Tuesday, September 19, 2006

Good News...maybe

The past few weeks have been a flurry of emotions...

Chitalishte 'Nov Zhivot' finally got the funds to start our project, "Life as One Family" (3 months after the anticipated date...they were sent to the wrong account, then a few weeks later, they were sent to the same wrong account...hey, it happens! It's actually better this way since there are more kids around now and they're more in the mood to learn and create stuff. In the summer, they're either with their grandparents or at the sea),

My wonderful boyfriend, Erkan, and I, broke up. It was a mutual decision since my time here is passing quickly and, as much as we like each other, his place is here, his family's here, his home's here. My place isn't here...i don't know exactly where it is, but not here...hanging out with each other and falling in love and talking about making a family is just too painful, knowing that we're going to have to part soon.

My wonderful friend Nejda came back to teach for another year in Momchilgrad!! She's married in Bursa, Turkey, but she's finishing her masters in psychology here in Bulgaria and it was just the best option for her to come back. I'll take it!! It was such a nice surprize to know that we can hang out for one more year. Welcome back, Nej!!

I lost one gsm, and acquired two gsms...one from a cousin and one from a fellow PCV who's moving on to other adventures...sometimes when you lose, you gain.

There's a story about a farmer who lives with his son in a country called Zambaria and relies heavily on the one horse they have, to draw their cart, to take them to the city. Well, one day the horse runs away and the farmer is left without a form of transportation. The farmer's neighbors come by and shake their heads, apoligizing for the sad occurrence. "What a tragedy..." "What will you do?" The farmer only says...."We will see, we will see..." After going through a few days of struggle, the horse comes back with three other horses from a wild group of horses. They all stay with the farmer and his horse. The neighbors come by again, this time applauding, celebrating the happiness of the farmer. "What a lucky man you are!" "What a fortunate occurrence." The farmer says only..."We will see, we will see..." A few days pass and one day the farmer's son is outside training one of the wild horses when he falls and breaks his leg. That's hard on the farmer since the son did a lot of work around the farm and they're not a rich family. The faithful neighbors come by again, saying "How terrible" "I'm so sorry, neighbor" Of course, the farmer says again..."We will see, we will see." Three days later, war breaks out between Zambaria and Bavaria and all the healthy men are called upon to go fight for their country. You can imagine what happens afterwards.

You can interpret it however you want to, but the point is...everything changes...when you lose, you gain, when you gain, you lose...just don't lose faith, 'cuz if you do, faith just might come back in a few days with more faith, from a wild group of faith.

Monday, September 11, 2006

Dungeons and gardens

"Helloooo, are you alive in there, in the
dungeon? Hey, you are alive...and you're
lookin' kind of funny. Ha-ha..."



From the dungeon to the garden...

Mom and I in the Garden of Eden.


The best landlords ever! Zdravko and Diana

show us around rocks and dungeons

in the MOmchilgrad area.

Back in the garden...."aaaaagh, I"m naked! Go

away, Adam, don't take my picture now...I'm going

to read about my naked condition in hopes of

getting some clarity...that's why i'm holding these

books."



From the garden to the dungeon...at least it's a dungeon

with a view.

Sunday, September 10, 2006

Pics

Turkish folklore dance group "Zeybekler" opens
tennis match in Kurjali. We don't look too
happy about it though!


Mira as a little baby...where is she? Nobody knows.
A mysterious stranger has swept her away to
a place unknown. If you're so inclined, please
pray for her well-being.

Puppies playing...Mira's the one jumping on everyone.

That's my girl! Come home, Mira!

Humans playing...we're too 'civilized' to jump on

each other, so instead we just jump around!

Happy sisters :)

Picture Time!

In our meeting space in Tsarevo, at camp
Zaedno Napred. Gokhan, Albena, and Toni with
her fancy new glasses.















Welcome to my messy apartment!
















Who are those wild and crazy PCVs?















On the Black Sea, after playing some frisbee and rolling around in the sand.















Let's go to the local discotheque and get down with our
bad selves! Whaddaya say ladies?