Bulgaria's Protests: A World of Confusion and Admiration
March 16, 2013
Soooo there have been some major and minor protests happening in Bulgaria since last month over a variety of issues. To be honest, it is hard to keep track of everything that has happened thus far. It has been pretty intense in certain areas of Bulgaria. For instance, two people set themselves on fire, reminding me of the monk protests during the Vietnam War. Two people were also killed during the protests, but I never discovered what really happened. There are a lot of rumors going around, even now. But, back to the reasons why people are protesting! Here are the main two:
The one I first heard about was over the energy company CEZ, a Czech based corporation, which has raised prices beyond what the average Bulgarian can afford. When I asked what the price hike was, someone just said, “Have you seen your bill? It is unbelievable!” And considering I heat one room and pay 200 leva a month…yes, it is a bit extreme when looking at the standards of Bulgarian paychecks. Keep in mind the average paycheck is between 300-500 leva a month. Indeed, absurd to say the least. The government promised to bring legal charges against the company, but, that hasn't happened yet.
The other part of these protests is with the government itself, mainly about the corruption that is (or is not*) taking place. There is a feeling among the people here that money is being put in the pockets of the politicians instead of the people. The standard of living keeps getting worse while many politicians get paid more. There is also a lot of bad feelings towards politicians because of their links to the mafia. Now, when I saw mafia, I don’t necessarily mean it in a Michael Corleone kind of way. In Bulgaria that term means anyone who has connections. Like I said, it could be like The Godfather, but it is more than that here. Anyways, the protests wanted the current government to resign because of different allegations of corruption. In fact, after a few weeks of protesting the Prime Minster resigned because he said he did not want to lead where police beat civilians…which they did in Sofia. Along with the PM, the leading party all resigned as well, leaving the President to make his own temporary cabinet until elections this spring.
Maybe this is me being a naïve American, but I am just happy that people got involved in the protests at all. I’ve noticed that there is a deep-seeded feeling amongst Bulgarians, especially those that grew up under socialist/communist rule that nothing can be changed in Bulgaria. A few of my students were very skeptical about the protests working, but they were happy that people were sharing their feelings and proving they had a voice. When you look at the protesters, they come from every age. Thousands of people fighting for what they think is right. I am so happy that these people showed they could be civically engaged when the time came. Stagnation only works for so long. Bravo!
Below are some pictures from the protests. The last few are mine while the others are from friends' shared albums. But, all very moving. Go Bulgaria!
P.S. Here are some links to news articles in case you want to know a bit more.
http://www.opendemocracy.net/mariya-ivancheva/bulgarian-winter-of-protests
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/24/us-bulgaria-government-protests-idUSBRE91N06D20130224
The one I first heard about was over the energy company CEZ, a Czech based corporation, which has raised prices beyond what the average Bulgarian can afford. When I asked what the price hike was, someone just said, “Have you seen your bill? It is unbelievable!” And considering I heat one room and pay 200 leva a month…yes, it is a bit extreme when looking at the standards of Bulgarian paychecks. Keep in mind the average paycheck is between 300-500 leva a month. Indeed, absurd to say the least. The government promised to bring legal charges against the company, but, that hasn't happened yet.
The other part of these protests is with the government itself, mainly about the corruption that is (or is not*) taking place. There is a feeling among the people here that money is being put in the pockets of the politicians instead of the people. The standard of living keeps getting worse while many politicians get paid more. There is also a lot of bad feelings towards politicians because of their links to the mafia. Now, when I saw mafia, I don’t necessarily mean it in a Michael Corleone kind of way. In Bulgaria that term means anyone who has connections. Like I said, it could be like The Godfather, but it is more than that here. Anyways, the protests wanted the current government to resign because of different allegations of corruption. In fact, after a few weeks of protesting the Prime Minster resigned because he said he did not want to lead where police beat civilians…which they did in Sofia. Along with the PM, the leading party all resigned as well, leaving the President to make his own temporary cabinet until elections this spring.
Maybe this is me being a naïve American, but I am just happy that people got involved in the protests at all. I’ve noticed that there is a deep-seeded feeling amongst Bulgarians, especially those that grew up under socialist/communist rule that nothing can be changed in Bulgaria. A few of my students were very skeptical about the protests working, but they were happy that people were sharing their feelings and proving they had a voice. When you look at the protesters, they come from every age. Thousands of people fighting for what they think is right. I am so happy that these people showed they could be civically engaged when the time came. Stagnation only works for so long. Bravo!
Below are some pictures from the protests. The last few are mine while the others are from friends' shared albums. But, all very moving. Go Bulgaria!
P.S. Here are some links to news articles in case you want to know a bit more.
http://www.opendemocracy.net/mariya-ivancheva/bulgarian-winter-of-protests
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/24/us-bulgaria-government-protests-idUSBRE91N06D20130224
Happy Valentine's Day and Vineyard Day!
February 15, 2013
Happy Day-After Valentine’s Day! I hope everyone enjoys the massive amounts of chocolate that are 50% off. I, sadly, won’t be able to enjoy it because…Bulgaria does not celebrate Valentine’s Day. Instead, on February 14th, it is a day of celebration for opening the vineyards. This means that Bulgarians get to enjoy a whole holiday celebrating wine. Not too shabby.
I still did a Valentine’s Day celebration with my students, despite the lack of V-Day spirit in Bulgaria. Because I went home for a week in January, I was able to bring back a few different bags of V-Day candy to share with my students. There were Jolly Rancher suckers, small bags of mini M&Ms, and a few Butterfingers and Baby Ruth ultra-fun sized candies (seriously the size of my thumb nail, come on candy industry!). I even baked over 100 chocolate chip cookies for my students. They each had a different Valentine’s Day colour M&M on top.
After handing out the candies and the cookies, I wrote a “Roses are red…” poem on the board. I told my students that I wanted them to come up with their own version of the poem. The one I put on the board said: Roses are red, violets are blue, I’m lucky to be in Lovech, because I love you. Which is true, my students are awesome and I am so happy to see them everyday in class. No one has better students than me, sorry :)
ANYWAYS. I had each students write down their own version. I even let the students look up the funny versions of the poem online to get an idea. One student found one that said: Roses are red, violets are blue, I have short-term memory loss, roses are red. I about died laughing. Another student wrote a poem that said: Roses are red, violets are blue, if I was your vampire, I would kill you. I told her, "Wow! A tad violent, but geez, I can't stop laughing!" There a nice mixture of funny and super sweet poems, I am happy my students took it to heart (so to speak!).
The students also had a chance to make their own Valentine’s Day cards. Man, my students are creative! I can barely cut out a heart! They used different coloured paper, made pop-up cards, cards with layers showing different poems…I mean really, I was put to shame. Thankfully I have no ego when it comes to art, my sister got all those genes haha.
I was so happy I could share a bit of the USA Valentine’s Day with my students. Of course it was not without its embarrassments…such as accidentally spelling of my student’s names wrong on the to/from on the Jolly Rancher suckers (Sorry Mirela!!). But overall, I had a blast and I hope they did too. My students bring me so much joy, I was so happy to bake cookies for them and share a holiday all about love and friendship. I will also put a few pictures of valentines my students made below! Enjoy!
