"I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. 'Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death" - Leonardo da Vinci

Zdraveyte Everyone!

It has been quite awhile since this blog was last updated. I thought I would take this Saturday morning to write about the recent happenings with my Peace Corps service in Bulgaria.

Not too much is new! After a very hard, long and cold winter spring has finally arrived! As many of you know, it was record breaking temperatures in Eastern Europe this winter and was difficult for many. Being from the North I was certain the cold would be difficult but I would handle it just fine. This was true for both accounts. I rarely turned my heat on knowing that once I started, it would go on every day and I didn’t want to pay for it. As you could’ve guessed I wore several pairs of socks, leggings, slippers and two sweatshirts regularly. This type of cold is different than what we all are used to. We are guarded from the outdoor chill by the warmth of our homes. This past winter the liquids in my kitchen would freeze because of the cold. It was too cold to cook so when I did, I had to have much energy and desire. However, I am a fortunate volunteer. Other volunteers went weeks without water due to frozen pipes and had to keep their homes lit through a wood burning stove. One challenge was walking to and from wherever I needed or wanted to go. Walking on pure ice for 40+ minutes in the freezing cold is less than pleasant. On the plus side, I never was short of hot chocolate and have become more of a morning coffee and tea drinker.

My colleagues and I took an excursion a couple weeks ago! We traveled to Thessoloniki, Greece for the day! It was gorgeous and a welcomed break from Bulgaria. Anne, the other American in my town, was able to come with before she returned to the states. We decided, since we had such little time, to spend our day eating all sorts of new foods. We started out by asking some local people where a good, authentic restaurant was and they pointed us in the direction of a hidden store that served only tapas. We ordered eight different tapas including spinach, fish egg sauce, fish, shrimp, baked potato, eggplant, a pasta dish and a spinach casserole. After that we had a delectable dessert of gelato with three different flavors each. We then bought a gyro and baklava to eat for later. We were so full but it was so delicious! Below is a picture of the White Sea...

The work load has been different this semester versus last semester. Many of the kids haven’t attended kindergarten because of the cold and illness. They will graduate from kindergarten in May. As of now, most of them cannot afford to pay the taxes to go to school and therefore they don't attend. Due to the melting of the snow, Svetlina’s (my organization) roof has been damaged. Because of this there isn’t electricity which means no light or computers. When the weather is poor the kids do not come. When the weather is warm we have been playing games outside such as volleyball and soccer. School will end in June and I know the kids are anxious for summer – what teenager isn’t? Below is a picture of one of the students making a kite:

The kids and I have done several life skill activities such as learning to say no when presented with peer pressure, how to respond to people who are talking poorly about others and how to control temper in an argument. I love doing these kinds of activities and with increased language proficiency I am able to understand their responses and contribute to the conversation. Yesterday the kids celebrated Earth Day by doing games, making dresses out of used plastic bags and partaking in a presentation created by one of my colleagues. 

I was fortunate enough to spend the Easter holiday traveling to Popitsa; my old training village. I spent a long weekend with my dear friend and fellow volunteer, Joe. We were able to nagosti with our favorite families and were treated like loved ones who had come home on a college break. We ate many, many eggs, kozonak (sweet bread), chocolate, salads and chicken. It was delicious and so refreshing to be taken care of! My host mother had made me new socks, a sweater and a wool vest. She can knit so well and spends all winter making clothes for her loved ones. She just turned 70 years old and is as strong as ever! Below are pictures of the gorgeous, colored easter eggs, kozonak and my host mother. 

The next couple of months will be busy ones. School ends in June and my groups of volunteers also have our mid-service conference. Rumor has it that it will be at an old communist youth training camp on the Black Sea. They will tell us in a month or so. And speaking of mid-service – that’s exactly where I am! I have completed one year of volunteer service in Bulgaria and I will have about a year or so left. The group prior to mine also just had their close of service conference. These volunteers will be leaving in June and July. When they have departed there will be about 40 volunteers left to finish out Peace Corps Bulgaria. 


Hopefully it won’t be so long until my next update. Until then, take care. 

