| My Reflections |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
| Wednesday, August 1, 2001 |
| I NEED WATER . . . WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY WATER FOR ABOUT 3 DAYS NOW . . . I HAVEN'T SHOWERED IN FOUR DAYS . . . I AM DIRTY . . . I STINK . . . I NEED WATER . . . THE WATER IS GOOONE . . . NOT A DROP IS LEFT . . . I LOOK LIKE A PATHETIC, DIRTY ORPHAN . . . MY HAIR IS SO GREASY, YOU COULD FRY FRENCH FRIES IN IT . . . WATER . . . MY STENCH IS MAKING ME UTTERLY NAUSEOUS . . . I USED A BUCKET OF OLD WATER IN AN ATTEMPT TO CLEAN UP TWO DAYS AGO BECAUSE THAT WAS ALL I HAD . . . IT DIDN'T WORK . . . I STILL STINK . . . I AM RAPIDLY GOING CRAZY . . . NO, THIS IS REALLY A GREAT EXPERIENCE . . . IT BUILDS CHARACTER . . . BEING WITHOUT WATER IN BULGARIA FOR DAYS AT A TIME . . . I FEEL LIKE A REAL PEACE CORPS VOLUNTEER NOW . . .WATER . . . |
| Monday, August 6, 2001 *SITE ANNOUNCEMENT DAY!!!* |
| I AM IN SAMOKOV!!!!! Today, after classes in which we couldn't concentrate at all, we all waited with tingling anticipation as our names and sites were drawn out of a little box. Boy, the ANXIETY!!!!! I thought I'd NEVER survive it! One by one, our names were drawn. When I heard the words, "Chantel, you're in Samokov!" my first thought was, "Where?!!?" And then, we had to find our towns and cities in one large cluster, on a huge chalk map of Bulgaria. Apparently, Samokov is a smaller town of about 30,000 people in the Rila mountains and it is just an hour from Sofia. Samokov is supposed to be very artsy and there is a huge ski resort just outside the town. Apparently, I will teach 5th and 6th grades. My host parents raved about Samokov when I told them where I was going to be and I am thrilled to be in a town only a few hours from them. We go on our site visits in a couple of days, so here goes nothing! And, now, it is time to CELEBRATE!!!!! |
| Sunday, August 12, 2001 |
| Well, I survived my site visit . . . successfully, I might add. On Wednesday morning, one Peace Corps bus took PCT's to Sofia to catch buses and trains to their sites and the other took PCT's to Plovdiv. Ofcourse, I was on the bus bound for Sofia. I was the first trainee to get off the bus in Sofia and the others showed their support by clapping, cheering, and wishing me luck as I made my way off of the Peace Corps bus . . . I love the comraderie that the Peace Corps develops! I was met in Samokov an hour later by my counterpart and school director, who showed me around the town, showed me the school, assisted me in opening a bank account, etc. There is a huge fountain in Samokov and, legend has it, that if you drink from the fountain, you're destined to marry a Samokovian and/or remain in Samokov forever . . . so what was the first thing they had me do?!!? Samokov seems to be much bigger than Panagyurishte and seems to be more rundown and have more poverty. Borovets, the ski resort 10 km. outside of town is amazing. Overall, I like my site and can definitely see myself spending 2 years there! |
| Saturday, August 25, 2001 |
| I just got home from 2 na gostis in a row . . . whew, I'm pooped! Pooped and absolutely FULL of Bulgarian food and rakiya! There is definitely no way like the Bulgarian way! I had to eat twice and, at Bulgarian na gostis, food is brought out one dish at a time, in between jovial conversations about family, friends, work, life in Bulgaria, and the latest local gossip . . . much of which revolves around "the Americans" these days! It's hard to believe that there is just ONE WEEK left of Pre-service Training before I am sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer. It seems like I just got here! It's hard to believe that I have already been in Bulgaria 10 weeks! Sometimes I amaze even myself! Bulgaria has already changed me so much and it has truly become a PART of me. My Peace Corps friends and I come from such different lives and backgrounds, yet we are united and bonded through our cause and our mission. We share Bulgaria, we share the experience of a lifetime. |
| Tuesday, August 28, 2001 |
| Everytime I go outside with Iva these days, the children in our neighborhood rush at me, eagerly shouting, "Chantel! Chantel!" The cluster in wild packs around me, eager to practice their limited English, engage me in practicing my limited Bulgarian, and ask me countless questions about life in America. They delight in saying, "F*** You!", without having a CLUE what it means or how bad it is, as I try desperately to explain the horrible nature of that word. Sometimes, we play Hide-N-Go-Seek and tag under flickering street lights and the boys try to show off for all it's worth. I introduced them to "Go Fish" and those paper fortune tellers and they all grasp and plead for a turn. Any adult that happens to saunter by stares at me like I'm crazy as I run WILD with the children of Bulgaria. At first glance, it appears that these children are unsupervised as they terrorize the cobblestone streets, but then I am reminded that it takes a village to raise a child and these children literally HAVE a village raising them. I have become like a chile running WILD through the streets of Bulgaria, experiencing it all with absolute VIGOR . . . |
| Thursday, August 30, 2001 *SWEARING IN DAY!!!* |
| Well, I MADE it. I was officially sworn in as a volunteer of the United States Peace Corps. . . I have acheived a dream that I have cherished for years. After pouring over endless information packets and brochures, gazingly longingly at the Peace Corps map hung on my wall, filling out applications and papers until my fingers ached, nursing headaches and unrational stress over medical and dental processes, and enduring the AGONY of having my wisdom teeth pulled, I have finally made it. I survived the rigors of training, and now here I am. My journey is not ending, it's only just beginning . . . so LET THE JOURNEY BEGIN!!!!!! |
 |