Visit http://vionet7.blogspot.com

At http://vionet7.blogspot.com you can find my photo diary about life back in Bulgaria. Enjoy!

Our Last Month in the USA, June 2005

It is June 24, 2005 today. Since June 1 we have been traveling in the USA. We are on the East Coast and we are in Pennsylvania, the Keystone State. From here we traveled to New York City and Washington, D. C. I will publish photos that visualize our tourist visits as soon as we go back to Bulgaria. Right now we do not have access to the Internet at home. We are happy to use the Internet at the local library in Quarryville, Lancaster County (http://quarryvillelibrary.org). Today there are many kids with their parents at the library as there is a special summer event from the Summer 2005 Programs and Activities for Youth, Teens and Families of the library. From 10:30 a.m. the ongoing event is Miles of Smiles and Rick Waterhouse presents The Dragon and the Chef, a puppet show with interactive songs and lots of fun. It is for all ages and I know that both kids and adults enjoy it as I hear them laughing.

Time for packing! We are leaving Arizona after a year of challenges, a great experience of teaching, sightseeing and many new friends in the USA - in Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Illinois, Indiana, Florida and Washington. D.C. I hope to use one of these suitcases to come to Chandler again. 

This hour glass at Chandler Mall reminded me that it takes some time for a space to get filled with something. It took me a year to have my portfolio of knowledge about life in the USA and the American school filled. Now time has come to reverse the hour glass.  

In the afternoon on May 29 we enjoyed the cool air at Chandler Mall. It was crowded as it is on the weekend. We strolled through Barnes and Noble, Sears, Nordstrom and Payless ShoeSource 

We spent the evening in the cool house of our new friends in Phoenix.  

Our last Saturday in Chandler fell on May 28. We did some chores and bid farewell to places and people we had made friends with. 

On May 28, 2005 we donated old clothing and shoes to one of the numerous donation centers in Chandler. 

At Savers on Arizona Avenue we donated two bags of clothes and one bag of old shoes. In exchange for that we got one $5 coupon from the store and if we had bought one item from Savers (a store for second-hand clothes, shoes, books and household items) for at least $5, we could have bought a second one that did not cost more than $5 for free. We did not use the coupon and we gave it to friends. 

At Great Clips for Hair at Ocotillo Fiesta Boyan had his last haircut for our stay in Chandler. It took him about 10 minutes to look younger. 

This time Michelle cut Boyan's hair as Eun Young was not at work on May 28, 2005. We used the Great Clips services for a year and we were very content with them. 

We stopped at The Falls on the corner of Alma School and Queen Creek to withdraw some money from the Bank One ATM. 

This greenish water fountain was one of the falls on Queen Creek right next to Bank One. 

Our M-Bag (mail bag) Day did not become a Doomsday (a catastrophic day) for us. We piled all our books, magazines, notebooks, handouts, audio and video cassettes and Boyan listed them. Carol, the friendly and helpful Post Office employee at the Post Office branch on Carla Vista did the rest. We followed all her instructions and advice and by 4:30 p.m. we had been done with the M-Bag project.

On May 27, Friday at the latest we had to mail some books home. We used a post office service that Prof. Randall Baker had told us about - M-Bag. About two weeks ago we found out that there is an M-Bag service from the USA to Bulgaria. The school helped me with three cardboard boxes, so right after the classes Boyan and I headed for the Post Office and it took us about an hour to go through all the procedures of the M-Bag postal service to send three boxes of about 90 pounds to Sofia. They will be there in about 4-6 weeks. Go M-Bag! 

TGIF and last day of classes fell on May 27, 2005 for me this year. 

Partying in Sun Lakes, Chandler to celebrate the end of 2004-2005 school year. 

Beautiful flowers, palm trees and cacti surround Diana and Randy's house. Three freshman teachers: Diana, Doug and Violeta. 

We had an end of school year party of the English Department at Diana and Randy's. Some teachers were at the party with their spouses, so Boyan and I met a few more Americans "out-of-the-school box" - to put it in Bill Kleinman's words. The hosts had provided the pops and the invitees brought food and drinks. I liked the meat balls with salsa most and Boyan liked the cakes and the fresh fruit. Maybe that was the last time for me to see all these people who became like family to me.

My colleagues from HHS gave me as a gift the book that every student has been reading and writing in for a week - it is called So Much to Talk About and is the so-called Year Book of the school. The preparation for it began in September 2004. It is a book about academics, student life, sports, clubs, people, congrats for seniors and funny ads on 320 pages. It was a year full of interesting and challenging experience for me and I made it to the end due to my colleagues' help. They were always around and ready to give me a proffesional or friendly hand. I appreciate this.

Most of the staff from the English Department of HHS were at the party. This is a farewell photo with Cheryl, a freshman teacher. 

It was 96 F outside at 6:05 p.m.

A turtle welcomes and sees guests off at Diana and Randy's place in Ironwood, Sun Lakes. 

On May 19 it was a farewell party time for us. Our friends from HHS and from the CUSD office bid us godd-bye with a delicious cake, a lot of smles and some beautiful presents. We are taking back home their respect and love. 

Koo organized a farewell party for Boyan and me at Keegan's. Between 3:30 and 6:30 p.m. on a hot afternoon (about 109 F) about 20 teachers from HHS came and sat on the patio under the misters and had fun. 

May 22, 2005: A photo for good-bye with Giado at his Giado World Food store on Dobson in Mesa. We bough Puffy Pastry and Bulgarian sheep's cheese for the last time from him and thanked him for supplying us for a year with Greek phillo, Turkish lokum, and Bulgarian cheese, kashkaval and canned pickles. 

Talking about the Fulbright Teacher Exchange Program at Palomino Library, DMHS, Scottsdale, Arizona. 

May 21 was a workshop day for me. I was at Desert Mountain High School in Scottsdale where I met three Fulbright alumni, one current exchange teacher from Ghana and four new Fulbright exchange teachers from Arizona and New Mexico.