Today was a big day for all of us here as we graduated the “Fulbright
International Summer Institute” program! We cheered each other excitedly as our
names were called to get our certificates, and I threw my phone at Lane having
him take my photo so I could send it to my mom.
While this was very exciting as we have spent 2 weeks intensively
studying language, culture, conflict, teaching methods, etc. It is still a sad
moment as we know we are to part ways tomorrow and travel to the cities we are
going to work in and set up programs. We stop at the American Bulgarian Commission first for a
celebratory lunch then board our separate trains and buses. I go to Burgas for
2 days, my amazing mentor teacher insisted on picking me up at the station and
she will help me set up my new apartment. I stay there until Monday when I take
a bus back to Sofia, and board a flight to Turkey, then on to Croatia. I am
incredibly excited as I get to go to Croatia, down through Bosnia and
Herzegovina, into Montenegro, up into Kosovo, down through Macedonia, and
return to Bulgaria. All of us are travelling in the area and will be able to
meet up in certain cities which makes me excited for the adventure but also
blessed to know I have people here that I can travel with and meet with.
We had our final night of FISI party tonight, and though I
was very sick earlier today it was a great night. Tall Alex really let loose on
the dance floor and was just hysterical to be around and watch. The enthusiasm
was contagious! I am glad that Fulbright takes so long in selecting us, because
they put together a great group in my opinion when I listen and observe my
colleagues. I was so sick today that I couldn’t get up for class and when I
emerged to grab some bread for lunch I was given this plate all put together by
my friends here who were going to bring it up to me in my room! I think that
was the best plate of food I have ever had because my friends cared enough to
put it together based on things they had seen my eat and keep it for me.
Tomorrow we start on our ways, parted by space but not by
passion or love. I can’t wait to reconnect with everyone here! Tonight’s song is “We are the champions,”
because we made it to graduation day!
Today was my break through day! I was listening to my
Bulgarian language teacher and when she said a word I wrote it in Bulgarian
without thinking about it or needing her to spell it, even with the new letters
that make different sounds! Woohoo!! This is great because the 8 year old boy
that is here with his parents is coming to class tomorrow and asked to sit with
me, so I want to be able to really help him out and help him enjoy the class!
Yet again Rebecca sang to my soul today when our teacher was
talking about how women don’t get extra endings when they are wives because
then it changes. When asked why Rebecca said “blatant sexism.” If she had
decided to change to advanced language I would follow her just for amazing
remarks like this!
We love out teacher because today she told us: “You are like
my children, I will support you, you can call me anytime.” Which lead to Jake
asking if that meant they could now get vodka together. But it lead me to think
just how different it is here. She generally wants to stay in touch with us and
aid us. She wants to make this language easy for us and get to know us. Then
she mentioned her daughter and it hit me we never asked about her family. We as
Americans are generally not curious. I have decided to create the term
“un-curious” to describe this idea.
We as American’s tend to be un-curious. We are curious as
children and it is like as we grow up we lose that curiosity. Maybe it is
because we really are isolated form a lot of the world and it is hard to get
abroad so we do not see as many cultural differences? Maybe we think that
America is so diverse already that we have enough knowledge of variance
already? Maybe we just feel so driven to achieve in school, sports, and music
that we lose the wander lust of exploring other things? Whatever it is, we tend
to prefer gossip to actual facts. We don’t push the limits nearly as much as
Bulgarians do. A Bulgarian will ask you right off the bat- Are you married? Are
you mentally stable? Did I break you? How old are you? What is your favorite
wine? Why are you like this, or why did you do that…etc. They just are curious
and don’t hold back. That is really refreshing over here. Whereas in America we
have grown up pretending not to see when someone is upset, or ask if someone is
married because that is odd at the first meeting etc.
So what happened to that curiosity? Does it just disappear?
Or is it converted to the curisosity we now have for gossip about movie stars
and creepy serial killers? Or does not everyone lose that curiosity, and if so
is that why I am always so curious?
I went to college because of the movie “Yentyl” starring
Barbara Streisand and in it she is a woman masquerading as a man in turn of the
century 1900’s in Europe so she can attend a Yashiva and learn. All she does is
ask questions, and each answer causes 10 more questions. I relate to that so
strongly, and that is one of the reasons I applied for Fulbright. I didn’t want
to be un-curious. I wanted to be as curious as possible, and find 10 answers
for each question, and then 50 questions for each answer, and not stop
answering and questioning until I die.
