Whats going on....

I have been really busy these last two weeks in Topolovgrad. Things have been going much better. Im really enjoying having the freedom to cook for myself again. Im adapting to cooking for one. Its a strange and not really enjoyable sensation to cook and not have anyone to share it with. Here is my take on a Bulgarian dish, Pile sus oriz (Chicken and Rice)


I went for a hike the other day to this group of anciant Thracian houses "dolums" they are pretty spiffy. They remind me of houses in the Flintstones cartoons.


Last weekend I went to a conferance in the city of Sliven that was put on by the International Organization for Migration. It was supposed to be an educational seminar on how to do projects and education regarding Migration and Human trafficking. Unfortunatly it wasnt very informative, and became more of a "networking" weekend. It was good anyways because I got to see alot of my PC friends, and meet alot of really proactive Bulgarians who are working in their communites to affect real change. And I got alot of ideas for things I can do in Topolovgrad and in my classes. We also got to ride a chairlift up (part of) the Balkan mountains that sliven is nestled up against.



Last Monday and Tuesday I got to help out with a summer day camp in my town. It was alot of fun; I got to meet alot of the younger kids in the town and play games like Sharks and minnows and capture the flag, Bulgarian Style. It was a good reminder of how kids are pretty much the same the world over. Really made me excited for my time here. Here are some pictures from Topolovgrad.

The local Yasovir (resivore [sp?])




Sunset from my balcony



On Friday I went to the Black Sea coast for a weekend peace corps gathering. Unfortunatly I forgot my camera, but you can trust me it was beautifull. I swam, sunbathed, and there was even a bonfire at night with marshmalllows and vodka (this is bulgaria after all.) I met alot of volunteers from earlier groups, who I hadn't really gotten a chance to meet. My circle of friends gradually grows the longer im here, and makes it a little easier knowing more people who are in the same boat as me.

Basically im trying to fill my days and enjoy my new life. Its very hard sometimes but im making the best of it. This week you can be praying for oportunities to open up in this town, and the opening of peoples hearts. There is significant small town political squabling going on right now, and alot of people here arent to thrilled that im here. Its not connected to me, america, or the peace corps, but it does affect me alot, and i find myself wondering if I couldnt be more effective somewhere else.

Im a cold hearted jerk

A disclaimer: You can find dumb ignorant people all over the world, I just happen to live in the Adirondacks of Bulgaria, so I hear alot of interesting things.

So today im visiting Yambul (a nearby city) with some people from Topolovgrad, one of who "speaks" english. We had the following conversation almost completely in bulgarian, and I understood close to 100 percent of it.

The italics are things im thinking in my head as im listening.

1- Hey theres the mosque. Tell Nolan about the mosque.
2- (in english) N O L oooo N.... this is a turkish church, we call it Djamea (mosque)
me (in bg)- thats very nice, it looks very old.
1- thats the largest mosque in Bulgaria.
2- really?
3- are you sure?
1- actually its the biggest in Europe.
2- wow, well it figures, its very big.
3- really?
1- Im positive
3- Im not sure.....
(WTF? are we looking at the same mosque? Thank god 3 has some marbles.)
1- tell nolan about the mosque.
2-(in english) N O L oooo N this is the most ancient djamea in Alllll (insert hand gesture) Evropa. And it is also the largest in Evropa.
(*blank look* where did that come from?)
me - the oldest?
2- oh yes!
me- and largest?
2- oh yes!
me- Oh, I thought the largest djamea in bulgaria was in the Shumen region? (its famous)
3-he's right, that one is very big.
1- No this ones bigger.
2- No N O L ooo N the largest is right here in front of you. (with a voice reserved for 4 year olds) You are very lucky to see this djamea today.
me- And its the oldest in europe?
2- Yes
(I can't ake this any more, these people are just making stuff up!)

(We walk up to the plaque: "constructed in 1844 by the ottoman......" )

I point to the date on the plaque. Its quiet for a second while they read it. Then seeing that they were completely wrong, what do they do? Stand their ground of course.