I still did a Valentine’s Day celebration with my students, despite the lack of V-Day spirit in Bulgaria. Because I went home for a week in January, I was able to bring back a few different bags of V-Day candy to share with my students. There were Jolly Rancher suckers, small bags of mini M&Ms, and a few Butterfingers and Baby Ruth ultra-fun sized candies (seriously the size of my thumb nail, come on candy industry!). I even baked over 100 chocolate chip cookies for my students. They each had a different Valentine’s Day colour M&M on top.
After handing out the candies and the cookies, I wrote a “Roses are red…” poem on the board. I told my students that I wanted them to come up with their own version of the poem. The one I put on the board said: Roses are red, violets are blue, I’m lucky to be in Lovech, because I love you. Which is true, my students are awesome and I am so happy to see them everyday in class. No one has better students than me, sorry :)
ANYWAYS. I had each students write down their own version. I even let the students look up the funny versions of the poem online to get an idea. One student found one that said: Roses are red, violets are blue, I have short-term memory loss, roses are red. I about died laughing. Another student wrote a poem that said: Roses are red, violets are blue, if I was your vampire, I would kill you. I told her, "Wow! A tad violent, but geez, I can't stop laughing!" There a nice mixture of funny and super sweet poems, I am happy my students took it to heart (so to speak!).
The students also had a chance to make their own Valentine’s Day cards. Man, my students are creative! I can barely cut out a heart! They used different coloured paper, made pop-up cards, cards with layers showing different poems…I mean really, I was put to shame. Thankfully I have no ego when it comes to art, my sister got all those genes haha.
I was so happy I could share a bit of the USA Valentine’s Day with my students. Of course it was not without its embarrassments…such as accidentally spelling of my student’s names wrong on the to/from on the Jolly Rancher suckers (Sorry Mirela!!). But overall, I had a blast and I hope they did too. My students bring me so much joy, I was so happy to bake cookies for them and share a holiday all about love and friendship. I will also put a few pictures of valentines my students made below! Enjoy!
Christmas, New Years, and Holiday Travels!
January 20, 2013
I had a wonderful holiday in Bulgaria and traveling around Europe! It was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Before I left for my holiday, I had a party with my 3 eighth grade classes. We listened to music, drew holiday cards, and ate a ton of food. I also taught them how to cut out paper snowflakes, which I had to re-learn before I came to class. I am definitely happy I did a few trial runs before trying to make them in front of my students. But, I had such a blast! I even got beautiful gifts from my students including two snow globes, an ornament, and a beautiful rose made with swarovski crystal. Pictures from my parties, below!
The next day I left for my European excursion. My friend and I started off in London where we took a walking tour and saw all the big attractions. It was my third time in London so it was nice just relaxing and not worrying about taking pictures of everything. The best part was going to Hyde Park for their holiday festival. It was huge! Rides, food, beer gardens everywhere, it was definitely a sight to behold. We also went to Stonehenge (not as big as I expected, sadly, but still worth going to) and Bath, where we got to take a tour of the old Roman bathhouse. Bath is such a beautiful city, I really want to go back. After the UK we flew to Bjerkreim, Norway to spend Christmas with my friend on his family’s farm. We played with cows and sheep, plus took a long walk around his property that has such amazing views. I honestly don’t think there is an ugly spot in Norway. Anywhere!
We then flew to Copenhagen and I tried couchsurfing for the first time. Couchsurfing is a website where you find local people with similar interests to yours and stay with them for free. Our host was an elderly teacher from a local high school. He drove us around and showed us all the major sights. It was FREEZING so I struggled a bit, but it was still a lot of fun. We also hopped over to Sweden for an evening after visiting Hamlet’s castle. I love how things are so close you can take a day trip. I love Europe! If I haven’t said that enough times. After Copenhagen, we had a one day layover in Riga. It was awful when we first arrived because it was late, super cold, and the roads and sidewalks were so icy I slipped and fell and really hurt my arm. I think I will go back to Riga in the spring…when there is less ice.
Our next destination was Paris for New Years Eve. Oh my god, Paris is incredible! We took a night tour with our new friend E and he showed us a few big attractions, like Notre Dame and the Museum of Modern Art. Paris is beautiful, especially at night. The next day was New Years Eve. After going to the Louvre (for free with my Bulgarian visa!!) and the Eiffel Tower, we went back to the flat we were staying to get ready to go out. We ate dinner and then sang songs in our friend’s apartment while his roommate played guitar. Magical. Then we hopped on the metro and were running around on the streets at midnight to see the fireworks. We spent the night dancing and having a great time. I had a lot of trouble on the metro because it was so packed with people, but thankfully I made it and fell asleep right away when we got back.
After Paris was our last two stops; Belgium and Italy. We spent two days in Belgium and man, I could live there, too! We stayed with my friend’s friend and her husband, who were awesome hosts! They also have 2 ferrets. It’s official. I want one. Anyways! They took us around Brussels for a day where we saw beautiful views, the justice center, old cathedrals, and famous Belgian statues. Plus, we found a very interesting store that sold pieces of art. I was happy I finally found a gift for my sister. The next day we spent in Ghent, which is also a nice, but smaller, city. We had the best waffles and hot chocolate! I think I would gain about 50 pounds just from the chocolate and waffles. We didn’t realize RyanAir was housed in an airport about an hour away from Ghent. Oops. So, we had to book one night in a hotel, which was easy enough to do. Met a few creepy guys trying to find our hotel, but we made it there safe and sound.
Thankfully we made it to Rome the next day. Our hostel was located right by the train station. Everything was remarkably close! We met a few more Fulbrighters and saw Vatican City one day and then the next day we spent almost all day in the Roman Forum. I also need to go back and spend more time just walking around Rome. It was beautiful. We also saw the Spanish Steps (along with a bunch of One Direction fans following these boys around???) and the Trevi Fountain.
Now that I am back in Bulgaria, rested, and teaching again, I am very happy to see my friends and my students. I had my students write down their New Years Resolutions so they could think about what they really wanted to do this year (whether it was study harder, travel somewhere, or learn something new). My New Years Resolution is to make sure I try new things even if I am afraid of being embarrassed. Since being back I already hiked up a mountain even though I was afraid of being super slow with my asthma. But I made it! It was awesome! I’m happy I did it. Thank you, Bulgaria, for giving me opportunities to discover just what I am made of! Here's to a wonderful new year!
Before I left for my holiday, I had a party with my 3 eighth grade classes. We listened to music, drew holiday cards, and ate a ton of food. I also taught them how to cut out paper snowflakes, which I had to re-learn before I came to class. I am definitely happy I did a few trial runs before trying to make them in front of my students. But, I had such a blast! I even got beautiful gifts from my students including two snow globes, an ornament, and a beautiful rose made with swarovski crystal. Pictures from my parties, below!
The next day I left for my European excursion. My friend and I started off in London where we took a walking tour and saw all the big attractions. It was my third time in London so it was nice just relaxing and not worrying about taking pictures of everything. The best part was going to Hyde Park for their holiday festival. It was huge! Rides, food, beer gardens everywhere, it was definitely a sight to behold. We also went to Stonehenge (not as big as I expected, sadly, but still worth going to) and Bath, where we got to take a tour of the old Roman bathhouse. Bath is such a beautiful city, I really want to go back. After the UK we flew to Bjerkreim, Norway to spend Christmas with my friend on his family’s farm. We played with cows and sheep, plus took a long walk around his property that has such amazing views. I honestly don’t think there is an ugly spot in Norway. Anywhere!
