Happy Holidays!

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Lots of health, happiness, luck, and love in the year ahead.
Enjoy the celebrations!

Out of the Loop

Lately, when I have visited my parents and sister in Brussels, I have noticed one thing: I feel out of the loop. They have their inside jokes, their way of talking to each other (my sister often scolding my dad in a manner that would have been completely foreign a few years ago), topics they discuss over dinner, things that they feel passionate about. Often, I find myself not having the slightest idea that they cared about this or that issue. That this or that happened to my mom the other day. It is only normal, I know. After all, they live together and I haven't been living with them since Aug. 1997. There are bound to be a lot of things that I miss out on that go on in my family. Just as there are a lot of things that they miss out on in my day-to-day life.

When I first realized that I was no longer going to be part of this family in the same way (sometime during my second semester in college), I almost panicked. The thought really scared me. It was overwhelming to think of myself as being on my own from now on. (Of course, I was not and am not on my own in that literal way, but you probably know what I mean... it's the fact that the people who have been closest to you your whole life won't know when you are happy or sad, pensive or in need of conversation...the subtleties of one's life are lost to them (as are theirs to me)). I slowly came to accept that that's just the way it was going to be... and that it happens to everyone sooner or later. For me, it just happened much sooner, but that wasn't necessarily a negative thing.

But back to today. This is not really a complaint so much as an observation. I do feel out of the loop sometimes. I do catch myself surprised by certain things when I visit. I sometimes even try to search my memory for any recollection of how things used to be when I lived with my parents. Have things really changed that much? Or have I or my perceptions changed? It is a thought-memory game one could play for hours.

In the end, I just come to the conclusion that despite these "holes" in my collective family experience, the vital supporting structure is still there. In the end, the holes don't matter so much because they can easily be filled. And that will be the case no matter how much time has passed. That's the amazing thing about family.

Sometimes I Wish We Could Be More Like the Belgians

Why? Because when it comes to being environmentally conscious, they along with the Germans lead the way in Europe. Recycling is standard fare, littering is close to non-existent, and today, I witnessed something else that increased my admiration in that respect. Given the lack of wind the past few days, much of Belgium has been blanketed with smog. In order not to aggravate the situation, speed limits have been decreased to 90 km/h on all highways (and lower in the cities) ... and people actually adhere to these lower speed limits. In comparison, when smog levels were higher than usual in Sofia's city center, all the municipality did was issue a warning. Not that setting some kind of restriction would have helped given the usual lack of enforcement. That is one thing I wish all Bulgarians (especially in Bulgaria) could become more of: environmentally conscious.

Crossing the Atlantic

After exactly four months in the U.S., I again boarded a plane to cross the Atlantic. Despite all my occasional complaints about the hassle of packing, airport security, and how much stuff I usually carry around, it felt good and refreshing to board a plane and to be part of the travel world again. Time to myself, time to think, time to just relax and not worry about anything for 7 hrs. Time to feel truly international as people from all over the world pass you at the airport, announcements in different languages get made over the intercom, and scenes from various travel locations attract your attention from posters and TV screens. That's why I like flying, and that's why I don't mind flying by myself. It's my best people-watching occasion :)

I did stop to think, however, how we just take air travel for granted these days. It has become so much a part of our life - like boarding a bus - that we tend to forget that there was a time when it was not quite as accessible. A time when it was a novelty that brought with it all the thrill and excitement that only something truly novel can bring. I try to remind myself of that whenever I can...because the situation in which travel is missing from my life is truly inconceivable.

To everyone traveling over the holidays: Bon Voyage! And if some travel hassle starts getting to you, just breathe and remember that things could be worse, especially if we had no opportunity to travel at all.

Desperation Is...

A male iPhone-owning U.S. teenager resorting to reading celebrity gossip magazines on a transatlantic flight after borrowing them from a middle-aged woman across the aisle.

(Prior to resorting to such "drastic action" he had attempted sleeping in many different positions by shifting and turning in every way possible, and nudging me in the process. I was happy when he finally quieted down to Britney Spears and Branjolina.)

Turning a Negative into a Positive

Often, we focus on the negative rather than the positive in a given situation. Well, our pilot yesterday definitely decided he was taking everything in a positive light. We boarded on time, but then spent the next 40 mins waiting on board as stray bags made their way to the flight individually it would seem. The pilot would announce we were ready to push off, then would tell us that he had been told to wait for two more bags....one more bag...three more bags, and so it went. In the end I guess, even he got a little bit frustrated. Finally, he announced, "Folks, I am told this is the absolute final bag and then we can push off. So I need everyone to think that this is their bag that just made the flight. That way, everyone should be happy." Way to turn a negative into a positive.

Catch-Up

Apologies for my somewhat extended absence. Wrapping up the semester proved a little bit harder than I had anticipated. But now it is all over...or at least until January, when we return for our final exams. But that is four weeks away, so no need to dwell on it now. Currently, am spending my time in New York, where it is quite cold. However, even the freezing wind seems to have no effect on the avid shoppers who have taken to the Manhattan streets en masse. It is amazing how people will stand in line for hours just to enter a toy store or the Apple store. Yeah, they are that dedicated to spending money. I could launch into a long discussion of U.S. consumerism... but will save that for a rainy day. Hope you are all well and have gotten that Christmas shopping done :)

What Made My Day Today

This is Knut... the famous polar bear from the Berlin Zoo (famous for having been rejected by his mother at birth and then caused a scandal revolving around the issue of whether humans should take care of/raise him or whether they should just let him die...crazy, I know). Here, Knut is celebrating his first birthday...with a wooden candle and fish salad. Germans sure know how to give even animals the right treatment. I almost wish I could be in Knut's place. My mind can't even begin to fathom this happening at the zoo in Sofia, for example. (Not that we even have polar bears, as far as I know.) What I found even funnier though is that apparently Knut is also a fellow blog-writer: http://blog.rbb-online.de/roller/knut/category/General. Now how is that for bear dexterity?

Stress-Relief "Wisdom"

I have found myself complaining and stressing out more about school work over the past week than I normally do, which has been duly noted by some people. At moments, the sheer magnitude of my to-do list and the timeframe within which it must be completed seems large enough to knock me over. But then I pause and think:
1) When else will I get paid to study and take advantage of all these academic resources? (let alone play an EU Commissioner at a mock policy simulation on the landmine ban treaty or investigate whether Fox News swung the 2000 Presidential vote?)
2) Isn't the gratification of being done so much greater after you have been under pressure, constantly doing things, and sleeping insufficiently for a few days?

Yes, I am trying to tell myself that right now :)

Happy First Snow!

To all those in Princeton and the East Coast where it snowed, hope you enjoy those lovely white fluffy flakes. I know I am. I just wish there was more of it. This definitely calls for a walk in the woods (or park if you are in an urban setting).

Let the magic begin.

Breaking Even

Pride – is it necessary?
Hurt – is it real?
Words – are they honest?
Thoughts – are they pure?

Guilt – is it natural?
Anger – is it forced?
Betrayal – can it be forgiven?
Friendship – is it true?

When love is all you have
And love is what you lose
The end is all you see
The past is what you crave

The questions never stop
The answers never come
The doubts just settle in
The heaviness just grows

Look back, accept,
Shake off, and choose.

The habit or the unknown.

(Dedicated to a friend who has been through a lot but needs to remember to look forward.)

Immune to the Cold?

I have come to the conclusion that American women possess some kind of gene (or immunity) against the cold that the rest of the female (and even male) world does not possess. Only here have I seen women walk around or wait in the line of a club in a tank top and barefoot in the middle of winter. Granted, they may be cold, but they don't show it. And the craziest thing is that they don't get sick either! (Compare this to Bulgarians' fear of cold air and drafts that I posted about a few months back.) And here I am worrying about how I will get to our formal party tomorrow night in a cocktail dress and high-heeled shoes. No, I can't wear stockings, and, yes, I will wear my longest and warmest winter coat...but still, don't think that will be enough given that I wasn't born and raised here.

Things I Miss Right Now

1. My sister.
2. Being able to snuggle up in bed with a good (non-school) book and discuss it with someone close once I have finished reading it.
3. Speaking Bulgarian (doesn't happen to me often these days).
4. Dancing. Sometimes I wish there would be daily dance "stress relief/break from work" sessions with different music playing. I would definitely be a frequent attendee.
5. Being able to stroll through Sofia's city center at night - admire all the lit-up buildings, my favorite fountain in front of the Presidency, knowing that I will be joining friends for drinks and conversation soon (those were some of my best memories from the past year in BG)
6. Theatre in Sofia... the selection is unbelievable.
7. Snow...I really really want to go skiing.
8. Picnics and barbecues in Rock Creek Park (DC).

