Stara Zagora....

...is the fifth largest city of Bulgaria, located in the dead center of the country. At first glance when riding in by bus or train, it looks massive with oh too many blocks. But once you get inside, inside the heart of the city you will soon discover it is a beautiful place.

To sum it all up, Stara Zagora is...the Bulgarian city known for its straight streets, lime trees and poets.

Block City....

I am living on my own for the very first time. This meaning I do not have roommates. To make things even lonelier, I live an old communist style block apartment that just looks big and scary from the outside and proves to be cold on the inside. I live in a type of block city. Not Stara Zagora itself, but when you walk outside my apartment you see nothing but other towering blocks. Well, the following are just a few things I have had to get acquainted with.


When I first arrived, I already had a few friends – critters. Just a few cockroaches and other creepy crawly things I have never seen. But with a few raid traps and cleaning, they have slowly disappeared. And if they come back, these critters may serve as a good play toy for the kitten one of my students is getting for me.

Its not only the bugs that intrude in your life, but it is sometimes even the people. I happen to live on the first floor. In the states this would really freak me out but according to Peace Corps standards, I am required to have a big metal door, and bars on my windows and balcony. So I really have nothing to worry about, right? Wrong. I like the idea of having a balcony. I don’t think I ever have before so it is a bit of a treat. EXCEPT….for my nosy neighbors. Being on the first floor allows those that sit on the Baba benches to peer into my daily life. The minute I am out on my balcony, they say hello or just stare. (Staring is also very popular among people here.) But I think these Babas (aka, grannies) are more curious than anything. Which of course I don’t mind, but sometimes you just want your own space, your own privacy. But at the end of the day I just have to remind myself that is why I am here…for Bulgarians to learn about me and vise versa.

What else can be said about these commie apartments? Random people will knock on my door or ring my buzzer. Initially I am a bit startled especially when this knock comes at 10:30 at night. But I look in my peep hole and realize it is just the cable guy collecting that month’s bill or the meter readers wanting to check the water meter. I usually wait until I hear my other neighbors opening their door to make sure these people are legit. Although, during my first or second week here, the cable guy came round and I thought he was trying to scam me. I tried to convey to him that I will pay the cable office rather than him. He couldn’t quite understand me so he left and hasn’t been back since.

I am sure I will come across more strange occurrences that wont seem so strange after all. But for now it is all very strange to me.

Stara Zagora Gassed...

I just got to site and already I am being told to head warnings. Apparently Stara Zagora was gassed with sulfur dioxide (SO2) again this week. (I hope this isn't a common occurrence.) The concentration of the gas reached almost twice the permitted levels. It was reported that people had difficulty breathing and visibility was down to 1 km. The Peace Corps medical office called advising that I stay indoors with my windows shut. Even the Regional Environmental Inspector Office notified the city as well to warn people.


The cloud of gas came from the Maritsa-Istok thermal power plant which contains a sulfur-purifying installation. The staff of the thermal electric plant took all the necessary precautions and nobody expects hazardous gases emissions again.

(Sulfur dioxide is a yellow gas with a distinguished sharp smell causing nasal irritation. The short term effects include eye irritation (pink, watery, itchy eyes), cough, chest tightness, shortness of breath especially in asthmatics, children and older people with chronic lung diseases. Fortunately no long-term effects of acute exposure to sulfur dioxide are known.)

But to be honest, I didn't notice a thing. I enjoyed my first week out and about getting acquainted with my new home.

It's Official...

July 8th, 2005. I am officially a Peace Corps Volunteer. Along with about 45 other volunteers in my group.


The United States ambassador swore in my group to uphold the Peace Corps Professional Standard. I even had to raise my right hand. Pretty exciting stuff. Now its off to Stara Zagora where the real fun begins!

My New Blog....

Okay, here is the story. The story of my Peace Corps adventure. The story of the next 2 years. From Berkeley to Chicago to Milan to Sofia. Here is the journal that will keep me going. Well, I hope anyways.


I do not have a journal and have never been able to keep one. I just never find the time to sit and write things down. Yet, at the same time, I am always thinking I should because there are so many things I want to remember. So many small things I am sure to forget. Not to mention the many random thoughts that go through my mind that I want to share.

I hope this gives you a break in your day and a better idea of what I am doing. So this is it. Take it for what it is worth and enjoy!