Tales from the Bilzzard

07 Tuesday Feb 2012

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Hello all you people who I am assuming are warmer than I am.  I just wanted to let all of you know that I am well.  I am about 60% healthy.  So that is good.  Hillary Bulgaria for 5 hours.  A bunch of Peace Corps Volunteers were able to meet her.  I, living on the other side of the country and ill, wasn’t able to meet her.  That sucks, but it just wasn’t meant to be.  We have another 5 day vacation because of the cold and snow.  It has been dangerously cold in eastern Europe.  I am just looking forward to normal temperatures.  I went to the store to stock up for a while.  :)  Hope I’m not stuck at home for too long.  The roads are closed and I have cabin fever.

Photo via US Embassy Sofia

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Blizzard Cold

02 Thursday Feb 2012

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So for those of you who don’t know Eastern Europe has been hit with a terrible cold snap.  It has gotten as low as -28 C in Knesha, and it doesn’t feel like it’s getting better.  Now let’s add that I have caught the flu.  That’s right, the icky sticky yucky flu.  And being cold, with the flu in the cold really sucks.  I am taking my medicine, which is disgusting, and looking out the window at the snow.  The snow is beautiful.  Absolutely gorgeous.  It’s the cold that sucks.

The first semester feels like it is ending early, partially because it is.  The teachers at my school still have to work because grades are due when grades are due.  And I guess in all fairness it’s better to get them done now then to be rushing.  It’s funny though.  We’ll go back to school monday in first semester and Tuesday will be second semester.  :)

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Chinese food In Bulgaria

29 Sunday Jan 2012

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Last monday was Chinese New Year, and one of your jobs as a Peace Corps Volunteer is cultural exchange.  That is why when my friend Dan told me that he was going to be celebrating Chinese New Year with his kids and asked me for his help, I was more than willing to say yes, as long as it was safe for me to travel.  There were two reasons for my overwhelming urge to help, one Dan is my friend, and two Chinese food isn’t great in Bulgaria, and three being that Dan is an amazing cook, but that is a given if you read my other blog posts.  Chinese food in Bulgaria has shown me the best and the worst of chain Chinese restaurants in America, not counting that AMAZING Chinese restaurant that my PST group, see post http://fromheretobulgaria.wordpress.com/2010/06/12/so-a-funny-thing-happened-in-plevin-today/ .

I arrived in Dan’s town early by Saturday morning standards and we went shopping:  flour, sugar, rice vinegar, salt, sugar, ground pork, salmon, cream cheese, onion, and avocado.  My thoughts first went to the Superbowl party that I can’t go to because we don’t get our four-day weekend :( .  Anyway we went back to Dan’s place and met with his students.  We made pot-stickers and sushi, Philadelphia Rolls to be exact even though I have never heard of them.  It was fun to make food, eat it and enjoy the company of Dan’s students.  We then went to a community center and shared the food and Dan shared a bit about Chinese culture.  All in all it was a great day of 2nd and 3rd goal activities.

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Snow Day!!!

26 Thursday Jan 2012

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I just wanted to write a post marking this tremendous occasion where I Miss S have a Snow Day.  My first working day off in Peace Corps that doesn’t involve a conference, illness or anything broken.  Now what will I do with this day off, sleep!

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Beautiful Desolation

24 Tuesday Jan 2012

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Honestly that is the way I feel sometimes when I look out my window.  I feel as though I live in an area of beautiful desolation.  Maybe that is just the way that snow makes me feel.  I love looking at snow, but winter is the most impractical season.  Besides boots, I HATE boots, its wet and icky.  I said it, icky.  Now that doesn’t mean that I would rather live somewhere else.  On the contrary, I love my little home that I have made in the Peace Corps.  I sometimes feel like I own my desolation.  That it’s my little piece of silence.  I never really had silence in America. Everywhere was noise and distractions.  There are so few noises here that I sometimes wish for a distraction or two, and then I remember where I am and I realize that this is something I have always wanted, to learn to be with myself.  And I think that is the scariest place to be, is with your own head.

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Christmas Vacation the Finale

14 Saturday Jan 2012

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As midnight hit in Istanbul I was in cloud ten.  I couldn’t believe that I was where I was. Staring at this beautiful bridge that crosses the Bosphorus, lit up in purple, green and red.  Surrounded on all sides by fireworks laughing and smiling.  It was one of these sites that I could never forget and I hope that I never do.  The next morning Nancy and I went looking for breakfast.  For some reason we were convinced that nothing would be open on New Years Day, and so we didn’t expect much.  We found this random stand open, and were asking for juice.  The guy’s father lead us to this really interesting restaurant that felt very bohemian.  The sort of place that you would have imagined hippies at.  The bathroom was funny as hell, you had to crawl through a window to get into the bathroom.  Seriously.  We then went to this museum about Arabic art, and then went on the bridge that crossed the Bosphorus.  We had lunch in this fancy seafood restaurant.  I don’t know if I will be able to have seafood anywhere else after having seafood in Turkey.  I was starting to feel really sick at this point, so I ended up going to bed early.

