Bulgarian Slang Word of the Week:
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
All of my language learning is currently being done without the help of a language tutor. I listen to those around me and carry on conversations to make progress with my language learning.
For this, and the fact that I coach 10-14 year olds in baseball, I generally end up learning a few "slang words".
One of my favorites is "ЯКО" (pronounced "Yako")!
My dictionary at work puts it as such:
"ЯКО
1 нар. fast, tight, firmly;"
However my dictionary at work is wrong. It translates closer to "cool" and is used in the same way we would use "cool".
To add emphasis, if something is "more than cool", you would say, "SUPER YAKO"! Which translates to something like, "Really cool"!
It is just a fun word to say and rolls well off the tounge. I hope this has been interesting and informative. Take care everyone. Until next time...
Kaskaval Pane.
Posted byPavel at 10:23 AM 0 comments
Labels: Word/Phrase
Bulgarian Graffiti and Architecture of the week: Random Words and Phrases
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Several places in my town have words and phrases that have caught my eye and even caused me to spend time thinking about their purpose and or intentions. Some could have been placed for any number of reasons................boredom, lack of paper in the house, practicing English. Other words and phrases seem to have more thought behind them, including hate and humor.I came across one that said simply USE. This one stood out to me from the array of ATAKA and Nazi symbols. I decided it meant USE as in the how Bulgarians tend to use an abundance of materials for all daily activities and then discard as waste. Don't get me wrong, Americans and the rest of the western world is just as capable of creating an waste but in this country they seem to be creating, using and discarding materials at a rate that is just baffling. Every day I bite my tongue as a child throws his wrapper from his banitsa on the ground with the waste basket only steps away. Plastic bags that are given to you for the smallest item, often line the streets and cover open fields. I read this as more of a label or description of the people in this country.........a large number of people who USE their environment rather then working with it and protecting it from the over consumption of plastics and other un natural materials.
After going for a walk around town I came across this message sprayed on a wall next to a Turkish mosque. My town is not very diverse. We have roma and Turkish in our town but they are not welcome like in many towns. The Mahala is very far from the center of Karlovo and I have only come into contact with 3 or 4 Turkish families which are not completely accepted into society. When I worked at the Municipality there was one woman in my office who is Turkish and though all the other women interacted with her she was talked about when not in the room and comments were made about her being a terrorist by other members of the municipality. There are only two other churches in the main town of Karlovo. One is no longer working and the other is only used for holiday services. This was written next to a Mosque that is used every day for local Turkish Muslims. Bulgaria is one of the most diverse countries in the European Union and for most Bulgarians, they would prefer to be a country of only "Bulgarians." This is very interesting to me because most Bulgarians are not %100. This country has been conquered so many times and is surrounded by Romania, Turkey, Macedonia, and Greece that there is so much mixing of cultures with in the country and the people that there isnt much purity..........but this doesn't create a better environment for multi culturalism.
I thought I would end on a positive note. I was walking by a local elementary school during the rose festival in Karlovo and I came across this sweet little message; " I pee on you !" This did a great job of making me laugh and trying to figure out what inspored this person to write those words. Maybe it was to be endearing like when a dog pees on something he is marking his territory or when you lick something you are claiming it so other people dont eat it.........It could be the new way for the local youth to say "I love you and your mine." It sounds a bit cave man from that angle but otherwise I was thinking that was a rowdy teen making a statement about how the government tends to do give nothing back to the people, making them feel worthless or helpless like the grass or flower that is marked with the dog's urine.
Posted byCindy Lou at 8:21 PM 1 comments
B-22 Interview of the Week - Hello Tyler
Sunday, June 1, 2008
PCV Isperih, Bulgaria. More specifically, at Business Center Isperih. Mostly I clean up English, look for projects outside of work (fairly unsuccessfully) and coach a baseball team (when the kids decided to show up).
2. What is the color of your socks now? It's funny you should ask as this morning I was struggling to find two that matched, and fellow PCV Shaun Wood was 'na gosti" and he asked, "What does it matter?" So I am wearing one gray on my left foot and one black on my right.
3. What are you listening to right now? The song I am listening to is called "You're English is Good" by the band Tokyo Police Club. Released in 2007
4.a What are you smelling right now? Not a whole lot. I am a bit sick and my nose is stuffy.
