Wow, it's July!

I can hardly believe it's already July 1st as I sit down to write this post. I've been here in Bulgaria for about 14 months and by the end of the month I will have lived here in Sliven for a year. It's strange to think how long I've been away because on the one hand it seems like just a few weeks have passed yet on the other it seems like I've been gone forever. Exactly one week from today I will be headed back to the good old US of A to visit my family and friends. I can't describe how excited I am to spend time with them all. 

When I was first leaving for Bulgaria you couldn't have told me that I would be visiting MN in just over a year because I figured two years would be no problem. It turns out, I really miss seeing people back home and am so happy I have the vacation days available to make the trip. I feel like this is the perfect time to visit because I'm about halfway through my service and I feel like I will look forward to my 2nd year here in Bulgaria that much more by visiting home again. Email, letters, and skype are great and all but it's SO much better seeing people in person.

Getting away from my excitement to visit home I thought I'd focus on all things American since Monday marks Independence Day. I will be spending the 4th of July in a city nearby Sliven with a group of volunteers and local high schoolers, We will be hiking, doing a scavenger hunt, playing American jeopardy, and making our own soda just to name a few of the activities of the day. But to get back to things American again, my time here as a Peace Corps Volunteer has really made me appreciate being American. I feel that it's harder to figure out what "American" means while living in the United States since it's just a part of everyday life and we are an incredibly young nation. However, since I'm living here in Bulgaria things "American" have stood out in my mind more. I could go on and on with all things that are "American" to me however I felt it best to focus on one of our best qualities as a group of people.

We as Americans are truly diverse. We are filled with people of a different background, ethnicity, religion, native language, sexual orientation, and the list goes on and on. I truly appreciate this because I feel it leads us as citizens to be open to new ideas, ways of thinking, and possibilities. This of course is not true for every citizen however I come in contact with more diversity living in Minneapolis, Minnesota than here in Sliven, Bulgaria. I also feel this diversity helps allow people to dream and be creative because of the exposure to people different than themselves. Americans have no specific physical appearance which to me lends itself to being more of an inclusive community. Again, this is not true for everyone but I feel this is an incredible asset in working together toward a common goal. To me:

An American is someone like Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Someone who stands for his beliefs and believes in peace. 

An American is someone like Rachel Carson. Someone who works to make our world healthy and speaks out for the environment. 

An American is someone like Howard Zinn. Someone who works to tell the stories of everyone involved in an event and not just those who have power or money. 

An American is someone like Lady Gaga. Someone who strives to create original performances and fashion. 

An American is someone like Dolly Parton. Someone who uses her fame, artistry, and resources to promote literacy.

 

An American is someone like Gloria Steinum. Someone who stands for equality between the sexes. 

An American is someone like Oprah. Someone who proves you can be anything you want to be.

I could keep going with my list of people to exemplify being American; however, my questions to all of you Americans reading this post are:

How are you American?

and

Who do you think exemplifies the traits of an American and why?

Feel free to comment with your answer to this question and I wish you all an amazing Independence Day!

Peace, Love, Literacy, and Reckless Curiosity.

Today

Today I:

• Had coffee with the lovely Miss Neysa Nankervis (volunteer who lives near me).
• Started the process of renewing my Bulgarian ID card for my 2nd year here with my counterpart.
• Extended my internet contract for a 2nd year with my counterpart.
• Bought lovely heels to go with the dress I am almost finished with.
• Had lunch with the lovely Miss Neysa Nankervis.
• Went to an orphanage with the lovely Miss Neysa Nankervis for youth ages 18+ who have disabilities.
• Bought delicious nectarines and raspberries at the market.
• Went to the grocery store for some miscellaneous items and cat food.
• Walked back to my place.

There is now a lovely thunderstorm outside and I'm about to sit down to watch the season finale of The Killing (a great show I recently started watching and have been addicted to hosted on AMC) and last night's So You Think You Can Dance while I work on a few things I need to finish up. Today I even received a call from a friend's parents who are currently visiting Bulgaria which was fun. Thanks for the call Korthauers!  

