Park project completion, interviews and new blood

I was on here like 2 days ago and I swear there was a button that let me upload videos... Apparently it is no longer there. I really want to show the video that I made of the park project we did last weekend, but I guess it won't happen. Unfortunately I added a great song to the video, and now youtube won't let me upload it do to "copyright violations"... whatever that is.

The park project went unbelievably well. We had at least 30 kids there, the mayor, my coworkers, Cveti, and a news crew came. I was interviewed along with the Mayor and one of the other kids in my group. It was awesome. I am a super star. They had me on TV. I think the interview is terrible and that I am just a mumbling fool trying to answer the questions, but the Bulgarians that have seen it said I did a "great job" so I guess it wasn't all that bad. Or they are just being nice... 

The kids and I worked from 9am until about 1pm or so, maybe later. We all had pizza and drinks and cleaned while listening to music. Everyone was really enthusiastic and the such. Now we are waiting until next week to get some park benches installed, flowers, bushes and maybe some actual pathways made. If it all goes to plan, this park is going to totally be transformed. It's really great to see that these kids are the ones responsible. I have just kind of guided their hand, but in the end, it was them that made it all happen. 

In a few weeks, the new volunteers come! They will get here on May 15th, which is Cveti's birthday, and also a Saturday. Koynare is getting 6 new American volunteers! I will unfortunately not be here when they arrive as I will be celebrating Cveti's birthday. On Monday the 17th, I have to be in Sofia too for a dentist appointment... So I won't get to meet them until they have been here 3 days! I really want to get to see them and their wide eyes during the first few days when they see what they have gotten into.

Plus, any of you that know me well, know how much I love to take people under my wing when they are going through something that I have experienced. I've done that my whole life and I will do it again! This is gonna be fun.

That's all for now, projects are moving forward, weather is getting warmer, and I'm staying busy. 

Summary of Booboo and Pop's Visit

I am back from my vacation and time with my parents. To say that the trip was great would be an understatement. I had an absolutely amazing time! I met my parents in Sofia on Saturday the 10th of April. I was with Dan when we picked them up from the airport. We rented a car and got checked into the hotel, which was probably the nicest hotel in Sofia! Then met up with Ashley. The five of us went out to a traditional Bulgarian restaurant for dinner. Afterwards we did a little walking around Sofia to see the sights and what not. From the travel, my parents were obviously tired and they went back to the hotel. Dan, Ashley and I went out to a bar and met up with some other volunteers that were in town. Day 1 with the folks was over. On the second day, we got up, ate some mexican food and dropped Ashley and Dan off at the train station. My parents and I enjoyed a long drive out to Veliko Turnovo. We arrived late in the afternoon, got a hotel room and did the old walk around Veliko Turnovo. We were still a bit tired from the trip and all that, so we crashed early. We got up and did the old tourist stuff around town. We went to a big castle, went down some old streets, saw some cool monuments and those kind of things. We then got back in the car (after we charged the battery since "someone" is used to cars automatically turning off their lights...) and drove to Koynare. On the way into town, we ran into Pepi, my coworker. We talked to him a bit, then went to go check out my apartment. It was super duper clean and everything was good. After that, we went out to Cherven Bryag, a nearby town, to check into the hotel that is there. Ok, now we are on the next day. My parents and I went to Koynare again, I went to work for a bit where they met all the people I work with on a daily basis. There was a meeting that we attended and then went to the cafe with the mayor of the town. I had an afternoon meeting with my group about the park project too. From there, we departed Koynare, went to get Cveti in Byala Slatina, and then continued on to Vratsa and Moravitsa.

My folks got to see Moravitsa where we met up with Rosen and his family. We had beers at the cafe and then headed back in to Vratsa for a dinner with his parents. It was an absolute blast. The food was amazing. His mom cooked all day for us and had a million things to eat. We drank rakia, ate salads and traditional food, and laughed and laughed. It was wonderful. I think it was probably the most memorable dinner ever, even if we did consume a bit too much rakia.

The next day we awoke with headaches, packed our bags and headed into Sofia. We went to the Peace Corps office for an hour or so. My parents got to meet my bosses at the Peace Corps and see where the Bulgarian headquarters are. Then we got to the airport, and without any problems, departed for Barcelona.

