(5985,1,'2011-12-16 06:54:36','2011-12-16 04:54:36','Every spare minute I have these days I\'ve been reading the novel the <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Wunderkind-Novel-Nikolai-Grozni/dp/1451616910/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1323923414&amp;sr=8-1-spell\" target=\"_blank\">Wonderkind by Nikolai Grozni </a>on my kindle. I haven\'t had a lot of spare minutes so I\'ve only read a 1/3 of the book. But it\'s good. I keep thinking about the main character and his life in Bulgaria right before the changes. I\'d heard about the book earlier this year but it was when Petya started writing a series of posts about the book at <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Wunderkind-Novel-Nikolai-Grozni/dp/1451616910/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1323923414&amp;sr=8-1-spell\" target=\"_blank\">The Migrant Bookclub</a> that made me finally buy the novel.\n\nSo for whatever reason, my slight (or not-so-slight) obsession with this book got me thinking about what books I\'d buy for my friends for Christmas. If they were as crazy as I am about Bulgaria. You know, <em>if</em> I bought books for my friends. And I that guess is contingent on having friends (which I have--I just don\'t usually buy them books. Though maybe I should).\n\nI love reading about Bulgaria. When a new books comes out in English about Bulgaria, I read it. I\'ve never had a similar interest but over the past three years I\'ve been a busy reader. Sometimes I feel like I am in the process of reading all of Bulgaria (or at least the Bulgaria that\'s been translated into English).\n\nAnyhow which Bulgarian novels should you buy for your nearest and dearest (or simply for yourself) this year? <!--more-->\n\nI\'d recommend any of the books that appear on my Works Cited page you know the tab at the top of my blog but here are a few of my favorites from this past year and at least two of them <em>Mitko</em> and <em>Wonderkind</em> have yet to be added to my works cited page.\n<ul>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Wunderkind-Novel-Nikolai-Grozni/dp/1451616910/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1323923414&amp;sr=8-1-spell\" target=\"_blank\">East of the West</a> by Miroslav Penkov. This book explores a series of tensions including being Bulgarian. Leaving Bulgaria. Returning to Bulgaria. Feeling foreign at home. Being a child in Bulgaria. The recent past in Bulgaria. The stories are wonderfully written.  My three favorites are \"East of the West,\" \"Buying Lenin\" and \"Cross Thieves.\"</li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Wunderkind-Novel-Nikolai-Grozni/dp/1451616910/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1323923414&amp;sr=8-1-spell\" target=\"_blank\">Wonderkind</a> by Nikolai Grozni is set in Bulgaria right before the changes and follows a young male narrator who is attending a high school for gifted musicians. The narrator\'s voice is engaging and I recognize it among the teenagers I teach. It\'s a mix of youthful boisterousness and at times surprising weight. What amazes me are the glimpses of Sofia and high school that I know from my four years in Sofia and teaching at the First English Language High School.</li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Mitko-Miami-University-Press-Fiction/dp/145076214X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1323924480&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Mitko</a> by Garth Greenwell is a novella written by my friend, next door neighbor and fellow ACS teacher. Garth won a major prize for this novella but really that\'s no surprise because it pulls you in with the first sentence and one leads to another and all of a sudden you\'ve finished the book. The writing is beautiful. He tells a story about desire, Bulgaria and being a gay foreigner. The novella opens in the bathrooms at NDK--the National Palace of Culture--and ends in a hotel room in Varna and in someways is as much about the people as it is the place. I\'ll be re-reading this book over Christmas.</li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Solo-Rana-Dasgupta/dp/0547397089/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1\" target=\"_blank\">Solo</a> by Rana Dasgupta is narrated by a cranky old blind Bulgarian man who\'s telling the story of his life after the changes. Things haven\'t ever been easy for him and it certainly didn\'t get easier after the fall of communism. On a whole I liked the novel. I didn\'t love but I\'ll re-read it for book club this spring. This said, even after reading the novel it\'s not exactly clear to me what Dasgupta\'s connection to Bulgaria is but he certainly has one. The story moves across time and place and has an unexpected ending but to the best of my knowledge stays true to Bulgarian history, music and culture.</li>\n</ul>\nEach of these books are worthy Christmas presents on their own (whether or not your obsessed with Bulgaria). As a collection they paint a rich and varied picture of life in Bulgaria in both the past and present.\n\nSure there\'s still that one book which is haunting me: <em>Under the Yoke</em>. I\'ve got it. I\'ve read the first few chapters more times than I\'d like to admit and then the novel falls off my radar. Maybe 2012 is my year.','Books, Christmas and Bulgaria ','','inherit','open','open','','5973-autosave','','','2011-12-16 06:54:36','2011-12-16 04:54:36','',5973,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/16/5973-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(5986,1,'2011-12-17 10:24:18','2011-12-17 08:24:18','Wow. When it rains it pours. One day and the promise of two packages.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"375\" caption=\"Thanks mom and dad!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Thanks mom and dad!\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6524379295/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6524379295_c57c08f6dd.jpg\" alt=\"Thanks mom and dad!\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI haven\'t gotten mail in ages. So this was a huge surprise. Okay, I knew that one of the two packages was coming my way but the other one well that\'s a mystery.\r\n\r\nYesterday, I got a package from my parents in the mail. I went to pick up some photocopies and there it was in my teacher-mailbox at school. It\'s a lot easier to get mail and packages at school so that\'s address I\'ve given my friends and family. (You can send fan mail here as well.)\r\n\r\nI am not going home for Christmas this year so it was exciting to get a package from my parents. They listed everything in the package on the customs list: socks ($20), candy ($5), earrings ($20). <em></em>\r\n\r\n<em>Really, $20 socks!?</em>\r\n\r\nI love my family!!\r\n\r\nEven though I know what\'s in the package I\'ve decided to save it until December 25th to open it. And really, it\'s not like I know <em>exactly</em> what\'s in it.\r\n\r\nThen I got home last night to find a package slip attached to my apartment door. What, what!?<!--more-->\r\n\r\nI have absolutely no idea who sent me a package at home. I can\'t for the life of me think of who knows my address in these apartments aside from my friends. But really who\'s sending me a package through the mail when they could just give it to me?!\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Bulgarian post package slip\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Bulgarian post package slip\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6524380383/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6524380383_72618803ce.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian post package slip\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nTo make matters that much more interesting, I can\'t tell where I am supposed to go to actually pick up my package. My package slip just has a bunch of numbers. My building number. My apartment number. The times I can pick up the package. The date of the attempted delivery. And then there are a couple of unknown numbers which I assume must reveal the location of the post office or maybe this knowledge is just assumed.\r\n\r\nI mean, <em>really</em>, why don\'t I know where the post office is in Mladost 1A?!\r\n\r\nOh and the thing you can tell from a picture is that the slip is made out of cheap recycled paper. I love this country.