Merry Christmas!

Wishing you Happy Holidays!

A Sad Day

Yesterday, Libya sentenced the five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor to death for the second time. The news spread like wildfire and caused outrage among politicians, the media, and ordinary people alike. It was the only thing I heard anyone talking about yesterday. Everyone I know condemns the sentence.

You can read more about what BBC News has to say here and here. Also, here are some reactions from various politicians and organizations, an article in Dnevnik, CNN's coverage, and an interesting interpretation of what could be done in the future to put more pressure on Libya from fellow blogger Metodi (not sure how true some of the things mentioned are, but thought it might be an interesting read anyway). (Just a note that the latter and the Dnevnik article are in Bulgarian; unfortunately, there are no English versions.)

My stand is that the sentence is unfair and that it is high time these people be freed. However, I am also appalled by how much hatred has gathered (and continues to gather) on part of Bulgarians vis-a-vis Arabs in general. I have heard people commenting about the "dirty Arabs" etc. (I will spare you the details); even some friends have projected what is happening in Libya on Arabs in general... That, I don't agree with.

The Amazing Beloslava

On Sunday--thanks to a colleague of mine who managed to get me a pass at the last minute--I saw Beloslava at her sold out concert in the National Theatre. She put on a really good show. Programata had described the upcoming event with much euphoria and defined it as an acoustic chill-out, and Beloslava (and her musicians) definitely lived up to those expectations. (Apologies to non-Bulgarian readers, as the English version of the description is not quite as colorful as the Bulgarian one.) The thing I like best about her, apart from her beautiful voice, is her down-to-earthedness and genuineness on the stage. She is like your best friend. And this time she was a really sexy best friend, dressed in an elegant black dress. I felt like the National Theatre really was the best place she could have held her concert, because although quite large, it still has that cozy, elegant, and ornate feel to it that Hall 1 in NDK (the National Palace of Culture) lacks and which is very fitting for her style. Switching between her English and Bulgarian repertoire, the second encore of the concert ended with a terrific cover of Mas Que Nada. I left the National Theatre feeling at peace with the world... and even the wait for the bus home could not ruin that for me. I really wish more artists or public figures like her existed.

Returnees Anonymous Synopsis

Some of you heard me talking about a "Returnees Anonymous" meeting. The point of it in short was to bring together (in an informal way) people who have returned to Bulgaria after a long stay abroad. Well, it took place on Saturday and it was absolutely terrific! I had a really good time and met some really cool people (formerly residing in the US or Japan). Thanks Petya, Kris, Vessela, Emma, Ani, Doriana, Sergei, Niki, Elena, Kyle for the great time! You can read more about the whole venture and view pictures here and here. (Read the postscript for link to more pics.)

Postal Space

I have put off writing about this "story" for a long time. But since the stories have now doubled, I have decided the pattern is way too "good" for me not to capture here. The stories don't really have anything to do with Bulgaria. Except perhaps to reassure me that the Bulgarian post is not the only one that can't be trusted.

Story #1: Before leaving the U.S. (on 10 Sept.), I shipped a box to my parents (who live in Belgium) thinking that it is safer and more secure to ship to Belgium than to Bulgaria. Well, what ensued, convinced me otherwise. I had shipped the box airmail; more that 2 weeks passed and nothing. The box had not arrived. We were wondering what was taking so long... after about a month, a friend actually had the brilliant idea that I could track the package online... I didn't know this, since I hadn't registered it or requested a return receipt or anything. But one could do it by the number of the customs form. After tracking it, it turned out that delivery of the package had already been attempted twice. HOWEVER, both times the post people had not felt it necessary to leave a slip notifying my parents of this fact (given that this happened during the day and they were both at work). So, we didn't even think delivery had been attempted given that previously they had always left a slip. Well, my dad goes to the post office in search of the package, only to be told that the package has already been sent back to the sender in the U.S. Thank god, I had written a friend's address as the sender's address... but as of today, I am still awaiting news of the package. So, how hopeful should I be? Could it have sunk somewhere in the Atlantic during the long journey home??

Story #2: A friend of mine is coming back to Bulgaria from the U.S. for the holidays and I conveniently decided to do some internet shopping, ship items to her and have her bring them to me. All worked well, until the last package arrived last week. Turned out that it was sent via registered mail, and not only that, the merchant had written my name on the package along with my friend's address (instead of her name, as I had requested). So, the postal people refused to release the package to her. I wrote letters of authorization, sent her a copy of my ID, called the post myself, had her fight with them several times.... In the end, they agreed to deliver the package this Saturday. I breathed a sigh of relief. HOWEVER, the day before yesterday my friend e-mails me and tells me that the post people called her and told her that somehow... inadvertently... a colleague of theirs had already mailed the package back to the sender (WTF???) How that is possible is beyond me, since normally in the U.S. the postal service has to attempt delivery 3 times before sending something back to the sender. But, those are the facts. Now "all" I have to do is request a refund from the merchant. Let's see how that goes.

Anyone starting to spot that pattern between story #1 and #2?

Как бе, маме?

I was in the bus on my way to work this morning when the woman sitting next to me asked me where street Shipchenski Prohod is and whether she can get there from Hotel Pliska. I am very familiar with the street so I explained to her how to get there. She wasn't convinced, however. I proceeded to name landmarks, bus and tram routes, anything that she might recognize. Seriously, I basically drew her a (mental) step-by-step map of how to get to the exact location she was aiming for. Still, she wasn't convinced. I felt like I was in some sort of movie. Here I am trying to help an old lady get to the place she wanted to go, and not only was she not showing gratitude, she was even telling me I was wrong! My last attempt was to tell her she can simply take Tram No. 20 and get off when she sees the place she was looking for. At which she responded, "Как бе, маме? Там не върви трамвай." (which is almost impossible to translate into English, but the gist of it is basically: "What are you talking about, dearie? No tram runs there.")

