June 2011
62 posts
“O, those songs, that smiling face.
Whose voice will call and sing of me?
My...”
– Excerpt from To My First Love by Hristo Botev
Weekend on the Black Sea
I finally went to the Black Sea coast this past weekend, and it was quite an experience. I ate bad seafood, had my first European beach experience (even old grandmas were topless), and dressed up in a Bulgarian peasant costume. Varna did not have much to do besides the beach and some cool Roman ruins, but it was just what I needed.
“A fortress surrenders from within.”
– Bulgarian Proverb
Another Thursday in Vidrare
Last Thursday, we spent the day in the orphanage for disabled children in Vidrare as usual. We wish we could go there more often, but it is quite far from our house, and getting there every day would be a challenge. I’d say working in Vidrare is just as difficult, if not more, than working at Razliv. Here, it is easier to control the kids and take care of them, but it is emotionally draining...
Bulgarian Culture Night in Razliv
About a week or two ago, our tiny little village hosted a Bulgarian culture night to commemorate the 75th anniversary of their library (I think), and we got to see some folk dancing and singing, which was pretty cool. There were about 100 people there, aka the whole town, and the performances were great. Three of the kids from the orphanage performed a song, and it was nice to see them getting...
Tough Work
Taking care of kids is hard work. Now that the kids at the orphanage feel more comfortable with us, they have no problem throwing fits and making almost everything impossible. We’ve gotten kicked, bitten, peed on, spit at, our clothes pulled, and nearly thrown up on. But that’s not even the hardest part of the work we’re doing. The most difficult part for me is seeing the...
I needed a can opener to open a can of corn...
and my host mother came in, took a butcher knife and opened the can faster than I or any man I know could have opened it with a can opener. It was pure skill, and I felt like I needed to share that.
The City of Tsars
Some pictures from our day trip to Veliko Tarnovo. We visited the Tsarevets castle, walked through Arbanassi (a tourist village), and got pulled over for speeding on our way there (nice cop = no bribe necessary!). It was a successful trip overall. I tried rakia for the first time, and let’s just say that my souvenir rakia jug will not be used for rakia.
“Elena: So customs has your package with your glasses and medicine. But they...”
– The things you have to do to have stuff shipped to Bulgaria… 