Thursday, July 3, 2008

Larry Neitzert--Thursday, July 3

















THE ODYSSEY of FULBRIGHTERS


(With apologies to Homer and all poets)


Oh ye gods and mortals
Listen to my song,
Of fourteen heroic teachers
Who journeyed to Bulgaria long.

Led by Kings Galbraith and Holtschlag
No one can resist their attack.
Already Blagoevgrad and Plovdiv
Has been totally sacked.

No murder they do or slaves they take
But much treasure they have gained.
And they hope that Delta and United
Will not give them pain.

And I a limping Homer
With aged limbs but mind still spry,
Sing their heroic song
Of the third of July.

Rosy finger dawn greets
Valiant joggers and walkers
Who after searching the city
Become coffee and tea takers.

Then to AUBG our heroes go
With the Sirens of the shops so near,
The warriors are safe -- the shops are closed,
When fair Athena does appear.

Athena, the goddess of wisdom
Disguised as Evelina in shape,
Gives kindness, knowledge, and wisdom
For wondering warriors to take.

In the middle of the lecture
Is declared a small truce
to honor an Olympian hero
Struck by the fury of Zeus.

Athena on each day
To Fulbrighters teach
But even during tragedy
To them she does reach.

But now as Prince Hamlet said
When he was Dane of the Day
I digress from the heroic tale
To sing “the play within the play.”

First in Bulgaria to appear
Were the Thracians six thousand year ago,
No script they possessed
But were skilled artisans of gold.

Mighty horsemen were the Thracians
And with the Trojans did side,
But cunning Ulysses had the bigger horse
And inside the Greeks he did hide.

Then to the land came
Macedonians and people from Rome.
Finally Bulgars, Slavs, and others
Called this land their home.

In 861 the first European kingdom
The Bulgarians do make,
But Ottomans and Byzataniums
Much of their land do take

Many Bulgarian heroes there are
Like brothers Cyril and Methodius
And great leaders like Simeon
And before him the first Boris.

But now I must return to the tale
Of Fulbrighters Michigan.
Even are admitted warriors
From Vegas and Washington.

Athena teaches the break between
Middle Ages and Modernization,
The double edged sword of
Industrial and French revolution.

The story of Europe present
Is the story of modernization,
From mass politics and media
To modern mass production.

With national revival, education
And church in place.
Bulgarian independence
Arrived in 1878.

In March Greater Bulgaria established
By the Sans Stefano Treaty
But in June the Conference of Berlin
Leave the Bulgarians needy.

Oh, those Western Europeans
Leave Bulgaria in the lee,
So Ivan the Russian
Can’t get to the sea.

The twentieth century on
The Bulgarians does crash
Each war that they fight
They end in the trash.

But bright Apollo doth one fact degree
While all Europe marches to mass hysteria
Not one Bulgarian Jew
Goes to the crematorium.

Amidst the fierce battle the Fulbrighters
Holding cups of coffee and coke,
Income the King of AUBG
And to them he doth spoke.

By way of Russia and a far away land
Called the Midwest
He came to Blagoevgrad
And at AUBG now rests.

The pride of his faculty and students
He doth joyously sing,
Now endowments and treasure
Here he must bring.

In the fall 1100 students
Call this their home-a
In the future he wants
To admit students Roma.

After the rosy fingers of afternoon
These heroic Fulbrigher ladies
Cross the quick River Styx
To the portals of Hades

There at the museum fair Hera
Disguised as Dr, Kulova,
Once again sings the heroic tale
Of the Bulgarian saga.

From independence to folk dress
Of these she doth sing
And knowledge and wonder
Once again she doth bring.

Suddenly the furies and muses
Invade the upper chamber
And Shirley of Lansing
Has them as artist do labor.

On the wildest and hottest
Of the Fulbrighters all,
She calms and teaches
Convincing them they can draw.

Thus ends this song from an aged poet
From a far and distant land
Who wonders what the Fates
Will place in our hand.





Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Rila National Park-Wed, July 2





Submitted by Heather Bartlett
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In the Influence of Shakespeare - "Hamlet" A.K.A July 2nd
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To hike, or not to hike: that is the question
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to spend time reading or shopping spending outrageous fortune,
Or to take the chance against ticks and snake troubles.
And by choosing we define or end.
To hike, to nap, to shop, no more.
And by a hike to say we end the heat and the sweat of a thousand Bulgarian July days.
That the mountains is the source of all wonders.
Devoutly to be majestic.
To hike, to shop, to nap:
To nap: perchance to dream: ay, there's the effects of jet lag,heat, and Kosovar block party
For in our naps of exhaustion what rest may come
When we have suffer the heat due to day shopping (Kristen's new dress),
Must give our money a pause: there's the respect for the journey that makes Ann Marie's computer problem of AUBG so long.
For who would bear the burden and the backwardness of a Bulgarian tech department.
The markets' sales, the enthusiastic park ranger, the pains of heat, the law of supply and demand, the hair pin/switch back turns and the beauty all around us.
That patient merits to the Bulgarian people with our language exchange,
When they enthusiastically greet us or give the Bulgarian finger shake with the nodding of "yes" which means "no".
With backpacks and shopping bags to carry.
To grunt and sweat under the Bulgarian sun.
But the countryside and mountain up the road, the undiscovered country from whose majesty no traveler can debate, and puzzles at the will of the people in their efforts to make their country their own.
We know not what the correct choice be told but conscience does make journeymen of us all:
And thus the native hue of resolution is celebrator with the effects of our choices.
And with great friends and great fun we regard our choices well.
Softly now we go!
To the mountains, to the stores, or to the beds.
Be fair Stefan, the park ranger,
Be all your words remembered.

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Heather Bartlett-Tuesday, July 1












Heather Bartlett—July 1

In the heat of Bulgarian July, we trekked across from the dorms to the university pillaging local vendors for food. We have found a safe haven in the canteen of the university with the friendly lady smiling to meet us. She enjoys our attempt to speak Bulgarian as much as we enjoy her kindness in teaching it to us. Soon Kristin Grattan will become a native speaker and give lessons to us as we stumble through the language.


We were happy to see Evelina, our seven language speaking professor. Each day she amazes us with her knowledge and passion for teaching. She engages us in her lessons. Today I felt like a sponge just soaking up the information about the National Revival Period in Bulgaria. For those of you who have not read Crampton's Concise History of Bulgaria, this time period includes Bulgaria trying to find their independence from the Ottoman rule. It is similar to the American Revolution but different. Just like how we are finding the country similar and different to our own country.


After class, Ann Marie, Anne, Julie, Pat, Le, Pamela, and I headed down to the library to meet the director. She informed us the library was going to be closed July 4th as I stared at her Marge Simpson picture. Once again comparing and contrasting the countries together.


In our group we have people who like to run even though no one is chasing them. Kristen Holtschlag in her run this morning, found a grocery store. Some of us headed there after class to celebrate consumerism. The store was enormous compared to the local markets we have discovered so far on the trip. Our eyes quickly adjusted to the bright lights of the store. We attempted to order from the meat counter making farm animal noises for our requests. I do not think the lady stopped laughing with Julie making chicken sounds and her responding with pig sounds. I have a better understanding of Old McDonald. I can only image her dinner conversation tonight with her family talking about foreigners making chicken sounds and gestures.


After lunch the group met to tour a National Revival House. So some people, like myself, got lost in the process. When in doubt find someone who speaks English. We went to Margaret, the anthropologist at the Ethnographic Museum, to save the day. It is nice to have connections.


Shirley gave an excellent discussion on art and teaching it. The teacher and the setting were perfect. Sitting in a courtyard surrounded by art and discussing the teaching of it can not be beat. "What knowledge am I capturing while drawing?" served as the underlining theme.


The knowledge of learning continued with Larry's discussion about the foundation of American education compared to Bulgarian education. This topic lead to a lively discussion about education in general. We have a wide variety of teachers and backgrounds in our group. Some from urban settings while others from small towns. Each teacher contributed to the discussion. Karen, who teaches in Washington, D.C. wants to know about the minorities in Bulgaria and the education they receive. Larry, a college professor, wants to know the focus of education in Bulgaria. While Shirley discussed the educational system, how some students do quite well in high school but can not make the grade in college.
We decided that this discussion would be better with beer and food and we headed down to a restaurant to continue the discussion further.