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what makes a
Fulbrighter. That may sound ridiculous but everyone knows what makes an honors
student, lets say, honors students study hard, read more, and are considered to
just be very dedicated to learning. But what makes a Fulbrighter?What makes a crazy person who is
willing to take all of beginner and start intermediate Bulgarian language in 2
weeks, while taking culture classes, English Teaching training, Toefl training,
and getting to know each other? Because let’s be honest this is what we signed
up for when we took this “gig”: (This is specifically Bulgarian Fulbright’s
FYI)
vWe move to a country we usually don’t know the
language of
vWe take 2 weeks of intense classes to prepare
our students including-culture, language, ethnic conflict, English
Teaching,Toefl, etc.
vWe then go on our way to different towns and
cities hoping to see each other often
vWe then begin to teach various levels of
language courses with no past experience, run after school groups, debate
teams, prepare students for standardized tests, and give life advice to them on
college when often we have just graduated.
vWe bring out passion and desire to learn and
thrive, to an environment that we hope will be open but may not be
vAnd we have to navigate constant ethnic conflict
amongst nations that often times are not even recognized on the map-when we are
still navigating the after affects of the Civil War.
So what is it that unites us? Well I have been questioning
that with my curiosity since I got here and here are some preliminary answers
(I will do a follow up post after I have finished my fellowship here and have
spent more time developing)
vWe are all passionate- the topics may vary but
we are set on doing something right and not stopping until we make a difference
somehow
vWe are creative-between painting to photos,
sociology to science we bring our fields into anything we do
vHonestly, we are all just brilliant in some
form. Everyone told me that doing what I did in undergrad was impossible, but
for me it was like drinking water and I have longed to find other people who
understand that. What it means to just take 3 majors, 4 minors, run dozens of
clubs, aid committees, work, volunteer etc all at once and not stop. And I have
found those people here. It turns out is isn’t due to craziness that I did what
I did- it’s due to a mixture of brilliance, passion, and drive. Here there are
people who just learn a language for fun and barely need to try, while others
master literature like it is reciting a single stanza of a poem.
vWe all have something that hurts in some way.
While definitely our lives vary considerably, at least the majority of us all
have something we don’t want to remember, or that helped shape us into the
driven activists we are. We know that if the world throws something at us we
won’t run, because we didn’t run last time.
vAnd most important we just love. We love each
other, we are friends, we bond, and we reach out to each other. That openness
is so refreshing and it helps when you are moving to a new country.
Everytime I have thought on this I think of “Lilo and
Stitch” when Stitch talks about his new family:
“This is my family. I found it, all on my own. Is little,
and broken, but still good. Yeah, still good.”
I am excited to see what makes a Fulbrighter in the end. As
Strevka says “There are only 2 highways in Bulgaria so you’ll make it.” We will
all make it, but where those highways truly take us is the unknown I am curious
about.
Tonight's song is "This is one of those moments." I think a lot of people relate to it, it is about that moment that you will never forget, you remember every taste, sound, and sight it is so important to you. You have found bliss, and that song conveys that amazing moment and desire.
If you are in a graduate school that requires the GRE’s or
planning to attend one…you will understand my following statement: I was
trapped in a room today with the people who make the GRE’s. They told us that
they are basically the “test whisperer’s.”Dear readers, if you don’t know me let me assure you I am
nothing if not sarcastic and it took every fiber of my being to not say:
“History will disagree with you!!! I will be vindicated!”
It was great however that we were able to get certified in
teaching TOEFL, since I know that many of my future students in September will
want to prepare for this test so that they can better their futures and I want
to be the best tutor I can possibly be for them. And while I hate ETS with
every fiber of my being for creating the GRE’s which don’t measure any form of
math that we ACTUALLY USE in Sociology- I am grateful that they have designed a
test that not only will allow my students to get into a university but also
know that they will be able to fit in and communicate at the university. So
overall it was a good day, we had some fun and learned tricks and teaching
units to lead to our students success. Plus I get a fun certificate!
