So, what do you do out there…

I got a call from a friend last week and realized I had not put much information about what I do here in the Peace Corps. Sorry about that, between emails, phone calls, and this, I forget who knows what. So, here is my attempt for an update.

Last time I did this type of email, I had my weeks cleanly broken down by day. That has since been highly jumbled. So, here is the new list, more by category than by days.

• English classes: I’ve got about four of them a week. They can be divided fairly cleanly into either the Robin Williams in ‘Good Morning Vietnam’ category or the Robin Williams in ‘Dead Poets Society’ category. No, really.

• Rotary Club: I meet once a week with the local Rotary Club (yea, the same as in the states). This is HUGE because it gives me some real face time with the big businesspeople of my town. Plus, it is a guaranteed good meal a week.

• Village Tourism: This is my big, long term project. My hope is to develop ‘bed and breakfast’ type tourism here. We already have the large resort traffic and I am hoping to pull off of that. This project could include some big players (ie, European Union, World Bank, USAID.) So, if you are wondering where all that international aid money you hear about goes…it’s me, it’s me – or people like me.

• Book Project: This will most likely be something that goes on the whole time. It is really amazing at the response so far (special thanks to Susan, who has mobilized a couple college campuses). It is amazing how such a small thing can get people to help.

• Computer Project: The high school I teach at does not have ANY computers. This is especially sad because they focus on mathematics. Plus, most of them want to attend university – some in other countries – and they do not have any academic exposure to computers. So, I am trying to get the kids to raise some of the money themselves. Once they do that, I will try and find donors to help finish the project.

• Menu Translations: I am hoping to prime the local restaurants and hotels for tourism by getting their menus/rates translated into English. It is small but, it could help someday.

• Disabled and Unemployed Services: I am working with an organization that specializes in training disabled and unemployed people. They usually either teach handicrafts or work to develop other concrete skills. Right now, they are close to losing funding and I am working to teach them English and find a new source on income.

I guess I refrained from doing this type of journal because, it sounds much more impressive than my day-to-day routine really is; but, I also want people to know what keeps me going these days. So, that is that. Hope all is well.

~~Mark

PS: I still love getting emails from you guys…

...Full Entry>>
[Email to a Friend:]

You’re weird if you to talk to yourself in America…

…well, it’s the same in Bulgaria.

A way that I practice my Bulgarian is reciting conversations I have had during the day in my head. That way, I can think of new ways to answer common questions or at least work on switching up my grammar – so I don’t continually repeat myself. It really does help. But, there is a downside.

I talk out loud sometimes. Usually it is not very loud; but, I am defiantly unconsciously using my vocal cords. The worst example of my stupidity included a baba (the all encompassing word for ‘old lady’). I was walking behind a baba over a particularly nasty slab of ice. It was the concentrating on not falling that allowed my mind to slip and my mouth to say, ‘get out of here.’ Was this verbal slipup said in English? Oh no. We were full on Bulgarian. Needless to say, it got uncomfortable when she turned around and started screaming at me. I wanted to say, ‘I was just talking to myself.’ But, the last thing I need here is a newspaper headline reading: American admits he is crazy. So, I just repeated, “I’m sorry” until she continued on her way.

It is not like I need more attention around here. I am already the walking human spectacle. (Luckily, I can understand enough to know if the comments are kind or malicious.) So, I can’t wait to hear from someone that ‘rumor on the street is, you hate old people.’ Or, something equally distorted and cruel as that. Time will tell.

Hope all is going well,

Mark

...Full Entry>>
[Email to a Friend:]