\r\n\r\nAnyhow, we\'ll see what happens. I sent out a plea for help on twitter. Because, really, why not?','Package Excitement!','','publish','open','open','','package-excitement','','','2011-12-17 10:24:18','2011-12-17 08:24:18','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5986',0,'post','',8),(5991,1,'2011-12-17 10:20:14','2011-12-17 08:20:14','Wow. When it rains it pours. One day and the promise of two packages.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"375\" caption=\"Thanks mom and dad!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Thanks mom and dad!\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6524379295/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6524379295_c57c08f6dd.jpg\" alt=\"Thanks mom and dad!\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" /></a>[/caption]\nI haven\'t gotten mail in ages. So this was a huge surprise. Okay, I knew that one of the two packages was coming my way but the other one well that\'s a mystery.\n\nYesterday, I got a package from my parents in the mail. I went to pick up some photocopies and there it was in my teacher-mailbox at school. It\'s a lot easier to get mail and packages at school so that\'s address I\'ve given my friends and family.\n\nI am not going home for Christmas this year so it was exciting to get a package from my parents. They listed everything in the package on the customs list: socks ($20), candy ($5), earrings ($20). <em>Really, $20 socks!?</em>\n\nI love my family!!\n\nEven though I know what\'s in the package I\'ve decided to save it until December 25th to open it. And really, it\'s not like I know <em>exactly</em> what\'s in it.\n\nThen I got home last night to find a package slip attached to my apartment door. What, what!?\n\nI have absolutely no idea who sent me a package at home. I can\'t for the life of me think of who knows my address in these apartments aside from my friends. But really who\'s sending me a package through the mail when they could just give it to me?!\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Bulgarian post package slip\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Bulgarian post package slip\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6524380383/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6524380383_72618803ce.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian post package slip\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nTo make matters that much more interesting, I can\'t tell where I am supposed to go to actually pick up my package. My package slip just has a bunch of numbers. My building number. My apartment number. The times I can pick up the package. The date. And then a couple of unknown numbers. Which I assume must reveal the location of the post office or this knowledge is just assumed.\n\nOh and the thing you can tell from a picture is that the slip is made out of cheap recycled paper. I love this country.\n\nAnyhow, we\'ll see what happens. I sent out a plea for help on twitter. Because, really, why not?','Package Excitement!','','inherit','open','open','','5986-revision-5','','','2011-12-17 10:20:14','2011-12-17 08:20:14','',5986,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/17/5986-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(5987,1,'2011-12-17 10:04:28','2011-12-17 08:04:28','Wow. When it rains it pours. One day and the promise of two packages.\n\nI haven\'t gotten mail in ages. So this was a huge surprise. Okay, I knew that one of the two packages was coming my way but the other one well that\'s a mystery.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"A little package for my Christmas abroad\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"A little package for my Christmas abroad\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6524377491/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6524377491_97a4a2212b.jpg\" alt=\"A little package for my Christmas abroad\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nYesterday, I got a package from my parents in the mail. I went to pick up some photocopies and there it was in my teacher-mailbox at school. It\'s a lot easier to get mail and packages at school so that\'s address I\'ve given my friends and family.\n\nI am not going home for Christmas this year so it was exciting to get a package from my parents. They listed everything in the package on the customs list: socks ($20), candy ($5), earrings ($20). <em>Really, $20 socks!?</em>\n\nI love my family!!\n\nEven though I know what\'s in the package I\'ve decided to save it until December 25th to open it. And really, it\'s not like I know <em>exactly</em> what\'s in it.\n\nThen I got home last night to find a package slip attached to my apartment door. What, what!?\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Bulgarian post package slip\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Bulgarian post package slip\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6524380383/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6524380383_72618803ce.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian post package slip\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI have absolutely no idea who sent me a package at home. I can\'t for the life of me think of who knows my address in these apartments aside from my friends. But really who\'s sending me a package through the mail when they could just give it to me?!\n\nTo make matters that much more interesting, I can\'t tell where I am supposed to go to actually pick up my package. My package slip just has a bunch of numbers. My building number. My apartment number. The times I can pick up the package. The date. And then a couple of unknown numbers. Which I assume must reveal the location of the post office or this knowledge is just assumed.\n\nOh and the thing you can tell from a picture is that the slip is made out of cheap recycled paper. I love this country.\n\nAnyhow, we\'ll see what happens. I sent out a plea for help on twitter. Because, really, why not?','Package Excitement!','','inherit','open','open','','5986-revision','','','2011-12-17 10:04:28','2011-12-17 08:04:28','',5986,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/17/5986-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5988,1,'2011-12-17 10:05:33','2011-12-17 08:05:33','Wow. When it rains it pours. One day and the promise of two packages.\r\n\r\nI haven\'t gotten mail in ages. So this was a huge surprise. Okay, I knew that one of the two packages was coming my way but the other one well that\'s a mystery.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"A little package for my Christmas abroad\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"A little package for my Christmas abroad\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6524377491/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6524377491_97a4a2212b.jpg\" alt=\"A little package for my Christmas abroad\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nYesterday, I got a package from my parents in the mail. I went to pick up some photocopies and there it was in my teacher-mailbox at school. It\'s a lot easier to get mail and packages at school so that\'s address I\'ve given my friends and family.\r\n\r\nI am not going home for Christmas this year so it was exciting to get a package from my parents. They listed everything in the package on the customs list: socks ($20), candy ($5), earrings ($20). <em>Really, $20 socks!?</em>\r\n\r\nI love my family!!\r\n\r\nEven though I know what\'s in the package I\'ve decided to save it until December 25th to open it. And really, it\'s not like I know <em>exactly</em> what\'s in it.\r\n\r\nThen I got home last night to find a package slip attached to my apartment door. What, what!?\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Bulgarian post package slip\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Bulgarian post package slip\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6524380383/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6524380383_72618803ce.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian post package slip\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI have absolutely no idea who sent me a package at home. I can\'t for the life of me think of who knows my address in these apartments aside from my friends. But really who\'s sending me a package through the mail when they could just give it to me?!\r\n\r\nTo make matters that much more interesting, I can\'t tell where I am supposed to go to actually pick up my package. My package slip just has a bunch of numbers. My building number. My apartment number. The times I can pick up the package. The date. And then a couple of unknown numbers. Which I assume must reveal the location of the post office or this knowledge is just assumed.