Today was our first day of school!

First days of school in Bulgaria are a celebration rather than actual school. As such, I am super happy that we didn't have any rain today. This is because ather than meeting my new students and teaching class as we would at school in the States, we met our advisees, welcomed the newest class of 8th graders (or preps as we like to call them), took a whole school picture, played some games, talked about the new school year and then had an awards ceremony.
<a title="All school picture by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7996623879/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8462/7996623879_227afc2126_z.jpg" alt="All school picture" width="640" height="480" /></a>
It was an exciting day. I joined a new block at school. Good-bye Golden Lions, hello Flaming Tigers. I'm sad to leave Golden Lions but we've done some re-shuffling to make the advising program at school more successful and more focused so I'm in a new block and I'm an 11th grade advisor now and I get to wear a bright orange tshirt rather than a bright yellow one and I have to say our block looks pretty sharp in orange.
<a title="My new block: Flaming Tigers by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7996634072/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8042/7996634072_ee0f96a741_z.jpg" alt="My new block: Flaming Tigers" width="640" height="480" /></a>
There's nothing quite like the enthusiasm of 700+ teenagers to get you excited about school.

The day ended at 12 noon when students got to see the class lists. Some students hung around for lunch but most headed home. I ate lunch slowly and then got my handouts and things together for classes tomorrow.

Tomorrow we actually have class--at 8:15am.

And, wow. That seems early. Especially early given the fact that I've had two whole months of summer vacation and my sleep cycle adjusted accordingly.

This said, I'm looking forward to meeting my students and getting the school year started.
<a title="Me at school on the first day by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7996635182/"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8030/7996635182_ee6873baa5_z.jpg" alt="Me at school on the first day" width="640" height="480" /></a>
I'll close with this, here I am sitting next to the sign which marks the beginning of our campus: The American College of Sofia. I'm next to the E in college. Normally I have someone else take my picture on the first day of school by the sign but I forgot until I was walking out this afternoon at 4pm so I did a quick self-portrait.

Traditions are traditions after all.