I hope that everyone back in the states had a happy and safe Fourth of July! This is not the first time I have been abroad during our nation's celebration of independence, and each time I am struck by the different ways Americans living abroad celebrate this holiday. The embassy community decided to hold their Independence Day celebrations a week early, as Ambassador Beyrle would have already left for his new post in Moscow before the actual 4th. It was a great big party - with many of our Bulgarian counterparts invited to enjoy American dishes and an AMAZING fireworks show. It was an impressive and colorful affair, filled with the big bangs and theatrics I remember from my childhood 4th of Julys on Lake Michigan. No expense was spared and everyone raved about the fireworks for most of the following week. Our Ambassador had the opportunity to personally thank many who worked in the Embassy as well as those Bulgarians who Embassy staff worked with on bilateral issues. The following day, at the Embassy's goodbye party for Ambassador Beyrle and his family, he gave a very moving farewell address to all the Embassy staff - mostly in English, but at times, switching over to Bulgarian. He will be missed here in Sofia, but I wish him and his family all the best in Moscow!
The week was not over yet - on Friday four new friends and I piled into a car and drove down to Greece and took the ferry to the island of Thassos. We spent most of our time on white sandy beaches, dipping into warm and clear blue waters and enjoying the delicious seafood the Greeks are known for. It was a great get-away and a necessary one to recharge our batteries for the coming weeks. Bulgaria, unfortunately, does not have any access to beaches on its western side (where Sofia is located), which means you must travel close to 6 hours east to Varna on the Black Sea or 6 hours south to the Greek islands and coastline. As soon as you crossed the border into Greece, everything changed - the landscape, the architecture, the types of trees (a lot of Olive groves), and even the air - but we mainly noticed the roads. The road quality was markedly better upon entering Greece.
On Thassos we had the good luck to stay at the Emerald Hotel (recommended to us by several Embassy employees who stay there when they vacation in Greece). The Emerald Hotel overlooks Golden Beach in Skala Panagia on the northeastern part of the island. Costas, the owner of the Emerald, attended Michigan State University and was a wonderful host (and bartender) for our little group. With the beach a short five minute walk away, we spent most Friday afternoon and all day Saturday on the sand or in the water. In the evenings we walked the beach's boardwalk and had late dinners of seafood, authentic Greek salad, Ouzo, Greek wine, and feta cheese. Our wallets empty (thanks to the Euro) and our bags filled with sand (how does it manage to get EVERYWHERE?), we departed Sunday morning from our little piece of Greek paradise. Our trip back home was more subdued, but if we ever have the chance to come back, I don't think any of us will hesitate.
Since I haven't seen anything appear on the national news sites (or international ones, for that matter), I did want to let you know that two days ago, a munitions site began to blow up early Thursday morning outside of the city, causing considerable damage to the local houses and businesses and shutting down the airport. No one was killed but the explosions lasted for most of the morning, with officials letting people go back to their homes by late evening. No biological weapons were stored at this depot - just a few older explosives and ammunition. As I live on the other side of the city, I had no idea that this was going on until I got to work and received emails about it. Then, at around 3pm, an earthquake measuring 3.2 on the Ricter scale rumbled through the city (the epicenter was placed 15 km outside of Sofia). Again, I was totally unaware until an email "pinged" into my inbox alerting staff of the event. A fellow intern and I surmised that, had we not been told what was happening outside, we would have not been the wiser - the Embassy can be quite a protective little bubble from the outside world! Again - I am fine and life in Sofia has quickly moved on. But what a way to start the 4th of July weekend!
Tonight is the American Chamber of Commerce 4th of July Celebration. Tomorrow I plan on seeing some more of Sofia (I have less than a month left in Bulgaria!) and I have big plans for the rest of the week with a possible trip to Turkey next weekend. Pictures from my Greek adventure will be posted as soon as I get a more reliable Internet connection at my place in Sofia. Thanks for all the wonderful emails and comments!
~Monica
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Rose Festival and Parade
After several days of rain, some friends I made at the U.S. Embassy invited me to travel with them to the Rose Festival in Kazanlak. With the weather forecast full of rain across Bulgaria, we decided to catch the last day of the two-week Rose Festival and see the parade that marked the conclusion of the festival - rain or shine.
