We have eaten a variety of things. Monday-Thurs we were going to study every morning and Dal was teaching so breakfast usually consisted of toast and cereal and coffee. Same as the states. Lunch though was served by a Bulgarian chef. He would cook authentic Bulgarian food like cooked cucumbers stuffed with meat, homemade cold cucumber and onion soup (not a favorite), fresh tomato and cucumber salad, a pasta, cheese and sugar dessert, chicken and rice, meat patties with red sauce, and another homemade tomato soup. We have to filter our water, so it's rarely cold and they don't use ice. For dinner we have mostly eaten at the Staton's home-just regular American type food like spaghetti, sandwiches and eggs. We ate out last night at a pizza place. Interesting fact-a lot of places cook an egg on top of their pizza. Hmmm...had another interesting lunch yesterday from the market. It's was called a döner, which was a tortilla filled with chicken, French fries, cucumber, tomato and sprouts. Today was my favorite lunch. I had спанак в гювече, which was spinach, cheese, rice and garlic cooked in an earthenware dish. It was fantastic!
What is the Temperature?
It's HOT!! Today was 97 and tomorrow's high is 104! There is no air conditioning anywhere (except the mall), so we are drinking LOTS of water.
What is your favorite thing so far?
My favorite thing so far? Hmm..I've loved everything. Getting to know the people, the metro, the food...but I'd have to say going out and praying for and working with the prostitutes has been my favorite. English club is a close second.
What are some of the customs you have experienced?
Let's see...most interesting and hardest for me to grasp is they shake their head to say yes, and nod to say no. The orthodox church is the center of most of the Bulgarian culture. They go in and light candles in the cathedral a lot and pray. The rose is a huge money maker for this country. They have rose candy, perfume, soap, lip balm, etc. it's sold everywhere. Art is huge here. It's everywhere. They very much appreciate beauty in every form. There are a lot of paintings and sculptures every where you go downtown. No one wears tennis shoes. Except some of the men. The women all wear dress shoes and sandals. No jeans, only skirts and dresses, shorts and capris.
What was the mall like?
The mall is HUGE. It's extremely Americanized. It's about 3 floors and has 2 Starbucks lol it's the biggest mall I remember ever being in. One interesting thing about some of the stores here is that if you have shopping bags from other stores, you must lock them up in a locker, or the store attendant will lock them in a bag for you and unlock it when you check out.
What time do you get up?
Fyi- we are 7 hours ahead of Florida time. It took me a good 24 hours to get used to it and on Bulgarian time. Anyway, I get up different times. It depends on what we are doing. Mon-Thur we had to be out the door at 9:30am, so I was getting up at 8:30am. Yesterday and today I didn't have to be anywhere until the afternoon, so I got up at 9am.
Are the hotel rooms the same as ours?
I haven't been inside any hotel rooms here, just apartments. They are pretty much the same as the states, only no air conditioning or heat. You use a fireplace in the winter. The other difference is you won't find carpet (yay!!), only tile and hard wood floors. My allergies over here have been great!
What kind of cars do they drive?
They drive the same cars we do, but I've seen a lot of Audi and Kia cars. Hardly anyone drives here unless you are wealthy or in politics. There is a lot of public transportation. Buses, the metro, taxis, and the trolley. No need to drive really.
What is the main industry?
They are huge producers of lead, zinc and copper. They also produce a lot of machinery. There are a lot of farmers in the outer villages as well that come to the city and sell their fruits and vegetables. Plus there's the rose industry like I said earlier.
What about the school system like?
School is out right now, but it looks similar to what the USA looks like. They go to public school. There is a pre-primary education, and then (like preschool and kindergarten). Then there is elementary education which is grades 1-8. You then must apply to high school. If your grades are not good enough, you then have the option of going to vocational school and starting labor work. It's mandatory though for all children between 7-16 to attend school. There is a university right here in Sofia. People from all over the country travel here to go to that school.
What hours do you work?
It depends on what is going on that day. We have typically done bible study, or teaching from Dal in the mornings, rest in the afternoon, and work in the evenings. We are up pretty late. It doesn't get dark here until around 10pm, so I haven't been to bed before midnight any night I've been here.
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