1- Well that doesn't seem very old.
2- All the other mosques must have been built after that.
(OMG!! They actually believe their own lies)
(At least 3 will get it)
3- Oh, remember there was that earthquake?
(Ahhhhggggggg!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
2- (spoken as fact in english) N O L ooo N this is the oldest djamea in europe, the others where destroyed in an earthquake.
(A pan european earthquake?)
me- Is that so?

I give up, these people can't be beat. 5 minutes latter we are sitting at a cafe and the conversation has moved on. But the mosque is just tearing me up inside. I am one of those people who cant stand it when a fact is wrong, i was going to will this little game and win it in bulgarian. I was gonna be the american, bringing enlightenment and reason. so here it goes.....

me- OK, so i understand that the mosque is the oldest in europe, but there mave to be bigger ones in europe, no?
1- You really like mosques don't you?
me- I more like history (this is my bg)
2- Yes N O L ooo N this is the most oldest of all arab churches (she reverts to this? we already established i know the bg word for mosque) in the whole of europe.
3- The Turks (pretends to spit on the floor) were here longer than anywhere else in europe. Until we threw off the yoke of turkish slavery in 18.......
(Oh no! Not the Turkish yoke again......)
me- (cutting 3 off) But what about the djameas is Turkey? There are djameas in Istanbul that are much older than 1844.
1- Istanbul isn't in europe.
me- really? where is it? ( I havn't got sarcasm down in bg yet, but im trying really hard)
1- Istabul is in turkey.
me- Yes but that part of turkey is in europe.
1- No its not.
(OK, well every nation teaches geography differantly. Letts find out where europe ends and asia starts)
me- so where do europe and asia meet?
3-the border between turkey and bulgaria. (15k from my bed, who knew i was so close?)
me- So when i stand on mt. zacar (behind town) and I look down on bryagnovo (a village on the other side of the valley that is inhabited by bulgarians but is inside turkey) Im looking at Asia?
1- No NO NO NO!!!!! (accompanied my wild hand gestures)
1- Those are Bulgarians!!!
me- Im not talking about the people, im talking about the land, the continent.
2- N O L ooo N I shall explan this to you.... Bulgarians live in europe. Turks (fake spit) live in Asia. I don't know what things they teach you in american schools. This is like yesterday when you tried to tell me that ostriches are from africa not australia. Emu's in australia! hahahaha My children know that emus are from africa and ostriches are from australia. Hahahaha......(pats my head, I kid you not)
(this cant be happening)
me- So where am i right now?
2- right now?
me- right now!
2- A cafe.
me- where?
2- In bulgaria.
me- in Evropa? (spoken with all the contempt i could muster)
2- yes....
Me-No, you have an error (thats how i speak in bg.) Im an american, im in america.
Right here this chair, its part of the american continent. hahahahaah.....

3 chuckles (proving he has some brains) and the other two just stare at me like im insane. I could care less. These people are beyond help (not bulgarians in general, but the backwards ones.) I can take confidence in the fact that their little safety bubble is being eaten up by a modern world order that punishes societies for ignorance and laziness.

I will never fit in here, and im happy about that.

I have be notified that some of you want to see the pictures BIGGER.

Picky picky picky

OK, just click one of them. Its gonna take you to Photobucket.com in the upper right hand corner there is a little space to type in stuff type: normewu Push enter.

You DONT have to sett up an account.

You will go to my photostorage gallery. You can look at anything you want. There is stuff in there from before Bulgaria, but he current stuff is in front so no digging is required.

Enjoy.

22 down.

Well today hasn't been the best birthday ever, but it hasn't been the worst either so it aint so bad. A quick wrap-up of the last week (My first out on my own in Bulgaria):

Friday we had out official swearing in ceremony in Sofia, Bus schedules being what they are I couldn't stay in the capital and celebrate with my friends that night. I made a quick exit to the bus station and caught my 7 hour bus ride to Topolovgrad (hereafter refered to as Turkmenistan.)