We then flew to Copenhagen and I tried couchsurfing for the first time. Couchsurfing is a website where you find local people with similar interests to yours and stay with them for free. Our host was an elderly teacher from a local high school. He drove us around and showed us all the major sights. It was FREEZING so I struggled a bit, but it was still a lot of fun. We also hopped over to Sweden for an evening after visiting Hamlet’s castle. I love how things are so close you can take a day trip. I love Europe! If I haven’t said that enough times. After Copenhagen, we had a one day layover in Riga. It was awful when we first arrived because it was late, super cold, and the roads and sidewalks were so icy I slipped and fell and really hurt my arm. I think I will go back to Riga in the spring…when there is less ice.
Our next destination was Paris for New Years Eve. Oh my god, Paris is incredible! We took a night tour with our new friend E and he showed us a few big attractions, like Notre Dame and the Museum of Modern Art. Paris is beautiful, especially at night. The next day was New Years Eve. After going to the Louvre (for free with my Bulgarian visa!!) and the Eiffel Tower, we went back to the flat we were staying to get ready to go out. We ate dinner and then sang songs in our friend’s apartment while his roommate played guitar. Magical. Then we hopped on the metro and were running around on the streets at midnight to see the fireworks. We spent the night dancing and having a great time. I had a lot of trouble on the metro because it was so packed with people, but thankfully I made it and fell asleep right away when we got back.
After Paris was our last two stops; Belgium and Italy. We spent two days in Belgium and man, I could live there, too! We stayed with my friend’s friend and her husband, who were awesome hosts! They also have 2 ferrets. It’s official. I want one. Anyways! They took us around Brussels for a day where we saw beautiful views, the justice center, old cathedrals, and famous Belgian statues. Plus, we found a very interesting store that sold pieces of art. I was happy I finally found a gift for my sister. The next day we spent in Ghent, which is also a nice, but smaller, city. We had the best waffles and hot chocolate! I think I would gain about 50 pounds just from the chocolate and waffles. We didn’t realize RyanAir was housed in an airport about an hour away from Ghent. Oops. So, we had to book one night in a hotel, which was easy enough to do. Met a few creepy guys trying to find our hotel, but we made it there safe and sound.
Thankfully we made it to Rome the next day. Our hostel was located right by the train station. Everything was remarkably close! We met a few more Fulbrighters and saw Vatican City one day and then the next day we spent almost all day in the Roman Forum. I also need to go back and spend more time just walking around Rome. It was beautiful. We also saw the Spanish Steps (along with a bunch of One Direction fans following these boys around???) and the Trevi Fountain.
Now that I am back in Bulgaria, rested, and teaching again, I am very happy to see my friends and my students. I had my students write down their New Years Resolutions so they could think about what they really wanted to do this year (whether it was study harder, travel somewhere, or learn something new). My New Years Resolution is to make sure I try new things even if I am afraid of being embarrassed. Since being back I already hiked up a mountain even though I was afraid of being super slow with my asthma. But I made it! It was awesome! I’m happy I did it. Thank you, Bulgaria, for giving me opportunities to discover just what I am made of! Here's to a wonderful new year!
Halloween and Thanksgiving in Bulgaria: Unexpected Twists and Turns
November 26, 2012
Hello! Wow, it has been a while since I wrote last. The first 2 weeks after I wrote, there was nothing exciting and then the two weeks after that I was way too busy to write. Ah, such is life.
Anyways! Halloween was an interesting experience. I say interesting because I was asked to throw a party and had no idea what to do. Okay, to be fair, I had plenty of ideas, but they were described as activities that children would play, not my 8th graders. I mean, I’m 23 and I still love making paper ghosts, bobbing for apples, and doing a fun cake walk. But, as they explained it to me, since my students didn’t grow up with these activities, they would not enjoy them like I would or other kids back in the states. So, I agreed to have a bunch of food and candy for the kids to eat and then have them watch a scary movie.
Here are a few things to keep in mind: There are no bags filled with small candies. That doesn’t exist here. They are all individually wrapped and even lollipops are .85 leva. And getting enough for 90 some students wasn’t gonna happen.
Improvising is a beautiful thing. I had my mom send me a package filled with candy corn and some Halloween candy so I could give them to the students that dressed up in costume as a prize. I also asked my students to bring something to share because I couldn’t bake for that many people either. Not in my small oven. So on the day of the party, we set up a bunch of tables, the kids brought a lot of food and brought punch, as well. We ate, took pictures, and talked for about 45 minutes and then started the movie Frankenstein. This version is closely related to the book, so the students wanted to see it because they have to read this book later for school haha.
Overall the party was a success. I was expecting just my 3 classes and then my friend's class since she helped me bake and technically her class is in the theater at the time of the party haha. In the end? It seemed like 200 students were there! Thankfully, there was a lot of food. In the end, it was a great day filled with my awesome students, some amazing costumes, and a scary movie where even I had to hide my face.
Now, Thanksgiving in Bulgaria! Things you learn…turkeys don’t exist at every grocery store, only at Billa (that I saw). There are also no fresh cranberries or cranberry sauce. I went to three different stores before I even found cranberry juice. My friend had to drive me and even google translated cranberries so we could try and find some. But, at least we found juice.
I went to my friend Eric’s house in Sofia for an authentic meal. We started cooking at 12:30 and were finally finished at 7:00. We learned that it wasn’t hard work to get everything done…it just took forever since we only had one oven, meaning everything had to be done in a certain order. I really feel for my mom right now haha.
But, we had an awesome meal! Turkey, homemade stuffing, corn bread, homemade green bean casserole, homemade broccoli casserole, mashed potatoes, pumpkin soup that Ben brought, and homemade gravy. I also made a homemade cheesecake. Despite it being burned on top because of my oven, it was very good! If I do say so myself :D
In true Thanksgiving spirit, here is what I’m thankful for…
My kind and gracious mentors for helping me adjust so easily
All of my amazing students because I learn from them everyday (and I hope they learn from me!)
My friends here in Lovech that get me out of my apartment and help me travel around Bulgaria
3 grocery stores within walking distance of my apartment
Real bathrooms in my school (not holes in the ground)
Wifi in my apartment (a week with no wifi...not recommended)
Care packages filled with peanut butter and Halloween candy (thanks family!)
Hot water and the brand new heater in my apartment
Skype so I can talk to my family whenever I feel homesick
I truly feel like the luckiest person in the world. I have so much to be thankful for this year.
Now, happy holidays! Christmas is less than a month away!
Anyways! Halloween was an interesting experience. I say interesting because I was asked to throw a party and had no idea what to do. Okay, to be fair, I had plenty of ideas, but they were described as activities that children would play, not my 8th graders. I mean, I’m 23 and I still love making paper ghosts, bobbing for apples, and doing a fun cake walk. But, as they explained it to me, since my students didn’t grow up with these activities, they would not enjoy them like I would or other kids back in the states. So, I agreed to have a bunch of food and candy for the kids to eat and then have them watch a scary movie.
Here are a few things to keep in mind: There are no bags filled with small candies. That doesn’t exist here. They are all individually wrapped and even lollipops are .85 leva. And getting enough for 90 some students wasn’t gonna happen.
