MASS EMAIL #8: I'm alive!
Greetings from the great beyond. I've been meaning to do this for, er, months, but well time runs away from me and my version of jogging wouldn't get me into the Special Olympics. I couldn't even catch up to the short bus.
So, major events/happenings:
#1 My birthday: It was April 29th, but despite what Miss Snotty Manners says, gifts are never really late, so you still have time. I celebrated my golden birthday (29 on the 29th) with group of about 10 friends. We met in a cabin in the mountains and ate and hiked and talked. Good times. Actually, the last day we met this odd Bulgarian man who wanted to show us the "right" trail. Skeptical but open we followed him into the woods (I know, I know - this is the point in the movie where you think "God! People are so damn stupid!"). Well, all but Wendy, Scott and I were smart enough to turn back and not just keep following the man. Turns out he's something of a marathon runner and practices in the mountains. Yes, he runs up mountains for fun. We were in the middle of nowhere with a crazy person. So, the "view" was always just a "little further" and so we kept following. Despite the fact that it was t-shirt weather down with the sane people (what I was wearing), we hiked so far up there was still plenty of snow and ice. Shivering but sweating, we hiked until we couldn't hike anymore. Complete exhaustion. The fun part though was getting down in the snow and ice. It was basically a "slide and hope you don't slip over the edge" tactic. It worked, though I was wet from snow in the end. The best part was we told everyone else that we were going for a short hike and would be back in "oh, an hour or so". Well, SIX HOURS later we returned to find our friends wondering how well they could describe a mass murderer and wondering what the mountain rescue league's number was. This worry, I think, pales in comparison to when my family called me on my birthday only to discover I was on a train that was ON FIRE and that we weren't getting off. I laughed, they did not. Good times.
#2 Copenhagen: I do believe Copenhagen is my favorite foreign city thus far. It's by far the most livable. Imagine your favorite neighborhood. Make sure there are cozy cafes, charming restaurants, boutique stores and bicycle racks on every block. Add sensible, but well dressed people including career women and men with strollers. Lots of public parks, dogs, everyone bikes. Now, imagine that as an entire city. It was a little slice of heaven. If you are into introverted blondes, it's also a quite nice place for sight-seeing. Of course I'm not. Noooo. I wasn't there for the eye candy. Not to say there was any...I mean I guess if you liked that kind of thing, it was there. I was there for the art (modern art at Louisiana, among the best around) and food (every kind, including amazing brunches) and shopping (which I couldn't afford) and guys....I mean... GOD! This keyboard has a mind of it's own. I went to Copenhagen alone, something I originally was hesitant to do, but something that turned out to be absolutely the right move. Being on my own time, in my own space, following my own whims was something I really needed.
#3 Welcoming summer: One of the perks of living in society that is still primarily agrarian is that seasonal changed are not ignored. With summer comes sun and warmer weather. The outdoor cafes, long walks, plentiful fruits and veggies, trips to the Black Sea, and general good cheer follow. It came to the point where I needed to plan for a weekend at home, if I did indeed intend to have one. Every weekend there was a hiking trip or sea trip or a visit to a friend...something. No one wants to stay home when the weather beckons you to enjoy it. As I suspected, I am not much of a beach person (as David Mamet said "The problem with vacation is that there's nothing to do there"). I just don't get it. What AM I supposed to do? I am pale, I can't just bake. It's hot. Napping only takes so much time. It's hot. There are annoying children. It's hot. Um, the beach would be better with some air conditioning and a laptop, that's all I'm saying. Hiking, however, I can do. It's busy. You're moving. There's progress. There are things to see. There are challenges. There's a POINT. Plus, I do love accessories and gear is nothing more than really practical accessories. The more I hike, the more accessories I can justify. How fun is that?
#4 Being social: The increased activity mentioned above has led to my social circles and networks expanding in new and wonderful ways. In the last 6 months or so my circle of friends has doubled and includes many people I don't know how I got through the first 6 months without. I do have this odd trait though: I like to be friends with individuals, not with groups. If my friends all like each other and can interact, fine. Great. But I really don't call someone a friend I can't exist with one-on-one. It's just weird to me. This leads me to have friends that come from a variety of places and with a variety of interests and personalities. All good to me, not always so good to mix and match. Wires cross easily. Keeping track of who likes whom is something of a task and, of course, cutting through so many social circles means information leaks are bound to happen and, well, the Peace Corps gossip mill didn't need any help. Two years of socializing with the same people is a bit like high school and I can tell you that high school wasn't a nightmare because you were a teenager, it was a nightmare because those people were IT. People are fine solo, but when they are pulled every which direction by the same people who pull you...god. This is why I need to live in a large city. That and access to a proper cocktail.