"The fund of the Bulgarian Rose" "The city of Kazanlak"
Kazanlak is a smaller city located in the center of Bulgaria, about three hour drive east from Sofia. It is known throughout Bulgaria and throughout Europe as the place where the famous and expensive Bulgarian Rose Oil is produced. The city is surrounded by fields of rose bushes, a special variety of rose that originated in Damascus and then was cultivated into the Kazanlak Rose. Bulgarians are proud to brag about their Kazanluk Rose and the rose oil that is harvested from the Kazanlak Rose. This rose oil is also known as Bulgaria's "liquid gold," as it is three times more expensive per ounce than gold and is used throughout the cosmetic industry as a base for perfumes and other beauty products. One kilograms of rose oil is extracted from 3000 kilograms of hand-picked roses! Over 2000 people harvest these roses each year, as hand-picking the blossoms is the best way to preserve the roses for the distillation process. The harvesting of the roses lasts anywhere from five to twenty days, depending on the crop. This year the roses bloomed earlier and so the harvest was complete by the second week of June.
We left Sofia early in the morning so that we could arrive in time for the Rose Parade at noon. It was raining when we left and the rain would continue to sporadically meet us as we traveled through small villages and along mountain roads to Kazanlak. The rain refreshed the entire countryside, greening the fields and the trees that passed by our windows. The mountains stretched along the horizon, rain clouds preventing us from seeing their peaks. My favorite things to watch for were the colorful wildflowers that lined the sides of the roads, the flocks of sheep and goats that grazed in the fields below the mountains, and the villages that we passed, each gate and garden decorated with at least one flowering rose bush.
Approaching Kazanlak, we passed by the famous "Valley of the Roses." The fields in this valley were filled with row after row of now-picked rose bushes. There were a few people out in the fields, gathering the remnants of the rose harvest, and we could only imagine what these fields must have looked like just a week ago.
The sun met us as we drove into Kazanlak, warming us as we made our way to the center of town for the parade. We were about half an hour late, but we managed to catch the tail-end of the parade (see slideshow in the sidebar). The main street was filled with rose petals and the air filled with the scent of roses - a nice change from the body odor that usually emanates from such a crowd in the heat of the sun. The main city square was filled with flowering rose bushes and I made sure to get a photo with the famous flowers.
We were only in town for an hour before the rain caught up with us, so we decided to head back to Sofia. The lavender fields were one of my favorite sights on the return trip:
Kazanlak is a smaller city located in the center of Bulgaria, about three hour drive east from Sofia. It is known throughout Bulgaria and throughout Europe as the place where the famous and expensive Bulgarian Rose Oil is produced. The city is surrounded by fields of rose bushes, a special variety of rose that originated in Damascus and then was cultivated into the Kazanlak Rose. Bulgarians are proud to brag about their Kazanluk Rose and the rose oil that is harvested from the Kazanlak Rose. This rose oil is also known as Bulgaria's "liquid gold," as it is three times more expensive per ounce than gold and is used throughout the cosmetic industry as a base for perfumes and other beauty products. One kilograms of rose oil is extracted from 3000 kilograms of hand-picked roses! Over 2000 people harvest these roses each year, as hand-picking the blossoms is the best way to preserve the roses for the distillation process. The harvesting of the roses lasts anywhere from five to twenty days, depending on the crop. This year the roses bloomed earlier and so the harvest was complete by the second week of June.
We left Sofia early in the morning so that we could arrive in time for the Rose Parade at noon. It was raining when we left and the rain would continue to sporadically meet us as we traveled through small villages and along mountain roads to Kazanlak. The rain refreshed the entire countryside, greening the fields and the trees that passed by our windows. The mountains stretched along the horizon, rain clouds preventing us from seeing their peaks. My favorite things to watch for were the colorful wildflowers that lined the sides of the roads, the flocks of sheep and goats that grazed in the fields below the mountains, and the villages that we passed, each gate and garden decorated with at least one flowering rose bush.
Approaching Kazanlak, we passed by the famous "Valley of the Roses." The fields in this valley were filled with row after row of now-picked rose bushes. There were a few people out in the fields, gathering the remnants of the rose harvest, and we could only imagine what these fields must have looked like just a week ago.
