My New Year's Greetings!

Do you like my new background?! I find it very cool!!!

I LOVE that time of the year! There is something (or a lot) in the idea that everyone gathers with his/ her family! Furthermore, the hustle and bustle of shopping for the holidays, titillating yourself for more creative (and sometimes more practical) ideas for presents, arousing others’ excitement with the surprises you prepared for them, all this just piles up to the special idea of the holiday season.

Sending cards goes hand in hand with presents. It is a pleasure for me to look for cards that go with particular person. This year I had a card spree as well but a lot more limited – both for I would like to be environment friendly and because it is cheaper because my boyfriend traveled to the States and posted the cards for me.
So in search for envelop gifts I even left the second half of a lecture – that was the only way I could get shops right before closing. I was purposefully looking for cards that say Merry Christmas BUT in BG (Kay, you can take a pic of yours and post it ;)) – I do not see the point in sending a card to an American that has greetings in EN, so that was my only requirement. I thought it won’t be difficult but was not right!!! I hunted into several shops till eventually I got some. Never have I thought it will be that pain!

Another problem was that one of my friends is Jewish! GO FIGURE!! It was impossible to find a card with Bulgarian greeting on, let alone Happy Hannukah or in Bulgarian. Finally, I gave it up with a card that says nothing!

So sending off the cards through Andrew, spending Christmas time with my family, now it is time to turn to my blog background! On the snowy blog (though right now we survived one main snowfall we had last week, now more comes as they predict) with Santa on the side of it, I posted a more colorful snowman saying “ЧНГ” or as it is in Bulgarian “Честита Нова Година”. Let Love, Health, Prosperity and Luck snow to all of you!!/ Нека валят Любов, Здраве, Благоденствие и Късмет над всички ни!!!!

Hot Watch Shots

Few posts back I wrote about my first Christmas present for this year. Now I found some time to take pics of it through my web cam, so sorry of the poor quality but this is the best I could do.

My brother forgot all the cables for downloading the pics from the nice camera in his place in the Netherlands, I don't have a cable to download pics from my phone, so this is the only way!
A couple of days ago when my boyfriend skyped me in BG he was in a car together with his brothers and his sister-in-law. I showed off to them the jewelery I wear!

Now it is your turn to enjoy it! ;-)

Sidenote: These pics were taken with my Sofia web cam! YES!! I am back to the capital all in all went smoothly!! :-)

Time To Leave The House Back - Problems Again

After I managed to get out of the capital and had a friend to drive me home for the holidays, now it is time for another surprise!!!

My brother threw away the tickets we had for out return trip!! I am asking myself whether it is good to come to Karlovo at all?!

These were returns tickets so he was supposed to keep them for our trip back too, but apparently he threw them when he boarded the bus to Karlovo on Wednesday.

Gahhh! I was annoyed but amazingly for me took it light-heartedly - what else you could do. He had a lot of luggage and stuck the ticket somewhere he does not remember and now we can't find it!! Sigh!!

Well, we have two opportunities this time!
First, we will go to the bus and ask if they could issue some tickets for us again. He will explain to them what has happened and I hope they will understand. After all they will have two spare seats reserved for us but we would not be able to prove it!

The second chance, is my friend M. who drove me from Sofia to Karlovo. She will go back today to Sofia by her car so I already asked her if the first plan does not work out whether we can join her. Unfortunately, we have a considerable amount of luggage and I am not sure whether we would be able to fit into her small car. Mind it, she has a lot of luggage herself too - it is inevitable (at least in my house) to leave it without taking part of the meals with you.

All in all, wish me luck some of the two options to work out - I am at work tomorrow!!

Hell Before Christmas

Yesh, it was 4:30 and my bus starts at 5 and I am still at the office buried under work. It was late and I was late!! :(

I got to Sveta Nedelq square when my bro called me to say the bus drove away!! He asked the bus driver to wait for me but they had been waiting for 10 min so it was too late! .... and I did not catch the bus!!

So i started my way back to the office! huh!! I was mad very mad, but what else could I do!

The worst thing was that my bro who had climbed the bus had the keys for the apartment! So....I was lost!

There was no one at the apartment because they had left to their homes right after work so the only shelter was the office.

There were no tickets for trains, buses and I was here in the office!!!

Well I was trying to arrange smth with my friends but apparently it did not work out. I would figure it out somehow. After all I was not the only one who slept in the office and it is not the first time ever for anyone so what! One night in the office is not so much a hell, is it?!

One of my co-workers was insistent - I had to go to his place - he lives with his girlfriend and it is pretty spacy place so he offered a bed. His apartment is 200m away from the office so I might reconsider that idea!

I would see but I felt very uncomfortable so I might have stayed here!

Last Days Before Christmas!

I don’t have much to write about, except that A. flew to the States last week and now I have been missing him for a week now. It does gonna last 25 days more but as a friend suggested they would pass quickly in all the holiday hustle. I believe it is not true, but since it is easier to have people around and to be occupied with a lot of stuff for the time to pass more quickly!

Tomorrow I am leaving to karlovo to see my parents I haven’t met for 4 months now – long it is!! My bro has been here for a week now and we are both travelling tomorrow to our parents’s house.

Two weeks ago we went with A. to Metro Cash and Carry – a big superstore – and I bought some stuff for home – like a bottle of whiskey and good Spanish wine, Christmas German stolen (a typical Christmas German cake), a pan for my mom and a suitcase with wheels.

First, do not blame me for buying cutleries to her for presents – she liked it and wanted it! Plus, it is on a special promotion – Tefal (as the brand of the pan is) chips in the price of it once you bring an old useless pan no matter what kind of brand it is from. They cut the price 30% off – I love it! I have to admit I brought 3 pans as my mom instructed me and thought that I give them all three for recycling you will get a new one for free. That was not the case but still it is worthy.
While I was at Metro store I called my mom to ask her for some presents ideas for my nephew. They did not get a great variety but I picked up two nice books for children – one for drawing figures from 1 - 10 and other puzzle-like. I think they are both interesting and educational which is important for him – next summer he will go to school after all!

I know children like and are happier when you give them toys rather than books but I believe that my nephew has to get used to this idea. Furthermore, my mom bought him a toy, so all in all he will receive a good combination. :-)

Another thing that I am happy about is the new suitcase I bought from this store – they have everything and cheap, but you are allowed to shop only with a club card. Luckily, my boyfriend has it so once in a while you can spot me there!! I am so fascinated by the trolley because it is small and you can carry it as cabin luggage. The other suitcase we have is big big and my bro uses it when he flies back and forth everywhere. Plus, another bag that was my last Christmas present from work but that is suitable for hand luggage and has no wheels. It is really good, sturdy and fashionable from a prestigious world trade but I can’t appreciate it since my bro makes good use of all those. So whenever I travel I have to take a bag to carry with no wheels and usually heavy. Now my mom decided to put my pains at a halt and ask me to choose a good and really useful present for me!! So tomorrow I am going to test it for the first time filled with all the presents and of course some books – another Christmas I have to buckle down because January promises to be black and scary!! Gah!

So if I don’t get a second chance please let me wish you

MERRY CHRISTMAS/ ЧЕСТИТА КОЛЕДА and HAPPY NEW YEAR/ ЩАСТЛИВА НОВА ГОДИНА!!! May you have a holiday season full of joy and happiness! Желая ви радост и щастливи през празниците!

First Christmas Present for This Year

Yesterday was the official students’ holiday in BG and I had a day off from the university, that i.e. no lectures in the evening!! YAY!!

I tried to organize something for several of my colleagues from the group but as it turned out everything had been booked for a month or so, in a nutshell – no no success! Hope to have this opportunity some other time though!

The other option was to go to A’s, as I actually did! I have been spending more time in his place recently rather than going to restaurants or bars but that is the only time to see him!! So I would prefer to spend it with him at home (either his or mine) rather than just being stuck at a fancy place. So he mad the dinner – some rice with ham as they eat it in New Orleans area, and played video games – correct, correct! That is the first time for me to play Play Station based Super Mario race with joy sticks but I could admit I performed well and it was fun, fun! We went on with Boggle as usual together with his parents and he drove me back home. Nothing unusual, another ordinary!

By the time we were at my place things went differently! Then he pulled out a yellow bag to give me his year’s Christmas present!! Woo-hoo time for the holiday season to start ;-) It was a special red rectangular box he brought from Switzerland, as the international warranty said. I opened it to see a wrist watch. A golden elegant ladies’ watch with a circular face he bought it from the same place where his but a summer later. This was my last-Christmas wish to be honest, but as he told me he could not find a non crappy watch for a decent price. He really insisted on exchanging presents now because he would be gone to the States in a week and at the same time wanted to see how well it fits me.

Now I have to bring it to a watchmaker to extract a couple of parts from the clasp so it is not that loose around my wrist! And then I am good to go!!
To tell the truth, I was also impatient to give him the present. Actually, it was good that I bought it few hours before that otherwise it would be a very awkward situation. The wallet and belt I had chosen were things he needed indeed! I have had this idea for several months now because his current money-holder is really shabby. And the belt is something he would always need. So I guess they match together well.

