Sunday, May 09, 2010

Too Long...

So, since it was the end of FEBRUARY since I last posted, there is a lot to get caught up on. I will point out some highlights...

March Highlights:

Quarter of a century birthday fun - on the 23rd, I turned 25... enjoyed my time with friends

Faculty Follies - a faculty talent show that was put on as a fundraiser. Friends of mine and I did a "Thriller Remix" dance... video and photos to follow.

April Highlights:

SPRING BREAK!! - I had a wonderful visit with Brooke - we travelled to Istanbul and explored around Sofia. Too much time on the overnight train, but we saw some great sights, and had a wonderful time :) It is always wonderful to have friends/family from home visit. It seems to enable me to connect this life to my life I lived in the U.S. thus validating my experiences and the life I have lived here these past two years... weird, I know, but it is a common feeling.

Lil Jon Concert - Lil Jon came to Sofia. So weird. So crazy. And so fun... I am not sure I have had so much fun watching/listening to the worst musical talent (or lack thereof) in my life...

May Highlights (so far):

Long Weekend #1 in Koprivshtitsa - A Bulgarian/American/Ukrainian wedding. Beautiful weather, great fun, and a quintessential experience for my two years in Bulgaria. I now feel that my stay here is complete in my cultural experiences. Now, there are so many more things I would love to do and see here in this country, but there is just no way I will be able to fit it all in before I leave :) That is why I will have to return for a visit in the future. To follow the wedding, my roommates, our friend Jaime and I drove another two hours south to a place outside Plovdiv, called Bachkovo. Here there is an amazing mountain monastery and hiking in a nature reserve. It was absolutely lovely and we had a wonderful time. It was good to have a hike through the Rodope Mountains, getting some fresh air after such a "celebratory" weekend.

Rest of the month - The seniors are ALREADY finished with school (all seniors in Bulgaria are done with school by now). Graduation is in a couple of weekends, followed by another long weekend, where we have planned a return trip to Thassos, Greece. It should be a lovely way to celebrate the spring, the coming of summer, and to enjoy some beach exposure in the meantime before we finish up the school year.

I cannot believe that I am almost done here in Bulgaria. I am still looking for a job in the U.S. but I have some good leads, so keep your fingers crossed! Being here in the Bulg has been an amazing experience, and one that has led me to meet some wonderful people and friends who I hope to stay in touch with and see in the future. Bulgaria is such a beautiful and amazing country with such a unique culture that I have loved to be somewhat a part of and getting to know. Time certainly does fly...

Photos to follow!

Friday, February 26, 2010

Famous in Bulgaria!!

One of my dear friends and colleagues here at the school has been in Sofia for the past year and a half, and this year began working at my school. She has kept a blog of her adventures In & Around Bulgaria. Her blog has attracted many loyal followers, expats and Bulgarians alike. Recently she was contacted by a local TV station who wanted to make a short series about her life here in Bulgaria to show on their morning tv broadcast. It has been hysterical to watch her and our life on Bulgarian television :)

Check out the youtube links as well as her blog here:


Here is the series that has been appearing on NOVA television. One of her blog followers recorded these mini episodes for her. Unfortunately I cannot find the first episode. Enjoy!
(I love you C!)





Riding on the bus...



Balkan Dance Practice!!



This morning I missed the 5th episode on television, but I will upload it as soon as I can find it! :)
Well done C.!

Monday, February 15, 2010

A Happy New Year - Winter in Sofia

Here in Mladost 2, with the arrival of winter, things have been taking on some crazy transformations. I have always thought that the apartment blocks outside of the entrance to our campus had some very specific degree of beauty in their utilitarian design. At night however, they look spectacular as if part of a New York City skyline...

High Density Housing

New York City. Sofia, Bulgaria.

After the Snow

Jack the Snow Dog :)