#5 Work: When I say people are out enjoying the weather, I mean it. The non-profit I work for hasn't been to work AT ALL in 6 weeks. I'll stop in to check the mail, see if someone's around, but until the weather cools I don't expect to see them at all. The municipality I work for is similar. I arrived at work two weeks ago and the whole building was shut down. Lights off. Locked. No one even told me. I think it was just supposed to be obvious somehow. I did start, prior to the sun ruining my plans, working with local non-profits to construct a local NGO resource center. I need to make changes to the proposal and then submit it for funding in November. That's the work I have right now. A project 90% written due in mid-November. JOY. The strange thing is...I don't really know when people work here. In the winter it's too cold, people just kind of huddle. Summer, everyone's gone. Spring and fall get lumped into winter or summer attitudes, depending on the temperature. Just when I feel like something is moving, it doesn't. So tiring. I've been here a year and still understand so very little.
#6 Prague: Embracing the no-work-here mentality, I just returned from a fun filled trip to Prague. I met my friend Scott (the one from NYC, not Scott from here...it's confusing, I know) for a fun-filled week of eating and shopping and....er...I think we did other things. Basically, you get two foodies who love to shop together and put them anywhere and that's what happens. The product line up in the bathroom was damn funny (I forgot to take a picture, damn it!). There were two sinks and, well, half the Kiehl's line was on them. Prague was nice to see as an example of what Bulgaria is trying to do - beautify itself and make it open for visitors. Seeing Bulgaria, at this point, is impossible without knowledge of Bulgarian. It's not an easy destination. My general impression of Prague though was that it had tourist-friendly area and then NON-friendly areas. There was expensive and really cheap. Nothing in between. Each side felt not quite right (though indulging in the Western treats was soooo nice and I did it without much, ok any, guilt). Prague seems to have lost some of its authenticity in its lure of Western partiers and tour buses. I fear that Bulgaria will do the same.
#7 One year anniversary: My one year anniversary has come and gone. It's hard to believe I've been here that long and yet hard to believe it's only been a year. Pictures from my last apartment seem like snapshots from a long lost relative's life. Conversations with other volunteers the first year was centered around making things work here, figuring it out somehow. Like magic, the day we were here for a year everyone seemed to switch conversational topics to what we'd do when we returned, what it would be like, how we'd be different. The return home seems so much closer now. I'm really looking forward to it (and to moving to Chicago, my soon-to-be home) though everyone assures us that the adjustment back home is much worse than it was when arriving here. I can't wait!
I'm sure I have more I could say, but...well, this this has taken long enough to get out and I just need to get it out so I can get on with my life. I'll be better about emailing, I promise!
Take care,
Jen
PS - I've noticed an unfortunate dearth in my package arrivals recently... and I really need some replacement Starbucks (ground, Verona is nice) and really anything yummy, like wasabi peas. Yummy is good. And some pillowcases. Don't ask.
So, major events/happenings:
#1 My birthday: It was April 29th, but despite what Miss Snotty Manners says, gifts are never really late, so you still have time. I celebrated my golden birthday (29 on the 29th) with group of about 10 friends. We met in a cabin in the mountains and ate and hiked and talked. Good times. Actually, the last day we met this odd Bulgarian man who wanted to show us the "right" trail. Skeptical but open we followed him into the woods (I know, I know - this is the point in the movie where you think "God! People are so damn stupid!"). Well, all but Wendy, Scott and I were smart enough to turn back and not just keep following the man. Turns out he's something of a marathon runner and practices in the mountains. Yes, he runs up mountains for fun. We were in the middle of nowhere with a crazy person. So, the "view" was always just a "little further" and so we kept following. Despite the fact that it was t-shirt weather down with the sane people (what I was wearing), we hiked so far up there was still plenty of snow and ice. Shivering but sweating, we hiked until we couldn't hike anymore. Complete exhaustion. The fun part though was getting down in the snow and ice. It was basically a "slide and hope you don't slip over the edge" tactic. It worked, though I was wet from snow in the end. The best part was we told everyone else that we were going for a short hike and would be back in "oh, an hour or so". Well, SIX HOURS later we returned to find our friends wondering how well they could describe a mass murderer and wondering what the mountain rescue league's number was. This worry, I think, pales in comparison to when my family called me on my birthday only to discover I was on a train that was ON FIRE and that we weren't getting off. I laughed, they did not. Good times.
#2 Copenhagen: I do believe Copenhagen is my favorite foreign city thus far. It's by far the most livable. Imagine your favorite neighborhood. Make sure there are cozy cafes, charming restaurants, boutique stores and bicycle racks on every block. Add sensible, but well dressed people including career women and men with strollers. Lots of public parks, dogs, everyone bikes. Now, imagine that as an entire city. It was a little slice of heaven. If you are into introverted blondes, it's also a quite nice place for sight-seeing. Of course I'm not. Noooo. I wasn't there for the eye candy. Not to say there was any...I mean I guess if you liked that kind of thing, it was there. I was there for the art (modern art at Louisiana, among the best around) and food (every kind, including amazing brunches) and shopping (which I couldn't afford) and guys....I mean... GOD! This keyboard has a mind of it's own. I went to Copenhagen alone, something I originally was hesitant to do, but something that turned out to be absolutely the right move. Being on my own time, in my own space, following my own whims was something I really needed.
