Shaina's Travel Blog

Okay...so my 2nd day in Strumiani....it's about 10am when my phone rings. My counter part says "where are you" Are you coming over to the museum?" (all in bulgarian by the way) and I say yeah, i'll be there in a second. So i through on some clothes put my hair in a pony tail and run over to the muesum. I get there and they're giving some turks a tour of the museum. I say hey, wassup...im shaina....and then stand in a corner and silently wish i was anywhere but there. Before i know it im being taken to a mini-van and forced in the back and suddenly...im on a roadtrip with turks going to historic melnik. a cool little town that if people visit me, we'll check out for sure. So the same 70's itallian abba-esque cassette is played and turned over repeatedly, and the turk next to me keeps taking my picture and showing it to me. all i can do is say "wow, thanks, i look really fat in that one" oh, yeah, take another one...maybe i can look fat in that one too" Then from there, i become the Princess of Strumiani, according to the turk. The town Melnik...is hella cool and beautiful unless youre with a turk who keeps folling you around and has the most annoying nerdy astmatic laugh around. Oh, and when we were having lunch...i guess my food looked really appetizing to hime because he reached over and took a bite off my plate without even asking. weird.
We finally make it back to Strumiani, and the turk wants me to have dinner with them...and i say nah ill pass im really tired...and then i run home back to my apt...happy that it was all over.
but unfortunately i was wrong. So the next day, Monday, first day of work...im with my counterpart when she gets a phone call. She tells me im supposed to go to the hotel and bid farewell to my turkish friends. so i have to walk over there, i say by, he gives me a bottle of some turkish raki...score...and then gives me his phone number...trash can...and then im home free. Or not...because then...yesterday...luckily i left my phone in the office because when i got back there was one missed call and a text message. I open it up and it says "Dear Shaina, I came here but I'm very sad because i leaved from there. Goodbye princess of Strum." and i was like, damn, howd he get my number and then i remembered that when i was checking my messages in the cafe on sund he grabbed my phone out of my hand and called his phone. oh well, at least i didnt have to talk to him. well that was my first few days at site...hope you enjoyed.... since then ive been watching eternal sunshine of the spotless mind. my one dvd that i bought on sunday. a very good movie...gets better with every viewing...im up to 6 now. so if you ever get the urge...send me some dvds...ill have an address for yall in a few weeks. lots of love from the girl in boondock bulgaria...

Okay, let's see where shall i begin. I arrived in strumiani after waiting an hour and half at the bus stop in Blagoevgrad. Having burst into tears because i didnt know what bus to take to strumiani...curseing my counterpart for not meeting me in blagoevgrad...and having 200lbs of luggage strapped to my back. It was not a pleasent journey to say the least. So i finally get to this tiny trucks stop town and am carted off to my apt. Eager to settle in and make my self at home...i am greeted by a completely empty apt...no kitchen...no hot water...but at least a bed i guess. I am a little optimistic still. I put my stuff down and am dragged off to a big folk dance and music festival in a nearby village. I ate some kuftae, drank a beer, watched some dancing, and then my elbow was grabbed again and i was off to the mexana for schmoozing. i shook my mayors hand and then sat at the table with the secretaries. I was not in a pleasent mood to say the least. I asked my counter part if i could go home...and i jetted out of there and ran to my apartment and burst into tears. I laid on my couch and had my first nervous breakdown in bulgaria. I called my friend Kate and she made me feel a little better and i was able to catch my breath and fall asleep. the next day deserves a blog all its own so let me get my bitching out here.
My apartment fucking sucks. there are no blinds or curtains on the windows and ive complained extensively about this and the bulgarians dont seem to really care. I have absolutely nothing and everyone keeps telling me how nice my apartment is and im really sick of it. I finally have refigerator...and yesterday we went shopping for plates, bowls, forks, spoons, and all that crap. And as we're checking out my counterpart says "this is so expensive". well excuse me, i just said shuzalavem and threw some towel racks down. I know that while we were checking out the bulgarians i was with were talking crap about me too. I swear that if i dont have a stove, washing machine, and kitchen sink by tomorrow i am et'ing and coming home. Nobody in this town speaks english...i never know what the hell is going on, i dont have my own desk or computer or office, im seriously starting to freak out. dammit bulgarians keep coming into this office (im at a collegeagues desk using her compute) and interrogating me in bulgarian about where she is! argh. that's all for now...ill keep you updated on my crappy apt. love shaina