Some people can be pretty stubborn, don't you think? Judging by the conversation that played out, I guess she didn't really want to reach the place anyway.

Christmas, Christmas

Chrismas decorations have been put up in most places, and Sofia is taking on a pretty festive look. One thing I noticed about a month ago is that at the entrance to the building where my grandmother lives (in the city center) the municipality had posted a notice urging people to put up as many decorations, lights, etc. as possible to make our entry into the EU really light-filled and festive! A good idea, except I don't think most people will be concerned about how decorated their apartments, buildings, streets are... still, find it interesting that somebody thought to suggest this, put it down on paper, and even distributed it to various locations.

Aside from this, I really do like the city center at night, as I have mentioned on previous occasions. I have promised myself that I will take my camera one day and take pictures of Sofia By Night :)

Oh, one other funny thing concerning decorations... I have noticed the trend of decorations for marketing/advertising purposes. For example, the lamp posts on one of the main streets in the center are adorned with decorative lights in the shape of the Johnnie Walker logo (what happened to stars and snowflakes??). I also saw a Christmas tree with the logo of Husqvarna hanging in the middle as decoration. Moreso than anywhere else I have realized that these things cost a lot of money, and there is a need for sponsors, and of course, sponsors want to make themselves known somehow. Anyway, just a casual observation, as far as decorations go.

Speaking of Christmas, tonight is our work Christmas party at Бар на Края на Вселената (Bar at the End of the Universe). Should be good. I have actually never been there. Will be sure to report my observations/impressions as always.

Scammed

I always considered myself to be one of those people who is careful about things and could never get scammed. But, oh well, the joke was on me last Friday. The scam wasn't that bad in the end, but it was a scam nevertheless, which made me feel somewhat like an idiot. The short of it is that inadvertently after an evening out with a friend, I got into a cab that actually charged double the rate of other cabs. No, I wasn't drunk. I had had nothing to drink all evening. Just some theatre, dinner, and a lot of good conversation. I guess I could blame it on the fog and the fact that there were few cabs around to take me home. The truth is that I only gave the cab a cursory look-over before jumping in. But, here is the deal. These more expensive cab companies do everything possible to disguise themselves as other "normal" cab companies. One of the biggest cab companies in Sofia is OK Supertrans; well, I had gotten into the cab thinking I was getting into an OK Supertrans cab (after my cursory glance). It turned out to be CK something or rather, but the logo looked strangely similar to the OK cab one. The rate list was also formatted in a way as to confuse someone who doesn't scrutinize these things normally...

So, lessons learned: 1) Always look twice before jumping into a cab, 2) Be especially careful when you are in an area with few cabs, and 3) Don't let an evening out get to your head.

Hooray!

THE FOG HAS LIFTED!!!
Unbelievable... after 8-9 foggy days straight (I live in Drujba, mind you). I woke up and I could actually see things... lights from the other apartment buildings, buildings in the distance. I don't mind fog in general, but it's nice to have clarity every once in a while.

Quote of the Day II

Този път ще си го споделя на български, защото не бих могла да го преведа (и да е все още смешно) на английски. Отидохме на обяд с една колежка, поръчахме си на бармана тъй като сервитьора беше зачезнал някъде. След малко като се появи и си пое пак сервитьорските задължения, дойде при нас с един чифт прибори (въпреки че и двете си бяхме поръчали ядене) и попита с огромна усмивка на лице:
"Коя от двете ще папка?"

Шок, а?

Quote of the Day

From a neighbor whom I often meet at the bus stop, with regards to riding in marshrutka vans in the morning:

"You get squished, stepped on, swung roughly from side to side, suffocated by the driver's cigarette smoke, sweaty from the heat of so many people in an enclosed space, and finally spat out at your stop. You shake yourself off and proceed to work."

Americanisms in Bulgaria

So, what here reminds me of the US?
Some American phenomena have started making their way into Bulgaria and here are some examples (not an all inclusive list, I am sure):

1. Credit cards--Although not quite as widespread as in the US yet, and although most have a very low limit, credit cards are slowly gaining an "in"; at this point, mostly among businesspeople. (I can just picture the debt that most Bulgarians will go into, once credit cards do become more easily obtainable to regular folks... given how set most people are on showing off with the latest and greatest.)

Linked to this: 2. Paying online--You can now purchase concert tickets, do regular shopping, and pay your bills online (with your debit or credit card). I wasn't quite aware that this had gained such momentum since the last time I was here.

3. Onda Coffee Break--Starbucks-style coffee shop chain (there are about 5-6 locations in Sofia) offering about 15 different coffee drinks, brownies, cheese cake, sandwiches, salads, etc. I must say Onda is much more spacious and inviting than Starbucks... although very similar in terms of decor (with a mixture of tables and couches) and background music (although Onda seems to play exclusively Putumayo CDs). I've been only once; it was kind of nice, although I think I still prefer regular BG cafes. Oh, and one last thing--the coffee at Onda is 100 times better than Starbucks' :).

4. Food To Go (and getting it packed)--The concept of ordering food "to go" has also materialized since last I knew... and you can also get it packed at a lot of places, although portions here are usually much smaller than in the US, so most of the time... there is nothing left to pack.

Did someone say globalization?

