her life was taken in a fatal car accident last week. I have never met this person or heard her name

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-53642455104379891472008-05-22T13:17:00.012-04:002008-12-11T19:54:28.273-05:00

Ok finally I have gotten around to uploading pictures. I hope you enjoy...(the text below the pictures apply to the pictures above them.)This is a picture of me new the huge castle in Orhid, Macedonia. My hair is nature as you can tell.Another picture of me. Yes, I am a tree hugger (with my designer bag).Serving food for Bulgarian night in Struga, Macedonia.Me working on music for the Bulgarian

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-75984943280691262132008-05-17T02:11:00.002-04:002008-05-17T02:18:24.078-04:00

Its has been a while since the last time I posted anything to my blog. I dont know why but it hasnt been a desire of mine to write. A lot of things are going on in my life. I am happy, healthy, and feeling well but life has taken on a normalcy that wasnt there when I first arrived to Bulgaria. Also, my computer was not working for some time but it is fixed now. Anyhow, I will continue to write

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-73469305252596477382008-03-04T07:42:00.000-05:002008-03-04T07:44:02.360-05:00

Hey all,So I have decided to wear my hair natural while from now on. Once in a while I will wear braids but I will never perm my hair again. I kept going back and forth while I was in Bulgaria trying to decide if I would make the switch or not. I kept my hair in braids the entire time I was here because I didn’t want to perm my hair but I had no clue how to manage natural hair in a foreign

Neronoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-9423881342666570182008-02-21T15:17:00.002-05:002008-02-21T15:52:29.471-05:00

Finally, finally, finally winter is starting to come to an end in Bulgaria. Cold weather here can be the most depressing thing in the world. Wahooo.... I am really tired but I do want to share about going to the Zoo with my colleagues. That will have to wait for tomorrow though because again I am really tired.

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-50294166082015145562008-02-01T04:08:00.001-05:002008-02-01T04:11:10.179-05:00

Just want to say happy holidays to all the African Americans across the world!!! We are a great and unique group of people because of our rich history has given us the tenacity to overcome struggles that would keep any group of people from striving. I am proud to be African American. I am proud that my ancestors are of African descent. And I am proud to carry on the torch that they have passed

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-68985353713142805522008-01-20T15:38:00.000-05:002008-12-11T19:54:28.610-05:00

Christine has left Bulgaria. Overall she enjoyed her time here but I think being in Bulgaria made her appreciate life in America well at least in Chicago. It was very convenient to have Christine here because I had some health problems and she was able to stay with me a couple days while I went through mountains of tests. Anyhow, I am glad to say I did not have to have surgery. Yea!!!Everything

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-71175832372383010402008-01-01T16:55:00.001-05:002008-01-01T16:55:32.219-05:00

America was great. Being home was great. Being with friends was great. Was it hard to come back to Bulgaria after losing my father and being in the lap of luxury called America? No. Do I miss America, my fam, and 24 hour cafés with wireless internet? Yes. A lot of people have asked me if it was hard coming back after being away for so long and losing my father. It wasn’t hard coming back because

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-40154524845371232892007-11-30T01:20:00.000-05:002007-11-30T01:21:26.152-05:00

I know I haven’t posted anything in a while but my life in the past week and a half has been extremely hectic. Unfortunately, my father passed away while I was serving in Bulgaria, so, I had to leave for America real quick. (No worries I am returning to Bulgaria in a couple weeks). We will def miss my father. It is weird losing a parent and being so far away. I don’t think the realization that

Neronoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-31143779696843295012007-11-10T15:07:00.000-05:002008-12-11T19:54:31.199-05:00

The marathon went well but it was very difficult... maybe because I didn't train as hard as I should have. There was a constant incline from mile 8 until about mile 20 and the rest was downhill! I finished at 4:49 but I was aiming for 4:30. Oh well I guess life is what it is. Someone asked me if I will stop running marathons after this and my answer is NO!!! I want to do another marathon in May

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-72283512599292071522007-10-31T10:23:00.001-04:002008-12-11T19:54:31.871-05:00

The PC Halloween party was fun this past weekend but I had more fun on my b-day. Maybe I didnt have as much fun because I was trying to make sure everything went smoothly for attendees. Or, maybe it was because I am used to being with Bulgarians all the time so it was strange being with so many Americans in one place. Anyhow, I don’t have pictures of me during Halloween because I refuse to share

