Train or Be Trained Vs Eat or Be Eaten

Back to the scene of the crime!

I have returned, 2 weeks hence, to where it all took place, that is, Hotel Finlandia, Pamporovo, Rodope mountains, Bulgaria. Very serious it was, and dangerous too, as lots of people had observed the deed – indeed, many partook in it (which means, of course, they could be considered as parties in crime). I may or may not get away with this. So, what else to do than revisit the scene and repeat the crime?

In other words, this weekend I am again giving training to staff at Plovdiv Medical University on health prevention measures for and with Roma.

And all the while, after months without any rain in northern Greece, we have been informed that hordes of hungry brown bears have trekked north of the border with Greece and are apparently/possibly lurking in the forest just outside the hotel. We are advised to stay indoors or else a different type of crime may occur. 

Life is predictable, unavoidable, and (sometimes) dichotomized: teach/train, be taught/trained, and eat/be eaten ...

Lars T. Soeftestad

Notes
^1/  This article is adapted from a note published on my personal Facebook page on 27 August 2016.
^2/  The article is a commentary on training I was involved in as part of a project implemented by Medical University Plovdiv in Bulgaria, with funding from EEA and Norway Grants. One of my tasks as a partner was to give training to medical staff at the university on Roma culture, values, and social organization.
^3/  Image credit: unknown. About: shows the location of Hotel Finlandia. 
^4/  Relevant Devblog articles: "Devblog: on Roma" at: https://www.devblog.no/en/article/devblog-roma  |  "Roma and health awareness 2" at: https://devblog.no/en/article/roma-and-health-awareness-2  |  "Roma and health wareness 1" at: https://devblog.no/en/article/roma-and-health-awareness-1
^5/  Further relevant Devblog articles: "EEA and Norway Grants: Evaluation of Own Projects" (to be published)  |  "EEA and Norway Grants: my project portfolio" at: https://www.devblog.no/en/article/eea-and-norway-grants-my-project-portfolio  |  "EEA and Norway Grants and evaluation" at: https://www.devblog.no/en/article/eea-and-norway-grants-and-evaluation  |  "EEA and Norway Grants: donor country partners" at: https://www.devblog.no/en/article/eea-and-norway-grants-donor-country-partners  |  "Poland and Norway: transparency and trust" at: https://www.devblog.no/en/article/poland-and-norway-transparency-and-trust  |  "Bulgaria: Roma in the penitentiary system" at: https://devblog.no/en/article/bulgaria-roma-penitentiary-system  |  "Ethnographic film and advocacy" at: https://devblog.no/en/article/ethnographic-film-and-advocacy  |  "Anthropology and development cooperation" at: https://www.devblog.no/en/article/anthropology-and-development-cooperation  |  "Ethnographic film and advocacy" at: https://devblog.no/en/article/ethnographic-film-and-advocacy  |  "Anthropology and development cooperation" at: https://www.devblog.no/en/article/anthropology-and-development-cooperation
^6/  Permalink. URL: https://devblog.no/en/article/train-or-be-trained-vs-eat-or-be-eaten
^7/  This article was published 28 August 2016. It was revised 21 February 2023.