The Day After Yesterday

4-28-2006
It’s Thursday afternoon and I am almost recovered from my trip to Istanbul. I probably only had about 12 hours of sleep total during my trip. Just because you take the sleeper train does not necessarily mean you will actually get any sleep. I enjoyed many things while I was in Istanbul, everywhere I looked in Istanbul, I saw a giant historical Mosque. The city is so rich with history and culture it was difficult to only stay there for such a short amount of time. I think I will definitely go back within the next two years.

5-3-2006

I am at work right now, trying to think of things to write about. It’s been a few weeks since I have updated my blog, and I am starting to feel like my blog is becoming less and less interesting. Perhaps it’s because I am no longer an emotional wreck, and I am no longer suffering through an agonizingly cold winter. The sun is shining, I have become a familiar face in my community, and I play sports almost every day. So what is there really to write about? I guess I can change my mood to happy, and go from there.
Today I will begin writing a small project to repair a medical clinic in a nearby village. It will be a small $5,000 grant, and will give me a boost of confidence if I can pull it off. I now play soccer at the stadium twice a week with a group of local guys. I don’t know them very well, and I don’t think they realize that I can speak Bulgarian, because I only spoke about 15 words during a two hour game I played yesterday. Rugby is going great; this weekend will be my first game back since my concussion. It’s an international 7’s tournament in Sofia. The following week we will play another international game, this time against a Swiss men’s club. It feels great to have the kinks worked out, I feel like I have things figured out here, and for the most part am very happy. I now know my role in my community, as well as in my workplace. I feel that my second year will be much more productive than my first. It takes a long time to adjust, learn the language, and integrate enough to feel comfortable in Bulgaria. My house now feels like my home, and I feel so accustomed to the Bulgarian way of life, that part of me is a bit frightened to return to America.
Last Friday I was invited to a ‘meet and greet’ at the US embassy. I was able to meet Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. It was very exciting to shake the hand of such an important political figure. There were 3,000 police guarding the streets that day, due to some anti-American protests that were planned by a radical Bulgarian political party.
The old lady that lives below me moved back into the house. So now I am not feeling quite as alone. She is a very kind old woman and seems to like me quite a bit. Her son died recently, and she told me that I was like her son, and if I ever needed anything to come to her. So it looks like I have another grandma to look after me. There is also another old woman who lives in my house, but she won’t move back for another week or so. She came back for two days last week, and we worked together to get the garden ready for the spring. She had quite a bit of energy for an old lady, and could definitely hold her own in the garden.
Well that’s just about all I can think of to write about at this time. I will try and find some interesting things to do, so I will have more to write about. When I first arrived in this country everything was fascinating, but now its just everyday life. It’s been great trading emails with you all. I feel very connected to everyone, thanks to the internet. Well take care, and I look forward to seeing you all in September.
Trevor Lake