The Cast of Characters

The characters in Krichim, as promised, whose multi-color personalities form the landscape of my current Peace Corps experience:
___________________________________________________________________

Atidje- the host mother/friend- wild, passionate woman who can burn like fire and be cold as ice. She may have been a race car driver in a previous life. She is fervently committed to her husband, Oktai, and her daughter, Berin. Goes to work at a dairy center at 6 in the morning, comes back at 8...cooks, cleans, and wrestles with the pros. She likes to say, 'kiss my ass' and 'you, be happy'. She's friends with pretty much everyone in Krichim. One of her hobbies is winning the respect and love of the people around her and she's quite good at it!

Oktai-the host dad-Likes to dance 'kiuchek', aka, 'belly dancing', drink rakia, and look at the beautiful Plovdiv women with Andy (see below). He is interested in anything to do with Egypt and could watch documentaries on it for hours (when he's not watching the Bulgarian music station and the sexy dancers). Although he has a wild side, his personality is softer than Ati's. He tends more toward sadness than anger...he's more like water than fire. He also works at a bakery and makes delicious baklava.

Berin- My beautiful host sister. She is in love with the Bulgarian singer, Anelia. If she could go anywhere in the world, she would go to India, being drawn to the beautiful clothing, people, and henna art there. Her striking green eyes can pierce your soul. I know her to be a loving, compassionate, intelligent being who's devoted to her friends and family. Her belly dancing skills are nothin' to smirk at...she's quite amazing.

Ojgune-Atidje's sister, who's also my Turkish tutor and Andy's host mother-she has bright red hair and laughs like nobody's business. When she puts her mind to something, she gets it done. She worked on a project to clear up an Eco-path in Krichim. At the time, people laughed and mocked the project (they'd never heard of such a thing) but it's now used and enjoyed by many people in the area. It's the most popular trail here! Her warm, cheerful personality draws people in like a magnet.

Villi and Giulchen- Ojgune's daughters-Villi is an ambitious 'frizior/hair-stylist' who wants to study abroad and become a dentist. She put blond highlights in my hair. Her profession puts her (unintentionally) into the role of part-time psychologist, as people tend to vent their problems as they get their hair done. Giulchen is pretty shy around people she doesn't know, yet she's extremely compassionate towards everyone. She likes to imitate people and make up scenes to act out with my host-sister, Berin.

Maria- the committed Bulgarian language instructor for our Krichim group-she hosts movies at her apartment every Thursday night. A cut-throat yatzee player with hair the color of 'Balkan fire'. Though she often appears to be serious and stable, after a few glasses of rakia, you can find her crawling under the table seeking dice. She is our bridge between the Bulgarian and American cultures and ways of life.

PC Andy- My so-called cousin (his host mom is my host mom's sister)-who hails from Vancouver, Washington. He's a thinker with a love of science who's constantly sarcastic and can put a smile on anyone's face, except perhaps his host sister, Villi, who gets mad at his constant joking. She gets upset when he calls her Villi-Villitza (fork in Bulgarian), which is pretty much always. He brings much joy to our group and has been known to make people laugh or hit him, whichever comes first. Andy's in his late twenties.

PC Trevor- An avid rugby player who is the tallest person in our PCV group. Like Oktai, he likes the rakia here, although not as much as the beer. He is fond of the goats in Krichim, as he grew up in a place with many goats and has fond memories of his animal friends. He's been heard to say he was at home 'washing the goat', although some claim this was a language mishap.
He's kind-hearted, fairly serious at times, a magnet for mosquitoes who's highly committed to his rugby game. Trevor's in his early twenties.

PC Freddie - Perhaps the most outgoing member of our little group, this man hails from Toledo, Ohio (the first place i ever lived in, in America). A rambunctious story teller with an eye for details and curiousity about the humans and the human interactions. He has an infectious laugh and is not afraid to utilize it. One of his hobbies is psychoanalyzing people and relationships and often has profound observations about the way the humans function. Although it's not always obvious, he's also highly compassionate and concerned about the well-being of others. He's in his 50s.

PCs Jack and Rhonda - This beautiful couple comes to Bulgaria, all the way from scenic Alaska. They had to take a minor detour back to the states as Jack's father died a week into our training. Although it was sad for them, the incident seems to have been for the best, as he had suffered a lot over the past ten years. Rhonda is my partner in youth development (everyone else in our group is in community development) and we've had much fun hanging out with the kids. We've made pipe cleaner creations, cleaned up the eco-path, and played 'drop the handkerchief'. She is a sweet and (at times) hilarious person who's been a wonderful co-worker. Jack is a skillful tree climber who loves to hunt and fish. Being a couple of the woods, Jack and Rhonda are enjoying the mountainous forests and the hiking in Krichim. They are in their 50s.
___________________________________________________________________


So, there's many more people to mention (the kids in our youth group who are from Turkish, Bulgarian, and Roma ethnicities, Freddie's host mom Sunai, who reads coffee grinds to tell your fortune, her belly dancing daughter Delek, etc.) , but I will stop here for now. This gives a taste of the eclectic characters in Krichim...we're all pretty different, with much to learn from each other. I realized over the past week (as we went to visit our permanent sites...I'll be in a place called Momchilgrad, btw) how much I'll miss this place and these people. Ah well, as Kansas said..."All we are is dust in the wind." Nothing lasts forever. This truth is magnified in Peace Corps training, as everything changes dramatically every few weeks. Must remember to enjoy things thoroughly while they're here, 'cuz they're likely to change soon!