Then I realized that I often plan trips, or explorations
with the idea that “history will vindicate me.” Let me explain- I wear funny
socks, and while my society often mocks me I know that in the future people
will appreciate them. I also know that in all seriousness most political activists, revolutionaries, and hopefuls will be vindicated. As I know that my life seems odd to most, I hope that the end of all that I do will vindicate the oddity of who I am! (But regardless, I will be odd forever.)
I think I should be disturbed by the fact that I got the
idea of history vindicating me and other people from the musical “Assassins” by
Stephen Sondheim when John Wilkes Booth is singing after shooting Lincoln and
he states: “Let them curse me to hell, leave it to history to tell, what I did,
I did well, and I did it for me country. Let them cry dirty traitor, they will
understand it later.” Don’t get me wrong, I am NOT justifying Booth, but his
sentence when applied to other situations is insightful.
Fun Fact for the day: Sarah posted a picture she took of me
on the bus last Saturday next to Sam and it is really similar to a picture my
friend Gail took of me in Germany in 2011. I put them side-by-side and just
thought: I have grown so much in 2 years, but there I am sitting in the same
position on the bus staring into the world and dreaming. There are parts of
your essence that can’t be changed and frankly shouldn’t be. I can’t wait to
see if any other similarities occur!
During the day I was lucky enough to get to know even more
about my colleagues here. Today I got to know about how amazing K.C. is. She
speaks not only English and Spanish but also Arabic and Swahili. But when she
tells you this it is like it is nothing at all, like anyone could do what she
did. And yet I struggle with languages so hard core that just watching her ease
her way through Bulgarian is like watching a ballerina dance to Swan Lake. With
ease and grace like no one is watching but the angels in heaven. She is also
very kind, I think that K.C. is perhaps the most gentle person I have ever met,
she reaches out to the little kids here with beauty and when she smiles it’s
like the sun wouldn’t shine if she didn’t. She was lovely enough to walk with
me to the gas station on our break and give me company and I love that she
volunteered!
I also learned more about the kids here and what their
favorite colors are, how many jokes they love to tell even when they tell them
5 times in a row. Annabet had to explain to me the interrupting cow joke before
she would actually tell it to me but having a 5 year old holding my face in her
hands while being dead serious about a joke is probably the most adorable thing
in the world!
Today we had to do an activity where one team had to answer
random questions about the other. The team opposite me said that my favorite
sport was “Quidditch”…the fact that they guessed correctly based on
conversations we have had about Dobby just showed me we are connected and
having fun! We learned about Jake and his extroverted personality, Lane and his
time in Germany, Victoria’s study abroad in Peru, Iliana’s love of bike rides,
George’s love of massages, Blaine’s shared fandoms, and Erika’s sparkling
personality.
I also found out I may be spending Christmas in Germany!! My
friend from College, Verena moved home to Germany to marry the love of her life
and is going to have a baby soon which I am incredibly excited about. But with
the travel time that it would take to get there it would be hard to travel
there on a weekend so I asked to start off my Christmas break there so I could
see her but not interrupt. But she was amazing and told me it was more than
fine to be there for Christmas, I really hope she means it because spending
Christmas in Germany just sounds amazing and probably one of the best
Christmases I will ever have in my life. I actually have always wanted to have
a “Love Actually” Christmas and the idea of seeing her for Christmas makes me
think of a mash up between Love Actually and Pirate Radio. Plus, I have missed
her. I just remember meeting Verena and thinking how brave she was to move to
another country, away from everyone she knew and loved, and get her degree
here. I also loved her passion for family. From day one she was honest that she
wanted to have kids and she was excited for it. Her passion for family is just
fluid and “catching.” She makes me even more excited for nieces and nephews.
Seeing her again will make me very happy and also I feel like it will complete
part of a life journey. You know we all have those moments where we see friends
after college and we are all grown up, settled and happy. I cannot convey how
much I am looking forward to that moment. PLUS MEETING THE BABY!
As usual I am sitting here around a table with wine filled
glasses as Dana discusses friendships, Sarah leans back leisurely in her chair,
Jake leads the group in cheer, and Rebecca lights up the deck with her
infectious smile and laugh. We rub off on each other and encourage each other.