So, the weather outside is cooling down, as it is supposed to be for this time of the year, we are expecting snow tonight – yay! – everything is decorated at work, at home, on the streets, so are the presents – kindly welcome!!! ;-)

First Christmas Present for This YEA

Yesterday was the official students’ holiday in BG and I had a day off from the university, that i.e. no lectures in the evening!! YAY!!

I tried to organize something for several of my colleagues from the group but as it turned out everything had been booked for a month or so, in a nutshell – no no success! Hope to have this opportunity some other time though!

The other option was to go to A’s, as I actually did! I have been spending more time in his place recently rather than going to restaurants or bars but that is the only time to see him!! So I would prefer to spend it with him at home (either his or mine) rather than just being stuck at a fancy place. So he mad the dinner – some rice with ham as they eat it in New Orleans area, and played video games – correct, correct! That is the first time for me to play Play Station based Super Mario race with joy sticks but I could admit I performed well and it was fun, fun! We went on with Boggle as usual together with his parents and he drove me back home. Nothing unusual, another ordinary!

By the time we were at my place things went differently! Then he pulled out a yellow bag to give me his year’s Christmas present!! Woo-hoo time for the holiday season to start ;-) It was a special red rectangular box he brought from Switzerland, as the international warranty said. I opened it to see a wrist watch. A golden elegant ladies’ watch with a circular face he bought it from the same place where his but a summer later. This was my last-Christmas wish to be honest, but as he told me he could not find a non crappy watch for a decent price. He really insisted on exchanging presents now because he would be gone to the States in a week and at the same time wanted to see how well it fits me.

Now I have to bring it to a watchmaker to extract a couple of parts from the clasp so it is not that loose around my wrist! And then I am good to go!!
To tell the truth, I was also impatient to give him the present. Actually, it was good that I bought it few hours before that otherwise it would be a very awkward situation. The wallet and belt I had chosen were things he needed indeed! I have had this idea for several months now because his current money-holder is really shabby. And the belt is something he would always need. So I guess they match together well.

So, the weather outside is cooling down, as it is supposed to be for this time of the year, we are expecting snow tonight – yay! – everything is decorated at work, at home, on the streets, so are the presents – kindly welcome!!! ;-)

I know I am not as regular as I want to be here. (..hope you are not disappointed by me..) I also know probably the greatest number of posts overall have been on flowers I received from my boyfriend! But, hey, this is the first so romantic boyfriend I have ever had, and hey, a blog post I think is a nice way to tribute him.

So, that said, yes, another bunch of flowers surprised me at the door threshold this Sunday evening! YEP! I was very excited to see the same girl who brought me flowers for St Valentine early this year! Probably you wonder why he wasn’t there instead?! And the explanation is coming and is as simple as the first thing that comes to your mind: I was very very busy to see him. :-(

I know, I know how could I not afford several hours rest and spend them with him?! You are right! But I did not see that on Sunday. I was so overwhelmed by all the tons of assignments I still have to prepare and at the same time with time I am always lacking, that just the thought of these was enough for me to burst into tears and be mad, mad, bad girl that day. Not only was I tearing myself up, but also I was snapping others for everything they said too.
Now looking back I see how awful and unjustifiably rude I was. I have no excuses for this behavior. I even tend to categorize it as a behavior of a spoiled girl. You are right, I was unbearable!!

And then I heard the doorbell!! Hmm, neither was I waiting for anyone, nor my roommate. We opened the door gingerly to see a girl I recognized immediately. She was there with a bunch of lovely well-trimmed flowers all in the white and rose pink hue. She asked for my name and handled the flowers to me. No matter it is not my first time receiving flowers from A., I can’t help loosing my vocabulary staying numb! And this is right what almost anyone would do too, let me presume!! Please try to be in my shoes for a second and you will figure it out how somehow awkward and full of excitement such a situation is!
What was funny in the whole situation was that I could not decode A’s handwriting. Even my roommate tried to read it stating he is good at deciphering strange scribbling. He did not succeed either!!

Well, later on A. read it for me, but all in all the gesture and attention were important - acts speak louder than words!!

Giving Thanks!!

It is the fourth Thursday of November and as usual R. family are throwing a family-like party. Usual for them, but different for me!!

It was the first Thanksgiving holiday I witnessed and was really fascinated! So much that I skipped lectures tonight and went straight from work to their place to celebrate!

The spirit of Thanksgiving was everywhere! In small pictures stuck on windows, cute signs on mirrors or on cupboards, on small fake pumpkins, walnuts or chestnuts, on the table cloth that had Thanksgiving spirit with real yellowish - brownish - reddish autumn leaves spread over the table!! Everything!! Things that always fascinate me a lot! In fact, I do not find cute only this particular decoration but all and different small and tiny little things theme bound his mom puts on everywhere to make us as welcomed guests mingling us in the spirit of a holiday immediately!

The food was wonderful!! I have no words to explain it! J, A's mom, had really put a heart and I apparently effort into it! She prepared a lot of stuff (after all there were 12 of us there), food usually served on Thanksgiving - stuff (to put it in a turkey, but she prepared it out), turkey meat, cut potatoes into small pieces baked with yellow cheese on, a big intact cauliflower covered with mustard and a bit mayonnaise, cranberries sauce (homemade!), sweet potatoes meal, green peas with bacon, sauce baked with some yellow cheese all over, a separate dish of sweet corn and a salad of cabbage with mayonnaise!

On the dessert horizon, there were pies - me - oh - my! what pies! - to start with pumpkin pie, we can not do without it ;-)- exactly like my blinkie!, cheesecake, brownies (A. prepared), pecan pie, muffins, rolls and honey butter to spread over with (oil that A. had prepared too - another six plus points for the skillful boy)

Before the food was served though his father asked each and everyone of us to say what they were thankful for during the past year! One was grateful for having grandchildren, another one for being here in BG, still another for a successful year he had, A. was thankful for the new puppy his family adopted 6 moths ago, and I, I was grateful simply for being alive for a year now! It is that simple and that meaningful for me! I was given a second chance, I have always been thankful for this !!!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you! I will have a next round tomorrow's evening again when one of the guests tonight is throwing another post-Thanksgiving party! ;-)

19 Years Living in Absurdity

It is November 10th, 2009.

Nineteen years of new history, (most of) my conscious life. For those who do not know, on Novembre 10th 1989 there was a huge revolution - people were fed up with the 33 years of dictatorial regime during which time Bulgaria was ruled by one person. On Nov 10th under the great pressure of the people he resigned and that put the transmission from socialism to market economy, from socialism to democracy, liberty and freedom to be able to voice your opinion.

Although I was born in communism and spent most of my childhood during that time, I remember it vaguely. Have several particular memories but more are from the things I have been told by my parents, school or society as general.

The change that everyone expected is still looming, I believe.

So, in a nutshell, I have been living all my conscious life in this turbulent NEW time, so I really kinda get used to it! It is hard to believe it, but once you are in it, once you experience it and you have no other choice, you somehow get used all that chaos and absurd! If you do not believe my words, take a glance at what the European Union (EU) treats us like. It is self-explanatory itself!

I honestly can call my times absurd times, and it is not only me, I assume.

HaLLoWeEn PaRtY

Halloween is coming!!!! I do not know to be scared or happy, but one thing is sure – it is gonna be a lot of fun and I anticipate this holiday!

Last week I received a group mail by the American friend of mine S. who urges me to save the date October 31st, 2009!!! Done!!!!

This year’s Halloween is even more special than usual – it falls on a Saturday! YAY! We can party all night long without usual worries about early getting up the next morning!

My brother is coming back this Saturday (super GREAT) and will stay for a week and a half so he is already on the guest list. The original idea was to gather at someone’s apartment, however, we already have 60 – 70 people eager to join, so I guess we will book a club for us only! How’s that?! ;-)

I am still hunting for a costume to disguise myself in and I am pretty fruitless up to this moment! One thing Andrew suggested was we are dressed alike but I do not know what exactly with.

My notion is to be a nurse or a doctor – it will be easier, I have friends to ask for attire, but I guess it is not very creative. Mind that in Bulgaria there are no stores, like in the US, to shop for ideas or ready-made costumes. This said, I am supposed to be more productive!

I looked for typical for that holiday food so we might prepare something with Andrew and my bro. It is the season of jack-o-lanterns so we already tentatively decided to bring one big lantern with us. How will we make – that’s another question I might elaborate more some other time. We might also bake the pumpkin seeds or prepare candy apples or cider.

It is still up in the air! One thing is sure though – it’s promising!!!

I Love Being Social -Worm

I like cultural events and try to go out on as many of them as possible, especially now when there are two weeks only to the beginning of school left. But the week I have had was heavily culturally burdened.