Guess that is quite a few things.

The Far-Away State of....Hungaria

How many times has it happened to you (if Bulgarian) to be introduced by someone else who will say, "This is so-and-so, she/he comes from Hungaria"? It has happened to me a few times and it is HIGHLY annoying. First of all, there is no such country and second just because Hungary and Bulgaria share the "gar" in the middle, doesn't mean that you have an excuse to confuse or combine the two. (I am sure this has happened to Hungarians as well though.) We are talking about two distinct countries, with distinct (and not at all shared) histories, languages of completely different origins, and so forth. Bulgaria was never part of the Austro-Hungarian empire even.

Anyway, what reminded me of this is that I overheard parts of a conversation of passers-by in NYC this afternoon. One woman was adamantly explaining to another how "She comes from Hungaria" (referring to a third person, not present at that moment) and repeated that "fact" twice, as if wanting to emphasize her intimate knowledge of that person's origins. At which, a man (I assume her husband) corrected her and said "It's Hungary." "Oh, yes, right, Hungary, " she agreed.

So, yes, right, Hungary and Bulgaria it is.
I apologize for the "emotional" rant but, after all, I never confuse the USA with the UAE or UK for example, although they all start with "United".

(Re-)Introducing New Jersey

This may seem like somewhat odd timing for this post, but as I was riding the train from Princeton to NYC this afternoon and gazed out at the scenery flashing by, it suddenly dawned on me how much my opinion (or perhaps more accurate to say - perspective) of New Jersey has changed since I moved to Princeton. Prior to Princeton, my experience of NJ was limited to the NJ Turnpike (NJ's major freeway and the link to DC and NYC) - definitely not pleasant recollections for the most part - and two visits to a campground near the Jersey Shore with friends - a much better experience. On balance, I had a negative view of NJ. In fact, I was really dreading moving here for school. So what has changed?

Well, for one, I have seen much more of NJ (although I would definitely not claim to have seen it all). There are industrial-looking parts (mostly around the NJ Turnpike and in northern Jersey) but there are also parts that include beautiful landscapes - forests, lakes, hills (I had always wondered where the name "Garden State" came from as I had seen nothing "garden-like" about New Jersey; now I sort of understand). Jersey includes some of the worst poverty-stricken cities in the country (Trenton, Newark) but also one of the richest - Princeton. In a sense, it is a state of paradoxes. But I have come to appreciate these different sides to it.

Curiously enough, the other day I heard someone argue that Jersey is one of the best states to live in because it provides proximity to beaches (Jersey Shore), ski resorts (Pennsylvania), and large cities (Philadelphia, NYC, DC). I wouldn't personally go quite as far as claiming it is one of the best places to live, but would concede that this person did actually have somewhat of a point.

A friend of mine - upon learning I had accepted Princeton's offer - continuously teased me that I would become a Jersey girl. I don't think I am quite there yet (or that I ever will be) but I have developed an appreciation for my current state of residence that I previously lacked.

One thing is for sure. Although the fall colors may not quite rival New England's, they are still pretty spectacular. Something I never would have thought about New Jersey before coming to Princeton.

Things To Be Happy About

From my periodical "why feel good about life" series:

1. Fall colors - they are beautiful!

2. I get to see one of my closest college friends in 3 days' time after a 1.5 year gap.

3. I cooked for about 20 of my classmates and didn't end up presenting Bulgarian cuisine in a negative light.

4. I got my car back in one piece after it got towed in Philadelphia (note to self: always double-check the street signs even if someone else looks at them first).

5. It is Monday, but somehow doesn't feel like Monday.

The Blur of the Moment

Today I am somewhat pensive. Don't know why really. I guess I have these moments where it dawns on me that quite a bit of time has gone by without my really realizing it (three months almost since I arrived in Princeton). And I try to remember what I did during that time. Sometimes I can remember, other times not. It seems more frequently nowadays that moments just tend to blend together, making it hard to single out special moments or time posts that really stand out. Don't know if that happens to any of you. I guess when I was younger (not that I would claim to be old :)), I could still identify highlights from my week or the month or whatever time period I was thinking of. Now, I can't do that quite as well. And it's not because I am not having a good time or don't have happy moments. I do. In fact, I have felt pretty uniformly happy since I arrived here. So why is it that everything just becomes one big blur? Is it because my life is more dynamic now than it used to be? Or because my memory is weaker? Or because I tend to have more things on my mind at any given moment in time? I really do wonder about that sometimes. And would love to hear some theories.

Ay Ay Ay Ay Puerto Rico

What I call the mini-United Nations left for Puerto Rico last Tuesday at the crack of dawn. Mini-UN because the group of 13 included 8 nationalities (American, Pakistani, Australian, German, Chinese, Russian, Argentinian, and Bulgarian). It was definitely a very diverse group. Once there though we split up for our 4-day stay. Some people wanted to spend the whole time at the beach, others (including me) wanted to see more of the island given that we hadn't been there before. So I spent most of the time with my core group of four, driving, hiking, getting lost, staying in sub-par hotels and the like. But let me first start with impressions.

- At first glance, you almost can't tell that you are outside the (mainland) U.S.. The highways, the strip malls, the fast food chains, even the big SUVs are all around. On the surface, only the signs, sometimes exclusively in Spanish, would give away your location.

- When people think of Puerto Rico, they most likely think of a cheap beach-going destination. And while that is true (and there are some spectacular beaches in PR - more on that later), there is a lot more to see - both in the cities and outside.

- I didn't find Puertoricans to be the friendliest bunch, although it might just have been the people that we ran into.

Now to details of the trip:
We spent the first day in San Juan, mostly walking around the Old Town, and visited the biggest fortress in the city (known as El Morro). I quite liked Old San Juan (although in some parts it was extremely congested with cars). The narrow streets and colorful buildings gave it quite a lively air. The fact that it was low season and the place wasn't packed with tourists probably also helped. One thing you immediately notice about Old San Juan are all the stray cats. There were so many of them! At some point I counted over 20, having just walked a few blocks. Some of them were quite friendly and immediately approached us to be petted. The "highlight" of San Juan was our hostel, which turned out to have dripping ceilings (in some rooms the ceiling dripped onto the bed, but we quickly switched out of those). Guess that is what you get for trying to squeeze by on the lowest possible budget.

Day two: Having rented a car, we headed east to El Yunque (PR's National Rainforest) for some hiking. El Yunque was an enchanting place, and once in the forest, it felt like you were in another world. The sights, the sounds, even the smells were somehow different. Our guidebook had warned us about rabid "creatures" and boa constrictors, so we approached the hike as quite an adventure. Luckily, we had a run-in with neither, and after 1.5 hours made it to the top of El Yunque peak. There we really got to experience why the park was called a rainforest. The peak was covered in mist and it started raining as soon as we got there. For a few moments the mist thinned out, enough for us to see that we were extremely high up. The descent was much quicker, especially since we were rushing because of the rain.

Next on the itinerary was Ponce (PR's second biggest city, located in the south). We had planned to spend the night there in order to be closer to another top attraction - Phosphorescent Bay. The bay's microorganisms (we are guessing plankton but aren't quite sure) give off a phosphorescent glow as you swim and move the water around. However, we ended up reaching Ponce too late and the lady at the reception of the hotel recommended we go there the following day when we could get there while it was still light out. So we postponed that plan. Instead, we decided to follow her advice and make our way to Ponce's boardwalk where (apparently) the whole town was going to gather to celebrate Halloween. We discovered that Halloween must be Ponce's biggest celebration because as we tried to make our way to the boardwalk (we had to drive on the highway), we got stuck in the biggest traffic jam I have been in in a while. Three lanes of cars barely crawled along, while the shoulders of the highway were flanked with parked cars from quite a distance away. At the same time, people in costumes were making their way on foot down the highway, in between the cars, and it felt like everyone was dressed up, except us. I concluded that the main goal of Puertorican women dressing up for Halloween was to wear the most revealing costume possible, regardless of what "role" they were playing - police officer, cowgirl, nurse, vampire, etc. The goal was to reveal as much skin as possible :) Well, suffice it so say that we didn't make it to the boardwalk in the end. But, we did instead end up going to a bar and listening to a live Puertorican ska band. That was fun!