This happened a few weeks ago now and I kept forgetting to put it down on "paper". One evening, I decided to stop at McDonald's for a quick bite (I didn't have much time and wanted to sit somewhere warm on my way to the theatre). I got my Big Mac and sat down at a corner table. A few minutes into my burger, I overheard a conversation about the environment, the effects of global warming, and the negative impact of globalization. I turned around and saw five old men (over 70) sitting at the table next to mine. I was surprised at first. What were five retirees--who generally don't have money to spend on McDonald's food--doing here? Then I noticed that they didn't have anything on the table in front of them. They had simply found a warm place to sit and debate the current state (or perhaps deterioration) of the environment and to highlight the negative effects of globalization. On the one hand, it was very refreshing to see people engaged in such a discussion. On the other, it struck me as interesting (and also paradoxical) that the place they had chosen for their discussion was McDonald's--a symbol of globalization.

Now I know that I am reading too much into this situation, but just found it interesting. It was as though these men were sitting at the corner pub, but the pub had turned into McDonald's. By the way, there aren't many of the small hole-in-the-wall type of pubs left in Sofia... at least not in the city center. So in a way, it was no wonder they were sitting at McDonald's.

Globalization?

Redemption

I (perhaps like some of you) feel generally intimidated by passport/immigration officials (even Bulgarian ones). Well, since a few days ago that has changed. The reason: Two mornings in a row on my way to work I see two different passport officials sitting in the marshrutka (coming from the airport), falling asleep, affected by traffic jams and general annoyances, just like everyone else... just like me. Somehow that doesn't quite fit the previous image I had in my mind of an all-powerful, generally disagreeable official who only looks for ways to make your entry into the country miserable. I mean, how can you get intimidated by someone who is docilely sitting in a passenger van packed with people and whose foot you can step on at any point in time? :)

Comic Relief on the Way to Work

For all who need a little "mood pick-me-up", I have the following story (happened just this morning).

I am waiting for the bus or marshrutka, whichever comes first. (Under "theater season" in this post is a description of a "marshrutka" for non-Bulgarians who may have missed it.) 15 minutes go by. Nothing. Finally the marshrutka comes and it is already crowded as you can imagine. Well, I decide to get on anyway (I am already late for work... again)... one more person gets in after me. I think to myself, "This has to be it, no more people can fit here." Well, actually "there is always room for more" seems to be the motto of the marshrutka drivers... so we continue, stop again to "welcome" more passengers on board. 2 more get on. On our way again. Another stop. Three more prepared to get on (mind you, no-one has gotten off during this time). Finally, the driver decides to say something to the last person wanting to get on (a woman).

Driver: Шефке, май ще трябва да изчакаш следващата. Тук май няма да можеш да се качиш. (Translation: Boss, I think you will have to wait for the next one. I don't think you will be able to get on here.)
Woman: Е, айде сместете се само да се кача аз и за следващите вече няма. (Translation: Well, can't you squeeze together a little bit, so I can get on, and then we won't let anyone else on.)

So being the accommodating people that we are, we squish together and by some miracle, she manages to get on (well, leaning against the door). We continue. Then the fun part comes. We get stuck in traffic and at some point the driver decides to switch lanes, so he says:

Driver: Шефке, я погледни идва ли нещо от дясно и ако не идва да се престроя. (Translation: Boss, can you look to see whether anyone is approaching in the right lane, and if not, I will switch lanes.)
Woman: Идва един. Ааа, сега не идва. Давай! (Translation: There is one car. Ooook, now there is no-one. You can go!)

By this point, half of us are laughing... We are squeezed in so tight, but, hey, at least we are having fun! :) We have an assistant driver too... and we are all in this together. What camaraderie!

What the woman says next though completely does me in.

Woman: Може ли само малко място да ми направите, така за левия крак. (Translation: Could you just make a little room, just for my left foot.)

So there you have it! Definitely comic relief on the way to work. And I counted 30 people together with the driver.... all in a passenger van!?! Anyone else got funny "commute" stories to share?

A Slightly Complicated Question

Tonight as I was having dinner with my grandmother, she asked me, "Is America an attractive country?"

She caught me slightly unprepared for that question. My first reaction was to say "No." I don't think of the US as an attractive country--yes, there are definitely interesting things to see; the landscape is phenomenal in some parts; and some of the cities are pretty unique (like New York or Chicago, for example). However, I don't know why the word "attractive", in my mind, doesn't quite accurately describe what the US is like. Which led me to another question. What is the US like? How do I describe it to someone who has never been there? A country in which everything is of massive proportions, distances are large, and people very materialistic and individualistic (as well as workaholics), where society at large is pretty conservative, yet claims not to be? That applies, but those descriptions definitely don't do it justice. Make it seem like I don't have a very high opinion of the place where I spent the past 9 years. So, here briefly are a few of the positive things I have found about the US:
1. People are friendly, and although in most cases that is superficial, it still makes your day a whole lot more pleasant than when you are being frowned upon the whole time.
2. You can achieve almost anything you set your mind to. Many people will claim "the land of opportunities" is merely a cliche. I couldn't disagree more.
3. People are open to new ideas and aren't afraid of being different (and of not following the path recommended by society at large)--i.e., traveling the world for a year, joining the Peace Corps, volunteering, etc.

To end this story, I will also tell you something (slightly unrelated) that touched me. My grandmother then told me how when she was young and still living with her parents in their village, "Gone with the Wind" (the book) had become a big hit, and she had asked my grandfather (who was still courting her at that time) to buy it for her from "the city". She read it all in "one breath", as she put it. I don't know what exactly touched me about this story. The fact that she had the opportunity to experience something clearly "American" decades before I made it to the US to study? Or perhaps the fact that this book in particular transcends borders and time to touch the hearts of thousands of people? Or maybe it was the fact that her image of America stems from that book...and she will always view it as "attractive."

All wound up?