It all started Wednesday before the last. I went to poetry reading and performance of the poem book of a famous to my friend poet! I was not familiar with her but as it turned out she was pretty good and famous to my friend N who is a PhD at my/ our Sofia University http://uni-sofia.bg/ . It was even cuter when I understood that the whole reading would take place in my favorite library I spent my student years at - the English and American Studies library at Sofia University http://sites.uni-sofia.bg/english/facilities.html! It is an amazing place to me and I just love the atmosphere. I take every chance to get back there! I even chatted with the librarians who turned out they remember me! YAY!

Two days later I took Andrew to ballet! Well, actually I bought the tickets and later on Andrew paid me the money so it is dubious who took whom. Anyway, we together with my apartment mate went to the opening of the ballet season, part of the National Opera and Ballet http://operasofia.bg/ and watched Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fl1OGWfkErg&NR=1. It was breathless!!! So much beauty at one place I don't remember seeing soon!It was even more special to me because that was the first performance during which I was at the other part of the stage! For the 7 years I danced ballet, I never took a seat to watch any ballet performance! You know, as a student it was a way too expensive for me, now that I work I can think of it! And there were - among a bursting hall at the National Opera and Ballet - first entry in this building. It does not look fascinating outside, but inside it is sooo luxurious and well decorated! Really special!

We spent the weekend together laughing, reading and cooking - he prepared potato soup for me, one of the best soups I have ever eaten! Will tell you some other time how yum yum it was. Now let's just stick to today's topic! ;)

On Monday, I was invited to Edward Albee meets students gathering by a professor of mine but could not make it!

Two days, later on Wednesday, I went to the performance of his play the Goat: or who is Silvia? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Goat,_or_Who_is_Sylvia%3F staged for the first time in Bulgaria. I know, the title might sound weird to you (Edward Albee is part of Theater of Absurd Movement (I think this explains everything)), as it was for me too, but the play and the acting itself were very very good!
There were no tickets sold for this very first performance. There were only invitations! And I got one through my friend S. who works for America for Bulgaria Foundation. Members of this foundation and members of the US Embassy in Sofia were the only present! And me! And Albee!
Right after the play there was a cocktail, again only for chosen people and I was invited to join! Woo hoo! So, guess my astonishment when I found myself surrounded by the Ambassador, the Deputy chief of Mission and the Press Atache all from the Embassy, my friend S. and me chatting over a glass of wine for favorite books, movies and music. They are fascinated by Bulgarian chalga, pop-folk тrashy music, compared to what is country music in the States! As I told them, it is a matter of time to start disliking it, when they get to know the actual lyrics they will get sick of it!! Never mind, I was really agitated by this Hrissy-meets-the-stars party that I did not notice all the courtesies apparently the Press Atache had been making towards me all the evening long. Is that true?? I still doubt!! He was just polite to everyone! But as S. said later, "this Vincent (as his name is) was hitting on you!" Hmm, weird, even gross I may say - he is in his 50s, if I am not mistaken! Enough!

To have a great party two days later. Another friend of mine, M., came back to Sofia for a week and we were all to a party on Friday to celebrate it! She lives in Italy but came back for some dentistry-related things, because as she says: "I bought the ticket to BG the night before the flight, and although it is expensive, it still costs me less to come back to BG rather than going to an Italian dentist!" What the heck is that in terms of prices?? For whatever reason she was back it was good to meet her as we did the next evening too!!!

today, on Sunday, I just came back from another spectacular performance - this time opera! I was invited by Andrew's parents to join them to opera - I don't really like opera that much, just like Andrew's mom, but since his father and Andrew himself really appreciate it (they are both musicians so I guess there is some truth in their real admire :D), we were more or less accompanying them! We watched Lohegrin by Wagner http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8J7Jhx93s9w&feature=fvw . The excerpt I linked is actually the famous Bridal march or simply known as "Here comes the bride" which turned out to be from this opera! I always thought that the part played for the entry of the bride is by Mendelsohn but as his parents put lit on later - when a bride enters Wagner is played, when she exits - Mendelsohn. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7_m1om82o4 Actually, to me both of these hymns are usually played and I personally think they are very close in melodies! Maybe I am wrong, may be they are close to me because I kept listening to them this evening! I don't know!! Either way, they are beautiful melodies and I had a wonderful night during this 4 hour-long opera performance! Furthermore, there were subtitles and thus I could get the actual singing and the whole story! Plus, I could get some of the words because singing was in German! The performance was special for one more reason - 101 years ago on this very date was the first performance of opera in Bulgaria! Interesting, isn't it? We have had an opera house for a century now!

Look what a heavy culturally bound schedule I had!! I am aware that I will not be able to do that again in two weeks because my classes start but by that time there are at least two parties on the list!! Actually, I deeply hope they turn out to be more than two indeed! I am such a social worm (derived from book worm) ;)

First Year Anniversary!

That's me!

I have been playing for an hour or so with my vidoecam to take a recent picture of myself to send to Hannover! I wrote a letter to one of my doctors there who turned out to be Bulgarian. It is really soothing to have someone native when you feel completely lost! Yeah, that is the way I felt exactly a year ago! Not that do I now feel absolutely stable, but it is soooo much better! Actually, if I have to draw a comparison, there is no comparison to be drawn at all!!!

I started from ground zero point and now, a year later, I have been doing everything a normal person is supposed to! Sometimes, I believe I have been even over beating the bushes with these master's studies but what else I can do?! I do not want to be 30 to finally be a graduate! I had no time to postpone it one more year (although my parents take different views!!) Yes, I have been through a lot, but I believe that even a lot more is ahead and that's why there is no time to step back!
Well That is the result and this is the way to celebrate my 1st year of new life!!! Let me wish myself many many more!!!

Sweet Memories from the Four-Day Weekend

It has been a week after my adventures around the country to write down this blog.

Firstly, time flies!

Secondly, I did not find either inspiration, or time to do it!

Thirdly, I waited for Andrew to share with me some of the pictures we took together on our trip. Since he did not do it, I will upload some of them later.

Fourthly, I have to admit I was split around and found it difficult to get myself together (but hey, how is not after a 4-day weekend?!)

I can come up with more and more reasons (call them excuses! ;-)) but better stop counting!

Here is the story!

It was a 4-day weekend here in Bulgaria. Why? Well, in short, on Sept 22 Bulgaria celebrated its Independence Day (101 anniversary) so we had a day off. Because it was on Tuesday, the government decided to pamper their citizens and gave Monday before that as a day off. It was not much of an indulgence because today Saturday Sept 26, yeash, Saturday, we make up for his small treat!!!

Never mind, let's just focus on the holiday I had!

I was so excited about it because during the whole summer I took my annual leave for studying and I was so exhausted and tired that I really needed badly (the stress is on badly) this small break.

We arrived in a rather cold and grayish rainy day but the rest of the weekend was fantastic!
First day we just spent sightseeing the town and stopping by my grandparents. The fact that I could read the joy in my grandfather's eyes who does not speak out of healthy problems was explicitly enough to say what a wonderful time we had there.

The next morning we went to the mountains with my parents. A lovely day out in the nature I believe is always a good spent time - I had craved for the woods for so long - the serenity and wilderness around was something I missed really a lot. We were so exhausted after the looong day that we both went to bed pretty early only to be waken up early on the next morning to drive around.

It was a wonderful idea my mom and I had decided to realize during this holiday. We had wanted to go to Troyan Monastery, a scenic small town on the other part of Stara Planina (The Balkans), 70 km away. My mom had talked accidentally with one of her friends and she and her husband were ready to join us in out day trip. Unfortunately (or not as it turned out later) the main icon we had been making plans to see was away from this monastery and would be brought back in two days. So when her friend and husband came this morning they came up with the idea that it might be better if you drive to Bachkovo Monastery, the second largest monastery in Bulgaria - a bit further away in the south from Plovdiv (the 2nd largest city in BG) and in, as people say, the most beautiful mountain in the country - the Rhodopi Mountains. It was a nice suggestion because first Andrew had never been before to that part of the country and secondly, it was a good almost without any turnings road since Andrew gets sick in a car when the road starts winding. The cute surprise was that in the morning this family came with two cars and gave one of them us for the day. Hey! Then we set off driving, following them on the road and enjoying the sunny and windless weather. On the way back we had a lunch at a near by restaurant and decided that rather than coming back straight to Karlovo we better turn aside and visit an ancient archeological site recently discovered. We ha some problems finding it because like everything in BG it is famous and of great archeological value but the road to there is through abandoned by God small villages with bumpy roads and no signs how to reach that place. On the top of it the village near was so desolate and we hardly found a single person to give us directions.

Well, finally we got to the right place, the Ancient Temple of Starosel as it is called. It was a mound you have to climb to from where a beautiful scenery reveals - a valley as long and big as your eye reaches it with a number of smaller hills splattered around all dived in greenery. This valley was rich of water - there were a number of smaller or bigger dams everywhere! What a nice place it is and how suitable for a worship temple for the old Thracians it used to be! Thracians are the first ancestors that lived in nowadays south Bulgaria long long ago and known for their wonderful wine. This particular temple dates back to 6th - 5th century BC and as there were decorations in the main part of it that were still preserved! What a paint they used I do not know but it was amazing to see green and red paints on the walls into the inner part. There were two rectangle corridors to the very inner part which by itself was a perfect circle. YEA! The guide made an emphasis on that. Even after the second most recent measurement this very inner part of the temple turned out to be absolutely precise circle without even a millimeter difference from any part of the circle! And this was all made of big heavy and thick rectangular stones! I stayed in awe! At the back of the hill they had dug out a place, a they call it a bathtub, for wine!

