HAPPY 60TH BIRTHDAY DAD!
CHESTIT SHESTDECETI ROZHDEN DEN BASHTA MI!
Sunday, September 9, 2007
What a Difference a Year Makes!
As far back as I can remember, the fall has felt like the REAL beginning of the year. Primarily because of the start of a new school year. Whether it be new school supplies, cool new shoes, or as is now the case, my new (Teachers Editions) English Language Textbooks for my 8th and 9th grade students; there is always something new and exciting to look forward to as the temperature starts to cool down and the days become just a bit shorter.
This year, I will be teaching 2 periods/week for each of the 5 different 8th grade classes and the 4 different 9th grade classes at Geo Milev English Language Lyceum. (A lyceum being a high school with grades 8-12 where students not only receive a traditional education but also focus on a specific skill: in Geo Milev's case, English). In addition, I will have an after-school class each day which will be a more relaxed environment for my students to practice their English and hopefully to help me practise my Bulgarian. I have been working on my lesson plans and meeting the teachers this past week as we all prepare for the start of the school year on September 15th. Yes, that is a Saturday. Every year, Bulgarian schools start on the 15th regardless what day it is. This first day of 'classes' is full of performances, ceremonies, music, and meet/greets to serve as the celebration of a new school year.
Last week I bought a 'SLINGBOX' off of a guy on eBay. Basically, a SLINGBOX is a new technology where you can hook up this patented device to a digital cable box on one end and an internet router on another end and you can broadcast local digital cable worldwide through the internet to a private network. Pretty insane, huh? So Mark set it up for me at his house in D.C. and I have been able to watch Washington area T.V. on my computer. Obviously, the reason why I got this thing was to watch the hokies and the skins this fall. I stayed up all night last night (the game started at 4:15am local time sunday morning) to watch tech/lsu. Although we got our asses handed to us on a stick, it was really exciting to be able to watch the game. <> Also, I will be able to watch the skins-dolphins game (8pm sunday local time)
I am so excited to have the capability to stay in touch with sports back home; but the whole situation is kinda odd for me.
First of all, watching the hokies play in the middle of the night while drinking Glenn Dorsey-knows-how-many cups of coffee does not begin to compare to watching it at the Delta Chi house with a keg, or in Lane Stadium with a bourbon and coke (wait, i mean, just plain coke ;) ) or at 503 with great people and great aristocrat.
Also, when I decided to serve in the Peace Corps, I did not picture this sort of set-up would be possible. I was willing and ready to go anywhere in the world where I could serve my 27 months without the ammenities of life at home in the states. So to have the capability to watch local television almost makes me feel like I'm cheating. As long as I just use the slingbox to watch my teams when they are on and not let it be a distraction from the purpose that I am here, I think it will be all good.
anyways...
Last Thursday was Unification Day in Bulgaria. On September 6, 1885 the recently liberated Bulgarian state acquired the region of eastern Rumelia from the Ottoman-Turks which still maintained control of this region as a principality to its fastly decreasing empire. Eastern Rumelia is the area of modern Bulgaria that stretches from southeast of Sofia all the way to the Black Sea to the east and Greece to the south. Because everyone had a day off of work, I went over to one of my colleague's houses and had lunch with her family. On Friday, I went to a celo (Bulgarian for a small village) with a couple of friends. Tabachka, the small village about 25 km south of Ruse is such a quaint little place like so many other small villages throughout Bulgaria. With only a small store to buy bread, beer, and select few other necessities, people grow all of their own fresh vegetables and get their fresh water from natural springs. After some hours of exploring the surrounding riverbeds and valleys, one of my friends grandmas prepared a delicious fresh lunch of fresh vegetables, home-grown walnuts, sausage, and home-made plum brandy. The brandy is known as Rakia in Bulgaria and it is somewhat of a write of passage for people from the villages to grow their own and argue about how it is far more superior (both in taste and alcohol proof) than any other rakia ever distilled before. That was a great, relaxing day that I will not soon forget!
