My Special Birthday :)))

Yesterday was my birthday it was the best one I’ve ever had. But let me start with my birthdays experience here on the Tenerife.

On 16 of November Marie has a birthday so as we were on our on-arrival training we could prepare her really nice breakfast and with the help of the restaurant of the hotel Ice-cream birthday cake with the breakfast. She also has really nice video which was including photos from her most special moments here. As she in studying Spanish hare birthday present were three Spanish books with different level of the language respectively given in the morning, at noon and in the evening.

On 4 of December was Zsofi’s birthday. So we prepared really special breakfast for her. After this she received here two birthday cakes – one from us and one from her boyfriend. Our present for her was really creative and special notebook where she can safe here special moments and never forget her EVS friends. As she really like the East culture we gave her a voucher for a massage. Both of the girls birthday were very special and they really like them.

So as it came time for my birthday I was expecting forward what will be my special day. A few weeks before it we spoke that we can make a small party in home for my birthday and invite some friends. But as we were last week on La Palma we still couldn’t rest properly, so the girls said that they are tired and I said it’s not a problem at all. As we are preparing a Christmas concert for the old age home where we are helping - is one of our voluntary projects, we just decided that as we are free due to my birthday we can use the day for practicing the Christmas songs. Or at least I really think it will be like this. In the morning or according to our deal when I wake up almost at noon I received my special breakfast with my favorite Zibra Cake that Marie is preparing. The rest of the day the girls where kind of strange but not so much so I can suspect that something is happening. I just left them without asking stupid questions as I tough that they were preparing my present. Actually this was the reality but nothing that I expected.

So it came time for our repetition. We had a meeting at Tanja’s place and mysteriously everybody found something really urgent to do and told me to go by myself and they will come later. I surmise that maybe my present is there but when I and Brendan went there it wasn’t anything. So after “rehearse” two ours Zsofi called that they can’t come and as left here cooking the dinner she invited Tanja, Philip – her boyfriend and Brendan also.

 

When we came home I open the door and it was like a movie – everything was dark and all of my friends here were waiting for me screaming “Happy Birthday”, taking photos and throwing balloons. I was so surprised. The whole apartment was decorated and it was just not real. And everybody tricked me so good, even whit some extra elements. The party was great but the even more amazing was that I received second bigger super delicious Austrian chocolate cake. Everything was wonderful and I couldn’t believe it’s real and not a movie.

As I couldn’t hear my parents on Skype whole day after my friends dissolved the problem that we had with our internet I could hear them and tell them about my SURPRISE BIRTHDAY PARTY and all of the presents that I received.

At this very moment my friends starting to sing in the other room, so I went there with my laptop and it was a song for me with the melody of Let it Be – one of my very favorite songs. Actually you can hear the song here.

This was my first real birthday party that I’ve ever had and it was the most amazing and special moment for me. Thank you friends I will always remember you and my 25 birthday.

La Palma - la isla bonita

From 5 to 9 we were on one of the other islands - La Palma. They called it La Isla Bonita and this is simply the truth. Our programme was pretty tensed - we circeled almost the whole island for this days, we were hiking, parting, going to the beach, going to museums and the observatory. The great experience there I can't discribe with words, so I will show small amount of the pictures from La Isla Bonita.

The pipe that we were following durign our first day hiking.

Preparing for passing under the waterfall tunel.

We survived all of the 13.

Volcano San Antonio.

In to the volcan.

And breathtaking view all the time.

The top of the La Palma.

We visit the observatory and inside was amazing.

Grandecan - the biggest telescope in the world.

Having a rest on the top of the world - so peaceful. I was watching  Teide from there.

All of the AURI friends on the trip.

Well I recomend you just to visit and see by yourself ;)

Diving in the ocean

Yesterday we wake up early and in a very rainy day prepared for diving. Sounds crazy but this is the miracle of this island. During our way to the south-west it was raining all the time and we were pretty sure that unfortunately our adventure will be canceled due to the weather. Imagine our amusement when we get to the lighthouse of Teno and from the northern part the ocean was crazy and it was raining and from the southern one the water was quiet and the sun was shining. 

