Science vs. Nature

You may have heard about the prehistoric shark spotted off the coast of Japan earlier this week. I hadn't, until a friend brought it to my attention yesterday. Well, not only was it spotted, but it was also captured... and later died in captivity. Lovely. So now we will have an even smaller chance of spotting one of its kind again.

Sometimes, I am amazed at how little thought is given to the consequences of certain actions. One might say, scientists needed to examine it in order to further our understanding of such species. Well, capturing it definitely didn't help that cause, and even diminished our chances of learning anything more about its kind. How much intelligence is needed to realize that a species that lives in very deep water might be endangered by being placed in tank is beyond me... and I totally second this Greenpeace blogger's sentiments.

Why can't we let nature just be sometimes?

story and initial feelings of discontent via ahsan.m

Shock...and more shock

Yesterday morning I learned that our company car had been stolen the night before. I was somewhat shocked. It was brand new and we had leased it only a month ago. Then I was told how it happened. My shock was even greater. Actually our company driver had been thrown out of the car (in front of his home), before it was driven away.

There are many versions of who might have been involved and why. Turns out that it still matters where you get your car "insurance" from... something I thought was history. Guess that shows how naive I am concerning quite a few things in my country.

To support or not support strangers' drinking?

An interesting thing happened today. I was waiting for a friend at a central location in Sofia (Попа), when a young guy (seemingly of high school age) approached me with the words:
"Baby, I don't mean to be a nuisance... actually, that is the last thing that I want to be--annoying--but do you happen to have 17 stotinki to contribute for a bottle of rakia?"
I could clearly see the guy was already pretty drunk. I didn't want to be entirely rude and just tell him to "f*** off" because I rarely say that to anyone as it is, but also despite the small sum of money he was requesting, I wasn't quite sure I wanted to contribute to his drunkenness. Dilemma... so I decided to stall. And asked him, "So, 17 stotinki is all you need to buy a bottle of rakia?" He explained that he could ask for 50, but that I most likely won't give them to him, so instead he decided to shoot for a more negligible sum, making it less likely for me to refuse.
Me: "Are you sure you need more rakia?"
Guy: "Yes."
Me: "Why?"
Guy: "Well, why not. I am only hurting myself. I am not doing anything bad to anyone else. Is it better if I went around shooting people?"
Me (slightly confused at the rationale): "That's not the point."
Guy (growing slightly exasperated): "What is the point?"
Me: "Why do you need to hurt yourself to begin with?"
Guy (slightly startled by the question; doesn't answer right away): "... Well, why not? What does that concern you?"
Me: "I guess nothing, but I don't know if I want to be supporting someone else's drinking habits."
We get interrupted by an older man (also reeking of alcohol) who urgently needs to talk to the young guy. He asks me whether I would excuse him (the young guy) for a second. I laugh to myself at this quite absurd scenario: a guy is asking me for money and I need to excuse him while he steps away and stops asking me for money (???). Anyhow... I can see that the young guy has grown quite desperate at this point. He has been talking to me for 5 mins and he seems no closer to getting the money. Yet, I haven't straight out refused to give it to him either. In one last desperate shot he asks:
"So, will you or won't you give me the money?"
Me: "Well, first go see what that man so desperately needs from you. And then if you still need it, come back and I will give it to you."
Guy: "No, give it to me now, before I go talk to him."
Me: "I don't think you are in a position to set conditions for me."
Guy: "Man, I have been talking my ass off for the past 10 minutes... and for what? for 20 stotinki. Fine, don't give it to me then."
And he walked away.

I know someone else will probably give him the money or, if not, he will still find a way to buy his bottle of rakia. However, it felt good not to support someone else's excessive drinking (which, judging from the conversation, seems to happen on a regular basis), and without even having to directly refuse to give him the money. In the end I figured he didn't want it that badly, if he gave up that easily. I know some of you may think that I was being too moral and spoiled a guy's chance to have a good time... well, guess the angel in me won this battle.

Global warming, really?

I don't know about you, but I say that people who still claim that there is no such thing as global warming (or global climate change as I think is more accurate to say) are kidding themselves. While everyone in Bulgaria is enjoying the warm spring weather (with temperatures between 12 and 15 degrees Celsius), I am completely horrified and feel uneasy. But I seem to be the only one.