Before I do all of that though I would like to elaborate a bit on my time at the orphanage. Neysa and I went there just to hang out with the kids. We brought with coloring pages, markers they could draw on their windows and mirror with, and some matching puzzles. They are a good group of kids and here are a few photos of our time together:

The rest of the photos taken by myself and the residents can be found here:

June 30th

Peace, Love, Literacy, and Reckless Curiosity.

Rose Festival and Last English Classes of the Year

Until now I haven't mentioned anything about the Rose Festival I was able to attend in Kazanluk Bulgaria or the end of the school year (at least the end for my 5th and 6th graders). Kazanluk is a city in central Bulgaria which happens to be located in the "Valley of the Roses". Therefore, each year they hold a rose festival in the city. The festival takes place over a week and includes a wide variety of rose products along with concerts, crowning of the Rose Queen, and a large parade. I was able to see the rose fields, watch a few of the concerts, and see the parade during the first weekend of June. I was happy to be there with a large group of volunteers and take everything in. We even got to do a little dancing which was fun. Also, there were a lot of tourists which was nice to see. Plus, we all got to meet the Mayor on Saturday morning and then have coffee with local high school students! I stayed both nights with a lovely volunteer who made us all not only delicious enchiladas but homemade banana pudding. I think it was the best pudding I've ever had, great job Naomi! I also learned that the pink roses are the best smelling and are used here for all the rose oil extraction. Here's a link to the album with my photos from the weekend:

Rose Festival 2011

The week of June 13th meant the last English classes of the school year for my 5th and 6th graders. This of course meant time for photos as I had taken some in the fall as well. I went to the end of year party with the students from 6A at a local cafe which was fun. All around, it was a great year! Here's the link to the album with photos from the last days of school:

Student Portraits

6A Party

Sorry this one was a bit short, but check back for another post tomorrow!

Peace, Love, Literacy, and Reckless Curiosity. 

Sunday's Hike in Topolitsa

Last Sunday I traveled to Topolitsa to go hiking and hang out with a few of the new volunteers in my area. Here's a map to show you were I went, it's not too far:

Sliven to Topolitsa

I traveled there by train with a volunteer who only lives 20 km away from me. It was nice to be with other volunteers and nice to be outside for most of the day. It was a new hike for all of us and it was a nice day to be outside as it was sunny but not too hot. After we got outside the village (and past the garbage dump) it was very beautiful. We walked for some time until the dried up river bed became an actual stream. There were several small waterfalls and pools we came to. I chose to sit near one of the pools while the other 3 volunteers walked a bit further. I found the pool to be the perfect habitat for frogs as it was full of tadpoles and I ended up seeing about 15 adult frogs. I even saw one eat a butterfly! There were also a few salamanders in the pond and a variety of large insects that came out as I sat there. I greatly enjoyed myself and took a LOT of photos which can be found under the album "Hiking in Topolitsa" under the links section. I met up with the other volunteers when they came back and we had a nice lunch together at the volunteers apartment. Then I headed back to Sliven. 

Garbage dump outside of Topolitsa:

How many frogs can you see?

Perfect habitat for a frog:

This guy came out to visit:

And this one was slightly creepy:

Peace, Love, Literacy, and Reckless Curiosity.

Core Expectations

The mission of the Peace Corps is to promote world peace and friendship. This is accomplished through these three goals:

1.      Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.

2.      Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.

3.      Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

In addition to the mission and goals, there are ten “Core Expectations for Peace Corps Volunteers” in order to assist volunteers in meeting the mission of promoting world peace and friendship. I thought that for today’s post I would write how I have met, am continuing to meet, or plan to meet the core expectations.