"Keep your faith in beautiful things; in the sun when it is hidden, in the Spring when it is gone." - Roy R. Gibson

Zdrasti!
I hope this posting finds you and yours enjoying this fabulous New Year and recovering from a successful holiday season with only smiles on your faces. As for me, I've been away on holiday to Paris, Edinburgh and London for 16 days over Christmas and New Years with one of my good friends! It was a much needed vacation and an unforgettable experience. Scotland was by far my favorite due to the people, culture, history and landscape. I definitely recommend a trip to the highlands to see Loch Ness and if you haven't tried haggis, to give it a go. 

I love the Beatles. <3

Highlight of Paris was going to mass at the Notre Dame

On our highlands tour to go and see the Lochness Monster!

So it's time to start back up at work here in Bulgaria. This has been a tad difficult as the winter here has been a bitter, bitter one. I live about 3,000 feet up and it is cold. We have been suffering through blizzards and now cold so extreme that it has become deathly. Kids aren't coming to school because it's too cold to leave the house and many do not have proper winter gear. I often wonder to myself how much education is being lost due to lack of attendance, shortened days, etc... However, this is life when it is bitter cold and it takes all you have to make it through the day! 

The other day I went to the kindergarten to continue working on the seasons and months of the year only to find two of my students in attendance! Since it was a 'free day' kids from the other classes were allowed to come see who this strange girl is that speaks a different language. Below you will find some curious faces!

Despite the cold, snow and lack of attendance 'Svetlina' has been keeping me busy! When I was in Scotland I met this fellow traveler who is exploring Europe (currently is visiting her 19th country in 5 months). I told her to come on over to Bulgaria and see what Bulgarian life is all about! As she is a drama teacher she was more than happy to help with my current project of producing a world map on one of the walls of the computer lab. Below is a progression of this project: 

First step: paint the ocean
Second step: outline all the countries
Third step: PAINT!

Almost finished...putting clear paint on over the map and wall

The other thing on my mind has been completing the Peace Corps grant to get funding for our 6th annual summer camp on the Black Sea! The grant is completed and we are currently looking for funding. If anyone is interested in contributing email me at hauck.johanna@gmail.com and we'll keep in touch. 


You may be wondering how on earth I am getting through these winter months? I am fortunate enough to live next to the largest ski resort in Bulgaria where there are English speakers all winter long. It's been refreshing listening to American music and speaking English! I must say, things would be a lot different if it weren't for Anne (the American basketball player) as we hang out several times a week and have developed a fantastic support system. So yes, March will soon be here and the flowers will blossom. Until then, stay warm and healthy.

Anne and I surviving the cold!

Fall, 2011

"May the spirit of Christmas bring you peace, the gladness of Christmas give you hope, the warmth of Christmas grant you love." - unknown

"We are thankful for...."

"Trick or Treat!"

It’s about time update this blog. I guess lack of blogging means I’m busy, right? Which it’s true – I have been very busy these past few months and I’ll tell you all about it. First and foremost the winter is starting to get closer and closer…especially since I’m 3,000 feet up in the mountains. However, I am determined to keep my heat off until December 1^st. I’ve only turned it on once due to a stomach virus and terrible sickness. Somehow my goal of keeping the heat turned off keeps getting pushed back. This is fine with me since I will save money on electricity. While growing up, during the winter, my parents refused to have our heat act as the sole source of keeping us warm. We were required to double up on socks, wear sweatshirts, slippers, etc… So I should thank them….

So what am I doing over here…As written in other blogs, my primary project is working with Roma teenagers after school. I’ve learned that I can do whatever I want to try and get the kids to come. If they come to an after school program they’re more likely to stay out of trouble. As school ends at 1:30 here there’s plenty of time for troublemakers! The first project I did was on October 18^th which is the International Awareness of Human Trafficking. I worked with a colleague and we explained what human trafficking is, how it happens, how to be aware, etc…

Supplies from Midwest Dental - Thank You!