Improvising is a beautiful thing. I had my mom send me a package filled with candy corn and some Halloween candy so I could give them to the students that dressed up in costume as a prize. I also asked my students to bring something to share because I couldn’t bake for that many people either. Not in my small oven. So on the day of the party, we set up a bunch of tables, the kids brought a lot of food and brought punch, as well. We ate, took pictures, and talked for about 45 minutes and then started the movie Frankenstein. This version is closely related to the book, so the students wanted to see it because they have to read this book later for school haha.
Overall the party was a success. I was expecting just my 3 classes and then my friend's class since she helped me bake and technically her class is in the theater at the time of the party haha. In the end? It seemed like 200 students were there! Thankfully, there was a lot of food. In the end, it was a great day filled with my awesome students, some amazing costumes, and a scary movie where even I had to hide my face.
Now, Thanksgiving in Bulgaria! Things you learn…turkeys don’t exist at every grocery store, only at Billa (that I saw). There are also no fresh cranberries or cranberry sauce. I went to three different stores before I even found cranberry juice. My friend had to drive me and even google translated cranberries so we could try and find some. But, at least we found juice.
I went to my friend Eric’s house in Sofia for an authentic meal. We started cooking at 12:30 and were finally finished at 7:00. We learned that it wasn’t hard work to get everything done…it just took forever since we only had one oven, meaning everything had to be done in a certain order. I really feel for my mom right now haha.
But, we had an awesome meal! Turkey, homemade stuffing, corn bread, homemade green bean casserole, homemade broccoli casserole, mashed potatoes, pumpkin soup that Ben brought, and homemade gravy. I also made a homemade cheesecake. Despite it being burned on top because of my oven, it was very good! If I do say so myself :D
In true Thanksgiving spirit, here is what I’m thankful for…
My kind and gracious mentors for helping me adjust so easily
All of my amazing students because I learn from them everyday (and I hope they learn from me!)
My friends here in Lovech that get me out of my apartment and help me travel around Bulgaria
3 grocery stores within walking distance of my apartment
Real bathrooms in my school (not holes in the ground)
Wifi in my apartment (a week with no wifi...not recommended)
Care packages filled with peanut butter and Halloween candy (thanks family!)
Hot water and the brand new heater in my apartment
Skype so I can talk to my family whenever I feel homesick
I truly feel like the luckiest person in the world. I have so much to be thankful for this year.
Now, happy holidays! Christmas is less than a month away!
Traveling In A Smaller Town...The More You Know
October 18, 2012
I’ve definitely taken it easy these past few weeks, but that’s because I did a lot of traveling in the beginning of my stay in Bulgaria. For instance, one weekend I travelled to Sofia, the next weekend I travelled to Veliko Tarnovo (so beautiful, everyone must go!), then the weekend after that I went to Sofia and Plovdiv for orientation. Uffda, as we Minnesotans say. Of course, trying to grab a bus in a small town has its interesting points…
For example, when trying to get a ticket here in Lovech, you have to choose the right time to buy it. I had a mini-rant about this on my Facebook. I normally have to go multiple times to the ticket kiosk for my ticket to Sofia because the person who runs it is never there during the full working hours. In two separate occasions, I had to go 3 different times (or more) during the day because the woman wasn’t there. To be clear, the working hours are supposed to be 9-5. I went at 9:30, 10:30, and finally at 2:00 she was there. Then the second time trying to get my ticket I went at 2:00 again. Nope, not there. Then I went the next day at 9:30, 10:30 and ran there after school and got there at 4:50. Nope. I finally saw her the next day at 11:00. I mean, thankfully it’s only a 10 minute walk to get there, but that’s 20 minutes each time.
Another fun fact is about getting a bus in Lovech to Veliko Tarnovo. I didn’t know this, but apparently the bus from Pleven just kinda swings on through to get people and then leaves. Sounds fine. But…the time it says on your ticket is not necessarily the time the bus will arrive. And no. The bus will not wait for you. My bus came and left about 10 minutes early. Thankfully 10 minutes isn’t a large chunk of time, but I feel bad for anyone that got there after we left…which I’ve seen happen before.
One last thing to be prepared for…because Lovech is a small town from central Bulgaria, you wont necessarily get dropped off at the major bus station. Thankfully every time I go to Sofia I get to the major station…but that was not the case for Veliko Tarnovo. My friends came from Sofia and Blagoevgrad, while I of course came to Lovech. I texted my friends when I got there and they said to walk down the street to the Tourist Information Office. Ok. I was in the boonies! What do you MEAN walk down the street!? Both ways look super industrial! After figuring out I was a taxi ride away from everyone, I was a little pissed. It was cold, rainy, and I had to pay for a taxi to get me to the right place with EVERYONE ELSE.
So, dear travellers, keep these things in mind…
1) In a small town, give yourself a few days to try and snag a ticket, just in case. If you feel comfortable, get it on the bus, but I like knowing where my assigned seat is for that ride. And knowing I have a seat at all.
2) Always be early to your bus. You never know how long the bus will stay there and wait for passengers. I’ve had buses come an hour early and wait, I’ve had buses come early and leave passengers behind, and I’ve had buses run late and hurry people onto the bus and leave immediately. You never know!
3) Be informed as to how many bus stations are in the town you’re visiting. See if you can find where your city will be dropped off. Sometimes they all go to one, like Sofia, sometimes they are split by region, like VT. Do your homework so you aren’t stuck in the rain trying to find people. Thankfully my friend from Sofia managed to talk to someone at the station from my phone to figure out where I was, but if I had no phone and couldn’t speak the language, I would probably still be there haha.
Here are a few pictures from my weekend travels!
For example, when trying to get a ticket here in Lovech, you have to choose the right time to buy it. I had a mini-rant about this on my Facebook. I normally have to go multiple times to the ticket kiosk for my ticket to Sofia because the person who runs it is never there during the full working hours. In two separate occasions, I had to go 3 different times (or more) during the day because the woman wasn’t there. To be clear, the working hours are supposed to be 9-5. I went at 9:30, 10:30, and finally at 2:00 she was there. Then the second time trying to get my ticket I went at 2:00 again. Nope, not there. Then I went the next day at 9:30, 10:30 and ran there after school and got there at 4:50. Nope. I finally saw her the next day at 11:00. I mean, thankfully it’s only a 10 minute walk to get there, but that’s 20 minutes each time.
Another fun fact is about getting a bus in Lovech to Veliko Tarnovo. I didn’t know this, but apparently the bus from Pleven just kinda swings on through to get people and then leaves. Sounds fine. But…the time it says on your ticket is not necessarily the time the bus will arrive. And no. The bus will not wait for you. My bus came and left about 10 minutes early. Thankfully 10 minutes isn’t a large chunk of time, but I feel bad for anyone that got there after we left…which I’ve seen happen before.
One last thing to be prepared for…because Lovech is a small town from central Bulgaria, you wont necessarily get dropped off at the major bus station. Thankfully every time I go to Sofia I get to the major station…but that was not the case for Veliko Tarnovo. My friends came from Sofia and Blagoevgrad, while I of course came to Lovech. I texted my friends when I got there and they said to walk down the street to the Tourist Information Office. Ok. I was in the boonies! What do you MEAN walk down the street!? Both ways look super industrial! After figuring out I was a taxi ride away from everyone, I was a little pissed. It was cold, rainy, and I had to pay for a taxi to get me to the right place with EVERYONE ELSE.