The sun met us as we drove into Kazanlak, warming us as we made our way to the center of town for the parade. We were about half an hour late, but we managed to catch the tail-end of the parade (see slideshow in the sidebar). The main street was filled with rose petals and the air filled with the scent of roses - a nice change from the body odor that usually emanates from such a crowd in the heat of the sun. The main city square was filled with flowering rose bushes and I made sure to get a photo with the famous flowers.
We were only in town for an hour before the rain caught up with us, so we decided to head back to Sofia. The lavender fields were one of my favorite sights on the return trip:
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Photos Are Being Uploaded!
See slideshow running on the sidebar --->
Witty captions to follow upload...
~Monica
Witty captions to follow upload...
~Monica
Sunday, June 1, 2008
First comes hail, then comes rain
Well, summer leapfrogged spring here in Sofia (or so everyone tells me) and it seems that the weather wants to compensate instead of go along with the change. I was walking to the downtown of Sofia when I began to see giant rain drops begin to dot the sidewalks. I pull out my umbrella (which I had the foresight to pack into my bag) and the next thing I know, little thumb-tack sized balls of hail are bouncing off of the sidewalk! I walked a couple of hundred
more feet, gazing at awe at the size when the sky opened up and the hail rained down. I ran under a tree for extra protection and watched the downpour of hail with a few other surprised Bulgarians. My handy-dandy camera had a video record feature, so I captured about a minute of the downpour of hail before it turned into rain. My favorite moment had to be the granny crossing the large street in the midst of the downpour, inching along while the traffic waited for her to cross. Alas I did not pull my camera out fast enough (I know, the irony) to capture the moment.
(Video to be uploaded later)
more feet, gazing at awe at the size when the sky opened up and the hail rained down. I ran under a tree for extra protection and watched the downpour of hail with a few other surprised Bulgarians. My handy-dandy camera had a video record feature, so I captured about a minute of the downpour of hail before it turned into rain. My favorite moment had to be the granny crossing the large street in the midst of the downpour, inching along while the traffic waited for her to cross. Alas I did not pull my camera out fast enough (I know, the irony) to capture the moment.(Video to be uploaded later)
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Ladies Who Brunch
On my way to and from work I have started to recognize a cast of locals who have their own rituals in the morning or the evening, whether it be selling their food or brooms (post for later) or meeting for some coffee or conversation. And so I bring you, the Ladies Who Brunch:
Almost every morning I've glanced out the window and noticed them at that table near the South Park. Sometimes they have coffee, sometimes (like the day I took the picture) a dog watches over them. And since I am a fan of the TV show (and now movie) Sex and the City, I think of these four as my Bulgarian versions of Carrie, Miranda, Charlotte and Samantha, when they meet for brunch to catch up on one another's lives. It cheers me up when I miss my friends from back home and it reminds me of how strong the bond of friendship can be between sometimes complete opposite personalities!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Happy Saints Cyril and Methodius Day!
The 24th of May is celebrated in Bulgaria as a National Holiday, honoring the two brothers, Saints Cyril and Methodius, and their creation of an alphabet for the Slavic tribes in Eastern Europe. Bulgarians also recognize the day as Bulgarian Education and Culture and Slavonic Literature Day and commemorate Bulgarian culture and literature and the alphabet on this day.
Cyril and Methodius were two brothers, born in Greece, who became Christian missionaries to the Slavic tribes in Eastern Europe. The brothers first created the Glagolitic alphabet, which transcribed the Old Church Slavonic spoken language into a written form. The Cyrillic alphabet, which incorporated both the Glagolitic and Greek alphabets, is said to have been created by a follower of St. Cyril and St. Methodius and named in honor of St. Cyril's work among the Slavic people. Cyrillic is now used in many Eastern European countries, including Russia and Bulgaria.
Having only had a few several Bulgarian language lessons so far, it has been interesting to compare the differences between Russian and Bulgarian and their respective alphabets, not to mention grammatical structure. For example, "my name is Monica" in Russian sounded like "menya nazavood Monica" (and meant, "they call me Monica") while in Bulgarian sounds like "az sum Monica" and means "I am Monica." So even sharing Cyrillic roots and alphabet, each language has it's own rules and grammatical structures.