We drove back from there home but there was another historic town on our way that worth stopping for a pizza - the town of Hissar. Yes, my parents had a snack there while me Andrew and me just had a stroll in this town, known for the great number of its mineral springs and for its history dating back to Roman time with its beautifully preserved historical walls surrounding the inner part of the town (nowadays spreading further out of them)! It is more or less a resort place - a famous spa center as there are so many springs. Full of parks and gardens and teem with people in bathing suits and towels! It is really funny to see them all around! After an hour or so time of eating ice cream, enjoying the lovely fountain in the town garden and walking in a park we headed back home!

During the last day of stay we went to visit the house of Vasil Levski, the greatest revolutionary and patriotic person of Bulgaria. Yep, he was born in Karlovo and furthermore, I am a distant relative with him!!! Oh, I know it is hard to believe but to cut the long story short, his mom was part of my family tree before getting married Vasil Levski's father.
So, the house I had been to as a schoolgirl, was well kept and even modernized - I mean they put some speakers in every room so the moment you enter you can hear stories and poems for the life and heroic person Vasil Levski was! There was a small shrine attached to the house and yard I had never before visited either! It is beautifully decorated and in one of its corners you can see Vasil Levski's hair. The story around this hair is that he cut it in 1867 when he broke off with his everyday life as a monk to become a revolutionist fighting for Bulgarian freedom. This hair is now kept in this glassy aquarium-like small container and you can differentiate its blond color! The sun smiled at us as we basked on a bench for an hour in the yard, enjoying the newly white-washed walls of the house, the cobble stoned pathways, the small fountain near and the humming crowd around curious to see every nook of this lovely and full of history place!

After that we realized it is time to hurry up home, to have some lunch and to catch the bus to Sofia full of delight! The four day weekend was over unnoticeable and only the sweet memories of it were left! It is good to have such memories though!

a hilarious (culturally bound) blog post

Yesh, I know you expect me to write about my (our) 4-day weekend adventures but before that I would like to post what I just encountered! I got a hilarious kick out of it and I think everyone would!

http://timurcommandos.blogspot.com/2009/09/blog-post_13.html

One thing is unfortunate, it is in Bulgarian, ooppss....

After Another succession of exams life is still beautiful

It happened again, I know! I had a couple of exams at the beginning of September again (are you tired of reading about exams?! cause I certainly am!!) and took almost two weeks of annual paid leave to prepare. Yes, I was engaged in overcoming these two obstacles day and night so had no time for my blog! Sorry!

Now I am back and partially satisfied - not completely because I wanted to take my exams with As and I did not! Grr! However, looking from the bright side (as optimists do) I managed to raise my overall grade marks!! As a result, you can imagine how exhausted and squeezed I feel - only three days of my whole 20 days annual paid leave are left. So all in all, no sea or mountain holiday for me this year!! :-(

I hope to relax a bit during the forthcoming 4-days weekend, though. Here in Bulgaria Sept 22 is the National Independence Day so we are all having a day off. It is combined with the Monday before that since there is no point in going to work, then having a day break and then back to the office, right?! So I am off to Karlovo to visit my parents and get pampered. ;-) This time is not an ordinary visit since Andrew asked (notice: I invited him twice but he turned down the invitation somehow, so I gave up mentioning it to him any longer. Now it was him to ask me to come with!) to join so today I got the tickets and we are both leaving very very early Saturday morning!

As you might already noticed, a bunch of things here happen at once. My brother is here for a week! He is like a whirl! What a mess my room is! On the top of all the boyish lifestyle (I have to put up with), my din is stuck with all the stuff from his room since a friend of mine moved into my brother's room earlier this month (side note: there is no need for my brother to pay for rent since he is no longer living in Bulgaria). Could you just imagine a small place like my room is (around 15 sq m) stuffed with the luggage from both of us! Oh, that resembles more and more our life in Studentski grad (Students' town) where three of us lived in a room! wow - how! Don't want to remember that place! Also, I am not going to post pictures of this tiny place that is now turned into a warehouse! We are literally, however, switching for our stay in the room and it is not getting both of us together! He is coming back during the early hours of the night, since he is running against time to see all his friends here, and wakes up well after me going to work! Pity is it there is no time for us to get together! Ah! Sigh! And you are guessing it right, we are sharing one bed for this week. Luckily, my bed is big enough to embrace both of us but I would say only for a week, no longer! ;-) No matter how dirty and awfully stuck my room is, what matters is that my brother is here ! I could not be happier to see him around! (even most of the time asleep! ;-))

So, in a nutshell, those are the most important things running around! All the previous several weeks were blunt indeed - trust me - occupied with studying from dawn to dusk! Now having more time to relax I believe I will find more time for the blog as well! So, see you soon!

is it safe to dye my hair?

This isa post to grab your attention on a post surgery problem - and namely dying of my hair (or at least I think it is a problem! ;-))

It has been recetly to find a white hair in my hair and for several weeks now have been wondering how fast time flies, where I go to, overall what happens to my life and body.... I hope that you do not want me to mourn more than the experessed feelings in the above sentence, a sentence I believe that focues on how much time I spent/ wasted on such thoughts about me. After that time came to ask myself othere more precise questions. In addition to that, I can only add that after sharing the white hair story with mom she remarked with a smile that she expected m,more than one (she had in mind all the surgeries I had experienced!). Well, I am sure about only one of them, there might be more but still haven't noticed them.....

Let me now just focus on the topic of dying my hair. It has been a thought flying through my head for the past several weeks.

I know, it is not recommendable for pregnant girls to dye their hair, as the poisonous substances pass in the body through hairs and through skin and this may cause significant problems to foetus. This cause my to ponder how poisonous it is to me once having a surgery. What are the risks and the concequences?

I came up with a brilliant idea to refer to my friends from AN Discussion Forum from the USA(http://anausa.org/forum/) who should have gone through this (unless they have special genes like my aunt, who at the age of 55 has never dyed her hair and it still is the same colour as it were in her young years ;-))


So I hope Kay, Debbie and all the others who throw glances at my posts are willing to share their experience!

Thank you in advance!

Back again! Alive and Kicking!

I am here, alive and kicking! for all those not goodwillers - sorry to disappoint you!

As you have noticed (I guess) in the info I shared, I am enrolled in an MBA program and that is the only reason to be absent for soooo long!! I had a really exhaustive time studying for all the 8 exams I had and although the session was only 2 weeks long my preparation for the exams took two moths. You know, I had a lot of term papers to finish only to get admitted to the real exams and all of the exams were serious - Management, Information Studies, Statistics, HR Management, Public Finances, Organizational Management, Civil and Corporate Law and Accounting! phew! I have to admit that I failed in Accounting, yuks, but given the fact I had only two nights left (because during daytime I went to work) for preparation for a really heavy and voluminous exam, I kinda figured out that even before the results were out! So at least I was not in a nervous shock to face the results! I am human, not a SUPER human, after all! September I am given an official chance to try again!

Apart from this failure, I have to boast I did all the others very good - all of them taken with either A or B-s!! YAY! I am proud of myself!!

Treasures, treasures - revealeved by me

I had a nice meeting with my friends today after work - yeah, although it is Saturday, we work to compensate one of the days the government gave us around May 1 - 6th long holiday. One of my American friends who we all know and have not seen for 2 years is back to Bulgaria for 4 months on a program with the US Embassy here. In a nutshell, nice to have him around - he is a cool guy!!

Once our sweet almost dinner time shakes and cafes, we headed towards the nearby Sofia City Art Gallery. Meanwhile, I got it is the Night of the Open Museums in Sofia. WoW! What a pleasure! Only was I to such an event once I was Berlin two years ago! Aww what a midnight late afternoon's stalk I had with a Uzbek friend! But that is another story!

Let's turn back to the current!
We did not enter the art gallery because were attracted to the Balkan beatbox music coming from the corner of the gallery. It is located in a beautiful garden in the heart of the city so people who gathered had space to cram in. And there were a lot of people actually! Either it was a working day and everyone took a break by walking in the warm and welcoming weather, or they knew it was a special evening! Well, I was of the first but never mind did I enjoy Karandila - this is the name of the brass band - a very famous gypsy band who plays Balkan music! We took our places on the grass as everyone else and listened , moved in in tact to the music and me precisely even was whistling to myself part of their songs - it was a nice time!! They continued with the open air concert but I moved into the nearby Archaeological museum - one of my friends dragged me there to have a look of movie costumes from the whole past century! And since it is the Night of the Open Museums you can get in as many as you can from 7 pm till the next morning for free. Furthermore, there are additional special short feasts you can watch too - for example, there was another band playing on xylophones the same music the guys out were - it is good to hear different interpretations, followed by a folklore performance.