Morgan even got to me today with her love of Christmas songs and so I have been
listening to Josh Groban’s Christmas CD all night!Jake just yelled into the lobby "I can be shallow!" and as I comment they tell me I am like Mr. Robitussin from the Princess Diaries...it's time for bed. Life is beautiful.
“There’s Nothing Complicated About The Way We Live. We’re
All Here For Each Other, Happy To Give. All We Have We Share. And All Of Us We
Care. So Come On- Welcome To Our Family Time…”
Tonight’s song is from Phil Collins. Featured in the Disney
film “Brother Bear” and discusses how wonderful it is to come home, enter a new
family (the Fulbright family) and feel that joy!
Narrator: Winnie
Foster was to be sent 500 miles away to be educated, but what her parents
didn't understand was that she only wanted to step outside her fence... so she
did.
This is from the movie (based on the book) Tuck Everlasting
where Winnie Foster is born into an elite family that wants her to grow up into
the perfect socialite, when all she wants is to explore the world. I understand
that 1000%. It was hard for my family to let me go when I wanted to grow and
travel because they wanted me there and safe, where my illness wouldn’t
potentially get aggravated. But in college my family made the leap and I
stepped outside my fence.
The story is based on this family that accidentally became
immortal by drinking from a tree stream and cannot die. Jesse Tuck falls in
love with Winnie when he finds her in the woods lost, and needing to protect
their secret from the outside world, they keep her at their home for weeks
trying to trust her and get to know her before returning her to her parents out
of fear they will be hunted down. In this time she is able to be the 15 year
old she wants, playing, asking questions, and learning. But when her parents
are informed where she is by a man who has tracked the Tucks just wanting their
secret she has to make the decision to quickly drink the water and be immortal
or think some more.
Rebecca, Aviva and I were discussing this story today and
how important it is to not just exist but to live, and how important this story
was to us during our formative years and still in living our lives. I always
think back to a scene near the end of the film where the Winnie has stayed with
the Tuck’s for weeks and was “liberated” back to her home away from the people
she had grown to love and knowing she must drink from the tree of eternal life
if she was ever to see them again. Her mother just looks at her and says:
Mrs. Foster: [at her mother's funeral] Every time I look at you, you're
different. I'm losing you, too.
Mrs. Foster: Forgive
me, Winnie. I just wanted to keep you my little girl forever.
I think this
is very poignant for any young woman. We grow up wanting to step as far into
the world as we can, but at the same time we want to be there. It is hard for
me to be here and yet want to be there with my mother right now. I want to be
so many places and yet there is still a part of me that wants to be able to
stand there and say I am right here. But as we grow up we merely need to adapt
our lives to what “here” can mean. Here can mean so many things. Here an be
that I am here as myself, I am here for you, I am here completing my life
journey, I am here a citizen not just of a country but of the world and every
where I am I bring my: past, my being, my faith, my love, my passion, my
history, my humor, with me.
While so
many girls end up in that scary place of wanting to be beyond the fence yet
still screaming I am here! Our discussion at lunch today helped me feel even
more connected to my fabulous colleagues, but also helped me renew my promise
to inspire young women and help them pursue their own “here” and grow as Winnie
did.
Angus Tuck: Don't be
afraid of death, Winnie. Be afraid of the un-lived life.
It is funny the way we live life here. We are sequestered
for now, while we dream of the things we will do, the places we will travel,
and the lives we hope to impact. But we live. We focus on always dreaming and
planning. I am sitting here on the second floor lounge waiting for my turn in
the “confessional” that Sarah has persuaded us all to do. Alex K is sitting here
joking about marrying Blaine who I sent a One Republic picture to today! I am
going to be the flower girl in the wedding! But we are here bonding while we
still interact with everyone around us. Many of the FISI participants are from
all around Europe and we have conversations at the weirdest times. I was in the
traditional sauna and one participant talked to me all about Eastern Europe and
my project and how much I will enjoy where I am. Or the woman who gave me a
massage today conveyed that I am “bony” to me. We are lucky to get to interact
at meals with so many nationalities and truly broaden our horizon. I know that
every Bulgarian Language Class my professor says the funniest things that truly
make me question how genders are truly viewed here. This is a masculine society
yet while teaching the gender conjugations she says “everything that is female
is simple and beautiful, everything that is male, messes it up.” I’m not sure
she realizes how much we enjoy her comments!
