When Pets Are Better Taken Care of Than People

I have seen my fair share of absurd pet accessories and "services" in the U.S. From strollers to ensure those toy dogs with tiny legs don't get tired from walking around to pet grooming salons to help your pet keep up with the latest fashion. For those who may have been bored on a domestic flight in the U.S. and taken to perusing the magazines in the seat pocket in front of you, you may have been dumbfounded by a mail catalog that includes a "pet ramp" as part of its product offering. If you don't know what I am talking about, here are some examples. I am really starting to believe that the U.S. is the one country in the world where supply generates demand for all this junk - from the unnecessary to the truly redundant. I had thought I had seen it all, when this weekend, while in NYC, I ran into my first ad for a pet resort on the street. I didn't bother to find out where this pet resort is located, but seriously...What's next, doggie driving school?

The Spoonfed Nation

The last time I took the train from New York's Penn Station to Princeton, I asked myself a question I had asked myself many times: Why are passengers not allowed to stand on the train platforms and wait for their train there like in almost all other countries, instead of waiting upstairs and staring incessantly at a monitor until their train platform is announced? This has always really puzzled me. At first, I had thought it could be because of safety concerns, but how could these concerns differ from those of passengers waiting for the subway for example? Then I considered the possibility that it was due to heavy traffic through the station, but would traffic really be heavier than at London's Victoria Station for example? Not so sure. But then I came to another possible explanation that seemed to fit pretty well based on observations from other parts of daily life in the U.S.: they don't want people to wait on the train platforms to prevent passengers from getting on the wrong train. I know it may sound absurd at first, but there is a high likelihood of that happening given how many trains pass through Penn Station in any given span of time. And it is even more likely given how accustomed people here are to having everything spelled out to them. What do I mean exactly?

Well, road signs consist mostly of words (not actual signs like in Europe and most other places): Yield, Right Lane Must Turn Right, etc. Yellow signs alert you to a "Wet Floor". Coffee cup sleeves tell you that you are about to consume "a hot beverage". And peanut packets make sure you know that your snack "contains nuts." I know that such disclaimers and signs exist mostly to prevent litigation, but at the same time, I think they have the somewhat perverse effect of making people more dependent on external actors and less reliant on themselves. People start thinking less for themselves and their basic "survival skills", if I can call them that, are debilitated.

But let's return to Penn Station. As I boarded my train and stared out the window, I noticed that a station employee was standing near the stairs. Then I also noticed that almost every single person who came down the stairs to board the train asked him whether this was Track 3, whether this was the train to Trenton, or whether they should get on on this train or the one on the opposite side of the platform. These might all have been valid questions, except for the fact that a "Track 3" sign hung directly in front of you as you came down the stairs, the side of the train read "Trenton", and the train on the opposite track was dark and had all its doors closed. If no-one had been standing there to direct them, they would have just had to figure it out themselves.

Having observed those few things, I concluded that there is very high probability that people could inadvertently board the wrong train if simply allowed to stand on the train platform at all times, given how little attention they seem to pay to implicit (and sometimes even, explicit) signals. I also concluded that the U.S. is probably the most spoonfed nation in the world, for better or worse.


P.S. The above are obviously just personal assumptions/conclusions. I would love to hear what you think or to have you negate them, especially if you know the official reason for why people are not allowed to wait on the train platforms at most major U.S. train stations. :)

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 :)

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".

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.

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...

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!

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?

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?

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.)

A Glimpse Through the Guggenheim and a Return to 15 Years Ago

On Monday, I decided it was high time I visited the Guggenheim Museum. I had been to New York numerous times but never gotten around to it. Well, despite the fact that the building was under renovation, and I didn't get to see it in all its architectural glory from the outside, the visit certainly was worth it. The biggest current exhibition was that of Spanish painters, from El Greco to Picasso. I had seen a lot of works by Spanish painters both at El Prado in Madrid and elsewhere, but I really appreciated the way in which the Guggenheim had arranged the exhibition. Instead of ordering paintings chronologically or by time periods and art movements, the museum had decided to break with tradition, so to speak, and had arranged the works thematically. Thus one could see Goya and Picasso side by side and pick up the similarities between their work which might otherwise go unnoticed by the amateur art lover (and which I myself would never think to explore proactively). Turns out, that although living in different centuries and embodying two distinctly different art movements, their work had more overlap than I ever would have thought. One could pick up just where Picasso had been influenced by Goya and other predecessors, for example. Just something I thought was worth noting.