Yesterday, as I was making my way to the bus hurrying to make my yoga class (sidenote: I seem to be hurrying to and from everything these days, but that's probably a topic for another discussion), I had a run-in with an angry middle-aged woman. Here is the scenario as it took place and my best attempt to translate the conversation:

Bus arrives at the bus stop at which a HUGE crowd has gathered (as this is one of the main stops in Sofia and close to 20 different buses stop there). I am determined to catch it and start making my way through the crowd of people waiting for other buses (no easy task, because it was REALLY crowded). I near the last door of the bus (there are 4 doors) and seeing that about 10 people are standing next to it waiting to get on, I decide to make my way to the door before it. So, I politely say "excuse me" and try to squeeze by the woman in front of me. She suddenly barks out:
"Stop pushing, will you? You aren't the only one in a hurry." (At which I am completely startled, because I wasn't even pushing and clearly said excuse me, signaling my wish to pass by her. Plus, I had no idea she was even trying to get on the bus.)
Me: "I am sorry, I am not pushing; I am simply trying to get to the other door."
Woman: "Well, I am trying to do the same, so you'll just wait your turn!" (still in that very angry, disdainful voice)
At which I got really pissed off, because until the moment I actually said "excuse me" and wanted to squeeze by, she hadn't budged an inch. And I just couldn't just let that one slide. Who was she to talk to me this way? :) My response in a semi-sarcastic tone, just to see her reaction:
"Well, maybe you should push more actively if you are in a hurry."
Woman: "What disrespect!"
Me: "I am not the one being disrespectful. You are the one who was first rude to me."

Until that moment, she hadn't even turned around to face me, but guess that drew her attention, so she briefly turned around, probably thought I was 19 (like most people seem to) and just mumbled something else about how my parents should have brought me up better.

I thought two things to myself:
1) If this woman thinks I am disrespectful, I don't know how she would refer to the majority of people here who are far ruder and crasser than me at my best forced attempt of trying to be rude?

2) Most people here can be likened to springs that have been wound up too tight. At the slightest touch, they snap.

People-Watching at Some of Its Best

Last night I hit the jackpot in terms of my people-watching hobby. We were at the birthday party of a friend's (Eli's, for those who know her) ex-boss at a tastefully decorated small locale called Bukowski. In addition to enjoying most of the music the DJ was playing, I amused myself by observing some quite interesting scenes throughout the night.

Scene #1: The DJ is playing "I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor. Approximately 10 women are showing their dance moves on the dance floor, while across from them five gentlemen (ages 35-40 approximately) are sitting sullenly on a very low couch, one of them lazily smoking a cigar. What I found most comical about this picture is that the five men were quite big... and the couch seemed, ahem... well, somewhat small for their size. The looks on their faces were priceless. Wish I had had a camera on me to capture the picture.

Scene #2: While talking to a couple of friends, my attention gets directed to a skinny, short woman next to the bar, who I notice is lighting the BIGGEST (I am not exaggerating here) cigar I have seen in my life. The masculinity of the gesture just didn't go with her exterior, if I may put it this way :)

Scene #3: (Quite a typical scene as I have come to realize) A couple at the bar is arguing loudly and gesticulating wildly. This went on for at least 40 mins (and it may have continued, but I left to go home at that point). Kind of sad to see this at a birthday party where people are supposed to be enjoying themselves, but I have come to know that (sadly) Bulgarian women especially like to make a scene. Blame it on our wild Mediterranean temperament ;)

Между Два Свята

Преди няколко дена, една приятелка ми напомни за следното стихче. И защото толкова ми харесва, пък и считам че е доста вярно, реших да го включа тук. (Съжалявам за латиницата, но просто нямах сили да го преписвам цялото на кирилица тази вечер.)

Благодаря много на Меги, която първа ми го изпрати.

edin pingvin mastilno cheren
naperen, stegnat i uveren
v edin prekrasen den poiska,
reshi se i poe na iztok.
prepluva ledeni okeani
preskochi zeeshti vulkani
prebori gorski velikani
i stigna nashite balkani.
i kakto pateshki vurveshe
(a toi suvsem nakonten beshe)
vnezapno chu pronizvasht kriasuk
i skri se v bliaskashtia piasuk.
kogato izpod trunki skriti
nadnikna i se okopiti
vidia edin beleesht glarus
bezsporno lekichko na gradus.
'bradched. zashto si v taia trunka?'
--dochu napeven glas da zvunka.
bradcheda leko se otruska,
perchema si s voda napruska
i s gordo vdignatata chovka
se priblizhi s manevra lovka.
'pin gvin'--podade svoita perka
i be mu vruchena manerka
sus ogneno mistichna technost
i topla bratovska surdechnost.
pingvinut vze, otpi, preglutna
i vurhu piasuka se gutna.
vulni ot ogun go obliaha
vulnite morski go zaliaha
i niakak tolkoz neponiatno
mu stana leko i priatno
i vduhnoveno, bez da chaka
subleche i zahvurli fraka
i dvama beli bratovchedi
sred divi ogneni obredi
reshiha che absurd e, bratko,
pingvinut da e tuk za kratko.

...
no eto che oktomvri mina
nastupi snezhnobiala zima
nebeto sinio se namrushti
i pin se zatuzhi za vkushti.
tova e moiata rodina--
sus vechna snezhnobiala zima
i tuk e hubavo, choveche,
no mnogo e ottam daleche.
i pin s bradcheda se sboguva,
produma, mnogo shte tuguva
i muzhki svoia frak obleche
za putia mnogo nadaleche.
napusna nashite balkani
prebori gorski velikani
preskochi zeeshti vulkani
i stigna rodnite okeani.
no neshto stranno tam se sluchi
sus iznenada toi nauchi
che nikoi drug ne beshe chuval
za tam kudeto be putuval.
ne biaha chuvali za piasuk,
ili za drugi ptichi kriasuk
ili za ognenata technost--
kliucha kum sladka, kratka vechnost.
ako svaleshe si toi fraka,
suvetut pochvashe da kriaka.
i bavno, neusetno, leko
umut zareia se daleko.