Dinner was great and so were the drinks as we pondered our impact on our students and our Fulbright lessons yet to write.


We head back to the dorms hoping for another "block party" with our fellow students and Kosovo friends. The night is still young. . .

Carol Mohrlock-Monday, June 30

























June 30, 2008, Day 9
F-H Group Project - Bulgaria

Do you Know?
By Carol Mohrlock

Do you know the time period of the Great Migrations?
Do you know the 3 important things that came out of the Medieval Period?
Do you know the main goal of the Ottoman Empire?
Do you know why the lights went out in the dorm at AUB?
If these questions interest you read today’s blog entry to find the answers to these and much more.
Day nine at American University in Bulgaria was filled with LOADS of content about the Medieval Kingdoms and the Ottoman Rule. Today the Fulbright-Hays participants had two sessions with Dr. Evelina Kelbecheva.

After the lectures, we reviewed some of our learning through a Kagan Cooperative learning activity called Numbered Heads Together which Carol shared with the group. Then we drew closure to our academic day by reflecting on some of the comments we wrote in our week one evaluation.

While our school day ended around 5:30 PM we ended up having a bit of excitement around 9:00 PM. While many of us were using the computer lab to correspond on email, work journals, or sketch out our projects the dormitory alarms started going off and all of the sudden the power went out.

We all gathered on the patio and began conversations with our new friends. Two groups of students (one from Bulgaria and another from Albania) are enrolled in summer classes at AUB. Just as we gathered on the patio, our dear friends Heather, Anne, Pat, Julie and Shirley arrived back at the dormitory with several LARGE bottles of refreshments. We enjoyed learning more about the Balkan region from these students and they shared that they enjoyed having an opportunity to practice their English.

So, let me give you brief outline of some of the key points from our lectures today.
Key Points from 6-30-08
Great Migrations (400-600 AD/CE)
This was the end of the Classical period (Greek & Roman)
Huge influx of people came from the east via the Balkan Pen.
These people left Central Asia due to climate change, food issues, for resources that were in this region.
Among the people that moved west were the Bulgars
Three Important Things from the Medieval Period
Creation of the Bulgarian State
Created in 681
Created by Bulgars and Slavs
Creation of the Cyrillic Alphabet
Created by Cyril and Methodius who were brothers
This alphabet was created in 855 AD/CE
Adoption of Christianity in Bulgaria (862 AD/CE)
The Ottoman Empire (1396-1876)
The goal of this empire was for expansion and territorial gain
Army consisted of over one million men
It was an area where Muslims, Jews and Christians all lived
Trade was very strong in this area

The content has been fascinating. The discussions among participants have been thought provoking and the learning is endless. Of course I believe we owe a very LARGE thank you to Pamela and Margaret for making this Fulbright-Hays experience to Bulgaria possible!!! It is a TRUE GIFT!

Oh yes, I believe the only piece of information you may not have is the answer to the last question. I am not exactly sure but somewhere along the lines there was a power shortage so the lights and power were out at the dormitory and that’s when the block party began.
Carol

Monday, June 30, 2008

Andrea Hartlund-Sunday, June 29



















Sunday, June 29
Submitted by: Andrea Hartlund
We woke up in disbelief this morning that our first weekend trip had come and gone so quickly! Many of us were sad that it was our last day in the beautiful, entertaining city of Plovdiv. The great news is that we have many more adventures ahead of us the next few weeks.

The group began to stroll downstairs around 7:00 to get one last breakfast at Hotel Bulgaria. (I still can’t believe the great location we had-right at the city center!) We had to get our energy to prepare for one last hike up the hill to the Thracian ruins. The group assembled in the lobby at 8:00 and we instantly felt the relief of the cooler morning air as we began our journey. Pamela decided that an earlier time would be better for all of us, as she had experienced the challenge of hiking up hills in the heat with us the day before. We were convinced that she also arranged this time since the Old Town shops were closed and we couldn’t meander in and out of them along the way…she’s figured many of us out already!