So we separated on two groups and as I was from the second one decided to make on circle and enjoy the incredible view. It was great the blue sky with the small clouds and the ocean singing around. Well as my friends know me very well I’m a specialist of falling down and enjoying this view while walking on one wooden bridge made one meter above the rocks I didn’t see one missing plank and fall with both of my legs inside. That screws up the moment for a while but fortunately nothing serious just small scratches enough for a good feeling in the salty ocean water. 

So it came the time for my group going in to the water. First we had to put on the neoprene costumes. Believe me it was hard for the people to put them on when they were dry and now when they were already wet from the first group it seemed impossible. Here came on help our experienced instructor prepared with bottle of soap water which really helps. So the costumes on together with the pretty heavy equipment and after the instructions how to use the bottle we entered in the water. 

You know that I can’t really swim, just a little bit, but enough not to fear from the water. So after we get ok with the breathing from the oxygen bottle we started to try to dive. Yes it was trying for me all the time. First I had a problem with my legs which stiffened due to the big floats on that I’ve never used before. After we dissolved this problem with Laura – my instructor, the problem was that I just couldn’t sink. I told I’m not scared from the water but obviously it wasn’t really like this. 

In the end with a lot of help from Laura I almost touch the bottom of the ocean and saw some really beautiful fish. It was beautiful down there. And even it is hard for me and I have to fight with myself I’m pretty sure that I’ll try again one day.

Movie Night

Last night we went with the girls on movie. I wouldn’t write here for it if it was only this. The fact is that this movie night was epic because we went to see the last part of Twilight in the biggest rain ever and of course as there wasn’t appropriate bus at this time we walk in the rain pretty much and it was really enough only going out to be totally wet.

The reason for our wet cinema night is that Zsofi, Marie and I like this movie and we also read the books, so it was really curious for us to see the last movie. As we like it so much and Iza haven’t seen it during the previous week four of us were staying every night till 1 or 2 to can see all of the other parts together so Iza can share this experience with us.

I really like the last part of the movie and it was so good to share this experience with my friends.

Teambuilding in the mountain

This weekend we were together with the people from AURI, my hosting organization, in one cottage in the mountain in the south part of the island. The view from there was amazing we were seeing Teide from the one side and the cities and beaches and the ocean from the other. Even with the pictures you can’t imagine how beautiful is there during the day and also in the night when all of the lights of the cities are on.

We could stay there and enjoy the view together with the cat of the house – Pancho. He was really caressing and I really enjoy in the evenings when we were making fire in the fire place and staying there just watching the fire and relaxing with Pancho in my lap.

During this teambuilding we played different games by dint of which we learn how to be a real team, to work together and to think always for all of the other people from the team. We learn how to express and explain the mistakes of the other people without hearting their fillings – to be assertive.

Really funny part was that we were cooking together – this was real pleasure for me. On the second day we made bread together so I showed to others what my way of doing it is. Everybody had a really good thing making by them the bread and preparing barbeque. The really new part even for me was that we baked the bread in old oven working with woods – you have to make fire inside for enough time to warm up the stones that is made from and after this put out the fire and put the bread inside to be baked from the heat of the stones.

I enjoyed very much this experience with my team. This weekend we became even closer friends and I’m pretty sure that this will help us a lot for our future work together.

On-arrival training

Last week we were in another town of the island - Candelaria. We were there on our on-arrival training for European volunteers. We were 27 volunteers the one who are on Tenerife and Gran Canaria. It was really great experience to get to know these people and get good friends with them.

I didn’t really expect that there are so many EVS volunteers on the two islands. Of course almost half of them were Germans, as I already told you here on the Canary Islands there are a lot. It was surprise for me that there were so many Polish people. There are also a lot of other nations such as Armenia, Russia, Greece, Slovakia, etc.

