My job is going to be working with a NGO developing programs for youth in the community to work on healthy activites and social skills. The idea is to focus more on prevention as opposed to dealing with the problem after it occurs. There is also an orphanage located in town that I will work with. I believe in that, the idea is to just be a positive role model/support for these kids and to do various activities with them.
I am very excited about the possibilites of these projects and living in the town for the two years. Its beautiful and I think it will be a good size and location for me. As you can imagine though the language continues to be a very difficult obsticle. I spent the last 3 days in the town meeting people, and on both sides, not understanding what the other was saying. There was an environmental volunteer that lived there and left right before I came, so when I would introduce myself as a Peace Corps volunteer, the towns response was..."Ahh, Thomas...ahh, he spoke Bulgarian very well!" I understood this much from my very limited Bulgarian skills. When you are in that situation you get used to a lot of awkward silences, staring, smiling and saying "DA, DOBRE", which mean yes and good! So the language and skills continue.
It was very nice to come back to Radomir though because at this point it is some sort of safety bubble. My host parents greeted me at the bus station, (they drove an hour into another town, as they did not want me to wait another hour to take the train on my own). My host mom barely let me get off the bus before hugging me a lot, and saying "my girl." Its very nice to have a family that I feel very comfortable with here. In all the forms of relationships you are forced to get to know people a lot quicker then in the states. Whether its a co-worker, someone in town, or a friend of someone you know. Usually you are embraced very quickly, kissed on both cheeks, or pinched by the baba's (grandmothers) and they say beautiful, sweet, or just stare and smile! Bulgaria has some great people.
So as my adventure continues, I hope to keep you all up to date on important, exciting and funny things. It is very difficult to describe everything, as most things you have to see for yourself. Just one thing before I go.
As I think I have said before, I have a 13 year old host brother here who speaks very little English. Well before I left last week, I had a conversation with the family and mostly him about cars in America. I have no idea when or how he got it into his head, but for some reason he thinks I know a lot about motors, speed, fuel, engine size, and various other things that have to do with cars and motorcycles. No matter how much I tell him that in America most girls do not know about such things, he still asks me how many Mercedes, Hummers, Dodge Vipers, Feraris and other fancy cars I see in Idaho. Its a fun process to try and describe these things for me, especially when it turns into some form of sheraides and you feel as though its game night and someones about to win! Anyways. That is just some of the fun things that go on at home, and in general in Bulgaria. Keep reading all...there will be more to come!
Will hear from you all soon I hope!
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