Shaina's Travel Blog

Im in my local internet cafe and there are children running in and out of the door...yelling and screaming and i think im about to strangle them...this post was going to start out on a happy note but kids that have annoying talent of driving me absoloutley bonkers with their high pitched sqeals...

okay with that off my chest, I had a really great weekend. Oh by the way, i do have electricity now and im not coming back...so you can all breath a sigh of relief. Well, back to my awesome weekend. I had to go to sofia to go to the peace corps office and get some stuff i left there in storage and to turn in some documents. Since i was already up north i decided to visit an old pal of mine from strelcha, Chris-cho Brewer... He lives in a tiny mountain villiage in an old historical house. very cool. i got to his place around 7pm and we made dinner and played a game of caps. For dinner we had OMLETS and beer...it was nice to have something different for a change ;)

On Sat we went to a town on the border of romania that sits on the danube...we got there about 3pm and realized our day trip was not going to work out because the last bus back left in an half an hour. We decided to stay and wing it. We walked to the danube and saw how beautiful it is. We also went to an old ancient fortress and ran around in it. It was really cool, like a giant maze.

After that we went to the office where the people who run the fortress work. We asked them if they knew of any places we could stay, and the brother of the lady who worked there said if we had 20 min to kill he'd drive us to a cheap hotel. We had no pressing engagements so we decided to stay. The poured us some beer and fed us some pizza...nah jk...KEBABCHE! It turns out that the lady who worked the was an archiologist and knows the archiologist i know at the blagoevgrad museum...and her brother...the guy who offered to drive us to the hotel use to work as a diplomat for bulgaria in the US....and spoke fluent english...those people are always nice to run into.

So after the beer and kebabche the dude, Petar, drove us around to like 10 different hotels because nobody would take us because Chris didnt have his passport. So he waited outside while i got a room and i snuck him in later....LIVING ON THE EDGE!!! Petar dropped us off at a really nice serbian restraunt and chris and i ate and drank WINE...also a nice change...and then Petar and his sister came back and also ate with us. Then he dropped us back off at our apt and we went to a neat club in a 16 century building/fortress thing...super friggen cool! And then later on we hit up a discotecka...and didnt end up going back to the hotel til 6am. Ill leave the happenings at the disco and such up to your imagination...:)

Well, the bus ride back was HELL ON EARTH...the seats were sold out so i had to stand for an hour and a half...and with 2 hours of sleep i wasnt feelin so hot. But by 5pm we were back in Chris' town. and then i head back to strumiany, SO-BUL...

And now im back to work in the obshtinah. working hard..studying hard...and this weekend i am going CHRISTMAS SHOPPING!! so if you have any idea of what you might want from bulgaria...post it on here by FRIDAY!!!! or else you get a pair of socks knitted by a baba...unless you really do want those...then good...anywho...that's about all for know so lots of love to homies in the SASHT (Usa in bulgarian) and mi familia! Hope yall enjoy your stupid turkeys and stuffing because I DONT GET ANY!!! Argh...the horror...picture me eating my spagetti and have a little moment of silence for me at your feast...LOve Always, Shaina Rose

Well, lets see...i still dont have internet...the came and looked at my apt said okay...and that he'd be back. that was well, tomorrow it will be a week ago. Bastard. And as for the flooding...the next fun thing that happend was sunday there was a huge rainstorm. Wind and rain and flooded streets. When i woke up on sunday morn. there was no power in my apt. It didnt really phase me though because it's happened before and it usually is back on by the time i get home from work...well it wasnt on when i got home from work...so i read brothers karamazov by candle light and laid in bed because my heater is of course...powered by electricity and my apt is fricken cold! So on tues..yesterday...i told my counterart that i didnt have any power in my apt and she made some phone calls and people went out and looked at it and did whatever. i got home after work and there was still now power....i was so angry i almost pulled a jen and punched out my window...but i knew that would just make it colder. then there was a knock on the door and (by this time it's totally dark) some people were there to work on the situation but they didnt have a flashlight...so i let them borrow mine. Well, i sat in the hall way and prayed that they would get it fixed while various explosions and sparks flew while the bulgarian attempted to fix the problem. Then i got the news...shte imash tok outre...(you will have power tomorrow) i started crying and my teacher, who came for the lesson we had scheduled, was like well do you want to start the lesson and i was like "NO! I want friken electricity" And then i said in bulgarian "i want to return to the US" and he asked me why...and i said "because we have electricity there!" argh!!! so i read brothers karamazov by candle light...and let me tell you, the novelty is really starting to wear off. And i swear if i dont have electricity tonight...this will be the last entry i make and you just may be seeing me...
oh funny story though...yesterday as i leaned over a colleague of mine to type something he says "oh you smell good, what perfume are you wearing?" Well not only was i NOT wearing perfume...i also hadnt showered in 3 days. because i have a hot water heater powered by ELECTRICITY!!! plus i was wearing a sweater that was dry clean only, which means it is dirty. (i stole that line from mich hedberg...a comdien)
Oh, and i did get a package full of goodies from my mommy! The only person who has sent me a package...even though many people have said they were going to! Well inside were cute towels for my bare kitchen, nail polish, dvds!!!!!!!!, and food galore! last night i had cheetoes for dinner...because my stove is powered by ELECTRICITY!!! and of course i havent been able to to watch the new dvds my mom gave me because my computer is also run by ELECTRICITY!!!
well....that's all for now. Love to all my homies!