So, dear travellers, keep these things in mind…
1) In a small town, give yourself a few days to try and snag a ticket, just in case. If you feel comfortable, get it on the bus, but I like knowing where my assigned seat is for that ride. And knowing I have a seat at all.
2) Always be early to your bus. You never know how long the bus will stay there and wait for passengers. I’ve had buses come an hour early and wait, I’ve had buses come early and leave passengers behind, and I’ve had buses run late and hurry people onto the bus and leave immediately. You never know!
3) Be informed as to how many bus stations are in the town you’re visiting. See if you can find where your city will be dropped off. Sometimes they all go to one, like Sofia, sometimes they are split by region, like VT. Do your homework so you aren’t stuck in the rain trying to find people. Thankfully my friend from Sofia managed to talk to someone at the station from my phone to figure out where I was, but if I had no phone and couldn’t speak the language, I would probably still be there haha.
Here are a few pictures from my weekend travels!
My Bulgarian Apartment
October 7, 2012
I should probably tell you a bit about my apartment, since, you know, that’s where I mainly live my life (except weekends, I seem to be gone a lot on weekends haha). Anyways, I knew a bit about my apartment before coming here since the ETA before me posted a few pictures on her blog. I was so excited to finally have my own apartment, I really didn’t care what it looked like.
To start off, it is rather large for one person. All together, there are 6 different rooms here. I have a kitchen, a dining room, my bedroom, a living room with 2 fold out couches for guests, a bathroom, and then my shower room (this only has a sink and a shower, but it’s very large). It’s exactly what I expected and it’s filled with Bulgarian charm.
A little background about my apartment: I am the third Fulbrighter to live here, but this apartment has been used by Peace Corps volunteers for over a decade. With this in mind, I have inherited a lot of interesting items…
A small ceramic ship captain
4 different tea cup sets
A mask that is meant to scare away demons (but more so scares me)
3 different guides to learning Bulgarian
2 scotch drinking glasses
An old printer that cant connect to my laptop
Numerous grammar books
Travel guide to Greece (I mean, why not?)
A small oven with two burners on top
More spiders than I care to count
I’ve gotten rid of most of the spiders, now I just have mosquitos and fleas to worry about since my friend who stayed with me a few weeks ago decided to pet the strays of Lovech. Ugh. Oh well, I will purchase more raid and try to find some flea bombs. Not the end of the world.
What is new to my apartment is a new washing machine (in English!), a new microwave, and new insolation and pipes in my bathroom after the pipes burst last winter. Because of the pipes bursting I’m required to keep the heat on low at all times. As a side note: because of the pipes bursting and the inches of ice on the floor, the doors are a little…dented. Meaning, they don’t close all the way haha. Again, could be worse. I’m just happy my clothes wont turn a copper color in the washing machine like they did for the last few Fulbrighters since that machine was from the 70s.
Outside of my apartment I have a view of the covered bridge that Lovech is known for, the large statue of Vasil Levski, and the fortress. It’s quite beautiful at night. It’s very peaceful being in a small town. Yes, there is a disco down the street from me, but after living around the corner from two bars in Edinburgh, it isn’t even an issue.
I just love living by myself. It’s a new type of freedom that I haven’t experienced yet. I had my own room last year, but there were 11 other girls on my floor. I love my apartment. I love the furniture, the colors in the dining room, the vast amount of space…I couldn’t ask for more. Pictures below!
To start off, it is rather large for one person. All together, there are 6 different rooms here. I have a kitchen, a dining room, my bedroom, a living room with 2 fold out couches for guests, a bathroom, and then my shower room (this only has a sink and a shower, but it’s very large). It’s exactly what I expected and it’s filled with Bulgarian charm.
A little background about my apartment: I am the third Fulbrighter to live here, but this apartment has been used by Peace Corps volunteers for over a decade. With this in mind, I have inherited a lot of interesting items…
A small ceramic ship captain
4 different tea cup sets
A mask that is meant to scare away demons (but more so scares me)
3 different guides to learning Bulgarian
2 scotch drinking glasses
An old printer that cant connect to my laptop
Numerous grammar books
Travel guide to Greece (I mean, why not?)
A small oven with two burners on top
More spiders than I care to count
I’ve gotten rid of most of the spiders, now I just have mosquitos and fleas to worry about since my friend who stayed with me a few weeks ago decided to pet the strays of Lovech. Ugh. Oh well, I will purchase more raid and try to find some flea bombs. Not the end of the world.
What is new to my apartment is a new washing machine (in English!), a new microwave, and new insolation and pipes in my bathroom after the pipes burst last winter. Because of the pipes bursting I’m required to keep the heat on low at all times. As a side note: because of the pipes bursting and the inches of ice on the floor, the doors are a little…dented. Meaning, they don’t close all the way haha. Again, could be worse. I’m just happy my clothes wont turn a copper color in the washing machine like they did for the last few Fulbrighters since that machine was from the 70s.
Outside of my apartment I have a view of the covered bridge that Lovech is known for, the large statue of Vasil Levski, and the fortress. It’s quite beautiful at night. It’s very peaceful being in a small town. Yes, there is a disco down the street from me, but after living around the corner from two bars in Edinburgh, it isn’t even an issue.
I just love living by myself. It’s a new type of freedom that I haven’t experienced yet. I had my own room last year, but there were 11 other girls on my floor. I love my apartment. I love the furniture, the colors in the dining room, the vast amount of space…I couldn’t ask for more. Pictures below!
The First Week of Classes is Over! And I Survived!
September 24, 2012
I can’t believe that I finished my first week of teaching! I’m actually surprised at how well it went. I teach three classes of 8th graders a day, four days a week. So, overall, I teach 12 hours a week. Before school started, the teachers told me that my school is kind of an…oasis, when it comes to discipline. Our students need to take exams to be accepted in the first place and the school I work for in Lovech is in the top 10 overall for high schools in Bulgaria. I feel honoured to be placed here in general.
On the first day, I was mildly petrified. I have NEVER taught a classroom full of students, I’ve only tutored one-on-one. The first class was so nice! They were quiet, well behaved, and actually wanted to participate in my “Get to know your teacher” activity (really, I just wanted to see how much English they knew, how well they could speak, etc.). They came up with questions like, “Do you like Bulgaria,” “Where are you from in America,” and “How old are you?” I asked them how old they thought I was. They said 18 haha. At least I age well!
The second class…god help me. These students know very little English. I got through the first activity, which was them introducing themselves. After that, I wanted each student to write two questions and ask them to the person they were sitting next to. Well, they couldn’t understand me. So I did my best to demonstrate and then finally one of the students who spoke better English told them the directions in Bulgarian. I’m okay with that, whatever gets the ball rolling! But, then no one was cooperating. Well, very few people were cooperating. You know how there is that one boy in every class that doesn’t want to be quiet and wants to make you look stupid by mocking your activity? Yeah. I had that. Thankfully, I’m used to kids like this from my past jobs. So, I started with him for the activity. “You want to laugh the whole time, fine, I will start with you!” was my mentality. I told him to tell the class what questions he asked his seating partner.
Me: So, what questions did you ask him?
Boy: I didn’t ask a question.
Me: Why not?