So today, in honor of these Saints, as well as the Bulgarian holiday, I will work extra hard on my language homework and practice my pronunciation of the Bulgarian language, as Cyril and Methodius would have wanted.
Cyril and Methodius were two brothers, born in Greece, who became Christian missionaries to the Slavic tribes in Eastern Europe. The brothers first created the Glagolitic alphabet, which transcribed the Old Church Slavonic spoken language into a written form. The Cyrillic alphabet, which incorporated both the Glagolitic and Greek alphabets, is said to have been created by a follower of St. Cyril and St. Methodius and named in honor of St. Cyril's work among the Slavic people. Cyrillic is now used in many Eastern European countries, including Russia and Bulgaria.
Having only had a few several Bulgarian language lessons so far, it has been interesting to compare the differences between Russian and Bulgarian and their respective alphabets, not to mention grammatical structure. For example, "my name is Monica" in Russian sounded like "menya nazavood Monica" (and meant, "they call me Monica") while in Bulgarian sounds like "az sum Monica" and means "I am Monica." So even sharing Cyrillic roots and alphabet, each language has it's own rules and grammatical structures.
So today, in honor of these Saints, as well as the Bulgarian holiday, I will work extra hard on my language homework and practice my pronunciation of the Bulgarian language, as Cyril and Methodius would have wanted.
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
What I Hate About Bulgaria... So Far
Craters on the moon are jealous of Sofia's Giant Potholes
Not only are these deep and wide, they are frequent on my ride into and from work. Many drivers play "follow the leader" as they take cues on when to swerve from the driver ahead of them. This often times can requiring driving in the opposite lane with quickly approaching oncoming traffic, or going around the bend with no idea if a car will meet you head on as you try to escape the gaping holes in the road.
The fact that most native drivers could probably drive blindfolded and know exactly where they need to swerve means that potholes here in Bulgaria cause no outrage or evening news reports - they have become part of the routine and of daily life. The runoff from the mountain means that there is always water trickling down or gathering in roads that have poor or nonexistent drainage systems. And with all kinds of vehicles - from trucks to buses to tractors and construction equipment - using and abusing these arteries, it is hard to maintain, much less find the time to close down a lane and repair it. Adding to these issues is the fact that there are only three main roads up into the three neighborhoods that are found on the mountain (Dragelevsi, Simeonovo, and Boyana) - if one of these is shut down, even for a couple of hours and especially during rush hour, the other two routes quickly become congested and you could inch up the road for an hour before reaching the network of smaller roads and alleys that spread out through the neighborhoods.
The roads here are a mess, to say the least.
Bigger than a car wheel!
Two small potholes eventually fuse together to create a larger monster! Notice how the car passing by is driving in the MIDDLE of the road. Tragedy...
Not only are these deep and wide, they are frequent on my ride into and from work. Many drivers play "follow the leader" as they take cues on when to swerve from the driver ahead of them. This often times can requiring driving in the opposite lane with quickly approaching oncoming traffic, or going around the bend with no idea if a car will meet you head on as you try to escape the gaping holes in the road.
The fact that most native drivers could probably drive blindfolded and know exactly where they need to swerve means that potholes here in Bulgaria cause no outrage or evening news reports - they have become part of the routine and of daily life. The runoff from the mountain means that there is always water trickling down or gathering in roads that have poor or nonexistent drainage systems. And with all kinds of vehicles - from trucks to buses to tractors and construction equipment - using and abusing these arteries, it is hard to maintain, much less find the time to close down a lane and repair it. Adding to these issues is the fact that there are only three main roads up into the three neighborhoods that are found on the mountain (Dragelevsi, Simeonovo, and Boyana) - if one of these is shut down, even for a couple of hours and especially during rush hour, the other two routes quickly become congested and you could inch up the road for an hour before reaching the network of smaller roads and alleys that spread out through the neighborhoods.
The roads here are a mess, to say the least.
Bigger than a car wheel!
Two small potholes eventually fuse together to create a larger monster! Notice how the car passing by is driving in the MIDDLE of the road. Tragedy...