The National Archaeological Museum is a cool and humid place esp in summers I have never before been to, a miss I consider! "It occupies the building of the largest and oldest former Ottoman mosque in the city, Büyük camii ("Grand Mosque"), built from stone around 1474 under Mehmed II. This is the oldest museum in Bulgaria (thank you wikipedia)" There are so awesome stuff in - starting from stones, pottery, pikes, armours, jeweleries either made of rock, brass, silver or pure gold to large authentic icons of different saints. (to get an idea of all the Roman jeweleries - i enclose a link here http://romanart2.hit.bg/index2.html) One of them I really liked - the icon of St Dimitar - this looked more or less like a mural and it was so old that part of it was missing, just was lost in time. All the things displayed (not the icons though of course, but they were pretty old too - like from 5 - 8 centuries ago) date back to the VI, V, II or so century before Christ - I felt in awe! I was so much fascinated by the icon by one more reason, I remembered when we, the stuff of my company, were on our way to Halkidiki, Greece and passed for several hours through Thessaloniki. I together with some other friends had the chance to go to probably the most famous church in the town, named after this saint - a crowded place where I had the chance to write a wish note and place it in a big box to come it rue! It came!

In front of one of the halls on the second floor was a big line - that was where Bulgarian gold treasures were. I queued! It took me a while to get into a medium-sized circular room where most of the silver and pure gold excavations from different epochs are . I had seen most of these on the TV only, that made me tremble. It is really worth seeing - I do recommend it to anyone! Another good side I saw in that was the educational part - seriously, young people, among whom small children as well, we lining to get in, fathers or grandparents were reading and explaining to their boys and girls all the side notes to each precious stone or jewelery. And jewelries were really beautiful and some of them even big! I thought of all the searches it took to archeologists to excavate them, how fine and noble objects are and what they tell us for our ancestors!

Although I was left with some incomprehensible unanswered questions, overall I feel in awe of the seen! This spontaneous visit worthed my time there!

flowers today - a crazy week

I am still pretty frightened and worried to walk back home alone late in the evening. HE did not manage to steal anything but the deep worry he left in me is more than enough.

So I was pretty gloomy this morning, both from the not able to spare a wink last night and for the mugging adventure that happen to me, when my telephone just rang. The girl at the reception informed me to go downstairs because there was a package FOR ME. I was pretty suspicious - this was the first time I received something personal to my business address.

Once down, they handled to me a BIG 1 meter high box! It said flowerstobulgaria.com. I was astonished! The next moment, I could hear and feel the tittle-tattle around me while I was going back to Earth!

I went up to my floor and my colleagues all gathered around getting excited too! They were impatient to see what was in the box. Me too! So I just opened it a astonishing big spring flower bouquet. With a mini card! So cute! andrew had ordered it online in the morning to cheer me up a little he has been out of the town till the end of the week and as he told me that was the only tiny thing he could do in this situation!
I took pictures of it with my telephone camera but since i do not have the software to download them, I can;t share them! :(

He made my day! That really was touching of him! Furthermore, right before several minutes he just wrote me back he is coming back to the town tomorrow rather than at the end of the week! He wants to escort me from the university to home every night! My brother just called me to advised me to buy a spray from a shop for weapons. This at least give me some solace! I am really grateful of the care and pieces of advice everyone offered!

Blessings to all of you! ~

i got mugged on the street....

What a nightmare happened to me this evening! I was walking home after the lectures at 9:30 pm when a man did a mug attack on me! Srly! I am sooo scared! :S

I was wearing the really precious jewelery Andrew brought me from Switzerland last summer - the beautiful silver multi-faceted SWAROVSKI earrings and necklace. Since it was really warm my jacket was open so they were available and apparently had attracted my non-goodwiller's eye!

I noticed there was a person walking after me at some point and stopped to take a deliberate look at a shop window for a while to notice that he took a break too at the bus stop nearby. Since it was lit around and there were many people he did not dare and waited for me to go on. I passed by a fast food shop that was just closing and was coming nearer to my place when I felt a hand curling up around my neck! At first, I thought that it was a friend but the moment later I realized how hard he pulled my ear - I really thought he tore it! Actually he just managed to tear apart the earring from its back part and it fell apart - I still have the precious stone part but the back part is gone forever. He tried to steal my necklace and purse but he could not so he ran away with nothing. The boys nearby ran after him and caught him up - they started to kick him until all his face and hands were in blood. He was crying and apologizing but that was just nothing in comparison to me yelling at him and trying to get the rear part back. I could not! He ran away! I was scared enough to get home alone so I called my apartment mate and she immediately came together with her boyfriend to pick me up.

Now I am drinking tea and after an hour-long talk on the phone with my sweetie I am going to bed! He was so worried as well but since he has been out of the town for the whole week, we cannot do anything more, though he was ready immediately to drive 2 hours road through the mountains back to Sofia. I just figured out that it would be a lot more scary thinking of him crossing the mountain pass by car at night so I asked him not to come!

I will be very worried about ever coming back home after lectures late in the evening but I have to overcome it somehow. That is life!

Hallo [ha.loh]; Dag [dakh] - or the way to say 'hello' in Dutch

We have been in the Netherlands for seven days today and tomorrow in the morning we are flying back to Sofia, Bulgaria. We have had a blast, as you can judge from the pictures I uploaded in my profile on facebook.com.

We have been out and around every day, although it has been showering from time to time mixed with gloomy, windy and cold weather from Sunday on. By then, however, we got really sunny and spring weather and took wonderful photos. We were not only in Amsterdam, where we spent our first day - Queen's Day Apr 30th, 2009, but also spent a lot of time in the near countryside where my brother lives actually. He lives 15 min away by train in a small picturesque town near the mega polis Amsterdam. He encountered a family from Bulgaria that moved to the other town 9 years ago- actually I have to say that it is only the road sign that separates both places; place is really appreciated here ;-) -so we were stopping by their house on Sunday and really had a nice time together.

The interesting part you are waiting for though is how my mom and dad experienced the flight, right?! ;-) Well, I have to admit that it was flawless, my mom took the seat next to the window, now on our way back it is dad's turn! ;-) They are so cute!!! They look around from the window to see if they can differentiate anything from Sofia and Amsterdam and were disappointed to be surrounded by clouds most of the time - he he he! I even do not spare a thought which side to take, whereas they had already shuffled the places even the night before the flight. One of our suitcases was lost when we arrived on Schiphol airport and had to wait for another hour to have it found but... sigh!! - all's well that ends well! Hopefully, we won't have any problems on the return flight.

P.S.: And these are the word(s) that I could already differentiate from my one week long stay! ;-)

the Netherlands

I am flying in two days (on Apr 30th) to Amsterdam!! This is not new for me - I have planned my trip well ahead since there is a long public vacation here in Bulgaria. The government gives all the days from May 1 to May 6th including off and knowing this I asked my brother to buy us tickets to visit him! Us, because I am flying with my parents. They are so excited about that - this will be their FIRST flight on a plane ever and they have been talking about the journey for the past 4 or so week, ever since my brother confirmed he got the tickets.

I haven't been excited with all the holiday hustle since I am immersed into my studies, work and eye problems. Have to admit, however, that since this journey is due in 2 days, I catch myself to be thinking about it more and more. The day we are flying is a public holiday in the Netherlands as well - Queen's Day and there are splendid parties planned all over the city both during the day and the night. Amsterdam is going to be absolutely crowded - they expect around 1 mln guests for the holiday - and me and my parents will be among the bustle!!!

This will be my second visit to Amsterdam, I was there almost two years ago (in the summer of 2007) but for a day. I can boast though that I remember the downtown part very well so will be my parents' guide! ;-)

The most important, however, is that all 4 of us are going to be reunited there for a week! I anticipate to see my brother, have not seen him for 2 months! I couldn't be happier!

Most probably will post more from there! ;-)

Christ Is Risen Today!

I am posting from Karlovo, my birthplace. I came back to my parents' house two days ago and will stay till Tuesday morning when I will head to Sofia again! My travel's purpose was the greatest Christian holiday and I feel there is something I have to clarify - Orthodox Easter is always on a different date from the Western World's Easter. As you know it is not a fixed date. Usually we, as Bulgarians and Orthodox, celebrate it a week after Western world, and very rare have it on the same date.

