Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Unqualified? I'll have you know I was a boy scout for two weeks!

After yet another unwarranted and extensive break between updates I've decided that it's time for my monthly installment. Two things of importance have occurred in the past few weeks: My Bulgarian television debut and the start of a new project.

Early last week I found out that I had won my most recent project proposal through a small project assistance grant from USAID. The project encompasses on a variety of different activities but at the core, it focuses on the formation of a scout group for the municipality of Bratsigovo. Twenty children between the ages of 8 - 15 will be chosen to form the initial group and will have extensive training in environmental awareness and sustainability, first aid, emergency response, trail marking and wilderness navigation. As a facet of this project, we will be renovating and furnishing a room in the youth center which will serve as a scout meeting hall and community environmental education center. Upon the completion of the scouts' training they will be responsible for the clearing, cleaning and marking of ten hiking trails around the town of Bratsigovo and for the annual upkeep of these trails.

The "Bulgarian Swoop:" Interview Chapter
In order to understand public transportation and travel within Bulgaria, one must constantly be on the lookout for the "Bulgarian swoop." This agile yet deceptive move is used by Bulgarians of all ages to subtly and deceptively secure a better spot in line, whether it be at the bus stop, disco, or local store. Not to be confused with the "Italian swoop," this move is used without the use of body contact or words but involves a gradual and subtle slide into the front of the line. Although I am proud to say that after studying and traveling in Italy, I have mastered the Italian swoop, I am years away from the mastery of its Eastern European counterpart.

You may be asking yourself why I am explaining this in such depth, and just what does this "swoop" have to do with my television debut? Quite simply, I was once again conquered by the swoop, one of the intellectual variety, and the result was a surprise interview on a national news channel.

Late last week I headed over to the secretary to the mayor's office to fax a few documents to the Peace Corps office in Sofia. As I was about to leave, the door to the mayor's office opened up and out came Dr. Sonya Misheva to have a word me. She lovingly put her arm around me and told me to come into her office so we could talk. This is a process which happens pretty frequently since I work in the building across the street from her, so from time to time we'll sit down to talk about work and life in general in Bratsigovo. Yet this time, I was in for a different type of discussion. As I crossed the threshold into her office, I turned to my right to see a cameraman standing, camera already on, and a lady holding out a microphone. I quickly put two and two together to realize that not only were these folks from the television station, but I was now the subject of the interview. Despite having no previous idea that this interview was going to happen nor knowing what this surprise interview was about, I'd say that it went quite well. I was quickly identified as a volunteer from the Peace Corps working in the Bratsigovo Municipality and then asked a series of questions pertaining to the two projects which I had won and am currently working on. The interview lasted about five minutes, questions being directed at both the mayor and myself, and will be airing around southern Bulgaria any day now. Sadly I do not have cable nor do I know of any way to get a copy of this to show to all the folks back home but I am hoping by some odd chance someone will see and record it for me. If that happens, you all will be the first to know.

Currently Reading: "If on a Winter's Night a Traveler" by Italo Calvino
Currently Listening to: "Riot on an Empty Street" by Kings of Convenience