So, from here I start the series of posts from my home country. After two weeks in Sofia, I am slowly starting to feel less like a visitor and more like a citizen of my hometown. As suspected, my list of observations to post here is growing, and I will try to keep up.
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.
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.
This made my Christmas :)
Antonia (my cousin's daughter)... so I guess, technically, my niece
Pearls and swine, bereft of me
long and weary my road has been
I was lost in the cities
Alone in the hills
No sorrow or pity
For leaving I feel-yeah
I am not your rolling wheels
I am the highway
I am not your carpet ride
I am the sky
Friends and liars
Dont wait for me
'Cause I'll get on
I'll get on all by myself
I put millions of miles
Under my heels
And still too close to you
I feel, yeah eh eh
I am not your rolling wheels
I am the highway
I am not your carpet ride
I am the sky
I am not your blowing wind
I am the lightning
I am not your autumn moon
I am the night