Day three: Given that we were going to the Phosphorescent Bay at night, we had to find something to do during the day. Our first attempt was to go hiking again, this time in a dry forest. But it proved way too hot for that. So we decided to hit the beach instead. This beach wasn't the greatest, but it was nice to swim and chill for the afternoon. Once we got to the Bay, we had dinner and bought our tickets for a boat trip out (turned out we couldn't just head into the bay ourselves). I must say that swimming in the bay was pretty cool (the plankton really does glow) but I wished that we could have somehow done it on our own, because the boat captain allowed us only 5 minutes in the water and the whole trip just felt too commercial (although in and of itself the bay and the idea of swimming while the water glitters around you is amazing). 35 minutes later we were already on land again. So that was that. The following day we were going to make our way to Culebra (an island off the coast of Puerto Rico with the most beautiful beaches, as advertised by our guidebook and by other people we had talked to), so we made our way back in the direction of the ferry departure point (approximately 3 hours away from the Bay). We made it to the hotel only to be "surprised" by the fact that the room was already occupied ... by a family/clan/village of cockroaches. I must have seen at least 10 by the time I went to bed, but given the fact that it was late and we were super tired, we didn't have the energy to really do anything about it. So we pushed the beds towards the center of the room and hoped for the best.

Day four: The ferry to Culebra was leaving at 9 a.m. and we made sure to get there 45 mins early...but, as luck would have it, we hadn't calculated in the fact that it was Friday and that many Puertoricans were leaving for Culebra themselves for the weekend. So, the ferry sold out, 4 people in front of us. The next one was at 3 p.m. We had quite a bit of time to kill, so hit the road in search of a beach. We found a good one in Luquillo (northern part of PR), that actually had good waves and as a result seemed to be a popular surf spot.

By the time we got on the Culebra ferry, we felt like the island was this elusive destination that we would never get to. (The remainder of our group of 13 was already on Culebra.) As soon as we got there and found the house we were staying in, we dropped off our things and headed straight to Flamenco Beach (known as Puerto Rico's best beach), reaching it just as the sun was setting. The gratification of running into the crystal clear water is hard to capture in words. Even more so is the feeling of peace and tranquility as I looked around. Apart from 3-4 people, the beach was deserted. Picture a wide expanse of white sand, turquoise water, darkening blue sky, and lush vegetation in the back. And just sounds of nature (and our own laughter, I suppose). Seeing it while the sun was shining the next morning was even more picture-perfect, but the tranquility was spoilt slightly by the larger number of tourists slowly trickling in.

After another few hours at the beach (this is on Day 5), we had to make our way back to the ferry, back to "mainland" Puerto Rico, back to San Juan airport and back to the U.S. I will not go into the details of our trip back to Princeton. Suffice it to say that it certainly was not as pleasant as the trips in PR. (I will post a few pictures shortly; the rest are up on facebook; you can find them under my name.)

San Juan-View from El Morro

Street in Old San Juan

In El Yunque National Rainforest, with a huge leaf

View from the top of El Yunque peak

Flamenco Beach, Culebra Island

Know Thy Fortune

A compendium of fortunes from tonight's Chinese dinner:

-Finish your works on hand. Don't be greedy.

-Attend to business today. Leave that street-side flower alone.

-Life is like a dogsled team. If you aren't the lead dog, the scenery never changes.

I especially enjoyed the last one. I've always wondered if their comicality stems from bad translations or just really random (and seemingly unconnected) thoughts that one would seem to have when high.

Oh, and btw, my fortune was the second one. So guess I have to watch that street-side flower :)

Wishful

Today I saw a man and a woman in their 60s or 70s walking hand-in-hand through Princeton's campus. It made me smile.

Also made me think that it would be nice to have that when I grow old.

The Justification

I’ve been watching you, he said.
And I simply sat in silence.
To disagree would be too much,
To agree would prove my weakness.

Accusations – so easily molded
Prove hard to grasp and disentagle.
They fly past and I ignore them,
Breathing deeply, looking boldly.

Doubts cannot come in, I think.
Cannot let neat arguments move me.
Focus, be brave, take the step!
Yet I'm paralyzed; I'm speechless.

One more day, one more night
Certain one day, swayed another
Conference of voices in my head
Some prevailing, others quiet.

I'm still watching you, he said.
And I turned and made my exit.
Did a tear roll down my face?
Or was that merely what I wished for?

The Fall, the Rain & Midterms

It is dark, gloomy, and cold out.
It is mid-term exams' week.
I have not socialized much with anyone in the past few days, given that I have been cooped up in the library for most of the week.
But, overall, it doesn't feel bad or depressing (something I probably never would have said while in college if faced with the same situation). It feels fine. And actually feels good to just sit down on your a*& and be productive. So, did I just grow up, calm down, and learn not to take things so seriously? Maybe. Or maybe I am simply in denial.

The Gumboot

As the weather has turned rainy, I have noticed the appearance of the gumboot (or Wellington boot) all over campus. Worn only by women (as far as I can tell), gumboots seem to have made a comeback among the young adult population, which I find pretty intriguing given that I last remember wearing them when I was very very young. I remember them mostly being plain colored - yellow, red, pink. Nowadays, it seems that shoe designers are really taking this to the next level: I have seen gumboots of all possible colors, with various designs. I noticed the beginning of this gumboot-wearing trend a year or two ago, but then I would only occasionally see someone wearing them. And even if they did wear them, the person would be pretty casually dressed, so that the gumboots sort of fit the ensemble. Today, I think at least 30-40% of women I saw on campus were wearing them, and some of these women were pretty fashionably dressed otherwise. But then again, who am I to judge gumboots as unfashionable? Maybe that just goes to show how unfashionable I am :)

Curiosities in New York City

I escaped the clutches of the Princeton world this weekend, which feels good. Despite the fact that I really love Princeton, getting away every once in a while is a healthy thing to do. It makes me (re-)realize that there is a world outside of academics/public policy where people care about other things and where many of my friends still reside :).

Quite a few things made me smile today... in a way that I think only things in NYC can make you smile. It all began when I was walking with a friend and I was engrossed in sharing a funny story. When all of a sudden I was stopped mid-sentence by a "curious" sight heading towards us. A woman - in her 60s or 70s - was hobbling slowly on the sidewalk towards us and she was pushing a stroller. You may be imagining a cute baby right now, but I will have to disappoint you. Happily sitting in the stroller and observing the scenery was a.... toy dog! It took me a few seconds to realize that this was for real, after which I barely stifled my laughter until she had passed us. My only regret is that I did not have a camera on me to snap a picture. It would have been truly priceless.

New York fashion is also something that can impress or amuse you. A young woman in Central Park today was sporting the following outfit: black, pretty revealing tank top, black synthetic sweatpants, and... black Crocs. Sometimes I really have to wonder whether people look in the mirror before they make their appearance in public. Obviously, you can wear whatever you want, but some things just cannot be mixed together in the same "outfit", I think. (On a related note, another fashion "favorite" is the evening dress with black flip flops during the summer... why oh why?)

If you have seen anything amusing lately (or even less recently), please share. I want to continue smiling.

Recent Happenings

This is more of an update post, for those who try to keep up with what's going on in my life. For those who are bored in reading this, I apologize.

1. We are forming a Bulgarian organization on campus. I was surprised that one didn't exist already. It will be called the Bulgarian Cultural Center, and I may end up being its Vice-President, which is pretty amusing to me :)

2. The weather is still unbelievably hot and humid for this time of year. I am fearing winter may come with a vengeance.

3. We have exams next week (urgh!) but they will be followed by 5 days in Puerto Rico, which I am very excited about!

4. I bought my ticket for winter break - should be in BG Dec 27-Jan 6 (yay!)

5. I am taking Argentine tango lessons, and although it's pretty hard, I love it!

Spicing It Up in Class

So, I love all of my classes. All except one. I won't got into my schedule and syllabi here, but instead try to illustrate what I mean by an anecdote (or several). All first-year students in my program have to take this class; so we are all in it together so to speak. Well, people are so bored in the lectures that we have resorted to all sorts of "measures" to spice things up a bit.

1) Buzzword bingo - people prepare their bingo grids before class, listing words that are likely to come up during the lecture. As a "buzzword" is mentioned by the professor or other students, you cross it off your grid, and this goes on until you get five in a row/column/diagonally. Most of you probably know the deal.

2) Variation of the above - again using the bingo grid, this time though listing the names of classmates you think will raise their hand in class to ask a question or make a comment. Once you get a "bingo" you have to let others who are playing know by raising your hand and asking a question (or making a comment) that incorporates the word "bingo."

