8-22-00

Hey again, it’s Josh. We have just one and a half weeks left of training today and it feels good. I feel that we have sort of outgrown host family and we’re ready to try our Bulgarian survival skills in real life. Our host family has been great and they will miss us too, but we’re ready to go to our permanent site. I guess that means that Peace Corps has done a good job at training us this summer. It’s been good to have training as we have adjusted to this new culture. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to show up, like many immigrants do, to a country where you have little or no help to adjust to the new culture.

Our host father has informed us that he has to find construction work elsewhere this winter and possibly for one or two years in order for Sylvia and Svetly to continue their work at university in Sofia. He mentioned coming to the US, but since the possibility of him getting a visa to the US is slim to none, we’re a little skeptical about the possibility of him being able to make it. Another trainee went with his host father to an interview at the American embassy (which he had to pay 50 US dollars, a month’s salary) to be told “no” to a visa. The trainee described the interview as “embarrassing” – embarrassed that his government charged that much to be say no. No one who went into the interview got a visa that day. Our host family has told us about the economic troubles they have been having here with tears in their eyes. They keep saying “mnogo trugno” – very difficult. It may not seem that there are not many problems here in Bulgaria on the surface. In fact, there are new businesses popping up in the center of Dupnitsa and the infrastructure of a relatively wealthier society is left over from Communism, but people are still struggling. As the businessman who is making this year’s Peace Corps t-shirts (which I designed and Kate and I have organized) the situation here in Bulgaria is stupid, stupid, stupid. He has a Master’s degree in mechanical engineering and he is now making t-shirts! Kate and I are living here among the Bulgarians, but we always know that we can leave whenever we want. For most all Bulgarians the chances of traveling or emigrating are very low and they don’t feel good about their own country. Put those two together and you get a culture that has low esteem and likes their alcohol.

We’re approaching the end of our summer here and it’s hard to believe that we have spent nearly three months here in this house. I think I will miss the mountains of southern Bulgaria. I think I’ll also miss the terrace behind the house from where we watched the sun set and the stars. The Rila Mountains loom over the eastern edge of Dupnitsa and I can see them from our bedroom window. This country has so many beautiful places.