Ain't no party like a Snoop Dogg party, 'cause a Snoop Dogg partay don't quit!

So, yes. It is true.  I went to see Snoop Dogg play in Sofia, Bulgaria.  I think it may have been the most bizarre event I have ever been to... I went with 7 others from the school, and we had an absolutely great time.  After an interesting dinner at a Bulgarian restaurant, (where I had the sub par chicken curry, which was not quite curry, but a Bulgarian version of it... which is not better...) we made our way about a half a kilometer, to the skating rink, turned concert venue.  Snoop was on stage when we got there, and I surprised myself with my knowledge of Snoop's repertoire.  I knew more songs than I expected myself to, so it turned out to be a pretty fun show.  

Now I am sure that many are wondering why a west coast rapper, from the US would be making an appearance in Eastern Europe, let alone in Bulgaria!  It was a surprise to me, indeed, but there actually is a huge hip-hop and rap following here in E.E.  As far as I can gather from my students, the favorite music genres have been rap, rock (classic rock) and hip hop.  The rap following was apparent last night in the packed house of Bulgarians.  The crowd was fairly benign throughout the show 

and then Snoop pulled out a Bulgarian flag, waving it around on stage as he donned a Bulgarian football ("soccer") jersey

and the crowd went absolutely bizzerk. 

And yet, despite the title of this entry which also is a line from Snoop himself, the party did come to an end.  Around 11 pm.  And the lights came on.  Show was over and the crowd squished us as we all tried to exit through ONE exit..... no bueno...

We went to a bar for a little while longer, enjoying the company we were in, and then I think I took the funniest cab ride I have ever been in.  I felt like Mr. Magoo, and I think the 4 of us had piled into a smart car, however I checked when we got out and it was some sort of Hyundai.  It might as well have been a smart car because it felt that small... Well, we made it back safely to the gate of the school, even though Derek was unsuccessful in convincing the cab driver, Nikki, to stop and go through the McDonald's drivethru on the way back... He may have been heartbroken, but Nikki was pretty determined to get us back. haha. It was great. 

Now, Friday is completed, the first official week of school, and I feel pretty good about how things are going.  It certainly is a bit interesting teaching the same lesson all week long, about 8 times.  I have 8 different sections of kids who I see only one time a week, so it can get a bit repetitive, with moments where I space out and forget where I was going with my train of thought.  But, overall, all my classes are full or little angels, at least for the first week... I am sure that the colorful behaviors will come out in the next month or so for a lot of them. :) But I think that it is the teenage personalities and dramas that keeps teaching entertaining, and certainly keeps me on my toes.  That is one thing I certainly love about teaching, no two classes are ever the same, no matter how many times I teach a lesson, and the kids are so different in their likes, personalities, etc, that you are constantly adjusting your approach in order to reach them all.  It really never gets dull, no matter how long you have been teaching for.  

There is so much that I am still getting used to here, and that I know I will still have to learn.  We start our advisory program on Tuesday, which I am happy for.  It will give me the chance to get to  know a few 9, 10, 11th grade students a bit more, and hopefully be able to help them navigate the school, as well as be an advocate for them too.  I love stuff like this, mentoring, etc, so I am excited to be able to be in this role, in addition to teacher. 

Anyways, this weekend is a long weekend, as Bulgaria is celebrating their Independence Day on Monday (so no school!) I am going to Belgrade, Serbia with 4 others, Erin, my roommate and her boyfriend, Andy, as well as Derek and Jenn from next door.  It seems like an interesting and ecclectic place to go, and I am excited to get some traveling in.  Belgrade sounds very similar to Sofia, which I love.  And I am excited to visit the area, since I grew up learning about the Serbia/Kosovo tensions as a kid; it is neat to be able to travel there finally. 

Well, I should finish up a few things before I start to pack and make dinner.  I will be sure to post some pictures from Snoop (once I steal some from someone else) as well as pics of Serbia. 

Ciao!