Merry Christmas and Happy New Years!

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY!


I won’t have access to my computer over Christmas, as I am going back to visit my host family and their family. I am excited to experience a Bulgarian Christmas..and spend it with my family away from home.

I’m hoping I’ll get my White Christmas for my first Christmas here in Bulgaria! It’s been snowing on and off here, and it looks like a whole different place covered in snow.

I posted some new pictures on my link at the bottom the blog labeled Tricia’s pics.

For our English class (my youngest students) the other day, I sang a Christmas song in English, and the kids sang me a Christmas song in Bulgarian..they’re so cute; they all sang so loudly.

And this weekend I went to Turkey for a quick visit with the teachers of the High School here. We saw one of the world’s oldest and largest mosques in Edirne Turkey, called Selimiye Mosque. It was a little unnerving at first, because when you are in the courtyard, babas and kids swirl around you trying to get you to buy their trinkets for the mosque..and they don’t take no, and they don’t let you be..but it is a very beautiful place. My pictures can’t do it justice. Once you get inside it is quiet. You have to take your shoes off before entering. There is an interesting story that goes with the building of the mosque, but I don’t remember it very clearly..only that there was a woman who wouldn’t sell the land, until someone (maybe the sultan?) had a vision that that was to be the location of the mosque. The woman finally consented, as she was also concerned about this vision, but only..only if they would put a tulip inside the mosque. I guess flowers and faces are not allowed in mosques, so it was very carefully hidden in one of the marble columns..barely visible today, but everyone tried to take pictures of it.

Hah..I can’t forget to talk about my first presentation experience here in Bulgaria. It was for my city, showing what I have accomplished in my time here so far. I am every so lucky to have two people in my life here. One is my best friend Katya, who also speaks English; and the other is my Bulgarian teacher, Petya. Katya helped me translate and practice my presentation..in front of friends at a restaurant, while standing. They both helped me clean up my speech with words I could pronounce better, and..I got a big round of applause at the end. The best part was that even my colleague who speaks no English whatsoever, said she understood my whole presentation. That made me feel relieved.

Now if only I can only get rid of this Bronchitis..I’ve had it since before Thanksgiving and just can’t seem to shake it. Very annoying, it is.