4.b What was the last thing you ate? Soletti (Pretzels)
5. Can you drive a stick shift? In a pinch but I am not too great at it. In fact I didn't really drive too much the last year or so I lived in America and now since I have been here I am forbidden to drive at all I am not even sure if I will remember how to drive an automatic after 27 months.
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be?
7. Last person you spoke to on the phone? My Bulgarian friend Jefer about when we were going to meet at the Hard Rock Cafe (not official) here in Isperih last night.
8. Beatles or Rolling Stones? Beatles, but thanks for making me pick it is pretty hard. I think the Beatles put together great albums and the Stones had great singles, perhaps more great singles, but great albums touch me more. I personally get more out of them. So that is why.9.a How old are you today? 23 but in exactly one month (as of 17.5.08) I will be 24.
9.b Does that thrill or frighten you? Both at the same time. I think it hinders this job a bit. People do not take me seriously because I am "just a boy", but to know that I am getting this kind of experience that I will be able to reference for so many years I am thrilled.10. Favorite drink? PBR. Yup, Pabst Blue Ribbon beer. I will be without if for 27 months and that makes me said. My favorite drink here is the Florina Brand Apple Juice. It is fantastic and 100% Juice, however it is one of the most
expensive things I buy.11. What is your favorite sport to watch? Running, specifically the mile. It is the most incredible event. Novels can, and have, been written based around 4 trips around the track. It is the perfect distance. Too bad it was not what I was best at. I think every runner has some sort of obsession with the mile. However I love to watch people race the mile.
11.b What is your favorite sport to play? You really are talking to a running nerd here. I love to watch and "play" running more than almost anything else in the world. Running is essential to me. If I don't I can go insane.
12. Have you ever dyed your hair? No, nor have I ever put any product in my hair outside of shampoo or conditioner. Only those. Nothing.
15. Last movie you watched at a theater? I made it a point to watch Sicko by Michael Moore before I left the country. That was a good film and one of his best yet. I hav
e a love/hate thing going with Mr. Moore. I love that he is out there doing something about the way he feels but his approach sometimes angers me. But all that is too much to go into on a 43 question survey.16. Favorite Day of the year? Normally the first Sunday in May because of a race in Spokane called Bloomsday where anywhere from 40-50,000 people run/walk 12KM down the streets of my hometown, Spokane, Washington. I have ran it 11 times, and helped with water stations on 3 other occasions. It is a big day for an obsessive runner.
17. What do you do to vent anger? Write in my journal or put on the self-titled debut album by Be Your Own Pet and crank it up on my headphones and dance away the anger until I want to take a nap.
18. What was your favorite toy as a child? Wrinkles, a stuffed dog that I could make talk by sticking my hand in the back of his head. It was pretty fun. In fact I still have it.
19.a What is your favorite season? Fall because it is/was cross-country season (Sorry you are going to hear more about running), and the weather seems to be perfect for me. I like the rain and moderate temperatures.
19.b What tourist attraction do you have in your town?
Not too much in my town so much as just outside of my town. W
e have a Thracian Tomb from the 2nd Century BC that is really cool. I have been there once but I would like to make it out again. OPEN INVITE: I will go with anybody that comes to town to see it. Also, I had 6 other PCVs recently visit to a Crypt/Mosque from the 16th Century that is in the forest just outside of my town.22. Bazaar or grocery story? Well, "grocery store" is a loose term here in my town of 8,500 people. Not really much of a store but I mostly go there because cooking for one it is hard to buy things only on one day, which would be Friday Bazaar day so I go a couple of times to stores and try to buy most of my fruit from the Bazaar, at least the weekends worth.
23. Dyado or baba? I love the Dyado fashion. I'd love to rock all the old Commie-styles so perfectly like them. No matter the weather, suits, nice long jackets, fashionable hats. I dig it. I say Dyado, despite that fact that Babas can cook and do give you free food!
24. Where do you get your news? Letsrun.com (running), BBC (International), Daily Press Briefings (about Bulgaria), economist.com (Business), random news blogs and b22blogstars.
