Well, probably not the last time, but I won't be coming here regularly. Why, you ask? Well, okay, lets back up. For those that may not know, I do all of my work here on the site from a place called an internet club. Most would call it an internet cafe, but Bulgaria takes it literally and since there aren't waiters and waitresses, it's an internet club. I format pictures at home, bring them in on a floppy, and usually type out these entries here, with my account's timer ticking.
But that's all about to change for one big reason. Since I'm going to be here in Silistra another year (more on that later) I decided to try once again to have a cable internet connection installed in my apartment. I've gone to the service's office twice before, and both times they'd said they couldn't connect to my building because there weren't any other customers in the area. Understandable since my building doesn't really have anyone else under the age of 70 living in it.
So this time, I went back, I asked if I could have the cable hooked up, and they said they could. So from Wednesday (when they'll install it) forward, all the updating will be done from my apartment.
Now, where were we...Oh yeah, I'll be staying here for another year. Your standard Peace Corps service is two years, which I've all but completed. But, after realizing that, aside from hard days at school like today, I love it here just as much as any place I've ever lived, and that there's still more that could be done at the school and with this site, I decided to give Peace Corps an application to extend for another year. That application was approved last Friday and, well, I'm here for another year. For better, or for kids who refuse to grow up and let the people who actually want to learn do it.
Sigh. Today wasn't actually a record-setter. In fact, most of my classes went well. But there's one student in the last class of the day who absolutely and stubbornly refuses to learn and in the process of not learning bothers everyone else. He knows no English, and looks like a 4 year-old that grew up a little bit too fast. I dislike this person. And I want him out of my class and preferably out of the school. But, well, that can't really happen here in Bulgaria.
And even with him, the whole "being at work" thing was only torture after a great weekend spent celebrating my birthday with the best of local and American friends. The 3 days were a microcosm of the entire social scene in Silistra, and basically reminded me about every reason for my staying. Each day made me happier.
Okay, the internet club is starting to annoy me, and the food I bought on the way here is starting to get unfresh. So I have to me going. I'll update from the apartment sometime tomorrow night. And if you don't get daily updates from now on, it'll only mean I'm being absurdly lazy, I'm in a hospital somewhere, or I've gone Amish.
Posted by Rob at April 19, 2005 03:56 PM