Well, the days are passing and nothing much has really been happening. I may get internet in my apartment today and i may not. Which is pretty much how life in Bulgaria is. Last night i used my washing machine for the first time. I started it right before my Bulgarian tutorins session and when it was over...my entire entry way and kitchen was flooded with about 2 in of water. so yeah, last night was a lot of fun. who knew how entertaining it could be to cook dinner in 3 inches of water.
It's fixed though if that's what youre wondering. and a lady even came over and mopped up all the water heh, i better finish this later the persons whose computer im on just came back sorry! to be cont...

Just when i was starting to get homesick...Bush became president again!! Thank god i wont be there for half of his term...

well...about a half an hour ago i wrote a long witty detailed narritve of my past exploits since my last post. However, just as i was putting my finishing touches on the grand finale...poof the power went out and i lost it all...i was right in the middle of a tirade directed at those who voted for bush with out taking my safety into consideration and my close proximity to Iraq. If anything...they should have voted for Kerry just to keep me safe...

Well, here's a quick snipit of what ive been upto...i went to a haloween party and got really sick. Dr. Robert, yep...how cool is that...i actually have my very own Dr. Robert...all you beatles fans know what im talking about...well, he came and visisted me and told me it was just a viral infection and that i should have gotten a flu shot. Unforutnately, mooma always told me not to get them that theyre only for old people and babies...DAMN YOU MOTHER! jk :)

Yesterday i spent the day in Blagoevgrad....went to the American University and spent a few hours in the library and then went to a bookstore that sold about 4 english books. then i caught the bus home.

Tomorrow i am going to help build a platform to put dead carcasses on for feeding to vultures and other raptors. Should be fun.

All in all, things are looking up...i have a kitchen...i can cook food now...and we all know how happy food makes me!!!

That's about it for now. Hopefully i will have internet in my apt soon so ill be able to update my blog daily. i know ive been promising daily updates since i got here but hey, what can i say, i work with what ive got. Im in the peace corps after all!

If Jenny Jen Jen is reading this...have you been getting my text messages on your cell phone? I know shannon has! Oh that reminds me of a funny story...

The other morning i was walking up to the Obshtina "aka muninincipality" where i work, and there was communist music blaring over the square...a chill in the air...and like 20 women outside sweeping the square...i was discombobulated for a second and thought i had been transported to some commie country...when i realized that i had...crazy.

Shannon already heard that one.

And hey Kira...if you could make me curtains with mushrooms on them that would be sooooooo cool! i would love them. do i have to measure my windows? And man...your blog totally blows me away....mine is so plain!

Jamie Lou...where are U? Why have there been no comments in so long?????? im getting worried...you cant be 2 busy at work to comment on my blog can you???

and DAD AND GENIE!!! I have emailed you guys...have you recieved them? because i have heard nothing from you either in quite some time! What IS GOING ON???

hmm...lets see...thats about it...Love to my sistahs in sac town...and little baby owen who i hear is not so much baby anymore :(

and in the comment section under the Crazy Turks entry...my mother so kindly put my new address so you guys can send me packages! woo hoo lucky you! :) music...burned cds...would be kindly appreciated...and dvds as always...

okay thats all for now! peace
oh yeah speaking of turks i got another text message from mamut...my turkish stalker...he wants my address to send me pictures of me looking fat oh joy

11/5/04

Dear Friends,

Ok, it sucks. Really sucks. But before you go and cash it all in, let's, in
the words of Monty Python, 'always look on the bright side of life!' There
IS some good news from Tuesday's election.

Here are 17 reasons not to slit your wrists:

1. It is against the law for George W. Bush to run for president again.

2. Bush's victory was the NARROWEST win for a sitting president since
Woodrow Wilson in 1916.

3. The only age group in which the majority voted for Kerry was young adults
(Kerry: 54%, Bush: 44%), proving once again that your parents are always
wrong and you should never listen to them.