25. Without checking, what are
the times in seconds of the following? Coyote falls off the cliff after missing the roadrunner. You see him fall for __________ seconds, he disappears from view for __________ seconds, before you see a puff of smoke for ______ seconds.7, 5, 6... Sheer guesses, all of them.27. Would you rather perform in a dance recital or rap-battle? Is the dance recital a group thing? If so I chose that one, but my poem writing practice could help me do alright at a rap battle contest. This is a tough question. I would need more information. Like where is this rap battle? What kid of dancing? I am assuming the audience size would be about equal... That is a lot to consider, but if push came to shove... rap-battle, I think. Mostly because I cannot dance.
28. In what format do you consume your music? Well on my iTunes. I own over 1,000 CDs and I tried to put most of them onto my computer before I left. So I have 80 gigs in iTunes. Some times I go to pitchfork.com and check out the videos and samples they have randomly on their site.
29. You'd rather have your picture taken with which branch of government: judicial, legislative, or executive? Ask me in 9 months and I will most likely say Executive.
30. Would you rather fight vamp
ires, werewolves, zombies, or apathy?I heard a quote once that went something like this: "Apathy is the weapon by which the west is committing suicide." and Joan Baez had some good words to say about how horrible apathy has became in American society. I'd go with that.
31. Who inspires you? Barack Obama, my fellow B22s, some of the smartest people I have meet in my life, my grandmothers both two very strong women that are always making the most of what they have, Ian MacKaye and some of my really good long-time friends from Spokane. That is a short list.
32. What are you afraid of?
My mind.
33. Plain, cheese or veggie hamburgers?
Normally black bean burgers with no-cheese. My stomach isn't the best at dealing with dairy. I think I am partially lactose, but not enough that I have to avoid it completely.
34. Car, truck, motorcycle, or hot-air balloon?
Jules Verne had the right idea... give me a hot-air balloon and I'll go around the world in 80 days.
35. Would you shave your chest for any reason?
If I lost a bet yes, but here in Bulgaria I think it can add to the Maleness. So it helps that I have some hair on my chest but normally I would not ever shave my chest. I have no reason too, and judging by how quickly I grew back my be
ard when I shaved it you can tell that I hate shaving.38. Favorite day of the week?
Friday, Bazaar day. All the villagers come to buy things for the week and the town nearly doubles in size. The town comes alive and people are everywhere, walking, hanging out, talking (mostly in Turkish so I have no idea what they are saying) and I spend my entire lunch break walking around people watching and saying hello to friends.
39. How many states have you lived in? How many countries?
Well I have only lived in Washington, but my residence with the Peace Corps is my sisters house in Portland, Oregon, so according to them I live there but I never really lived. Just visited. Countries, 2. America and Bulgaria. I hope to add more to those short lists sometime in the future.
41. Anything else you want to share? Projects you are working on? Yeah, I am working on writing a Project Proposal with the basketball coach from the school for kids aged 7-15. This would be a decent sized project as 800 kids go to the school and it would be for basketball equipment for the gym classes and for the 4 teams the school has.
42. What was the last work of art you experienced that brought you to tears?A movie. It was called Freedom Writers but if you ask me next week it will change. Normally a movie or a CD hits me pretty hard. I love visual art and painting but music normally does it for me. Oh and I'd like to thank everyone for reading my random and slightly crazed responses that somehow have very little to do
with my Peace Corps life.43. If possible, would you prefer to be remembered by a portrait in the National Gallery or on a thousand comemorative key-chains?Depends on the style of artist. Is it like Jackson Pollock? Because if so, I'd go with the key-chains. And what is the design on the key-chains. Do I look like Che? Or that picture of Einstein with his hair flipped up and his tongue sticking out? Sorry I ask too many questions. I'll go with the key-chain. As much as I love art I would not feel right about being in a National Gallery slot. I feel, if I am to be remembered at all, that a key-chain is more appropriate.
Posted byWil Dalton at 10:34 PM 0 comments
Bulgarian Graffiti and Architecture of the week: Nifty Web site
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
This week I didn't have any of my own crazy little graffiti findings but I did come across a great little website that is dedicated to graffiti artists in Bulgaria. This includes videos, exhibitions, festivals and work for well known corporations.
