Middle Child Syndrome

It’s a well-known fact that middle children are always the ones who end up getting screwed over. The eldest are generally leaders who’ve been taught since birth to be independent and self-reliant. The youngest are usually indulged and allowed immense amounts of freedom which encourages them to become creative and care-free. The middle children? Screwed. Every time. They own the short end of the stick.


Being an education major I’ve taken many silly classes about many silly things and have learned that there are very few famous middle children. There are many famous older children, however, and they tend to fall into political, social, and scientific prestige. Presidents and Nobel Prize winners and stuff. The fame of the youngest more often than not falls under the umbrella of music, literature, and art. Creative crap like that. Famous middle children? Either no one cares enough to do the research or there just aren’t any.

It’s as if having more than two children automatically throws one of them into mediocrity and there’s nothing that can be done about it.

Though, to be fair, middle children do have a pretty significant redeeming quality. A characteristic that is almost solely associated with all things middle. They are great moderators. When you put the word “middle” into your thesaurus it will come up with words like “heart” and “core” and “focal point.” I don’t think that’s a coincidence. OK. I know it’s actually a coincidence but for the sake of this post…

I, if you couldn’t already tell, am a middle child. I have some debatable aspects to my family that make my middle-child status a bit questionable but we’ll put that aside for the moment. I am also a moderator. I get very involved with people’s problems and dilemmas and feel this need, obligation even, to help solve them. The thing is, this being in the middle business can be tricky.

There are times when I am so deep in the middle of someone else’s problem that it somehow becomes my problem. I’m the ear, the shoulder, the staff, the rod, the Doer-of-Things and I end up thinking to myself, “How in the world did you get here? What were you thinking? Can’t you just mind your own business and let people work it out for themselves? Sheesh, woman.”

Anyway, that’s where I am currently. Getting all up in the grills of others. I swear I do it cuz I am a loving, caring, and compassionate person but that all becomes fuzzy and debatable when I get to this point. Oops. Who knew my issues from back home would follow me to Bulgaria? Once a middle-child, always a middle-child.

-Age

For The Keeper of Things, The Watcher of Stuff, and The Beautiful One from The Keeper of Time

Here’s a shout out to my old satellite group members: Katelyn, Tom, and Mary who were often the source (and sometimes the butt) of some really great jokes. However, there were many hilarious things said in total seriousness without the intention of being funny at all. Oh, but they were. I kept a list – that’s just who I am. Below is just a small taste of some of the accidental and hilarious things uttered during PST:


• I love banana

• I need another male

• You can tell us tо спрете (pronounced “spread ‘em” in our early Bulgarian)

• Save Water. Bathe with a friend.

• Would you like to go pervy? (pervy is the Bulgarian word for first)

• Lips don’t matter, I only care about long tongues (yeah, this was said. Aloud.)

• Good guesses. Bad choices.

• I love female endings

• There’s a douche in there (douche is the Bulgarian word for shower)

o We decided that we would all buy a bag for our shower items. Get it? A doucebag?

• You should really fill that hole (that’s what she said)

• Nice melons

• What do you wear when you hook? (Answered, “Not much”)

• That’s also the name of one of my husbands

And my all time favorite thing said in complete seriousness. The sentence that made me literally cry with laughter. The utterance that caused me physical pain and yet so much joy:

• How do you say, “The voices in my head” in Bulgarian?

For those of you who know my satellite group members, I’ll give you one guess as to who said that. Aw, I’m gonna miss seeing those crazy fools every day.

Hey, it’s my 100th post! It only took me 1 ½ years. I think it fitting that it celebrates spending 100 days with my satellite group. I’m pretty sure 11 weeks is the same as 100 days. Don’t argue with me.

So here’s to you, Tarnava group: Аз обичам ви. Много. Винаги.

Our community project involved making two signs for the city of Tarnava. Here is one being made by Katelyn's host dad. He is very nice and often shirtless.

We had an unveiling ceremony in front of the Mayor's office to celebrate our new signs and to unite the community. It was pretty awesome.

Here we are preparing for the ceremony

We all read a poem, in Bulgarian!!!

A local group of singers performed. And they were wonderful.

We also had a clean-up day prior to the ceremony with the kids from out summer school program. They did an amazing job preparing the city center as you can see.

Our language trainer, Veronika, who we would have been lost without. Literally.

Sexy pose time

Tsveti!

Family photo

Whilloughby!

]

Mmmmmm...Melba

Sexy pose time

I have one thing to say to you guys:

Good Times!

-Age

Run Down

All right. Even though I don’t have a clever post in mind at the moment I’m really feeling rather weary about the fact that my last post is titled “Mafia Bitch Geese” and I know my mother reads this (actually my mom may have found that post to be more hilarious than anyone else, but still). So I’m gonna just give a quick run-down of all that has been going on in my neck of the woods, that is, Bulgaria in case you’re new.

My satellite group and I finished Pre-Service Training with a bang and I passed my language test (phewph!).

We had a big Swearing-In ceremony in Vratsa before all being swept away to our permanent sites. I didn’t get to say the good-byes I would have liked to but I will be seeing all my PC friends soon as we are getting together for a week-long training at the end of August (I can’t wait).