So, I have been having some great experiences and meeting some great people lately. I am definitely ready for the start of my first school year in Bulgaria. Like every other fall, this year surely will bring new experiences, new knowledge, new challenges...and an early season loss for the hokies.
This year, I will be teaching 2 periods/week for each of the 5 different 8th grade classes and the 4 different 9th grade classes at Geo Milev English Language Lyceum. (A lyceum being a high school with grades 8-12 where students not only receive a traditional education but also focus on a specific skill: in Geo Milev's case, English). In addition, I will have an after-school class each day which will be a more relaxed environment for my students to practice their English and hopefully to help me practise my Bulgarian. I have been working on my lesson plans and meeting the teachers this past week as we all prepare for the start of the school year on September 15th. Yes, that is a Saturday. Every year, Bulgarian schools start on the 15th regardless what day it is. This first day of 'classes' is full of performances, ceremonies, music, and meet/greets to serve as the celebration of a new school year.
Last week I bought a 'SLINGBOX' off of a guy on eBay. Basically, a SLINGBOX is a new technology where you can hook up this patented device to a digital cable box on one end and an internet router on another end and you can broadcast local digital cable worldwide through the internet to a private network. Pretty insane, huh? So Mark set it up for me at his house in D.C. and I have been able to watch Washington area T.V. on my computer. Obviously, the reason why I got this thing was to watch the hokies and the skins this fall. I stayed up all night last night (the game started at 4:15am local time sunday morning) to watch tech/lsu. Although we got our asses handed to us on a stick, it was really exciting to be able to watch the game. <
I am so excited to have the capability to stay in touch with sports back home; but the whole situation is kinda odd for me.
First of all, watching the hokies play in the middle of the night while drinking Glenn Dorsey-knows-how-many cups of coffee does not begin to compare to watching it at the Delta Chi house with a keg, or in Lane Stadium with a bourbon and coke (wait, i mean, just plain coke ;) ) or at 503 with great people and great aristocrat.
Also, when I decided to serve in the Peace Corps, I did not picture this sort of set-up would be possible. I was willing and ready to go anywhere in the world where I could serve my 27 months without the ammenities of life at home in the states. So to have the capability to watch local television almost makes me feel like I'm cheating. As long as I just use the slingbox to watch my teams when they are on and not let it be a distraction from the purpose that I am here, I think it will be all good.
anyways...
Last Thursday was Unification Day in Bulgaria. On September 6, 1885 the recently liberated Bulgarian state acquired the region of eastern Rumelia from the Ottoman-Turks which still maintained control of this region as a principality to its fastly decreasing empire. Eastern Rumelia is the area of modern Bulgaria that stretches from southeast of Sofia all the way to the Black Sea to the east and Greece to the south. Because everyone had a day off of work, I went over to one of my colleague's houses and had lunch with her family. On Friday, I went to a celo (Bulgarian for a small village) with a couple of friends. Tabachka, the small village about 25 km south of Ruse is such a quaint little place like so many other small villages throughout Bulgaria. With only a small store to buy bread, beer, and select few other necessities, people grow all of their own fresh vegetables and get their fresh water from natural springs. After some hours of exploring the surrounding riverbeds and valleys, one of my friends grandmas prepared a delicious fresh lunch of fresh vegetables, home-grown walnuts, sausage, and home-made plum brandy. The brandy is known as Rakia in Bulgaria and it is somewhat of a write of passage for people from the villages to grow their own and argue about how it is far more superior (both in taste and alcohol proof) than any other rakia ever distilled before. That was a great, relaxing day that I will not soon forget!
So, I have been having some great experiences and meeting some great people lately. I am definitely ready for the start of my first school year in Bulgaria. Like every other fall, this year surely will bring new experiences, new knowledge, new challenges...and an early season loss for the hokies.
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