Check it out: http://www.graffart.eu/
Posted byCindy Lou at 9:35 PM 0 comments
B-22 Interview of the Week - Hello Stacie
Saturday, May 17, 2008
I always knew that I wanted to go overseas and volunteer after graduating, but I just didn't know which organization. Right before Jason and I got married we started thinking more seriously about which organization to go with. After looking at a lot of stuff online- we decided to go with the Peace Corps. (It was free! Most other ones we looked at we'd have to pay our way...) So we turned in our applications about a month after our wedding and left for Bulgaria a year later!
What were your initial reactions to hearing you would be going to Bulgaria?
Well, I knew it was in Eastern Europe...that's about it. I was at work when I got the email and I hadn't told my boss yet.... so I was excited, but then again nervous trying to figure out how to tell my boss I was leaving. I went immediately to wikipedia to read about Bulgaria- I really didn't know anything about the country at all.
Have these desires been met? Do you feel that your Peace Corps experience is fulfilling the reasons you wished to join?
Yes, I think that my experience has been fulfilling so far. Our recruiter told us that our experience would really depend on how proactive we are- and it's so true. So, it is what you make it. I have found that my most fulfilling experiences have been working with kids that are underprivileged. It really reminds me why I came here and helps me keep going too. I was also looking forward to learning another language- and that has been a great experience. Yeah, it's hard and I make mistakes- but in reality I am having conversations in Bulgarian every day...still crazy to think about.
What exactly do you do?
I work at the "Youth House." It is a youth organization funded by the municipality. We work on lots of project and youth exchanges. Some of the recent themes have been the environment, integration, human trafficking, leadership, etc. I also tutor for English at the youth house and hang out with the kids. Outside of the youth house I have been helping out at a school for disabled kids and teaching English at an orphanage for 12-16 year olds.
With how many people?I work with 4 other women: the boss, the accountant and 2 project managers (one of which is my counterpart)
How long is your work day? Weekends? After hours work?
I typically work 9-5...although I have been known to sleep in and show up at 9:30 or 10 :) I do my language tutoring in the afternoons- so I don't know if that counts as working hours or not. A few times a month my organization has events at night- like a youth concert, holiday party, dinner, etc. We sometimes work on the weekends- but not too much. We actually just finished up our Earth Day project- which consisted of cleaning our river and planting flowers along it- that took place on multiple Sundays. Glad that project is over though- I missed relaxing on Sundays!!
What is a typical day like?
I typically show up to work and chat with my co-workers. We used to have coffee time in the morning, but then my boss stopped buying us 3-in-1 for some reason (not really sure why), so no more coffee time for us! Then a number of things happens- I hang out with kids in the youth house, have a meeting for an upcoming pro
Without telling us the name of the place you live, tell us about where you live :)
I live in a larger city close to some beautiful mountains. We have a nice square with lots of cafes. Now that the weather is getting warmer, there's lots of places to sit outside and have coffee or tea. Our most famous landmark is the Blue Rocks National Park and our town hero is Hadji Dimitar- who helped fight the Turkish invasion in the 1800's.
Is there a song that comes to mind when you think about where you live now? (Is it possible to describe your town in reference to any movies, songs, or other common pop-culture markers that would help us identify with where you are at?)
The only song I can think of is Bulgarska Rosa...it unfortunately gets stuck in my head sometimes out of the blue!
In contrast, is there a song that reminds you of home?
Of course- "Home Means Nevada"- my state song :) We had to learn it in music class as kids and I still remember all the words...
Where are you from? How is it different from where you are now?
Nevada is almost all desert- so Bulgaria is quite a change. We get about 4 inches of precipitation a year back home- so anything with greenery, trees, rain, etc is way different for me. I am also from a very small town- so I am actually living in a town now that's about 10 times bigger than my home town.
What animal are you most likely to see in your town? (wild dog, cat, sheep, pet cat/dog)? How often?
Since we live in a city, it's mostly stray dogs and cats. We do however have a man that takes his goats out for a walk daily- and I actually saw him today walking down the street, with his two goats on leashes!
What industry is common to your town/region? How do people make their living? Most common employer?
I have heard that our town is famous for textiles. However, it's not true so much anymore as most of the factories are closed down. We do still have one huge textile factory here, an Italian clothing maker. It is one of the biggest employers in town. What do you eat?We eat a lot of pasta for dinner- we aren't all that creative really. Jason makes pizza for dinner a few times a month and it's yummy! We also really love making guevech with lots of veggies- our host mom taught us how to make it. We have 2 other PCV's in ou
Do you have a common meal for dinner? Lunch? Breakfast? What is it?
