BLAH!

I am so sorry to have ignored you all the past couple days!!  I have some friends coming to visit (YEA) and I've been trying to get our trip planned.  Now that sometimes I'm at work too, the actual school building, my usual blogging time comes...and goes.  So between working on the trip and going ha gosti I haven't blogged the past 2 days.  Sorry about that and I plan to tomorrow!!  Love and hugs and HAPPY BIRTHDAY SISTER OF MINE!!!!

Unification Day

So today is an official holiday, Unification Day.  Today is the day that, in 1885,  Southern Bulgaria, called Eastern Rumelia at the time, became united with North Bulgaria and won it's freedom from the Ottoman Empire.  Northern Bulgaria was an independent entity as of 1878 due to a war between Russia and the Ottoman Empire where Russia was victorious.  However Eastern Rumelia still belonged to the Ottomans as an Ottoman province.  This was called The Treaty of Berlin.    Well, the Bulgarian citizens didn't think this was very fair and on Feb. 10, 1885 Eastern Rumelia revolted against the Ottomans.  The end result was the part of B that had been under Ottoman rule, the Southern part, joined Northern B as being Independent.  I asked my neighbors this morning about today and they equate these happenings to the Civil War; The United States (North and South) became united and Bulgaria (North and South) became united.  B also has another Independence Day, I guess this is more of a day when the 2 parts were united then an actual Independence Day, on September 22.  Of course more on that later!  Love and hugs from here and hoping things in Texas don't get that out of control!  Say it aint so Peyton!!

bubble days

It's a little later than I normally write but "you get what you get and you don't throw a fit!"  I've tried to translate that into B so many times but it just doesn't come to me; I need to sit down and figure it out.  Today is a non-work day because tomorrow is a holiday.  Strange you may say or just an excuse for a day off.  When I think about it I really like the idea but don't think it would go over too well in the states.  Tuesday is a non-working day; it's a holiday (more on that tomorrow).  Who wants to end the weekend by going to work on Monday just to turn around and not working on Tuesday?  It's a little pointless and quite frankly, kinda a waste (my opinion).  So when a holiday falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, and maybe even Wednesdays but I'm less certain about that, Mondays and Fridays are also non-working days.  However the Monday or Friday non-working and non holiday days are made up the previous or following Saturday.   So today and tomorrow are non-school, for teachers-the students don't start until the 15th, and non-working days for everyone but to make up today (non-holiday) everyone worked this past Saturday.   I know France does this too because my sister told me in France they call these days(days like today that are off but not holidays) “bubble days,” at least I think that’s what she told me.  Of course no one is thrilled about working or going to school on a Saturday but you get used to it.  They have a good plan for illneses too.  If a certain % of students in a region have, for example, the flu, the Ministry of Education calls off school and childcare for that region for a certain amount of time.  I know I go to work when I don’t feel the best or just have a little cold (I‘m talking in the states) and then I have the potential to spread my germs and make others sick, which only makes things worse.  If I don’t have the option to go to work and parents don’t have the option of sending their children to school/childcare when something is going around, all the better.  Of course then a whole different set of problems arise, like what to do with your child while the parent is at work, that need attenton.  Of course the students could care less; they get to stay home from school, and I think the teachers think the same in that they get a break from their students!  Anyway, this is how it’s done here and I think both are nice ideas.  Again, just my opinion!  Love and hugs from here!!