4. In spite of Bush's win, the majority of Americans still think the
country is headed in the wrong direction (56%), think the war wasn't worth fighting (51%), and don't approve of the job George W. Bush is doing (52%). (Note to foreigners: Don't try to figure this one out. It's an American thing, like Pop Tarts.)

5. The Republicans will not have a filibuster-proof 60-seat majority in the
Senate. If the Democrats do their job, Bush won't be able to pack the
Supreme Court with right-wing ideologues. Did I say "if the Democrats do
their job?" Um, maybe better to scratch this one.

6. Michigan voted for Kerry! So did the entire Northeast, the birthplace of
our democracy. So did 6 of the 8 Great Lakes States. And the whole West
Coast! Plus Hawaii. Ok, that's a start. We've got most of the fresh water,
all of Broadway, and Mt. St. Helens. We can dehydrate them or bury them in
lava. And no more show tunes!

7. Once again we are reminded that the buckeye is a nut, and not just any
old nut -- a poisonous nut. A great nation was felled by a poisonous nut.
May Ohio State pay dearly this Saturday when it faces Michigan.

8. 88% of Bush's support came from white voters. In 50 years, America will
no longer have a white majority. Hey, 50 years isn't such a long time! If
you're ten years old and reading this, your golden years will be truly
golden and you will be well cared for in your old age.

9. Gays, thanks to the ballot measures passed on Tuesday, cannot get married
in 11 new states. Thank God. Just think of all those wedding gifts we won't
have to buy now.

10. Five more African Americans were elected as members of Congress,
including the return of Cynthia McKinney of Georgia. It's always good to
have more blacks in there fighting for us and doing the job our candidates
can't.

11. The CEO of Coors was defeated for Senate in Colorado. Drink up!

12. Admit it: We like the Bush twins and we don't want them to go away.

13. At the state legislative level, Democrats picked up a net of at least 3
chambers in Tuesday's elections. Of the 98 partisan-controlled state
legislative chambers (house/assembly and senate), Democrats went into the
2004 elections in control of 44 chambers, Republicans controlled 53
chambers, and 1 chamber was tied. After Tuesday, Democrats now control 47
chambers, Republicans control 49 chambers, 1 chamber is tied and 1 chamber
(Montana House) is still undecided.

14. Bush is now a lame duck president. He will have no greater moment than
the one he's having this week. It's all downhill for him from here on out --
and, more significantly, he's just not going to want to do all the hard work
that will be expected of him. It'll be like everyone's last month in 12th
grade -- you've already made it, so it's party time! Perhaps he'll treat the
next four years like a permanent Friday, spending even more time at the
ranch or in Kennebunkport. And why shouldn't he? He's already proved his
point, avenged his father and kicked our ass.

15. Should Bush decide to show up to work and take this country down a very
dark road, it is also just as likely that either of the following two
scenarios will happen: a) Now that he doesn't ever need to pander to the
Christian conservatives again to get elected, someone may whisper in his ear
that he should spend these last four years building "a legacy" so that
history will render a kinder verdict on him and thus he will not push for
too aggressive a right-wing agenda; or b) He will become so cocky and
arrogant -- and thus, reckless -- that he will commit a blunder of such
major proportions that even his own party will have to remove him from
office.

16. There are nearly 300 million Americans -- 200 million of them of voting
age. We only lost by three and a half million! That's not a landslide -- it
means we're almost there. Imagine losing by 20 million. If you had 58 yards
to go before you reached the goal line and then you barreled down 55 of
those yards, would you stop on the three yard line, pick up the ball and go
home crying -- especially when you get to start the next down on the three
yard line? Of course not! Buck up! Have hope! More sports analogies are
coming!!!

17. Finally and most importantly, over 55 million Americans voted for the
candidate dubbed "The #1 Liberal in the Senate." That's more than the total
number of voters who voted for either Reagan, Bush I, Clinton or Gore.
Again, more people voted for Kerry than Reagan. If the media are looking for
a trend it should be this -- that so many Americans were, for the first time
since Kennedy, willing to vote for an out-and-out liberal. The country has
always been filled with evangelicals -- that is not news. What IS news is
that so many people have shifted toward a Massachusetts liberal. In fact,
that's BIG news. Which means, don't expect the mainstream media, the ones
who brought you the Iraq War, to ever report the real truth about November
2, 2004. In fact, it's better that they don't. We'll need the element of
surprise in 2008.

Feeling better? I hope so. As my friend Mort wrote me yesterday, "My
Romanian grandfather used to say to me, 'Remember, Morton, this is such a
wonderful country -- it doesn't even need a president!'"

But it needs us. Rest up, I'll write you again tomorrow.

Yours,

Michael Moore
MMFlint@aol.com
www.michaelmoore.com