...
sega putuva pin godishno
mezhdu okeani i balkani
da mu napomniat e izlishno
za velikani i vulkani.
pin padnal beshe sam v kapana
na stara istina edna:
vednuzh preminesh li okeana
si vse ot greshnata strana.

5 Things I Currently Love About Sofia

Some of these are seasonal, others more permanent. There is more to add to the list, but these are the five things that jump out at me right this second.

1. Kinomaniaaaaaaa--The annual film festival that lasts THREE weeks starts tomorrow; I am in seventh heaven as I honestly thought it would only be a week long, like most international film fests in the U.S.

2. Proximity to Vitosha--National Park Vitosha celebrated its 72nd birthday last Saturday, 28 Oct. I managed a 4-hour hike with one of my mountaineer friends (i.e., walks quickly and does not get tired) last Sunday. I kept up pretty well, I think.

3. The lightly snow-covered trees in the park Borisovata Gradina (Честит Първи Сняг! It snowed for the first time today, 2 Nov.)--Gives the surroundings a magical air...

4. Theatre season (too many good plays to check out and so little time)--My Sofia theatre-watching debut begins next Friday, 10 November, when I will watch the comedy Marshrutka (a word that is really untranslatable in English). (Marshrutka are these passenger vans that are part of the public transportation in Sofia; they have specific routes, but then pick up and drop off passengers anywhere along that route; so, basically a hybrid between a bus and a taxi.)

5. Sofia by night (with all of my favorite buildings lit up)--No traffic jams and more peace and quiet. It actually feels calming to be walking the streets in the city center at night.

Why You Shouldn't Take U.S. ATMs for Granted

Ever wanted to do something bad to an American ATM out of frustration? Well, if you ever do get that feeling, don't, because I can tell you that (as silly as it may sound) I actually miss American ATMs here. What I like about them? Well, here are a couple of things:

1. You can deposit money right at the ATM into your account (you can't do that here at an ATM, and in order to do that at your bank, you have to first go through a customer service rep (who approves the request) and then a teller (who takes your money); so you have 2 stops before you have even made a deposit. Not to mention that you can only deposit money at the branch in which you first opened your account. Talk about in-flexibility!)

2. US ATMs tell you how much money you have left in your account. At least the ones, for the bank that houses your accounts. Here, they don't, unless you request to view your balance, for which you are charged (it's not much, but it's the principle of that matter that counts, I think).

Well, to be fair, there are a couple of cool things you can do at an ATM here, that you can't in the US--like pay your electricity or phone bill for example. Now, that is convenient. But why the hell they can't make it so you can deposit money and not have to go to only one branch in all of Sofia is beyond me!

Coming Full Circle

Last night, I added one more piece of evidence to the theory that the world in Sofia is small, very small. A friend (Ani) had invited me to her friend's birthday--a guy called Andrey--at club Gramofon. I show up expecting to meet a bunch of new people, when it turns out that I actually know the guy, from high school, and we had even celebrated New Year's 2000 together. Now, to make this even more confusing, I know Ani from the States (and she did not go to my high school). She used to live in NYC, and I had met her through one of my best friends (who also lives in NYC). Andrey now also studies in the States and was just visiting. So, through some weird twist of events and acquaintances, we all met last night at Gramofon. In addition, there were a bunch of other people from school I hadn't seen since graduation. Anyway, it feels good to have these kinds of random moments--something Sofia is infamous for.

Каким бывает женский оргазм

Apologies for those who cannot read or understand Russian, but I wouldn't do this justice if I attempt to translate it. Anyway, I had a good laugh, so thought I'd share :)

Астматический: (охи, ахи) “А..а..а..”
Географический: “Сюда, сюда…”
Математический: “Еще, еще!”
Спортивный: “Быстрее! Еще, еще чуть быстрее….”
Научно-исследовательский: “Глууубже, глууубже… а-а-а… и не вынимай…”
Звериный: женщина вцепляется ногтями в спину и “нечленораздельно рычит”.
Иногда может нанести травмы зубами.
Агрономический: “О! Засади глубже!…”
Положительный: ” О!.. Да… О!.. Да…”
Отрицательный: “О!.. Нет… О!.. Нет…”
Религиозный: “О!.. Боже…”
Суицидальный: “О! Я сейчас умру!”
Криминальный: “О! Ты меня убиваешь!”
Угрожающий: “Если ты остановишься, я тебя убью!”
Инцестуальный: “О! Мама!”
Симулированный: “О! … Вася (Миша, Коля, Толя и т. п.)! “
Виртуальный: “Маша[15.10.2006 16:22:56] >> Кончаю…”

Today...

Tonight as I was heading home, walking along Tsar Osvoboditel (one of the main streets in Sofia), for the first time since I arrived, I thought to myself "It feels good to be here." It's not that I felt badly before; as I think I mentioned in one of my earlier posts, I just felt sort of neutral. I didn't feel bad, but I guess I also didn't feel at home. Slowly, I think that is changing. And it's definitely a great feeling! Liberating, is the best word I can think of. Slowly, I don't feel behind, like I always have to get used to something I am not familiar with, start from scratch...I do find it a bit strange that I feel this way only a few days after my worst week, as described in Saturday's post... but I guess that is how things are here. It is a roller-coaster ride all the way and a place of extremes. We'll see how it goes from here.

So as a treat :), here are a few pics I took last week of some of my favorite landmarks in Sofia, and a view towards Boyana ("suburb" of Sofia, if I can call it that, although it sounds funny to me) and Vitosha mountain, taken from my grandparents' apartment. Click on the image if you want to see a (much) enlarged version.