\r\n\r\nOh and the thing you can tell from a picture is that the slip is made out of cheap recycled paper. I love this country.\r\n\r\nAnyhow, we\'ll see what happens. I sent out a plea for help on twitter. Because, really, why not?','Package Excitement!','','inherit','open','open','','5986-revision-2','','','2011-12-17 10:05:33','2011-12-17 08:05:33','',5986,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/17/5986-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(5990,1,'2011-12-17 10:17:56','2011-12-17 08:17:56','Wow. When it rains it pours. One day and the promise of two packages.\r\n\r\nI haven\'t gotten mail in ages. So this was a huge surprise. Okay, I knew that one of the two packages was coming my way but the other one well that\'s a mystery.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"375\" caption=\"Thanks mom and dad!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Thanks mom and dad!\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6524379295/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6524379295_c57c08f6dd.jpg\" alt=\"Thanks mom and dad!\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nYesterday, I got a package from my parents in the mail. I went to pick up some photocopies and there it was in my teacher-mailbox at school. It\'s a lot easier to get mail and packages at school so that\'s address I\'ve given my friends and family.\r\n\r\nI am not going home for Christmas this year so it was exciting to get a package from my parents. They listed everything in the package on the customs list: socks ($20), candy ($5), earrings ($20). <em>Really, $20 socks!?</em>\r\n\r\nI love my family!!\r\n\r\nEven though I know what\'s in the package I\'ve decided to save it until December 25th to open it. And really, it\'s not like I know <em>exactly</em> what\'s in it.\r\n\r\nThen I got home last night to find a package slip attached to my apartment door. What, what!?\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Bulgarian post package slip\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Bulgarian post package slip\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6524380383/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6524380383_72618803ce.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian post package slip\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI have absolutely no idea who sent me a package at home. I can\'t for the life of me think of who knows my address in these apartments aside from my friends. But really who\'s sending me a package through the mail when they could just give it to me?!\r\n\r\nTo make matters that much more interesting, I can\'t tell where I am supposed to go to actually pick up my package. My package slip just has a bunch of numbers. My building number. My apartment number. The times I can pick up the package. The date. And then a couple of unknown numbers. Which I assume must reveal the location of the post office or this knowledge is just assumed.\r\n\r\nOh and the thing you can tell from a picture is that the slip is made out of cheap recycled paper. I love this country.\r\n\r\nAnyhow, we\'ll see what happens. I sent out a plea for help on twitter. Because, really, why not?','Package Excitement!','','inherit','open','open','','5986-revision-4','','','2011-12-17 10:17:56','2011-12-17 08:17:56','',5986,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/17/5986-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(5989,1,'2011-12-17 10:15:43','2011-12-17 08:15:43','Wow. When it rains it pours. One day and the promise of two packages.\r\n\r\nI haven\'t gotten mail in ages. So this was a huge surprise. Okay, I knew that one of the two packages was coming my way but the other one well that\'s a mystery.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"A little package for my Christmas abroad\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"A little package for my Christmas abroad\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6524377491/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6524377491_97a4a2212b.jpg\" alt=\"A little package for my Christmas abroad\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nYesterday, I got a package from my parents in the mail. I went to pick up some photocopies and there it was in my teacher-mailbox at school. It\'s a lot easier to get mail and packages at school so that\'s address I\'ve given my friends and family.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"375\" caption=\"Thanks mom and dad!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Thanks mom and dad!\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6524379295/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6524379295_c57c08f6dd.jpg\" alt=\"Thanks mom and dad!\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI am not going home for Christmas this year so it was exciting to get a package from my parents. They listed everything in the package on the customs list: socks ($20), candy ($5), earrings ($20). <em>Really, $20 socks!?</em>\r\n\r\nI love my family!!\r\n\r\nEven though I know what\'s in the package I\'ve decided to save it until December 25th to open it. And really, it\'s not like I know <em>exactly</em> what\'s in it.\r\n\r\nThen I got home last night to find a package slip attached to my apartment door. What, what!?\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Bulgarian post package slip\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Bulgarian post package slip\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6524380383/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6524380383_72618803ce.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian post package slip\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI have absolutely no idea who sent me a package at home. I can\'t for the life of me think of who knows my address in these apartments aside from my friends. But really who\'s sending me a package through the mail when they could just give it to me?!\r\n\r\nTo make matters that much more interesting, I can\'t tell where I am supposed to go to actually pick up my package. My package slip just has a bunch of numbers. My building number. My apartment number. The times I can pick up the package. The date. And then a couple of unknown numbers. Which I assume must reveal the location of the post office or this knowledge is just assumed.\r\n\r\nOh and the thing you can tell from a picture is that the slip is made out of cheap recycled paper. I love this country.\r\n\r\nAnyhow, we\'ll see what happens. I sent out a plea for help on twitter. Because, really, why not?','Package Excitement!','','inherit','open','open','','5986-revision-3','','','2011-12-17 10:15:43','2011-12-17 08:15:43','',5986,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/17/5986-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(5992,1,'2011-12-17 10:21:13','2011-12-17 08:21:13','Wow. When it rains it pours. One day and the promise of two packages.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"375\" caption=\"Thanks mom and dad!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Thanks mom and dad!\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6524379295/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6524379295_c57c08f6dd.jpg\" alt=\"Thanks mom and dad!\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI haven\'t gotten mail in ages. So this was a huge surprise. Okay, I knew that one of the two packages was coming my way but the other one well that\'s a mystery.\n\nYesterday, I got a package from my parents in the mail. I went to pick up some photocopies and there it was in my teacher-mailbox at school. It\'s a lot easier to get mail and packages at school so that\'s address I\'ve given my friends and family.\n\nI am not going home for Christmas this year so it was exciting to get a package from my parents. They listed everything in the package on the customs list: socks ($20), candy ($5), earrings ($20). <em>Really, $20 socks!?</em>\n\nI love my family!!\n\nEven though I know what\'s in the package I\'ve decided to save it until December 25th to open it. And really, it\'s not like I know <em>exactly</em> what\'s in it.\n\nThen I got home last night to find a package slip attached to my apartment door. What, what!?\n\nI have absolutely no idea who sent me a package at home. I can\'t for the life of me think of who knows my address in these apartments aside from my friends. But really who\'s sending me a package through the mail when they could just give it to me?!