The training was really useful not only to make so many new friends, but also to have some really useful tips for my voluntary experience. I’m waiting forward to meet again all of my new friends again.

Tarta de tres chocolates

Ok so the cake – the preparation was easy and pretty fast just hour and maybe a little bit and after this whole night in the fridge of course. During the preparation we have had so much fun with Saray it was wonderful. Yes we are such a good tandem with her so we will cook more in the next 7 months.

As it was decided the cake was a surprise for Zsofi’s parents so we wrote on it WELCOME in Hungarian. It looks pretty nice as I’m totally not good in the drawing. But you can see it by yourself.

 When we showed them the welcome surprise they were really flattered. They are so nice people I’m happy that we made this for them. They were in home when we came back from the office and the warm very delicious lunch was waiting for us. And in the afternoon Zsofi’s mom made for amazing dinner. To can say thank you we prepared for them traditional canary soup for good buy this evening. Unfortunately they have to go tomorrow but we were so happy with them even only two days.

And the cake yami – I just can’t describe how delicious is it. Everybody is in love with it. Thank you Saray that you showed me the recipe of the three chocolate cake and made the welcome surprise so special.

My tandem day

So this morning I wake up early as I had meeting with my language tandem Saray in Santa Cruz at 10:30. Yes 8:30 in Sunday is early. So I went on the tram station but unfortunately there was 20 min till the tram which makes me late and I decided to go and catch the bus – yes 20 min more. And after waiting for transport 40 min which I could sleep I was in Santa Cruz only 7 min later.

Together with Saray went on the Sunday’s street sells in Santa Cruz. It was really funny – so many thing to talk about and explain in English and Spanish. Saray want to improve here English and I my Spanish. So couple of times we are just walking around some shops and I’m showing like a child the things and she is telling me in Spanish and me in English if she doesn’t know it. So the Sunday’s Mercado was really useful and funny with so many stuffs and of course we bought something.

When we were on the station she asked me what I’ll do in the afternoon. I said that we want to make a welcome cake for the parents of Zsofi, who are coming tomorrow. Than we decided that it’s a perfect opportunity to show me the recipe for the Three Chocolate Cake she have tell me about. So we went back and bought everything needed for the cake and Saray invited me in her home for lunch as her mom cooked typical Canarian dish today. I accepted and we went.

Saray’s parents are amazing people, so nice and warm. I also really liked her house its yellow. And here room full with butterflies, so beautiful. And the lunch was more than marvelous. It was ribs with corn and potatoes and everything with mojo souse. It was so delicious that I ate too much, now I’m having a rest before the preparation of the cake. Saray’s parents started to propose me different kind of deserts, but I was so full that I just had to decline them no matter how not polite it was. I’m feeling really guilty but they understood. This very nice people invited me to go again.

So now we are starting to make the “Tarta de tres chocolates”. I’ll share tomorrow how it was.

Online Party

This weekend is again 4 days. As 1st of November is Thursday and festival all of the people are skipping Friday and making bridge. Marie and Tanja went on Gran Canaria and Zsofi went to South part of Tenerife to welcome her parents who came in Friday. So Iza and me are in home alone. We spent such a great time together – just relaxing, having time for skipping with family and friends and so on.

But the greatest part was tonight. My Spanish group had a party in one of the guys for his Name day last week. We made an appointment and they call me on Skype. They switch on the camera and put the microphone on the middle of the table so I could hear all of them. It was so great just like I was, well actually I was on the party, but online. The feeling was incredible.

You know I’m here already two months and really missed this people, my friends from the Spanish course. We have been on courses three times per week three hours for two years and a half. We became so close friends that after the end of the last level of the course we continued to see each other every week. So yes I really missed them and it was astonishing that we are living in 21 century I could be on the party with them.

Now I'm waiting forward for them to come and visit me here and to go together on Teide.

Thank you for this incredible night my friends. I love you all.