The next morning I had to leave early for my bus.  It left at 8 am.  Nothing unusual on my trip home.  I made it back to Isperih at about 7pm.  The next morning my water heater was fixed.

I honestly feel this trip was life changing.  For the first time I was able to go somewhere and feel completely content of where I was and what I did.  I was really just happy about where I was.  I am so grateful that I am in the Peace Corps and that I am able to see places like Istanbul and to travel.  I am also glad to know that I have a job to come back to, crazy kids who I know are happy to see me when I return.

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Christmas Vacation Part 4

10 Tuesday Jan 2012

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Now we are only on the 30th and 31st of December of my Christmas Vacation.  I know what you are thinking, how long is this gosh darn vacation!!! I am kidding, I hope.  Anyway on the my second full day in Istanbul.  So day two started off pretty similarly to day one.  We realized we had to wait a few minutes for the woman to come back and put the boiled egg on our breakfast plate and that the coffee really isn’t that great but other than that it’s all good.  Except I seem to be catching a cold.  And it doesn’t make me too happy.  Nancy and I leave for the Spice Market.  The Spice Market is kind of near the Phosphorus, and it is right next to this giant mosque.  We couldn’t find exactly where it was at first.  We got a bit turned around and then ran into two other volunteers, Raf and Jacob.  We hug and greet each other and while doing this get caught behind a commercial/music video/ tv show, being taped.  Not sure which but all we know is that this man ran in and out of the Voda-Phone store a lot.  Then Nancy and I found the Spice Market.  This place is, in my humble opinion, much cooler than the Grand Bazaar.  It has a more authentic vibe.  You saw both locals and tourists and people there weren’t as pushy.  Don’t get me wrong, people were still trying to convince you to buy their stuff, but they were more hands on and trying to show you what they had and why you should buy it.  I tried turkish delights there and they were so so good.  Then Nancy and I walked around and saw some other shops nearby.  There were streets that all where one kind of things, clothes, fabric, ext.  Then we had lunch and a lot of things closed down for mid-day prayer.  It was kinda cool to see that people who stopped for prayer just put a bar over their shop door and people respected that.  We headed to the Blue Mosque after taking a bit of a rest and let me tell you that this is one of the most  beautiful places I have ever seen in my entire life.  You enter into the mosque and then you take off your shoes and you walk in and the architecture simply takes your breath away. The designs on the ceilings alone.  is pretty unbelievable.  I ended up sitting on the floor looking up and the ceiling just thinking about how I couldn’t believe that I was here, in Istanbul looking at the screen saver on my computer.  Honestly this was the sort of trip that I believed that I would never be able to have and there I was, having this trip.  After the Blue Mosque Nancy and I went for a walk and then had dinner at a restaurant that seriously cost more than half my living allowance, and the food was so so good.  The best sea food I have ever had in my life.  We then went back to the hostel and I went to bed early.  I felt like crap and I wanted to be able to go out for New Year.


New Years Eve in Istanbul was excellent.  Just to start there.  I woke up early and decided I couldn’t take it anymore and went looking for a pharmacy.  I found one that was open, and the pharmacist spoke English, thank goodness.  After finding some medicine, I was off.  We went to this restaurant called The Pudding Shop and had, turkey in Turkey.  I know that is kind of dumb, but it has been a bit of an obsession of mine and I checked it off my weird things to do list.  Then it began to sprinkle and Nancy and I went to the Basilica Cisterns.  They were pretty cool actually.  I didn’t know what to expect, but they were really pretty.  Then we went   back to the hostel and rested before New Years Eve partying.  I went out with the Peace Corps Volunteers from Azerbaijan and this other guest from Chili and we first went to McDonalds and got some food.  Then there was a little pre-gamming before we went to another hostel called Cheers.  The party at this hostel was very typical for clubs I have seen in big cites in Europe.  You have everyone in groups, the Americans, the already drunk Brits, and then the other group.  In this case the other group was seven French cartographers, who were really interesting to talk to. I went to the Galata bridge with the French people and we rang in the New Year right, watching four different sets of fireworks.

Last post on Christmas vacation,  January 1st and then the return home.

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Christmas Vacation Part 3…

08 Sunday Jan 2012

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As we continue the adventures of two Peace Corps Volunteers we are now on our way to  Turkey.  Before I left for Knezha I had purchased the tickets to Istanbul and I should have known something would be wrong with those too.  I had believed that I had purchased tickets for 8am and when we arrived at the bus station we learned that nope, the tickets were for 8pm.  So I asked and for 5 extra leva a piece we were able to change our tickets for 9am with a different company.  So after waiting an hour and grabbing a breakfast treat, Nancy and I were off to Istanbul on the Metro bus line.  For starters this was a NICE bus.  It had entertainment in the head rests, like airplanes, and internet.  They also gave snacks and coffee.  It was sweet.  The ride was pretty average.  Getting the visa at the border was fun.  We had to go through a couple of gates, and then into a cashiers office.  Make sure you have lira, dollars, or euro when you buy your visa.  It took about 10 hours to get to the bus station in Istanbul, we also got caught in traffic when we arrived.  Nancy and I found our way to the Metro, then got off at the wrong stop and took a taxi to our hostel.  We then went to dinner, and had a delicious sea food dinner.  It makes sense but I never thought of how good the sea food would be in Istanbul.