Breakfast is always muesli with yogurt and a banana. Lunch is random- sometimes some crackers or pretzels, sometimes pizza or a sandwich.
Do you cook your meals, have someone else cook for you, eat out most of the time?
Yeah we hired a chef- it's really nice to not have to cook for ourselves anymore.... j/k :)
Do you eat alone? With friends? A baba? With the television?
Jason and the laptop with downloaded TV shows from back home.
What is your favorite desert?
Raffy ice cream, of course!
What is your favorite food now that you had never eaten before you came to Bulgaria?
Definitely would have to be the guevech- it is such a simple idea but I had never thought of it before. I also love tikvinik.
What food do you miss the most that you cannot get here? (for example, i daydream about asiago-cheese bagels and starbucks mocha frappacinnos)
Well, I too miss frappacinnos- carmel for me though.
Is there an american food that is not common to your town that you have, nevertheless, found a way to prepare? (For example, I combine a mlako sus karamel with obeeknoveno kafay and make a pretty good caramel mach
One day Jason and I ordered 2 cafes and 2 mlyarko s kakao and combined them- everyone was giving us the craziest looks- I thought the server was going to have a heart-attack.
How do you feel you have been most useful to your community?
I think the times I have felt most useful is when my English skills have been needed. We just got done planning an international use exchange with participants from 3 other countries- so my organization relied on me quite a bit to communicate with all the teams about logistics, etc.
How do you feel your community has been most useful to you?
I really had a lot of community help for our river project. When it came time to plant flowers along the river bank, lots of people donated flowers and encouraged us along the way.
At this point in your service, what do you look forward to bringing back with you to the States. (i look forward to making shopskas and showing off my baba socks)
I agree about the shopskas! For sure I am bringing my Bulgarian kitty back to the states too :) She already has her "passport"
Are there any projects you are working on at the moment? Tell us about it.
Right now I am starting a new project on recycling. Our goal is to get a recycle bin in every classroom in town. We're also going to have an education campaign- teaching the basics or recycling and it's importance.Over the summer I am going to have a camp for teen girls. The camp was started last year by the previous volunteer and so I am carrying on the tradition.I will also be starting a art and music summer program for the kids at an orphanage for the disabled. I actually want to buy recorders (you know, those little plastic flutes we had to play in music class in Elementary school??) and teach the kids to play some songs.
What one thing do you wish you had now that you do not have?
Carpet, dryer, dish washer, shower curtain, bath tub, oops- that's more than one thing... :)
If you watch TV, what is your favorite show? Would you recommen
My favorite show is the office- of course I recommend it! We have been downloading and watching new shows over here now- we were introduced to the world of torrents since being in Bulgaria...still don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing yet...
Are there any hobbies that a Bulgarian has introduced you to? Tell us about it.
Yes! I like to call it "extreme indoor gardening" I don't know if Bulgaria necessarily introduced me to it though, but I got inspired one day walking through the pazar. A guy was selling tomato plants in little yogurt cups- the plants were about 6 inches tall. So I bought that and a pot and some dirt and started growing it indoors (We don't really have a place to put it outdoors- it would get stolen unfortunately) So from there, we started buying other plants and we now have: some strawberry plants, hot pepper plants, another tomato plant, and various flowers. We did have an herb garden and a raspberry bush as well- but the cat kinda ruined those! Our neighbors and Bulgarian friends are really doubting that anything will come from our gardening efforts. I told my neighbor that I would give her some strawberries as soon as they're ripe! We'll see what happens... We also worked with our neighbors to plant a little flower garden in front of our block. It was fun working together- I didn't realize how big a deal gardening is here! While we were working, we were congratulated numerous times by other neighbors and just people passing by- they were saying that we were hoobavi detsta, chudesno, etc. pretty cool!
Are there any hobbies you sought out here that you didn't do in the states?
In addition to the gardening, I also started doing yoga. It is really helpful for stress and relaxation.
