Peace Corps' Autonomy???

Well, what is there to say. I feel like this is too important to pass up. Peace Corps' autonomy is under attack by the federal government. Read this article and tell me your thoughts.

Peace Corps Option for Military Recruits

Would JFK be rolling in his grave?

Snoring Neighbor....

When I first moved into my apartment, I was very happy to find that I don’t have a small twin bed but something like a double. It is nothing compared to my bed at home but this is the Peace Corps, right? My bed may not be quite as comfortable and homey but the circumstances at night remind me very much of home.

I go to bed at all different hours. Sometimes it is 9:00 if I have had a long day or its 5:00 am if I have had a long night partying. Whatever the case may be I lie in bed and try to go to sleep. But I always seem to have a bit of trouble. I have started drinking more coffee than I would like but that is just not it. The reason for my troubles comes from my neighbor. His apartment has a different entrance than mine so I have actually never met him. I have no idea if he is old or young, married with kids or a single bachelor. No matter because he SNORES!!!! I can hear him through the wall. I thought I escaped people snoring when I left home….

But even when I am cursing him as I lay awake, I realize I am smiling a bit. It reminds me of home, hearing by brother, John in the next room or my dad down the hall....and sometimes, even hearing my sister, Jenny in the same room. Although I am sure my family will deny that they snore, it just makes me laugh more than anything. I also can’t believe that these big concrete buildings are soo thin I can hear the guy next door snoring and night. Maybe I will try pounding on the wall (it’s not like I can move his pillow to make him stop).

My First Bulgarian Birthday Adventure...

So, it all started in my great town Stara Zagora on Thursday night. My friend Julie came to town and we went out with some colleagues from my school. We had an assortment of drinks and good food...including cow tongue which I surprisingly liked! From there we had a night on the town at this quaint rock bar called "Little Rock". This is my favorite place in town. The shots were lined up on the bar and at midnight the party really got started. The bartender rang the bell to let everyone know it was my birthday and the dj played the California Girls by the beach boys followed by the California song from the OC. It was truly a good time.


In bed by 4 and awake by 7 to head to Sofia the next morning. Here we met up with some other volunteers and started the night off with a little beer pong. We were bringing it back to the college days. Headed to dinner...but got stuck in an elevator on the way down. Apparently you aren't supposed to squeeze 9 people in an elevator meant for 4 people. (Must have been that damn beer pong to cause our bad judgment.) I think I will be taking the stairs next time. We were stuck in there for about 10 minutes before someone came to rescue us. What a relief to get some fresh air.

After a good old 5 leva Chinese meal, we headed to a kick ass dive bar with live music. My favorite type! There was a little bit of everything played from Pearl Jam to Counting Crows, all covers of course. Much dancing and singing and drinking was involved. I think even a little air guitar by my friend Lincoln.


And again in bed by 4:30 and up by 8 to head to Habitat for Humanity. I cant say I was the most useful volunteer there that day. I think most people were just impressed I even made it. I had lots of water by my side and started shoveling and mixing cement.

Needless to say it was a rockin good time. Best way I could have imagined spending my first Bulgarian Birthday. Wish you all could have been here to help with the festivities. There is always next year :)

The "Bulgarian" Terminal...

So, I am lucky enough to live in a Peace Corps country that happens to have internet. I am not in a mud hut in Africa or in a shanty village in South America. I am in Bulgaria, a country that is slowly developing, a country with internet. And now I have figured out how to download movies. This is a very nice thing to get through some of those long and lonely days. The most recently downloaded movie: "The Terminal".

It is a movie based on a fictional Eastern European country and one man who gets caught at JFK airport, learns English, falls in love, becomes the hero of the airport, etc. etc. Anyway, it turns out that Tom Hanks is actually from Bulgaria! That's right, Tom Hanks speaks Bulgarian throughout the whole movie. The first time I watched this movie I was with my counterpart. He and his girlfiend were cracking up everytime he spoke! He even cursed in Bulgarian! His Bulgarian is not to shabby either. I can even understand him too. I have been told that the reason they use Bulgarian is that his wife, Rita Wilson (originally Margarita Brahimoff) is a Bulgarian! Now, if you have seen the movie, I wouldn't say that he is a typical Bulgarian but you gotta love a good image coming out of Eastern Europe!

The Terminal in the BG News

Above is an interesting article about it in the Sofia News. So if you get a moment in your busy lives, take time out and rent it. It is actually a quite enjoyable movie.

Bumble Bees, Honey Bees, Yellow Jackets or Wasps...

You are sitting down at an outdoor cafe enjoying an iced tea, coffee or whatever your drink of choice happens to be. You are chatting away with your friends, parents, or even a friendly stranger. And suddenly!!!!!! A pesky little insect comes to stop by to visit your delightfully sweet drink.


Now, when I am in a situation like the above, I am one to silently (and sometimes not so silently) freak out. I have always had this crazy fear of getting stung. Ever since I was a little girl, I have had this notion that getting stung is the absolute worst pain one can have. The one time I was stung I cried and cried...and probably cried some more. But is really that bad?

Although I am sure to continue my mini freak outs, I am also a little bit determined to get stung. Sound crazy? It probably is. But I am just a bit curious what it actually feels like. Why am I so terrified of those buzzing insects? It's not like I am allergic.

Can anyone tell me what it actually feels like?

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!