Boy: Because I didn’t want to.
Me: Okay, then I will ask him a question and you have to repeat it. Okay?
Boy: Fine. Whatever.
Me: Do you have a brother or sister?
Boy: *few second pause* Fine. Do you have a brother or sister?
Me: Good job. (Clearly not the worst discipline problem ever, when you think about it)
I’ve learned if they don’t want to participate, it’s usually because they don’t have enough knowledge to be confident, so it’s easier to mock the activity (in their native tongue) rather than participate. Also, by putting him on the spot and making him speak to me directly, it forced him to stop mocking the activity since I made him participate. A few others didn’t want to participate either, but I helped them come up with simple questions and it was fine. I was just happy that class was over.
The third class was a mix between the two previous classes. It started out fine, but when they felt like they couldn’t understand me, they just kept talking and laughing instead. We got through the introduction activity, and then they asked questions to each other. But of course when someone was presenting, all the other students were talking, so it was very hard to hear. I had to shush them quite a bit, but, they’re 8th graders and it was the first day of school, whatcha gonna do?
Side note: Because these students are just starting to really speak English, every one of them talks very quietly. I basically need complete silence to hear them.
As the week went on, everything was pretty much perfect. I love all of my classes and they are all very different from one another. They keep me on my toes and I get to try my best to keep them interested. But, I love going to school everyday. After I found the workbook that the students use everyday, it made planning my lessons SO much easier since I just worked from the material in there. For all you ETAs out there, GET THE TEXTBOOK OR WORKBOOK IT WILL MAKE EVERYTHING SO MUCH EASIER! Apparently the ETA last year didn’t get this until February or something? I would be so clueless without this right now. So, bless you workbook. Bless you!!
On the first day, I was mildly petrified. I have NEVER taught a classroom full of students, I’ve only tutored one-on-one. The first class was so nice! They were quiet, well behaved, and actually wanted to participate in my “Get to know your teacher” activity (really, I just wanted to see how much English they knew, how well they could speak, etc.). They came up with questions like, “Do you like Bulgaria,” “Where are you from in America,” and “How old are you?” I asked them how old they thought I was. They said 18 haha. At least I age well!
The second class…god help me. These students know very little English. I got through the first activity, which was them introducing themselves. After that, I wanted each student to write two questions and ask them to the person they were sitting next to. Well, they couldn’t understand me. So I did my best to demonstrate and then finally one of the students who spoke better English told them the directions in Bulgarian. I’m okay with that, whatever gets the ball rolling! But, then no one was cooperating. Well, very few people were cooperating. You know how there is that one boy in every class that doesn’t want to be quiet and wants to make you look stupid by mocking your activity? Yeah. I had that. Thankfully, I’m used to kids like this from my past jobs. So, I started with him for the activity. “You want to laugh the whole time, fine, I will start with you!” was my mentality. I told him to tell the class what questions he asked his seating partner.
Me: So, what questions did you ask him?
Boy: I didn’t ask a question.
Me: Why not?
Boy: Because I didn’t want to.
Me: Okay, then I will ask him a question and you have to repeat it. Okay?
Boy: Fine. Whatever.
Me: Do you have a brother or sister?
Boy: *few second pause* Fine. Do you have a brother or sister?
Me: Good job. (Clearly not the worst discipline problem ever, when you think about it)
I’ve learned if they don’t want to participate, it’s usually because they don’t have enough knowledge to be confident, so it’s easier to mock the activity (in their native tongue) rather than participate. Also, by putting him on the spot and making him speak to me directly, it forced him to stop mocking the activity since I made him participate. A few others didn’t want to participate either, but I helped them come up with simple questions and it was fine. I was just happy that class was over.
The third class was a mix between the two previous classes. It started out fine, but when they felt like they couldn’t understand me, they just kept talking and laughing instead. We got through the introduction activity, and then they asked questions to each other. But of course when someone was presenting, all the other students were talking, so it was very hard to hear. I had to shush them quite a bit, but, they’re 8th graders and it was the first day of school, whatcha gonna do?
Side note: Because these students are just starting to really speak English, every one of them talks very quietly. I basically need complete silence to hear them.
As the week went on, everything was pretty much perfect. I love all of my classes and they are all very different from one another. They keep me on my toes and I get to try my best to keep them interested. But, I love going to school everyday. After I found the workbook that the students use everyday, it made planning my lessons SO much easier since I just worked from the material in there. For all you ETAs out there, GET THE TEXTBOOK OR WORKBOOK IT WILL MAKE EVERYTHING SO MUCH EASIER! Apparently the ETA last year didn’t get this until February or something? I would be so clueless without this right now. So, bless you workbook. Bless you!!
My First Bulgarian Holiday: The First Day of School
September 18, 2012
I basically love everything about Lovech. I have wonderful mentors, the school has actual bathrooms and not holes in the ground, and there are a lot of great places to eat at any price. I really like my school. I met a few teachers before the first day of school, so it was fun to see them all dressed up at the opening ceremony today. A true Bulgarian tradition!
When I arrived at my school, there were TONS of people outside (students, parents, community members, etc.). Most of the students dressed up for the occasion, but of course, some did not haha. One issue is that it was raining so everyone had umbrellas. Things I discovered…I’m the perfect height to get hit in the face with an umbrella if I’m not paying attention since some of the students are shorter than me (Yes! It CAN happen!). A few close calls, but nothing major. Hooray for not making a spectacle of myself on day one! Anyways, it’s a tradition for the students to give flowers to their main teacher at/after the ceremony. It was so cute! I love flowers, so that just made me happy in general.
The ceremony itself was a pretty big deal. There were 3 students carrying what I presume to be the school’s flag, the Bulgarian flag being raised triumphantly during the national anthem, students dressed in traditional folk dancing costumes, and making home made bread. Yes. Part of the ceremony is two teachers making bread from scratch on special tables. The dough is then blessed by the local Orthodox priest and baked. Along with the mayor and a few other guests that I didn't know, the Vice President of the Ministry was the special guest for this year. She gave a speech, which I sadly couldn’t understand, but everyone clapped, so, yay?!?
After the ceremony, we went to the back of the school to have a quick….christening…I suppose…of the ground that will be used to put the new gymnasium for next year that the government is sponsoring. They dug up some of the ground and gave a bottle of wine to the guy operating the machine (I’d take that job!). Then we all shuffled inside and the students went to their homerooms. They aren’t called homerooms exactly, but for those of you in the states, that’s what they are.
It was so nice being around my fellow teachers. A lot of them were shaking my hand and wishing me a wonderful year and I got a lot of chocolate haha. I also got flowers (huge smile!!) from a few teachers. I already feel very at home in my school. The support I’m receiving is more than I could have asked for. I can’t wait to finally meet my students tomorrow! Let the fun begin! Oh, yeah, and some work thrown in there too…
When I arrived at my school, there were TONS of people outside (students, parents, community members, etc.). Most of the students dressed up for the occasion, but of course, some did not haha. One issue is that it was raining so everyone had umbrellas. Things I discovered…I’m the perfect height to get hit in the face with an umbrella if I’m not paying attention since some of the students are shorter than me (Yes! It CAN happen!). A few close calls, but nothing major. Hooray for not making a spectacle of myself on day one! Anyways, it’s a tradition for the students to give flowers to their main teacher at/after the ceremony. It was so cute! I love flowers, so that just made me happy in general.