We arrived late at night, around midnight, in Barcelona. Cveti, my parents and I together went to the hotel where we quickly fell asleep. The next day we walked all over Barcelona checking out whatever we could. Actually, the next 2 days were like that. We were staying in a beautiful hotel in central Barcelona and we just walked all over the place when we were there. After those 2 days, we moved locations to The W Hotel in Barcelona. We were living large! The W is on the water and kind of removed from the city. But the hotel lacked nothing. Beautiful rooms with beautiful views. Good food, nice people, a pool, bar, club, restaurant... the works. During those days, we went out into the city and saw a castle and a cathedral that is being built. Cveti and I made a trip to the aquarium one day to see the sharks. She had never been to one, so it was a real treat.

Anyways, come the last full day we were there, my parents realized that their flights were cancelled due to some volcanic activity that shut down almost all flights in Europe. This was Sunday and they were supposed to fly out Monday morning at around the same time Cveti and I were. Well, the next flight they could get booked on was on THURSDAY. This was a slight problem because my dad is starting his new job on Wednesday.

Well, Cveti and I went to the airport on Monday morning, around 4am, with fingers crossed that our flights were green-lighted. And luckily they were! We had no issues getting back. The flights we were on flew south of the ash cloud that was causing all the problems.

So we left my parents in Barcelona where they enjoyed a few more days on their own. I just got an email from them saying that they are travelling back right now and that there are no problems so far.

All in all - the trip was amazing. The last 10 days or so couldnt have been better. It was amazing seeing them, we had a great time, made many memories, shared many laughs and they really got to get a feel for my life in Koynare. Things were perfect. Needless to say, it was very difficult to say goodbye to them.

Sorry this wasn't real funny - this was more for my own records, but hopefully you enjoyed reading it anyways.

Take care,
Rory

My Parents Are Coming! and a special thanks to Hannah Montana.

Maliiiiii!!! As they say around these parts... I think it means like "Oh wow! It's unbelievable!" In this case, I use the phrase to describe my last couple of weeks. Let me say it again:  Maaa-LIIIIIIII!

I am writing this blog during quite a busy time for me due to a special request from a Mr. Tom Stien, former controller of my life at work. But Mr. Stien, I thank you for the request, because I gots me some things to say!

First off - I want to thank Miley Cyrus and her organization "Get Ur Good On" for granting my volunteer youth group $450 dollars to complete our first service project! The win was huge - 100 groups got grants up to $500 dollars. 90 of the groups were in the US, my group was one of ten to win internationally! Pretty sweet! I am totally pumped and so are the kids I work with. As always, with a win like this, comes great responsibility and more work. I have been busting my behind to get everything set up for the project completion deadline of April 25th.

And now to throw in the kicker - my parents are coming here on this Saturday, April 10th! I am so freaking excited for that it's not even funny. I will pick them up on Saturday from the airport in Sofia where we will stay for the night. That night, they will meet a couple of my closest friends here. Then, the next day, we will travel to a great city here called Veliko Turnovo where we will stay the next night. After that, we will travel to my town, Koynare, to check it out. We will stay here for 2 days. Then on the 14th we will pick up the lovely Cveti and head to Sofia again. This time we will catch a plane and bounce on over to Barcelona where we will stay until the 19th!

On the 20th I have a meeting in Sofia with the Peace Corps. I will return to Koynare on the 21st.

So if any of you were paying attention to the dates, you will know that I will only have 4 days after they come to complete this project of installing park benches, tables, flowers, shrubs, maybe a gazebo, painting the benches, cleaning the park, planting grass, and educating as many people as possible on environmental awareness and recruiting volunteers and getting the media there. Oh, and we still haven't received the money yet, so I have to buy everything too... This is not a lot of time. So these past 2 weeks I have been getting everyone on the same page to execute these needs without me. I will be in town on the 13th though, with my parents, to really finalize it all before I depart.

I am actually pretty confident in the people here that are helping with this project and I think it will all come together smoothly. I will still lose lots of sleep over it though.

