Mexican Party and a trip to Sofia

Last weekend I had a party at my place in honor of Mexican Independance. A bunch of PC volunteers came (some of them from along ways away) for a weekend of food and friends. We made a mexican feast, watched movies, made our best tropical drinks and just hung out. On Saturday we all took a trip into Sofia. Pictures follow.

National Theatre Ivan Vazov


Some Ministry building


Sunset over the bloks.


Krissy and I on the bus home after a long day. Can you see how tired I am?

Old Pravetz

Lsat weekend I discovered "real" Pravetz. The part of town that was the original village, before the communist city was built.

A view of Pravetz valley from the edge of town.



An old barn


The abandoned church (there isnt a new one.)


Daphne and I at home. Everytime I sit down to my computer she climbs up onto my shoulder and watches attentivly.

Trams

Whenever I go to Sofia I get to ride the Trams. For some reason I love them. Stinky, crowded, and dirty to me they have this romantic link with the gray cold grinding of everyday life. They have new trams and I hate them, all covered in advertisments and equiped with quite brakes. I prefer the old East German ones, more noise and soul.







Into the horizon of Bloks.

Start of school, a trip to Pleven and Sangria wine.

So school officialy started on Friday. There weren't any actually classes but a nice little ceremony, and meeting with students and parents. Im very optimistic about the school year. Below is a picture of the outdoor assembly type ceremony.


On Saturday I took a trip to Pleven (a largish city in north Bulgaria) and met with Marcy for a day of wandering and exploring.

The city square complete with fountains, clock towers, and a river running through it.


The Pleven City Art Museum


Pleven was the site of a big battle between the Russians and the Ottoman Turks. This is a memorial to the soldiers that died.


A cool relief over the door the the memorial. St. George killing the Dragon. St. George is the patron saint of the Bulgarian Army.


I found a Mexican themed restaurant (the first I have found in the entire country.) While the food didnt really come close to being Mexican it was pretty decent.


They had Sangria, so of course Marcy and I had to split a pitcher. I think it was intender for more people but we managed to polish it off.



"To fall in love is to create a religion that has a fallible god."
I love Jorge Luis Borges.

Just a bit of randomness for you all.

Domestic Bliss

For the first time in many months im finally starting to feel at home somewhere. Walking through the housing complex (a group of about 30 giant soviet apartment bloks) people wave and the ladies at the food stores (magazini) help me out and ask how im doing. More importantly im starting to feel like I could really be happy here. Heres a quick tour of my apartment.

The Bedroom/Office/Living Room




The Kitchen/Dinning Room






I attempted to make Pralines for the neighbors.




I spent all day Sunday roasting peppers with Marcy. This is the first (extremely labour intensive) step in making Lutenitsa, a Roasted Peppers/Tomatoes puree paste that is delicious.

You drop the washed and de-seeded pepper in the red hot ceramic roaster cylinder thingy.


Allow to roast about 2 minutes then remove and repeat about 2 million times.


Delicious!!!

My Inner Mexican

Yesterday was Unification Day in Bulgaria. It celebrates the unification of the modern bulgarian state with south bulgaria which had been a puppet government of the Ottoman empire.

I went with a fellow teacher to her famlies orchard in a traditional village pretty high up in the mountains. We went to pick plums (sleevy) in order to make Rakiya, Bulgaria's national drink. I picked about 110 kilograms (I ate a few kilos also) in the few hours we were picking. It was a big family affair with the entire extended family there. One of the uncles commented that i was a quick picker, and in my head I couldn't help but laugh at all the times mom would tell me I was "hecho en Mexico" (Made in Mexico) I guess im part mexican after all.

After we filled the entire truck with plums we had a huge Picnic and I took a cat nap in the sun. All in all it was a great day, and I came home tired and feeling good about being exactly were I am.

On the way to the Village


My love affair with Russian cars continues....


The Truck (1979 Tatra, Poland) that we filled with over 900kilos of plums.


A Balkan Orchard

Im still alive....barely

Yes I havn't been the best about posting lately. Long story, really short.

I had some serious problems in Topolovgrad and decided that I didnt want to stay there. So about 3 weeks ago the PC moved me to Pravetz. A nice little town in the Balkan mountains, about an hour north of the capital Sofia. Im going the the settling in period all over again. I have internet again, and im back in the swing of things. Here are a bunch of pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Pravets in Spring, Summer, Fall, & Winter.







Welcome to Pravetz



The Center



My School





My Kitten "Daphne"





She likes to climb the walls



Me & my friend Marcy @ a Bulgarian carnival.



A Beautifull old house in downtown Sofia.



Some pictures I took near NDK (National Palace of Culture) in Sofia.