HOLLY IN BULGARIA
Although my stay in Bulgaria was short, I had a great time! I spent two weeks studying with the children from “Saint Sofia” school but also playing outside with them in the glorious spring weather.
Trust me, the children are the same all over Europe – there is nothing they like more than playing and there is nothing we enjoy more than games outside at the beginning of spring after the long winter days! I learned a lot of traditional Bulgarian games and I thought it was a good idea to exchange information about games children play in our countries and try them out!
Spring is especially beautiful in “Saint Sofia” school because it has big gardens with green grass, spring flowers and blossoming trees! Guess what! The children even showed me their Comenius garden from the previous project! They are still taking care of it and it is a favourite relaxation place for everyone. The crocuses were in full bloom.
I also took part in a special ritual. When I arrived in Bulgaria all the people were wearing ornaments made of red and white wool and yarn. The school was also decorated with them. I asked the children about this tradition and they explained that the ornaments were called “martenichki”.
On the first of March everyone in Bulgaria receives a lot of martenichki from their friends and family. They are worn on your clothes or around your neck or wrist and bring health, good luck and fertility. People wear them until they see the first stork or swallow arrive in the spring. Then martenichki are put on a blossoming tree. One fine morning we saw the first spring birds arrive and we all rushed outside to hang our martenichki on the blossoming trees in the school garden. Isn’t it exciting?! When Emma from Belgium was in Bulgaria she took part in the beginning of the festival and now, a month later, I saw its end!
But the most exciting events were still ahead! During the last day of my stay, April 1st, I took part in the Space Day organized at school. The children studied about Space and decorated the school hall with art works dedicated to Space and space travel.
We met the first Bulgarian astronaut Georgi Ivanov who is a national hero and very popular in Bulgaria! He told us amazing things about his space travel and about Bulgarian space science. Here are some interesting facts I learned:
Bulgariahas two astronauts. The first one is Georgi Ivanov. On April 10th 1979 he was launched in Space on the board of the Russian space ship “Soyuz 33”. He spent 2 days in space and the flight was very dramatic as the main engine broke down and the astronauts survived and were able to land only because they kept their cool and took the right decisions. The second astronaut, Alexander Alexandrov flew on board of the Russian space ship “Soyuz TM-5” about 10 years later – in 1988.
Bulgarian scientists have invented and built SVET - the first greenhouse which was able to produce crops grown entirely in space. This was a great scientific breakthrough as it is considered a basis for long space flights to other planets during which the astronauts will have to produce their own food. New generations of SVET are now functioning in space and the experiments are going on.
Bulgariais the third biggest producer of Space food after the USA and Russia. The Space menu is produced by a special scientific institute through a complicated technology of dry freezing the food and contains different combinations of breakfast, lunch, dinner and two snacks. Georgi Ivanov told us that all his fellow astronauts consider it by far the most delicious space food produced in the world.
Bulgariahas launched in space two satellites containing unique apparatus for measuring the physical parameters of the environment and especially the radiation. It is planning to launch another satellite in three years.
Now wasn’t it a nice end to my stay! It is time to say “Goodbye” to the Bulgarian children as they are going on vacation for ten days and I am continuing my journey to Greece. I am going to miss my Bulgarian friends as they all spoke English so well that we were able to communicate with no problem at all. For them meeting me and speaking to me only in English was a good opportunity to brush up their language!
HOW HOLLY RECHARGED HER MOBILE
IN BULGARIA
When I arrived in Bulgaria the battery of my mobile was almost flat, so I had to recharge it quickly to stay in touch with my family in England.
The children in “Saint Sofia” school had prepared for me two power plants – with solar cells and with wind turbines. Unfortunately, I had already used those kinds of energy so we decided to wait for a nice spring storm and
for a lightning to strike and recharge my mobile with its enormous electricity blast.
My mobile was connected with a cable to a lightning conductor. Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait long – a storm soon started and a lightning recharged my mobile.
It was plain sailing from now on – after the skies cleared it was only glorious spring weather during my stay in Bulgaria and playing with happy children outside!