How to Graduate from High School in Bulgaria

1. Wear the most revealing dress you can find.
2. Count from 1 to 12 out loud over and over and over and OVER....and OVER.
3. Act as if the streets, the clubs, the city etc. are yours and don't care about what anyone else around you might want.
4. Show up in the flashiest car.
5. Don't be caught dead without a date.
6. Count from 1 to 12 out loud over and over and over and OVER (oh... oops, I already mentioned that)

The above may be slightly exaggerated, but it is not that far from the truth. End of May is the time of high school graduation balls in Bulgaria. Every evening at the end of May involves lots of honking, cars with balloons driving by, dressed up teenagers on the streets, in restaurants, clubs, etc., screaming (did I mention counting?), drunkenness and celebration. It's like the city is overrun by high school graduates all of a sudden. It is an interesting experience, especially since I haven't experienced this since my own high school graduation. A few things have changed since then though. For starters, we didn't count from 1 to 12 (for all the school grades completed). Our families also didn't arrange for fancy celebrations at restaurants prior to the actual ball. We simply celebrated at home. I was talking with a friend about this and we were wondering how much money parents throw on such an evening. Your guess is as good as mine.