3) Word of the week - people come up with a random word that you would probably never use in that class. Whoever manages to incorporate the word into a question or comment they are making, gets points. If you use the word in an even less likely "phrase" (which is also determined ahead of time), you get extra points. The word changes every week. This past week the word was "crunchy", the phrase was "gratuitously crunchy", and the topic of the lecture was electoral systems... and one classmate actually managed to use both the word and the phrase.

Yes, we are that desperate for boredom relief.

Bulgarians at Princeton

So, there are apparently around 40 Bulgarians at Princeton (both grad and undergrad). Although I am used to the fact that we are all over the place, I was still surprised by that fact. I met some of them last Saturday for lunch (at the Bulgarian restaurant in Princeton, of course). They are a pretty diverse bunch, which includes one guy who is half-Bulgarian, half-Namibian. It is pretty endearing to hear someone speak Bulgarian, whom, just from looking at him, you would never assume spoke Bulgarian. But I digress... What I actually wanted to share was that even within this community, in small Princeton, central New Jersey, there are divisions and cliques. I quickly learned that the group I had met didn't really get along or hang out much with another group of Bulgarians....You don't really see that in other immigrant communities, do you? Or at least not to this extent. (I am thinking of Greeks, Turks, Poles, for example.) So why is it that we always find reasons to divide ourselves, rather than unite?

Life Longevity Correlated with Failed Marriages?

I saw an interesting argument being made on TV today: that because life expectancy for both men and women has gone up over time, if you marry in your 20s, you now most likely have a much longer time to spend with your spouse than before when life expectancy was lower. This apparently might contribute to the higher number of failed marriages. Hmmm..... I had never really thought about it in those terms. It does make sense to some degree, but at the same time I am not sure I really buy that argument. After all, I think most marriages end (if they do indeed end at all) 5-15 years into marriage, not at age 50 when you realize "Oh my God, I still have probably another 20 years to spend with this person at least." That's my take on it. But I'd be curious to hear what you think. Do you think there is something to that argument that higher life expectancy might be contributing to a higher number of failed marriages?

Challenges on the Job

At library this afternoon.

Me: "The scanner doesn't seem to be working."
Girl behind front desk (looking confused): "We have a scanner here?"

Needless to say she could not help me with getting the scanner to work.

Perceptions

A lot can be said about undergraduates' perceptions of grad students. I read somewhere that they refer to some of us as "trolls" - a term that is supposed to illustrate grad guys chasing after undergrad girls. I had heard this and similar stories, but thought, honestly, how bad can their perceptions be?

Well, fast forward to the Argentine tango class that I am taking this semester. At one point I am dancing with an undergrad student and he asks me, "What year are you?" "Grad student, first year," I reply. He gives me this semi-confused, semi-"I-feel-sorry-for-you" type of look and says, "Oh, I thought grad students only studied." (And he was totally serious.)

Hmmm, so, in case you don't already know, I am a boring, trolling graduate student who only studies.

You Know You Are at Princeton When...

1. A huge crowd of graduate students gathers in the grad student bar (D-bar) to watch the premiere of "Beauty and the Geek" in support of a fellow grad student who is actually in the show (yes, starring as one of the geeks).

2. You walk by a Ralph Lauren and Coach store, although you are in a town of fewer than 20,000.

3. You come across the most delicious home-made ice-cream you have ever tasted (incl. flavors such as Jersey melon and sweet basil).

4. You get the feeling there are more wild animals around than students .

5. You keep seeing the word "tiger" everywhere, including on your student ID. (Yup, the tiger is our mascot.)

6. You cannot answer 90% of the questions at the D-bar's monthly quiz night. (The name of Napoleon's horse, anyone?)

7. The gothic-type architecture of all campus buildings throws you off completely and you can't differentiate between a dorm and an academic building. (Never mind that you really do feel as if you are in Harry Potter's world.)

The NY Monitor Watchers

Location: Penn Station, New York City (although this may take place in other train stations in the U.S., I don't know)
Time: All the time
Activity: Intently watching the monitors displaying train departures and rushing off to your respective train track as soon as it is announced

For those of you who have traveled through Penn Station, the above will sound familiar. I had noticed it before, but today when I was leaving NYC, I really took notice. There were some people standing literally less than a foot away from the monitor and staring at it so intensely as if willing it to display the track number for the train they were taking. I found this scene almost ridiculous. Obviously, whether you stare at the screen or not won't really change the time, at which your track (gate) is announced. Also, the track is usually announced 15 mins before departure, so you have plenty of time to get to the right place, EVEN if you missed the exact moment in which the numbers appeared on the screen. However, sure enough, wherever there were monitors, there was also a huddle of people around them. I mean, seriously, don't people have something better to do with their lives during those 15-30 mins while waiting for their train than to stare without blinking at a monitor?

I guess some things about American society I will never get...

Quantity over Quality

"Our yogurt may not be better but it is 33% bigger than a Dannon yogurt!" (at least that is how I interpreted this). First, Colombo yogurts are not that great to begin with; so the fact that they are giving me 33% more actually puts me off rather than thrills me. Not that Dannon are much better. (Btw, what is up with writing Dannon instead of Danone in the U.S.? Surely "Danone" is not that hard to read or pronounce? But I digress.)

I have noticed that companies often tend to employ the "greater quantity" strategy when it comes to U.S. consumers, even when it comes to beating out the competition. Whether it is "Buy 10 sodas for $10" (and I am referring to the equivalent of ten 2 liter bottles) or "33% more than Dannon"... it is all about quantity when it comes to mass consumers. That and the "fat-free" strategy. Everything is branded as "low fat", "no fat" or "fat-free"... so how is it that so many people in the U.S. are overweight? I have never seen anything branded as "low fat" etc. in Europe. Yet, the percentage of overweight people in European countries is definitely much lower. I don't really have answers to these "questions", but just find it interesting sometimes. Honestly, I had forgotten how consumption-heavy U.S. society is.

Welcome!

So, it was revealed to me tonight that a few (or perhaps many) of the second-year students in my program have been reading my blog the past couple of weeks. How you ended up here (even before anyone from my year) I have no idea, but welcome. I am happy you are reading it whether you agree with what I write or not (and I know some of you may make fun of what I write down the line, but, hey, that's what having a blog is all about - to get people's reactions and thoughts.) I would love it if you de-lurked yourself at some point by posting a comment, but no pressure:) In the end, all I wanted to say was thanks for reading!

Here Comes the Square Dancer

I was introduced to my first square dancing experience tonight. (Square dance, for those not familiar, has come to be regarded as the U.S. traditional dance and is the official dance in many U.S. states.) Funnily enough, for some reason, square dancing happens quite often in my program, or at least people always seem to mention it in passing. The dancing was fun, but the best part came during one particular dance when you had to find a partner and say to him/her in Russian: "Саша, Саша, раз-два-три." (Translation: "Sasha, Sasha, one-two-three.") And repeat that twice, while also pointing and shaking your finger at your partner (and then do some dance steps). You can just imagine about 75 of us (with a predominant number of Americans) walking around a huge room, finding a partner and then saying "Саша, Саша, раз-два-три" with the finger pointing, and then just carry on dancing. I just burst out laughing. I have no idea who ever thought of that addition to the dance, but it had most people who spoke/could understand Russian in fits, and the rest of the people struggling to remember and pronounce the words. All in all, the evening was a very "cultural" experience for all involved.

I Love NYC!

Until recently I hadn't been very fond of New York. I don't really know why. I think I always thought that it was too hectic and cement-filled for me to enjoy living in. However, it started growing on me a little bit when I was here in March for my friends' wedding. And now that it's the closest big city to Princeton, it seems like I will be visiting a whole lot more frequently.

I decided to spend this weekend here and so far the "growing on me" part has only grown stronger. I have realized that diversity is what draws me to a city, and no city in the US can really beat NYC when it comes to diversity of everything - from things to do, to people, to restaurants, to parts of town, to shops, to cultural events ... Just today we went to brunch with my friends to a French crepes place called Sortie. Not only were the crepes absolutely delicious, but the whole set-up of the restaurant was more like that of a lounge, including electro music playing in the background. What really surpised me at one point though is hearing the song "White Horse" - one of the greatest hits of Summer 2006 in Bulgaria (and perhaps other parts of Europe). It felt like being home again. And I am very very happy that I can get that kind of experience here. It's nice to feel at home.

So, as of today, the verdict has changed. I really like New York!

High-Tech Education

The last time I attended an educational institution was a little over six years ago. Funny to think that when I first started college (in 1997), Internet was a totally new thing for me. And we all used Netscape as the internet browser on the PCs in the college computer labs. Netscape doesn't exist anymore, and now when I look around in a classroom I see lots of people typing their notes on their laptops and checking their email on their Blackberries from time to time. It is pretty amazing to compare that to my last time in a classroom when cell phone use was non-existent and no-one brought their laptop to class even if they had one. (And I am talking about the U.S. I won't even compare to Bulgaria where the "laptop-in-classroom" kind of development lies somewhere in the future.)