1.      Prepare your personal and professional life to make a commitment to serve abroad for a full term of 27 months.

While this expectation began when I first applied for the Peace Corps in August of 2009, there were many more milestones in this process. These milestones include receiving my nomination to serve in Eastern Europe in December of 2009, agreeing to serve as a volunteer in Bulgaria in March of 2010, and leaving for Bulgaria in May of 2010. I also helped meet this expectation by saying goodbye to my family and friends, deferring my student loans, and being confident in my decisions. Finally this expectation was met when I set foot in Bulgaria in May of 2010 with the decision that I would stay for a full 27 months.

2.      Commit to improving the quality of life for the people with whom you live and work; and, in doing so, share your skills, adapt them, and learn new skills as needed.

I have fulfilled this expectation in the fact that I am committed to my job here in Bulgaria however it is also one that is continually worked on because this incorporates all three of the Peace Corps goals. The main way I improve the “quality of life” of Bulgarians is by working effectively in my school teaching English. English is a great way for students to improve their lives as it gives them a much higher mobility. I also share skills with my colleagues in order to broaden their educational knowledge as well as my own. Finally, Peace Corps has helped me to learn and adapt my skills through trainings and the opportunity to live here in Bulgaria.

3.      Serve where the Peace Corps asks you to go, under conditions of hardship, if necessary, and with the flexibility needed for effective service.

Flexibility is extremely important here in Bulgaria as I use it almost every day. The “conditions of hardship” element to this expectation in my mind is mainly mental here in Bulgaria. I do not necessarily have physical hardship because I live in an apartment, have electricity, have a hospital nearby, have public transportation, and have access to a wide variety of stores. However, it is mentally exhausting (at times) to live in a culture where the changes I see are very small scale. I am not building schools; I am helping children learn English. I am not digging wells; I am helping people to understand the importance of the environment, clean water, and recycling. I am not the first foreigner most people have met; I am trying to educate others that not all Americans are financially wealthy. Basically, all types of change have their own hardships but changing mindsets can be exhausting work.

4.      Recognize that your successful and sustainable development work is based on the local trust and confidence you build by living in, and respectfully integrating yourself into, your host community and culture.

I have met this expectation in the sense that I recognize this and have almost completed my first year of service. My first year here in Bulgaria was a learning year. I have spent a great deal of time simply figuring out how to do things, what is important to the people I work with, what my student enjoy, and potentially why things have been done a particular way. The only way I feel Bulgarians can respect me if I respect them; therefore, I have tried to work similar to my colleagues this first year so that next year they will hopefully be more excited about trying things another way.

5.      Recognize that you are responsible 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for your personal conduct and professional performance.

It is an interesting feeling to know that I am representing “Americans” every day of my life here in Bulgaria. I may be the only American many of the people I know have ever had any type of relationship with which can be daunting in a way. While I do not feel that I dress differently than I would in the United States, I am a more reserved and quiet person here in Sliven, or at least to begin with. I feel I am pretty much the same person in a classroom setting however when it comes to interactions with community members and other Bulgarians I feel I am a bit more reserved. A great deal of this comes from not being fluent in Bulgarian however I also am more careful to not give a viewpoint on certain topics as Americans are very diverse and I don’t feel it’s always my place to give an opinion.

6.      Engage with host country partners in a spirit of cooperation, mutual learning, and respect.

This expectation is one that I find interesting even mentioned because it is both general and something I think all Americans should embody, one I hope I embody. In order to work cooperatively with anyone there needs to be respect and mutual understanding. Essentially, I hope this expectation is exemplified in many other places including schools, businesses, and communities (not only in the USA but around the world).

7.      Work within the rules and regulations of the Peace Corps and the local and national laws of the country where you serve.

I fulfill this expectation by complying with the rules of the Peace Corps, the US Government, and the Bulgarian Government. This is part of living in a democracy.

8.      Exercise judgment and personal responsibility to protect your health, safety, and well-being and that of others.

I fulfill this expectation by using the same common sense I do in Minnesota and every other place I’ve lived. First of all I try to trust my instincts because they’re usually right on target and secondly I listen to people in my community of places I should and shouldn’t be. This usually means only going places on foot during the day if it is somewhere I’ve never been before. I can’t be an effective volunteer if I cannot maintain my safety and health let alone someone else’s.

