I will try to get this email about before I fall asleep on my laptop. This weekend was not condusive to sleep, and the 3 1/2 hour-long train ride with stuck-shut windows today didn't help...
Last week I began some work, thus ending my profound boredom. Three students returned from their various summer rambles and we were able to start some essay-writing and test-prep courses for university entrance exams. After our lessons they took me out to the cafe and introduced me to some of their friends, so at least I have an "in" in the community now. When school starts I'll be with the teachers every day too, which will give me even more social interaction.
On Friday I had our writing lesson, my Bulgarian lesson, and then I caught a train back to Krichim. This was a weekend I had been looking forward to all month -- the Krichim Town Festival.
In Bulgaria most towns, no matter how small, have a gradska praznik (a city holiday) once during the year. It is basically a time to get everyone in town outside and talking with music, dancing and fireworks in the town square. When we heard that Krichim's fesitval was the last weekend of August, the 5 of us decided it would be a good time to have a reunion before the school year starts. Only Ned was unable to make it, and he was missed.
Krichim has new trainees, and they are all living with our old families. Vassy, the trainee in my family, was actually born in Bulgaria and speaks Bulgarian, so she is learning Turkish instead. I must say there is an eerie familial resemblance between us -- a number of people in town stopped to ask me if we were sisters.
On Friday evening the families, new trainees and old trainees sat at a cafe in the town center while listening to the music. It was very nice to see everyone again and meet the newbies. They were so impressed with our Bulgarian that it was a good weekend for ego-massage. (It also felt good because I remember a few months back when I was thinking, "I'll never learn this language!" and I heard other volunteers who had only been here for a few months speaking and thinking, "There's light at the end of the tunnel.")
Saturday had beautiful weather, so a bunch of us went on our favorite hike to the top of the mountain behind town. One other new trainee from Stamboliski joined us, and he was a character. He kept whining about all this stuff he missed from the states (McDonald's french fries, BBQ chicken, etc.) and I thought to myself, "Buddy, you were in the states just two weeks ago..." I hope he can get over it and doesn't end up going home early. It just seems kind of early to be complaining about missing things.
Saturday night the 4 old Krichim volunteers broke apart from the new trainees for the chalga concert in the center. Vesela, one of the chalga stars (one very very popular type of Bulgarian pop music) performed some of her songs, and then they set off some fireworks. Afterwards we met some of Bulgarian and Turkish friends at one of our favorite cafes and stayed until it closed. They were all so impressed by how much better our Bulgarian has gotten.
On Sunday I introduced two of the new trainees to Plovdiv. We saw The Island, which was a pretty interesting movie. It was a beautiful day, but hot and we came home exhausted. However, the trainee living with Maegan's family (my host aunt) had a birthday, and if there is one thing the Turks love it's a birthday party. There was the typical congregation of family members and Americans, lots of dancing kuchek, and even some Elvis songs (thanks to Husein, one of our friends/"cousins" who was home from college in Turkey.) Needless to say, it was another late night.
Monday, yesterday, I more or less spent the day on a very very hot train as the windows were stuck closed. Lots of sleep followed, and I feel back to normal today.
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