Saturday: I stared at the 4 walls of my bare concrete block apartment (I must admit I dont see the benifits of building EVERYTHING out of one material). Realized I am completely alone.

Sunday: Felt a little sick. Realized ALL the stores AND restaurants in my little town are closed on sundays. Was very hungry. Went for a walk in the rain. Found plums. Ate quite a few.

Monday: Felt very sick. Ran some errands, bought some things for the bare apartment. Went to Haskovo (the regional center) and applied for my identity card. Spent 4 hours in beurocratic red tape, with a fever. Went home with high fever and slept.

Tuesday: Called the PC doctors at 6am with a 103.6 fever. Lotts of stuff happened after this, but suffice to say that @7pm I had some medicine and a diagnosis (strep throat.)

Wednesday: The wonders of modern medicine, I start to feel better. Stayed in bed all day, drank grape juice.

Today: Feeling 80% Went to school, they had a little party for me. A cute speech, cake, a present from the school, and a song. Had coffee with some of the few people in town who know me. I got a ton of (maybe 10) emials, phone calls, and text messages from other volunteers and people in the states, made me feel great. Found Dyuners(gyros) in town. Im a very happy content boy.

Its been a rough week, but things are getting better. Im settling into my apartment, cleaning, painting, and making it look nice. Im cooking again after 3 months away, i forgot how theraputic it is.

Those who feel like it are highly encouranged to pray for joy and encourgement as they have been hard to come by lately.

Marcy & Kim having a philosophical discussion over glasses (or in my case: muggs) of Baba Vassi's homemade wine in her garden. The stuff is amazing, apperantly the key is honey. Anyways it has numerous benifits, including making the bulgarian language a bit less daunting.


The single biggest weakness of a PC Volunteer in Bulgaria: Adorable street puppies.


It had been 2 months without peanut butter, enough said.


Me suffering under the back breaking labour of being a volunteer.
But seriously.... they have Pink Grapefruit Fanta, which can singlehandedly turn a day around.


Rila Monastary. A UNESCO world heritage sight. What the pictures dont quite convey is its location tucked away in a narrow mountain valley high in the mountians.





The fatefull day when I was banished to Turkmanistan (my little nickname for my new home on the turkish border, Toplovgrad.) Also known as "site anouncment"


Topolovgrad ("city of poplar trees") is really quite charming. I havent seen any poplar trees, Im sure the Turks cut them down.


The road to Topolovgrad. We are a bit of the beaten path.

Alexander Nevski Cathedral (if it looks big its cause its freakin HUGE)


Your typical ex soviet eastern european capital (now with NATO flags)


A monument to 1300 years of Bulgarians in the Balkans, apperanty before that they enjoyed wandering to steepes of asia from time imemorial. (I think it looks a bit like T-Rex)


The Cosmopolitan city of Blagoevgrad (feels like your in europe)


The beautifull shoe manafacturing center of Dupnitsa (the hole), nestled up against the highest mountain in the Balkans.


A beautifull dying house in the city of Kyustandil on the border with Macedonia.


Jamie just outside of Bobov Dol. I think he comliments Mt. Rila Dont you?


Bulgaria has some amazingly beautifull mountains (coming from a Washingtonian this is no small compliment)

The cars of Bobov Dol


The Train (my favorite mode of transport)


The only kind of driving i will be doing for 2 years


If I could drive I would drive this car. The Lada Niva 4x4

My training site: Bobov Dol


A (small) part of the mine


My Bulgarian Family (they dont bite)


My fellow volunteers in Bobov Dol (minus Jamie) and our language teacher Ani.

In the begining...

Well im starting this blog as a way to let my friends in America and Bulgaria keep up with my adventures in this corner of the world. Hopefully I with avoid writing in it on days when nothing seems to be going right (like today).