\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Bulgarian post package slip\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Bulgarian post package slip\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6524380383/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6524380383_72618803ce.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian post package slip\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nTo make matters that much more interesting, I can\'t tell where I am supposed to go to actually pick up my package. My package slip just has a bunch of numbers. My building number. My apartment number. The times I can pick up the package. The date. And then a couple of unknown numbers. Which I assume must reveal the location of the post office or this knowledge is just assumed.\n\nOh and the thing you can tell from a picture is that the slip is made out of cheap recycled paper. I love this country.\n\nAnyhow, we\'ll see what happens. I sent out a plea for help on twitter. Because, really, why not?','Package Excitement!','','inherit','open','open','','5986-revision-6','','','2011-12-17 10:21:13','2011-12-17 08:21:13','',5986,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/17/5986-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(5993,1,'2011-12-17 15:40:13','2011-12-17 13:40:13','The mystery has been solved!! My friend, travel buddy and partner in crime R. sent me a package.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Got it!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Got it!\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525384907/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6525384907_857787ec03.jpg\" alt=\"Got it!\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nA special thanks to everyone on twitter who helped me figure out where in Mladost 1A I was supposed to go to retrieve my package. I might still be wandering around greater-Mladost 1A looking for the post office if it weren\'t for the maps and links to the Bulgarian postal system post office codes.\r\n\r\nHere are some photos of Mladost 1A today:\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Block 511 in Mladost\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Block 511 in Mladost\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525381823/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6525381823_268b603cf6.jpg\" alt=\"Block 511 in Mladost\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Clouds and blocks in Mladost 1A\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Clouds and blocks in Mladost 1A\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525382347/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6525382347_15c7751990.jpg\" alt=\"Clouds and blocks in Mladost 1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nTurns out my post office is #1729 in Mladost 1A, Block #555. Oh. I live in block five-hundred-and-forty-something but interestingly it\'s no where close to block #555. Pretty clearly, I am never going to figure out this numbering system. <!--more-->\r\n\r\nWhile I was wandering through the blocks in search of the post office, I did wonder: where is block 1 in Mladost 1A? And why are the streets in Mladost 1A named on both google and bgmaps but not in real life?\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Block 520 in Mladost 1A\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Block 520 in Mladost 1A\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525383591/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6525383591_4655c6651f.jpg\" alt=\"Block 520 in Mladost 1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Blocks in Mladost 1A\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Blocks in Mladost 1A\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525384099/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6525384099_f10db40342.jpg\" alt=\"Blocks in Mladost 1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI also wondered: who spray-paints block numbers on buildings and why they can\'t be a little neater about things? About this point I thought: I am lost.\r\n\r\nBut, there it was. Block #555 and the post office. This is hands down the nicest post office I\'ve ever been in Bulgaria.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"The post office in Mladsot 1A Block 555\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"The post office in Mladsot 1A Block 555\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525382947/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7005/6525382947_ccc6191e69.jpg\" alt=\"The post office in Mladsot 1A Block 555\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThings at the post office were uneventful. I handed over my slip. She looked for my package for a little bit even though there only seemed to about 10 to choose from. She found it, asked for my identity card, I handed it over, signed for the package and that was that.\r\n\r\nEasy-peasy. Well once you know <em>where</em> exactly you\'re supposed to go.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Mladost 1A: a grandfather with granddaughter\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Mladost 1A\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525384519/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6525384519_dd8b8e93d1.jpg\" alt=\"Mladost 1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI walked home with the package tucked under my arm.\r\n\r\nThis time, I was preoccupied with the question: how did I get so lucky to have such great friends?! I mean, I have the <em>best</em> friends. I am incredibly happy and grateful to have them in my life.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"My second package in two days\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"My second package in two days\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525385327/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6525385327_3bd1ecd792.jpg\" alt=\"My second package in two days\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nOn my way home, I decided that I\'d open this one after deciding not to open the one my parents sent me until Christmas. That was until I got it home opened it to find it wrapped. Beautifully wrapped in fact. So I read the card instead. Then I decided to save it until Christmas as well.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"A Christmas note!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"A Christmas note!\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525385799/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6525385799_9df2ae7987.jpg\" alt=\"A Christmas note!\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nBecause really, did you read what she wrote? How could I not wait?!\r\n\r\nI couldn\'t stop laughing after reading the card. Bulgaria\'s most famous English language blogger<em>. </em>Enter: laughter and head shaking. Don\'t worry R. I\'ll eat some banitsa for you--at least until you can eat some of your own.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Another package, this one beautifully wrapped from R.\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Another package\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525386401/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6525386401_a8a1ded48e.jpg\" alt=\"Another package\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]','A Second Package ','','publish','open','open','','a-second-package','','','2011-12-17 15:40:13','2011-12-17 13:40:13','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5993',0,'post','',0),(5994,1,'2011-12-17 15:21:48','2011-12-17 13:21:48','The mystery has been solved!! My friend, travel buddy and partner in crime R. sent me a package. <a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Got it!\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525384907/\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6525384907_857787ec03.jpg\" alt=\"Got it!\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>\n\nA special thanks to everyone on twitter who helped me figure out where in Mladost 1A I was supposed to go to retrieve my package. I might still be wandering around greater-Mladost 1A looking for the post office if it weren\'t for the maps and links to the Bulgarian postal system post office codes.