But we live here. This is my home now, I am here for a mere
year and there is no fence anymore to keep me in, and no fear of living to keep
me from exploring.
Tonight’s song is “Life Support” from RENT where a group of
people facing death continue to affirm life in their own group of “here.” Here
is to you pursuing your own “here!”
Anna
Side note, Youtube was hating me tonight, so please just google "Life Support, RENT' to see it!
If you have yet to figure it out readers, each post title is
a line of lyrics from a song that I find personally helpful or necessary for my
trip here and my blog. If any of you ever want to know more about the songs or
what they are feel free to let me know! I know I have comments to answer and I
am sorry I have yet to do that but I will get on it!
Ladies and gentlemen I can tell you that there is no better
hopeful feeling than realizing you are dancing a Bulgarian dance that you have
never learned, it is a circle dance and you are holding a Bulgarian woman’s
hand to your right and a Pakistani mans hand to your left-laughing, cheering,
and stumbling through. For a cultural sociologist this is a moment that you
hope for all your life, and at 23 I have been lucky enough to have this
experience. We had our goodnight dinner for the first week FISI attendees, and
the dancing was fantastic. We were so free and the nationalities that could
barely communicate on the dance floor were still managing the YMCA together and
cheering each other on. If every head of state, or country leader had this
experience I swear that world peace would be possible.
Jake lead that dance!
And turn around!
After that on Saturday we went to the Saeve Dupka Cave and
the Troyan Monastery. The cave was gorgeous, if you have seem “Tom and Huck”
from the 90’s with Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Bred Renfro- the cave looked like
the one in that film! We really enjoyed exploring, stumbling around, and
testing the acoustics. Sam wore his “foot shoes” which Rebecca said in response
to his declaration of love for them: ‘you are wearing foot shoes, you have no
rights.” Of course she was kidding, but it is great the fun remarks that have
occurred! It seems like every minute there is a fun joke that occurs, or we
exchange an interesting story.
Then we went to the monastery which to say was breathtaking
would be an understatement. The line to touch the icon was out the door, and
the inside was a gorgeous blue and clearly hundreds of years old. George, one of
the Fulbright Professors heading to teach near Sofia, told us about how the
Greek Orthodox services work and the differences between America and Europe. It
was great to not only get to explore a gorgeous monastery but also gain fun
facts.
After the monastery there was a type of market/carnival
taking place in the street leading to the monastery. Alex bought some Turkish
Delight, which I have never tried and I was grateful he offered me a piece.
Readers the orange kind is delicious!! I suggest trying it! This Bulgarian
couple saw K.C. taking pictures of the fruit and wanted their picture taken,
which was a wonderful cultural exchange. There was also a monkey that people
could take pictures with so of course I could not resist- it was an adorable
monkey! The trip lasted most of the day and we were exhausted when we got back
but none of us I think cared very much.
He ended up driving the car
I think we all needed that day out though, we have been kind
of sequestered her at the resort. Which is a beautiful place and we are very
lucky to be hosted here. But being out in the culture, in a colorful market,
around the population, visiting national treasures really did us all some good.
For me, being in the culture itself helped cure my homesickness! It helped us
get out and just relax while learning first hand about our new home.
Which reminds me, FUN FACT TIME!!! I am a huge Mark Twain
fan, and in googling Tom and Huck last night because of the caves, I found out
that there is a new version of Tom and Huck coming out in October 2013, with Jake
T. Austin from Wizards of Waverly Place starring. Why is this a fun fact you
ask? As you stare at your screen, thinking, “such an odd woman.” WELL it was
filmed in Bulgaria last August! How fun is that? I have to wonder if they will
have even a small premiere here to give back some more to the country.
Today I was able to sleep in, then hit the sauna which
helped me de-stress. It was nice to just relax and feel the calm now that I
have adjusted to being here. Then I got to have a lot of fun with everyone here
making plans for Transylvania at Halloween, and where I should go for
Christmas. George organized a trip to see Elysium at the local movie theatre.