#3 Welcoming summer: One of the perks of living in society that is still primarily agrarian is that seasonal changed are not ignored. With summer comes sun and warmer weather. The outdoor cafes, long walks, plentiful fruits and veggies, trips to the Black Sea, and general good cheer follow. It came to the point where I needed to plan for a weekend at home, if I did indeed intend to have one. Every weekend there was a hiking trip or sea trip or a visit to a friend...something. No one wants to stay home when the weather beckons you to enjoy it. As I suspected, I am not much of a beach person (as David Mamet said "The problem with vacation is that there's nothing to do there"). I just don't get it. What AM I supposed to do? I am pale, I can't just bake. It's hot. Napping only takes so much time. It's hot. There are annoying children. It's hot. Um, the beach would be better with some air conditioning and a laptop, that's all I'm saying. Hiking, however, I can do. It's busy. You're moving. There's progress. There are things to see. There are challenges. There's a POINT. Plus, I do love accessories and gear is nothing more than really practical accessories. The more I hike, the more accessories I can justify. How fun is that?
#4 Being social: The increased activity mentioned above has led to my social circles and networks expanding in new and wonderful ways. In the last 6 months or so my circle of friends has doubled and includes many people I don't know how I got through the first 6 months without. I do have this odd trait though: I like to be friends with individuals, not with groups. If my friends all like each other and can interact, fine. Great. But I really don't call someone a friend I can't exist with one-on-one. It's just weird to me. This leads me to have friends that come from a variety of places and with a variety of interests and personalities. All good to me, not always so good to mix and match. Wires cross easily. Keeping track of who likes whom is something of a task and, of course, cutting through so many social circles means information leaks are bound to happen and, well, the Peace Corps gossip mill didn't need any help. Two years of socializing with the same people is a bit like high school and I can tell you that high school wasn't a nightmare because you were a teenager, it was a nightmare because those people were IT. People are fine solo, but when they are pulled every which direction by the same people who pull you...god. This is why I need to live in a large city. That and access to a proper cocktail.
#5 Work: When I say people are out enjoying the weather, I mean it. The non-profit I work for hasn't been to work AT ALL in 6 weeks. I'll stop in to check the mail, see if someone's around, but until the weather cools I don't expect to see them at all. The municipality I work for is similar. I arrived at work two weeks ago and the whole building was shut down. Lights off. Locked. No one even told me. I think it was just supposed to be obvious somehow. I did start, prior to the sun ruining my plans, working with local non-profits to construct a local NGO resource center. I need to make changes to the proposal and then submit it for funding in November. That's the work I have right now. A project 90% written due in mid-November. JOY. The strange thing is...I don't really know when people work here. In the winter it's too cold, people just kind of huddle. Summer, everyone's gone. Spring and fall get lumped into winter or summer attitudes, depending on the temperature. Just when I feel like something is moving, it doesn't. So tiring. I've been here a year and still understand so very little.
#6 Prague: Embracing the no-work-here mentality, I just returned from a fun filled trip to Prague. I met my friend Scott (the one from NYC, not Scott from here...it's confusing, I know) for a fun-filled week of eating and shopping and....er...I think we did other things. Basically, you get two foodies who love to shop together and put them anywhere and that's what happens. The product line up in the bathroom was damn funny (I forgot to take a picture, damn it!). There were two sinks and, well, half the Kiehl's line was on them. Prague was nice to see as an example of what Bulgaria is trying to do - beautify itself and make it open for visitors. Seeing Bulgaria, at this point, is impossible without knowledge of Bulgarian. It's not an easy destination. My general impression of Prague though was that it had tourist-friendly area and then NON-friendly areas. There was expensive and really cheap. Nothing in between. Each side felt not quite right (though indulging in the Western treats was soooo nice and I did it without much, ok any, guilt). Prague seems to have lost some of its authenticity in its lure of Western partiers and tour buses. I fear that Bulgaria will do the same.
#7 One year anniversary: My one year anniversary has come and gone. It's hard to believe I've been here that long and yet hard to believe it's only been a year. Pictures from my last apartment seem like snapshots from a long lost relative's life. Conversations with other volunteers the first year was centered around making things work here, figuring it out somehow. Like magic, the day we were here for a year everyone seemed to switch conversational topics to what we'd do when we returned, what it would be like, how we'd be different. The return home seems so much closer now. I'm really looking forward to it (and to moving to Chicago, my soon-to-be home) though everyone assures us that the adjustment back home is much worse than it was when arriving here. I can't wait!
I'm sure I have more I could say, but...well, this this has taken long enough to get out and I just need to get it out so I can get on with my life. I'll be better about emailing, I promise!
Take care,
Jen
PS - I've noticed an unfortunate dearth in my package arrivals recently... and I really need some replacement Starbucks (ground, Verona is nice) and really anything yummy, like wasabi peas. Yummy is good. And some pillowcases. Don't ask.
posted by Jen at 9:50 PM
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