Moments

A selection of events in no particular order which, for better or worse, left an impression on me this month:

In my Turkish lessons with my neighbor Gulezar (we now meet twice a week), we laugh at my attempts of speaking Turkish because inevitably I use Bulgarian instead without realizing it. They are both foreign to me!

I finished cataloging and organizing the children’s literature in the library with help from several 6^th grade girls. Since then I have been able to look up books for children who ask for specific titles and find them on the shelf. Ah, the allure of efficiency and accomplishing tangible work!

At a café one evening I got an earful of conspiracy theories about what actually happened on September 11^th in America. When I expressed doubts, my friend assured me that he read it on the internet.

While sitting in the library with several kids and a couple teenagers, the chimney on the wood stove disconnected from the wall without me realizing it. Since we’ve become conditioned to semi-smoky rooms we didn’t recognize the problem until Ramadan came in two hours later and immediately pointed out the growing burnt spot on the wall!

All eight fourth graders wrote letters to a second grade classroom in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma. This may be the first time they have used English to really communicate with someone as opposed to doing workbook exercises. They were exuberant!

My friend Ayshe left for 6 months of work in Holland, harvesting mushrooms. I realized I am living on the “sending” side of guest-worker visas. And I miss my friend.

Amber, a fellow volunteer and friend from training came to Gyovren for a weekend visit. On Sunday night we made a Mexican food feast: seasoned ground beef, homemade corn tortillas, fresh olives and guacamole, grated cheese, and sour cream. Zeynep (my landlady) came upstairs to say hello and was willing to try some of our food. She liked it so much that she asked me to cook it again for dinner this week so Sali can try it too.

I attended a wedding that my landlord Sali had been working on arranging for his thirty year old nephew since the new year. He explained to me that until age 25 you can find your own spouse, from age 25-29 your parents have to help out, but after age 30 it’s the responsibility of the whole village!

Staying Warm

In Bulgaria, staying warm is a skill.

6:30am, I wake up and reach for my phone to check the time. It's 45 degrees in my room and I'm not feeling motivated to leave the warmth of my bed. Sometimes life in my house feels like camping. When I get up I have the cold trip to the bathroom. Then I hurry to get wood and start a fire in my room. Sometimes I get back in bed while I wait for the room to heat up a little before getting dressed. Or, I just skip starting a fire altogether and leave the house as quickly as possible. Fortunately for me, when I come home in the evening I immediately go downstairs where Zeynep has been cooking all day and the room is about 80 degrees. Bliss.


I had a great time with my parents and brother when they visited for Christmas. Their time was filled with visiting people (both Bulgarians and other volunteers). Hospitality overload! My family got to experience being told to "Yash" (Eat!) continually and learned that if they finished any part of their meal, they would immediately be served more. They were great travelers--very flexible and adaptable! Plus they brought all kinds of wonderful things from the states (e.g., zip lock bags, peanut butter, and instant oatmeal!). Thank you to everyone who sent gifts with them--I feel incredibly blessed. Below are some pictures from our time together. There are also some pictures of making gingerbread houses with the 5th and 6th graders :)