Thursday, April 26, 2012

A different kind of "first"

My family in the states is awesome!  Not only do they support me being here 100% and send me letters of encouragement, they keep me supplied with my favorite things from the states and other goodies as well.  One of the biggest reasons I'm here is to share "my" America (as well as try to end the "Marilyn Manroe" stereotype of American women).  One of the first things I do when I get a package from the States (after tearing it open and being so amazed at the generosity of my family) is share things from my Am family with my B family.  One time after a package I gave a granola bar, I think, to my neighbor Ivan (pretty sure he's in his 50s,- now that I'm 40 I have a much harder time with ages!) and he said "this is the first Am thing I've had."  I have to say that made me feel proud, both to be able to do that for him and that it was me who did it.  Along these same lines not long after I got to this town 2 years ago I was told I was the first Am ever in my town.  WOW!  That is HUGE and again makes me proud!  I consider it an honor and a privilege.   Put yourself in my shoes; what a sense of pride and tremendous responsibility that is!!  One of the teachers of the village that I helped with their Bulgarian National English Spelling bee (regionals are this weekend!  Good luch Diana and Abi!) told me that her students were excited to "see an American."  At first I was a little put off (I've gone through 2 years of sometimes thinking I get special treatment because of my nationality) and said "I'm just a person."  Then I reminded myself I was going to a small village and, most importantly, these were kids and I have a soft spot for kids.  Now I can't compare this to Neil Armstrong and the first man on the moon or Christopher Columbus when he discovered Am, but I have to think they had a little swell of pride [or as the narrator in How the Grinch... put it "his heart grew 10 (or however many) sizes that day"] knowing that they were "the first"!  I'm not the most patriotic person but I take representing my country VERY seriously!  To be able  to give a little bit of Am to people over here makes me feel good!  I should also add that it's one of those "Dear God, please don't let me trip" feelings!  Today is overcast but warm.  As is usual for April until (for special language, math, or science (I think) schools) the end of June when the 8th-11th graders finish school it is a bit crazy and the students have "senioritis"...ALL OF THEM.  But I really can't blame them...BUT!  SO IF YOU'RE A STUDENT (AT 4AEG) READING THIS, JUST BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN QUIT SCHOOL AND NOT DO HOMEWORK FROM NOW UNTIL THE END OF JUNE!!  Love and hugs from me!! GOOD LUCK WITH ORLANDO MY PACERS!!

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Well, would you look at that!

The same day I wrote about in my last blog we also went to a 3D movie in E.  I think it is interesting that I've been to 3 movies in B and only 1 of them has been in B'ian.  Anyway I noticed something a little funny and not expected as the movie started and the B subtitles rolled across the bottom of the screen.  I automatically was drawn to the B subtitles even thought I could understand what was being said better anyone in the group!  I have no idea why and I've noticed I do the same thing sometimes watching tv when there are B subtitles.  You know how when you know a language that someone else doesn't you can swich to that language to communicate and intentially leave someone out of the conversation?  My sister does it all the time with French (I don't think a thing about it! In fact, I'd do the same thing if I were in your shoes!)  Of course this only works if the other person knows the same language!  My volunteer friends and I have made jokes about how now we can do that with B when in the states; the only problem is finding people that I know who speak B!  I'm not proud of it but Nargis and I have actually done that with E once.  One of my babas was asking questions about me in Turkish and if I had a boyfriend (the answer is "no, don't want one now" but that is another blog coming up).  Nargis was telling me what she told my baba [who to this day won't believe I don't have a boyfriend even though (after awhile I had to play along; she wasn't taking "no" for an answer!) I broke up with him because I didn't love him and he cheated on me] and we were having our own little conversation in E while their conversation in B/Turkish was going on!  I think after going awhile of not hearing E spoken like I speak it (at the same pace) or even seeing it written, when I hear (or see) it it's like B was to my ears when I first started learning it; strange, a "foreign" language in more ways than one!  I've even noticed that sometimes it takes me awhile to think of an E word.  This comes to the delight of my B tutor who I love dearly!!  Anyway, I thought that was interesting and very unexpected!  Love and hugs from here!

Thursday, April 19, 2012

are we there yet??