9.      Recognize that you will be perceived, in your host country and community, as a representative of the people, cultures, values, and traditions of the United States of America.

I touched on this one a bit with expectation five because I feel they are very similar however I’ll go a bit further this time. There are a great deal of assumptions made about me simply because I’m American that I see from my colleagues, students, and other community members. I try to simply listen to what they think and answer questions as broadly as possible and to the best of my ability. I also try to emphasize that the things I say are from MY experience and that the United States is a huge country and there are all types of people there. It’s very interesting living in such an old culture and coming from such a young one. As an American I just don’t have the traditions and holidays that Bulgarians do so there really aren’t ways to compare the two sometimes.

10.  Represent responsibly the people, cultures, values, and traditions of your host country and community to people in the United States both during and following your service.

This expectation is one I will continue to fulfill after my service. Currently I fulfill this goal by doing third goal activities which for me include blogging, skyping with people back home, writing letters and postcards to 

people at home, and answering any questions people in the US have about Bulgaria.

I hope to write a new post for each day of this week so check back again soon!

Peace, Love, Literacy, and Reckless Curiosity.

Honey Bees and Bulgarian Happenings

I just finished watching a documentary well worth my time called "Vanishing of the Bees" which was about the honey bee population's decline in not only the USA but around the world. I also want to thank all the small farmers, backyard gardeners, and anyone who writes to their legislator for supporting the world's honey bee population and keeping us healthy! If you would like to find out more about the problems honey bees are facing, are interested in the documentary, or want to know what you can do, please visit this site:

Vanishing Bees

In Bulgarian news...

June 15th marked the end of the school for my 5th and 6th graders. I can say both the teachers and the students were very happy to see this day had arrived. Even though it was an all around good school year, we all needed a break. The students' school year here in Bulgaria is interesting as the 12th graders were done the 2nd week of May, the 1st graders were done the 2nd to last week in May, the 2nd-4th graders were finished the last day of May, the 5th-8th graders were finished the 15th of June, and the 9th-11th graders have to have school until June 30th. Yet, all these students started the same day, September 15th. I can't quite give any reason for this except for: that's just the way it is. It was strange being at school today and yesterday with only a few classes of students in the building, it's just so quiet :)

Also, yesterday I watched the ceremony for the 12th graders to get their diplomas. The ceremony is much different here at Konstantin Konstantinov than anything I've witnessed back in the states. First of all there are no caps and gowns; the students were just dressed in nice, casual clothing. Secondly, the Principal read their names and they came up to sign for their diploma and then were given it by the Principal. The diplomas here have all the students final grades printed in them along with a seal and signature from the school. Thirdly, the students sat in the audience with everyone who was there (which wasn't a big crowd, mainly students and teachers) and walked up to the front when their names were read. One similiarity was that the Valedictorian was recognised however she did not give a speech but was given a nice printer as a gift from the school for her achievements. All of the other students were given a small desk organizer as a congratulatory gift. Finally, there were two performances by students to celebrate the graduation. One performance was a singing duet by two boys and the other was a girl who sang a traditional Bulgarian song. It was a nice ceremony, short and sweet.

This week I was also fortunate enough to watch a long and beautiful lunar eclipse. The eclipse was'nt visible from North America so for all of you back at home who didn't see it. Some great photos and information can be found on these sites:

June 2011 Lunar Eclipse

 Watch the Eclipse in One Minute

This weekend I am excited to stay here in Sliven as last weekend I was in Vratsa for the B27 Swearing-in Ceremony and the weekend before I was in Kazanluk for the Rose Festival. While I love seeing other places and traveling, it gets exhausting. I need the weekend to catch up with things that have been neglected. This weekend I also plan on meeting with the new volunteer who is living close to Sliven to show her around the city a bit, chatting with a few friends back in MN, do a little knitting, and I hope to do a little hiking on the mountains. 

