Anna Turodky, Creeping Dragon
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02 Oct 2014 |
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Ann Arbor North
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Oct 02, 2014 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
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Anna Turosky returns from two years with the Peace Corps in Bulgaria
Published: Friday, September 23, 2011, in The Saline Reporter.
By Sheila Pursglove,
Now back stateside, Turosky, the daughter of Jan McCrea-Turosky of Saline and the late Ivan Turosky, has great memories of her two years in the Peace Corps. The organization sends volunteers to countries around the world to encourage education, better the standard of living at a grass roots level, promote a better understanding of Americans abroad, and help Americans better understand other countries.
Bulgaria invited Peace Corps volunteers to serve in under-served communities and struggling businesses, she said.
"Peace Corps volunteers are not parachuting into random villages and expecting to teach people how to be 'American,' but they are sharing their knowledge and experiences and, at the same time, learning valuable skills from the local community.
"For example, while I was teaching my students English and creative problem solving, I was learning how to speak Bulgarian and gain an understanding of many rich aspects of Bulgarian culture.
"If you want to see the world, I suggest travel. However, if you want to experience the world, I suggest Peace Corps. You'll become part of a community that will teach you their history and, in exchange, you'll become a force for change and education."Bulgaria may be small, but the citizens' pride in their history is strong, she said.
"Every holiday, and there are at least five a month, is a cause for celebration and a chance to dance hand-in-hand with friends and family, the traditional Bulgarian dance the 'horo.' I had only been there two months when my hand was grabbed and I was pulled into the long line of woman who were all step by step to a dance they had learned from their mothers, and their mothers had learned from their mothers before them.
"Bulgaria is only the size of Tennessee, but if you ask its inhabitants, the best things in the world are Bulgarian -- tomatoes, roses, bread, and a strong liquor called raikiya -- and the best people also have Bulgarian blood; the man who created the first computer was Bulgarian, of course."
One piece of Bulgarian culture Turosky enjoyed is "chirpiya," meaning to treat others to something.
"When there is a name day, or the religious holiday of the saint you were named after, you 'chirpiya' your family and friends to food, chocolate, and raikiya, that strong liquor. Also, when there is a birthday you 'chirpiya' everyone to chocolate and raikiya. Births, funerals, sickness or health - chirpiya, chirpiya, chirpiya, chirpiya.
"As you can imagine, toward the end of my two years I had become quite the connoisseur of Bulgarian chocolate and raikiya."
Turosky enjoyed Bulgarian holidays, especially "Babin Den," or "Day of Grandmothers." Women dress in traditional costumes of embroidered aprons and heavy wool dresses and sing, dance and celebrate together.
A long line of women, holding hands and dancing the 'horo' steps in circles, coils and stretches across the road, into the center of town, and back again. Their voices, accompanied by a drum, a "Gaida" (Bulgarian bagpipe), and an accordion (an instrument introduced by the Russians when Bulgaria was a communist country), sing old songs.
"The old songs are not written down, but are remembered every time the town celebrates," Turosky said. "It's a learning experience for both parties, the volunteer and the community, and one that I greatly enjoyed."
Bulgaria was not Turosky's first adventure overseas. While at Saline High School, where she said world history classes and after-school clubs opened her eyes to countries beyond the United States, she took part in a Semester At Sea program, an experience that gave her the confidence to later backpack around Europe for three months, and to join the Peace Corps.
She brought strong skills to the Peace Corps, holding a bachelor's degree in secondary education with a double major in language arts and history from Eastern Michigan University, an education she said prepared her to interact and work with people of every race, creed and nationality, as well to think creatively in groups to problem solve.Turosky is now working toward a master's degree in public administration at Wayne State University.
"I hope to eventually work in an embassy overseas, but in the meantime I will search for a part-time position in Michigan," she said.
Sheila Pursglove is a freelance writer.