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-85127349202030615092007-10-21T14:39:00.000-04:002008-12-11T19:54:36.872-05:00

I can honestly say that this was the best Birthday EVER. I have never had so many people come to celebrate by Birthday just because they like me as a person. The entire day was a celebration. I am still overwhelmed with the amount of love I received from my friends. Literally one friend took me shopping at 9pm with his car after traveling 3 hours from Sofia (the capitol city) just so I did not

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-66773459759339169182007-10-19T01:26:00.000-04:002007-10-19T01:37:31.746-04:00

Ok today is my Birthday! I am turing the BIG 26!!!! Cant believe I am this old but I have been waiting to turn 30 since I was like 16. Yesterday I spent my time preparing for my B-day tonight. One of my good friends came to pick me up to purchase most of the things for the party. We met at like 9pm and shopped until the store closed. Its a HUGE stress preparing for a Birthday party but I am sure

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-27377189336350586522007-10-17T03:32:00.000-04:002007-10-17T03:42:19.571-04:00

This blog is comprised of different blogs that I started and didnt finish over the past week. They are pretty interesting... Someone asked me why I am counting down the days of my Peace Corps service. I am counting down the days to put my life in perspective. I am in Peace Corps but I still need to plan for my future and my life after my service. It has nothing to do with my life being terrible

Neronoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-60335088635373484532007-10-01T02:41:00.000-04:002007-10-01T02:58:10.475-04:00

Yesterday, I ran 18 miles! Yup 18. I am training for the Athens Marathon which is on November 4, 2007. I have a total of 8.3 miles to left to complete the actual marathon. With a month left of training I am doing good timing. This is not my first marathon in fact I ran the Chicago marathon in 2003. Running this marathon is proving to be difficult but I am enjoying every stride. Running running

Neronoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-16902678900443695832007-09-27T04:48:00.000-04:002007-09-27T04:50:14.988-04:00

Today we where listening to gospel music in the office. Ya, who would have thought people here in Eastern Europe listened and know about gospel music? I felt so inspired to hear it that I danced around the office. My co-worker, who is a believer, played this music because a friend of hers sent it to her. She started to have faith in God after she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and survived.

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-13534635747262109362007-09-09T17:00:00.000-04:002007-09-09T17:32:22.812-04:00

Random Thoughts: I have one more year of PC service and I am trying to make plans for the future. Some people might say this is too early but I know its the perfect time for planning. I am not sure what I will do after PC but I know I want to stay abroad a little longer, at least a year, before returning to the United States. Life in Bulgaria is treating me well. Actually the strangest thing

Neronoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-58160688630004449052007-09-02T17:47:00.001-04:002007-09-02T17:47:56.215-04:00

They are so cute Originally uploaded by latsyrc_81. Nothing new has happened in Bulgaria. Well actually thats not true. A lot has been going on. Last weekend two Roma (gypsy) guys watched me run for about 30 minutes at the stadium down the block from my apartment. I started to get a little scared so I approached them. We had a 5 minute conversation about running and they ran the rest of

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-29857690637894143182007-08-14T03:26:00.000-04:002008-12-11T19:54:41.969-05:00

I went to my bosses's house for a coworkers get together. We all had a blast! The top picture is my counterpart (the person responsible for me in PC) the bottom picture is of my boss. We all pitched in for the chair as a house warming gift.The pictures below are from the preparations. Me below helping to start the fire...Below are my two good friends from work....Guy from work sleeping. It was a

Neronoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-41521486871555910342007-07-31T17:01:00.000-04:002007-07-31T17:07:13.064-04:00

All week has been the International Festival in Veliko Turnovo. I am happy to say I have gone four times and expect to go the rest of this week. Tonight I decided to go to the fest alone after my workout because I did not want to be home with all the festivities going on. At the fest I did my usually routine and watched the show from the sidelines trying to enjoy the utopia of diversity. I danced

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-41763298086900808922007-07-27T03:51:00.001-04:002007-07-27T04:07:50.462-04:00

Ohhh I had so much fun at Camp with the GLOW girls. We danced, sang, learned about leadership, listened to lecturers, and learned about what being a woman means in the Bulgarian context. I loved spending so much time with the girls and hearing their life stories. The girls at this camp are some of the smartest and talented girls in Bulgaria and I will say in the world. WOW was I impressed by