Finally I want to extend a HUGE congratulations to a few people back in MN. First of all, congrats to Miss Krista Ryan who is back in MN and recovering! Secondly, though they are both married women know, I will take me some time not to think of them as Miss Amanda Vanheuklom and Miss Ashley Loosbrock. Congratulations to both of you on your recent weddings and I can't wait to see you in July to congratulate you in person! I hope you're already enjoying your lives as married women. As Bulgarians would say, I wish you health, luck, and happiness!

Peace, love, literacy, and reckless curiosity. 

Uncle Pete

Many things have happened here in Bulgaria since I last posted however things back in the States seem to be taking the forefront. While I am EXTREMELY happy one of my best friends, Krista Ryan, is recovering well from her bicycle accident, one of my Uncles had an accident of his own last week. He ended up on life support and made the decision that he did not want to live that way. Therefore, Thursday, June 9th, 2011 my Uncle, Peter Hoffman, died with family and friends in North Carolina. I happened to be in Vratsa (Bulgaria) for the swearing-in ceremony of the new group of volunteers when I heard the news and felt I should do something to honor him. I decided to buy a lily and place in on on the Kiril and Metodi statue in Vratsa. I felt this was fitting as they were the founders of the Cyrillic Alphabet and Uncle Pete was not only an educator for part of his life but a true inventor in many ways. This post is dedicated to my Uncle Pete, his wife Suzanne, and their daughter Tanya. 

Uncle Pete has also been someone I've looked up to for his originality, creativity, and all around style. We also now share the commonality of serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Eastern Europe (he served in Poland in the early 1990s). From family videos to emails I received while here in Bulgaria, Uncle Pete has remained an inspiration. Plus, he chose to donate his body to science. He asked his wife and daughter to put his cremated ashes under a beautiful tree of their liking. His memory lives on through his family, friends, and all who dare to be different. Or, in other words, through all of us who dare to be ourselves. I hope his memorial service which will be in August turns out to be an extremely beautiful day because he deserves it. To all of Uncle Pete's family and friends back home, I will be thinking of you all and hoping you are able to learn on one another, focusing on the amazing life Uncle Pete led. 

I will end this post with "We Die" by one of my favorite poets, Diane Ackerman:

We Die
for Carl Sagan


I

We die despite appointments and feuds,
while our toddler,
who recently learned to say No,
opens and shuts drawers
a hundred times a day
and our teen braces
for the rapids of romance.

We die despite the contracts
and business trips we planned,
when our desk is untidy,
despite a long list of things to do
which we keep simmering
like a pot of rich broth.

We die despite work we cherish,
marring whom we love,
piling up a star-spangled fortune,
basking on the Riviera of fame,
and achieving, that human participle
with no known object.

II

Life is not fair, the old saw goes.
We know, we know, but the saw glides slow,
one faint rasp, and then at length another.
When you died, I felt its jagged teeth rip.
Small heartwounds opened and bled,
closing as new ones opened ahead.
Horror welled, not from the how but the when.

You died at the top of your career,
happy, blessed by love, still young.
Playing by evolution's rules, you won:
prospered, bred, rose in your tribe,
did what the parent gods and society prized.

Yet it didn't save you, love or dough.
Even when it happens slow, it happens fast,
and then there's no tomorrow.
Time topples, the castle of cards collapses,
thoughts melt, the subscription lapses.
What a waste of life we spend in asking,
in wish and worry and want and sorrow.

A tall man, you lie low, now and forever
complete, your brilliant star eclipsed.
I remember our meeting, many gabfests ago,
at a crossroads of moment and mind.
In later years, touched by nostalgia,
I teased: "I knew you when
you were just a badly combed scientist."
With a grin, you added: "I knew you when
you were just a fledgling poet."

Lost friend, you taught me lessons
I longed to learn, and this final one I've learned
against my will: the one spoken in silence,
warning us to love hard and deep,
clutch dear ones tighter, ransom each day,
the horror lesson I saw out of the corner of my eye
but refused to believe until now: we die.