Tom, from my satellite group sent me a long good-bye letter through facebook that made me cry (in the living room of a Bulgarian family that I had only just met that day). It was just what I needed to hear as I was feeling a bit lonely and overwhelmed. That first weekend alone in my new apartment was, yet again, a “what in the world have I gotten myself into” moment. But it passed and now I’m starting to feel as though this new place is really home.

Next week I start teaching two adult English courses (yikes!) as well as summer school for the kids. It will be nice to be busy and involved in the community. I’m anxious to really get to know people and make some friends.

My Bulgarian tutoring starts tomorrow. My counterpart, Reni, will be my tutor and we will study three hours every week, a welcome change to the three hours every day that I was studying in Pre-Service Training. Though, I really can’t wait to be able to speak Bulgarian well enough to have real conversations with those around me. Right now, I can really only talk to my counterpart and a very nice girl named Marietta who has befriended me. She is 25 and getting married next month and within 20 minutes of meeting her she invited me to the wedding. I love Bulgarians!

I’m still struggling with the same issue that I have been since day 1: How to make an impact. I have all the answers tucked away somewhere in my brain. Every time I doubt myself or my purpose here they just come flying out of nowhere. Quotes from Peace Corps staff, other volunteers, friends, family, bible verses, even things I’ve told myself. I know why I’m here. I know what I’m capable of as well as my limits but I still can’t seem to shake the feeling that I have no idea what I’m doing. I plan to have a positive attitude, to work hard and do absolutely everything I can think of to help my new community but I feel like this is going to be one of those experiences where I gain far more than I give. But, that’s a good thing, right? I’ll welcome the idea the best my overachieving, America brain can and even embrace the mistakes I will, without a doubt, make on a daily basis. Time to get serious.

I’ll be getting internet in my apartment soon which means pictures! Yeah! I have so much to share and since a picture is worth a thousand words and I’m pretty lazy I’ll just let them do the talking.

-Age

Stupid Mafia Bitch Geese

So, I may have mentioned this in a previous post but these

are the Bitch Geese. They run the small farming village I've been living in these past 2 months. They're the animal version of the mafia. They patrol in groups, clearing out entire street because people are afraid to walk past them and instead take a long, alternate routes in order to avoid them. And by people I mean me and my satellite group.

If you get too close they'll perk their little heads up and eyeball the crap out of you until you either back down or shamelessly run by really fast. If you don't escape in time, they will chase you, heads forward, wings flapping, honking the way only geese can and you have no choice but to half-scream, half-laugh at the ridiculous situation you're in. Stupid Mafia Bitch Geese.

If I weren't such a chicken, I'd punch one right in the face. Or, come to think of it, bitch-slapping may be more appropriate. But instead I do this:

Pictures borrowed from my favorite Bloggess

I figure, if this was The Godfather, there would be some competing mafia gang for me to seek assistance. That would probably have to be the packs of wild dogs that wander around debating whether they want to be ferocious or skiddish on a minute-to-minute basis. The thing is, I doubt even they would be willing to take on The Mafia Bitch Geese. They're simply too formidable. They control the monopoly on meandering (or waddling, if you will) down dirt roads and pecking at the ground which really isn't fair. Not that I mind the pecking but I do use those dirt roads on a daily basis. Stupid Mafia Bitch Geese.

It seems as though we Americans are the only one's who are afraid of them. It's a little embarrasing to stop dead in my tracks when I see these little, white beasts in the distance, catch my breath, and debate whether I have time to take a different road or check my bag for some type of weapon. Like an umbrella.

The trick, per locals, seems to be to simply walk by as if you don't care that the Bitch Geese are eyeballing you. I've tried this. But they seems to know I'm faking it. I think they can smell fear. Or maybe it's the fact that I'm sweating and keep looking at them form the corner of my eye. Plus, one flinch, even a small one, and you're done for. The Alpha Bitch Goose comes charging and I just run away screaming like a crazy person. Sigh. Stupid Bitch Geese.

Here's some photos of what I've been doing and where I will be living for the next two years! Yeah!

This is from our Bulgarian Language Workbook and, yeah, if you look closely, you can see the naked stripper in the background. Anyone want to go to the disco?

We had some really fun games at our 4th of July Celebration - at one point, all of the kids said, "Happy Birthday, America" in English without us having to prompt them. It was pretty great.

We also had a water balloon toss, watermelon, a baseball, and fireworks. Of course. Success!

We also got to blow up Osama Bin Laden's face - Game Over, Osama!

My group and I right before we found out our permanent sites. Very exciting. Ain't we good lookin'?

We went clubbing in Vratsa which was really fun!

And then we all took pictures like this. Cuz we're dorks. Obviously, I'm wearing glasses.

This is the view from the city where I will be living for the next 2 years! Pretty, no?

So's this.

They've also found an apartment for me to live so I'm pretty excited about that! Life is stressful right now but I'm excited about the future! Though I'm going to really miss my satellite group. I'm so attached to those fools!

-Age