Just today I needed to receive a fax and I went around campus looking for a fax machine, when somebody told me, "Why don't you look online? There are free e-fax services out there." Honestly, the thought hadn't even occurred to me, but sure enough, there were plenty of e-fax services--some free, others not. You sign up, get your own fax number, and then receive your fax in PDF format by e-mail. So simple! (And to think that there is no fax machine at all involved in the process.)

Obviously, we have started taking these things a little bit for granted, but when I stop to think and compare to what it was like 10 years ago, the technological advances (especially with anything to do with the Internet) are simply mind-boggling! I am still wow-ed when I consider everything I can now do online.... and, often, now do for FREE.

Third Week On

This is my third week at Princeton. Somehow though, it seems like I have been here for much much longer. And I mean that in the positive sense - I feel more or less settled in, familiar with the campus and surrounding area, and already have a bunch of people that I can hang out with in my free time. I had definitely expected it to be harder somehow and also hadn't expected to take a liking to Princeton so quickly. Well, either I have just become easily adaptable to all sorts of places or Princeton has that way of drawing you in pretty fast and making you feel at home. I honestly feel as if I have been living here for forever.

I also realized that being in a small town is not that bad. NYC is just an hour away by train and you can easily access the more hectic city life when you choose to. But while at Princeton and on campus, you are free to just focus on learning (both in the literal and more metaphorical sense). It is a bubble of sorts, but I realized that I don't mind being in a bubble for two years. It feels very refreshing. And having most (if not all) people around you be in the same boat (i.e., studying, not working) makes it a lot easier. You are all on a similar schedule, have similar concerns, etc. so you can relate to people a lot better. I think being the only student amongst working friends would be tougher.

Things I want to do this semester (and hopefully continue) outside of school work:

1) Start to climb again - The university is building a new climbing wall (supposed to open sometime in the fall) and it would just be stupid of me not to take advantage of it while I'm here, especially since I love climbing so much. I was reminded of how much I enjoy it this past weekend during our 2-day outdoors trip to nearby Blairstown, where I got the chance to climb an outdoor climbing wall.

2) Return to salsa - I have missed dancing. I didn't do any in Bulgaria. There is supposedly a salsa club on campus, social dances every few weeks and probably a few places in and around Princeton to salsa dance. Definitely want to explore those.

3) Continue with yoga - I am determined to stay dedicated to yoga and try to get a little bit of it in every morning before class. The fact that it energizes me should be a good enough incentive, but laziness can prevail too, so let's see how I do.

No End in Sight

Four and a half years after the invasion of Iraq, we are all familiar with the daily headlines of rising casualties and increasing chaos. So much so, that some of us (myself included) have stopped paying attention, angered and appalled at the Bush administration's incompetence and short-sightedness in handling the conflict in Iraq. With his first movie, No End in Sight, Charles Ferguson gives us a good jolt and reminds (as well as educates) us on what went wrong with policymaking for post-war Iraq. No End in Sight is an extremely illuminating documentary and if you weren't feeling angry and appalled enough with the usual Bush administration suspects, such as Rumsfeld, Cheney, Wolfowitz, and some less familiar faces such as Paul Bremer, then you most surely will after seeing it. To quote Ambassador Barbara Bodine (in charge of Baghdad during the Spring of 2003) from the movie: "There were 500 ways to do it wrong and two or three ways to do it right. What we had never anticipated is that we would go through all 500 of them." From the lack of an occupation plan to the preclusion of forming an interim Iraqi government to the disbanding of the Iraqi military, the film highlights mistakes made by the Bush administration again and again. Amazing how much damage a bunch of men who have set their minds on one thing can do, and how they will disregard anyone and anything that might suggest they could be wrong in their assessment. For most of the film, I sat there seething. At the same time, I was amazed by how much I actually didn't know about the conflict.

Go see it. You won't be disappointed. And if you agree with me, then tell your friends to see it too.

Luck or Something Else?

Last week I lost my favorite cardigan. I am normally very good about not losing things, so was even the more pissed off at myself that I lost this particular item of clothing that I really like. I emailed all of my classmates to ask if they had seen it around our academic building, checked in lost & found, but it was nowhere to be found. No-one had seen it. In the end I came to terms with the fact that it was gone for good.

Last Thursday, I was making my way from the dorms to our program's academic building through most of campus - a route that I take to and from the dorms every day, and as I was passing by a bush on the way, something for some reason caught my eye. Something black was draped over the bush. In that split second the thought went through my head, "Why would anyone drape anything over a bush?" And the next split second, I received the signal from my brain that there was a large button on the black draping thing. It made me turn around to look at it again. And another second later I realized why that button had drawn my attention. Because that was the very cardigan that I had lost almost a week earlier. I was speechless. It was lying right there, on that bush. I guess I had dropped it on the way home and someone had draped it over the bush in case "the owner" came back to look for it. Things like that do happen in universities and small towns in the U.S., but still it struck me as almost extraordinary. It was as if someone or something was rewarding me for something by giving me back what I have given up as lost forever.

That small occurrence made my entire day. Guess one should never give up hope even when it comes to more significant things and should keep on believing that extraordinary things can and do happen.

Victory!

Beating two teams of Chinese PhD students at fussball (джаги) with my Peruvian classmate 5 games in a row = priceless!

I knew those random skills would come in handy one day ;)

Today...

Today, I feel light and happy and I have had a smile plastered on my face for most of the afternoon. (Not that I have been feeling unhappy since I got here or anything but it just feels different today somehow. I can best relate it to the feeling of having found my place when I returned to Bulgaria last year.) It is starting to feel like I am getting to know people better and be more comfortable with/around everyone. Following this presentation skills workshop we had today, everyone in our group (36 of us, about half the class) had to give a toast. I know it probably sounds cheesy but I think that "insignificant" activity brought everyone closer together. (The champagne we had to go along with the toasts probably helped as well:)) I know I am going to be saying this a lot and risk becoming boring in the end but there really is something to be said about the people here. From a Chinese journalist who had to write under an English pseudonym in order to overcome censorship to military guys who have served in Iraq to people who have directly been involved in electoral politics... the span of experiences is beyond anything I could have imagined (and I had heard quite a lot about our school from friends who had completed the program before me). Also, it really is a great feeling to have so much in common with so many people--from personal and professional interests, to experience in various countries, to language skills etc. It is already promising to be a tremendous learning experience. Again, I don't mean to sound cheesy but I truly feel that way.

For those of you who want to get a small glimpse of this place called Princeton, a few pics below.

And last, I have been talking a lot about myself lately. Now I want to know what has made you smile recently.

The Good and the Bad (so far)

After the first week I have somewhat of a good idea of the place and what it's like. Of course, as always, there are things to love and things that I am not so excited about, but oh well...that's just how life is.

Likes:
1. Campus and the town are beautiful. As I explore the area around the graduate dorms, it feels like I am living in a forest, rather than a university campus. Squirrels, rabbits and other animals abound. Just today, I saw a woodpecker. And people have also reported seeing deer near the dorms. It is a quiet and peaceful place. The rest of campus looks like a cross between something out of a medieval movie and Harry Potter. There is an art museum with (supposedly) an excellent collection, the McCarter Theatre that is (also supposedly) famous and attracts excellent productions, beautiful botanical gardens and so forth.

2. Some amazing people come to speak at Princeton, and in my program, we even invite some of them to dinner so a number of the students get to interact with them face-to-face. That is a rare privilege, I realize.

3. Related to that is the quality of professors here and, also, of my classmates. Definitely higher than in a lot of places.

Dislikes:
1. For all the beauty and tranquility of campus and the special character of Princeton (the town), I just can't help but be reminded of Smith and Northampton (the town in W. Massachusetts in which Smith is located) and the feeling of feeling stuck for the majority of the time there. I know this time that won't be the case, since NYC is just an hour away by train and I will very soon have a car as well, so I can leave any time I want. But that nagging feeling still persists (I am sure some of the international ex-Smithies might be able to relate). Perhaps it will go away after a few weeks and especially when I finally get the car. I really hope so, because I hate HATE feeling this way. And it's not like I feel this way all the time or that it's an overwhelming feeling, but it is always there, somewhere in the back of my mind and heart.

