Ryan's Trip to Bulgaria

May 4th to May 10th 2005 Two weeks ago, I went to Sofia and Plovdiv, Bulgaria. I was invited to give lectures at the University of Plovdiv. When I arrived at the Sofia airport, I was not too surprised as to how small and run down it was, but it really looked like a throwback to the Communist times. I took a taxi from there to the bus station (8 Leva or about $3.75) and then the bus to Plovdiv (2 hour ride). I am used to the travels between airports and city centers being less than attractive. Coming from the Budapest airport to the city is not a good impression either. However, I thought that as the bus made its way through the city to leave, I would see some sights of note. All that I saw were old run down buildings in block style without any decoration to distinguish them from one another. Everything looked drab to me. The few statues I noticed looked like the Communist statues that Budapest has since relegated to Statue Park. Plovdiv, the second largest city in Bulgaria was not much different. There were little oasis patches of interest, though. There is one area that they uncovered an ancient Roman amphitheater in tact. One of the Bulgarian professors told me when she was a girl, it was just a hill. Now this entire section of the city is restricted digging. No matter where they dig, they find Roman treasures or ruins. There were some interesting restored buildings in this area, but few. All of the restaurants I was brought to were amazingly attractive once off of the street, but you would never know from the outside or the neighborhoods. I was also taken to the second largest monastery in Bulgaria. Unfortunately, I did not write down the name. It was lovely and very interesting, but very small compared to others I have seen. Lining the road up to the monastery entrance were stalls selling pottery, jams, jellies, and honey. I bought a beautiful 4 gallon sized dutch oven type pot, a large platter, and four bowls all hand painted with a gorgeous design for $16.00. A cooking lesson was included. The dutch oven has been used at least 6 times since returning and it was a great investment. I had to return to Sofia for two days for a conference and although I was cloistered at a university, the bit of city that I saw around my hotel in the center, was nothing to cheer about. The university was fantastic and well equipped, which was an anomaly. It also has a wonderful restaurant on the campus, since there was nothing else within walking distance. I had to take taxis everywhere when I was not traveling from city to city with the exception of the monastery, where I was toured by a professor. Taxis are cheap. Trips ranged from 75 cents to $2.00. My hotel in Plovdiv (Saint Petersburg, formerly the Lenin) was newly remodeled and was far above the 3 star rating it held. My room was huge with a sofa, tables and chairs. They have a huge water 'playground' outside, though the pools were not filled yet. Breakfast was a tremendous buffet each morning. The staff was fantastic and accommodating. My hotel in Sofia was less pleasant, but clean. I have since talked to others who have been in Bulgaria. I heard of one person who was a Fulbrighter who spent a year in Sofia and loved it. Many others thought it was drab and depressing. I understand there are other parts of Bulgaria that are magnificent. At this point, I am only interested in returning for professional reasons or to buy more pottery. : )

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Bulgaria Professional Report

Ryan James, Ed.D. Trip Report for Bulgaria May 4- 10, 2005 At the request of Ronda Critchlow, Junior English Language Fellow at the University of Plovdiv, I was invited to give educational presentations to the faculty and students. The dates were set based on faculty advice and convenience. The Bulgarian EFL conference was also scheduled during this time frame; therefore it was agreed that I would also attend and present at this conference. A presentation for Oxford Publishing was also included. The list of presentations follows. They were decided after Ms. Critchlow surveyed the faculty for topic suggestions. I arrived in Sofia on May 4, 2005 and took a taxi to the bus station, where I took the bus to Plovdiv. I was met at the bus station by Ms. Critchlow and her Bulgarian counterpart. After settling into the hotel, the three of us went to dinner to discuss the presentations that would follow. Both were most hospitable and made me feel welcomed and relaxed immediately. May 5, 2005 I delivered three presentations. The full schedule is below. All presentations were well advertised. The university had flyers posted on bulletin boards, professors had announced them to their students, and invitations were sent out to the public school teachers. The attendance at the presentations was as follows: At the first presentation there were 28 participants. There were 27 participants at the second presentation. The third presentation at Oxford Publishing had 12 participants. The Oxford Publishing rep was disappointed at the turnout since she had 25 confirmations; however, she was overwhelmed that the participants became so involved in the activities. May 6, 2005 was a national holiday and everything was closed. We originally had plans to leave for Sofia on this day, but it was decided to wait until Saturday morning, due to the holiday. This necessitated booking the hotel in Plovdiv for one extra night not planned, and then canceling one night at the hotel in Sofia. May 7, 2005, Ms. Critchlow and I took an early bus to Sofia. We arrived at the conference during the registration period and spent the entire day and evening at the conference. May 8, 2005 we both had presentations at the conference. I was extremely pleased that the conference organizers assigned me to an extra large room. Every seat was filled and late comers left due to lack of seating. The room held 50 seats. Later in the afternoon, I attended Ms. Critchlow’s presentation, which was excellent, well received and well attended. We left Sofia to return to Plovdiv late in the afternoon. Monday, May 9, 2005 I again gave three presentations at the university. Presentation one had 8 participants. Presentation two had 30 participants. Presentation three had 14 participants. I had an opportunity to meet many of the staff and students. Many faculty members apologized for not attending various presentations as they had time conflicts. They admitted that when this was first arranged, they thought they would be able to attend more sessions, but other things occurred in the meantime. Due to issues with infrastructure, there was no possibility to make copies of the hand-outs for attendees either at the university or for the conference. The university only has one photocopier that is not coin operated and it was not working by the time I had arrived. Each hand-out was lengthy and it would have taken an unusual amount of time and coins to prepare copies for the participants. However, all lecture notes and hand-outs were given to Ms. Critchlow on a DVD for reference and to be distributed as needed. I would be remiss if I did not add that Ms. Critchlow was an exemplary hostess. She guided me along the entire stay, to make sure that everything ran as smoothly as possible. She went above and beyond to entertain me in the free time I had and make my stay extremely enjoyable. Even in our free time, we met with and had dinner with students and other professors, so this was productive time also. It is evident that Ms. Critchlow’s presence at this university is welcomed, appreciated, and honored. The faculty and students have a great deal of respect for her as a person and as a professional. Being able to work with her, the staff, and the students was a significant highlight in my professional career. I sincerely hope I have the opportunity to be of professional assistance to Ms. Critchlow again. Ryan James, Ed.D. May 16, 2005 The Paisii Hilendarski University of Plovdiv Presents: Teacher-Training Workshops and Student Enrichment Seminars Guest Lecturer: Dr. Ryan James, American Council for English Studies; Budapest, Hungary Location: Plovdiv University (New Building); American Corner, 5th floor, rm 502 Thursday, May 5, 2005: Event 1 Time: 10:30-12pm Topic: “The American Educational System: Background and Current Issues” Event 2 Time: 1:30pm-3pm Topic: "Uses of American Slang and Other Expressions: What's Up With That?" Event 3 Time: 4pm-6pm Topic: "One Picture Is Worth 100 English Lessons" Monday, May 9, 2005 Event 4 Time: 10-12pm Topic: “Developing Your Curriculum: How to Enhance Learning with Authentic Materials That Will Motivate Student Learning” Event 5 Time: 1:30pm-3pm Topic: “Academic vs. Social English: How to Use and Teach the Differences” Event 6 Time: 4pm-6pm Topic: “The Teacher as Researcher in the Classroom: Are Your Students Learning What You Think You Are Teaching?”

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