Summer

I'm falling a little behind in keeping up this blog, but with temperatures in the 70's and sunlight until 9pm, who has time for reflection? Summer has brought a change in my normal routine (since I don't have classes in the school and kindergarten), but work has picked up speed and I'm certainly not sitting around with nothing to do. There are times while working in the library when I feel restless, but when this is your view from the window, who wouldn't rather be outdoors hiking?!

Sometimes I do get to hike for work related purposes. Recently I worked with two other volunteers from Trigrad and Yagodina on a project to mark the trails between our three villages. The communities donated money and wood to make signs with maps of the trails plus information about regional flora and fauna. We also had wood donated to build birdhouses with the kids. On a Saturday in June, with help from lots of friends, we took the kids hiking on the trails and put up the birdhouses along the way. The three village groups met up in Yagodina where we had a meal together, went in the cave for free, and had a small program with a folk singing group and the kids from Gyovren preforming a couple dances. Here are some of the pictures:

Another project that had been in planning stage since February, finally came to fruition last month. On May 25th and 26th, seven volunteers from the Rhodopes hosted a village tourism development seminar in the beautiful village of Smilian. Our goal was mainly to get people from our villages who are interested in tourism to come together as a region and share ideas plus look for ways to work together. We invited five speakers who came from a wide variety of backgrounds: a woman who owns a winery, a bio-farmer, the owner of a dairy/guest house combination, a government official who has a wealth of regional tourism knowledge, and an adventure tour guide. The seminar was also strategically located in Smilian where the participants were not just talking about village tourism: they were experiencing it! Here is a picture with (most of) the group who attended the seminar:

I really love tourism in Gyovren because it is so authentic. When I invite guests, they get to experience the reality that is Gyovren--not advertising, tourist activities, or cheesy souvenirs. The incredible beauty and panoramic views, the hospitality of the people, and the preserved traditions make Gyovren feel like a hidden treasure waiting for guests to discover.

On a normal day, I can usually be found in the library--trying to keep order with a mob of kids (usually pretty well behaved). I recently received children's artwork from 6 countries (Argentina, Peru, Uganda, Haiti, China, and the US) from an organization called Paintbrush Diplomacy. In a room across from the library I set up a miniature art exhibit along with a game for learning some facts about these countries. The kids also have a place to make their own drawings, and it has been nice to have another activity for the kids after I feel like they've spent enough time using the internet. Here are some of the kids and their drawings:

It looks like the rest of the summer is going to fly by! I'll get to participate in some more activities with the cultural center (including a field trip to a swimming pool with the kids and two days of performing at a Turkish folk festival in the village of Ardino). In August I plan to do classes for English review in the library with kids from 1st-8th grade. We will also be doing book inventory, which is a great opportunity for us to make electronic files (can't wait to use the library labels you sent Auntie Ann!). Also, we've been approved for funding to start a fitness room! I'm really excited about this, but I'll post more later once things get started...