What did you use to do in the states during your free-time that you cannot do now but wish you could? (go to the movies, go to the gym, speak in my native tongue)
Yeah- all those 3 things for sure. I also miss being able to talk on my cell phone for more than 2 minutes and not have to worry about how much it costs!
Is there any advice you wish you knew, would like to give, to a pcv going through training now?
My best advice is to just hang in there- those 2 1/2 months felt like the longest time ever. Now that I am at my site, time is flying by. So- just hang in there and don't be nervous about the future. Things get much easier over time.
What posters/decorations do you have where you live?
We just acquired two little wooden wall hangings- one says "Happy Spring" and the other says "Home Sweet Home" They gave them to us for free the other day at the one lev store...not really sure why. So I hung them up.
What do you most hope to accomplish by the time you go home?
The one thing I really want to accomplish is to create a city wide anti-trafficking campaign. It is a huge issue facing youth in Bulgaria- and if I can prevent the spread of it in any way, that would be the biggest accomplishment for me.
Posted byWil Dalton at 10:46 PM 0 comments
Historical Bulgarian of the Week - Silvia Dimitrova
The weeks post will be about another artist. I must say that I am really very impressed with the painters, sculptors and writers that this country has produced. They continue to blow my away. The more I learn about the more surprised I am. Great art comes from this country and it has so for many years. Take for example this weeks Historical Bulgaria:
Silvia Dimitrova, which is "Силвия Димитрова" in Bulgarian (CLICK HERE FOR HER OFFICIAL WEBSITE), was born in 1970 in the town of Pleven, she is a painter of icons, as well as a few other, more contemporary works. Icons are very important here in Bulgaria, which is largely Bulgarian Orthodox in religion and she is recognized as one of the best.
According to her web-site, where most of this information came from, "She works in the traditional technique of icon painting - egg tempera on wood, and her work covers the whole spectrum of traditional Bulgarian icons and original works". Below I have included some samples of her Icons:
She has held a solo exhibition in Rueil-Malmaison, a suburb of Paris in 1997. In 1999 she was commissioned by a monastery in Wells called "Downside Abbey", which was completed shortly before the outbreak of WWI, to pain the Icon of St. Benenict (Pictured below).
She then began working, in 2000, at the Wells Cathedral as an artist-in-residence where she painted the 14 Stations of the Cross. In the same year she was nominated for a "European Women of Achievement" Award in the field of Arts. In that same year she had work displayed at St. Paul's Cathedral in London and Hertford College in Oxford.
For a long and detailed list of her more notable exhibitions and commissions feel free to go to her web-site.
Her is a brief sample of some of her secular work:
A quote on her work: "Silvia Dimitrova's art is a vibrant gift from God to people of various Christian traditions and also to those who do not yet believe. Her two styles of traditional Bulgarian icons and modern love paintings, the sacred and the secular, enrich and influence each other. They are inspiring in their profundity and fecundity."
Canon Dr Graham Kings,
Vicar of St Mary Islington
She currently lives and works in the United Kingdom.
Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed.
Until next time this is Kashkaval Pane signing off.
Posted byPavel at 1:51 PM 1 comments
Labels: Art, Bulgarian History, religion
Bulgarian Graffiti and Architecture of the Week: Looking Forward for Open Europe
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
This weeks entry is not about Bulgarian graffiti, instead I will take you to an even smaller country (yes they exist) in the North EU. Just over a week ago I was in Latvia for a youth exchange. Participants included people from Portugal, the Czech Republic, Latvia and of course Bulgarians. The title of the project was called Looking Forward 4 Open Europe. Thought this was grammatically incorrect, the idea was fantastic to bring students from all over Europe and discuss issues and prejudices among Europeans that make communication and interaction more difficult across borders. This event encouraged youth to look passed these differences, embrace our similarities and learn to appreciate what we can learn from each other. The project was successful. One of our projects included creating some graffiti at a local school with a design created and implemented by the whole group that also included the "Youth in Action" logo, which is the organization responsible for the project. The graffiti included an eye that symbolizes the "looking" forward, Hands symbolizing youth working together and stars from the EU flag that included the flags of each participating country at the event. I hope this provides encouragement for the local students and that the participants implement similar projects in their hometown to spread the idea about and "Open Europe"( without borders) for everyone. 
Posted byCindy Lou at 11:18 AM 1 comments