2. Nightlife really is close to non-existent. Apart from the D-Bar (the bar located in the graduated dorms), everything else really is way too expensive. And, even so, there isn't an abundance of bars in Princeton. And let's not even get on the topic of places to dance. So, I guess, it seems like I will be spending a lot of time in the D-Bar and hopefully making up for the lack of partying some weekends in NYC.

3. I don't mean to sound snobby, but I find the people that walk the streets of Princeton (the town) annoying. I don't know why exactly. Just the way they walk, talk, and their attitude annoys me. Maybe it's because they are rich, or maybe because they exemplify a side of America I don't really like, who knows. And, yes, the undergrads are too. (Yes, I realize this comment makes me sound old, but hey, I guess I am 10 years older than the freshmen at this point, and I am not ashamed of that fact.)

In rereading this entry, I realized that my likes and dislikes seem to fall very neatly into two categories. I like everything academic-related and dislike the social scene (at least in the town). But c'est la vie. I am definitely not complaining that I am here. I am sure it will be a great two years! (or so I tell myself at any moment I start feeling a little apathetic or disappointed for any reason)

If anyone out there is familiar with the area and can clue me in on any fun activities (including dancing, theatre, outdoors stuff), I would love to hear from you.

My Best Discovery Yet!

There is a Bulgarian restaurant right here in downtown Princeton! I was clued in on this great fact by a friend of a friend who also studies at Princeton. As we walked by, the hostess (also Bulgarian) tried to get us to go in and couldn't stop gushing about it. Then once she found out I was Bulgarian, she exclaimed, "And you haven't been here yet?!?!?" in a disapproving voice. I had to explain that it was only my 5th day in town. But I will definitely try it and if it is as good as she claims, then might become a more regular customer. The owner, chefs and waiting staff are all Bulgarian. But I cracked up a little bit as I read the story in the menu that claimed that all staff were imported from Bulgaria, as if that was some arduous process. I am sure there are plenty of Bulgarians living right here in the area. Anyway, that is my highlight of today. So, now I know where I can get my shopska salad, french fries with feta cheese, and shish kebaps fix:)

More Impressions, Part 2

So week 1 of so-called "math camp" is over and we are turning to the more social activities--Princeton bar-hopping:) Will report back on that over the weekend. Somehow I doubt that it could beat Bulgarian nightlife, but I guess as anyone who is from or has been to Bulgaria can attest, once you've been there, the bar for going out and having fun is pretty high. The one fabulous thing about the graduate student dorms on campus though is that we have our very own bar in the basement, pool and fussball tables and all, and, of course, subsidized beer. Guess I can't really complain:)

A few things about the US that I was pleasantly reminded of:

1) Everything is so well organized and smoothly run. It was simply mind-boggling at first. I guess what is even more amazing to me is how quickly one gets used to a different type of reality (such as the BG one for me) and forgets about other realities that were part of one's recent past. I guess you could call this culture shock, but certainly for someone who has spent 9 years in the US, you would think I was beyond culture shock at this point. But, in the end, when I really think about it, this way it keeps things interesting.

2) Related to point #1: everyone is so polite. I have heard more greetings, "thank you's", and "you are welcome's" in the past 4 days than I probably had in the past 4 months in BG. I must say it is very refreshing to have that. Although to some degree I will miss the frowning faces of marshrutka drivers in Sofia.

3) One other thing my Albanian classmate pointed out was the concept of "personal space", which really doesn't seem to exist in Bulgaria (especially not in any kind of public transportation!). He was joking that there must be something wrong with him if people were sitting one seat away from him in class. He also seems to think that people in the US speak louder than people in Europe...I have to ponder that point...can't really say whether I agree or not. If any of you have any observations on that point or any of the others, please let me know.

4) And last but not least. I just love the fact that everyone here is so social. We haven't met each other previously but already everyone is exchanging numbers, planning to get together, and helping each other out with homework and car rides. I think Bulgarians in general are a lot more suspicious of strangers at first...not that that's necessarily always a bad thing. Sometimes Americans can seem a bit too fake, but in certain situations (such as this one) it definitely helps to have people be more open and friendly.

So I plan to explore more of campus and the town tomorrow given that I am not familiar with either at all yet, apart from knowing that Princeton is probably the only university town in the US with a Ralph Lauren store in it. A fact that cracked me up when I first saw it. (Yes, this does sort of go back to my labels story.)

More Impressions

As I already mentioned, there are (surprisingly at least to me) quite a few military guys in my year. In fact, I sit next to one in my math class and one thing I noticed is that he is super organized and neat. I guess he gets that from his military training (or maybe not), but I haven't seen such neat handwriting from anyone in a while. It's pretty astounding (in a good way!) because my handwriting can't be deciphered by anyone most of the time (myself included sometimes).

I also met another fellow Eastern European, this time an Albanian. I guess that increases E.European representation to 3. We have to work on that; can't let our presence go unknown :)

On the more serious side, one thing that is amazing to me when I compare grad school and undergrad so far is just how much more you can relate to people in graduate school. Obviously, you share similar interests (both personal and professional) that brought you to this place and, as I already mentioned, everyone has pretty much worked/lived abroad and has incredible work experience. I feel humbled and inspired to be among such people (regardless of how cliched that sounds). Once the semester starts and I am drowning in school work, I might change my mind, but for now I am enjoying being here. Student life definitely is quite different from the working professional life I was leading in DC prior to returning to Bulgaria. This makes the transition back a lot easier and somehow helps with the nostalgia for BG.

Oh, and one last thing.... the squirrels. They are everywhere! I had forgotten what that was like since graduating from college. They are pretty amusing to observe. Sadly though, it has rained for most of the time since I arrived so I haven't really ventured around campus much, although it looks really beautiful. Somewhat similar to Smith (for all the Smithies out there) but bigger.

A New Chapter

As most of you know at this point, my return to the US was imminent... and, actually, it just happened yesterday. After a fabulous friends' wedding on Saturday where much was drunk and much fun was had, I boarded the plane on Sunday and landed at Newark International Airport sometime around 10 pm. My cousin was picking me up, which made everything so much easier. And, if it weren't for him, I might still be walking around in the rain somewhere trying to locate the entrance to my dorm. We made it to Princeton pretty quickly but of course, one could never have it that easy. I was supposed to call Public Safety once I arrived on campus who would have my packet of keys (since all other offices would be closed at that time). I did and was told that they had no keys for me. I was like, "OK, so what do I do?" (As I was talking to her, I thought... man, it's good I at least am familiar with the US and have friends here, but imagine someone who was arriving here for the first time...and they couldn't get into their room. Now that would be quite a shock.) Finally, somehow my keys appeared from somewhere. And off we were to the dorms. I thought this part would be easy, but the way the dorms are situated, there are many entrances to different buildings. So first you have to find the right building, and then the right entrance. All this with a significant lack of signs. So we spent a good 45 mins looking for the right building/entrance, which involved my cousin stopping the car every once in a while and me then going on an investigative mission in the rain. To add to all this, there wasn't a single person around that we could ask for directions. (It was already almost 1 am at this point and I hadn't slept in almost 24 hrs.) Finally, I found the right place, entered my room and all I could do was drop my bags before crashing.

Day 1: For the next three weeks prior to the semester I will be refreshing my math and econ skills, getting to know my classmates and the school, and hopefully, little by little, settling in. A couple of things worth noting so far.

1. I will be living in a dorm room that is something like 4mx3m in size. This is a big transition for me after residing in our family apartment in Sofia by myself. And, yes, I will also be eating my meals in the cafeteria. Wish me luck and patience!

2. My classmates are a pretty interesting and diverse group of people and have done some amazing things. From introductions today I recall that we have an FBI officer, the Secretary General of Doctors Without Borders, a number of foreign service officers, a number of Peace Corps volunteers, a few military guys, a lot of people who have worked in NGOs all around the world, and a class full of people who have lived and worked abroad at some point, including Darfur, Afghanistan, Iraq, Burundi, China, etc. In terms of international students, there is another Bulgarian ("surprisingly" named Ivan :) ), 3 Australians, 1 Belgian, 1 German, 2 UK citizens, 1 Pakistani, 1 Japanese, 1 Chinese and probably a few other people that I am now forgetting.

Well, that has been Day 1 so far, and it continues. I even have math homework already. Remember functions and logs? I had sort of forgotten about their existence. But I promised I wouldn't talk about school work. More impressions coming soon, I am sure.

Fashion Gaps?

