Grinnellians Share Their Culture and Stories with “Middle of Everywhere” Series
As people trickle into the Global Living Room on a warm Friday afternoon, chatters around the room grow louder and louder. Little flags, representing over 100 countries in the world, are displayed alongside the edge of a wall; on the side, off-campus study posters and pictures of beautiful, international landscapes hang for all to see. Community members, staff, and Grinnellians settle into the comfortable red couches and chairs, right in front of the television screen that reads…
“Why Travel Guides Don’t Work in Bulgaria.”
As Ivan Marev ’28 kicks off his presentation with the title, the room erupts with laughter. Marev, along with fellow presenters Misho Palmov ’27 and Emily Milenova ’27, is part of over 15 students who will present on their home countries this semester. The series, known as the “Middle of Everywhere,” is a student favorite that invites people to immerse in a new country and culture.
“To me,” shares Palmov, “Bulgaria is home. But not only in the sense that it is where I come from. Bulgaria is a place that makes me feel at peace, where the sights never grow dull, and where I always find something new and exciting.”
The series began in October 2021, after Meghna Adhikari ’24 expressed to the Office of International Student Affairs (OISA) that she had an interest in listening to fellow Grinnellians discuss their cultures and experiences.
Bulgaria: Presenting Traditions, Natural Beauty, and Selfies
Throughout their half-hour presentation, Milenova, Palmov, and Marev covered many different aspects of Bulgaria (along with some hilarious jokes), including cultural landmarks, “spectacular” mountains, and common debates about which Bulgarian foods are best. Palmov even shared his experience of helping to dig potatoes out over the summer. “You get to pick vegetables you never knew existed,” he remarked.
Milenova also talked a bit about the prominence of dance culture in Bulgaria, introducing rachenitsa and kukeri. In Bulgaria, rachenitsa is a traditional dance performed on multiple occasions, while kukeri is a festival during the winter meant to get rid of evil spirits.
“If I need to describe one thing Bulgarians love, it’s dancing,” adds Marev. “We have dances for every occasion – childbirth, weddings, new buildings, heartbreaks…for anything you can imagine.”
Milenova continued with mouthwatering images of Bulgaria’s delicious and common foods, like shopska salad, kebapche, and tarator (which Marev adds is a great debate of whether it is Greek or Bulgarian). With each new aspect of Bulgarian culture, the student presenters were met with great attentiveness, giggles, and excited murmurs from the audience.
“Our goal was to showcase the different sides of Bulgaria and why it is best to let yourself wander and allow for Bulgaria to surprise you,” says Marev. “I wanted to make our presentation of Bulgaria memorable, especially as a small country with a rich history and culture.”
To wrap up the presentation, Palmov left the audience with a few remarks.
“So why do tour guides not work in Bulgaria?” he asks the audience. “[Bulgaria] is just somewhere you have to experience for yourself. It’s a mixture of different cuisines, music, and dances…with a history filled with kingdoms and communism. There’s a little bit of everything.”
A Taste of Home
A presentation about a beautiful country can never be complete without a literal taste of the culture’s cuisine.
This time, David Stanley (the Global Kitchen Culinary Coordinator), Lilli Moorish ’25 (the Global Kitchen Peer Mentor), and the student presenters collaborated to make banitsa, a traditional Bulgarian pastry. This way, the audience was able to taste a slice of Bulgaria at the end of the presentation – and come back for seconds!
According to Emily Perry, the assistant director of International Student Programs, the Global Kitchen has been “an invaluable partner” to the “Middle of Everywhere” since early 2022. With the help of the presenters, the Global Kitchen incorporates a small snack at the end of presentations to “offer an opportunity for attendees to engage in the session topic in a new way.”
“Working in the Global Kitchen was like having a slice of home,” says Palmov. “It felt so right and pleasant to prepare a dish, which I associate with the perfect start of the day!”
With the growing popularity of the “Middle of Everywhere,” Perry hopes it will encourage everyone to learn more about those around them – and delve into their unique stories. So far, the “Middle of Everywhere” has seen an array of different topics.
“Themes range from the fun and quirky topics, like ‘Milk in Japan’ or ‘Birds of Honduras,’” says Perry, “to the deep cultural values that center important holidays, like ‘Eid around the World’ or ‘Mid-Autumn Festival.’ We hope the speakers find joy in sharing a bit of home with their friends. And we hope the audience learns something new every week.”
Grinnellians are always amidst people from around the world – and they just so happened to meet in the middle.
About the “Middle of Everywhere” Series
The rest of the semester will bring other “Middle of Everywhere” presentations with the help of OISA staff and student liaison Jun Hee Lee ’27. Presentation topics will include Uganda, Southern India, Thailand, and Vietnam. The series’ presentations for the Fall 2024 semester are on Fridays at 4 p.m. in the HSSC Global Living Room.
International students interested in hosting a “Middle of Everywhere” presentation” can learn more through the “FYI from the OISA” weekly newsletter (sent to international students). Grinnellians are invited to complete the “Middle of Everywhere” interest form or email Emily Perry with their interest. Dates and topics are also posted on OISA’s Instagram, @grinnelloisa.
