Wed, August 6th

This may be fun....

But THIS, is why I'm here: :)

We are half way through our first week of Satellite Training as Youth Development Volunteers in the 24^th group to train here in Bulgaria. All 30 volunteers (of both YD and Community Development programs) are split up into groups of 4 or 5 and spread out throughout small villages in South-West Bulgaria. My village currently has 5 of us YD Trainees, and we meet every day with our Language Trainer for language, cultural, health and safety, and technical training. Even though I had a blast with the other 25 members of B-24 our first week with Peace Corps, I really like the intimate feel of working in such a small group. We're definitely all in this together…

Every morning, I wake up around 7:30 am (just after midnight for you US East-Coasters!!) and get ready for my day before joining my host parents outside for breakfast. After toast, cheese, instant coffee made entirely with goats milk (I can't decide if I'm a fan or not… but it's my one good shot at calcium and vitamins all day!), and grabbing a handful of fresh fruit from the backyard, I begin to walk to the kindergarten building where our lessons are held – making sure I say good morning to every baba (grandmother) I see on my way. J

The next few hours before lunch are spent on language lessons, and if we're lucky, time in the kindergarten class with the cutest little kids! There is a PC volunteer currently serving in our town, and she helps out with the kindergarten classes during the summer. Today, we taught them the English for "duck" and "goose" before trying to get them to play the game with us!

In the afternoons we work on projects or homework, and sometimes one on one tutoring lessons. Today, we went and spent time reconnecting with our stateside lives at the internet, before taking a break from Bulgarian and watching TV together. I then make sure I get home to eat dinner and catch up with my host parents (or as best I can on my minimal Bulgarian (yes I like this, no I don't like that, yes its hot, I'm tired, etc), before meeting the other volunteers at the soccer field for a nightly game of futbol with as many local boys (apparently girls don't play soccer here… its strange. We're going to try and fix that J) as we can scrounge up. Word of mouth is definitely working in our favor!! Unfortunately, I had forgotten how bad I am… J

It's been another busy, but fun day. Yet again, I can't seem to turn my brain off, but I want to read some (I'm slowly working my way through the Chronicles of Narnia again amidst the studying… J) before crawling into bed. Leka nosht!