Statistics

Since it was interesting to me I figured some of you reading may also be interested in the stats of my blog one year into my Peace Corps service (hint hint Keegan Korthauer). This week marked over 7,000 pageviews for my blog. I never would have thought I'd be there already so a huge THANK YOU to everyone who is reading. The two main reasons I began this blog were to share my experience here in Bulgaria and work toward Goal # 3 of Peace Corps volunteers:

Help Americans understand the peoples and cultures of other countries. 

The life of my blog thus far:

• March 2011 had the most page views.
• My all-time audience is coming from, in order from highest to lowest (only countries with > 20 page views are listed):
• United States of America
• Bulgaria
• Russia
• United Kingdom
• Germany
• Canada
• South Korea
• Poland
• Chile
• Netherlands
• This month (May 2011) I've had viewers from (in order from highest to lowest) Bulgaria
• Bulgaria
• United States of America
• United Kingdom
• Germany
• Iran
• Turkey
• Canada
• Slovenia
• India
• Switzerland
• Windows users outnumber Macs by a landslide.
• The top three browsers to view my blog are Internet Explorer, Chrome, and Firefox.
• I've enjoyed creating every post.

Thanks for reading!

Peace, love, literacy, and reckless curiosity.

Good News

After getting back from Istanbul and enjoy a few days with my friends from back home I received some bad news. One of my best friends from MN was in a bicycle accident last week in Portland, Oregon and had to be rushed to the hospital.  She has been in the ICU (intensive care unit) since the accident but she is out of it now and in a regular hospital room! She still has a lot of recovery but she is amazing the doctors everyday! If you'd like to follow her progress, a caringbridge account has been set up and it can be found here:

Krista Ryan

I love you Krista and hope your recovery keeps up the rate it's at now. I'm so happy your family is able to be there with you and I look forward to seeing you in July. You're amazing!

I also wanted to Congratulate my friend Amanda on her wedding and 25th birthday which happened this weekend! I love you babe!

Other than these events which have been occupying my brain for the past few days, I was able to go hiking with some of my students yesterday for our school's Sports Day. We had to make up a school day we had missed so we had Saturday school which turned out to be a great day! 

More photos can be found in the Links section by clicking on "Hiking on Karandila".

I hope everyone reading this is healthy and happy wherever you are!

Peace, love, literacy, and reckless curiosity.

Get ready, I think this may be my longest post...

I guess the best place to start is with last Tuesday, May 17th. I left Sliven on the morning train to head to Sofia (the capital). I arrived around lunchtime and headed straight to the Peace Corps Office to have my yearly physical. Everything went well and after chatting with a few volunteers I saw at the office I picked up a new book to read from our fabulous Peace Corps Volunteer lending library of sort. I then went on a walk and headed to the hostel I would be staying at that night. If any of you reading this happen to travel to Bulgaria at any point, I highly recommend Hostel Mostel in Sofia. They have a wonderful staff of English speakers, provide free breakfast and dinner, and offer a great place to stay. Click HERE for more information. 

Then, the best part of the day, Keegan and Matt (friends from the USA) arrived at the Hostel! I was so happy to see them and welcome them to Bulgaria. After they dropped off their things at Hostel Mostel we went on a walk to a nearby restaurant to have some drinks and snacks. Though they were tired from all of their traveling to get here, we had a great time. After that we went back to the hostel and hung out. We ate dinner there and then it was showers and early to bed for all of us as we were all tired. 