And as if that wasn't enough excitement for one day, I also got to meet a middle-school classmate of mine I hadn't seen in 15 years. Funnily enough, he found me through this very blog and got in touch. It's amazing what Google and the internet can do for you these days. Who would have thought that after going to school together in Harare, Zimbabwe, we would end up meeting up 15 years later in New York City? Never in a million years would I have believed that. But, life is full of twists and turns and keeps us on our toes. I personally appreciate such off-course occurrences.

Anyone got similar unexpected "turn of events" stories to share?

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.

Reverse Culture Shock

On March 17th, after a two-hour flight, five-hour layover and a second nine-hour flight, I arrived in Washington, DC. No worries, I have not decided to suddenly leave Bulgaria :); I am here for two weeks to attend a friend's civil marriage and see friends and wander around the rest of the time. I was looking forward to visiting. Although I can't say that I have really missed the US, a feeling of nostalgia had begun building up over the past few months. However, almost as soon as I landed and overheard a few conversations in which "like" and "you know" were the most frequently used expressions, the nostalgia began to evaporate. Don't get me wrong. There are many things I love about the States--from the diversity of people to the abundance of all sorts of international cuisine, to the amazing landscape in some areas and the easy-goingness of most Americans when it comes to meeting new people. But, as chance would have it, even after only 6 months in Bulgaria, I was suffering from culture shock.

Everything seemed extremely BIG first of all--cars, buildings, roads, even the people, unfortunately. I also noticed some permanent level of stress.... at least in DC, even as I am on vacation here. Life seems more hectic and stressful to some extent. Case in point: I had sent an email out to friends and acquaintances here to get us all together at a bar on Tuesday night starting at 9 pm. Most of my non-Bulgarian friends told me they couldn't make it at 9 pm on a work day... that it was too late in the night for them (?!?!?!?) I was slightly confused. Needless to say, in Bulgaria people have no problem with going out any day of the week at almost any time of the evening. Just a difference that became apparent right away. People are too busy here... mostly with their jobs, and I can't get used to this after I started appreciating the fact that at home people really care about protecting their personal life and time.

A few other things that seemed odd to me were: 1) the large throngs of tourists wearing their tourist uniforms (khakis and white sneakers) getting on and off the metro in DC, 2) the overwhelming variety of products to choose from (whether food items at the supermarket or shampoo at the pharmacy), 3) the over-friendliness or zealousness of waiters and waitresses (normal when tips are your primary source of income). There are probably things I am forgetting right now, but I will post them later if they come to me. For now, just wanted to put down my first impressions, before they too get lost as I adjust back to US reality.

Yesterday I arrived in New York City. I am not NYC's #1 fan, but I still feel a sense of awe and amazement every time I see the NYC skyline at night... it always takes my breath away, and last night was no exception.

Postal Space

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

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

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

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

Only in the gay part of town...

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


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

Back on track

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

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

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

The Value of Life (and my attempt to not get too philosophical)

Quick update: I managed to get sand in my shoes several times since the last post.

Every day, I think of more and more things I could write about, share my impressions of, express an opinion on... I have assembled a small collection of potential "stories". Well, today I decided to actually put one on paper (or should I say cyberspace?). I am reminded of what I am about to write every time I hear police sirens. Because police sirens in downtown DC frequently equal the procession escorting President Bush to his next destination. Several motorcycles, followed by several tainted-window SUVs, followed by several luxury limo-type cars (also with tainted windows), again followed by SUVs and motorcycles. (I am sure it is actually a perfectly symmetrical arrangement, all flashing in red and blue.) And it makes me wonder--here is this one man, protected by dozens of people and guns, while in other parts of the world tens (sometimes hundreds) of people are massacred every day... but hardly anyone pays attention, let alone does anything to protect or save these people. So are we in reality assigning different values to the lives of different individuals? And how can we be right in doing that when it just seems plain wrong?