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-29638676097947566902007-07-16T03:05:00.000-04:002007-07-16T03:09:53.430-04:00

I just got back from Italy so I havent really had time to post messages. The trip was a huge success!!! Pictures will be coming soon. Well as soon as my friends send them to me because I do not have a camera. I will give you a very quick update of what we did in Italy:Roma- All the tourist sites Milan- Strictly for shopping and hanging with friends I met in Estonia!Ventimiglia (sp?)- hung out

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-9266265325538569272007-06-30T15:29:00.000-04:002008-12-11T19:54:42.149-05:00

Here is the famous picture of me with short hair!!! The picture was taken at the Camp GLOW fundraiser in Sofia. These are my two good friends from the Peace Corps. Thanks Tracy for the pic!!!

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-39653362592426630492007-06-24T17:02:00.000-04:002007-06-24T17:15:53.897-04:00

I braided my friend’s hair today. Its kinda cool because it was my first time braiding a Bulgarian woman’s hair. Her hair turned out extremely well!!! Unfortunately I do not have pictures but as soon as I find someone with a camera I will make them take pictures of her. If you are wandering I braided her hair in cornrows going straight back. Braiding her hair made me want to rebraid my own hair

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-83899431634837416052007-06-21T16:19:00.001-04:002007-06-22T11:24:09.438-04:00

I love all types of music really but there is something about hiphop and RnB music that moves me!!! I was just listening to that song "Buy you a Drank" and could not help dancing and singing to it in my room. This of course prompted me to think about Chicago and driving around town with my twin sister blasting music. Ahhhh I miss driving and singing really loud to music! Yup I was that person

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-46337345687908748492007-06-20T11:07:00.000-04:002007-06-21T12:42:44.945-04:00

Its has been a while since I wrote because I have been traveling a lot in Bulgaria lately. Veliko Turnovo is treating me well. I have friends and I am still alive. Weird things continue to happen to me that I can not completely understand but I guess that is the life of a person in a foreign country. To be exact yesterday after spending the weekend and the beginning of the week with new

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-84442021749824806722007-06-11T17:38:00.000-04:002007-06-11T17:45:02.973-04:00

Bush was in Bulgaria! I met his father a couple year ago so I was really excited to meet him as a Peace Corps Volunteer regardless of my political views. My one wish is that I would have had a camera when Bush shook my hand and told me I was doing a great job serving my country as a PCV. Urggh... Life is good and sucks at the same time. I am currently, trying to locate people that took the

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-88992448935219295442007-06-11T17:33:00.000-04:002007-06-11T17:38:38.318-04:00

This past weekend and week up until this very moment has been great. I spent the entire weekend in Sofia for the Camp GLOW fundraiser. I didn’t intend to spend the weekend in Sofia but I kind of got stranded with my site mate and a friend. The entire situation was really hilarious so I will try to create the scene for ya.Last weekend I was in an Irish Pub to raise money for Camp GLOW (Girls

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-43494076669365604182007-06-06T15:08:00.000-04:002007-06-06T15:23:12.194-04:00

I taught my first English lesson today to students between the age of 5-7. Children in Bulgaria start school at the age of 7! This is a really strange practice to me because children usually start school at the age of 5 or sometimes 4 in the U.S. Anyhow I realized the difference when I was asking a child something and another child stepped in and said "she doesn’t know because she has not

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-83299133205297966662007-05-30T06:46:00.000-04:002007-05-31T08:49:58.090-04:00

Every time I leave Bulgaria and come back I have to adjust to the culture all over again. This time however, it was a lot easier for me to adjust although I did experience some culture shock in the Frankfurt airport. When I first landed I was completely surprised by the level of diversity. People of different shapes, colors, religions, and economical status where all around me. I felt alive and

Neronoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-62974580272394896752007-05-13T16:26:00.000-04:002007-05-13T16:51:06.943-04:00

I am going to Estonia this week, which is exciting and nerve wreaking. Its exciting because I have never been to Estonia. Its nerve wreaking because I have a ton of things I have to do for Peace Corps and my official assignment before I leave. So much work and so little time. This trip is supposed to teach me how to work creatively with youth. Saturday I went to the area in Veliko Turnovo where

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-68576206062731249922007-05-07T15:23:00.000-04:002007-05-07T16:16:14.820-04:00