Some time last week I was trying out earrings at a jewelery store when the saleswoman pointed to a pair she thought I might be interested in. I told her that I didn't like the fact they weren't entirely silver and had a yellow tint to them. She in turn assured me that cleaning them would get rid of the yellow and offered to do it right then and there. There was still something I didn't like about the earrings but somehow I felt obliged to see how they looked after she so adamantly kept recommending them. Even before putting them on I knew I wouldn't buy them. But I put them on anyway and, no surprise, I didn't like how they looked. In addition to the yellowish tint, there were some weird symbols on them that looked to me like numbers and I couldn't imagine why someone would design such earrings. I turned to the saleswoman after she asked me what I thought of them and said, "I don't really like these numbers on the earrings." She looked at me completely appalled and replied, "Those aren't numbers! That's the symbol of Versace." At which I could only muster a surprised "Oooooh!"

Shows how much I know about labels. But Versace or no Versace, those earrings still looked like crap.

Cultural Exchange

I had the opportunity to spend 5 days in Dryanovo (a town in what I define as central Bulgaria). Highlights of the trip include revisiting places of interest such as Dryanovo Monastery, the fortress Tsarevets in Veliko Tarnovo, and architectural landmark villages such as Bozhentsi and Etara. I also visited the cave Bacho Kiro for the first time. I loved seeing each and every one of these places. But the one thing that left the biggest impression on me from those 5 days was a certain cultural event -- an International Multicultural Performance Festival, which was taking place in Veliko Tarnovo but for some reason one of the nights was hosted in Dryanovo. The performance involved dance troops from South Africa, Mauritius, and Italy. So here we are in a pretty small town in the middle of Bulgaria, not one known for its cultural riches, and we are watching African dances! I found that kind of amazing. I am sure most of the people from the town had never seen Africans in person, let alone a live cultural performance such as this one. It seemed like most of the audience was really enjoying itself. As the dances came to an end and the dancers filed off the stage one by one, a lot of them were greeted by high-fives from the Bulgarian side :) I guess some "language" is universal.

Drivers' Etiquette 101

I just got back from a week of travel outside Sofia (about which I will write more in one of the next posts). Apologies for the delayed response to your comments to the last post.

One thing I notice every time I get on the road in Bulgaria, and a phenomenon that still has not died out (luckily!), is drivers' signaling to each other when there are cops "in wait" on the side of the road. If you are approaching a speed trap, the drivers from the opposite lane(s) flash their headlights a few times to signal for you to slow down. Almost every car that approaches from the opposite side of the road does this. I guess these are the remnants of drivers' etiquette in Bulgaria (because in every other respect most people here drive like maniacs, with no respect whatsoever for other drivers). But I find this little courtesy great! And as you pass the cops on the side of the road... for a second you almost want to feel sorry for them. That they will be waiting there in vain, outplayed at their own game. But then the comical image usually cracks me up :). I wish we had more "quirks" of this sort. If you can think of others, please let me know!

Dynamic Developments

So, I was gone only a few weeks and still some things have changed in Sofia. It almost amazes me. I went to see my grandmother yesterday (she lives in the city center) and part of the park next to her building (already quite small) is now a construction site. (There was not a single sign of this before I left.) Apparently, they are building an underground garage, day bar and night club (I am quoting the posting I saw at the construction site)...as if that street wasn't crowded enough already. I just don't understand why they have to get rid of every piece of greenery and all the children's playgrounds in order to build more buildings... In my eyes, this is a negative development.

But there was also a positive one I noticed. I went to pick up my renewed driver's license and where 4 weeks ago there were huge crowds and disorderly lines, now chairs lined the space inside. Everyone had to pick up a numbered ticket upon entering, then sit down and wait their turn. (As is the case in the central post office and some DSK Bank branches, probably among other places.) We are now doing things the civilized way, so it's impossible for people to skip the line, and no-one gets upset. Only this morning some people were ready to attack me at the municipality when they thought I was trying to squeeze past them and go in first. Numbers take care of this problem... to some degree. Because the chaos that ensues when the machine that prints the numbers runs out of paper, and before it is replenished, is of significant proportions, as I witnessed once. Regardless, we are moving in the right direction, and that is commendable, really.

Jumping Between Continents

I am back in Europe, almost in Bulgaria! This whole 'being here one week, being somewhere else the next' is somewhat disorienting. I almost feel like I am living a few parallel lives, with a somewhat different identity in each one. The nuances are small but they are there nonetheless. Don't know if any of you have experienced that. I don't particularly like feeling this way, but I also think that this is something that won't change... not for a while at least. So I might as well start to get used to it or, rather, finally start accepting it.

Harry Potter Mania

Yes, everyone has heard of Harry Potter. I am not a huge fan--I have read some of the books and watched a couple of the movies, but am definitely not going to go to any extreme lengths or sacrifices for either. Book 7 (the latest and last of the series) came out in the U.S. on Saturday, July 21. All big book stores, like Barnes&Noble (B&N) and Borders, were advertising Harry Potter parties at midnight the night of July 20-21; women dressed as witches greeted people on the sidewalks outside these bookstores ready to usher eager fans inside.... I found the whole thing a little ridiculous (apologies in advance to any Harry Potter fans, but I always speak my mind).

My sister is a somewhat bigger fan (also not the type to line up and wait for hours to get the book, but she has read each and every one of them). So I had promised to get it for her from the States. That proved a little harder than I had imagined. I pictured going into a bookstore and just purchasing it, but no. On Saturday (the day the book came out), Borders and B&N were only giving out copies to people who had preordered them. All others (myself included) were placed on a waiting list. A little later that day I got a call that I could pick up my "waitlisted" copy. At that point I was too far away from that particular bookstore to go back there again, but thought, well, if they have extra copies now, I can surely get one tomorrow. Next day, the couple of bookstores that I visited were all out of Book 7. In the end, I resigned to the possibility that I might just have to order it online for her and have it shipped to Europe. But the next day, on a visit to Target, I caught glimpse of piles of Book 7. No lines, no waiting lists, no nothing. I think there is something to be said about multiproduct/-line stores like Target. You can usually find everything there.

Not that I am trying to advertise or anything. But it worked well for me. Now Book 7 is residing in my sister's room, waiting to be read.

Sing Sing Sing

Monday night I returned to one of my old-time favorites in DC: the 9:30 Club. The 9:30 Club is a live-music venue where I have seen the likes of Garbage, Blur, Moby, Fat Boy Slim, Thievery Corporation, Gotan Project, and others during my five years of living in DC. I found out last week that Travis were playing there on Monday and given that that's where I had seen them last live in concert (after their album 12 Memories came out), decided it would be a good thing to see them there again. Also even before leaving DC last year, I hadn't been to the 9:30 Club in a looong time, so it was indeed a welcome opportunity. The concert was amazing! I had enjoyed their last live appearance, but if I have to rate it on a scale of 1-10, that was a 7, while this one was definitely a 10! The guys just seemed a lot more full of life, Fran (the vocalist) was making conversation with the crowd the whole time, and they played all of my favorite songs! :) Some of the amusements of the night included the band coming out to the music of Rocky wearing boxing robes, making their way through the crowd from the back to the stage; Fran shouting out to the guy backstage to hand out water to the crowd because "it is bloody hot here", and Andy (the guitarist) climbing up the speakers to the second-story balcony to "rock out" on his guitar from up high. Oh, and they ended the encore with an awesome cover of AC/DC's Back in Black. Fran really pulled the voice off--pretty impressive! I haven't felt that positive and full of energy after a concert in a while. So, if Travis are playing in a city near you, go check them out. Or, you can also listen to songs from their new album, The Boy With No Name, at myspace or to a recording of the 9:30 show at NPR's Web site (not the highest quality sound, but still).

You Lose Some, You Win Some

So, Argentina lost pretty badly to Brazil in the Copa America final...sadly. I was really hoping they would pull through in the second half, but guess it just wasn't their day. But all wasn't lost since my friend and I made a pretty cool acquaintance at the neighborhood bar in DC while watching the game, and we are invited to a barbecue next weekend. Something that would never happen in Bulgaria. I guess what I am trying to say is that things are looking up, or at least, I am focusing on the "glass half full" type of stuff. How were your weekends?

A Flashback to 1986-88

I have had quite a few curious encounters in the last few months. First, a classmate of mine from the time I lived in Zimbabwe found my blog and got in touch (hadn't been in touch with him for 15 years). Then I was approached by a guy I used to sit next to in 4th grade in Sofia. Well, yesterday I had yet another such experience. A girl who I was really good friends with from 1st to 3rd grade, but had lost touch with since 1989, found me on Facebook. Again, I was slightly embarrassed by the fact that I didn't recognize her right away and completely amazed that she had. Well, interestingly enough she has also been living in the States for a while. Funny how our paths with different people cross, then diverge, but then cross again. I guess we are all zig-zagging across the globe.

