back home, from home.

oh, so much to say, but i am tired.
went back to kraynitsi this weekend for my host sister's wedding...
it was fantastic.
there is nothing quite like a bulgarian wedding... especially one that you are actually a part of.
i handed out the cookies with my host nieces and host aunt(?) (I guess I really never though about her hypothetical "host" relationship to me) to the guests at the house before the wedding when the bride and groom make their exit to the car and do the horro in the street on the way to the church.
i stood with the family at the signing of the marriage documents and at the church, as well as sat with them at the reception.
had three songs dedicated to me, one being a horro that i couldn't do by a neighbor and close friend of the family who gave me way too much dancing credit.
i think i seriously let her down when i didn't know it.
sorry, but just because i have the one-two-three-kick-kick, down, doesn't mean i know the other ones.
For one of the dances I was next to my host dad, and when we passed by tables of his frieds he declared "Amerikanka!!!" Obviously proud that his volunteer was joining in.
Yes, in EVERY dance.
Except for the two that I didn't know.
I was exhausted.
Nobody cared.
When a baba grabs your arm to dance, dang it, you dance.
And then everyone asked if lili and lazar taught me how to do the horro.
Yes, some people gave me, for lack of a better word, 'looks'. whatever. i wasn't there for them.
they can think what they want about somebody that they don't know.
I was there for my host family.
AND, i didn't relaize until comming back how much better my bulgarian has gotten.
The whole family noticed it and commented on it.
10 days with absolutely no english, with the excption of text messages and convos with mom, will do that.
My host mom, said "see, i told you not to worry, when you have to speak bulgarian, you speak bulgarian"
I even understood my host brother, who i honestly don't think i understood a word that came out of his mouth for the two months i lived there.
But, that could also have something to do with the fact that i kind of snapped at him my last night there. He was saying something to me, like usual way to fast for me to ever comprehend.
and then he goes to the family, "two months and she doesn't understand still"
so without thinking i go "ivan, but you speak way too fast. and i never understand you! sorry, but i can't!"
I could tell that he definitely made a huge effort to speak more clearly and slower with me. It really helped and I thanked him.
He said that he was sorry he spoke too fast before.
And all is good again.
it was a lot of traveling, but it was definitely worth it.
zlataritsa to veliko turnovo, turnovo to sofia, sofia to dupnitsa, dupnitsa to kraynitsi.
then the reverse today.
except i got a ride to dupnitsa from my host family, and despite my protests, my host mom insisted on buying my ticket to sofia.
and i took a taxi from veliko turnovo back to zlataritsa since there is no bus at this time.
i had heard before that taxi drivers have a habit of telling you their opinions of minorities, but i never really thought too much about it.
but believe me, they do.
what do you say when someone is just blowing your mind with their ignorant hatred.
ummm, nothing.
because i can't.
the only thing i could say was that i like everyone in the whole world.
very sophisticated, right?
language. grrr.
ok, so i'm not totally that ridiculous.
i was able to say that while he was telling me that this whole group of people were lazy, that all the people i know are very hard working. And right after he had said how much he hated hitler, he went on to say that hitler wanted this group of people gone.
"znachi, eskish li hitler?"
so, you like hitler?
no, he said, he didn't at all.
well then, what the heck is your point, buddy??!!
whatever.
i got here.
back home.
with the people that my taxi driver hates.
who are exactly opposite of his opinions of them.
ok, i'm tired.
i'm going to bed.
oh crap, and i have more veggie soup cooking on the stove.
my beans are going to be over cooked.
goodnight.