\n\n<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Block 511 in Mladost\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525381823/\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6525381823_268b603cf6.jpg\" alt=\"Block 511 in Mladost\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>\n\n<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Clouds and blocks in Mladost 1A\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525382347/\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6525382347_15c7751990.jpg\" alt=\"Clouds and blocks in Mladost 1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a> Turns out my post office is #1729 in Mladost 1A, Block #555. Oh. I live in block five-hundred-and-forty-something but interestingly it\'s no where close to block #555. Pretty clearly, I am never going to figure out this numbering system. While I was wandering through the blocks in search of the post office, I did wonder: where is block 1 in Mladost 1A? And why are the streets in Mladost 1A named on both google and bgmaps but not in real life?\n\n<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Block 520 in Mladost 1A\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525383591/\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6525383591_4655c6651f.jpg\" alt=\"Block 520 in Mladost 1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>\n\n<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Blocks in Mladost 1A\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525384099/\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6525384099_f10db40342.jpg\" alt=\"Blocks in Mladost 1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a> Then I wondered who spray-paints block numbers on buildings and why they can\'t be a little neater about things. About this point I thought: I am lost. But, there it was. Block #555.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"The post office in Mladsot 1A Block 555\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"The post office in Mladsot 1A Block 555\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525382947/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7005/6525382947_ccc6191e69.jpg\" alt=\"The post office in Mladsot 1A Block 555\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThings at the post office where uneventful. I turned over my slip. She looked for my package for a little bit even though there only seemed to about 10 to choose from. She found it, asked for my identity card, I handed it over, signed for the package and that was that.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Mladost 1A: a grandfather with granddaughter\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Mladost 1A\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525384519/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6525384519_dd8b8e93d1.jpg\" alt=\"Mladost 1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI walked home with the package tucked under my arm.\n\n<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"My second package in two days\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525385327/\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6525385327_3bd1ecd792.jpg\" alt=\"My second package in two days\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a> I decided that I\'d open this one. I got it home opened it to find it wrapped. So I read the card. Then I decided to save it until Christmas as well.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"A Christmas note!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"A Christmas note!\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525385799/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6525385799_9df2ae7987.jpg\" alt=\"A Christmas note!\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThe card reads:\n\nHa, ha, ha.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Another package, this one beautifully wrapped from R.\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Another package\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525386401/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6525386401_a8a1ded48e.jpg\" alt=\"Another package\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','A Second Package ','','inherit','open','open','','5993-revision','','','2011-12-17 15:21:48','2011-12-17 13:21:48','',5993,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/17/5993-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5995,1,'2011-12-17 15:23:48','2011-12-17 13:23:48','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Got it!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Got it!\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525384907/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6525384907_857787ec03.jpg\" alt=\"Got it!\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThe mystery has been solved!! My friend, travel buddy and partner in crime R. sent me a package.\n\nA special thanks to everyone on twitter who helped me figure out where in Mladost 1A I was supposed to go to retrieve my package. I might still be wandering around greater-Mladost 1A looking for the post office if it weren\'t for the maps and links to the Bulgarian postal system post office codes.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Block 511 in Mladost\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Block 511 in Mladost\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525381823/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6525381823_268b603cf6.jpg\" alt=\"Block 511 in Mladost\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Clouds and blocks in Mladost 1A\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Clouds and blocks in Mladost 1A\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525382347/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6525382347_15c7751990.jpg\" alt=\"Clouds and blocks in Mladost 1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nTurns out my post office is #1729 in Mladost 1A, Block #555. Oh. I live in block five-hundred-and-forty-something but interestingly it\'s no where close to block #555. Pretty clearly, I am never going to figure out this numbering system. While I was wandering through the blocks in search of the post office, I did wonder: where is block 1 in Mladost 1A? And why are the streets in Mladost 1A named on both google and bgmaps but not in real life?\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Block 520 in Mladost 1A\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Block 520 in Mladost 1A\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525383591/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6525383591_4655c6651f.jpg\" alt=\"Block 520 in Mladost 1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Blocks in Mladost 1A\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Blocks in Mladost 1A\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525384099/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6525384099_f10db40342.jpg\" alt=\"Blocks in Mladost 1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThen I wondered who spray-paints block numbers on buildings and why they can\'t be a little neater about things. About this point I thought: I am lost. But, there it was. Block #555.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"The post office in Mladsot 1A Block 555\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"The post office in Mladsot 1A Block 555\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525382947/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7005/6525382947_ccc6191e69.jpg\" alt=\"The post office in Mladsot 1A Block 555\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThings at the post office where uneventful. I turned over my slip. She looked for my package for a little bit even though there only seemed to about 10 to choose from. She found it, asked for my identity card, I handed it over, signed for the package and that was that.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Mladost 1A: a grandfather with granddaughter\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Mladost 1A\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525384519/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6525384519_dd8b8e93d1.jpg\" alt=\"Mladost 1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI walked home with the package tucked under my arm.\n\n<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"My second package in two days\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525385327/\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6525385327_3bd1ecd792.jpg\" alt=\"My second package in two days\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a> I decided that I\'d open this one. I got it home opened it to find it wrapped. So I read the card. Then I decided to save it until Christmas as well.