September and half of October

I have been pretty busy lately with my town holiday and birthday, and I was busy during September too since my mommy and daddy came to visit!

So this is a recap.
Sept first weekend - Donkey Races in Gurkovo.

A friend of mine is a volunteer in Gurkovo and his town's holiday is actually a Bulgaria-wide known event, a Donkey Race. The donkeys pull carts, which are decorated by the owner/driver. We had a Peace Corps cart and donkey. Someone from the town let us barrow it for the occasion. It was really a fun day. There were food tents and stands for candy and small trinkety things.

Peace Corps cart with volunteers

Sept 11-18 - Parents Visit

My parents were here for about a week. They flew into Bucharest because it was cheaper and I took the train up there from Varna to meet them since I've never been there. We had a nice reunion dinner and walked around town the next day. They had rented a car so we then left for Bulgaria and had the freedom to go where we wanted when we wanted. I'm not used to this here but it was great since I got to take them to a lot of places I like, or have really wanted to go. We went to Ruse, Zavet, a monastery near Svishtov, Veliko Turnovo, Shumen, Madara, Avren, Kamchia Beach and Varna. During their visit it was the first day of school so my parents got to witness the holiday celebrate in Avren for it. They also got met a lot of my friends, watch one of my dance practices, and tried a lot of traditional Bulgarian food.

At the Madara Fortress

First Day of School

Bucharest

Kamchia Beach : Black Sea Swimming

with Stoika

Sept 23 - Yunak town holiday

Stoika, my land lady was in charge of make the food for the town holiday in Yunak, one of our smaller villages. I decided to help out and learn how they make fish soup, baked fish and small fried fish. We went down to the village in the morning and watched the concert, and then handed out the food.

Deputy Mayor giving a speech

Girls from my school dancing

October 14th - Birthday and Town Holiday

October 14th here is Petkov day, everyone with the name Petko, or Petka, have a "Name Day" celebrated similarly to a birthday. Our church is dedicated to St. Petko so the town has a holiday. The town holiday schedule started at 8am at the church, then a 10:30 concert in the community center where I got to perform with my dance group, and then a free holiday lunch. Afterward I met up with some friends in the Mehana (village restaurant), talked with the family over skype, bought everyone drinks at the Raven's Head (its Bulgarian tradition to treat others on your birthday), and went to visit some neighbors who made me two different kinds of cake and had some champagne. Then I treated my landlady, her daughter, and her brother to an American feast of chili, coleslaw and fresh fruit. Then I headed to the bar run by my friend Minka before ending the night at my friend's house for dinner. It was a long day, but a good one.

in my outfit

Dancing

presents

homegrown rose