Still alive and doing well in Bulgaria!

I'm ending my third week in Bulgaria. I've now been to a cultural festival where we barbequed and I was fed Rikia, a wedding where I was fed a lot of food and Rikia, and many NaGosti's (informal dinner parties) where I have been fed a lot of Rikia. I drink the Rikia very slowly, but it is part of the culture here, and an integral part of the experience. Last night, my group of PC Volunteers had an American NaGosti, and the low-fat rice and vegetable dished we cooked were a welcome break from the usual high-fat Bulgarian Cuisine.

I had a discussion about Bulgarian history with a family friend (host-family) a few nights ago. He told me that Bulgarians like to avoid warfare when possible and have often submitted to foreign rule to avoid armed conflict and to be able to simply live in peace. However, they insist on certain liberties for everday life. An example he used was the attitude of Bulgarians towards native Jewish communities before and during World War II. The Bulgarians were able to avoid a haulocost by claiming the Jewish population as native Bulgarians and exempt from Nazi extermination. The mixture of pride and disgust Bulgarians harbor about their history is interesting.