It was wonderful to go and work on communicating with a non-English speaking
movie theatre worker, and try to use our Bulgarian. The movie was fantastic, I
definitely recommend going! I just thought of 6th grade Latin, and
my graduate course on Immigration the whole time. With some Existentialism fit
in of course ;) A local woman helped us figure out how to buy our tickets and
took our photo!
At dinner we arrived in time to find K.C. watching these
kids that are in our group- Ben and Annabet. Adorable children who decided we
all needed “spa treatments” with their sandals! So I got my hair brushed with a
sandal, then they picked out ice cream for us to have for dessert and Annabet
sat in my lap “helping” me eat it. It was adorable readers, she would just look
up at me, and this innocent 5 year old would say “kisses!!!” and then kiss my
nose, or cheek. Then when I wasn’t holding her on my lap with both hands I
would feel her tiny fingers find mine and pull me closer so she felt safe. It
makes me even more excited for when my sister has children. I love kids, and
getting to watch these two was very fun. They tell you that you will learn a
lot about yourself when doing Fulbright, but no one told me I would learn a lot
about myself while a 5 year old brushed my hair with a fork, Little Mermaid
style.
I also got to skype call with my mom, sister, and Nunny. My
Nunny is the most amazing woman in the world. If I could be 1/20th
of the person she is when I am her age (if I make it to 92!) I would feel
complete. She is overly loving, and she supports everything I do. I told her
about traveling around and no matter what I do she just tells me she is proud
and supports me. It was great to see her smiling face again as a year away from
it permanently, would be heartbreaking for me.
It has been a great weekend. Just hanging out, getting to
bond even more and make plans together. The other people here are very
accepting of my illness, of my staunch equality focus, and of how easily I
laugh at myself. It is fantastic to be around people who have the same mission
you do, but recognize that we are all getting to the same result a different
way and that is ok. Bonding with these people over the last week has been the
experience of a lifetime, and if they ever read this I hope they know how they
have added to my personhood, and my respect for life.
Tonight’s song is “Seize the Day” from Newsies on Broadway.
Newsies is my favorite movie and the soundtrack got me through the tough parts
of life. The Broadway musical has only increased my passion for it, as well as
added a new generation of activists to New York!
"DAVEY
Now is the time to seize the day
Stare down the odds and seize the day
Minute by minute that's how you win it
We will find a way
But let us seize the day
Courage cannot erase our fear
Courage is when we face our fear
Tell those with power safe in their tower
We will not obey!
DAVEY & JACK
Behold the brave battalion that stands side by side
Too few in number and too proud to hide
Then say to the others who did not follow through
You're still our brothers, and we will fight for you
DAVEY, JACK, and CRUTCHIE
Now is the time to seize the day
Stare down the odds and seize the day
NEWSIES
Once we've begun
If we stand as one
Someday becomes somehow
And a prayer becomes a vow"
The internet went wonky here yesterday so...no post. I am
sorry! But I will make it up to you.
Aida: We are lucky that we have a Mozart festival playing
literally in our backyard with these gorgeous sets and amazing singers. I went
to watch it with the other Fulbrighter’s and we got all dressed up, grabbed our
cameras and settled in. It was beautiful, but I still can’t help but prefer the
musical. Maybe because I am only at intermediate Italian so there are some lost
parts, but also because the ending is sadder in the opera. The Egyptian man and
the Nubian woman who have fallen in love in a time of war and against all the
rules are buried alive together, but in the musical they are reunited in the
next life showing that love truly never dies. A very beautiful thought (even
for a cynic about love like me.) However a man spun fire and awhile after the
opera when I was in my pajama shorts and tank in the lobby I got off of the
elevator and walked straight into the fire man who laughed at me in a friendly
way and said goodnight. I am so lucky to have these fun cultural exchanges!
Dressed for the Opera!
There are so many beautiful things I am learning here. I am
learning that there is a Fulbrighter here named Aviva that wants to be a
clinical psychologist and is a truly inspiring person. She also plans to direct
the Vagina Monologues at a university and I am hoping to take the bus to Varna
and join in. Spread feminism, attack sexist issues, and have fun while doing
it.
