my new job

so i started work a day or two after i got into malko turnovo and so far things are going well. i work for the natural park strandja with eight other people in an office overlooking the center square of malko turnovo. i currently have my own office with a computer to work from, but i think i will share it with my counterpart once he get back in december from his project in germany.
we start the day off at 8 in the morning everyday with coffee and tea together in the breakroom and usually meet there again after lunch at 1 for coffee and tea. coffee and tea breaks are really popular here in bulgaria, i think my office is not out of the ordinary. for a couple of days i rode along with some of my colleagues running errands around the park so that i could get used to what all was there and where everything was.
since then i havent really had a whole lot going on. i am having a much harder time with the langauge here than i was in simitli because there is such a heavy dialect and everyone speaks quickly and slurs their words. so communication has been tough and its up to me to start my own projects but since im not quite yet familiar with the park and office that will still take time. most of my day at work is currently spent studying bulgarian, doing paperwork for the pc, and kinda hangin out. i feel like im not really accomplishing anything, but i think it will just take time. once i know people, have a better grasp of the language and a good feel for the park i should be able to get a lot done. one step at a time.
outside of work i have been kind of a loner. my colleagues all go home to their families and i just head back to my apartment to read and relax. i am excited to start going on hikes around here because the forest and mountain are so beautiful, but it gets dark now at about six and the weather has been real overcast and rainy almost everyday. last saturday i was lucky enough to get some clear weather and i got out for an afternoon hike. i walked a little way out of town and found a trail that led up through some pasture land up into the forested mountains. the trail was nice, and the forest was super tranquil. the leaves are all changing colors, making the canopy a blend of bright yellows and muted reds. the forest floor was a bed of leaves punctuated occasionally by pure white bolders with patches of vibrant green soft moss.
since then i havent gotten to go out, but hopefully there will be more opportunities before it gets too cold. i know there are some old thracian tombs and a fortress nearby that i would like to get to, but we'll see.
the good news is that i finally have internet in my apartment (which is why i am able to write out this blog now). hopefully i can update this thing more often (assuming there are interesting things happening worth writing about) and respond to emails and such on a regular basis.
this friday i might have to go back out to borgas to finish up my registration and get my national identification card. if its not ready by then i will have to go up there sometime next week. well, thats about all for now. i have been trying to post some pics on here as well, but blogger seems to be having technical difficulties with it so i might have to post them later, sorry. until next time....