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"A Christmas note!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"A Christmas note!\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525385799/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6525385799_9df2ae7987.jpg\" alt=\"A Christmas note!\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThe card reads:\n\nHa, ha, ha.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Another package, this one beautifully wrapped from R.\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Another package\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525386401/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6525386401_a8a1ded48e.jpg\" alt=\"Another package\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n&nbsp;\n\n&nbsp;','A Second Package ','','inherit','open','open','','5993-revision-2','','','2011-12-17 15:23:48','2011-12-17 13:23:48','',5993,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/17/5993-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(5996,1,'2011-12-17 15:29:23','2011-12-17 13:29:23','The mystery has been solved!! My friend, travel buddy and partner in crime R. sent me a package.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Got it!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Got it!\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525384907/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6525384907_857787ec03.jpg\" alt=\"Got it!\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nA special thanks to everyone on twitter who helped me figure out where in Mladost 1A I was supposed to go to retrieve my package. I might still be wandering around greater-Mladost 1A looking for the post office if it weren\'t for the maps and links to the Bulgarian postal system post office codes.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Block 511 in Mladost\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Block 511 in Mladost\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525381823/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6525381823_268b603cf6.jpg\" alt=\"Block 511 in Mladost\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Clouds and blocks in Mladost 1A\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Clouds and blocks in Mladost 1A\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525382347/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6525382347_15c7751990.jpg\" alt=\"Clouds and blocks in Mladost 1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nTurns out my post office is #1729 in Mladost 1A, Block #555. Oh. I live in block five-hundred-and-forty-something but interestingly it\'s no where close to block #555. Pretty clearly, I am never going to figure out this numbering system. While I was wandering through the blocks in search of the post office, I did wonder: where is block 1 in Mladost 1A? And why are the streets in Mladost 1A named on both google and bgmaps but not in real life?\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Block 520 in Mladost 1A\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Block 520 in Mladost 1A\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525383591/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6525383591_4655c6651f.jpg\" alt=\"Block 520 in Mladost 1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Blocks in Mladost 1A\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Blocks in Mladost 1A\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525384099/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6525384099_f10db40342.jpg\" alt=\"Blocks in Mladost 1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThen I wondered who spray-paints block numbers on buildings and why they can\'t be a little neater about things. About this point I thought: I am lost.\r\n\r\nBut, there it was. Block #555.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"The post office in Mladsot 1A Block 555\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"The post office in Mladsot 1A Block 555\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525382947/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7005/6525382947_ccc6191e69.jpg\" alt=\"The post office in Mladsot 1A Block 555\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThings at the post office where uneventful. I turned over my slip. She looked for my package for a little bit even though there only seemed to about 10 to choose from. She found it, asked for my identity card, I handed it over, signed for the package and that was that.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Mladost 1A: a grandfather with granddaughter\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Mladost 1A\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525384519/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6525384519_dd8b8e93d1.jpg\" alt=\"Mladost 1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI walked home with the package tucked under my arm.\r\n\r\nHow did I get so lucky to have such great friends?!\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"My second package in two days\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"My second package in two days\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525385327/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6525385327_3bd1ecd792.jpg\" alt=\"My second package in two days\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI decided that I\'d open this one. I got it home opened it to find it wrapped. So I read the card. Then I decided to save it until Christmas as well.\r\n\r\nBecause really, did you read what she wrote? How could I not wait?!\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"A Christmas note!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"A Christmas note!\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525385799/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6525385799_9df2ae7987.jpg\" alt=\"A Christmas note!\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI couldn\'t stop laughing after reading the card. Bulgaria\'s most famous English language blogger.<em> Ha, ha, ha.</em> Don\'t worry R. I\'ll eat some banitsa for you--at least until you can eat some of your own.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Another package, this one beautifully wrapped from R.\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Another package\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525386401/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6525386401_a8a1ded48e.jpg\" alt=\"Another package\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]','A Second Package ','','inherit','open','open','','5993-revision-3','','','2011-12-17 15:29:23','2011-12-17 13:29:23','',5993,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/17/5993-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(5997,1,'2011-12-17 15:39:54','2011-12-17 13:39:54','The mystery has been solved!! My friend, travel buddy and partner in crime R. sent me a package.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Got it!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Got it!\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525384907/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6525384907_857787ec03.jpg\" alt=\"Got it!\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nA special thanks to everyone on twitter who helped me figure out where in Mladost 1A I was supposed to go to retrieve my package. I might still be wandering around greater-Mladost 1A looking for the post office if it weren\'t for the maps and links to the Bulgarian postal system post office codes.\n\nHere are some photos of Mladost 1A today:\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Block 511 in Mladost\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Block 511 in Mladost\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525381823/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6525381823_268b603cf6.jpg\" alt=\"Block 511 in Mladost\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Clouds and blocks in Mladost 1A\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Clouds and blocks in Mladost 1A\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525382347/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6525382347_15c7751990.jpg\" alt=\"Clouds and blocks in Mladost 1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nTurns out my post office is #1729 in Mladost 1A, Block #555. Oh. I live in block five-hundred-and-forty-something but interestingly it\'s no where close to block #555. Pretty clearly, I am never going to figure out this numbering system.