"The Orthodox religious calendar does not match to the Western calendar. A big part of this difference rests with the fact that Julius Caesar’s calendar (the Julian calendar) was inaccurate. At the end of the 15th century Pope Gregory XIII adjusted the calendar. What happened? A new calendar was adopted (the Gregorian calendar) to make up for the inaccuracy of the Julian calendar and on October 5th, 1582 everyone went to bed but when they woke up the next day it was October 14th. (This is kind of strange but okay.)Well, the Western churches adopted the Gregorian calendar while the Orthodox church still follows the Julian calendar. But get this, apparently the Bulgarian Orthodox Church “determines its movable feasts, such as Easter, using the Julian, and its fixed holidays, such as Christmas, using the Gregorian calendar” (this is the scintific explanation I found in an English newspaper in Bulgarian)

My Easter celebration starts in the midnight time on SAt 18th 12 am when the priest from the church near my place gathers with his colleague from the upper church at Vasil Levski square - a place in te mid way between the two churches and only 100 meters away from my birth house! A lot of peple from the whole town gather on the square to listen to priest's songs. At 12 am straight he says "Christ is risen" (Hristos voskrese) three times and we, the audience, reply to his words with "Christ is risen indeed!" (Voistina voskrese)

Then starts a fight with colored eggs - a pagan tradition, that, as Andrew told me, only takes place in the Eastern European countries, more or less in the Orthdox tradition. In the USA, I know they color eggs too but parents hide them in the garden for children to seek for them.

We, however, bang with them and eat them. Immediately after priest's words at midnight every one is supposed to bang with someone else hard-boiled colored eggs. My egg turned out to be the winner, the "borets" as we call it, and to smash my dad's two times and my mom's once. YAY!! The one whose egg is the strongest will be the healthiest throughout the year! We give eggs as presents to anyone we go to too.

Along with this tradition, another one also takes place - the kozunak eating. Kozunak is a sweet bread you can buy all year round in a store. Around Easter, however, these become bigger. The bread symbolizes Christ's body so it is a must for the holiday table as well! My mom can prepare kozunatsi at home, so every year I ask her to make them (although it is hard work) rather than we buy - I always prefer homemade to manufactured! I love it and I even replace braed with kozunak during these days. This is weird though, and no one does it!

So, I am celebrating Easter today and tomorrow, on Apr 20th too. That means that my parents are off and we are going to visit grandma and grandpa - we already were there on Friday! Then we might head to the mountains - my town lies on the outskirts of the biggest mountain range that separates my whole country into two parts - Northern, more severe weatherwise, and Southern, milder, my part. This the range that gives the name for the whole penninsula - The Balkan Penninsula.

What a day - the end of a loooong journey!

I am not lazy, neither have I forgotten about this space! No, no, I just run to some doctors' or professors' office hours all day long. this is not an excuse for me being away for so long, not at all. I am on a sick leave one more week and I want to do all (or better said: as much as I can) the crap I need to for the university - I have two term papers which I want to finish off till the end of this week, right before Easter holidays and to prepare myself at least at one subject: law. Lectures on this just finished last Thursday so I have TONS to study, believe me! Besides, I am not good at all in Statistics - a mile stone in my studies for this semester - in moments like these I realize how much I miss my brother who is a mathematician and can give m a hand. Last night we spent an hour on skype while he was explaining to me what Newton's benom is and how to solve math problems with the help of it - and this is the very first lecture! sounds scary to me - brrrr!!

Among these I run on regular eye check ups and regular consultations with my neurologist. I catch up with friends as much as I can since these days are over soon and from next week I will be starting my regular job duties which combined with classes till late in the evening - 9 pm, mean that I will literally have NO time at all!

The purpose of this post, however, is not to mourn how much I have to do. The real purpose is to say how happy and relieved I am, how light like a feather I felt once I heard there was no bugger (sorry for my language but I believe the thing that has been growing into me just deserves this name) in my head any longer.

Today was my first MRI after my third (I deeply hope last) surgery I had in Hannover, Germany 6 months ago. Actually the surgery took place on Monday, Oct 13, 2008 - so to be absolutely precise - 6 months and a day ;)

They scanned me for longer than I thought - it took 45 min and I did it with contrast - but I hope it was only because they wanted to make sure everything is all right. And it was - as the doctor announced a few minutes after that - my head is clear. They gave me all the images on a disc so I can send them to my other doctors in Hannover, Germany. Haven't decided yet how to do it though. A friend of mine just suggested me take clear pictures of my images and send the pictures via email. He himself sent his images in this way last time and doctors there accepted them! This way sounds faster, easier and saves a lot of money, I guess. And since Andrew has a very good professional digital camera I might get an advantage of it. We will see, I am sure I will figure it out somehow! Any suggestions would be of help, though!

I had promised to myself to use this blog for social, amusing purpose but I cannot skip that event and how cheerful I am to hear the words of relief I have waited for for an year an a half!

A Waste of time

I have some time free since I am back in a sick leave again. Yes, a doctor commission decided to put me on a sick leave again since I could hardly see with one of my eyes last week. I had serious problems with my eye since Friday March 20th - as the weather started to get cold, my eye reacted immediately - and had had been red for the whole previous weekend.

I mention the special doctor commission, because I am not allowed further regular sick leave days till the end of this year - I had exhausted all the possibilities so only a special group of doctors are given the right to judge whether I am allowed to, and how long I will be confined home.

My eye, however, started to get slightly better on Wednesday March 25th on (two days after their judgement) and since it was nice and sunny I decided to give a try to something new for me on Friday March 27th. (sry for me jumping from date to date and infusing the post with facts but only in this way I can give a complete view).

So here we go! I was at the gym!

I have a subscription from my company to go and use all the facilities in one of the best gyms in the city for free but have not done it for the past almost 2 years. This visit was a special to me because this was the first after a 6 month break due to the last "interruption". So I chose to start with something that will strenghten my muscles - this part of my body has suffered most severely.
This is the reason I picked up yoga! Yoga classes have always been interesting to me and I visited them regularly. I even read a book on this subject and how to control breathing. Moreover, I have been recently glued to this website www.yogajournal.com. There is anything you may dare to ask about yoga exercises, breathing, eating, sancrit terminology and soooo many other things

This yoga was kinda weird, though.

I went there a little late and when I entered the class the girls were dancing belly dances listening to this type of music. After a short hesitation, trying to figure out what htey were doing and listening, I gave up, leftthe room and went to the girl at the reception only to confirm the hall I had entered was where yoga took place. I had nothing to do than to come back and follow the participants. Hopefully, soon after that the "real" yoga began. We were asked by the teacher to do all the asani in the pattern she was doing; this was nice now.

This kind of yoga was a combination of belly dances and working on asani.

Later on, as I told my cousin, who has been practicing that exercise for several years now, (but she does it at high temperature in France - around 40C (104F); we do not have it here in BG) I got she had never before heard of any combination like that. Me neither!!! There's nothing wrong with the class since it makes people who spend an entire day on a desk do some exercise.

That is not, however, what I look for. This class I feel like a complete waste of time and I will never visit it again. Plus, it is twice a week during the daytime from 3:30 pm so I might be able to go a few more times, after that I come back to the limiting work day. So together with the traffic outside (this gym is near my office but not that much to my apartment) I wasted 4 hours - only to learn that this class will not be taken again! I wish I had known this in advance!

a de-ja vu

It is weird, one may say, but I spent another good evening last night!

I paid a visit to Andrew's family again! I was able to go since they canceled all the classes at the university for the week! On Monday on, however, life goes on fast, fast steps!

Anyway, I was there, we had a wonderful dinner, laughed, looked through childhood pictures and as a dessert e had snowcream! YAY! We took a great advantage of the snow that had been falling in chunks for the whole afternoon! Although they announced the springtime officially, it is not the case here. It had been snowing really hard since 2 pm on the Friday afternoon without stopping at all till this morning (Sat 21st). WOW!! I remember that a colleague dropped me almost at Andrew's place and by the time I got to his house, almost 7 min walk, I got snowed in totally! That also reflects in my blog background as you see! Only my blinkie reminds of the spring we are supposed to feel. Astronomically so far, though!

It was such a winter tale looking at it from the other side of the window, though! In order to enjoy the snow out fully, Paul, Andrew's dad, went to the balcony where snow was pure and skimmed the top layer. By the time he was back, Judi, Andrew's mom, had already prepared a mixture of cinnamon sauce (that you can find in the States; we do not have it here in our stores), fine sugar (I say fine because in comparison to the Bulgarian white sugаr which is in chunks and is audible being munched; the sugar that we had last night was bought in the States again and it is purely ordinary sugar! So it depends on where you buy! ;-)), cream and milk. So you pour the homogeneous mixture over the snow and stir it. Then you serve and eat it immediately! Yummy!

Hope you will like it too!

a cozy evening

I had a wonderful time last night. Although it was Friday 13th and I was expecting unlucky things to happen to me, I had a great time together with Andrew's mom and dad.

After work I headed straight to his home where I had been invited to go for dinner. At 7:30ish p.m. I managed to reach his place with a bottle of wine I had just grabbed on my way. It was kinda awkward for me not to take anything. If it were only him, I would not probably fetch anything but since it was going to be his parents as well, I felt I should! So went to the store on my way and bought a good Mavrud Reserva (reserved) (typical Bulgarian red wine, I really like!) and when on the line I put some perfume and some lipstick! ;-) Always girl, girl always...... I wore a fashionable white striped shirt well combined with a dark blue slightly woolen (suitable for this season - it is cold here nowadays) dress over the shirt! My coworkers had told me that I look pretty which was Andrew's mom remark too!! Oh I was really proud secretly upon her compliment! At least if not naturally, then I strive to look good artificially! I took a good care of my appearance not only due to my visit, but I am also expected to go decently dressed to work since it is a place where jeans are not allowed and every worker is supposed to wear a suit or something appropriate.