How to spend a lazy Sunday in Sofia

Option 1:

1. Wake up at 11 am
2. Vote for president
3. Visit the grandparents (after a week of eating out or making sandwiches at home, a warm home-cooked meal is more than welcome!)
4. Visit the other grandmother (including taking an hour-long nap)
5. Go home
6. Have a friend stop by for tea
7. Skype, skype, and more skype :)
8. Make a “plan of attack” for the following week

Option 2:

1. Wake up
   
2. Meet up with windsurfer friend
3. Drive from Varna to Sofia
4. Meet up with set of friends #1 in bar/café/restaurant #1
5. Meet up with set of friends #2 in bar/café/restaurant #2
6. Meet up with set of friends #3 in bar/café/restaurant #3
7. Meet up with set of friends #4 in bar/café/restaurant #4
8. Meet up with set of friends #5 in bar/café/restaurant #5
9. Meet up with set of friends #6 in bar/café/restaurant #6
10. Go home after midnight and go to sleep

I am not making the above up. One of the options describes how my last Sunday went; the other how Lubo’s did. Those of you who know Lubo (yes, wind-/kitesurfer/ Oregon Lubo) will know very well that Option 2 describes Lubo’s Sunday :). Yes, Lubo is in Bulgaria until the end of November (or so, cause with him one never knows :) ), was in Sofia for a few days and is now on his way to Vienna and then Poland via Sky Europe (one of the growing number of low-cost carriers flying to Bulgaria). We hung out yesterday (Monday) and by the end of the night he started complaining about how only in Sofia on a Sunday can one spend 9 hours in 6 different bars/cafés/restaurants and that he can't repeat something similar on the following night too… Hasn’t happened to me yet, but then again, I am now not only a visitor.

So, how did you spend your Sunday?

One of Those Weeks

I just had one of those weeks that I hope I never get to repeat. For the first time since I got here, I was shaken awake by the Bulgarian reality. Maybe I was just overly sensitive this past week, who knows? It all started with my return from Helsinki. As I had gotten my luggage (which they had made me check in because it was 9 kgs instead of 8) and made my way through customs, using the "nothing to declare" aisle, a customs officer decided that he had lazed around enough for the evening and asked me where I was coming from and what I had been doing there. (I didn't know that customs officers doubled up as immigation officials too...) Anyhow, sarcasm aside, I answered his questions when he asked me whether I was carrying anything for "other persons". I must have looked at him in a disdainful way as I answered "No" because he was kind of surprised. (The absurdity in the situation is that I had a very small bag--as I said, weighing 9 kgs. I have passed through customs with two huge suitcases before and no-one asked me anything.) Anyhow, after double-checking my answer by asking me "No?", he wished me a good night and I was on my way. Well, I then ended up with one of those "nice" taxi drivers, who guilt-tripped me the whole way home that he had waited in the taxi queue for an hour, and it was just his luck that he now had to drive me a very short distance (I live really close to the airport.) I just wished he would get over it! In addition to this, I had people slam the elevator and apartment building entry door right in front of my face quite a few times this week; this I could understand if they hadn't seen me, but all these people had turned around right before doing that and seen me coming in right after them and still did it. I guess, it's the mentality of "I'm in a real big hurry and can't wait for you, cause I am in SUCH a big hurry!" It's ridiculous... In addition, work reality is also settling in and I am not quite accustomed to it, I must say. Hopefully, all it will take is some time and the right adjustment that won't require too much sacrifice on my part. But that's just the way things are here and I can't get affected by them... otherwise, it is going to be a loooong road.

Anyhow, so to celebrate the end of this suboptimal week, I decided to "drown my sorrow" in Alcohol with a couple of friends (one of whom also needed to desperately recover from a bad week). Alcohol is a bar/club downtown that actually did achieve its mission. The music was great, the crowd--mixed and energetic, the setup of the place--really interesting. There was a promotion for Absolut Vanilla, so at one point we were served shots of it in sugar cones :)--an intriguing approach. Also, our attention was mostly diverted by two dancers who were dancing against a white canvas, their silhouettes and every move displayed on it, again advertising Absolut Vanilla. I was highly amused by a guy who was mirroring everything one of the dancers did while standing face-to-face with the canvas. He was actually quite good and kept up with her very well. :) Another room in the club contained a bar as well as tables, couches, pillows, all Oriental style--the lounge--where you could just chill and smoke a shisha. So all in all, it was a good time that we plan to repeat sometime soon. (Supposedly, it is also the place where lots of folks from the American University of Bulgaria hang out; probably because one of the owners is also co-owner of the infamous Underground in Blagoevgrad.)

Oh, in case you are interested in the most fashionable drink these days (well, has been probably since the summer and perhaps even spring), it is vodka Sobieski green label with green apple (aka Granny Smith) juice (yes, it must be from green apples :) ). I must say, it is pretty good, although I usually try to stay away from being a slave to fashion ;)

And with that, I will just say that I hope you had a better week than me.

Mobile Phone Concerts

Bulgarians and mobile phones... Quite a few observations can stem from that phrase. For one, 90% of Bulgarians seem to own the latest models in mobile telephony (even the 18 year olds). Quite a paradox, given the fact that nearly the same percentage complain how they receive barely more than the mean wage for the country. (As a side note, I just want to mention that at the same time, in Finland--home of Nokia and neighbor to Ericsson--most people still own camera-less phones with black-and-white display.)