We passed through the village center, up the cobblestone street, and through Old Town until we reached the top. It was a sight to be seen! Not only were we standing on the very ground that was an original Thracian settlement, but we also stood in awe at the vast landscape of Plovdiv and all of the surrounding areas. We learned that this settlement was chosen for many reasons. Even though the placement of the area was high and offered a great deal of protection, it was a challenge to easily transport supplies for the people. Also, the settlement could not expand as the population increased. The settlement was eventually abandoned as Plovdiv became a huge trading center. Also, when the Ottomans gained control they no longer needed it because their areas of warfare were farther north. Plovdiv continues to be a center of commerce and economic success today. Many restored buildings, beautiful parks, and a strong tourism industry are a shining star of pride for Bulgaria.

After our visit to the Thracian settlement, we ventured back into town where everyone enjoyed their last few minutes in the city. Some people did last minute shopping; some visited the Internet café looking over the smaller Roman amphitheater, and others finished packing. At 11:00 we began our trip back to Blagoevgrad. We loved the sights along the way…fresh peach stands, huge sunflower fields, and watching many people taking a swim in little rivers along side huge rocky mountain cliffs. Considering many people are counting down the days until we can use our swimsuits, we all watched them with envy. We pleaded for the van to stop for those of us that had brought our suits “just in case”, but had no luck. The wait until swimming at Varna goes on!

Evelina, our professor from American University of Bulgaria (AUBG), highly recommended that we stop at the Bachkova Monastery so that was one stop on our way home. This is the second largest and frequently visited monastery, with Rila being first. It was founded in 1083 by two brothers who were in the Byzantine army and the place served as a major religious center during the second Bulgarian Empire 1185-1396. It was destroyed by the Ottomans in the 16th century and restored by the 17th century. Heather gave us her expertise on icons, an art form we’ve seen in many religious buildings all over Bulgaria. They are paintings of holy figures or saints. We learned that icons represent the presence of that person in the building. We were in shock as we looked over during the lesson to see two monks carrying a lamb by his legs upside down. It was definitely living, which left us trying to figure out his outcome. Evelina told us in class the next day that we were actually visiting the monastery on St. Peter’s Day. The lamb was likely used for a sacrifice to offer thanks and celebrate with a large bowl of lamb stew and bread. Visiting Bachkova on the biggest summer holiday of the year explained all of the lines of people we had to join to go into the chapel! After seeing the icons, lighting candles, and viewing Eastern Orthodox weddings and baptisms inside the chapel, we shopped at the large market and ate a quick lunch. The most exciting part was when Le, Kristin, and Andrea got to experience their first primitive Bulgarian toilet! There was no toilet actually, just a little hole in the ground. While some went on a mission to find a toilet that flushed, others conquered the experience with much grace and skill. That was the first story shared when everyone met back at the bus that afternoon and we were very proud of Le for retrieving the toilet paper!

The drive home from Bachkova was gorgeous with landscapes of mountain terrains and rolling hills. We were also captivated by the beautiful reservoir called Lake Iscar. It seemed to go on for miles! Once we got back to the dorm many of us went into the city center for dinner and came back to finish our first week evaluations. We hit the pillows hard that night with great memories of our trip to Plovdiv. We were DEFINITELY the champions this weekend!

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Pat Goodman-Ann Marie Borders-June 27-28





















Friday, June 27th
Topographical Continuity
Bill Clinton and other world shakers went to London for the 90th birthday party for Nelson Mandela but the Bulgaria GPA got a taste of the cake of cultures unique to Plovdiv.



The first full day in Plovdiv started with breakfast in the hotel restaurant. Plates of bread, rolls, cheese slices, lunch meats, yogurt, cornflakes, hard boiled eggs, cucumber and tomato slices were accompanied by coffee, juices and fresh fruit. Excitement filled the air as everyone shared stories of the previous evening. Andrea’s salad of cooked, whole onions with raisins was probably the most interesting.





The group left the Hotel Bulgaria early in the morning, and had an introduction to operatic traditions in the square. The group was prepped for the evening Roman Amphitheatre performance of La Traviata. Ann especially prepared the group for the extended death of Violetta.