Then there is Jake who is always a laugh, in the best
possible way. He likes to get us really excited and energetic so we can make it
through a hectic day. He will do funny things like the other day, he was so
thrilled he remembered “bagladaria” which is how you say “thank you” that when
the restaurant worker responded in Bulgaria he panicked, not remembering what
to say next and gave her two thumbs up walking away! Then would struggle eating
eggs out of tiny bowls, and we have a great time as a group at breakfast just
bonding, discussing life, our homes, fandom, the “Southern Region Rangers,” and
comment on our fantastic teacher who when we said the word for free she
responded with “freedom is an illusion.” I agree but god we love her!
We also have “cat time” here! Back story: When I went to
live in the Czech Republic I left my cat who is a “tortoise” cat which only
bonds to one person, at home. I have had her since she was 8 weeks old, she is
extremely bonded to me, we “talk” since she has a voice box, and she has to
touch me to fall asleep.Well when
I moved there for the summer after the first week she was not eating, sleeping
dangerously on the stairs where someone could step on her and looking out the
door. So my mother takes my kitty to the vet who asks if there was a major
environment change for my kitty and they say no. So the vey asks who usually
feeds her etc. and when she found out it was me, I am her mother, and I am in a
different country she was adamant that, that was the biggest possible
environmental change! What we ended up doing was skyping every day for a few
moments so she could hear my voice or see my face and instantly she was back to
eating. While here I now skype my mom during lunch at 2, which is 7 am her time
when she is getting ready for work and my cat will eat then. But the other
amigos here overheard what I was doing and now they join in, meowing at her or
asking if it is cat time. It is a silly tradition I know but I am glad people
are joining in and having fun with it. Plus my kitty is eating.
Angry that her Mommy is gone!
Fun fact section: in Bulgarian “here” is TYK and “there” is
TAM…but TYK is pronounced “took” like the last name of the hobbits in the Lord
of the Rings…I am overwhelmingly thrilled every time I say that word! We also
learned the words for things like “free” and now I use it in the most
ridiculous situations like when a baby is allowed out of his high chair I say
he is “svaborna” which is how you pronounce it. Or when I want juice it is
pronounced “sock” so I combine the two to reference Dobby from Harry Potter and
say that by giving Dobby juice he is free!
Today:
So as you all read I arrived here very ill but it hasn’t
left me yet. Today I was so sick during language class that the man in front of
me who is a professor at the conference turned around and after asking how I
was, he sent me back to my room to rest. He went to my instructor for me to
tell her I needed to rest and it was truly wonderful of him. His name is George,
which just made me think of my godfather and how supportive he has always been
about my health and life choices. I ended up napping in my room after being
sick some more and finally felt better. The head of my program offered to take
me to the hospital, but I wanted to stay here. They think I probably got food
poisoning L
but it was comforting how much they focused on my being well over missing half
a class.
He is brilliant and very "House" like
We ended up at a round table discussion regarding journalism
and though we were all tired and thought it was not required and had the
grumbles when we found out it was- god was I glad we went! First off we found
out a lot about the Bulgarian culture and media over here. Bulgarian papers and
media are not allowed to mention bank names or criticize, the same with
politicians during election season. And many papers are owned by a monopoly so
it is hard for journalists to make a living on the truth.
Further though, the Professor at the table was the
equivalent to the Bulgarian Hugh Laurie. He was amazing and brilliant. You
could tell he couldn’t stand when someone spoke who wasn’t as intelligent. I
asked him for his information after to follow his writings as well as for my
sister Kate, who is a journalist and I think she’d like his writings. He took a
picture with me and I was over the moon!
Tonight we have the first week closing ceremony at the Golf
Club, which is a fancy event and I am pretty excited. This first week has been
a wonderful experience of learning Bulgarian language, preparing to teach 540
students, bonding with each other, forming inside jokes, preparing for travels,
plotting adventures, and having a wonderful time. This is truly the first week
of the rest of our amazing lives and impacting others lives. Dream come true!
Tomorrow we travel to Saeva Dupka cave and the Troyan
Monastery! I can’t wait to report back with pictures!
Anna
Today's song is: "Every story is a love story" from Aida the Broadway musical. It let's you think about love never dying. I like to insert "passion" for love, and my passion for being an activist will hopefully never die. But it also points out that human kind has sweeped throughout history and it is good to think on that, how unique each persons story is and take that to heart when you discount others, their rights, and their lives. (Warning it seriously kicks it at 2:30, don't put it up too high!)
