A Walk Around Town!

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I call this photo: Christopher Alan Clyburn....

My thoughts for the day: Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. EXPLORE. DREAM. DISCOVER. -Mark Twain Yesterday was easily the most unproductive day of my life. I sat around all day and watched movies and generally felt pretty worthless. I didn't even speak until 8pm when I finally called Luke Collins because I hadn't spoken to him in a while. It is easy for me to get discouraged and slip into this pit of immobility. I think I am still having sensory overload. Outside my door there is so much to see and discover and so many people to get to know that it cripples me from time to time and I just don't want to face any of it. I think I have always ran from these sort of things. I don't know why. I think I am a lot like Tom in East of Eden when it comes to this. I am learning though. I am learning how to embrace opportunities and how to chase them without Chase Walker or Chris Clyburn or my father holding my hand. Today is a new day and while yesterday was wasted I possess the gift of making today what I wish. I told Luke that despite the perception that I am helping the poor and disadvantaged of the world I think the next two years of my life will be much more about them helping me. A journey of self discovery if you want to be cliche about it. I am learning how to face the world. I think I just may be growing from a boy into a man... And with that I will go and plan my English lesson in an attempt to not fumble the opportunity I have been given. Listening to: Electric President Thank you Greg Kwedar for this. Check out http://onesparkfilms.com/

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This is the high school. It is everything I thought a school constructed under socialism would look like. The people that work here are amazing. I spoke about wanted to start basketball and Junior Achievement programs with the director of the school and the following week I found myself in a classroom of about 30 interested students. This isn't normal in Bulgaria. Since this meeting I have started to play basketball with a group of students ever Friday. There are a lot of girls that are actually very good and I am considering starting a girls team. I think it would be great to have an outlet for them as I don't think there are many, especially in something that is considered a male activity. The Junior Achievement program is a bit more difficult. My Bulgarian, while somewhat functional by this point, is not exactly proficient enough to undertake teaching economic and business principles. I think it might have to be put on hold for a while while I try and figure out how exactly I am going to make it work. Има Време(Ima vreme). There is time. (One of my favorite Bulgarian sayings)

12-30-2008 Hands down one of the best days so far! Last night was nuts. I taught my English class and then afterwards it was one of my colleagues “name day” so he had a small party at his house which I was invited to. The party was amazing. It was one of those moments where I realized I was surrounded buy people I really do love laughing and telling stories and just living well with. My language has improved to the point where I can understand stories and jokes and even throw in an occasional punch line here and there. The only down side to last night was that I was so tired from the holiday festivities. Traveling really takes it out of you and sleeping on the floor isn’t exactly ideal. I was so tired and called it a night around 12 even though the party went until 3:30 in the morning. This morning I woke up and just didn’t want to get out of bed. I turned my alarm off and decided to sleep a little longer. I was going to be late for work but I didn’t really have anything to do so I figured it wouldn’t hurt. Well I get to work and Adam Dominguez has sent me a facebook message. I didn’t open it right away because I like to savor these things. I read the news and look through some new pictures from our holiday extravaganza and finally get a message from him asking me if I had read his note. I say no. He says read it. So I open it up and right there in black and white text is him telling me that his pops is springing for a ticket to come see me and that he is booking a flight leaving on Friday. WHAT? This Friday I ask? Yes this Friday. I start jumping up and down and literally run up and down the halls telling my entire municipality that my friend from America is coming and they better get ready because we are having a big party! I still can’t process the fact that he is actually coming. He will get in this coming Saturday and stay for a week. It is going to be unreal. I am so looking forward to a few beers and some good wine and deep rich conversations with the fool. He is one of my best friends and I feel like a five year old kid right now! Mr. and Mrs. Dominguez I owe you more than you will ever know! I miss you both O' so very much! Cole-baby and Brett I miss you guys as well! Then to top it off: I am not a planner. Pretty much every trip I have ever been on other people plan and I just go with the flow and give them something to laugh at. I think it is in my nature to be relaxed and just take things as they come. Well I started getting emails and calls concerning New Years and it was apparent to me that people were looking to me to come up with something. Okay maybe I am giving myself too much credit here but whatever it is my blog so I get to spin things the way I want. Anyways I spent the morning exploring different options and ended up throwing together a group and getting a hotel room for us in Varna. Tobias you did help with finding the hotel (holler atchya boy). So this means: My friend is coming to visit and I officially accomplished something and, although possibly not entirely true, I like to think I saved New Years. So tomorrow I am hopping on a train with Jenna, Ashley, and Neil and headed out to Varna to meet up with old T Hewitt. I will bring the camera and let you know how it goes! Shout out to Momma Hewitt and Momma Starzynski. Your boys are great guys and I can only imagine that you are wonderful people! I love this place! O, and I also got to speak with Miss Colette Granberry, or should I say the future Mrs. Collins. I am so freaking pumped for you guys and can't wait to come back for the wedding!!!

My little town on the Danube. The neighborhoods are tucked into these hills that rise pretty drastically behind the first few rows of buildings. I like this place.

This is the "industrial" sector of town. The white building just above and to the right of the center is the hospital. I hope I don't get sick. The buildings on the right are a factory that I believe produce batteries but I am still not sure. I should figure that out...

Yes I did indeed take a cheesy picture of myself with my town in the background. Yes you are fighting the desire within yourself to admit that you love it and wish you had a cool picture like this of yourself. Don't fight it. It is okay...

This is my friend Stephan. He is in his early thirties and is my best friend here. It is funny how the necessity changes things. He is a great guy and a great friend and I am looking forward to the day when I actually understand everything we talk about! We play basketball every week and due to my height advantage I generally beat him. This week he showed up in this shirt determined to show me how things were done... I still won, but the shirt did scare me a bit. And to be fare here I will say that he is a champion at ping pong. I generally lose by depressing amounts like 6-21. On the plus side I have learned how to play "real" ping pong, you know like Forrest Gump, and am now looking forward to returning and showing you all how it is done!

Also it is a little known fact that Bulgarians do not smile when pictures are taken of them. Stephan is one of the nicest guys I know and is all smiles and good times but even he can't break the chains of his lineage and smile for me. This isn't all that bad though because it makes for pictures like this one!

I have no explanation for this...

Mischievous if you ask me.

So these little kids have this rant that they launch into anytime I get near them. They say it in unison and it is perfectly rehearsed and executed. It goes something like "Give me 50 cents for bread because I am hungry." The amazing thing is that they will launch into while munching down on a candy bar or carrying a bag with sandwiches in it. It can get a little tedious as they would follow me on the fifteen minute walk from work to my house chanting the entire way and calling me dirty names because I wouldn't give them any money. (On a side note if you give them money the learn that they can get by that way and won't go to school. So I always just ask them how school was or why they aren't in school) Anyways, I have discovered that the minute they approach if I lift them over my shoulders and pretend like I have trash to throw away and walk up and down asking for a big trashcan they forget about pestering me for money. Now I am forever obligated to play trash man monster. I suppose I could live with that.

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