random ramblings in May

This month..much like last month has gone by way too quickly..but, on the good side, there are lots of projects and ideas on the table, and I have a great Bulgarian colleague to work with. This month, I finished teaching the younger students English..yeah! I loved teaching them, but it’s one less stressor, so that I focus more on projects. Next month I finish teaching the high school business class..yeah again! And the adult class on Saturday (this is my favorite group..but I really am excited to have entire weekends off at a time!)..we’ve already talked about meeting during the week, I just need a place to sleep since the bus doesn’t run from the village in the evenings

So..this has been a month of na gosti’s..many, many interesting visits. They are always different. We discuss European history (going back to the Roman and Byzantine empires)..minorities within Bulgaria, the environment, Bulgarian, European and American politics, etc.. And time and again, it amazes me that we can have these discussions in Bulgarian language..they are very patient helping me understand their language. They are also very honest about their thoughts on politics and minorities..as am I.
Some of the events that took place this month: A sports holiday for kids, where the students from the villages in the Municipality were invited to a day of sports. We had a relay race, na rodna topka (the closest thing we have to this is Dodgeball), treats, and awards. There’re a few pictures from this event on the new link at the bottom of this page.
Also..yesterday was a big day in a nearby village where I teach. First, it was a national holiday celebrating the creation of the Cyrillic alphabet..it’s actually a 2-da y holiday for all the schools. But, it was also a town holiday for one of the villages I visit. These celebrations always consist of lots and lots of food, and rakia. I saw my first cooked head of a lamb. I’ve heard many volunteers talk about this, but this was my first..and I basically visited people around the village eating and drinking the entire day..that might be why I’m a little tired today. They had games and rides and a bazaar set up in the center of town.

I have a feeling this summer is going to fly by just as quickly, but also hopefully it will be very productive.