And here is yet one more thing - Cveti and I are not 100% if she needs a passport to fly to Spain, or if her ID card will suffice. Some websites say ID card is enough, others say a passport is needed. She was told by a police officer in her town that she needed the passport. So today she went to the passport place to apply for a 3 day passport - but as our luck has it, Bulgaria just mandated a new format for their passports for EVERYONE. So the place was packed. Totally packed. They told her after she waited 4-5 hours that they would "do their best" to get her the passport in 3 days. If they can't do it in three days, it will be within the month and they will refund her the extra 40 leva... gee, thanks.

Well, that's where we stand now. I have heard from some people here that have traveled to Spain that they didn't need a passport, while others say you do. Websites even are confusing. One website said that passports were required, then under that it said "passport exemptions: Holders of National Identity Cards issued to nationals of Bulgaria." I am confused - a straight answer from a credible source would be nice.

Other successes - I got about 60 books in English delivered here from the Darien Book Aid Plan. That was sweet. Also, I was told that a bunch of sports equipment is on its way here. I've started lifting weights again. Annndd I had a great Easter weekend.

I'm sure that I am forgetting something but that's what's going on right now with me.

Till next time - I'll post pictures from Barcelona.

Rory

The Book of Rory.

Here I sit in my office, tired, a little cold and unsure what the day will bring. The weather recently, in the past few weeks, has been perfect. With temperatures in the 60s and low 70s and the sun shining strongly, I have taken advantage of the spring arrival and spent my afternoons after work outside by the stadium playing volleyball or taking the dog for a walk. The weather has never had such a strong impact on my daily life as it has here in Bulgaria. In the states, we have learned to control the weather. If the temperature is too cold outside, turn your little dial on the wall and Poof! there is heat flowing throughout the house and it stops once an ideal temperature is reached. Then you realize, you have to go to the store. That's not a problem, run outside quickly, turn your car on and run back inside, or just go into your garage to do that, or, if you are really lucky, press a button on your key chain. After you drive your temperature regulated car to the store and park in the nearest parking spot available, you will spend the most time of your day in the weather when you scurry from the vehicle to the store. Once again, the store will be a comfortable 66-70 degrees Fahrenheit. The same is true for summer. You can spend years without being genuinely cold or uncomfortably hot. And that was exactly how I spent the last few years in the states. Now, I am susceptible to the forces of nature and rules of weather. During winter, it's a fire and stove that keep me warm in my apartment. During the summer, it's... it's nothing that cools me down. Maybe a drink of ice water and my own overly productive sweat glands help a little. Anyways, as the weather is getting nice, my mood is drastically improving. I am feeling better about everything and anything. I am also aware that after a month or so, the real heat will start again and I will slip back into a state of sweaty misery. I have memories of last summer sitting in a concrete office, with the sun beating on me through the windows, temperatures of 100+ inside and outside, in long pants, closed shoes, and a sweat drenched t-shirt. They are not the most pleasant memories and I will do my best to prepare myself this year for the ensuing heat.

So besides the long analysis of the weather, my parents told me that they are coming out here April 4th until the 15th! I am super excited about there arrival and I am making plans that will surely keep them busy during their stay. For any of those that have had the honor of experiencing a "Nolan Vacation" you are aware that 9 times out of 10, you need a vacation after the vacation in order to finally get some rest. Vacations are no time to rest! There are things to be done!

Scooter is causing problems and I honestly might have to get rid of him. I feel bad cause he is a good dog but he needs more attention and space than I am able to give him. He is a 2 year old outside dog and has never been trained. He has some aggression issues as well. Now he is living in my small apartment and hangs out there alone for 8+ hours a day while I am at work. He isn't so happy and I can see his frustrations growing, which unfortunately can result in exacerbating the unpredictable aggression he has shown. Through looking at pictures and what not, I have basically theorized that Scooter is a Lab/Pit Bull mix. Not quite what I was looking for. I know Pit Bulls are good dogs, and reliable and loyal and all that stuff, but they are also as a breed predisposed to aggressive behavior, and they play rough. I wouldn't mind this if I didn't work with kids! I just can't take him around kids. Which means that I can't take him for walks. When kids see me on a walk with the dog here, they run up in groups and want to pet him. I can't afford an incident as I am certain it would taint my reputation in town and possibly jeopardize my service term. So we will see...

