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 15th 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 – 5th through 9th 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.
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
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