Today maybe about 5 hours ago the weirdest thing happened to me. I was changing clothes to go run at the stadium when I heard my doorbell ring. My doorbell never rings and I wasn’t aware that it worked until that very moment. I ignored it and figured the bell was not for me. It rang a second time but again I ignored it because I figured the person did not realize their mistake. I quickly got

Neronoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-16965198631828531642007-05-03T13:22:00.000-04:002007-05-03T13:23:52.509-04:00

This past weekend was a holiday something like Labor Day in the United States only better because we have a four day weekend. I slept and mingled with people in my town all break. Saturday I had an engagement (hahaha haven’t used that word in a while) with this American guy and Bulgarian America guy. Hangin with them made me feel like royalty. Let me explain. Peace Corps volunteers really, how

Neronoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-26141358984945609432007-04-25T12:05:00.000-04:002007-04-25T12:17:50.288-04:00

My friend just got Medically seperated, meaning she had to leave the Peace Corps for medical reasons. I am so sad to see her go. We became very close over the past six months because she was the only other black female volunteer in Bulgaria. There is an AA male here but his experience is somewhat different from mine. Dont get me wrong I have ALOT of Peace Corps friends and Bulgarian friends that

Neronoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-75431031114254778282007-04-18T04:43:00.000-04:002007-04-18T04:45:56.879-04:00

Wow this week has been filled with TRAMA. A fellow Peace Corps volunteer was found dead in the Philippines after she went on a hike. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070418/ap_on_re_as/philippines_american_missingOn top of that the killings in Virginia are so sad. So many lives were affected my one person’s decision. Who is to blame? Can we really blame the administrators of Virginia Tech? One lone

Neronoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-25745109443254983902007-04-15T15:44:00.000-04:002007-04-15T16:13:28.015-04:00

Wow I just got back from a very funny dinning experience at the restaurant down the street from my apartment. I was supposed to go to church today but when I got there no one was at the building. Instead of complaining about the situation and feeling disappointed I decided to walk through my beautiful city for some fresh air. Towards the end of this walk I started to feel a little hungry for the

Neronoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-14047602713970405612007-04-05T16:13:00.001-04:002007-04-05T16:13:20.439-04:00

Easting Originally uploaded by latsyrc_81. Orthodox Easter is around the corner! Going to the host fam for the holidays the first time in six months. Everyone here seems to go to the village (the place they were born or family is from) for Easter. They eat lamb for the holidays so I cant wait. I love lamb!!!! I haven’t eaten meat or milk products in Bulgaria for about 2½ months so it’s

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-11976563646676998322007-04-02T18:00:00.000-04:002007-04-02T18:01:20.166-04:00

I have been here since August 2006 which would make it 8 months! If you look above you will see that I have 18 more months left in the Peace Corps that is only a year and a half! I am starting to think that the time here will go by very quickly and before I know it I will be on a plane out of Bulgaria. Anyhow, before we jump forward to me leaving Bulgaria I am still here and I want to share a

Neronoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-84508577975971327062007-03-27T15:38:00.000-04:002007-03-27T15:58:27.852-04:00

I am long overdue for an update. Sorry readers!!! I was in Sofia for an entire week of …. Diversity training! Yup diversity training followed me all the way from America to Bulgaria. You know those seminars we got in college and high school teaching us how to be diverse in a diverse world? The ones people tend to fall a sleep in or get so angry and offended that they don’t know what to do? Well

Neronoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-76609748599657772792007-03-14T08:21:00.000-04:002008-12-11T19:54:42.914-05:00

Yup I changed a couple things on my blog to make it easier to read. For some reason I am not feeling very well this week and it has nothing to do with being physically sick. I can't seem to get back into the flow of life in Bulgaria. I made ALOT of friends in Turkey the few nights I was there and I miss them already. Is something wrong with me? Uhhmmm. I feel kind of antsy. Well its only been

Neronoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-70606070221124635592007-03-13T04:16:00.000-04:002008-12-11T19:54:43.670-05:00

Istanbul was absolutely wonderful! The people were great and the nightlife was even better! I can't believe I had so much fun there. I was truly surprised that I did not get sick from the food considering I have been sick in Bulgaria about 3 times over the past seven months. I absolutely loved the food and most of the culture. Who could go wrong with rice and lamb? I saw more black people in

Neronoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-57871782531593819522007-03-02T07:55:00.000-05:002007-03-02T08:21:03.449-05:00

