Contrary to popular belief, I am alive

I am so off on writing...I haven't written a Dover Post article in ages...I haven't written a blog since January. Part of this is because I am lazy. Part of it is that life doesn't seem so exotic as it did last year. Part of it is that senioritis has set in, and we are encouraged not to be negative about Bulgaria in public forums...But whatever the reason, this blog has been dying a slow death.

I can't promise a vitally healthy blog anymore, but I will try to include sum-ups of my last few months in the Balkans.

Since I last wrote I have had two visitors (training-mate Ethan and fellow Doverite Monica), gone to Istanbul, watched my town's Kukeri and bided my time at school. In short, have guests was fun, Istanbul restored my faith in the Balkans, Kukeri was amusing as always and school has gotten progressively less good. I have had to call my director in the middle of class on my cell phone to have her remove a student, another student and his mom almost killed another boy during a spectacular fight including a car (note: the guilty boy is still at school), no student has gotten above a 50% on any test I have given even though they get the test a week in advance, two boys almost broke my laptop sitting on my desk while I was walking around the classroom to check homework, and the level of whining and lying and cheating has hit fever pitch. I am soooooo ready not to be teaching anymore.

On the good side, the weather has been very nice, we had a couple of really fun holidays (including Baba Marta -- my favorite Bulgarian holiday), I have acquired 4 new pairs of knitted baba socks, I have a lot of fun plans that should make the next few months fly by if my wallet can handle it, and I have finally found Heinz ketchup in Sliven. All I have to say about the last part is IT'S ABOUT TIME!

So that's the update for now. Don't know when I'll update again. Until then, happy trails to you.