What I Love About Bulgaria....So Far
Shopska Salad
It's as simple as chopped tomatoes, cucumbers, and shopska cheese, with optional addition of onions, mushrooms, and garlic. I also drizzle some olive oil and fresh lemon juice with a sprinkle of salt and pepper over the colorful diced vegetables and dig right in! It's a light but filling salad, made possible by open air markets that allow me to buy fresh ingredients weekly, if not daily.
These pictures are not from my own kitchen, but rather a local restaurant, which featured such interesting cocktails, like the "American Dream," (pictured below) and a whole section dedicated to Owen's meals (typographical/translational error also pictured below):
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
How do you say.....
Today I was at the open air market, getting some fresh tomatoes and cucumbers for my favorite salad and I was really struggling to communicate. This was a challenge I had not yet faced before, even in Russia. At least with Moscow I came with four months of vocabulary and familiarity with basic phrases like "please" (po-zhal-stah) and "thank you" (spah-see-bah) and "how much?" (skol-ka). You could say that my intensive Russian last summer prepared me to survive on the Russian streets and even though I felt like I knew ZERO Russian, when it actually came time to converse, I was able to make my needs known with rudimentary greetings and commands.
I have no four month's headstart with Bulgarian. I know that it uses the same alphabet, which makes it no problem for me to read or decipher, and I know that Bulgarian should be easier than both Russian and Polish because it doesn't have the complicated case system (or so I've been told) that both those languages have. But what I don't know is the word for please, or how to say hello (formally and informally). Today I just pointed and grunted at what I needed, and when I had to ask how much, I defaulted into Russian.
This produced two reactions that surprised me. First, the owner of the stand grinned and answered "Dwa Leva" (2 Leva, about $1.50 for a package of Mushrooms). He then passed the bag holding the package of mushrooms and with a slight nod of his head, still grinning broadly, said "Spah-see-bah" (Thank you). I was so happy to be understood after so much frustration with the other vendors in explaining what I wanted, that I answered "Ya Toe-zhe" (I also [thank you]). Meanwhile, the owner's wife was arranging vegetables nearby and sharply looked up when I first asked the owner about the price. Hearing the Russian also made her smile, but it was less friendly than the one I received from the owner and I realized that hearing Russian, even in Bulgaria, can bring back some bad memories for many older Bulgarians. As I walked away, I heard her muttering to her husband, but I was unable to understand what she said. All I know is that today I was not recognized as an American outsider, but a Russian one. And it made me long all the more for the Bulgarian lessons I will be starting next week and the Bulgarian phrase book that is making its way to me across the ocean thanks to Amazon.com.
Making my learning all the more difficult are the adopted words and phrases from outside the Slavic language base, like the French "Merci" (an informal way of saying thank you, but it's the most popular way that I've heard Bulgarians thank other Bulgarians). And "Ciao", the Italian aloha, is used as the informal goodbye here in Sofia. I'll let you know of more language discrepancies as I meet them during my time here in Bulgaria.
But for now, Ciao!
~Monica
I have no four month's headstart with Bulgarian. I know that it uses the same alphabet, which makes it no problem for me to read or decipher, and I know that Bulgarian should be easier than both Russian and Polish because it doesn't have the complicated case system (or so I've been told) that both those languages have. But what I don't know is the word for please, or how to say hello (formally and informally). Today I just pointed and grunted at what I needed, and when I had to ask how much, I defaulted into Russian.
This produced two reactions that surprised me. First, the owner of the stand grinned and answered "Dwa Leva" (2 Leva, about $1.50 for a package of Mushrooms). He then passed the bag holding the package of mushrooms and with a slight nod of his head, still grinning broadly, said "Spah-see-bah" (Thank you). I was so happy to be understood after so much frustration with the other vendors in explaining what I wanted, that I answered "Ya Toe-zhe" (I also [thank you]). Meanwhile, the owner's wife was arranging vegetables nearby and sharply looked up when I first asked the owner about the price. Hearing the Russian also made her smile, but it was less friendly than the one I received from the owner and I realized that hearing Russian, even in Bulgaria, can bring back some bad memories for many older Bulgarians. As I walked away, I heard her muttering to her husband, but I was unable to understand what she said. All I know is that today I was not recognized as an American outsider, but a Russian one. And it made me long all the more for the Bulgarian lessons I will be starting next week and the Bulgarian phrase book that is making its way to me across the ocean thanks to Amazon.com.
