names

look for this next week because I just lost it all and it's time to do other things, like take a shower!  love and hugs to all!

gosti

 the words "otevam na gosti" literally mean "to pay a visit."  Now I'm sure I've blogged about this before but I think I neglected to talk about one aspect that is kinda interesting to me and that is the leaving part.  The longer I'm here the more I think there is skill involved in knowing when to leave.  I don't have it and it doesn't bother me because I'm still integrating and getting to know people and it gives me a chance to use my B.  However I will say that when someone leaves it is usually what I would call suddenly.  Ok granted my B isn't the best, and usually unless I tell someone to repeat what they said I don't follow anyway because they speak so fast I get lost, and lots of people here also speak Turkish, and I don't, so it's quite understandable why it might come as a total surprise to me when someone gets up to leave.  But usually there are signs that can be recognized in any language.  I can't even tell you what they are but usually it's kinda obvious when someone is about ready to leave in the states.  I had gosti's over the weekend(yea me!) and was totally absorbed in the conversation, you can be absorbed in the conversation even when you have no idea what they're saying, and then everyone got up to leave.  Now there are words that talk about leaving or going that I can recognize but I don't hear them being said.  Like I said before it's quite possible that because of the language barrier there's a lot I'm missing but it still seems like I could see some of the signs and think "oh this person is getting ready to leave" or whatever but I have yet to!  when you're a gosti there's always something to drink and several different things to eat.  Chocolates are big over here and little cake type things, kinda like little debbie cakes.  sometimes you have banitsa but I think that's not usual for "just a regular" gosti.  then again I'm not from here and I don't cook so I can't really say.  Maybe it is more usual I just tell myself that so I won't feel bad when I don't make it for my gosti's!    love and hugs!

to my readers

So I was talking to my mom the other night and she was telling me about a party she and my step-dad had.  She was telling me how she had just read my blog and was talking about it to their friends when one of their friends said something about my blog!  She had no idea her friend even knew about my blog and here she reads it!  I'm sure I have more readers I don't know than those I do know, ok maybe.  To those of you I don't know, a big thank you from me.  To me this blog is an important part of my experience and why I'm here.  The third goal of the Peace Corps states "Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of all Americans."   I believe.we all need to learn from each other and can only better ourselves and our world if we do so.  My blog is my little way of letting each one of you, back in the States or wherever you are reading this blog,  experience Bulgaria with me without actually being here.  Of course there's nothing better than experiencing it first hand but unless you want to come over and visit me, which anyone can do-I welcome gosti's, you'll have to settle for this!  And all the people who leave comments on my blog?  THANK YOU!  I love going in everyday and seeing if there are comments! And please ask questions if there's something that you don't quite understand because I've been here now just about 7 months, wow times flies!, and things that are unique and starting to become routine to me and I forget they're different that in the states.  On that note I'm going to close and try to think of something for the xmas program here among other things I have on my list of things to do.  I promise I'll start writing about other things and not just about the day, ets soon!  I have a list of subjects for my blogs I just haven't gotten to them yet.  Sorry!  Love and hugs to all!

tgiving pics

ok, this is me being the narrator and
wrapping up the skit. The guy in the
white shirt was our "Governor
Bradford" and called for a Day
or Thanksgiving.  All the students
memorized their lines and did a
very nice job!!  I gave them each a flower
as my thanks to them for a job well done.
Just 1 flower, or another odd number, b/c
an even number is bad luck and usually
reserved for funerals. 

this is in the stol, the kitchen for the
hostel where the whole process took
place!

and again with the stuffing!!  I have a feeling
this picture could come back to
haunt me!

stuffing the turkey was soooo much
fun!  we used onions, garlic, and 1/2
an apple

before our skit in English, a student
read abou the history in Bulgarian
that way EVERYONE understood! 

this is the part of the skit when Squanto and
Samoset enter...I think 

there was a group that did a dance.
I tell you, these women can shake
their hips like nothing I've seen before.

all in all Tgiving was very nice!  my first turkeys turned out pretty good and I found myself, after I took the first bite of my serving of turkey at probably around 8pm, declaring, to myself, that "now it's really Thanksgiving!"  I can't begin to tell everyone how much it helps me being away from my American family for the holidays that my new family here wants to celebrate American holidays!  they probably have no idea how much they are helping even tho I try to tell them.  whereas I'm not really homesick, it isn't the easiest thing to be away from your loved ones during special times.   they really do help me and for this i thank them!  the students did an awesome job doing their performances!!  AND i forgot probably the best part!  i found 2 of the 4 wishbones!!  i didn't get to make a wish tho but the fact that i found them excited me!  i would really try to  move the pictures so they make sense but i trust you all can figure them out!  love to all!

tgiving recap

I must say everything went suprisingly well on the 25th!  All the prayers were answered!  The turkeys may have been a tad overdone but I'd rather that than the alternative!!  I do have to say when I found out there is no way to know how hot, or at least there is no dial telling the temperature, the oven was my blood pressure increased a bit and I was sure I was going to put someone in the hospital!!  But that didn't happen and while carving, which is a whole other task itself, I even found a wishbone...a couple actually but did not get to make a wish.  Next year maybe!!My students did a wonderful job with the skit and the dances were very nice.  I even got a special certificate from my Principal!!  Total there were probably between 65 and 70 people there.  Then the next day I traveled to have another tgiving with some volunteer friends and that was nice as well!!!  I was surprised how the mushroom mixture we  made looked exactly like mushroom soup for the green bean casserole!!  WplaysnI kindaisre had stuffing, rolls, pumpsin pie, leftover turkey and cranberry salad I snagged before I left, mashed potatoes, and xmas music!!  Now it's back to work planning something for xmas!  I haven't figured that one out yet.  I just wanted everyone to know that both tgivings turned out beautifully and a nice time was had by all!  I'll get some pictures up soon but right now it's dinner time!  Love to all!