Happy Thanksgiving

Well things are moving along here in Bulgaria. Slowly bus surely I suppose. I am still having some troubles with my work environment. There is very little structure in my work day. I guess that is just the reality of life as a volunteer. I am going to have to make the best of it, and create a routine of weekly tasks and goals. It’s getting quite a bit colder here, and the language barrier has given me the feeling of isolation. It is tough when I have to think out my sentences in advance to make sure I am understood by the people I come in contact with. I am supposed to do an interview with the local news this week, I am really nervous because it will be in Bulgarian. I definitely am not looking forward to this interview; it has the potential to be disastrous. This is hopefully going to be a busy week. I have plans to meet with my tutor and work on my Bulgarian a couple hours at least. I have also been asked to teach at the local kindergarten a couple hours a week. So that should be a lot of fun, or at least it will add a new variable to my routine.

Last weekend I went to Sofia to pick up a package from the PC headquarters. Thanks to the folks for hookin me up with the beef jerky (Definitely impossible to find in Bulgaria). I ended up spending Saturday night with some Peace Corps friends from my rugby team. Sunday morning I took a bus to Gabrovo with the team. We won the game and had a blast doing so. It has been a lot of fun playing rugby in Bulgaria; it’s great because almost everyone on the team speaks English. Next weekend will be a bit chaotic for me. I will travel to Veliko Turnovo (4hr bus ride) for a Peace Corps meeting. Then on Sunday I will be Back in Sofia for a rugby game (3hrs). The following weekend should be a lot of fun as well. I imagine I will get a bit homesick, because unfortunately I will not be inhaling mass quantities of turkey and surrounded by family. I instead will be back in Sofia with my rugby team playing flag football with the US Marine Corps, after the football we will play touch rugby and then have a social.

I hope all is well back in the States; I started reading Newsweek, so I am feeling a bit more connected with the rest of the world. Of course I am not in the best location if that bird flu gets going. But we already have a detailed contingency plan in case there is an outbreak. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving, I miss you guys,

TREVOR LEWIS LAKE