As of now i am officially a Peace Corps Volunteer. I have taken my oath to uphold the constitution and volunteer my skills to the people of Bulgaria. Right now i am in the SOfia office, and the swearing in ceremony is over. I ate a lot of cavier and chicken and am now in the basement waiting for my cab to arrive. so i thought i'd right a little note and let you all know that i am departing for strumiani today and should get there around 6pm. feel free to call me tonight while the lates are low. dont worry about the time difference...as ive said before! And for those worried about the cost of a phone call, there is a 10-10 something number that my mom uses to call me and she says it is 22 cents a minute. Just do a quick search on the net. google phone bulgaria or something. Anyways, there's ways to call me with out having to bother with a phone card which will probably end up being more expensive (Shannon!)
Hmm..well i am very sad to leave all the other pcv's behind and i dont not look forward to being hte only english speaker in my town. Not to mention my town is super small and dinky...basically a truckstop on the way to greece.
Well, i should get going because i want to change into more comfortable traveling attire. Adios...and muchos besos...Shaina Rose

So my time in Strelcha is winding down. I am kinda of sad...no more Bulgarians saying hi to me as i walk downt the street...no more of Baba Dinka's mekitsa for breakfast...no more constant American contact...i dont know what ill miss the most but i have a feeling it will be the mekitsa. A delicious fried dough eaten with stawbery slotko. aka jam.
Luckily, Strumiani has roads covered in horse and goat poop too, so i wont be too homesick. And I am definately looking forward to having my own apt. Jeez, Bulgarians are so damn loud. I am in an internet cafe and 15 year old BGs are yelling at each other back and forth.
Hmm...well according to my last entry i was going to hang out with Ivan...a guy I met a party. I did, and went to the park and hung out with his friends and drank rakia and beer. It was very Bulgarian and 15year old american if you know what i mean. It was fun just hanging out though. THere happened to be a South African there too that Ivan knew...who played the digereedoo...the SAfrican.
Ivan said he was going to show me around Pazardjik the next day but when i texted and called him he never called me back...sooooo....whatever.
Tonight Chris and Devin and I found a pizzaria with really good pizza and an internet cafe with the fastest connection i have experienced in this country. so while i have a time...here are some things on my mind...
why has no one, except my sweet mama....called my cell phone?????? Does no one care that they havent talked to me in like at least 1-2 months? It has been 3 days since i posted my phone number...Im starting to feel a little sad and forgetn and negleected...doesnt anyone want to know what im up to?
2nd: How come my sweet sweet beautiful wonderful thoughtful heavenly mothers is the only one who has sent me a package? Again...I am starting to feel some neglect....if i have been deprived of packages because you are not sure what to send me...here is a list of things i wish my friends and family would be so kind enough to send me :)
1. DVDs
2. Food
3. Burned cds of any new music you have bought
4. Clothes....Girls here are stick thin and i dont fit into any clothes in this damn country, believe me... i have tried...i have 2 pairs of socks....after being in this country for almost 2 mos.
5. My pant size is 13/14
6. ummm....pictures...letters...songs written about missing me...
okay...thats about it for now...i love you guys and miss everyone terribly...especially when i look at the mail list and see there is nothing for me...
by the way...hold off from sending me anything until i post my new address which i will be at in 2 weeks. So you have plenty of time to prepare! Love always, Shaina Rose
P.S.I hope my phone will not be silent for much longer....

hello my sweet sweet honey butts....here is my cell phone number if you want to call me anytime anywhere...i am now officially reconnected to the world and it feels great... 0359-889-002419 dial that and i will answer and you will hear my melioudious voice whispering sweet nothings into your ear.
on another note, i finished a movie about strelcha, the town i live in....and who ever wants a copy...say so in the comments part...adios my dear boopies...

Okay this entry is going to be very messy because i have to leave in actually, 12 min. So Where did i leave off...I have no idea. My weeks are boring so ill just skip over them...studying...eating...sleeping...the usual. Well, This weekend my friend Kate, who is Panagurashtay, a city 20 min away from strelcha, came over and spent the night. we had dinner with my host-family, devin came over, and we drank a lot of rakia and beer and ate sausages. perfect! Then we went to the local mehana and had a few beers and talked about other voluteers...the usual. The next day Kate and I took the bus to another nearby town...dulevo and had lunch outside with my extended-host family. theyre all very nice we drank more rakia and beer and a yummy homemade liquer made out of strawberries and blackberries. DELICIOUS!
After lunch Kate went home,i went home and took a pochifka (nap) and then woke up for dinner. After dinner my host-cousin Ivan came over with his gf...and picked me up and took me to a birthday party. We drank more rakia and lisitend to american punk rock and partied til 4am when i got tired and went home. Very cool Bulgarian kids. Im going to hang with one of the guys i met tonight...he lives in pazardjik and im here for an over night hub. woo hoo. sorry i couldnt make this longer and more detail and more entertainging to read. I Love everyone soooooo much and i now im totally out of touch but im getting a cell phone today and ill post the number later....love always, shaina rose