Welcome, Guest.
Please login or register.
JUNE 2016
Forum Login
Login Name: Create a new account
Password:     Forgot password

Elsa Peters living a new life in Bulgaria    General Boards    My Diary by Elsa Peters  ›  JUNE 2016
Users Browsing Forum
No Members and 41 Guests

JUNE 2016  This thread currently has 12,921 views. Print
4 Pages « 1 2 3 4 All Recommend Thread
Elsa Peters
June 29, 2016, 3:37pm Report to Moderator

Diary Admin
Posts: 6,110
Gender: Female
Posts Per Day: 1.08
Location: Mobile!
Wednesday 29th June

So this morning at five thirty my mountains had disappeared again.  Last night's fog remained and there wasn't a sunrise and it took until about eight thirty to show its little self.  I went down to the bread van to get one for the freezer, a crusty loaf and a cheesy bread for breakfast.  I ate half of the cheesy bread, had another cup of coffee and actually practised my long forgotten iron skills on one of the blouses that I'd bought yesterday.  My Avatar was ready waiting by the Beast at ten twenty five, I heaved her in, organised the seat belt for her and off we set with a quick Turkish phrase for our journey.  

It didn't take long to get there, the village was about five kilometers the other side of Djebel.  Avatar came bearing gifts...which is the Turkish way.  She'd wrapped up a packet of biscuits that I was supposed to hand over but I left it to her.  The lady and man of the house welcomed us and her sister was there from Istanbul and I gave my condolences because of the bombings at the airport.  They didn't take me up on it so I let it drop but they found out from a phone call when I was there and then we discussed it.  The lady also had her five year old grand-daughter with her and she asked me my name in English.  The grandson who goes to school in Djebel was able to understand me but couldn't speak to me...all they do is read and write in their lessons....no listening skills...it's a shame.  Out came the dates, chocolates, Turkish delight and it's no wonder they all seem to have problems with blood pressure and sugar.  Coffee came next and they couldn't get over the fact that I never take sugar in it at all.  So by twelve my Avatar was itching to leave...she's not a good visitor and when she's had enough it's up sticks and away and she was handed a bag of tomatoes as a going away gift.  She managed to climb into the Beast on her own, I did have to organise the seat belt routine and then it was a quick stop in Djebel to take the photos I promised of the pool.

We stopped at the shop and my student's father had his scratch card syndicate in progress in the coffee area and the mother decided that he should come with me to take the photos.  He's known there by the builders, I'm not and since it's so near the police station, I didn't want to cause a scene.  There was a man cleaning the pool and I'm not sure it's going to be ready for the weekend as promised.  The pool is full but more decking needs to go down and there's not a hint of a sunbed as yet.  The builders were all at lunch though so perhaps they would burst into action after we'd left.  Home for one and Avatar asked how much for the diesel so I came back with the statutory response...one hundred leva working on the principle that if she hasn't got one hundred, she gets it for free.  I did acquire three of the tomatoes....salad for supper....

It's a dull old day again but no rain so far.  I've not done an awful lot....I was going to watch the tennis but rain has stopped play on Beeb 2 so we might manage to get to see Eggheads....why does everything stop for Wimbledon?  I've just check out the weather for the next couple of weeks and it looks more of the same so it appears to be more of a 'blip' than I thought it was.  Off to find some thing for supper....I think it might be a fish fillet in batter with chippies and peas...I need some comfort food.  LN...supper calls....LN



Attachment: bedrooms_and_balconies_6408.jpg
Size: 96.97 KB

Attachment: steps_to_the_terrace_4488.jpg
Size: 87.61 KB

Attachment: bar_area_6601.jpg
Size: 74.16 KB

Attachment: more_decking_and_sunbeds_needed_2270.jpg
Size: 112.88 KB

Attachment: cleaning_the_pool_5187.jpg
Size: 100.81 KB

Attachment: no_swimming_5324.jpg
Size: 85.04 KB

Logged Offline
Site E-mail Private Message Reply: 30 - 31
Elsa Peters
June 30, 2016, 7:02pm Report to Moderator

Diary Admin
Posts: 6,110
Gender: Female
Posts Per Day: 1.08
Location: Mobile!
Thursday 30th June

Five thirty start again but the day didn't hold much promise of sun.  Grey clouds were scattered but in the end it worked out OK.

I stripped down the bed and got a load of washing on, had a bonfire, hung out the first load and it was only seven thirty.  The second load went in and after so much activity I fried off a couple of tomatoes and had them on toast.  Well I was just about to put them on the toast when my painter arrived bringing my electricity bill.  If you live in this village or the next you can be designated postman or woman or child for the day...there's no sexism ..or ageism here.  Apparently he'd been working in one of the villages cutting hay and he proudly told me that he'd managed to save up enough money for a industrial sized strimmer.  I'm still not sure that it's what he really needs to do the job that he wants it to do....At the end of the day...his decision.  

I was just about to sit down with a cup of coffee and the kindle at ten fifteen and my phone goes and it's Gouldjan asking if I'm on my way to Djebel...she's waiting in the bus-stop waiting for anybody going her way but nobody turned up.  I took pity on her and said I'd be there in five minutes but there was a method in my madness....I'd bought a language book from Kaufland and instead of it having a CD in it, you had to go to the website to download it.  So it said that the website was in English but the secondary options remained in Bulgarian and I was completely lost.  As I said, we went into her office in the school and we worked our way through it and the scripts were downloaded onto a flash drive and the book is now useful apart from the fact the the English person reading the seventy two lesson plans speaks with an Australian/some other accent.  I think I might have to complain otherwise it would be a useful tool for teaching them how to use their ears when learning a language.
While I was in the office a young girl who'd heard us speaking English approached us and said that she is learning it but needs more practice, she wants to do well in her exams.....I might have another student.

Home for twelve and the sun had made it out and it was too hot to get digging .  I whizzed round with the watering can, took the heads of the poppies and threw the rest away and headed out to take some pickies of the butterflies that have invaded the lavender along with the bees.  I walked down the garden and the small blue butterflies are out and I managed to get an extra special shot of one of them.  Normally when they settle they close their wings so you only see the outside of them.  Back in the house and a short while with the kindle...a few games until it was time for Wimbledon.  A couple of chicken legs went into the oven with yogurt and lime chilli spice and for supper I served it with a couple of grated carrots and beetroot.....very healthy.  It's almost ten my time and time for bed...I missed my sleep this afternoon.  

So another month gone and that's half way through the year...LN....early night for me...LN



Attachment: my_first_zinnia_out_9003.jpg
Size: 77.03 KB

Attachment: and_the_buddliea_6338.jpg
Size: 90.66 KB

Attachment: rescued_from_kaufland_2985.jpg
Size: 75.41 KB

Attachment: stunning_patterning_6934.jpg
Size: 61.73 KB

Attachment: and_more_4722.jpg
Size: 49.92 KB

Attachment: and_upside_down_9864.jpg
Size: 51.71 KB

Attachment: busy_bee_4241.jpg
Size: 45.10 KB

Attachment: blue_butterfly_6456.jpg
Size: 110.75 KB

Attachment: closed_wings_5949.jpg
Size: 93.16 KB

Attachment: on_their_way_home_1158.jpg
Size: 111.57 KB

Attachment: haze_on_the_mountains_4882.jpg
Size: 78.08 KB

Logged Offline
Site E-mail Private Message Reply: 31 - 31
4 Pages « 1 2 3 4 All Recommend Thread
Print

My Diary by Elsa Peters (only location)

Thread Rating
There is currently no rating for this thread