Working Abroad: Romania & Bulgaria

If you come from my side of the world (i.e the South Pacific) then you would be forgiven if you needed to look up a map to find out where Romania and Bulgaria were. That's what I did when I found out I was headed for Bucharest, Romania and Sofia, Bulgaria for my latest assignment.

A map of Southern Europe

My first stop was in Bucharest. What did I know about Bucharest before I landed there? Try nothing at all! I should have done a little research about the place because the history of the city is quite impressive.

Remodeled in the late 19th century by French and French-trained architects, the city features large neoclassical buildings, fashionable parks, and even its very own Arc de Triomphe on the elegant Soseaua Kiseleff, an avenue longer than the famed Champs-Elysees and home to the city's mansion district.

Bucharest is laden with historical charm - from the streets of the Old City Centre, which are slowly being restored, to the grand architecture of the Royal Palace and the lush green of Cismigiu Park. The city also claims a large number of museums, art galleries, exquisite Orthodox churches and unique architectural sites.

Nicolae Ceausescu's legacy, including the Parliament Palace (formerly called the People's Palace), which at 3.76 million square feet stands as the world's second largest building after the U.S. Pentagon, provides an interesting introduction to the dictator's megalomaniac vision.

The Arc de Triomphe in Bucharest, Romania

Apparently Bucharest is also known as Little Paris for the many tree lined boulevards and French inspired buildings. We drove past the Arc on our to and from the airport and it was pretty impressive.

The view of Bucharest from my hotel room

I didn't get to see much of the city while I was there, which was a pity because I doubt if I will ever have the chance to see it again.

Downtown Sofia, Bulgaria

After spending 2 weeks in Romania, my colleague Jim and I headed for Sofia, Bulgaria. Sofia was founded over 7000 years ago and is littered with ancient ruins that go back to Roman times and beyond. I had a chance to walk around the city and see some of these ancient walls that existed during the time of Christ.

The Church of St. George, dating back to 4th century

The Church of St George is an Early Christian red brick rotunda that is considered the oldest building in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria. It is situated behind the Sheraton Hotel, amid remains of the ancient town of Serdica.

Built by the Romans in the 4th century CE, it is mainly famous for the 12th-14th century frescoes inside the central dome. Three layers of frescoes have been discovered, the earliest dating back to the 10th century. Magnificent frescoes of 22 prophets over 2 metres tall crown the dome. Painted over during the Ottoman period, when the building was used as a mosque, these frescoes were only uncovered in the 20th century.

I head home tomorrow via Frankfurt. I can't wait to be reunited with Maddy and Rach, it's been too long. After a few days rest we intend on hitting the road for a 7-day road trip that will lead us through Philadelphia, NYC, Niagara Falls and Pittsburgh.

Working Abroad: Morocco

My job with the US Peace Corps involves a lot of travel. Too much travel if you ask me but it is interesting work. I get to meet our overseas staff, work with counterparts and see places I would have never otherwise seen.

Waiting for a taxi in Rabat, Morocco

Morocco marks the first of many work related trips this year. After Morocco, I will be going to Albania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Romania, China and Mongolia. This is going to wreak havoc on my bowling game, which is in bad enough shape as it is.

Server training with Azeddine, the local IT Specialist

Morocco is one of our biggest posts in the region, boasting 42 staff members and over 270 Volunteers. My job involves 'refreshing' or migrating the old computer system to a new system over a 2 week period which includes training staff, the local IT Specialists and mentoring colleagues.

Team dinner with the Country Director (far left), PCMO (2nd from left), AO (middle)

This trip was unique in that we were a contingent of five instead of the usual team of two. Normally I'd say that five was three too many but the new system we deployed is still in its infancy stage and needed a lot of extra work. I hope it improves significantly before we push it out to the rest of the region or I will lose a lot of hair this year.

Peace Corps Morocco office turtle

One of the cool things about the Morocco office is that they have 2 turtles roaming the compound. This is a photo of the larger of the 2 turtles.

The blue Petite taxis of Rabat

Each morning and evening is an adventure in the form of a ride in Rabat's blue Petite taxis. Not only are these taxis small as their name suggests but I swear these drivers have death wishes. I've had more near death experiences in 2 weeks than I've had in a lifetime. I'm exaggerating a little bit but you get the picture. And I thought DC drivers were bad!

Training the backup IT Specialists

This trip is almost at an end, I'm scheduled to return home in a few days. Whoever came up the phrase, "There's no place like home" knew what he or she was talking about. I can't wait to see Rach and Maddy again. I better do some shopping soon, returning home empty handed won't go down too well with my 7 year old.