There together with his parents was also Taylor, a boy from Atlanta, Georgia who just graduated high school and is going to a nursery college in Alabama from August on. Nice guy! I met him for the first time but he seems pretty cool!

His mom and dad, on the other hand, had prepared a yummy seven layer something (actually his dad only was even preparing them when I went to their place) - the main meal was a leaf of lettuce upon which a combination of a small curve of bread, ham and yellow cheese is sprinkled with red peppers upon your request. This red pepper stuff is combined with Tortilla chips and is always served as an appetizer in Mexican restaurants in the States, as they told me.

So his father told a pray and we dug in. Saying a pray is something new and that is why, awkward to me. I am Christian Orthodox and they are Christian Baptists that is why it is different! Furthermore, Andrew never prays for the food he has, so I was inexperienced in that. I had to thank his father, though, that he mentioned me and my improving process in his pray. I have to admit that I was baffled at that point so I forgot. But next time we see, I will do thank him!

The seven layers something (something stands for the rest of the name of the specialty) was fantastic indeed! Saucy and creamy and subtle all at once! I even had another ball - all three of them!! We chattered and laughed and then Andrew reminded one of the reasons for me to be there - I have to practice pounds! So it was!!

We tided up the table and the decks where dealt! Oh what a fun it was, although I was the worst player, always in the hole! I did not manage to perform well at all but having in mind this was my first night playing pounds - there we go with an excuse!! I am good at excusing, am I not?! ;-)

After our two rounds we took a sweet break - yep, this time his mom had made not one but two pies - a Kentucky Derby pie and a chocolate cake! Oh, how appetizing they were! As I already told, everything prepared by his mom and dad is always delicious! I had had piled up my opinion with the Christmas party our gang had had in his place in early December! Then there had been a number of tasty salty and sweet bites, yesterday there was a palatable meal and dessert and all the time Andrew cooked for me I always licked my fingers afterward out of being delicious! Partly because they always feed well, partly because this is a whole new for me cuisine! Either way, it is more than savory!

We played one more round when it was already 10:30 p.m. and I decided to go home. It was cool of Andrew to drive me back home since it was already drizzling uncomfortably! yax! Nasty weather!

Andrew's mom and I decided, without fixing a specific time and date, to have coffee at some point. My classes start on this Monday again so our going out together will not be soon, though! As far as I always, however, remind to myself: pace by pace!!!

Flowers again!

I cannot skip Women's Day which took place on March 8th. I just can't....

First, because it is a special day here in Bulgaria.

Second, because Andrew made it special for me!

Apparently, it is a holiday every woman and more precisely every mom celebrates. By that I mean they recieve flowers from their sweeties! ;-) It is customarily for moms to get flowers. I remember when was in the kindergarten, we always prepare cards-photos for our moms. A picture of me was taken accomapnied by a lot of spring flowers and the words "Happy March 8th!"

Lately, this holiday has been stolen by young ladies or better said they have been included on the "list" for gift receivers! So one way or another, I got my third huge bouquet in row!! Yesh, it is a kinda pain in the financial ass since flowers are even more expensive on the very day (March 8th) but am I wrong to have a birthday two weeks after V-day and a week before Women's holiday?!? ;-)

It could be viewed from a brighter side, though! - all my (girlie or personal) holidays are gone in a month, so after that 11 months for saving are left! ;-O) Andrew is not supposed to think of flowers any longer till next February! Eh, I would always like to have a sporadic bunch now and then!!! Those are even nicer - they are unexpected, there is no particular reason to receive them and thus a boy reminds a girl how deeply and passionately he loves her! IMO, flowers without are the best reason!

But here I would like to elaborate a bit mopre on the holiday itself. It is an international holiday and at the same time it is not celebrated in the States. I was surpised to know that given the fact that it was announced as an international holiday by UN in New York back in the late 1957. Surprise, surpirse! And my boy told me that his mom does not celebrate it, because it is not popular in the USA. On the contrary, there is another holiday - Mother's Day - sometime in May. Ha! As you can expect, we do not have this holiday here!

Anyway, I am glad that he brought me a splendid bouquet! And not to be groundless, this time I am attaching shots of the flowers he took last night!

a stressful week

I have not posted for the last week or so just because I do not have time! I have been running so much, so today I think I can rob some minutes from my sleep. So here is in short what is going on.

My b-day was last Saturday (Feb 28th) so I had my parents a day before on Friday coming to my apartment. It was sooo nice to have them here, even nicer was the fact that my brother flew from Amsterdam this very day so we all got together. YAY!! It was so cozy!! We had the Friday night together laughing and remembering old days' stories!

On the next day (on my actual b-day) we had a huuge lunch together and I saw them off on foot to the train station which is only 35 min away from my place. The day was pretty windy but sunny so it was a worthy walk. We had already set the things for the evening with Andrew so I had to be back home by four. He had a bit earlier so it was a great surprise to see him in my room with a beautiful scenty scarlet rose boquet. My roommate had let him in secretly! The peculiar thing was that we had chattered with mom on our way to the station on my appearance this evening. She scolded me to dress up rather than just jumping in my jeans as usual and as Andrew does. After all, it is my birthday and I did not have to make Andrew feel ashamed of my appearance. (although I believe my face says a lot no matter what kind of clothes I am in.)
When I got back home I saw Andrew in a suit - wow!! Something I have ever seen him wearing on a recital! So I had no way of escaping!

After making myself "gorgeous" (I am quoting here his words! - if it was to me I would deinitely not use this adjective - he is apparently boosting my self-esteem, for which I can only thank him!), we went to a highly-ranked restaurant where he had already made a reservation! What a lovely evening we had!

Apart from the b-day bustle, I have to say that my whole Sunday and the whole week afterward have been occupied with studying. I spent a considerable time with my brother during the evenings when he came back from his friend visits but the day was occupied with hurriedly pecking! Then on Monday morning he flew back from Sofia to Amsterdam :-( but that is life....

Since it was my last few days before getting back to work I also was very busy with doing things.
Monday and Tuesday were holidays here and no one worked. To use a comparison in order to make it clear what kind of holiday we had, I have to say that March 3rd meaning is equal to USA's July 4th - that is to say we had the Independence day here. That was the reason to have a four day weekend.

On Wednesday I started with my eye exam - nothing irregular; after that had an exam with my ENT who strongly believes I have an allergy to dust in my nose in its very beginning. So I have to alarm her when things get serious, now I just can't notice any problem. She sent me also to one of the best professors in the area of audiology in our country. This I did on Thursday but before that I have to mention I had a neurological exam and the doctor sent me to a clinic in the other part of the city for a Doppler test. The results from this exam are required by the health commission I am going to on March 12th. So I went to a special neurological clinic I had never been to. This clinic turned out to be in one yard with the National Psychiatry Clinic and every time I asked people on the street to give me directions, they looked at me suspiciously. Later, I found out why! :o) The good thing was that the exam itself did not take a lot although I had to wait half an hour for the particular doctor. But you know, when I visit a doctor, I always charge myself with lot of patience!

I left very early on the next morning without having a breakfast or anything to drink. At 8 am I was already having blood exams my neurologist had asked for the previous day. Later on, I went to the audiologist to talk to her about possible opportunities to fix the single side deafness. Since she is one of the most asked for, you can imagine what a huge line there was in front of her office. People there had come from all parts of Bulgaria. So I sat down and waited, then resolved sudoku, then read the book she had already given to me about BAHA and how it works and finally 3 hours later she let me in. The good outcome was that I knew the whole procedure would be covered by the Ministry of Health and I don't have to pay a penny/ stotinka ;-) for it! And it is a lot - it costs around 20 000 leva (this is the Bulgarian currency) which amounts to almost 13 000 USD. I am, however, very fresh from my surgery that is why have to go back to her in a half a year at least.
The next in row were the blood tests which turned out to be clear, so I headed after that to another clinic - VMA (Military Medical Academy). There in the neurosurgery award I found (by accident I have to say - I did not believe to find him in the clinic since it had already been 3 pm and doctors rarely do stay longer that 1 pm in the clinics) one of my ex surgeons. We had a very rewarding chat together and finally I managed to get his contact details, so whenever I meet him in the future we can arrange an appointment in advance. I managed to get introduced to another neurosurgeon there who turned out to be the best man of my last neurosurgeon in Hannover, Germany. Here is the place to mention that one of my neurosurgeons in Germany was Bulgarian. So by the time we finished our pleasant talk it has already become 4 pm. At that point I ran back home exhausted!