Well, the thing that I find even more bizarre, or should I say interesting, is how most Bulgarians never silence their phones. They have them set to the loudest setting so that we may all listen to their choice of ringing tone as they reach into their pockets or rummage through their bags to get to their ringing phone. And I have the slight suspicion that they do this not simply because they are afraid they will miss a call by not hearing it (that's why people thought of the vibrating alert that can definitely be felt if you carry your phone in your pocket or even in a bag). In buses, cabs, restaurants, etc. I am privy to the latest polyphonic sounds. Don't get me wrong, I'm not so much annoyed as amused. It was funny to walk behind a man who all of a sudden had the whistling tune from Kill Bill start playing from his pocket--the one that one-eyed Daryl Hannah whistled when visiting Uma Thurman in the hospital. It had quite a sobering effect on me :). Even better is when you hear a hard-core rap song, turn around, and see a middle-aged woman reach into her bag. And, of course, let's not forget the chalga rhythms some people are really big fans of.

Yes, every day out is like a set of concerts...

Did someone say "frat"?

One thing I forgot to mention. Finns are crazy about fraternities...although unlike in the US that doesn't merely involve sporting a baseball cap :). When they belong to a fraternity, they wear the uniform and insignia of that fraternity... out in public, as if wearing normal clothes. It was kind of bizarre to see. For example, men in military wear with weird hairdos (and, no, they were not from the military). My favorite example though is of this group of teenagers my sister and I saw in Suomenlinna (an island off the coast of Helsinki and home to a fortress). After our walk around, we were heading back to the ferry and spotted this group of teenagers dressed in black and wearing black cloaks. As we got closer, we saw that they were also wearing striped scarves (half of them red and yellow, the other half green and white), and some of them were holding wooden sticks that resembled magic wands. I cannot state this with 100% certainty, but we are almost sure that we had landed upon a Harry Potter fan club/fraternity or something of the sort...There were about 20 of them... and no-one else around us seemed to find it strange at all. Well, you can draw your own conclusions, but mine is that some of these people really have nothing better to do with their time :). I don't mean it in a bad way, but I did find it a tad peculiar :).

Impressions from Helsinki

This entry will digress a little from my “back in Bulgaria” theme and go back to my “travelogue” beginning.
Last night, I came back from Helsinki where I spent 4 days visiting my sister (who had the crazy idea to turn her back on the opportunity to go to Spain for a year, and went to Helsinki instead…. go figure :-)). Well, the first thing you might imagine Helsinki to be is coooooold. Well, yes, it was, but the weather that I came back to in Sofia was much colder, so that wasn’t really what I found distinguishing about Helsinki.

Helsinki is first and foremost a modern city—there isn’t really an old town or anything similar. Second, it is a city on water—there is water everywhere, ferries, and sea gulls; you get that smell in the air and you know you are near water. To me, Helsinki really reminded me of Hamburg (where I spent one year of my undergraduate studies in 1999-2000)—same architectural style, same level of modernity, same weather, quite expensive, bound by water…The Finnish language we all know is very different from any other Western European language. But I personally had no idea exactly how different it was, until I visited. The word for “center” as in city center sounds similar in many languages: centre in English, centre in French, Zentrum in German, centro in Spanish, център (pronounced tsentar) in Bulgarian… well, in Finnish, the word is keskus. The word restaurant, also quite international and similar in most European languages is ravintola. So, most certainly, no matter how many languages you know, you most probably will not be able to understand a single word when spoken to in Finnish :-).

Well, I could start talking about Finns and their relationship to alcohol, tell you how expensive it is, etc. etc. Instead, I will just tell you this story… took place on my flights to and from Helsinki; I think it will illustrate what I want to share very well. So, I am sitting on the flight to Helsinki from Frankfurt (after barely making my connection and running across most of Frankfurt airport, after my flight from Sofia departed with a two hour delay). Anyway, the time comes for food and beverages to be served. On my previous flight (Sofia to Frankfurt), I saw people ordering a variety of things to drink—from mineral water, to Coke, to beer. Well, on this flight, every single person (and I really do not exaggerate) except me ordered red wine (and still mineral water). I thought, “Man, Finns must really like red wine.” Then I remembered how expensive alcohol is supposed to be and it made sense. Well, that was one thing. On the flight back however (Helsinki to Muenchen), we first start the same routine with the beverages, everyone orders red wine… until we get to two men who are sitting across the aisle from me, and what do they order? Wine and ………beer. I couldn’t believe it!! Alcohol could be expensive, you might want to drink as much as you can to offset the price of your ticket, binge-drink etc. but mixing wine with beer just seems like too much. So, so much about Finns and alcohol.

And with that I will leave you for now. Pictures coming soon…

A Small Victory

Just wanted to mention that tonight Bulgaria drew with Holland in the Euro Cup qualifier. Final score 1:1. Our goal was amazing; theirs was average. Unfortunately, we started off very well but didn't keep it up. Oh, I should also mention that I experienced all of this live, at the stadium, and it rained the whole time. Hopefully, I won't be sick tomorrow.

Anyway, go Bulgaria!!

What's Wrong with Bulgarian Taxi Drivers

Four weeks after my arrival in Sofia, I can now safely say that I have enough experience with taxi drivers here to justify my complaints about them. Add to that the stories friends have told me, and here you have it: a list of top pet peeves about bulgarian taxi drivers (in no particular order):

1. They talk too much. I can understand that spending hours on end in a car on the crazy streets of Sofia and in traffic jams is not very conducive to your staying sane, but that doesn't mean that you have to talk my head off about politics, who you hate, why life sucks, etc. Just drive quietly and get me to where I want to go.
2. They drive like maniacs. This I admit is a "quality" common to all taxi drivers, irrespective of the country. Still, I thought I should mention it.
3. They really (I mean REALLY) like to take part in their passengers' conversations. It amazes me how taxi drivers here just feel free to butt into your conversation and express an opinion without being asked... What is worse is that they then take over the whole conversation.
4. Some of them cheat you. I have to admit, this happens a lot less frequently now than it did in the past, but it still does happen occasionally. They rig the meter so it runs up a larger bill than the kms you have actually travelled.
5. They smoke a lot. There is no concept of ensuring the passenger's comfort, so often you are subjected to a car full of smoke and loud "chalga" music blasting from the radio. In the end, it's not so much the smoke or the music that bothers me; it's the fact that they won't even ask if you mind or not. That's all.
6. They refuse to drive you to where you want to go. More so than in any other place I have lived, taxi drivers here are really selective about where they drive you. If you are going a short distance or in a direction they don't really feel like driving, they simply refuse to take you. Or they make you feel like they are doing you a huge favor, when agreeing to drive you after first complaining about it for 5 minutes.

