12-11-01

Well, I've been trying for the last week or so to update this but haven't had the chance. I was in Sofia this last weekend for VAC (volunteer advisory council) and thought I would be able to upload pictures onto this darn site. Well, that didn't happen, so you will all have to wait a little longer for those lovely pig slaughtering pictures. I'm sure you won't mind. Sofia was pretty cool, but incredibly busy, as usual. I got there on Thursday, but after travelling all I wanted to do was check into the hotel and relax. A few of the volunteers met up at the office and we all headed to Stateside (a restaurant run by an American which such delicacies as nachos and ranch dressing). I happened to chose Rakia, only because it's cheaper than beer, and I'm not as into the dark beer that everyone else is. I drank too much. That and I hadn't eaten much that day. Oops. That hasn't happened in quite a while. I returned to the hotel, and proceeded to wake up bright and early for my lovely medical exam--so fun!! After a long talk with Andrea, and a tour around the new medical office, I set out to Vitosha blvd. the main shopping strip in Sofia. Stupid me, I was trying to do some christmas shopping, but happened to go to the most expensive place in Bulgaria!! So needless to say, I didn't buy any gifts for you guys...yet. Saturday was full of the VAC meeting, and also a trip to the Radisson hotel, where there was a wonderful exhibition of crafts from all over Bulgaria. I was hoping once again to work on my christmas shopping. I know you'd all love a wonderful little something from Bulgaria which requires dusting at least once a week--as if you didn't have anything better to do. Anyhoo, the stuff there was pretty expensive, so I was back to square one. Again. I left the fair and went to a sort of outdoor flea market. Let me say that again. Outdoor flea market. What am I, crazy?? It was below freezing and I'm standing around looking at tables full of things I can't decifer, and trying to buy things I don't have enough money to send home anyway. I left soon after. I will return in the spring, once it warms up and I have saved some money!! A bunch of us stayed with Joanna, a friend of Marisa, who is a really cool 18 yo bulgarian, who has cool parents that bought her an apartment in Sofia for her 17th birthday. What a nice gift, and she deserves it, she's a great girl. But they all wanted to party on saturday night, and I wanted to sleep, so she gave me the keys and I returned home. Sunday was full of a long train ride back home. I like being home, but I just don't get to do it very often.

I'm currently in Stara Zagora for the PDM (project design and management) workshop. Finally I will learn how to get money for the computer lab and get started!! I'm exhausted, but I found fast internet and I'm taking advantage of it. I just wish I had the cd of pictures to put up here. Oh well. Soon I hope.

I should get going, apparently I have a meeting at 7:30 tomorrow morning about computer labs. What fun! I hope everyone is doing well, and getting those Christmas trees all set up. I wish I was there to help decorate!

Love, Sarah