The ceremony itself was a pretty big deal. There were 3 students carrying what I presume to be the school’s flag, the Bulgarian flag being raised triumphantly during the national anthem, students dressed in traditional folk dancing costumes, and making home made bread. Yes. Part of the ceremony is two teachers making bread from scratch on special tables. The dough is then blessed by the local Orthodox priest and baked. Along with the mayor and a few other guests that I didn't know, the Vice President of the Ministry was the special guest for this year. She gave a speech, which I sadly couldn’t understand, but everyone clapped, so, yay?!?
After the ceremony, we went to the back of the school to have a quick….christening…I suppose…of the ground that will be used to put the new gymnasium for next year that the government is sponsoring. They dug up some of the ground and gave a bottle of wine to the guy operating the machine (I’d take that job!). Then we all shuffled inside and the students went to their homerooms. They aren’t called homerooms exactly, but for those of you in the states, that’s what they are.
It was so nice being around my fellow teachers. A lot of them were shaking my hand and wishing me a wonderful year and I got a lot of chocolate haha. I also got flowers (huge smile!!) from a few teachers. I already feel very at home in my school. The support I’m receiving is more than I could have asked for. I can’t wait to finally meet my students tomorrow! Let the fun begin! Oh, yeah, and some work thrown in there too…
The Weight of Cultural Differences
September 15, 2012
I just spent the last 4 days in Sofia and loved every second of it! Of course, I am not without my stories! Here is a cultural story for you...
I was at a pub last night with K (my friend from Sofia) and a few of his friends. One of his friends I already met last year in Poland, his name is A. Anyways, we went to this amazing club called Rock It, where they play rock music all night (yes, there is a video of me attempting some head banging, but no I am not sharing it, mostly because I don't want to see it haha). When we got to the bar, they asked for our IDs to get in. I take out my passport, which has my photo that was taken last year. A sees the photo and goes, "well, you lost weight, didn't you?" I was mildly offended by the comment because in America, when a comment is made like that, it's an insinuation that I was fat before, or something along those lines. I talked to K about it and he told me that in Bulgaria, if someone says mentions you lost weight, it's a compliment. Well then, thank you?? I probably won't take that cultural paradigm back with me, but for now I will take the compliment.
Actually, then K added, "You Americans and your obesity complex. Stop worrying so much!"
Ah the beauty of cultural differences...
Stories from my Balkan travels will commence later. Maybe. If I feel like it.
I was at a pub last night with K (my friend from Sofia) and a few of his friends. One of his friends I already met last year in Poland, his name is A. Anyways, we went to this amazing club called Rock It, where they play rock music all night (yes, there is a video of me attempting some head banging, but no I am not sharing it, mostly because I don't want to see it haha). When we got to the bar, they asked for our IDs to get in. I take out my passport, which has my photo that was taken last year. A sees the photo and goes, "well, you lost weight, didn't you?" I was mildly offended by the comment because in America, when a comment is made like that, it's an insinuation that I was fat before, or something along those lines. I talked to K about it and he told me that in Bulgaria, if someone says mentions you lost weight, it's a compliment. Well then, thank you?? I probably won't take that cultural paradigm back with me, but for now I will take the compliment.
Actually, then K added, "You Americans and your obesity complex. Stop worrying so much!"
Ah the beauty of cultural differences...
Stories from my Balkan travels will commence later. Maybe. If I feel like it.
Belgrade, Serbia
September 10, 2012
Wow, it has been a LONG time since I’ve had sufficient internet. I started traveling on the 25th of August, made it to my Fulbright town on the 5th, travelled with my mentor and her family for two days to Rila National Park, and I didn’t get wifi in my apartment until today. As we say in Minnesota…uffda! But, these past few weeks have been wonderful. I made it to five different countries, saw a lot of the Balkans, bonded with other Fulbrighters, and didn’t have to eat at a buffet haha. I’m going to do a different post for each city, just so I’m not sitting here for the next two hours trying to remember everything. So…here are just a few thoughts on the first city we visited, Belgrade.
Let me just say right up front, this is one of my favorite cities. The people were so friendly (we stayed at Hostel Jasmine and the woman who runs it was so wonderful), the food was excellent, and there was so much to see. The first day we were there, we found a huge park with amazing views and an awesome fortress. We wanted to walk around after spending the night on the night train haha. Two other Fulbrighters and I even danced with a few locals as they tried to teach us a few different steps. I have a friend (I’ll call him K) that lives in Belgrade and he was kind enough to take us all around…not an easy task with eight people. He gave us a mini city tour of Belgrade and brought us to a restaurant that made authentic Serbian food (a lot of meat basically and a ton of vegetables). K started his new job the next day so we tried to visit as much as we could on our own. We visited the Ethnographic Museum, saw the parliament building and city hall, Tito’s grave, and the shopping district. A note about the Ethnographic Museum…there are 2 in Belgrade. The large building in the center is the real one and the other is a small, white house. You’d be correct that we went to the small white house first before realizing this. Oops. The next day, K brought us to Zemun, just a short bus ride away. His friend who is from there showed us around…this place is beautiful! I made a comparison when I got here. Belgrade reminds me of Vienna and Zemun reminds me of Salzburg (The Austrians used to control this region, hence the comparison). It’s smaller and the buildings are very colorful, very similar to what I saw in Austria. There was an old church that was built by the Austrians (hence the city resemblance, I’m sure) before they had to leave Serbia, which was very fun to see, and there were awesome views of the city behind it. After, we walked to this pancake (palachinka in Serbian) shop. Actually, they are more like crepes to the American folk. OH MY GOD THEY WERE AMAZING. Of course I had nutella and banana. Let me just say, thank goodness I don’t live there, otherwise I would gain a million pounds. Anyways, we ate palachinkas and then walked to the beach. Ahhhh relaxation. It was nice to just sit and watch the waves after a long day of walking, or a long week of walking, really. The next day, we checked out, walked around a bit more, saw the largest Orthodox Church in the Balkans, then hopped on the night train to Montenegro.
Interesting thing to note about Belgrade: When we asked the woman at our hostel where was a good place to go for food, she replied, “Everything is good here.” We tried to specify that we wanted somewhere inexpensive. She again replied, “Everything is inexpensive.” Another similar instance happened at the fortress when asking a woman about Serbian culture. “Everyone is friendly.” There you have it. In Belgrade, everything is good, everything is inexpensive, and everyone is friendly. After my time there, I must agree.