Wednesday, May 18th we all got up and had breakfast at the hostel. We were able to sit next to an interesting woman who was traveling through Bulgaria which made for great conversation. Then we headed to the bus station to buy our tickets to Istanbul. We bought our tickets from Sofia to Istanbul without any major problems and even got a discount since all of us were 26 years of age or under. Then we decided to take a walk around Sofia to see some of the major sites. It was a nice walk and we ended up having a delicious lunch afterward at a Bulgarian restaurant. Everyone seemed to enjoy their meals which was great. After lunch we spent some time in one of the city's parks enjoying the sunshine and just talking with each other. Later on we headed back to the hostel to pick up our bags before we headed back to the bus station. Our bus left at 8:30 pm. The bus ride was nice, we were given water, coffee or tea, and a snack for the ride. Though I didn't sleep as much as I should of I did get in a few hours. We bought our visas ($20) and crossed the border into Turkey just before 2 am. This was my first time being out of Bulgaria since I've been arrived and we ended up arriving in Istanbul just before 5 am Thursday morning! It worked out well for us as our bus company offered a free shuttle to the area of the city we would be staying in so we only paid for a short taxi ride to the actual building. We didn't quite want to search for it in the early morning hours. We dropped our bags off at the hostel and then headed out into the city in search of some food and coffee. After walking for some time we ended up settling on a cafe that was near to the Grand Bazaar where we had bread and Turkish coffee. My first impressions of the city were just that it was HUGE! Definitely the biggest city I've ever been to, it's population is bigger than all of Bulgaria. 

After some breakfast we walked through the city until we came to a large park near the Topkapi Palace. It was a beautiful park and we were even able to see quite a few green parrots. I had no idea they lived in Istanbul. Once the Palace was open for visitors we headed there to check it out. Here's the History of Topkapi Palace in case you are interested. It was in a great location and was interesting to see but it became crowded extremely quickly with visitors. (Check out the "Friends Visiting and Istanbul" album under links to see photos.)

After the Palace we headed to the Grand Bazaar. This is one HUGE market filled with all kinds of things to buy. If I had tons of money I would have easily been able to spend it. Everyone was marketing their goods to the best of their ability. I ended up buying a few items. Then we headed back to our hostel to get into our room and have a little time to rest. We took showers and had naps, we went out for a walk and then decided to go out for dinner. We ended up at a restaurant near our hostel where the waiter talked us into choosing a meal which included an appetizer, main course, dessert, and tea (all Turkish food of course). The meal was delicious and was well worth the price. After dinner we went back to the hostel and were in bed pretty early from a fun, exhausting day.  

Friday, May 20th we had breakfast from vendors on the street and then headed straight to the Blue Mosque. There was already a line when we got there but it went quick and it was a fun place to see. Again, check out the photos in the album as there are too many to post into this blog. After that I decided to go to the Turkish and Islamic Art Museum while Matt and Keegan headed to St. Sophia. I was happy to be somewhere quiet and calm as the Blue Mosque had so many people touring it and the streets were so busy. Istanbul was easily the most overwhelming (in a good way) place I've ever been. We all met up for lunch and tea. After lunch we decided to the Basilica Cistern. I was skeptical of it as I knew nothing about it but was very glad I went as it was extremely interesting to see. This is the place that stored water for the palace and other places. After the Cistern we headed back to the Grand Bazaar since there was still much of it we hadn't been to. I bought a few more things and then we all decided to head to the Spice Market where I could have spent LOADS of money but restrained myself. Even though it was very busy I really enjoyed being there. All the spices, turkish delights, carpets, ceramics, and other goods were fun to see. 

As if we hadn't already done enough we decided to then walk to see what is left of the Aqueducts up close. The walk there was fun as we went through a not so crowed part of town and saw some great sculptures and mosaics along the way. There was also a park we stopped at where the play equipment was based of gym equipment. It was definitely the kind of park for all ages and a great deal of fun. We then had dinner at a little local restaurant which was about 1/5 the cost of the restaurants near the tourist sites and just as delicious if not more. Finally we walked back to the side of the city we were staying on. We watched the ferries, stopped by a fish market and ended up at a cafe where we had coffee and tea to watch the sunset. It was nice to "get off the beaten path" and just sit for a while. Then we went back to the hostel to get ready for our final day in Istanbul.