These past few weeks, Cveti and I have been preparing my apartment for my parents. We have been doing some serious spring cleaning. The place looks completely different and 1000 times better! I will not lie, Cveti is doing most the work and therefore deserves the credit. Don't get me wrong, I am helping, but she just sneaks off and cleans! I'll be watching something, cooking, doing anything really, and she will just disappear into another room. I won't pay attention to it for a little while, then I'll realize she has been gone for a half hour. By the time I find here, the other rooms been rearranged, swept, dusted and all-around cleaned. She is like a cleaning ninja. She sneaks around in the dark secretly cleaning. By the time you realize what's happened, it's too late, you've been cleaned.

So let's end this on a good note. I applied for a grant funded by Hannah Montana and Disney back in February. The grant was for 500 dollars and would help fund our project to clean up and improve a park in town. There were 100 grants awarded in the world. Well, 90 of them in the USA and 10 international. I found out on Sunday that we won the grant! We are getting 450 dollars which is basically 650 leva. This will cover a HUGE amount of our project. I am super excited. Not only am I excited, but it seems like the whole town is excited. My youth group, that developed the project and will spearhead everything, was ecstatic. They were pessimistic about receiving money, but now that this has happened, they are really proud. We met with the mayor yesterday and everyone is excited. I had people stopping me on the street yesterday saying congratulations! So yesterday, with the 70 degree sunny weather, the victory, the work, the pride and increased respect in town, I strolled through the town feeling like a small hero. It was a pretty good day. One of the better days to date.

This is a long one. Sorry for that, but hey - it's been a while and this is my life. Actually, I'm not sorry. Dig it. Soak it up. Read my preaching and hang on to every word. This is the word of Rory. Take these with you through your days and apply them (not sure how) to your daily happenings. Or whatever.

Take care and say a quick silent thank you to Hannah Montana for making a big impact in my experience here.

Rory

Baba Marta and Scooter

I got me a dog! He is crazy. His name is Scooter and he is a rescued dog from a shelter in Sofia. He is a small black lab mix. I am not sure exactly what his bloodline is, but he is not very big, he is black, skinny and he is strong. His hind legs look like a pit bulls, but his face is nothing like one. So who knows. Anyways, he has a lot of energy, loves to run and jump and play. He is territorial and has kind of freaked out a couple times when there are other people over. He doesn't have a single interest in balls or other toys. He steals my socks and puts them in his "bed" so he can smell my delicious feet. His bed is made of extra blankets that I had. It is set up in the kitchen. He has been peeing and pooping all over the apartment. I have recently trained him to at least go on the balcony when I am not home or its during the night. But now he likes that spot and basically refuses to go outside. I guess that works for me, for now. During the summer when the weathers better, I'll take him outside more. For now, it's still too cold and unpredictable outside, so the balcony works. During this week, as he is getting more used to living indoors, I will start actually training him. For now, I taught him "watch me" where he stops all the wandering and running and jumping and just stares at me. That is the first step. Once I can get him to pay attention to me, then I can get him to sit, come, lay down, etc...

He has been the main concern of mine for the past 2 weeks. But on March 1st, there was a holiday here called "Baba Marta" literally meaning "Grandmother March". The holiday is celebrated by exchanging red and white bracelets with your friends and colleagues. These bracelets are to be worn until you see a stork. When you see a stork, you take the bracelet off and put it on the branch of a tree. A fruit tree is preferred, but if there isn't one around, then any tree will do. This is for your health. An interesting holiday, but a fun one. I helped make over 200 bracelets to give to the students in kindergarten through 3rd grade and then to the staff of the town offices. It was fun in a mundane sort of way. On that day, I walked around with a Baba dressed as Baba Marta and a couple kids. The kids and Baba Marta gave out the Martenitsi (bracelets) while I took pictures.

I also made a website for pictures from town. The site is www.picasaweb.google.com/koynare. You can check them out.

Other than this jazz, I don't really have much else to say believe it or not. So enjoy your day. It's snowing here again.

Rory