After a full nights sleep we woke up for our included breakfast.  Nancy and I stayed at “The Best Island Hostel” and included with our stay was a free breakfast and I would rate it a 3 out of 5.  Not great but hell it was free and had unlimited bread and coffee.  The first day we headed to the Hagia Sophia.  From our hostel this was about a 5 minute walk.  This is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen in my life.  I seriously felt as though I had walked into the screen saver on my computer.  It is seriously breath-taking and then realizing how old this place is, reminds me why I studied history.  It’s 20 lira to go, and well worth it.  Next we had some apple tea and baklava, delicious.  We then walked to the train station to find some information about going back to Bulgaria and found that all the computers were down.  So we decided to take the metro to the Grand Bazaar.  I don’t know how I had imagined the Grand Bazaar, but it surpassed my expectations.  People constantly yelling and haggling, trying to convince you to buy things you don’t want.  Realizing that you are the boss there.  I had fun, and it was pretty.  We were finished after the bazaar and went back to the hostel.  In the mean time some Peace Corps Volunteers from Montenegro and Azerbaijan had arrived and I went up to the roof bar and had and beer with them.  All in all it was a great first two days in Istanbul.

In the next installment. Days two and three in Istanbul, including New Years Eve!!

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Christmas Vacation Part 2

06 Friday Jan 2012

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Български: Кнежа, област Плевен, България Engl...

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Hello blog readers.  Now on to the continuing saga of my Christmas Vacation.  Last we left it was the end of Christmas Day.  We continue on December 26th.  Nancy and I decided to spend one full non-holiday day in Knezha before heading back to Isperih.  It was pretty quiet.  Nancy and I had coffee with another Peace Corps Volunteer named Mary and chatted.  It was pretty relaxing although all the signs of my impending illness were showing up.  My hands shaking worse and being really hot.  Although I am getting ahead of the story.  We then came back to the house and watched a Spanish (from Spain) soap opera dubbed in Bulgarian while Nikki was playing with her ponies.  Stanislava and Maria were there and we chatted while eating pumpkin seeds.  Nina made a huge delicious pizza, and then Nancy and I met up with Ivo and Iuli and drank a beer.

The next morning Nancy and I got on the bus headed for Pleven.  We had a little time to kill and I found these awesome boots at a used clothing store for 2.50 leva.  Pretty sweet deal.  We made it back to Isperih, had dinner at Allen Mak and fell asleep listening to this really funny NPR show that I have forgotten the name of.  I know traveling is not the most interesting part of the trip.

The Saga continues with Travel to Istanbul and the first full day there!!!

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Christmas Vacation Part one…

04 Wednesday Jan 2012

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Well hello all.  I am back in Bulgaria nursing a new set of health problems, but all in all I am well.  I returned from Turkey the night of the second and maybe I just need a rest, IDK.  Anyway I am going to share the more fun details of my Christmas Vacation and Turkish excursion in multiple parts, mostly because there is so much I don’t feel like overloading my brain.  So I am going to start in Bulgaria.

I left for Nina and Ruse’s house on the 24th expecting a direct bus to Pleven, and then a quick trip to Knezha.  Oh that isn’t what happened at all.  So I get on this bus that is supposed to stop in Pleven on the way to Sofia, and everything seems normal, until I notice the first sign that says Pleven, then the second and third.  By the time we stop and I talk to the driver, he tells me this bus was never going to Pleven, btw the coach company called to make sure it was, and he kicks me off the bus in the middle of nowhere, and the driver tells me to walk to a hotel.  I walk to this hotel and meet these DJs that I had met before in Albena who tell me they are going to Varna and they end up giving me a ride to Knezha, since it is near by, kind of.  I end up in Knezha at about 7pm, five hours later than expected.  Eat this huge meal and go to sleep.

The next day was Christmas.  After coffee, and opening gifts Nina, Nancy, and I went to church.  It was the first time I had seen a Bulgarian Orthodox service and it was beautiful.  There were no chairs, and the priest was

behind a screen the whole time.  It was beautiful and interesting.  Nina had given Nancy and I these icons that she had blessed by a priest, so that was pretty cool.  When we got back, Ivo, Ivo’s uncle, Angel, and Ruse were outside killing a pig while Nancy and I ended up having a snack at Nikki’s new restaurant, which is beautiful.  We went back, Nancy and I took some photos with porky and just rested and chatted with people until it was lunch time.  It was seriously a four-hour lunch of eating and drinking.  I was drunk and 3 and that is not something I like to do.  I seriously had to rest after that meal although Christmas dinner was at 7:30.  Nina couldn’t believe that I wasn’t able to eat a lot, but I just couldn’t after that huge lunch.  I was in bed by 9:30 getting ready for the next day.

Part 2, Last day in Knezha and traveling back to Isperih getting ready for Turkey!!!

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