Halloween

Hola,

Yesterday was Halloween and I organized together with all of the AURI people great party. You know this was my first Halloween, as we are not celebrated it in Bulgaria – it is Catholic festival and not Orthodox. Yes of course lately most of the bars are doing themed party this evening, as most of the commercial festivals nowadays.

Together with my flat mates made a themed make-up with spider webs and spiders and all of us were with black clothes. It was really funny because we prepared for the party couple of days before trying different types of make-up and so on.

On our Horror night party came people with such a great costumes that I couldn’t recognize them – real zombies, vampires and all kind of undead creatures. I was amazed. I just walk around and enjoyed the view. I’m so sorry that I couldn’t take photos with all of them. Well here you can see some of the photos I did. Thank you for the great party guys.

My first Banitsa on Tenerife

In Sunday the day after the adventure with the canoe kayak I woke up in the afternoon and I decided to fulfill my promise to the girls and make Banitsa. This is traditional Bulgarian food may be one of the most traditional and Bulgarian one. Or at least it is one of my favorite one.

It was kind of hard to do it because here I don’t have rolling pin whit which I would make it better, but I worked with what I had. So instead of rolling pin I used bottle of beer – here there is 1 liter beer in glass bottle. But this was only half decision so for the other part to make enough thin the pastry I drawled it. This is another technology to make Banitsa but I’ve never tried it before.

Well it was pretty successful. The girls really l liked the Banitsa but not me. I’m really missing the Bulgarian white cheese and yogurt. If somebody wants to send me present for my birthday you already know what I’m dreaming for.

Kayak

As I told you last time yesterday we were on sea canoe kayak around los Gigantes. The day was more than amazing – full with adrenaline, marvelous view and funny moments with great people. But let start from the beginning.

So we went in the morning and as we were 30 people we made two groups each of which had two hours and a half in the ocean with the canoes. Zsofi went with first group and I stayed on one very beautiful beach to wait with the second group. We had time to take some sun and swimming. As talking for the swimming you have to know that I totally can’t do it. In Bulgarian we have the expression “swim like nail in yogurt”- this definitely is my case.

So the flag on the beach was yellow which means that you have to be very careful, but I decided to enter and enjoy the big waves like jumping on it as I am 10 years old. It was really fun till the moment two big waves one after another turned me and drag me on the sandy button. It was not only kind of scary but salty too. Anyway I had some sun and after this came time for the really great part the canoe.

We went there in double canoes. As the group was with more girls I was with another girl in one boat who can’t swim as me. The facilitators told us that if we feel dizzy we just have to jump in the water and after this continue. Yes you definitely need strong hands for this sport it is not so easy.

We went in the middle enjoying from one side the los Gigantes and from the other La Gomera. Really one of the most magnificent views I’ve ever seen. So we stop there and jump in the water for a rest. Everybody were in the water, I was with life jacket so I jumped too. The water was great but my life jacket was kind of too big for me, so I had to hold it all the time not to sink. It was great but came the time that I had to go back on the canoe – mission impossible. I didn’t have enough power in my hands to pull myself out of the water. One of the guys tried to help me but the life jacket hindered so I had to put it down. Yes without life jacket I didn’t let the canoe from my hands. The guy helped me and I was safe back on the boat. I put the jacket again and decided not to go back in the ocean till we are not back on the coast. Otherwise the group had to wait for me again.

We continued and everything was great till the next stop. Everybody was in the water except me and the girl on my canoe. We were enjoying the sun and the amazing view when one of the other girl decided to turn upside-down our canoe. I couldn’t jump and stayed under it. It was scariest than the wave, because it was really hard to go out, but after, for me really much time, I could show my at least my head above the water. The problem was that my life jacket was hanged for one of the belts of the canoe and no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t go out of it.

Everything went in the end one of the guys released me and turn the boat. As I already was in the water “swim” a little bit – till stop shaking, and start again the drama with going back to the canoe. This time it was faster – I put down the jacket and almost without help went up to the canoe.