Ok the person that keeps correcting my blog is starting to get on my nerves. On my last post she (or he) corrected my use of "technically" instead of "technology". I made the correction but I thought to myself why? I have never claimed to be a writer or perfect! I know there are mistakes in my random posts but that is a part of who I am. Life is full of mistakes! I am not writing a thesis here,

Neronoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-74166068414673427402007-03-02T04:23:00.000-05:002007-03-02T07:44:19.859-05:00

I don’t know if I said this before but I decided to run a marathon. I originally wanted to do the Berlin marathon but I couldn’t get a group of friends to join me so I decided to do the Greece marathon instead. Next year I am doing Berlin with or without friends. I love training for the marathon because I always feel empowered. I am searching for training methods so if you have any suggestions

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-74296761343451318822007-03-01T08:50:00.000-05:002007-03-01T08:51:48.535-05:00

Today is Baba Marta holiday in Bulgaria. It’s the day to celebrate the coming of spring and health for the future. Everyone walks around giving people bracelets, necklaces, or pins made from red and white string. At first I was really skeptical about this holiday because I did not like the red and white strings. I even found myself getting annoyed with the vendors spread throughout the center

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-63886796551496265692007-02-26T04:48:00.000-05:002007-02-27T09:43:44.028-05:00

I didn’t realize that I almost missed African American HISTORY MONTH!!! I just want to recognize some of the people that have gone before me to pave the way for me today. Thanks Ancestors for your strength through all the hardships of slavery, colonization, segregation, and institutional racism. I am not just talking about African Americans but Africans all over the Diaspora. This includes my

Neronoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-77529392207137626482007-02-22T08:58:00.000-05:002007-02-22T09:03:06.330-05:00

Life in VT is treating me well. Nothing new on this end except for the fact that I saw two women kissing in the street a couple days ago. YUP it was NOT one of those friendly kisses either. They were using tongues and all. I know this because I was staring the entire time in shock. This type of behavior is not normal and on some ends downright unacceptable in Bulgaria. Once the women were done

Neronoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-16475179914698944632007-02-16T08:41:00.000-05:002007-02-16T08:42:32.474-05:00

Remember how I said I would spend Super bowl in Sofia? I planned this entire weekend. I would stay up all night watching the game and catch a 6:30am bus home. Well I went all the way there only to get sick and stay in my hostel the night of the game. My head felt like it was going to explode and I felt dizzy. I think I was sick because I had not gotten much sleep for two weeks and I was coming

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-7768315952493592412007-02-06T07:03:00.000-05:002007-02-06T07:07:16.412-05:00

I finally found time to write the ending part of my last blog. This past week was a world wind of activity. After going to that party with the one black man in town I worked nonstop all week writing a grant, going to coffee meetings, preparing for a conference, and planning Superbowl weekend. WOW I haven’t been that busy in a long time. Well back to the party with the one black man…When I

Neronoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-44506920575999580732007-01-28T18:01:00.000-05:002007-01-28T18:04:17.931-05:00

The na gosti (party) I went to today was very interesting, sad and emotional for me. In an earlier post I talked about a man from Yemen, his Bulgarian wife, and their two boys that are 16 and 13. I got a phone call at around 4:45 asking me when I was going to come. Actually they woke me up from my afternoon nap. I usually don’t take naps in the afternoon but it’s been a long weekend and week.

Neronoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-87610084225880299912007-01-25T11:54:00.000-05:002007-01-25T12:16:56.596-05:00

I just got back from IST (In Service Training) and decided to update my blog based on the events that occurred when I got back to site. Don’t worry Ma nothing extraordinary happened today. It was actually a pretty normal day with normal activities. Normally one would expect PCVs NOT to be busy because they are dwindling away in a state of nothingness as they work in developing countries, for

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-59300660098760861192007-01-09T05:02:00.000-05:002007-01-09T05:04:46.349-05:00

Please excuse spelling and grammatical errors! I didnt feel like making corrections.What is wrong with Australians? Please follow this story as it turns from a normal evening to something really strange and awkward!!!Today I met up with a couple PCV friends for dinner. They had two friends with them from Australia, which I thought was cool at the time because I like Australians. One Australian

Neronoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-38623665146622844722007-01-08T05:29:00.000-05:002007-01-08T05:42:15.385-05:00

