Island Living

My Greek vacation was exactly what I needed. It was relaxing, beautiful, full of history and beaches, and topped-off with the two coolest girls I know. Perfect. The highlights would be...

Seeing the Acropolis:

Eating and drinking delicious things:

Hanging out with "The Funny People":

Playing the "Two Guys, One Vespa" game (I don't have a pic - only a link)

Exploring the prettiest place I've ever seen (which is saying a lot cuz I'm from So-Cal and that place is full of amazing sights):

And, finally, lying on the beach. An activity I missed this past summer for the first time in, I'd say, 20 years. Felt darn good:

I've been back to school for a week now and, at first, wanted to shoot myself or get on a plane back home (post-vacation depression amplified by the fact that my work is in a foreign country and there aren't many people in my village who get how hard this is for me sometimes). But, after a few days, just like I knew it would, the routine of my pre-vacation life returned and I'm back in the swing of things - which isn't a phrase I'm particularly drawn to as swings tend to make me nausous, for reals.

Yesterday, my counterpart, three awesome students, and I went to Sofia for the First Annual Bulgarian National Spelling Bee. My students did so well (one of them even made it to the finals!!!) and we celebrated with McDonalds and a fun walk around the center of Sofia.

pre-SB cram session

I'm currently in the process of writing a project in order for my school to receive the funding for a new English classroom/Resource room and it's already daunting and full of unnecessary drama. I expected nothing less so I'm ready for the challenge. It would be my dream come true if the women at my school could come together as a team and realize that this particular strategy not only works better all-around and saves time but keeps the volunteer from wanting to rip her hair out and run away.

I'll keep on dreaming.

Also, because I'm a Secondary Coordinator for the International Writing Olympics, I've just received the winning essays from each participating country in order to judge them and choose those which I feel are the best of the best. So far the essays have been pretty great and I have a feeling that Bulgaria is going to do really well. We had some truly amazing essays written by some brilliant Bulgarians. While reading some of them, I forgot completely that English was their second language. It's moments like those that give hope and encouragement to the future of Bulgaria and knowledge that our work here, with these students, really does mean something.

Anyway, enough of that sentimental глупости. I'm getting more and more excited about my upcoming trip to the States. I can't wait to see my friends and family! It's going to be the relief I need at the end of a trying school year. That's all. Take care - love and kisses from The Bulge.

-Age

I'm Like Your Grandma, Only Without the Knitting Needles

I'm sitting here, waiting patiently for Spring. With Spring comes, not only sunshine and warmer weather, but all the things I miss and love about being a volunteer here in Bulgaria: my volleyball team, my adult English course with the best Bulgarian ladies EVER, and the ability to exercise and not feel like a hybernating bear.

Though, there are a surprising number of things going on currently that I'm pretty darn excited about. First, I'm a Co-Secondary Organizer (Official title. Fancy, right?) of the International Writing Olympics here in The Bulge. Several countries from this neck of the wordly woods are competing and Bulgaria is participating for the first time. Which means, we're kind of new at this. Vaune, the coordinator, basically our boss, is an amazing volunteer who has taken-on this project with gumption and only minor skepticism. She has delegated to Megan (the other Co-SO) the task of collecting 21 prizes for the first round of the competition. Things started off slow - like us planning a trip to Sofia with letters written in English and Bulgarian asking major bookstores and publishers to donate to our event only to find that all the bookstores were closed - no one is interested in reading on Saturdays, apparently. But, after the PC office promised us old Bulgarian-English dictionaries and the amazing Valya gave me the email to a woman at the embassy who has already started looking for other prizes for us, things are looking up!

The event takes place this Thursday and I have some students from the local high school interested. Though I've taken on a bit too much lately and haven't been able to make my way over there in awhile, I hope that more students have decided to sign-up and I'll have some seriously great essays to take with me to Sofia for judging in just a few short weeks. Then, it's on to the the International part of the competition (which means our work is pretty much over and the more exciting aspect of the competition begins!)

Also, some more awesome volunteers are coordinating a spelling bee for Bulgaria and I and my counterpart, Reni, are participating. I am working with not only my school, but a school in a neighboring village becuase the English teacher there had a PC volunteer at one time and is still very intersted in the things we do, naturally. We've decided to have our own practice SB between the two schools at the end of February and then move on the the regional aspect of the competition in late March. Eventually, our best students will wind-up in Sofia to compete nationally. I'm pretty excited about this as I have some pretty amazing 2nd and 6th graders (as well as one stupidly smart 4th grader) who I feel will go really far. The list of words for each grade is long - 250 words - but I know they can do it, I've got some smarties.

Being a teacher here in BG is exhausting. So exhausting that I've been abbreviating for some time now, I'm sure you've noticed. Also, I'm too lazy to spell-check and find out if "abbreviate" has two b's or not. I go to bed at 9:00pm. Like an old lady or a 3rd-grader. I'm either 9 or 79 depending on whether I drink apple juice or warm milk before falling asleep. Don't judge me.

Anyway, like I said, I'm sitting here, waiting not so patiently for Spring. It snowed today. Snow, I'm beginning to really despise you. Though, I recently bought (or PC bought) a ton of wood for my pechka (stove) to keep me warm over the next couple months - as soon as I get a key to the garage it's locked away in, I'll be warm and toasty. Mmmmm, toast. I'm gonna go make some. Ciao.

Wait! I also recently found out I'm going home to the States for a two-week vaca in June!!! I'm so excited that 3 exclamation points really don't feel sufficient so...

! x Infinity = my excitement (it's probably algebra and can't be debated. Math never lies, I'm that excited.)

-Age