Let me just say right up front, this is one of my favorite cities. The people were so friendly (we stayed at Hostel Jasmine and the woman who runs it was so wonderful), the food was excellent, and there was so much to see. The first day we were there, we found a huge park with amazing views and an awesome fortress. We wanted to walk around after spending the night on the night train haha. Two other Fulbrighters and I even danced with a few locals as they tried to teach us a few different steps. I have a friend (I’ll call him K) that lives in Belgrade and he was kind enough to take us all around…not an easy task with eight people. He gave us a mini city tour of Belgrade and brought us to a restaurant that made authentic Serbian food (a lot of meat basically and a ton of vegetables). K started his new job the next day so we tried to visit as much as we could on our own. We visited the Ethnographic Museum, saw the parliament building and city hall, Tito’s grave, and the shopping district. A note about the Ethnographic Museum…there are 2 in Belgrade. The large building in the center is the real one and the other is a small, white house. You’d be correct that we went to the small white house first before realizing this. Oops. The next day, K brought us to Zemun, just a short bus ride away. His friend who is from there showed us around…this place is beautiful! I made a comparison when I got here. Belgrade reminds me of Vienna and Zemun reminds me of Salzburg (The Austrians used to control this region, hence the comparison). It’s smaller and the buildings are very colorful, very similar to what I saw in Austria. There was an old church that was built by the Austrians (hence the city resemblance, I’m sure) before they had to leave Serbia, which was very fun to see, and there were awesome views of the city behind it. After, we walked to this pancake (palachinka in Serbian) shop. Actually, they are more like crepes to the American folk. OH MY GOD THEY WERE AMAZING. Of course I had nutella and banana. Let me just say, thank goodness I don’t live there, otherwise I would gain a million pounds. Anyways, we ate palachinkas and then walked to the beach. Ahhhh relaxation. It was nice to just sit and watch the waves after a long day of walking, or a long week of walking, really. The next day, we checked out, walked around a bit more, saw the largest Orthodox Church in the Balkans, then hopped on the night train to Montenegro.
Interesting thing to note about Belgrade: When we asked the woman at our hostel where was a good place to go for food, she replied, “Everything is good here.” We tried to specify that we wanted somewhere inexpensive. She again replied, “Everything is inexpensive.” Another similar instance happened at the fortress when asking a woman about Serbian culture. “Everyone is friendly.” There you have it. In Belgrade, everything is good, everything is inexpensive, and everyone is friendly. After my time there, I must agree.
A Funny Story...
August 22, 2012
So, I don't think I will blog more than 2 times a week, but, I'm making an exception right now because this story is too cute to not write about.
Each night at dinner there are numerous options for dessert. There's ice cream, cream puffs, a weird (but delicious) biscuit cake, then fruit stuff that I don't touch because I'm a chocolate girl. Anyways, I went to go get ice cream and a girl (about 6 I think) was in front of me trying to scoop some into her bowl. She was on her tip-toes and could barely reach. I asked her if she wanted help, she said "No!" Then she gave up, handed me the scooper and watched me get ice cream. She then replied, "Yes, I would like more ice cream. More chocolate." I gave her a big scoop of chocolate and asked her if she wanted any more. She pointed to the strawberry and said, "I love ice cream! I want two big scoops!" I gave her two scoops, and with a huge smile on her face she exclaimed, "Thank you so much! Have a good evening!" It was very sweet.
Note to self: Ice cream is a great...ice breaker.
So, I don't think I will blog more than 2 times a week, but, I'm making an exception right now because this story is too cute to not write about.
Each night at dinner there are numerous options for dessert. There's ice cream, cream puffs, a weird (but delicious) biscuit cake, then fruit stuff that I don't touch because I'm a chocolate girl. Anyways, I went to go get ice cream and a girl (about 6 I think) was in front of me trying to scoop some into her bowl. She was on her tip-toes and could barely reach. I asked her if she wanted help, she said "No!" Then she gave up, handed me the scooper and watched me get ice cream. She then replied, "Yes, I would like more ice cream. More chocolate." I gave her a big scoop of chocolate and asked her if she wanted any more. She pointed to the strawberry and said, "I love ice cream! I want two big scoops!" I gave her two scoops, and with a huge smile on her face she exclaimed, "Thank you so much! Have a good evening!" It was very sweet.
Note to self: Ice cream is a great...ice breaker.
From Edinburgh to Bulgaria, Fulbright Orientation
August 21, 2012
Ok, I'm still trying to figure out who I'm writing these posts for. Well, I mean besides my parents. My intention is to talk about surprising things during my time in Bulgaria, and add other fun things as I go along. For now, I'm probably going to focus on surprising cultural differences and my 8th grade classes, since these are the more interesting aspects of my time here. Really, I'm excited to see how my lessons work out with my 8th graders (since I have no formal training as a teacher) and see how my small town of Lovech (about 40,000-50,000 people) compares to my last city, Edinburgh.
The first week of orientation at FISI (Fulbright International Summer Institute) is finally finished! It was a great week, with interesting courses (Bulgarian Language and then a Bulgarian Culture course), meeting the other ETAs, and getting to meet my headmaster and my mentor from my school in Lovech. They surprised me by saying they are going to buy a new washing machine for my apartment and letting me pick out new appliances! I feel extremely spoiled, to say the least. It's very different this year at FISI compared to last year (yes, this is my second time at FISI, I had to come back!). I am not interacting as much with other students outside of my fellow Fulbrighters, which is too bad because I met so many amazing people last year. It's all about the adjustments.
One thing I'm not getting used to is the sketchy internet at this hotel. Everything is so beautiful here; the food is excellent, the staff is great, but the internet is horrible! There are random power outages throughout the day as well. Again...adjustments.
I'm going to try and keep exploring Pravets if I can, but lets be honest, with the amount of saunas at this hotel, it's going to be hard. It will be hard to go from this hotel (you can see my view from my room in my photo) to my apartment in Lovech, but I will force myself out of my comfort zone and even use my Bulgarian language skills that I have been working so hard on this past week. Either that or there will be plenty of "Claire Sagstuen Looking At Things" to come over the next year. Lets just be clear...that will NOT be as exciting as "Kim Jong Il Looking At Things." Sadly.
During this next week my goals are as follows: meet more people outside my program, figure out student loan deferment (effffff), go to the spa at least 2 more times, and work on my Bulgarian dialogues from class 5 times each day.
Ready. Set. Go!
P.S. I'm putting some pictures below of my hotel and the city of Pravets so you can see for yourself!
The first week of orientation at FISI (Fulbright International Summer Institute) is finally finished! It was a great week, with interesting courses (Bulgarian Language and then a Bulgarian Culture course), meeting the other ETAs, and getting to meet my headmaster and my mentor from my school in Lovech. They surprised me by saying they are going to buy a new washing machine for my apartment and letting me pick out new appliances! I feel extremely spoiled, to say the least. It's very different this year at FISI compared to last year (yes, this is my second time at FISI, I had to come back!). I am not interacting as much with other students outside of my fellow Fulbrighters, which is too bad because I met so many amazing people last year. It's all about the adjustments.
One thing I'm not getting used to is the sketchy internet at this hotel. Everything is so beautiful here; the food is excellent, the staff is great, but the internet is horrible! There are random power outages throughout the day as well. Again...adjustments.
I'm going to try and keep exploring Pravets if I can, but lets be honest, with the amount of saunas at this hotel, it's going to be hard. It will be hard to go from this hotel (you can see my view from my room in my photo) to my apartment in Lovech, but I will force myself out of my comfort zone and even use my Bulgarian language skills that I have been working so hard on this past week. Either that or there will be plenty of "Claire Sagstuen Looking At Things" to come over the next year. Lets just be clear...that will NOT be as exciting as "Kim Jong Il Looking At Things." Sadly.
During this next week my goals are as follows: meet more people outside my program, figure out student loan deferment (effffff), go to the spa at least 2 more times, and work on my Bulgarian dialogues from class 5 times each day.
Ready. Set. Go!
P.S. I'm putting some pictures below of my hotel and the city of Pravets so you can see for yourself!