\n\nWhile I was wandering through the blocks in search of the post office, I did wonder: where is block 1 in Mladost 1A? And why are the streets in Mladost 1A named on both google and bgmaps but not in real life?\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Block 520 in Mladost 1A\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Block 520 in Mladost 1A\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525383591/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6525383591_4655c6651f.jpg\" alt=\"Block 520 in Mladost 1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Blocks in Mladost 1A\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Blocks in Mladost 1A\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525384099/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6525384099_f10db40342.jpg\" alt=\"Blocks in Mladost 1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI also wondered: who spray-paints block numbers on buildings and why they can\'t be a little neater about things? About this point I thought: I am lost.\n\nBut, there it was. Block #555 and the post office. This is hands down the nicest post office I\'ve ever been in Bulgaria.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"The post office in Mladsot 1A Block 555\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"The post office in Mladsot 1A Block 555\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525382947/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7005/6525382947_ccc6191e69.jpg\" alt=\"The post office in Mladsot 1A Block 555\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThings at the post office were uneventful. I handed over my slip. She looked for my package for a little bit even though there only seemed to about 10 to choose from. She found it, asked for my identity card, I handed it over, signed for the package and that was that.\n\nEasy-peasy. Well once you know <em>where</em> exactly you\'re supposed to go.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Mladost 1A: a grandfather with granddaughter\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Mladost 1A\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525384519/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6525384519_dd8b8e93d1.jpg\" alt=\"Mladost 1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI walked home with the package tucked under my arm.\n\nThis time, I was preoccupied with the question: how did I get so lucky to have such great friends?! I mean, I have the <em>best</em> friends. I am incredibly happy and grateful to have them in my life.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"My second package in two days\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"My second package in two days\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525385327/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6525385327_3bd1ecd792.jpg\" alt=\"My second package in two days\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nOn my way home, I decided that I\'d open this one after deciding not to open the one my parents sent me until Christmas. That was until I got it home opened it to find it wrapped. Beautifully wrapped in fact. So I read the card instead. Then I decided to save it until Christmas as well.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"A Christmas note!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"A Christmas note!\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525385799/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6525385799_9df2ae7987.jpg\" alt=\"A Christmas note!\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nBecause really, did you read what she wrote? How could I not wait?!\n\nI couldn\'t stop laughing after reading the card. Bulgaria\'s most famous English language blogger<em>. </em>Enter: laughter and head shaking. Don\'t worry R. I\'ll eat some banitsa for you--at least until you can eat some of your own.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Another package, this one beautifully wrapped from R.\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Another package\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525386401/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6525386401_a8a1ded48e.jpg\" alt=\"Another package\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]','A Second Package ','','inherit','open','open','','5993-revision-4','','','2011-12-17 15:39:54','2011-12-17 13:39:54','',5993,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/17/5993-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(5998,1,'2011-12-17 15:41:18','2011-12-17 13:41:18','The mystery has been solved!! My friend, travel buddy and partner in crime R. sent me a package.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Got it!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Got it!\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525384907/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7162/6525384907_857787ec03.jpg\" alt=\"Got it!\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nA special thanks to everyone on twitter who helped me figure out where in Mladost 1A I was supposed to go to retrieve my package. I might still be wandering around greater-Mladost 1A looking for the post office if it weren\'t for the maps and links to the Bulgarian postal system post office codes.\n\nHere are some photos of Mladost 1A today:\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Block 511 in Mladost\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Block 511 in Mladost\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525381823/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6525381823_268b603cf6.jpg\" alt=\"Block 511 in Mladost\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Clouds and blocks in Mladost 1A\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Clouds and blocks in Mladost 1A\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525382347/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6525382347_15c7751990.jpg\" alt=\"Clouds and blocks in Mladost 1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nTurns out my post office is #1729 in Mladost 1A, Block #555. Oh. I live in block five-hundred-and-forty-something but interestingly it\'s no where close to block #555. Pretty clearly, I am never going to figure out this numbering system. <!--more-->\n\nWhile I was wandering through the blocks in search of the post office, I did wonder: where is block 1 in Mladost 1A? And why are the streets in Mladost 1A named on both google and bgmaps but not in real life?\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Block 520 in Mladost 1A\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Block 520 in Mladost 1A\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525383591/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6525383591_4655c6651f.jpg\" alt=\"Block 520 in Mladost 1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Blocks in Mladost 1A\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Blocks in Mladost 1A\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525384099/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7019/6525384099_f10db40342.jpg\" alt=\"Blocks in Mladost 1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI also wondered: who spray-paints block numbers on buildings and why they can\'t be a little neater about things? About this point I thought: I am lost.\n\nBut, there it was. Block #555 and the post office. This is hands down the nicest post office I\'ve ever been in Bulgaria.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"The post office in Mladsot 1A Block 555\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"The post office in Mladsot 1A Block 555\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525382947/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7005/6525382947_ccc6191e69.jpg\" alt=\"The post office in Mladsot 1A Block 555\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThings at the post office were uneventful. I handed over my slip. She looked for my package for a little bit even though there only seemed to about 10 to choose from. She found it, asked for my identity card, I handed it over, signed for the package and that was that.\n\nEasy-peasy. Well once you know <em>where</em> exactly you\'re supposed to go.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Mladost 1A: a grandfather with granddaughter\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Mladost 1A\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525384519/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6525384519_dd8b8e93d1.jpg\" alt=\"Mladost 1A\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI walked home with the package tucked under my arm.