New York City Highlights
It is funny to think that the activity I have undertaken most frequently since arriving in NYC is eating :). But from the celebration of my friends' marriage to trying out delicious cold and hot bars at Whole Foods (so-called organic food store that I used to frequent in DC and whose counterparts in NYC are three times the size) to cooking Bulgarian meals at my friends' place, I have managed to move от трапеза на трапеза (from table to table, as we say in Bulgarian). Yesterday though, we took an almost 3-hour long walk with Meggie (the recent bride) in Central Park--partly to take advantage of the sunny weather and partly to walk off all the Greek food from the previous night. Central Park is probably one of my favorite places in NYC--not only because it is one of the few (if not, only) green areas in Manhattan, but also because you can spot all sorts of activity there. From rollerskating/-dancing to children playing medieval knights, the summers make the park especially jam-packed with activity.
One thing I absolutely love about going out in NYC (and DC): no smoking in bars and clubs. After reeking of cigarettes and coughing my lungs out every time I go out in Sofia, places here seem like heaven to me. Well, I still prefer the party scene in BG, but the smoke-free element is definitely a plus here. Last night we went to Alphabet Lounge... quite a fun place in Alphabet City (a part of East Village in Manhattan) where I had to justify my return to Bulgaria to quite a few Bulgarians I was meeting for the first time and explain to the Americans what my job at home entails. For the first time in 10 years I was in the position of talking from the perspective of someone just visiting the States whose life is now in Bulgaria, instead of the other way around, and that felt good.
2 comments:
Hi Denitza! I started reading your blog and I loved it! It's interesting to see things from your perspective. You've been pointing out differences in US and Bulgarian lifestyle. I'm interested to know about your impressions on the dating scene in the US and in Bulgaria. What's the difference in dating an American and a Bulgarian guy?
Lora hi! Thanks for reading and writing :) The question you pose is not an easy one for me to answer... primarily because I personally have not dated any American guys (believe it or not!) No particular reason for this... just chance I guess. But if I were to respond based on my observations from the sidelines of what differentiates the US dating scene from the Bulgarian one, I would note the following. Now, of course, others may disagree with me, but this is simply my perspective:
1) The concept of "dating" is quite different in Bulgaria to begin with. That is, the practice of dating 2 or more guys at the same time, and then picking one (or none) to go steady with is not that widespread (whereas in the US it seems to be the norm and no-one is surprised by it). In Bulgaria the concept goes more like this: go on several dates with one guy... see how it goes, if you like each other then you go steady, if not, then you move on. But mostly dating happens on a one-at-a-time basis if I can call it that.
2) Somehow I think that in Bulgaria people get more serious more quickly (as in the period from going out on dates to relationship is shorter).
3) Bulgarian guys tend to be more chivalrous (or macho, depending on your viewpoint) than American guys--e.g., they almost always pick up the check, whether it be dinner or a drink, first date or tenth; they hold doors for you, open the car door for you to get in etc. I'm not saying guys in the US don't do that.. but I think they don't do it as much.
4) Bulgarian guys are much more likely to feel threatened by a successful woman than American guys. This goes back to what I was saying about BG guys being more macho... To a large extent, Bulgaria still is a very patriarchal society. However, I have noticed a difference between guys who have lived only (or mostly) in Bulgaria and Bulgarian guys who have lived abroad. The patriarchal element has mellowed quite a bit in the latter case.
I think those are the main things I can think of right now. If anything else comes to mind, I will add it on.
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