Around the end of March some students and teachers from the English school and I went into a city closeby to visit a display about the 3rd of March, Bulgaria's Liberation Day.  Since there were about 30 of us we took a bus and during the trip I heard something interesting.  I'm not quite sure why it was interesting; I had just never thought of it before.  You know how on long trips stuck in the car sometimes people sing to pass the time?  All of a sudden from my seat towards the front of the bus I heard singing coming from the back of the bus.  It brought a little smile to my face [even though I didn't know what in the heck they were singing.  I thought about starting the ever popular around this time "chaeg ima ball" (this is the graduation chant which means "chaeg", my school, "ima ball", will have a graduation,) but was too late] as I remembered all the times as a little kid stuck in a long car ride my family and I would sing to make the trip go faster.  Listening that day I found it a little refreshing.  There are diffeences in the B and American cultures but there are similarities as well; children and adults singing to pass the time in the car (or bus) is one similarity that is cross-cultural!  My English class for adults here has started up again on Thursday nights at the school.  The weather has been nice and Spring like, almost summer sometimes, and then yesterday and today, so far, a cold wind along with chilly temperatures arrived. OH YEAH!  I saw a stork!  I have to admit what I THOUGHT was a stork, and I blogged about how"the stork looks nothing like the stork that brings the babies", wasn't a stork so I'm sorry for that.  It looks exactly like the stork that brings the babies.  I guess after the 23rd of March, or 22nd, people take their martinitzas off anyway AND they can either be put on a fruit-bearing tree OR under a rock.  Under the rock is new to me and I didn't so much see the stork myself as Dani, my host "mom", pointed it out to me.  On the bus to go see Jez (before Varshets) I met some people who wanted to practice English.  They noticed I still was wearing my martinitzas and tried to point storks out to me, I just never saw them!  That's about it from a chilly and windy here!!  Love and hugs from me!!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

and it start, the "final's"

The process of saying goodbye started the week of the close/continuation of service conference the end of March.  A couple days after I got home to my site I left for a final visit with my host family.  2 of my pst site-mates happened to be there as well.  I spent as much time as I could with them as it would most likely be the last time we see each other before the 3 of us leave B;   they live down in Southern B and I'm up North.  Like the other 2 times I visited my pst home there were plenty of memories.  For instance, I mentioned this trip how I needed to go and get my hair cut while there.  Marisa, a sitemate, told me how she remembered how scared  I was the 1st time I got my hair cut during pst and how I called her afterwards so I could show her my haircut.  How the kafe that we always went to doesn't look the same without their trademark green "Zagorka" umbrallas outside (zagorka is a kind of beer).  Or how we ran into someone from all 6 of our host families and enjoyed hearing about the changes in their lives.  How we just happened to run into Hristo the taxi driver who took all 7 of us (including Ms. Toni our teacher) from Varshets to Vratsa every week during pst (he had help since his taxi couldn't fit all 7 of us).  I remembered how Sean, another site-mate, always made the appointment for taxis the day before (like any good teacher Ms. Toni made US do it) because his B was the best and he always volunteered.  I remember telling myself I had to do it once and was SO NERVOUS when I volunteered!!!!  I must've gone over what to say a dozen times and called when Sean was with me...just in case!  So when (2) Sunday mornings (ago) came and they (S and M) left in a taxi I cried.  It's hard to say goodbye!  On Friday morning (push that to Sunday morning-I wrote this last Tuesday, just couldn't post) I will say another goodbye; this time to my host family.  My time in Varshets during Pre-Service Training was hard!!  11 weeks of intensive learning about B as well as my youth development work.  Everything from the language to how (for some people) a cross draft is bad to how to dance the Byala Rosa and many things in-between!  My host family (Dani, Alexi, Krisi, and Vesi) was with me for it all and I owe much to them!  OH THE HOMEWORK THEY HELPED ME WITH (that's TRUE dedication!  Every weeknight Dani and/or Krisi would come up to my room and ask if I needed any help...and of course I always did)!  I had only been in B  4 days when I was forced to trust total strangers with my well-being.  After 3 months however, I cried when leaving them; we had become family.  My 1st B family, complete with grandparents, sisters, an aunt, and an uncle.  [yes it's true that my host "parents" are my age but I'm playing along with the whole scenerio].  THEY set the tone for my next 2 years in B and set it awesomly!  So, от долу на моято сърце венаги добре дъшли в моята къща в сащ!  от мен и  моято семеиство в сащ-много ви благодаря за всичко!!  аз ви обичам!  Love and hugs from here...and yes that did take awhile as I'm not used to the B keyboard.

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

a quick trip!

My break is going to be a bit longer than I thought!  Things are fine; I ended up traveling to Sofia days before my vacation; so no blogs-sorry:(  Things are going well and the close/continuation  of service conference last week went well!  I will catch all of you after the 11th!  Happy Easter and/or enjoy your Easter vacation!  Love and hugs from me!