Well, life got difficult again. Next week I'm going down to the Pazardjik area to teach the new volunteers a little bit about how to teach. That's not really the hard part. I just have to go to a couple of villages and give some pointers I've gained, have a couple of lunches and dinners with the new volunteers, no big deal. A lot of responsibilty, but that's nothing new. In fact, since I won't have to come up with lesson plans for kids wanting to pay less and less attention, I think the work will all even itself out.
The hard part is the problem that just sprang up for this weekend. This summer, in the beginning of July, there will be a boy's camp on the coast. At least, that's what a group of volunteers has so far led about 40 or so Bulgarian boys from around the country to believe. I'm in charge of logistics, which means I have to get a place for the guys to sleep and eat and make sure they get there. The last part isn't really a problem, they do most of the work themselves, they get reimbursed when they arrive at camp, and all I have to do is make sure somebody's at the bus station to meet them when they come into town.
The place is to stay has been a thorn in my side since November. For the last two years the camp has been in Balchik, a lovely city on the north side of Varna. However, due to a variety of factors including the falling dollar, boredom, and need for a change of scenery, we in the cadre running the camp decided to explore the whole coast, keeping our ears open for possibilities everywhere. We found a quiet sanitarium just outside of Sunny Beach that would provide cheap food, cheap accomodations and seemed to be nice enough. It was right on the coast, far enough away from the center of the resort to be away from distractions, and it has immense grounds.
The problem, then, has become their confusion. We signed a contract, I saw them write the dates in their big book, and now, a little over a month before the camp, they--in a phone call I made today--don't seem to have a clue about what's going on. Their director has either resigned or retired or left on vacation and he was the guy we were dealing with. He apparently took some of his papers with him, and they were desperately trying to get information I didn't have on me before I told them I would call them back tomorrow.
This must be worked out tomorrow, somehow, and it will get done, but I wish it would turn into one of those things that just kind of takes care of itself. Sigh. Work.
More whenever I get the chance, but don't expect to much over the weekend or next week, as I will be traveling and all.
Posted by Rob at May 27, 2004 03:53 PM