Globalization at Work in Washington, DC

A respectable Malaysian restaurant in downtown DC turns into a Bulgarian chalga club some Saturday nights. I really wanted to see this phenomenon for myself but unfortunately missed the party last Saturday. Don't know if I will get another opportunity, but just found the concept semi-ridiculous and at the same time intriguing. Talk about cultural crossover... :)

Today...

Today I just feel kind of empty. I hope the feeling goes away. It's been good to see all my friends here, but somehow I just can't shake off the feeling that I don't belong here. Which in turn makes it very hard to imagine that I will be spending another two years on this side of the Atlantic, starting very soon. Sigh. I know it will be different in an academic environment, both atmosphere-wise and socially, but still... why can't I be thrilled instead of semi-excited?

Stamps and Stickers

I was staring at my passport today. In the last few years and especially now with Bulgaria’s entry into the EU it has slowly emptied of visas… and also of stamps. Now when you pass through immigration in another EU country all you get is a nod. Not that that is something to necessarily complain about (in fact, it most definitely is not) … but somehow, all of a sudden, I find my passport looking kind of empty. Well, not completely empty though. Because the stamps and visas have been replaced by security stickers on its outer covers. Stickers verifying that the security “screeners” at the airport (when you fly a US airline to the US) have asked you all of their security questions (like “Who packed your bags? When and where did you pack your bags? Are you carrying any weapons or objects that can be used as weapons?”) and deemed you NOT to be a potential threat. The stickers are different colors on the different days and they bear the “screener’s” initials and the date of the flight. These stickers also get attached to your checked luggage. If a piece of luggage appears in the luggage area that does not bare the right sticker, it is removed. (I am not really sure what happens to it afterwards but I wouldn’t be surprised if it were destroyed.) But I think I went off on a tangent. All I wanted to say is that although we are now more free to move unhindered across borders, in other areas the prohibitions continue to grow. The visa “stickers” on the passport pages have been replaced by small security stickers on the covers. I wonder where we will go next?

Is Drinking a Crime?

I was sitting in a bar in Atlanta airport yesterday afternoon. (I am in the U.S. for a couple of weeks to take care of a few things before school, but will be headed back to Bulgaria again afterward.) Well, it was actually the bar part of T.G.I. Friday’s. And it was packed. As soon as a seat freed up, somebody would immediately take it. The reason it was packed was that it was TINY. I don’t know about you… but to me this says a lot. It says, “We don’t want to have too many people drinking, so we limit the space in which it can be done.” (There was no other bar around in the terminal in which I had to wait for my connecting flight.) I know this it not true of all bars, but I feel that the general attitude towards drinking in the U.S. is somewhat…hypocritical, because everyone drinks and wants to drink, yet if you see someone drinking in the park, for example, you most certainly will frown at them… if not call the police.

As I sipped on my beer, the setting almost made me feel like I was committing a crime. It definitely did not lift my spirits as I thought it would when I first headed over to grab a beer. SIGH. Guess this is what I will have to get used to again. This and the whole “Can I see your I.D.?” thing. I don’t know…does it depress any of you? (of those of you who live or have lived in the U.S.)

Sitting in a Vacuum

I don't know if you have ever experienced this... but some days just feel like I am sitting in a vacuum. Nothing happens and they just pass by. It's almost like they didn't exist. This happens most frequently when I am traveling, especially cross-Atlantic. The day of travel is like a day that didn't exist. The time difference makes the whole experience even more confusing. Usually I enjoy those days when I fly, especially longer distances because it gives me time to think and be by myself with my thoughts, desires, dreams. I rarely fly with someone else, so I am truly undisturbed most of the time. For those X hours of travel, I can forget about daily cares and problems and focus on the big picture.

I kind of feel like that right now. I am not traveling per se but since I am in a place where I have no responsibilities or daily routine (I am currently in Brussels where my parents live) and no real need to sightsee (since I have been here several times before), I feel like the days pass by quite uneventfully. Actually, I haven't even thought about big-picture stuff either. I guess since I am close to making another somewhat big change in my life, I am currently at the stage of "semi-denial" where I try to push all thoughts on serious matters out of my head. On the one hand, I have enjoyed these last few "carefree" days; on the other, it almost seems like there will be nothing to remember them by. Does that mean they have been a waste?

You Laugh a Little, You Cry a Little

Some of you already know this, but I have decided to share it here with everyone who reads this blog, given that all readers, especially the regulars, now share in my life somehow. My stay in Bulgaria will be coming to an end in 2 months' time...for now, at least. The reason I finally decided to share this here is that I feel torn. But let me back-track a little bit to tell you the full story.

I had applied to graduate schools (International Relations and Public Policy) and was supposed to start school in fall 2006. But I decided to defer for a year and return to Bulgaria instead, promising myself that I would indeed end up going to school the following year if I got accepted to my first-choice school and received enough financial aid to make the decision rational. In the meantime, I wanted to discover for myself what Bulgaria was like, what it is like to live here, and make my own conclusions as to whether I could and want to live here. After 9.5 months, the answer is a very definite YES. So definite, that now I feel somewhat sad that I have to leave for the States again. Don't get me wrong, I am very excited about graduate school, being a student again, and being surrounded by brilliant people, but I will miss Bulgaria, my life here, and everyone in it tremendously. But guess like that poem about the penguin states, I have come to the realization that no matter what, I will always miss something from the other side of the ocean. It is inevitable when I have spent so much time in both places.

What I feel happy about though is that I no longer feel scared of the prospect of ending up here...in fact, at this point in time, I would prefer it, but we'll see what the future has in store. And before bidding Bulgaria farewell for the next two years, I plan to take full advantage of the remaining time (and to document the interesting points here, of course). And no matter where I am, I will continue to write about the things, people, places and happenings that leave an impression. I do hope you will continue reading.

I will be back and forth in the coming weeks, so apologies in advance if I don't update this as often as I usually do.

Extra Costs to Car-Ownership in BG

The last few days I have been running around trying to take care of things I should have done a long time ago. But since they involve dealing with Bulgarian bureaucracy of various sorts, I have been putting them off for a while. One such chore--renewing my driver's licence. Turned out that it wasn't all that hard, but getting to the traffic police office was a pain (there is only one location where you can get this done in Sofia), especially in the heat we have been experiencing lately. I actually went twice. Once, to find out what documents I needed and the second time to hand my documents in. Not that bad, given that I was done in under 10 mins both times. However, both times that I went there was looooong line of cars waiting to be registered. The line actually continued for a kilometer or more. Turns out that people sometimes wait for 24 hours or longer to register their car. I have heard horror stories of drivers starting to line up in the middle of the night, often sleeping in their cars, in the hopes of being able to go through in one day. I can't imagine what that must be like. And I also can't believe that there is only one location in all of Sofia where you can register your car. Thankfully, I have not had to go through this myself... but it kind of makes me think twice about the prospect of getting a car. The only upside I can think of is that you bond with other drivers and get to meet new people by hanging out in the shade together. :)

The Invasion of the Metrosexuals

I paid my first visit to the long-renovated Yalta Club on Saturday. My boss (who, btw, is a huge fan of house music) had free passes from a friend, so a bunch of us from work went. This time around the DJ spinning was not a big name (as has become the norm at Yalta where during the span of 2-3 months the likes of Pete Tong, Steve Lawler, Hernan Cattaneo, etc. graced us with their presence every weekend). The music was OK... but what I couldn't help but notice was the crowd...and, more specifically, the guys.

I am sure you have all heard the term metrosexual, used basically to describe guys who are really into their looks and take the time and spend the money to look good. Well, Yalta was PACKED with them and I am not exaggerating at all. In fact, I don't think I saw one "regular-looking" guy, apart from the guys from work. It was pretty ridiculous. The clothes, the hair, the sunglasses... even the moves on the dance floor. It was a bit too much. Suffice it to say, that I am not really into guys who spend more time and money on their appearance than I do :) (And the funny thing was that the women weren't the dressy/preppy type at all.)

What I found amazing though in thinking about this is that this type of phenomenon did not exist a few years back. Bulgarian guys prided themselves on looking macho and being "manly" so to speak. In fact, they would have reacted with disgust to seeing such men amongst themselves. Times change I guess.

Though I would add the caveat that these guys are probably predominantly part of the house/clubbing scene; they haven't overrun Sofia quite yet :). Thankfully, I don't see many of them at the other places I like to hang out, like Toba&Co, Alcohol, Cabaret and Mojito.