graduation

Graduation here is a little different then when I graduated from North Central a few years ago;)  I graduated with 679(?) other seniors whereas the school where I primarily work has only 4, and next year 2!  From what I gather the word "ball" is an all-encompasing word use to include all the graduation festivities and not a dance.   The last day for the seniors is May 24th, the same day Bulgaria celebrates the Cyrillic alphabet.  I had a big ceremony in Market Square Arena where I walked across the stage and recieved my diploma from someone important that for the life of my I can't remember now.  I apologize if any of the former staff is reading this; I still have the picture of me recieving my diploma at home in the states.  Our school had a small ceremony last Friday in front of the school for parents, teachers, and the "underclassmen."  Oh yeah!  I forgot to mention!  What they wore that day put me and, if I remember right, the majority of my classmates TO SHAME!!  THEY WERE DRESSED!!  Part of me is so impressed because of how little I dress up, REALLY dress up.  The other part of me is impressed because this says to me "this is how it's done" and, regardless of the different attitudes I run into about school work and the like throughout the year, they take graduating  SERIOUSLY!!  They looked so beautiful and handsome!!  Not like they don't everyday but there's something different between jeans and a nice dress or suit.  I did not see then get a diploma that day and not sure how that works.  These past few weeks I have been hearing a lot of chanting of "(your school here) ima ball" repeated over and over and over again.   That is the graduation chant which literally means "my school has a graduation!"  Since there are so few seniors I'm sure our "ball's" are a little different than other schools.  When I was in Varshetts for PST I went and saw their seniors celebrate.  There were maybe 20 seniors.  They all decorated their cars, kinda like we do after someone gets married, drove them like in a parade for everyone to see, stopped in front of the school and got out (this is where an underclassmen friend helps-they can drive your car afterwards) and started chanting on the school steps.  More students, bigger celebrations.  A fairly common practice here is to go to the Black Sea after the "ball."  Our former seniors are there now with their "form" teacher, the teacher from our school who is mainly responsible for their class, and will be staying 3 more days.  H.S. graduation is a very big thing here as it is in the states!  However the opinion I get is, with the expense of higher education and the need to start making money, fewer seniors here continue their education compared to the states.  Because of that fact I think H.S. graduation is an even bigger deal here.  Families start setting aside money for dresses, shoes, the trip to the Black Sea, and everything else that comes with a "ball" years before the event and maybe even earlier.  Their families are proud and some even cry.  They take pictures and even video record the event if they have a recorder.  Of course chocolates are given out.  I forgot!  They also give roses to the teachers.  At the ceremony at the school the principal spoke as well as the person who funds our school.  I'm going to try to post some pictures so I'll sign off now.  On second thought the pictures will come next week I promise!    Love and hugs!