March 22, 2005
Spring Poker
Today, the first day of Spring, means that the martenitsi, the little red and white strings we have all been wearing since early this month, get to come off. It also means that the two turtle doves who tried to raise a family on the sycamore outside my window last year are back, and Yuli has noticed.
Today was also the the 15th anniversary of my school's first opening. We all had the day off, and (or but) there was a two hour show in Silistra's theater. Students put on little sketches and sang, and the history of the school was read out and various past teachers and students were celebrated. Not as boring as it may sound. I had a pretty good time.
Other than that, there isn't a whole lot going on this week. A mild cold snap means basketball has stopped as suddenly as it started, but other than that, I have nothing to complain about. Or praise. It's all just status quo around these parts.
Oh, but as long as I'm filling space, it'd be a good time to bring in a brilliant little trend I may well have nourished. The card game here in Bulgaria is belote, which--having never learned bridge--I find impossible to learn. So I've taken it upon myself to spread what I understand is a world-wide poker craze to Bulgaria, where most of the population lives unaware of the rules. Unless they have a cell phone with Carribean Stud on it, then they at least know the hand order.
At any rate, after a "fun day" that introduced the rules of 5-card draw to my 10th class, the three tables that played belote during the breaks around my classes have turned into two poker tables and one belote table, where strangely, the best students are still the ones playing belote. They gamble with match sticks, which are pretty common in a school where most of the students and teachers smoke.
I've since taught them Texas Hold 'Em, since that's the game they usually see on "Eurosport 2" or "Discovery Channel Travel & Living," but they never really took to it that well. Too complicated, I imagine.
But, for some reason, I take a sense of pride in watching them play poker. Small accomplishments adding up, I suppose.
Posted by Rob at March 22, 2005 08:54 PM