Another Tuesday in the Bulg

11-21-2006

It is a cold overcast Tuesday afternoon in beautiful Chirpan Bulgaria. I just finished filling out a living allowance survey for the PC. They are thinking about raising our per diem because of foreseen inflation rates after the EU accession in 2007. I think we receive plenty of cash from PC, but a few extra bucks in my pocket would definitely help fund my recreational activities and trips abroad.
My friend Alex and I are starting to plan our trip to Africa. We are planning to head to Egypt next spring and then work our way down to Tanzania. When we get to Tanzania the plan is to Hike Mt Kilimanjaro. And after we summit the highest peak in Africa and make our way back down; we will reward ourselves by going to the world famous Carnivore restaurant. The Carnivore is an all you can eat buffet of exotic meats such as zebra and crocodiles. Well this trip is still a bit of a pipe dream at the moment because the PC salary of around $3,000 a year does not really leave room for a $2,000+ trip. I enjoy challenges and the more I read about Mt Kilimanjaro the more intrigued I am with conquering it. The main danger of the hike is the altitude; there is no way of knowing exactly how your body will react to 20,000 ft. I was talking to the head of USAID in Bulgaria my friend Bill about the hike last weekend. Bill told me that he had hiked Kilimanjaro 10 years ago; on the 30 year anniversary of his fathers Kilimanjaro conquest. He told me that the key is an incredibly slow pace and drinking lots of fluids. He said the guys walking at a normal pace were the same guys being carried down on stretchers. He also mentioned that toward the top you are literally going about 100yds an hour; any faster and your body will be overcome by the altitude. Well I will leave more to be said about my future Kilimanjaro adventure. I guess I should not get too excited about the trip until I can figure out a way to lock down the funding.
I apologize to those reading if my writing is less than entertaining. I sometimes have very little to write about, and end up writing out my less than interesting thoughts, ideas, and concerns as they come to me. Writing helps me evaluate and organize my thoughts, and provides a type of release of the pressure built up inside of me.
A couple weeks ago I gave my Colleagues ‘Pop Rocks’. It was quite entertaining watching there reactions to the candy. They could not stop giggling, and were eager to hand out the magical candy to unexpecting office visitors for a laugh of there own.
I somehow got the flu at about 4am on Sunday morning. It was a bit unusual how sudden the symptoms had hit me. I woke up at 1am and was perfectly fine, but when I woke up again at 3am to use the rest room I began to smell trouble. After I stood up I took one step and then suddenly lost all muscle control and fell to the floor. After I used the restroom I felt fine and went back to sleep; only to awake an hour later shivering. I knew I had the flu because I was constantly cold, and my muscles were aching. This two day sickness was quite a bit easier for me than last years weeklong painful and depressing flu spell. This year I was not alone, I had the comfort of my baba’s kindness. Throughout my sickness the baba brought me a constant supply of food water and mystery pills. She even did my laundry while I was under the weather. I can’t emphasize how blessed and thankful I am to have her around. It is quite comforting to know that she is there, and always willing to help in times of need. The Baba often emphasizes that she is always there to help because I am her son. And likewise she is my Bulgarian Grandma and I am always there for her when she needs me.