On Friday was my first work day for the last four months. WOW!! It was so nice to go to work and get occupied with something finally. My coworkers were very happy to see me and I should admit they did not burden me with not a single task for the whole day. I just cleaned my desk, arranged my computer and went to visit a lot of people from other departments. This was my first 8 hour day at work.

On Saturday I had an exam in Marketing. This was the first time I went to an exam without reading for it a single letter and I passed it. not with the mark I would like to but still it is at least behind my back. I can go for improving my mark in September but for the time being I have one exam less. Came back home and slept for some hours since I had done to bed the previous night around 3 am and then woke up and continued with my paper in Corporate Finances - I have been reading and writing on it for the whole past week - well, during the evenings for days were all occupied!

On Sunday, I will continue with it and will have to learn to present it with confidence so as to be strong on Monday evening when the actual exam will take place.

Tomorrow (Now) is March the 8th - the International Women's Day - so I will probably have Andrew here and we will celebrate the event! Happy Women's Day!!

But by that time I need some rest because it is already 3 in the morning and I am deadly tired!

Intelligent time

I won an award from a TV show/ quiz/ intelligent broadcast answering to a question that all the other people in the audience could not. And here is the whole story...

It was last Sunday morning when my router was down, all the other in the house were sleeping so I decided not to make noise but rather to go out. Yes, it was very cold and yes, I know very well that cold weather is not good to my face at all, but being part of the audience of the TV show I have watched for years sounded more attractive to me. Now is the time to give some background about the program itself. Well, this a weekly quiz show that has been broadcast for 29 years. There are four rounds and between them the leader asks questions to make the audience involved too and treats them at a correct answer.

I had checked on internet several days before it cut off whether there were any recordings of the show before me getting back to work and luckily I found they had.
So I headed to the place that Sunday early morning to find a bunch of people already there.
I would like to do a lot of things since I am on a sick leave (i.e. have some free time). I want to cram my time as much as I can, especially when I have a week of relax left!! Time gets sweeter and sweeter!

Finally, we started!! After around two hours of hustle (all the people bringing the show come true were constantly frantically running - I did not get why?!) We, as audience, were asked to do a scene several and several times though, which made the whole experience boring. I went to be part of the show, to feel the live spirit and get together with very intelligent people. Well, it did not happen like that exactly! Since it is not paid audience everyone goes there out of curiosity. So did I! Others, however, were there just to promote how much they know. I do not put on doubt their knowledge, but I really question the way they presented it all the time. Someone says something about Mozart, for example, and they start to throw out different facts endlessly hopping through all the German dynasties and end up in Schloss San Sousi, near Berlin that is built up resembling Versailles, near Paris. Ha!! After a lot of interruptions of the show and doing one and the same scene again and again just because part of those people do not how and when to keep mouth shut, I growled to one of them. They shut up! At least it worked!

There was another person on my other side who seemed pretty normal and young. He had big thick glasses (I considered him as a dweeb but this was rather personal and thus subjective) Did I say with all his sense?? Now comes the objective part though, he started taking out all his boogers and then eating them. And this went on for two hours. (His cave seemed limitless!) I was ready to puke at this sight whereas he did not seem to notice, to bother or let alone to be ashamed! I started questioning myself at some point whether I was wrong! Gah! I anticipated for the break and then left hurriedly. I could not stay a moment longer! Later on, on a sound mind I cleared to myself that it was not my mistake!! I am glad I did not remain at this depressing place - I am intelligent enough to win a book award from the contest and at the same time to have manners! Man, is this that difficult?!

Sketching my experience I would like to put some nice and positive drawings! Although as a whole it was a wasting of time, I was proud and still am actually that I won a book prize from the contest. Durings the breaks between the rounds they involve the audience by asking questions participants could not answer! I was the first to reply to "Which is the other country in Central America besides Mexico and Panama whose capital is named after the country itself?" by shouting out Guatemala!

So I was rewarded with a book about Chinese Heath Care Secrets which I found in the very same afternoon interesting and informative! A nice prize from the whole not-so-nice experience!

My pre V-day

Actually, my V-day was very comforting and even kinda boring. Andrew has been sick for 8 - 9 days now and our plans to eat out at a flashy restaurant ruined two days before the holiday. It became clear that he had no progress with his illness. The truth is that he wants me not to catch a flu since my immune system is weak now and stays away from me in all those moments - and he gets sick easily and regularly. Gah, due to his countless allergies, we do not see each other - for mutual security! I, however, appreciate this behavior and am glad he does understand me.

So coming back on the pre V-day topic. This whole week when he was sick seemed even longer for me because I had a lot of problems with my router and rarely was I at the computer. At one of these nothing-to-do evenings I was lying on my bed reading the book I am about to finish - "On the Eve" by Turgenev (Russian classics again ;O) when there was a door signal and since me and my roommate were not waiting for anyone we were even a bit scared to open at first. In the next moment, I decided to check who's there and was astonished with a beatiful one meter high bouquet in the dark pink-white-green shade. And that was not all, there was a scarlet helium heart for me too!! I was speechless!! Furthermore, my roomate tried to comfort me as I was looking a bit scared. My sweetie did not make an order for Sat Feb 14th, but for the evening before, so that my amazement could be bigger. And it really WAS!!! I have neither before (this is not my first St Valentine ;)) had that huge a bunch of flowers, let alone surprised by a courier, nor some of my friends had. So imagine how I felt!!! I dialed up his number immediately to have him answering pretending he did not know anything! Even more AWESOME! His words "You inspire me to do it!" continue resonating in my head!

The flowers are still fresh and I take good care of them. Who would not?! They are so wonderful! The balloon at first followed me everywhere I went (I had it tied to my wrist) but now is settled on the window so I can shout out to all what a lovely surprise I had and how much I adore my dear! WOW what an evening!

a random list of things about me between 16 and 25

I was tagged on facebook. com in one of those notes that spread from person to person, so I think it will be funny (if not anything else) to write my note here! The note on facebook says that you have to tag the person who tagged you and people you would like to know more about, but since I do not know whether tagging is possible here or not, let's just say that whoever reads this has to write a list of his/ her own and to let me know!

1. I miss my brother terribly - I miss the meaningful conversations, very often short though, we had, his humor, the way he challenged me mentally, his ideas for the world, etc

2. I am ambidextrous - I can actually only write with my both hands, anything else, like cutting with scissors, slicing bread, sewing, etc, I do with my left hand. I even started writing with the left hand when in the first grade at school, but my teacher at that time, asked my mom to learn me to do it as all the other students did it.

3. Unlike most of my friends, I like fruits (by that I mean having at least one or two per day) that are considered strange - kiwi and grapefruits, but can't stand pineapple!

4. Really enjoy drinking wine every day - I do not want it to sound posh, though!

5. I like getting dressed elegantly. Who does not? I know it sounds strange, but some of my friends do not pay any attention to their appearance. I am one of those people, however, who believe in the Bulgarian proverb: "People welcome you according to your attire and send you off according to your mind!"

6. I am painfully straightforward! That is the reason why a number of people do not like me.

7. I love reading at any possible moment - I even have "David Copperfield" by Ch. Dickens transcoded on my iPod now and in case I cannot read, I just listen to the narration. Another passion I am up to now is Russian literature. I am reading Turgenev and his masterpiece "V navecherieto" ("On the Eve") where a Bulgarian guy is one of the main characters.

8. I love playing sudoku! I do not use it for killing time, it is an enjoyable and meaningful way to spend a whole day, for example!

9. I have never dyed/ colored my hair - it is naturally black black!

10. I am a hopeless romantic!

11. I don't enjoy cooking but I believe it is kinda hereditary because I am good at that without much effort and for sure have taken this from my mom and grandma.

12. I love songs with meaningful lyrics I can get (not like metal songs where they scream all the time)

13. Did not believe that the facial problems will make me that shy. Apparently, my awkwardness makes me feel inferior to others!

14. I love watching based-on-true-stories movies and skip sci-fis.

15. As a whole, I am not a telly lover, though. I even do not have a TV at home!

16. I love going to mountains and seaside shores (not for getting tanned though). One day I hope to be rich enough to afford at least a winter AND a summer vacation!

17. More than anything I love traveling.

18. I started taking private lessons in English at the age of 7 when I started school. (a side note: in Bulgaria my peers started studying English as a second language from our 5ht grade (at the age of 12)). Yep I know how to write in my native language well before school.

19. I used to dance ballet from the age of 4 to 11. Then I gave it up because I did not like my new teacher!

20. A year after that I started playing tennis until two years ago. I was even part of the university team!

21. I put my hands at something and tend to chase it till I make myself really good at it. Often, this tactics turn out to be harmful, self-destructing, though! (seriously)

22. I don't already like the word "patience" and the phrase "c'est la vie"!

23. As a last tidbit - I try to be as green as possible - I live at a easily accessible place and don't drive, I have used one and the same shopping fabric bag for a year and three months now, I always turn off the faucet when I brush my teeth, I put paper and plastic bottles in different bins apart from the other trash, etc. (a side note: in Bulgaria separate trash gathering is not required!)