After another great night's rest, it was Saturday, May 21st. We packed up our things in the morning and left our bags at the hostel as we headed out to see more of Istanbul. We began by buying bread at a street vendor.Then we headed to Galata Tower where Matt went up the tower while Keegan and I had coffee and cappuccino at a cafe below. It was a great start to the day. After the tower we headed out to see an old wall which used to protect part of the city. There were some interesting graveyards along the way and it made for quite the walk. Plus, we were able to use the city bus, subway, and tram lines to get places when it was too far to walk (in a reasonable amount of time). After the wall we had lunch and headed to see another mosque before going to the Spice Market one more time. Finally, it was time to pick up our bags and head back to Bulgaria.

Overall, Istanbul was a great trip filled with tons of walking, people, and so many sights to see. If you don't know much about Istanbul, here are a few links:

Istanbul

And more Istanbul

We were back in Bulgaria in the very early morning hours of Sunday, May 22nd and we ended up at another volunteer's apartment to spend what was rest of the night and see the Black Sea from the coast of Burgas the next day. We had lunch next to the Sea and took advantage of the beautiful weather. Then we took the train back to Sliven where we had dinner at my apartment and hung out for the rest of the night. 

Monday, May 23rd began with buying bus tickets for Matt and Keegan's travel to Athens It was then followed by a trip to the market and a few stores which was followed by lunch at a great pizza restaurant in the city. We made dinner at my apartment and just spent time together. 

Then came Tuesday. Along with Tuesday being the national holiday in celebration of the Cyrillic Alphabet this marked the beginning of the international dance festival here in Sliven. We started out at my school in the morning for a program and then headed to the city garden where there was a parade to the center square. It was an extremely hot day which was tough for a lot of the kids as many of their outfits were quite heavy. I loved watching all the dancing and it was fun seeing my students. Especially listening to the few who tried to talk to Matt and Keegan. I told all my students I would give them a good mark if they could ask my friends a good question in English. You can see photos of Tuesday under "Sliven's Youth International Dance Festival" in the links section. 

Finally comes one of the best parts of Matt and Keegan's visit. We decided to go hiking on Karandila (which is mountain in a National Park on the north side of Sliven). I thought the chairlift was 6 leva one-way but it turns out that is the group rate and it is actually 10 leva to take the lift (15 for roundtrip). Therefore, we paid to go up the mountain and decided we would just hike down. There was plenty of daylight hours left and we knew we were capable so we figured why not? Well, once we got to the top and walked around a bit we found the trail maps to be much harder to read than normal. Plus some of the marked trails just became an unmarked mess. So we headed back to where we got off the lift in search of a new route down the mountain as we knew there was a path that just followed the lift most of the way. Since it was already 5:00 pm we knew the lift was done working (it stops at 4:30 pm), therefore I asked the man who was running the lift if this was a good way down the mountain. He told me it was definitely a trail and while it was "a little steep in some parts", people used it. He also told us when we would need to turn right on another trail in order to get back into the city. Well, it turns out the trail was quite steep and I definitely should have had pants on and not shorts as there were plenty of itchy and thorny bushes along the way. The major plus of the trail was that much of it was obviously not walked as much and was full of beautiful places, plants, insects, and views. Also, I now know a way off the mountain and now know where to start if I want to hike up. A short thunderstorm even went through on our way down which was actually really fun to hear since we were so high up. We made it down without anything more then some small cuts and had a great time finding our way down together. I was happy to have done it because once we were down the mountain it was hard to believe we had actually hiked the whole way. We then ate dinner at my apartment and talked for a while. We all slept for a few hours before we had to go to the bus station so Matt and Keegan could catch their 4:30 am bus headed for Athens.  It was awesome having them here and nice to have a little break from my everyday life. Again, congratulations Matt on becoming an official Veterinarian. And, thank you Keegan and Matt for deciding to make your way to Bulgaria. I love you both! 

One more time, check out all the photos under the Links section of the blog. 

Peace, love, literacy, and reckless curiosity.