Making my learning all the more difficult are the adopted words and phrases from outside the Slavic language base, like the French "Merci" (an informal way of saying thank you, but it's the most popular way that I've heard Bulgarians thank other Bulgarians). And "Ciao", the Italian aloha, is used as the informal goodbye here in Sofia. I'll let you know of more language discrepancies as I meet them during my time here in Bulgaria.
But for now, Ciao!
~Monica
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Getting Into the Daily Grind & First Impressions
So I think it's safe to say that I've managed to settle in and overcome my jetlag. I'm currently house/pet sitting for one of the Embassy employees and have gotten the chance to do some exploring of the mountain that my street winds through, as I have taken out the dog for some long walks/runs in the past couple of days.
Sofia is quite a large and growing city. Cranes fill the skyline when you are driving or walking in the center of the city and they stick up among the communist-era communal living spaces and the new and expensive private modern apartments, as if to point out "PROGRESS!" Ever since the Bulgarians entered the EU, they have wanted to prove to the rest of Europe that they aren't some fringe country that is content with its inability to shake off the corruption and power grabbing politics that emerged post-communism. But this city, planned out so many years ago by the urban planners using the communist handbook on city building, is bursting at capacity. Increases in income and standard of living, not to mention the allure of loans, have led to an explosion of extravagance among the mafiosos and top tier wealthy and huge congestion problems as more and more Bulgarians want the Western lifestyle they were promised close to twenty years ago - a nice place to live, a stable job with benefits, one or more cars.
I'm grateful I didn't bring a car because the congestion and traffic, on top of roads with pot holes and drainage problems that make me appreciate Michigan during construction season, are horrendous. Five minute drives take over thirty minutes. And public transportation from my neighborhood to the Embassy gets stuck in all the traffic, and rides straight through the holes, giving you the momentary experience of weightlessness. I'm lucky there are several Americans in my area that are happy to come by and pick me up, otherwise I'd have a really long commute.
What I like so far about Bulgaria, and specifically Sofia, is that the weather is finally nice - warm sun with passing fluffy clouds. A great view of the mountains, with parts still covered in snow. Large parks close to the Embassy where I can take a break from fluorescent lights and enjoy sun and live music or children screaming in laughter. Cheap food - really. The exchange rate is not as good as it once was (according to those who have been here more than a year), but it is more merciful on my tight budget, allowing me to get many fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as meat at half the price of what it cost me to eat in Moscow. My main course, which I make for myself for lunch and dinner, is Shapka's salad - diced tomatoes, cucumbers, white bulgarian cheese (sirinay), a little bit of salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice. I cut off some fresh bread and dig in. I want to go to a few Bulgarian restaurants and get an idea of what is the traditional fare of Bulgarians - however, the best place would be to eat in someone's home, because there is nothing like a home cooked, traditional meal. If it's one thing I miss that I feel "study abroad" and "peace corp" students get is that "authentic" lifestyle - meals cooked or prepared by Bulgarians, language immersion, and living spaces that are filled with Bulgarian-ness. If there is one complaint I have about working for the government abroad is that you tend to live in an American bubble. But I think that is the only complaint that I have...
:)
~Monica
Sofia is quite a large and growing city. Cranes fill the skyline when you are driving or walking in the center of the city and they stick up among the communist-era communal living spaces and the new and expensive private modern apartments, as if to point out "PROGRESS!" Ever since the Bulgarians entered the EU, they have wanted to prove to the rest of Europe that they aren't some fringe country that is content with its inability to shake off the corruption and power grabbing politics that emerged post-communism. But this city, planned out so many years ago by the urban planners using the communist handbook on city building, is bursting at capacity. Increases in income and standard of living, not to mention the allure of loans, have led to an explosion of extravagance among the mafiosos and top tier wealthy and huge congestion problems as more and more Bulgarians want the Western lifestyle they were promised close to twenty years ago - a nice place to live, a stable job with benefits, one or more cars.
