We spent a full day installing solar panels, which will be used to collect light energy from the sun and convert it through a very fascinating process to produce electrical energy!
As far as alternative energy goes, solar energy is my favorite! I dig the scientific process of a light ray knocking off an electron from a silicone molecule, time and again, to produce a flow of electrons - which is electricity! It's fantastic! It's simple! And it's technology that's 50 years old or older! Unfortunately, this alternative energy is also the most polluting. That sounds shocking, but the truth is that the processes needed produce the silicone, solar cells is dependant on many toxic chemicals. Bummer! But in the end, you have a product that is inert to the environment and will produce "clean" electrical energy for many years!In Bulgaria, electricity costs around 6.4 cents per kilowatt hour (according to today's exchange rates). However, European law dictates (in Bulgaria) that if you hook up solar panels from your home and introduce the electricity produced back into the grid, the electric company is bound by law to buy the electricity from you at 69.6 cents per kWh! It's a fantastic deal for the homeowner! Word on the street is that this is done to stimulate alternative energy production in Bulgaria. I personally feel that the law will change once the government finds out about it.
I was a little bit bummed that the energy harnessed from this process was simply going to be sold back into the system rather than used at the home which holds them up. But realistically, I can see the economic incentive in what this project is about. Plus, when I rationalize that every kWh produced by these solar cells is one less kWh needed from hydroelectric or nuclear energy production, well, I feel mighty fine about the idea.The idea of this project, which was written by PECSD, is to educate a small community that has never seen solar panels about different kinds of energy sources. In addition to that, the project is a test to see if a small, poor community can find it financially feasible to purchase and operate this kind of system. (The difference being that this is traditionally a system that one would find in the states, or Germany, where people have money and motivation to invest in such things.)
For a full day, we were installing these eight photovoltaic modules, and then the rest of the weekend was allowed to happen!
In case you were wondering, the Orthodox Easter is celebrated near a month after the Catholic Easter. I, being without religion, don't really care about the significance of this. I was simply excited to partake in some kind of local, traditional festivities!The celebration started with the whole family gathering around the table. Each of us selected a hardboiled egg that had been painted that morning. We then smashed our eggs together with the people sitting at the table to see who had the strongest egg. Iliyan kept saying it was a contest for the kids, but I could see that he dearly wanted to have the strongest egg. There's no prize, but glory, and he was going for it! Unfortunately, he lost to a six-year-old girl named Blagovesta. Better luck next year, Iliyan! Next came the food!
We started with what appeared at the time to be an unending salad. Granddad was on one end of the table complaining that he can't eat salad on account of not having any teeth. The rest of the family yelled at him to just eat and pointed out that he does have teeth. Bulgarian family dynamics are quite different than in the states. Kids live at home until they're married. And sometimes, they still live at home even after they're married. The bonds between siblings and parents are much stronger than what I've observed in the states, but at the same time, it could appear to an outsider (me) that there's a complete lack of respect for one another. The situation can look like it changes on a dime, but in fact there is a deep respect for family members here. Any one of the kids would jump to be first to donate a liver to the drunken uncle - if only it were possible.After the salad came a huge selection of meats to go along with the wine, which I forgot to mention that we were already drinking even before the salads came. The main course was a sort of rabbit stew that was amazing! I gorged myself properly but eventually found my limit. I finally stopped eating to the sound of, "Hey, why aren't you eating anymore? You're too skinny."
We passed the rest of the time laughing and joking and eating desert! Easter desert is a sweet bread called, 'Kozunak' and it's quite nice. We also spent a bunch of time talking about American politics. Of course, their news covers our elections, so they know exactly what's going on. The issue is, they don't understand any of it. I have to say, I'm in a bit of the same boat. I keep getting the question: "So who's gonna be the next president? The black man, or the white woman?" I've started telling people McCain. They love talking about American politics with an American, but alas it was time for me to go. My train was waiting for me at the station so I had to hit the road. I received some very pleasant goodbyes, and a bag of food that will probably last me a week! Iliyan's father walked me out to the street and with a tear in his eye, told me that I was his boy. It took me completely by surprise, as he's not the emotional type. Not even after all that wine. I gave him a hug and promised to return. And I will.
I left their home and headed for the train station, still drunk. Over the three day weekend, I had eaten more than I had in the full previous week! I forced food down, beyond what I thought was my limit. The food was absolutely delicious and my glass of wine was never less than half full!
My time in Bulgaria has been GREAT! It's like I never left! I love being here, and I love what I do when I am here! I got to help with the paper recycling campaign. I got to help with the biodiesel project that I started. I got to clean the beach. I got to install super solar cells! And I got to translate a whole bunch of documents and emails! I bonded with people who I see more as my family than as friends! Man, and I even got an amazing Easter dinner! It's hard to leave a place, and a feeling like this. But knowing that I'll be back someday makes it a bit easier to pack my bag. Plus I'm running out of time, and I already ran out of money... =)
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