I wrote this a on December 17 and just got a chance to post it now! I have two more posts that I will put up when I get to my apartment tonight. Enjoy...Last Sunday I had a wonderful time in church so I wanted to go again this week. I got up bright and early at 10am (hehehehe) and was out the door by 10:30am, service started at about 11am!!! My site mate and I walked to the church and got there

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-50152802082846633062006-12-21T08:51:00.000-05:002008-12-11T19:54:47.245-05:00

I love the holiday season. Its my favorite time of the year. I will be spending the holidays with a couple friends in the South of Bulgaria. All the Best!!! Opening Presents,Crystal

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-21410513130557319232006-12-10T07:27:00.000-05:002006-12-10T20:04:39.167-05:00

Ohh Sunday Morning! I always loved going to church on Sunday Morning. There is something about a Sunday that has always been an important day of worship for me. I feel rejuvenated alive! Awakened in my faith! Today I went to church for the first time in Bulgaria. Well actually not the first time but it was the first time I went to a church that wasn’t a Bulgaria Orthodox church. The church

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-80122195705285310352006-12-08T08:26:00.000-05:002006-12-08T09:29:33.127-05:00

I am at work now... its friday. I kinda dont want to work. I have had a extremely busy week planning for a fundraising event on 19th December. Two people left work early I should have left with them but I couldnt figure out what I would do at home before my language lesson at 5pm. So, I decided to stay and take random Myspace surveys online. heheheh its fun. The results are below. I just realized

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-17857162028593522162006-12-06T15:48:00.000-05:002008-12-11T19:54:47.428-05:00

Remember how I said I was going to go to some other volunteer’s house with my site mate? And how I cooked a ton of food because I just got a new stove? Well we did go to our friend’s town for Thanksgiving, but it took us a while to get there.My site mate and I were really excited to celebrate Thanksgiving in Bulgaria with PCV friends. I didn’t realize how much Thanksgiving meant to me until I got

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1552161798554244552006-12-01T19:37:00.000-05:002006-12-01T19:43:16.387-05:00

I am going to try to make this quick and painless.This morning I left for work really early because I had a meeting with the program director from the Peace Corps. My program director was coming to see how things are going now that I have been in Veliko Turnovo for a month. I walked about half a block from my apartment and was fumbling with my MP3 player when I heard this woman gasp in surprise

Neronoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-17389332458139231132006-11-23T05:21:00.000-05:002006-11-23T05:23:48.663-05:00

Holidays in BulgariaToday 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 (

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1163758044426623412006-11-17T05:06:00.000-05:002006-11-17T05:07:24.436-05:00

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

Neronoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1161693438118788052006-10-24T08:29:00.000-04:002006-10-26T10:11:42.696-04:00

I have been in Bulgaria for about three months and I am still trying to integrate. There are many things about the culture that I still don’t understand. Being in the Peace Corps is all about taking things one at a time and learning as you go along. I just moved to Veliko Turnovo Thursday. This town is absolutely wonderful! The people appear to be very proud of their town and of their

Neronoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1160395261329262702006-10-09T08:00:00.000-04:002006-10-09T08:01:01.340-04:00

In about two weeks I will be in Veliko Turnavo. I am both excited and scared at the same time. I am afraid that I will have to make transitions all over again. I am very familiar with my community in Rila. People are used to seeing the black American running around town, asking weird questions, and mumbling to herself in English. VT is a much larger metropolitan city, about 80,000 people, with

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1159449676118423232006-09-28T09:05:00.000-04:002006-10-01T06:07:36.660-04:00

They say the most common sickness for a PCV is diarrhea, which I am finding to be true. I have been sick this week with the runs and a really bad stomach ache (yea i know it sounds gross). I could not eat or sleep for about three days. The people in my town said that a virus was circulating because of the change in the weather. One other volunteer at my site was sick as well. Today I am 100%

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1158308158946106312006-09-15T04:10:00.000-04:002006-09-15T04:17:10.883-04:00

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

Neronoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1157469617303271632006-09-05T11:15:00.000-04:002006-09-05T11:20:17.320-04:00

A lot of things have been happening these past few weeks. I found out my permanent site in the Peace Corps (Veliko Turnovo), I went hiking, and I am getting really close to my host family. When you get a chance please google Veliko Turnovo. I will be working with Nonprofit and youth development.I have learned ten things about myself since I have been in the Peace Corps. That I can not share with

Neronoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1156067217875416932006-08-20T05:41:00.000-04:002006-08-20T05:52:26.093-04:00