We walked by the twelve visible rows of the Roman stadium ruins with the statue of Phillip II and began the uphill climb to the old city. Our first stop was the home of Chisto G. Danov, a revival period educator and publisher. He was instrumental in the development of Bulgarian schools, had the first book shop, and published written materials and newspapers.
Conquering one of the seven hills of Plovdiv, we came to the St. the Virgin Mary Cathedral, a small but beautiful icon-filled Bulgarian Orthodox church. The Roman Amphitheatre was next. Further exploration was delayed for the evening performance, as a graduation was just ending with families, flowers, hugs, drinks, and congratulations.





St. Martyr Dittmer Church was a backstreet find. It was a light-filled, newly restored building of white and blue.





The State Gallery of Fine Arts was in renovation but we were allowed to view the paintings of some of Bulgaria’s fine artists including Vladimir Dimitrov.





One of the most impressive homes belonged to Zlatyu Boyadzhiev, a twentieth century Bulgarian artist. His paintings were noted to be humorous, disturbing, colorful, and not at all boring. Shirley led a Visual Thinking Skill session on one of the large paintings. The home itself was built by Dr. Stoyan Chomakov, in 1860. “I really enjoyed the opportunity to experience as a student and a teacher, VTS in the art museum.”





Museum of Icons was a tiny gallery yet the collection held many icons of the Virgin Mary, Christ, St. George on horseback and St. John the precursor. Le noted that “I am so excited about the icon museum that I can’t wait to go back and take notes and get my lesson ready for my painting class”.





Sveti Konstantin and Elena, Plovdiv’s oldest was built over an earlier Roman church. The church is dedicated to Constantine the Great, the emperor who made Orthodox Christianity the state religion. The frescoes were beautiful.





The group split for lunch and further explored Old Town.








Kuyumdzhiogh House, 1847, is the home of the Ethnographic Museum. The large house was full of everyday items, costumes, musical instruments, and decorative arts. The Plovdiv economy was boosted by the group purchases of bags and weavings.





A thunderstorm came up and the group scattered. One group stopped at a garden restaurant by the old Roman wall. The big questions of the day were discussed. We consulted Bartlett’s travel guide for the origins of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The split began in 1054. The Eastern Church does not believe in papal infallibility and in the Trinity. They believe that the Holy Spirit only comes from God. The split was finalized by the 1204 sacking of Constantinople by the Latin Crusaders. Who needs Frommer?





Evelena mentioned the five iconic poses of Mary.
With Le’s help the current theory is:
Front serene, eye contact
Birth - looking left at baby.
Death - looking right at the body of Christ
Hands spread looking down at earth
Assumption - Hands folded, standing on clouds looking up to heaven.





Dressed to kill, we returned to the Amphitheatre to see the production of La Traviata. The production featured a professional opera company with a full chorus and a large orchestra. Costuming was elegant and the setting was ethereal; hanging vines, columns, statues, and a backdrop of mountain scenery in the setting sun. What a chunk of continuity cake.
All of the elements combined, including the wind, to make a memorable evening.





Ann Marie Borders
Pat Goodman
Saturday, June 28


Sensa Pobarsai an Italian/Bulgarian phrase
A free day to explore the city and enjoy its riches; without/hurry.





Antiquing, wedding crashing, shopping, studying, hiking, exploring, mountain climbing are only some of the activities in the busy day.





While in the Internet café, Ann and Pat met the La Traviata conductor, Alfonso Scarano, and learned about the opera company traveling through Europe. The conversation lasted about 30 minutes and included known acquaintances and musical exchange. This is the link to the company’s website. It details the audition process for young interested singers.


As we concluded our free day in Plodiv, Evelina's comment seemed the most appropriate summary of our time in the city. " The beauty of history is to discover how we are related and relate to another culture".




http://www.ikoitalia.com/
The group returned to the Amphitheatre to see a premiere performance of Bohemian Rhapsody, a rock concert of Queen covers, with the Plovdiv State Philharmonic and the Lyric Chorus. The rocks rocked and so did we.





As we left the venue, our sandaled feet were reminders that we walked in a special place with those who had walked before.