The Beggining

The Beginning

I am truly sorry for my delay in writing to you. A lot of things happened since I last shared any news with you.

For one, I am in Bulgaria, a place full of hospitality and wonder. We arrived on Wednesday, and the 87 of us (new volunteers) were quickly "quarantined" to a remote resort city situated on top of a Balkan Mountain range. Let me tell you now, that tie location is definitely on my list of the top 3 amazing sights I have seen. The air was thin, yet I felt it provided energy I have not felt in years. The trees, and there lots of varieties, grow on top of each other. The view is spectacular; one can see 20 or 30 miles in every direction, including the snowy mountain tops nearby and the towns/villages below. I believe I have seen every shade of green in one view. (Please see pictures below for better understanding of what I mean.)

 

Anyways, though the four day orientation was full of lectures and information, it allowed the 87 of us to bond and make new lasting friendships between one another. It also allowed us to better understand Bulgaria,, its food, and customs. After five days, Peace Corps decided we were ready for the real experience. We were divided into groups of five and six and were given language trainers (to help us learn and integrate into the communities). We then traveled from our quarantine into a city in the northwestern region. There we met for the first time with our host family, and then it began.

My hosts are an elderly couple. The moment I saw my Baba (grandmother) for the first time she hugged me and kissed me. And started speaking in Bulgarian things I have no idea what they mean, though I have a feeling it was the point when I was adopted. Though our communication means are rough, I'm starting to understand them more and more each day. The community, that I live in, has a population of roughly 3,000 people. People live in small houses (kushti). Their back yards are filled with gardens (gradinas) and animals (zhivotni). My garden has the following:

Cherries, Sour Cherries, Apples, Grapes, Onions, Tomatoes, Plums, Cucumbers, (Possibly Olives, Eggplants, Potatoes and Herbs). I am pretty sure I missed a few vegetables and fruits, though by July I'll update the list.

I also have a few farm animals joining me. Besides a cat (kotko) and her two recently born kittens, a dog (kuche) named Jana, a few chickens (pilleh), roosters, and hens (kokoshki), and a horse(kon) occupy the outside back yard.

For those wondering about the living arrangements, I have my own room in the house. It contains a full bed, a dresser, fan, tv, a coffee table, and eight chairs (their use is still not determined). The house has 5 rooms in total. My bedroom, a living room/bedroom where my hosts now live, a kitchen/dining room, sun room, a big corridor, and a storage/refrigerator room. Though the house is small by American standards, it contains modern furniture and electronic equipment (computer and internet connection not included). If you are wondering about the bathroom it is in a concrete shed across from the house. The room has a toilet, a shower head, and a wooden boiler to create hot water. Though many might consider such arrangement rough, having had previous experiences with true outhouses, I really do not mind this inconvenience. As I have mentioned before, I do not have an internet connection so I do not know when I will write again, but stay tune. I also apologize for any spelling and grammar mistakes you are likely to find on this blog.

 

 

Thank You