The complete shock came on Monday when a co-worker of mine brought snowdrops (кокичета), the flowers, to work. In Bulgaria, at least in the past, the appearance of snowdrops used to signal the arrival of spring. Well, it seems that spring has arrived in mid-January this year. Disturbing? To me, yes, but people around me seem euphoric.

Snow in California, hurricanes in Western and Central Europe, no snow whatsoever in the Alps....only a foreshadowing of what is to come? I can write so much on the topic and about my concerns and would be happy to discuss. Capital published extensive articles on the topic in their last issue, even discussing the benefits that some countries will reap from such drastic climate change. It seems that there are two main actions to take: 1) make drastic and concerted changes in an attempt to reverse the trend of increasing carbon emissions and global warming, and 2) take action to prepare for the changes that are already becoming fact... The EU has made the former one of its top priorities... I really hope that Bulgaria individually will also follow suit. But as was pointed out in Capital, the action that the EU and other Western economies could take will have little effect if India and China (for starters) don't make changes as well. True, yet I believe that in addition to being driven centrally, change has to come from each of us. Yes, we have to recycle our garbage, use eco-friendly cars, and conserve water and electricity. In Bulgaria, we are far from this reality.

Case in point: In the fall of 2006 the government introduced the concept of recycling to the population, providing recycling bins for paper, plastic, and glass around Sofia (and perhaps other cities in Bulgaria, although I can't confirm this fact), and even have a promotion campaign going on (albeit somewhat muted) to popularize the concept. Being a strong supporter of recycling, I happily started separating my paper, from my plastic, from my glass... until they simply removed the bins that had been standing in front of my apartment building. I may be the only one that really wants to recycle in this city... and I CAN'T... how absurd is that? So few people recycle to begin with, and by not making recycling bins easily accessible, the government is definitely not encouraging the practice. And, yes, I am enraged (which I rarely am).

Fact remains, I am concerned about the ecological state of the world. I think everyone should be, and until the majority do become concerned, nothing much will be done about the global warming problem.

So, now it's your turn.

My favorite place

It has been decided. My Mojito, or just Mojito as it is known colloquially to all Sofia dwellers, is my favorite place to go out for a dance/party night. Reasons I like it so much:

1. You dance to classics (from the high school years) such as INXS, Depeche, Faithless, Prodigy mixed in with more recent hits from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gnarls Barkley, The Gorillaz, etc.
2. You are almost certain to meet someone you know. Right before New Year's I met half of my high school there (or what felt like it), plus a few US-residing friends returned for the holidays.
   
3. Everybody around you is always having a good time--how can you not be? It almost feels like you are holding the party in your own living room and everyone is your friend.

But it has one big drawback: too much smoke, which tires me out pretty quickly in the best-case scenario and makes my eyes itch in the worst. Not to mention how my clothes and hair stink of cigarettes afterwards.

Two amusing things I noticed in/about Mojito lately:

1. A guy headbanging like crazy to Anouk's Nobody's Wife --hmmm, isn't the song made by a woman for women?
2. 6-7 bouncers standing outside in the cold next to a small electrical heater... one of the them gets very upset when you don't carry a handbag (that he can check); he actually threatens that he won't let you in next time. I guess with 6-7 of them they really are in dire need of things to do :)
   

The last few weeks

Happy New Year everyone! Apologies for the late wishes and my absence. Since 22 December a lot has happened. I spent some time in Brussels, some time in Athens, was on the inaugural flight to arrive at the new Sofia Airport terminal from Brussels (very symbolic :) ) where the "first passengers to arrive at Terminal 2" were greeted with much fanfare: bread and salt offered by women in traditional dress, TV and other cameras, public officials, including the prime minister, and lots of applause! I actually did feel somewhat special, especially after we were all given a coin specially minted for the occasion. I greeted the New Year in Bulgaria with lots of light and fireworks, hung out with dear friends returned briefly from the U.S. (it actually felt good to be the one greeting and welcoming people back, rather than the other way around). Bulgaria entered the EU (which resulted in my not getting asked anything upon entering Athens; my passport was given only a 2-second lookover... unbelievable! :) ) and it was decided that Bulgarians will most likely have to write/pronounce euro as "еуро" rather than "евро" in the future. I am sure I am forgetting something, but I will leave it at that for now.

I wish you all a great and happy start to 2007 and may it continue that way!