You know you are in New York when...

... a man on a unicycle cycles down the street amidst traffic while talking on his cell phone. Seeing that truly felt like an Amelie Poulain moment.

Social Security in the Digital Age

On Friday, I went to one of the Social Security Administration offices in New York. I was told to take a number from the machine and sit down to wait my turn. I expected that, similarly to most other places where you are asked to take a number (e.g., DMV), my number would eventually appear on some digital screen and a computer voice would direct me to the correct counter a la "Now serving number B22 at counter number 5." Well, it didn't quite work this way. Instead, as a counter opened up, the person behind the counter would shout out the next number in line (which most of us in the waiting area would not be able to hear since she didn't speak into a microphone/loudspeaker). Then this number would be repeated by the security guard standing in the waiting area for everyone to hear. Talk about taking advantage of modern technology. At that rate, they might as well have just handed us hand-written numbers. In fact, my experience there reminded me quite a bit of my visits to administrative agencies in Bulgaria. Well, minus the constant complaining that you get back home.

I would rather not work for an organization that...

... includes the country, "Chili", on a powerpoint presentation (presented live) to potential job applicants to describe the various countries in which the organization implements projects. Yeah, not even in this economy.

The Slow but Certain Takeover

Several months ago, I noticed the aluminum water bottle's first entry into the classroom. A few of my classmates had one. Then it started conquering space. I would see more and more people drink from one. And the trend continued to spread. Right before Christmas, having gotten tired of feeling guilty about always using and throwing away so much plastic, I decided to finally get one myself. I would highly recommend it. Not only do I not have to worry about whether I have a water bottle handy or not, the water actually tastes better (or, rather, maintains its natural taste, as opposed to tasting of plastic). And I have reduced my plastic consumption at least a bit. Today, while sitting in on a presentation I noticed that every single water bottle in the room save for one was an aluminum one. I am pretty excited about this fact. Yes, it may only be a fashion trend but if it helps reduce plastic, I am all for it.

Happy New Year!

May 2009 be your year!

- from cold and foggy Sofia, where it's -13 degrees C (9 F)

Sofia in the Winter Time

Sofia can be pretty depressing during winter. I have always wondered why it appears more depressing to me than other cities. After all, many cities are gray, rainy/snowy, and dark during winter. Perhaps it's because it's "my city" (the one in which I was born) or perhaps it is because I know it much better than other cities and am able to make comparisons to what it looks and feels like during other times of the year. Although these things seem somewhat superficial to an extent. As I thought about this today, I realized that perhaps I feel this way because of something (or things) entirely different. To an extent, I always find Sofia a little bit depressing because I feel like a guest here (which, technically, I am). Although I have lived outside of Sofia for ten years now, this feeling still throws me off every time I come back. Similarly, it feels awkward to meet up with good friends just once or twice while I am here, for lack of time on both sides. It almost feels like I am just checking them off of some to-do list and moving on to the next item. It sucks! But this year I also noticed something else...the fact that nothing seems to change here. And I am not talking about new buildings, bars and restaurants cropping up, but rather about the way of life. A significant number of the people who hung out at bars, cafes and nightclubs ten years ago, still hang out at bars, cafes and nightclubs now. There is nothing wrong with that per se. I like it that people are social and like to go out, but sometimes I wonder if they actually want to get something more out of life, outside of the drinking and partying. Yes, maybe this makes me sound like a prune... or old or something, but I feel like people should be moving from one stage of their lives to the next, not be stuck in their teenage years forever. I realize that people are bound by certain constraints, which are greater for some than for others, but still ... I find the whole "standstill" quite depressing. It makes me wonder though why I didn't notice it while I was living here in 2006-07. I guess once you "go native", you lose the ability to view things more objectively. Or perhaps I have also changed since then.