VT Festival

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 when the Venezuelans danced moving my hips to the sound of the music. When the Americans got up to do their version of Irish dance I did my little two-step with them and sang along. When the Russians came on I actually stood in amazement watching the Bulgarians (both old and young) cheer the Russians on as if it was their country up there dancing. Since they cheered I cheered but it was kind of weird knowing how Russia occupied Bulgaria. History is all a matter of perspective so whatever. My only hope was that I would see an African group do their thing but I missed them again. All week I haven’t seen Africans dance so you know I was disappointed. This time I could see the Africans sitting along the side of the stage but I did not have the nerve to go up to them. I know what it is to be of African descent in Bulgaria so I was pretty sure they had their share of harassment from strangers.

I took a chance though when five or six of the guys walked by me. I smiled into the eyes of one and sweetly asked where he was from. When he said South Africa we both smiled at each other and went our separate ways. I continued to listen to whatever group that was up there dancing thinking about how I really wanted to see the Africans dance. My little friend Tony (the kid whose hair I always braid) tapped me on my shoulder and waved for me to follow him. My thoughts where still on Africa and wanting to talk to the Africans so I simply obeyed without a second thought. He took me up to the stage where the Africans where sitting and asked me to ask them to take a picture with us. Tony can’t speak English very well so I needed to be his voice. I asked the girls and of course they said "yes". Actually they were happy to meet us because Tony and I where the first non-South African blacks that they had met in Bulgaria. I have my hair braided so the girls where really excited about it. They gave me the international “you know you a black girl look” and complimented my hair because I did it all by myself. They also asked me if I felt safe in Bulgaria being a person of African descent. They went on to tell me how people touched them and always wanted to take pictures of them on the streets. They found it just as weird as I did when I go here. Can you imagine coming from a culture where you are the majority and discovering that you are strange or weird to people when everything about you is normal in your society? The girls and I talked for about an hour backstage of the festival about life in South Africa, life in Bulgaria, and life in the United States. They girls kept giving me hugs telling me how happy they were to see me. I felt so happy just to be myself with people like me for an hour. I did not have to explain my hair or my skin color. That was wonderful. Tomorrow I am going to the festival to watch them perform. They made me promise and of course I was happy to have a def time for their performance. Finally I get to see Africans dance! They make me want to visit South Africa.

Pictures will def be coming soon....

Driving of the wonderful land of dark people,

Crystal