nyakoi otgovori

I thought for today's blog I would answer some questions my aunts included in their letters to me.  For me the summer flew by!  I did get to travel some but for work.  I went to Hisar and Sliven for 3 Life Skills conferences and Tryavna for my mid-service conference.  My actual "vacation" was to Vurshets to see my host family from pst.  I traveled to help a friend with her 4th of July party in her town but that was on the way to our msc.   I am looking forward to this school year in terms of building on what we did last year here.  I will admit that I need to step it up in terms of my actual "job-job", the youth development part.  I am enjoying living here and the experience!  I see myself looking at things in a new and different light.  For instance:  I love the Colts and Pacers and don't know what I would d if they weren't in Indy anymore, but when I hear someone is holding out for more money or complaining about whatever, this goes for every athlete, I just have to sigh and think how much even a fraction of that money could make a huge difference here.   I look at how hard people work here "just because" it's necessary for survival.  No complaining...well kids will be kids no matter where you go.  To me the hardest workers here are the babas, the grandma aged women.  Seeing things from the view of another country certainly gives one a different perspective!  It is very hard for me to believe I (we) are at the 1/2 way point of our service!  When I look back on the last year and how much I (we-meaning my town) got done or how much I didn't get done I think "man, if only I could have last year back than I could get so much more accomplished!"  But what I forget is that nothing I get accomplished this year would be possible without all I accomplished last year, the connections I made and the relationships I established.  So I look forward to this year, doing different things and building on some things we did last year!  Oh yeah, there have been people extend their service for another month to a year after they close their service but it goes year to year and no one knows about our group; the B26s, yet.  Love and hugs from here!

my visit to the mosque

Sorry about yesterday!  I was talking to one of the English school students on skype and they told me to come gosti to their house.  By the time I got back it was later and other things got in the way!  I'm very excited for this blog though!  Last Friday I went to the Jimea (or Mosque.  Nargis even told me another name but I forgot) and had a wonderful time!  I have to admit I thought I was going for the Friday "service" {Christians have church on Sunday and Muslims have their service (that's what I'm going to call it for the blog) on Friday} but it didn't turn out that way.  The lady who took me with her cleans the mosque and took me along while she and a few other women cleaned.  She explained things to me.  I have to back up.  Knowing I'm going into a mosque I know the longer the clothing the better.  It was also hotter than all get-out.  Do I wear a (longer) short sleeved shirt with words for Jesus and God on the back in the shape of a cross and walk into a mosque with God and Jesus images on myself (highly visable) or do I wear a plain (much shorter) sleeved t-shirt?   I chose the longer sleeved t-shirt with words in the shape of a cross on the back much to the shugrin of another volunteer friend I was telling about my day.  She, my friend Nevrea,  showed me the prayer beads; beaded necklaces used to pray and each bead represents a wish.  So here I am in this holy place in a different country and a different religion from my own, being careful what I touched, what foot I used to enter with, the right, and treating everything with kid gloves (very carefully).  I'm sure a little part of my friend, Nevrea, and the other ladies we were with were looking at me and saying to themselves "why is she being this hesitant with everything and treating everything like a prized posession?"  Let's face it, if someone wanted me to show them around my church in the states and handled everything SUPER carefully and was SO impressed by everything I would be thinking "come on, it's just a church!"  After she showed me the prayer beads she asked me if I wanted some (I have to admit from the first time I saw them I wanted some) and I said "I can?" and she told me I could and brought all of them over so I could choose.  She showed me this one with the name of Muhhamad on top and a name symbol on all the other beads and told me this was the original one.  I told her if that one was the original, not really quite sure what that means here, I did not want that one and she told me I could if I wanted.  So that's the one I choose.  After we were done there she asked me if I wanted to hear women reading and I said I did if it was possible.  She took me to the smaller mosque, shoes come off when entering, where 13 Muslim babas were reading from the Quran.  W read left to right, they read right to left.  They kinda sang/chanted it.  When they got to a stopping point they motioned for us to join their circle and we did.  Since the language that was spoked was Turkish Nevrea had to translate for me.  I went around the circle and shook hands and introduced myself.  While I was doing that they were reaching into their bags and throwing wafers to the spot where I was to sit.  We listened some more and then left.  I thanked them and told them how interesting it was and, of course, was invited back.  One baba did speak to me in B and she asked me why I was here, if I was alone, if I believed, and other things I can't remember now.  I have assurances from several people that they will include me when they go to the mosque but we'll see.  Since school will be starting shortly I'm not sure how much more during the week I'll be able to go visit but I look forward to it!  Prayers are out East with all the flooding and people who lost family memebers and/or their belongings!  Love and hugs from here!