The second project I did happened extremely fast! My director had mentioned that she wanted me to do a dental hygiene project this past summer. I had supplies donated from Midwest Dental and I created a presentation with 3 different experiments and together, my colleagues and I taught the kids about proper dental hygiene. This was important because the kids I work with, many of them have poor dental health. It was a success. I will try and upload pictures!

Dental hygiene...this should be fun....

Everyone loves experiments!

Lastly, and what I’m currently working on is an HIV/AIDS project. World AIDS Day is December 1^st and Peace Corps Bulgaria put together a quilt with squares made from the kids all over the country. I wanted my organization to participate in this. However, I didn’t know if my kids knew what HIV even was. I created a multimedia presentation on a basic overview of what HIV/AIDS is. The first discussion question was, “What do you know about HIV/AIDS?” About half the kids didn’t even know what it was. The other kids had heard about it in passing but weren’t really sure what it was. After this overview the kids worked in pairs and helped contribute squares to the quilt. For December 1^st I have put together a presentation about discrimination and HIV/AIDS. I then have two games planned and my director will demonstrate, on a carrot, how to properly use a condom. Wish me luck!

Completion of our squares

Hard at work making squares

Other than being busy at work my group of volunteers had our In-Service Training this past week where we all got together for the first time in 5 months! It was great to see everyone and catch up. The first months at site are the hardest so it was good for us all to be together.

Christmastime is approaching and every day I see new lights in the windows. Christmas spirit is here in Bulgaria, just not as much as in America. I have kept mine alive by having a little tree with ornaments, tinsel and a Merry Christmas on my door. Also, last night, for the first time, I saw the Borovets ski trails lit up! It will be a good winter. I am lucky enough to be spending Christmas with my best friend this year! We will be traveling to Paris, Edinburgh and London for 16 days. Now I will leave you with one of my favorite links which was passed to me through my cousin’s in Alaska: 

Happy Holidays everyone and remember, home is where the heart is <3. Stay warm and stay happy! 

"The basic thing is that everyone wants happiness, no one wants suffering. And happiness mainly comes from our own attitude, rather than from external factors. If your own mental attitude is correct, even if you remain in a hostile atmosphere, you feel happy." Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama

Hi!

I hope this posting finds everyone well and happy. Happy. That was the topic of this week’s inspirational quotes from my calendar. I want to share three very important messages that I think we often times forget.

1.       “Be happy where you are. Sadly, many of us continually postpone our happiness-indefinitely. We tell ourselves we’ll be happy when our bills are paid, when we get out of school, get our first job, a promotion. We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire. And on and on and on!”

2.       “Life keeps moving forward. The truth is, there’s no better time to be happy than right now.”

3.       “There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.”

Listen, I am not one to preach on this blog about the meaning of life or how someone should or should not act. However I chose to insert these three messages because for me, my Peace Corps service depends on my happiness. My work thrives when I am feeling happy and content. Many of you probably feel the same. These words are just some food for thought that you may ponder – or not. I believe that at the end of the day, no matter your wealth or the materialistic objects in your life, if you are not happy with who you are and what you’re doing, you will never be fully satisfied. My tangent is finished.

As for me in Bulgaria, which is why you are reading this blog, my life has been keeping me busy, content and happy. School started on September 15^th and my schedule consists of teaching at a Roma kindergarten three mornings a week (they’re so cute!) and working every afternoon at my organization with Roma teenagers.

So far the kindergartners have learned proper greetings and numbers. They will soon learn their colors and so on. I also help my counterpart in the classroom with their kindergarten studies. I will admit, I get to color on a weekly basis. One the most precious things happened yesterday actually. I turned my back to but some papers in my bag. When I turned around one of the cutest little boys just gives me a HUGE hug. The other kids got a glimpse and came darting my way, all hoping for hugs! These are the moments I live for. I live for the moments filled with love and compassion.

As I said above, every afternoon I work at my organization which is at a Roma school – 5^th through 9^th grades. I meet new kids every day many of them curious as to who I am and where I come from. In fact, one of the kids asked my director, “Where’s the teacher from China?” If you don’t know of my appearance I am about 5’3, brown hair, bigger built and of German and Irish decent.

