Lambs and fleas

It's been a month already since I left the states, I can't believe how fast it's past by but at the same time the days seem to crawl by here. Hour by hour. It's been an interesting past few weeks here in Boboshevo. You'd never think as much in a town of 1000 people, although we only seem to run into and see the same 15 people everyday, I'm not quite sure where the rest of the 985 people are. I sure as hell haven't run into them.

So yes, the lamb. It was Saint George's day last Sunday and the town was celebrating, especially those named George. Bulgarians celebrate Saint days specifically if they are named after that saint. So anyhow, I woke up on Sunday morning, fully aware that in the evening, I'd probably have some lamb and maybe some rakia. I went downstairs with my dirty laundry with the intention of washing it that morning. On the way down, I'm greeted by Sonya stuffing a very raw and very dead lamb full of seasoned rice while Vasil was assisting her, holding it up while Sonya sewed up the belly. That wasn't so bad, I could deal with that. But then I went over to the faucet on the porch for my laundry and the bucket where I usually rinse my clothes was filled with pink-tinged water and the lamb's head. Hmm. Sonya noticed my strange expression and said, oh, that's ok, you can still do your laundry, and proceeded to dunk her hand into the bucket, grab the lamb's head with her bare hand (eyes still intact), and pour the water out and handed me the bucket. Ok, I wanted to do my laundry but I wasn't about to put my clothes in that bucket without a few more sanitary precautions. So I declined and used another bucket. Later, as I was hanging my clothes to dry on the line, I noticed at the back of the porch the lamb's skin, with legs and hooves intact, just hanging. Hanging out there like it was the most normal thing. It's been a week and it's still hanging there, I don't know what they plan on doing with it, if it's good luck or what. No idea. But it's just a little gross. And mind you, I love lamb but as that lamb was roasting in the oven, I couldn't help but throw up just a little in my mouth. I mean, it didn't taste bad, but seeing all that, I'd lost my appetite a bit. And that was a good story. My other sitemates told me their story the next day and how they were forced to have lamb stew with bits of liver, artery, and other strange lamb parts. So I'm grateful mine was just lamb meat and rice. I was afraid I'd have to eat the leftovers for the rest of the week, but I got lucky in that regard too.

Yes, and the fleas. I was absolutely fine the first two weeks in Boboshevo. One sitemate had had fleas, but no one else. I guess I must've picked one or two up on the way home or something, because as of yesterday I have about 150 flea bites all over my body, I'm totally not exaggerating. I look like I have leprosy or some other heinous super chicken pox-like disease. Unpleasant to say the least. The buggers would just hop on to my clothes and eat me alive without me knowing it! You can't feel it when they bite you, it's only after the fact that you feel some irritation and by then the flea has moved on. I think the high animal population of sheep, goats, and stray dogs is what does it. Fleas are just everywhere. I thought they'd be content occupying the numerous stray dogs in our town, but apparently they taste a difference in Korean-American blood or something. I don't know, but I was on my last leg, I couldn't take it and I sprayed my room down with BioKill. I don't know where they get this stuff, but the peace corps office supplies us with it in cases such as this. I used up an entire bottle. And then even went and bought some Raid for extra protection, although that stuff is quite potent. I called the PC doctor in desperation and she told me to take some bendryl or claritin for the bites since I had too many to actually apply hydrocortisone cream on each and every one. I think it's been helping so far. But who knows. I feel like there's always some new bite that turns up. I think I'm also allergic because these tiny red bite bumps just flare up like crazy. I could really do with a nice steaming hot bath with oatmeal and creamy bubble bath, ahhhhh, that would be heaven right now. I can't even wear a skirt right now, my legs looks so scary. Ugghh.
So that is the story of lamb and fleas.
I 've also just discovered my permanant site. I'd tell you but then I'd have to kill you. But I'll be up in the Northwestern region of Bulgaria in a town of about 16,000 and I'll be commuting to teach in a small Roma (gypsy) village of 2100 just outside of the town. I'll be about 2 hours from Sofia, the capital which is a decent distance and a few hours from Romania. I'll be visiting this week and will report back next week hopefully. Meanwhile, I'll be keeping those fleas at bay...