Wild Dogs, 'Fanta' and More
Hello all. I am here in Borovets, Bulgaria!! I am currently in the first week of my Peace Corps training. We are at hotel 'Zodiac' till we move in with our families on Friday (eeek)!!! Thus far my time in the Peace Corps has been quite eventful. We had a very long plane ride which stopped in Frankfurt on the way. They collected some of our carry-on bags there but when we arrived in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, much to my dismay, our checked luggage was missing. I had grabbed my passport out of the bag they lost before I checked it but my money, credit card, and digital camera were all still in it - needless to say that made for a bumpy start. Luckily the bags appeared yesterday and there was nothing missing from mine. However, one girl was missing the digital camera in hers. Other than the mishap with the airport everything has been GREAT.
They have been keeping us very busy with language classes, technical classes, and shots :( The mountains are beautiful here. We are located in the Rila Mountains which are host to many skiers in the winter time. Our hotel was much nicer than expected but I do have one of those showers where it is just a drain in the middle of the bathroom floor and a nozzle on the wall. So basically after my roommate or I shower the bathroom is out of commission because everything gets soaked - the toilet and all. I did find that there are a number of wild dogs in Bulgaria. I was serenaded by their barking when I went to sleep last night. Despite being on the skinny and mangy side they are still cute. I named one 'George' but am trying to avoid petting any strange animals. I don't think the rabies series would be much fun on top of all of our other shots. Speaking of which, I had my medical interview today and they wanted to know all about the form of protection I use for STDs. The doctor was very focused on that topic like I'm planning on running around with a whole bunch of the men here or something (don't worry Mom. I have no plans to do so - Yet . . . he he . . . just kidding).
Last night a few other volunteers and I had a rather eventful evening. We went for a walk and came across this bar/hotel place and were invited in for some Fanta (Yes, Fanta. It is apparently a big thing here). We spent some time talking with this Bulgarian man (around 21). It was hilarious because our Bulgarian is very limited and his English was as well. There were moments when we would all get quiet and then start laughing at the awkwardness of the moment. It was a lot of fun. We were invited to come back in the winter when it snows. Other than that I have been having a lot of fun with my training team.
We learned to dance the horo! It was hilarious. Another volunteer said he got some video of me when we were dancing so I may try and post it or at least some stills later. I will also put up some other pictures of the area we are in now. At the moment I am at an Internet cafe so it is not very convenient to try and hook my camera up. Can I just say I love Bulgaria's music - everywhere we go they play 80s and other very random American songs that I have not heard in forever. In the place I am at now they are playing "Addicted to Love." I am surrounded by little children playing computer games and other Peace Corps Trainees (PCTs) trying to get in touch with people at home. Oh . . . they gave me another address but the one you have will still be checked, however, less frequently (oh . . . thanks for the card Marie! I got it just before I left San Diego - I just about cried. Be sure to keep in touch. I want to hear all about life at Harvard!) I will try to post the new address the next time I get to a computer but for now feel free to write to me about all of your happenings in the states at the address I sent out (or you can always email). I would love to hear from you all. Well I should finish up now. I only have so many leva (that's Bulgarian money) to live on. We get 4 lev a day to live on. My friends just bought banana splits and they were 3,50 so as you can see the 4 will not take me far (I passed on the ice cream). I am rely hoping to stick to the money they give us. Others have been known to frequently use their personal funds but I think living like the people you are serving is a very important part of the Peace Corps experience. I hope you are all well. I will try to write again and post pictures soon.
They have been keeping us very busy with language classes, technical classes, and shots :( The mountains are beautiful here. We are located in the Rila Mountains which are host to many skiers in the winter time. Our hotel was much nicer than expected but I do have one of those showers where it is just a drain in the middle of the bathroom floor and a nozzle on the wall. So basically after my roommate or I shower the bathroom is out of commission because everything gets soaked - the toilet and all. I did find that there are a number of wild dogs in Bulgaria. I was serenaded by their barking when I went to sleep last night. Despite being on the skinny and mangy side they are still cute. I named one 'George' but am trying to avoid petting any strange animals. I don't think the rabies series would be much fun on top of all of our other shots. Speaking of which, I had my medical interview today and they wanted to know all about the form of protection I use for STDs. The doctor was very focused on that topic like I'm planning on running around with a whole bunch of the men here or something (don't worry Mom. I have no plans to do so - Yet . . . he he . . . just kidding).
Last night a few other volunteers and I had a rather eventful evening. We went for a walk and came across this bar/hotel place and were invited in for some Fanta (Yes, Fanta. It is apparently a big thing here). We spent some time talking with this Bulgarian man (around 21). It was hilarious because our Bulgarian is very limited and his English was as well. There were moments when we would all get quiet and then start laughing at the awkwardness of the moment. It was a lot of fun. We were invited to come back in the winter when it snows. Other than that I have been having a lot of fun with my training team.
We learned to dance the horo! It was hilarious. Another volunteer said he got some video of me when we were dancing so I may try and post it or at least some stills later. I will also put up some other pictures of the area we are in now. At the moment I am at an Internet cafe so it is not very convenient to try and hook my camera up. Can I just say I love Bulgaria's music - everywhere we go they play 80s and other very random American songs that I have not heard in forever. In the place I am at now they are playing "Addicted to Love." I am surrounded by little children playing computer games and other Peace Corps Trainees (PCTs) trying to get in touch with people at home. Oh . . . they gave me another address but the one you have will still be checked, however, less frequently (oh . . . thanks for the card Marie! I got it just before I left San Diego - I just about cried. Be sure to keep in touch. I want to hear all about life at Harvard!) I will try to post the new address the next time I get to a computer but for now feel free to write to me about all of your happenings in the states at the address I sent out (or you can always email). I would love to hear from you all. Well I should finish up now. I only have so many leva (that's Bulgarian money) to live on. We get 4 lev a day to live on. My friends just bought banana splits and they were 3,50 so as you can see the 4 will not take me far (I passed on the ice cream). I am rely hoping to stick to the money they give us. Others have been known to frequently use their personal funds but I think living like the people you are serving is a very important part of the Peace Corps experience. I hope you are all well. I will try to write again and post pictures soon.
posted by Jennifer @ 12:18 PM
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