I have been fortunate that Samokov has a national basketball team for Bulgarian. There is an American playing on the girls’ team. We have become quick friends as we are both facing similar circumstances. She enjoys coming with me to my organization to play sports with the kids. Also, if you don’t know me personally, I should admit that I don’t care too much for sports and was always on the B team in middle and high school. I have had to put my dislikes aside so I do play basketball and soccer regularly…it’s actually fun.

As my organization has acquired a computer lab from the former volunteer last year through the America for Bulgaria Foundation, I spend several afternoons a week working with kids on typing and other educational activities. As for typing, there is a typing program where a person learns to type using the correct keys. Well, this isn’t what I had in mind when working with teenagers. However, I have witnessed subconscious results from incorporating rules and regulations before the kids may go on Facebook or the Bulgarian YouTube, VBOX. At first the kids whined all the time exclaiming, “I can’t, I can’t.” My response would be, “Well you can’t use the internet then. Let me help you.” I would work with the kids individually until they caught on and wouldn’t you know it, they all expect to type before having free time on the computers now. I did run into a dilemma when I gave one of the kids the next lesson. Oooohhh Boy! He was not happy, exclaimed he couldn’t do and threw up his hands. As stated before I said, “Well you can’t use the internet then.” He says, “Fine I’m going.” And I then said, “Goodbye.” By his tone of voice I knew that by him exclaiming to leave he was trying to threaten me. No, sir I don’t think so. Don’t try and pull a fast one on me. I will see him Monday at the start of a new week and we will work together on the harder lesson. He needs to realize that he gets a harder lesson because he’s so good at the old one!

While I’m not in a classroom many volunteers are. We have noticed the discipline, or lack thereof issue in Bulgaria. There’s little control over the students and the classroom. I’ve also noticed that accountability for one’s actions is a rare existence. An example is a child flat out lied to me. I knew he lied and I took his wrist and walked towards the school to tell someone that can talk to the kid in Bulgarian about lying. When he knew what I was doing he pulled free and ran away. The next day he came up to me asking to use the computers and to box. I confronted him on his lie and he looked as though, “Woops. I actually got caught and she’s saying something about it.” He didn’t get to use the computers. Another example is when the kids leave the computer lab their chairs are everywhere, headphones are out and the computers are still turned on. In the beginning I would have to tell each child to put their things away. After a couple weeks I would still have to occasionally remind the kids to put their stuff away saying, “I’m not your mother. I’m not going to put your things away!” Now the kids, the ones I’ve worked with about cleaning up, put their things away without being told. This is a huge success in my book and I am proud!

On a different note, here are two articles regarding the Roma integration issue that Bulgaria is currently trying to combat.  

http://www.tol.org/client/article/22756-bulgaria-roma-rashkov-riots-katunitsa.html?utm_source=TOL+mailing+list&utm_campaign=7d0a0d8cba-TOL_newsletter-10_7_2011&utm_medium=email#.To7I_Qs92hk.facebook

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2011/oct2011/roma-o07.shtml  

It’s time to get back to my typical weekend of laundry (yes, by hand), cooking a large meal for the week, cleaning and simply relaxing. I wish you all the best. Also, I have to ask…have you been keeping up with Wisconsin sports? They are doing fabulous. As for the Packers, I am technically a Viking fan as I was born in Minnesota - I’m so nice because I was born with it, Minnesota Nice! J Anyways, since the Vikings can’t get their act together thus far, I am cheering on the Packers nonetheless.

Take Care and Be Happy

Jo

Good Day!

I am attaching a video I thought my readers would appreciate. Enjoy!

"Join the Bulgarian Mother Centers this year in celebrating the 10-10-11
International Mother Centers Day (IMCD). Below is the link for a short video you can share with your community, family, and friends. Please share it! Although the video is not "professional", it was done with much attention and love from a great team of Bulgarian volunteers who wanted to share their country with you.

Send it out to others back home as a way to achieve your 3rd goal in the Peace Corps.

Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you"

Love and Happiness,

Jo