I enjoy every moment of running in this town. Maybe it is the beautiful scenery that accompanies me as I glide slowly down the dirt stricken path in the local stadium. Maybe it is the sun that glistens off the broken football (soccer) goalie stations. Maybe it is horses, donkeys, and sometimes goats that feast on the overgrown grass. Or maybe it is the numerous children that accompany me on

Neronoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1155377488187584212006-08-12T05:56:00.000-04:002006-08-12T06:11:28.196-04:00

I made it to Bulgaria and everything seems to be going fine. The plane ride was awesome. I have bumps in the road here and there with adjusting to culture but nothng to write home about. For the first three months in PC you are expected to stay with a host family to learn the language and culture, which is great. My host family consist of a baba (grandmother), her two daugthers, and three

Neronoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1154755372065136722006-08-05T01:19:00.000-04:002006-08-05T01:28:12.373-04:00

This is something I wrote Saturday, July 30. Pictures are coming soon...Friday I leave for training in the Peace Corps. Friday I leave for training in the Peace Corps. OHH MY GOODNESS!!!!!! FRIDAY I LEAVE FOR TRAINING IN THE PEACE CORPS. Months have gone by and I still have not fully thought about what joining the Peace Corps means to me. This summer has been an intensive learning experience.

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1152848307853285722006-07-13T23:13:00.000-04:002006-08-05T00:22:48.593-04:00

Wow! It has been a month since I last worked on my blog. Life in MA is going great so far with some bumps in the road here and there. The people I work with are all wonderful, for the most part. I absolutely love Boston. I feel at home here and I am experiencing so many new things. I have been to Harvard almost five times which has been pretty amazing. I visited BU, UMASS, BC and some other

Neronoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1150170817117024362006-06-12T23:50:00.000-04:002006-06-13T00:23:59.046-04:00

I finally made it to Boston. The people I work with are really nice. They all seem to have the same interest I have (i.e., travel, community service). We have a mixture of medical students, teachers, recent college graduates, Master’s students, and professional doctors on the staff. I guess we all have to have the same interest in order to be hired. We have already started to plan days to

Neronoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1149816775604452392006-06-08T21:31:00.000-04:002006-06-08T21:32:55.616-04:00

I am leaving for Chicago tomorrow. The first leg of my trip will be done. I get the feeling that I will be extremely tired over the next few days with all this traveling. I am excited nonetheless because I will meet my nephew Jerry-Justin for the first time. Jerry-Justin is about two years old. When he was born I was in London. By his second birthday I was in PA. Every time this particular

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1149378488163396732006-06-03T19:45:00.000-04:002006-06-03T19:48:08.173-04:00

This is a crazy week. I am in the process of writing my Master’s Paper (which is almost done, yea), packing, and making flight arrangements for summer travel. In the mist of all of this Peace Corps is constantly sending me paperwork to finalize plans for my service. OMG I also have to learn the cryptic alphabet before I leave in August! I keep getting distracted by people constantly contacting

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1149205758175108442006-06-01T19:46:00.000-04:002006-06-01T19:54:10.476-04:00

Today was another day of running, but for some reason I was extremely tired. I usually try to run an hour two to three times a week so my body is used to this physical activity. Maybe I didn’t get enough food or rest this morning or maybe the gym was too hot! Anyhow, as I reached thirty minutes every muscle in my body felt like they were going to explode. To get some energy I turned my Kirk

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1148418831865052822006-05-23T17:13:00.000-04:002006-05-23T17:13:51.876-04:00

I have been in Middletown for about a year and a half and it almost feels like home…almost. Coming for a big city like Chicago it was hard for me to adjust. However, the people in my town embraced me. They played a tremendous role in helping me to adjust. Interesting enough, I met most of my friends on the local bus. Riding the bus in a small town is an adventure!!! Things happened on our

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1147537676676473602006-05-13T12:27:00.000-04:002006-05-13T12:27:56.676-04:00

Funny things have happened to me throughout this month. Literally the stories I have to tell will leave you laughing for days.Here we go…I had to give a presentation for my Russian Politics class about two weeks ago. The teacher called a break and told me I would be going after we returned. I felt a little nervous so decided to take a trip to the bathroom to make sure I looked presentable. As

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1147537642059229502006-05-13T12:25:00.000-04:002006-05-13T12:27:22.060-04:00

