I am alive.

Some babas volunteering with
our Socks4Orphans project.

It has been brought to my attention that not posting an entry for weeks after an article about surviving an earthquake could be thought of as bad form. Sorry. I am alive and we have not had any more earthquakes in the area.
So, why the lack of updates? This time, I will pass the blame to routine. I have not left my town in a few weeks and have been generally busy at work. We have completed the project for the blind center and am now working on finalizing the project for a Roma health center. I can't believe I am saying this, but it is kinda nice to have a job that takes up 8.30 - 17.00, five days a week. Even better than being busy is the fact that I really feel like I am helping people now.
Granted, the work I do looks suspiciously like 'real world' stuff. I have a lot of budgets, executive summaries, and Excel graphs scattered around my desk and harddrive. The twist is that the people I am doing all this for would have a very hard time getting all this put together on their own. Often times the donors require the projects to be in English - no small feat. Plus, I am coming in with the fresh eye of a foreigner and the ability to organize and write a project from the good ol' BSchool. So, in a very Kelley School of Business way, I really feel like I am helping out.
At night and on the weekends, I usually split my time with other Peace Corps volunteers, my coworkers, and a group of Bulgarian friends we have made. Since I have not been traveling constantly, my cooking abilities are continuing to improve. Spaghetti sauce and Mexican from scratch are pretty much down pat and with the cold weather, I am looking to spread my wings to soups and stews.
The weather the last few weeks has been great. Even the really cold days have been sunny. And, since the town I used to live in (Samokov) has already had a bunch of snow, I really think winter in Shoumen is going to be easier. My apartment is fairly warm since I have closed all the doors and only heat one room. And, luckily for me my office has a space heater.

Well, that is all I have from out here. Take care and have a great Thanksgiving,
Mark

[Email to a Friend:]