And to wrap this up, since I don't want to be too negative, I'll mention a really good experience I had yesterday with a woman taxi driver. She immediately agreed to take me to where I wanted to go, asked if the music was too loud and if she should close the window, we then made some small talk, after which she left me alone and in quiet to enjoy the classical music playing on the radio, while driving me home. That's how it should be. Instead of stressing you out, taking a cab should make things easier and less stressful.

Today...

Today, something unexpected happened. I met a classmate of mine I hadn't seen in 9 years. It was a little strange. But the strangest thing of all was that it felt like that time hadn't passed; like we were meeting only a month or so after our high school graduation. She hadn't changed that much; she said, I looked exactly the same... (Well, I guess there was one sign that 9 years had passed, since one of the first things she did was check out my hands for a wedding band) :). Anyhow, it's amazing how in such moments, it's almost like time stands still... just for a few seconds, and then it's back to the rollercoaster ride.

How to Feel Young?

Answer: Come to Bulgaria.

The above may seem a little absurd to some, but I can guarantee that it is true. If you have spent at least a few years abroad (in a let's say more developed country, where things run in an organized way, there is less stress about every day things etc.), you are bound to look younger than most people your age in Bulgaria. Case in point:
#1. I take a cab home one night; once we get to the area where I live and I direct the driver to my apartment building, he started telling me how my apartment building used to serve as a landmark as soon as it was built (it's the tallest one in that area), which was in 1987. At that point the cab driver turned to me and said "You probably don't remember because that was before you were born."
So, according to him. I was born in or after 1987... a good eight years after my actual birth year :)

#2. I had joined a friend at the shooting of a commercial. One of the extras was an old man (probably in his 70s). At one point, he asked me, "So, where do you go to school?" (meaning high school). He was quite in shock when I told him that I had graduated from UNIVERSITY five years ago.

So, as I said. If you ever feel too old, pay a visit. :)

Football and Minorities

What do the above two things have in common?

Two Sundays ago I joined a couple of friends at a football (soccer to the America-phones among you) game of the Bulgarian league. Sofia's 2 biggest teams were playing. It was my first time watching a football game live in Bulgaria. Of course, I expected lots of offensive cheers and cursing against the opposing team (and the referee :-)). What caught me a little bit by surprise (probably just due to the sheer fact that I haven't lived here for 9 years) was the chanting that the fans of the team I support (Levski) started singing against the other team (CSKA): "All of CSKA back to Turkey; CSKA are Turks." From the other side I was later informed, our team were called gypsies.
So, I guess we offend on the basis of minorities. Given Bulgaria's history, I guess that's not surprising, and I know it is so in other parts of the world as well. What is sad is that I am probably one of very few people that actually notices something wrong with this. What will be sadder is if after a while even I stopped caring...

Back in Bulgaria

So, from here I start the series of posts from my home country. After two weeks in Sofia, I am slowly starting to feel less like a visitor and more like a citizen of my hometown. As suspected, my list of observations to post here is growing, and I will try to keep up.

Costa Rica here I come

Excited for my pending trip to costa rica

Only in the gay part of town...

OK, I can't resist posting this, because I could barely hold back my laughter when it happened. I was going to yoga (Monday night), passing through the Dupont Circle area & 17th St (otherwise knows, as the "gay district"). At one point, I see a clearly gay guy walking a tiny long-haired dog (picture the size of a chihuahua). Actually, "walking" is an exaggeration, because the dog was pulling back and refused to walk in the right direction. Its owner--following another attempt by the dog to walk back to where they had come from--exclaimed "No, that's pee-pee there!" and tugged the tiny thing in his direction. Sure enough, there was a puddle as I walked by. I laughed to myself... but that was not the end of it. One block further down, another man was walking 2 dogs (white, poodle-like; bolonki for all the Bulgarians out there). He was talking affectionately to them. As I neared, I started catching his monolog... and it went like this: "No-one is pooping yet tonight. [3 secs silence] Aren't you going to poop, Ziggie? It's time to poop."


I just couldn't handle it. Who talks to his/her dogs in that way (in public anyway)? I've seen tons of people walking their dogs, but this is the first time, I had heard talk of "pooping" and "peeing" in public. I think it must have something to do with the given part of town... I don't know. I'll leave it up to your interpretation. But thought it deserved a laugh.

Back on track

OK, so applications have been sent, and I can finally emerge from the hectic few months in which I devoted no time whatsoever to keeping this updated. Hopefully, I will have stories and pictures to share soon. My story the past few months has been the same: "What have you been doing?"... "Working on my applications.". For some reason, I am not even that anxious about getting the decisions when they mail in March/April. What's meant to happen, will happen.

Just wanted to comment on how we haven't had a proper winter day here in DC. Normally, I wouldn't complain (I don't have a strong liking for the cold) but winter without cold just seems like no winter at all. I am longing for heaps of snow and bright sunshine, and the opportunity to take on the ski slopes... but I guess that is yet to come.

And, I am toying with learning a new language... currently Swedish (because apparently it's easier than English) and Portuguese (because I like how it sounds, I love Portugal, and it's so close to Spanish) are competing for the "next-language-to-be-learned" spot.... we'll see, but I'm excited by the thought.