Ok the stories keep coming. I must shareSo during the same week of the incident in the bathroom I had gone to the gym to get my workout on. I ran for about an hour and was feeling really good about myself. Only problem I was running late for an engagement. I rushed to the locker room to change. I was able to take off all my clothes but as I started to put fresh cloths on I ran into a problem…

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1147537204587515402006-05-13T12:19:00.000-04:002006-05-13T12:25:23.763-04:00

I started looking at the Cryptic Alphabet and I am a little scared. Learning Bulgarian is going to be a fulltime JOB. Literally the letters don’t have any resemblance to our English letters. Take a look at this link http://www.pravapis.org/art_cyrillic_translit.asp. I better start studying now before I get to Bulgaria. Yikes!!! The only problem is that I can’t start studying because I need

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1146793787328043332006-05-04T21:45:00.000-04:002006-05-07T14:35:05.733-04:00

So I was looking for information about Bulgaria and came across this article Written by Elizabeth Miller at the American University in Bulgaria. More thoughts to come on this article later. Happy Reading...Nothing quite satisfies one’s craving for chocolate as the Bulgarian snack, Negarche, whose name is translated into English as “little niggers.” In Bulgarian, the translation means merely “

Neronoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1146590093751662572006-05-02T12:36:00.000-04:002006-05-10T22:27:20.393-04:00

Map of Bulgaria I am an official Peace Corps invitee to Bulgaria! My staging event, which is the place PCV meet in the United States before service, is August 4th in Philadelphia or Washington D.C. We leave the country for Bulgaria August 7th, 2006. Can you believe it… an African American girl in Bulgaria? I am so excited.It’s funny how my life always comes into full circle. My sister went to

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1146280370689047482006-04-28T23:10:00.000-04:002006-04-28T23:12:50.696-04:00

Hello World!!!!I am so excited. My invitation to the Peace Corps is in the Mail!!!! YEAH!!!!! They mailed it out yesterday, so, it should be getting to me sometime next week. In a way this makes me kind of scared. Next week will be my last week at work. I think I will miss it. I didnt expect this to happen. Anyhow, HAPPY FRIDAY!!!!

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1145761708954695892006-04-22T22:42:00.000-04:002006-04-26T12:06:45.503-04:00

I am soo tired! One of the girls I ride the bus with asked me to braid her hair today. I did her hair in micros for about 11 hours! I have been braiding hair a lot lately. Anyhow, I got to this girls house about 9am and left about 8pm. Her two kids and boyfriend were there the entire time. The kids are five and one years old. They were getting on my nerves, but, they were really cute. Problem was

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1145123477179690492006-04-15T13:16:00.000-04:002006-04-15T13:51:17.206-04:00

Hey,I feel like everything in Middletown, Pa is coming to an end. This is both sad and good at the same time. I have about two months left here. As I attempt to finish off school projects, pack, wait for my invitation to the Peace Corps, and deal with my social life, I am starting to feel drained! I love the buzz of being busy but I really just want to relax and do nothing for at least a week. My

Neronoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1143947903687168312006-04-01T21:31:00.000-05:002006-04-01T22:18:35.296-05:00

I have decided to twist my hair. I thought it should take about six hours to do, but no it is taking me about ten! Urggh I cant believe I have been working on my hair this long. I cant stop because that would mean half of my head is done and the other isnt. Anyhow, I am off to Chicago for the summer. I just got a position working for a nonprofit company that caters to international students.

Neronoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1143653395182538412006-03-29T12:29:00.001-05:002006-03-29T12:29:55.186-05:00

Me and Roommate Tam 

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1143652554773156232006-03-29T12:11:00.000-05:002006-03-29T12:15:54.780-05:00

Things are starting to get really crazy in my life. I have so much school work due that is driving me insane. I am literally in the Final FOUR... weeks of school.School will be over in about a month and work is really starting to pile up. I am currently taking three graduate classe, two internship classes, and I am working about 30 hours a week. Between that and handing out with my friends life

Neronoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24753820.post-1143347383344016622006-03-25T23:27:00.000-05:002008-12-11T19:54:48.032-05:00

The title of this Blog has nothing to do with the entry accept that I am listening to a song that is singing those words. Yeah! I finally got my blog up. I was thinking about creating this thing for a while and finally did it today. I am really excited.... More to come late tah.

Neronoreply@blogger.com1