I'm grateful I didn't bring a car because the congestion and traffic, on top of roads with pot holes and drainage problems that make me appreciate Michigan during construction season, are horrendous. Five minute drives take over thirty minutes. And public transportation from my neighborhood to the Embassy gets stuck in all the traffic, and rides straight through the holes, giving you the momentary experience of weightlessness. I'm lucky there are several Americans in my area that are happy to come by and pick me up, otherwise I'd have a really long commute.
What I like so far about Bulgaria, and specifically Sofia, is that the weather is finally nice - warm sun with passing fluffy clouds. A great view of the mountains, with parts still covered in snow. Large parks close to the Embassy where I can take a break from fluorescent lights and enjoy sun and live music or children screaming in laughter. Cheap food - really. The exchange rate is not as good as it once was (according to those who have been here more than a year), but it is more merciful on my tight budget, allowing me to get many fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as meat at half the price of what it cost me to eat in Moscow. My main course, which I make for myself for lunch and dinner, is Shapka's salad - diced tomatoes, cucumbers, white bulgarian cheese (sirinay), a little bit of salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice. I cut off some fresh bread and dig in. I want to go to a few Bulgarian restaurants and get an idea of what is the traditional fare of Bulgarians - however, the best place would be to eat in someone's home, because there is nothing like a home cooked, traditional meal. If it's one thing I miss that I feel "study abroad" and "peace corp" students get is that "authentic" lifestyle - meals cooked or prepared by Bulgarians, language immersion, and living spaces that are filled with Bulgarian-ness. If there is one complaint I have about working for the government abroad is that you tend to live in an American bubble. But I think that is the only complaint that I have...
:)
~Monica
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Welcome!
Welcome to those of you who have visited my previous (and half-finished) blog, monicainmoscow.blogspot.com. And welcome to those of you visiting my blog for the first time!
I am currently interning in the Regional Security Office of the U.S. Embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria. This unpaid internship was made possible through the United States Department of State Internship program. I highly recommend this program to anyone currently studying a foreign language or wanting to gain experience working abroad, whether it is during the school year or during the summer break. It is a very competitive program, but it is a great way to determine whether you can handle living and working abroad, as well as if you could be successful in a career in the government or a government agency.
Arrival in Sofia
Wheels down: 1:55pm Sofia time
("Wheels down" and "wheels up" are phrases used by government employees to indicate when a high ranking official has arrived or departed from the country they are working in - not that I consider myself a high ranking official)
I arrived to a cloudy Sofia on Monday, but because the following day, May 6th, was a Bulgarian National Holiday (St. George's Day and the Day of the Bulgarian Army), Monday was also considered a holiday and a free day from work. My first day at the U.S. Embassy was actually yesterday, Wednesday May 7th, and included the multitude of introductions and instructions that occur on the first day of a new job. I came home a little overwhelmed, but I blame some of my lethargy on the jetlag, which I am still trying to overcome. I hope to spend this upcoming weekend exploring the city and visiting some of the sights, but I may end up sleeping in and sleeping off my jet lag!
I am currently interning in the Regional Security Office of the U.S. Embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria. This unpaid internship was made possible through the United States Department of State Internship program. I highly recommend this program to anyone currently studying a foreign language or wanting to gain experience working abroad, whether it is during the school year or during the summer break. It is a very competitive program, but it is a great way to determine whether you can handle living and working abroad, as well as if you could be successful in a career in the government or a government agency.
Arrival in Sofia
Wheels down: 1:55pm Sofia time
("Wheels down" and "wheels up" are phrases used by government employees to indicate when a high ranking official has arrived or departed from the country they are working in - not that I consider myself a high ranking official)
I arrived to a cloudy Sofia on Monday, but because the following day, May 6th, was a Bulgarian National Holiday (St. George's Day and the Day of the Bulgarian Army), Monday was also considered a holiday and a free day from work. My first day at the U.S. Embassy was actually yesterday, Wednesday May 7th, and included the multitude of introductions and instructions that occur on the first day of a new job. I came home a little overwhelmed, but I blame some of my lethargy on the jetlag, which I am still trying to overcome. I hope to spend this upcoming weekend exploring the city and visiting some of the sights, but I may end up sleeping in and sleeping off my jet lag!
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