Our day was really amazing and funny – maybe for the others more than for me but I wouldn’t change anything even if I could. Yes it was really exhausting – today I slept almost whole day. I’m really happy that I had this experience it was really amazing to see and feel this.

One great week/end !!!

Hello friends,

I didn’t write you soon and not because I don’t have what to share, but because I don’t have time to write it. So really shortly:

Already last weekend was amazing – it started for me in Thursday with hiking around La Laguna and planning new projects. The same day I had the opportunity to go to the 2nd Feria for crafts from three continents. Everything was amazing there were represented Europe, Africa and Latin America. If I start with this I won’t finish soon so I’ll just tell that it was wonderful. There in one of the stands of Peru the guy started to explain me about the marvelous handmade pumpkins and after this we continued to talk around half an hour. Just like we are old friends we were talking about absolutely everything. He was so nice and made me a present. This pumpkin with drown owl on it. He wrote my name and told that it is for good luck. It was so inspiring experience.

Next day we went with AURI for hiking in Masca, it’s more than magnificent you just have to see it by yourself. There we helped voluntary to one eco organization to clean one plant which is killing the others – Rabo de gato. We finished on one beach and after having rest there we continued with a boat around Los Gigantes. I was so amazed and happy that even I didn’t take picture as I didn’t want to miss a second from this view.

In Saturday we went in Loro Parque. What can I say… There was dolphin show, orca show, sea lion show, parrot show and a lot more animals. I was literally crying from happiness. I really don’t know word in any language to express myself.

In Sunday we went on a tour around Tenerife with friends. 7 girls and a different views it was more than a party. And yes I really like the Island.

It was great that in Monday we have had a free day. We slept till 10 and for lunch we had guest for which the girls made a pancakes. It was one of the guys the girls get to know in our Maska hiking. Really nice boy from Chile who is making here his PhD. The great surprise for me was that he is a really good guitar player and singer. So we have had lunch with program. We had one more amazing day.

Next day we worked and it was even funnier because the girls from the playgrounds are helping us as there is a strike in the playground – they didn’t receive salaries for 6-7 months. Here everywhere there are strikes – in the university too. The situation is very bad economically. But our week was great.

In Tuesday I was on my first guitar class and it was great. Soon I’ll be very good. So the week passed again too fast to can feel it and tomorrow we are going to kayak around the Los Gigantes.

I know that this story don’t seems real and even I wouldn’t believe if I wasn’t the person to who is happening!

My guitar

I already have a GUITAR!!!

You know it is my dream to learn playing a guitar, but till now I didn’t have. So when I came here in the paradise I decided that there is nothing impossible and I will make this dream come true. So I started to search for a guitar second hand. It is cheap and good for very beginners and as I can’t bring it back home it is pointless to buy a new one. I checked all of the music shops and second hand shops in the region but everything there was too expensive for me. That’s why I started to search in internet. I found one good offer but due to the business I had to wait till tomorrow to go in another part of the Island to can get this guitar.

Yesterday we had a hiking programme which finished on the beach – amazing, but I will tell you in another post. So on this activity came one of the new volunteers of AURI. We sit together in the bus going to the mountain and talking for many different things. It came out that she is our neighbor. And before we go out of the bus I said that I’m going to buy a second hand guitar because I really want to learn it. And this girl, this angel who is leaving here in the paradise, my new best friend Paula, said that she has a guitar that is not using and can lend it to me till I’m here.

Can you believe it? I couldn’t! Two days before I go to buy the guitar that I’m dreaming for she just appeared and lend me hers. I still can’t believe how lucky I am. I’m starting to think that I’m born under lucky star! If this is a dream I really don’t want to wake up!

This evening Paula gave me the guitar! I can’t express with words how happy I am. I feel I can fly. So of course I already started to learn – after one hour tuning the guitar (pour neighbors) and some training I already can play one very small part of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ song.

The greatest thing is that my sweet girls see how happy I am and stoically endure my strumming. Thank you girls – I love you so much!