hair color, my brilliance, and other disjointed musings

So yesterday in Sliven I was looking for some shampoo to keep my new haircolor (almost black) bright and healthy, and some salesgirl came up to me and began talking me into this German stuff. She asked if my hair was in fact dyed, and when I said yes she cooed (literally) and said, "You're so fashionable! Dark hair, blue eyes."

For those of you who know me, it is very clear why I could not suppress a chuckle. I don't think ever in my entire life anyone has ever considered me stylish. Smart, yes. Blunt and sarcastic, yes. Weird, of course. But stylish? Really?!

Never, that is, until Bulgaria. Since coming here, I have often been complemented on my "style" (which is based solely on the comfort-factor). Several people have commented on my hair, including students and the elderly male teachers I work with. The senior girls I tutor said my green jacket was "cutting edge" (my green jacket that my mom bought for me last year and looks like something out of JCrew which has been worn to the point needing a patch on the elbow). Two of my fifth grade girls tell me I'm pretty whenever I wear green. Little boys notice when I am carrying a new backpack or purse and compliment me on them. It's just so....wierd.

So, that's all I have to offer on that subject. Next up: my brilliance.

I had to give my eigth graders a test on Thursday, and I was, quite frankly, too lazy to make multiple versions of the test. Cheating is a time-honored tradition in Bulgaria, so I figured that this test would be a kind-of handout.

But as I was passing out the exams, a brilliant idea hit me. I have four girls and one boy in that class who know anything, and the rest kind of just suck up air. So what did I do? I made all 5 of the better students sit in a cluster at the front of the class, and had everyone else sit in the back, far from anyone who knew any answers.

The result was an effortless, honest test. The five better kids cheated, but it was with eachother so the test became an equal, joint effort. The worse kids cheated amongst themselves, but since none of them know anything their efforts were wasted. I graded the tests today, and sure enough, the kids who know nothing have no answers written down, and the kids who know something got decent grades. The best part? There was no extra effort on my part! Brilliance? or laziness?....It's a fine line, no?

On to topic three, which will probably be the last for tonight as I have run out of steam...It is called "Oddities of Becca's Life." The first is that one of my fifth grade boys seems to be harboring some sort of morbid fascination with me. He lives in the other entrance of my building, and he continually threatens to come visit me to see my cat. He spends most of the class period trying to get me to answer random questions about myself. Personal stuff. Last week I caught him writing my name over and over again on my desk with some chalk (he was at my desk because it was the only place I could put him where he would SHUT UP). One time I walked into a sixth grade class and he was sitting there. It took me a moment to realize he was in the wrong class, and I asked him what he was doing. He said he wanted to stay in the class, so I told him he could if he was quiet. And sure enough, he didn't make a peep the whole period...He just sat there, listening intently. Weird.

Now, don't be scared for me about this kid. He's harmless. He's also just a little bit creepy, in an amusing way.....

Oddity number two: I have befriended an elderly widow. She lives below me, and a few weeks ago she came up to my apartment and told me to come visit her. Since that first visit she has come to kidnap me once more, and she took me to her brother and sister-in-law's house for her name day. I can tell she is a bit of a gossip and a busy-body and she is kinda old, but she talks to me, feeds me, and listens to me butcher Bulgarian. At this point in my life, that is all I ask of a friend. Maybe tomorrow I will teach her how to make brownies!

And I'm spent. More later.