\n\nThis time, I was preoccupied with the question: how did I get so lucky to have such great friends?! I mean, I have the <em>best</em> friends. I am incredibly happy and grateful to have them in my life.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"My second package in two days\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"My second package in two days\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525385327/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6525385327_3bd1ecd792.jpg\" alt=\"My second package in two days\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nOn my way home, I decided that I\'d open this one after deciding not to open the one my parents sent me until Christmas. That was until I got it home opened it to find it wrapped. Beautifully wrapped in fact. So I read the card instead. Then I decided to save it until Christmas as well.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"A Christmas note!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"A Christmas note!\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525385799/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6525385799_9df2ae7987.jpg\" alt=\"A Christmas note!\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nBecause really, did you read what she wrote? How could I not wait?!\n\nI couldn\'t stop laughing after reading the card. Bulgaria\'s most famous English language blogger<em>. </em>Enter: laughter and head shaking. Don\'t worry R. I\'ll eat some banitsa for you--at least until you can eat some of your own.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Another package, this one beautifully wrapped from R.\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Another package\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6525386401/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6525386401_a8a1ded48e.jpg\" alt=\"Another package\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]','A Second Package ','','inherit','open','open','','5993-autosave','','','2011-12-17 15:41:18','2011-12-17 13:41:18','',5993,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/17/5993-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(5999,1,'2011-12-18 10:27:17','2011-12-18 08:27:17','In my attempt to make my own Christmas in Sofia this year, I\'ve been a busy bumble bee.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Final product: Ribbon + Orange + Cloves\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Final product\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529886175/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6529886175_3d96ec20ec_b.jpg\" alt=\"Final product\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI made lemon squares. I\'ve participated in not one but two secret santa gift exchanges. I\'ve thrown on red lipstick for a couple of holiday parties. I\'ve braved the mall (a few times). I\'ve decorated my Christmas tree. I bought Christmas cards but, <em>ahem</em>, I have yet to actually write them. I\'ve made the cookie dough for sugar cookies but I haven\'t found enough time to actually roll out the cookies but I will.\r\n\r\nHere\'s one of my holiday projects in pictures. <!--more-->\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Oranges\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Oranges\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529887795/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6529887795_979a446ac5_b.jpg\" alt=\"Oranges\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI had some ribbon left over from another project so I bought a kilo of oranges and a couple of bags of cloves to make these beautiful orange-clove balls. They smell like Christmas and are incredibly easy to make.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Tie on the ribboon\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Tie on the ribboon\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529890845/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6529890845_0ebcbbe74f_b.jpg\" alt=\"Tie on the ribboon\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nNow I\'ve never made them before but I\'ve seen them so I figured I can do this.\r\n\r\nHere goes.\r\n\r\nTake the orange and wrap ribbon around it. Finish it up with a bow on top.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Making the clove oranges\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Making the clove oranges\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529893069/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6529893069_0f8edd2c0a_b.jpg\" alt=\"Making the clove oranges\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThen I took a pen and pricked the orange with the pen before pushing each little clove in. I am not sure that the pen was actually necessary as some of the cloves went in easily to the skin of the orange but in some places the skin was a little thicker or harder and pre-piercing the orange was a good plan.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Cloves: the spice of Christmas\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cloves\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529886997/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6529886997_edaf79b7cd_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cloves\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nBasically sticking in all of the little cloves takes the most time. I watched the Daily Show with Jon Stewart while pushing in all of the cloves. The two activities were rather cathartic--especially given how crazy the Republican presidential nominees already are.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Oranges and cloves\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Oranges and cloves\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529895487/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6529895487_f1f629dc15_b.jpg\" alt=\"Oranges and cloves\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Ribbons and oranges\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Ribbons and oragnes\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529889181/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6529889181_89a33aaeb6_b.jpg\" alt=\"Ribbons and oragnes\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI made two oranges with a really elaborate pattern and one with a less fancy pattern. Basically for the more elaborate orange it takes almost a whole bag of cloves. I figured as much and as such I bought three bags of cloves.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Orange and cloves the simple pattern\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Orange and cloves\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529898761/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6529898761_c6e652c950_b.jpg\" alt=\"Orange and cloves\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nOnly thing is that when I actually started making the oranges I could only find two of the three bags. I figured that I must have made a mistake until I wrapped these gifts up and went to put them in my school tote bag. There in the bottom of my school tote bag/shopping bag I found the third bag of cloves. <em>Oh well</em>.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Apple shaped basket which is also a trivet\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Apple trivet turned into a basket\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529894735/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6529894735_0c2ace5d58_b.jpg\" alt=\"Apple trivet turned into a basket\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nYep, I made these three oranges as gifts for friends (well for my secret santa-ees). So I\'ve given them away. They were a big hit. I mean, who doesn\'t love the smell of oranges and cloves. And they are pretty. Maybe I\'ll make one for myself. Maybe not.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Apple trivet (which is also a basket)\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Apple trivet\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529898059/\"> <img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6529898059_2b261996d9_b.jpg\" alt=\"Apple trivet\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nOh and did you see what a great handmade dual trivet &amp; basket I found for my secret santa-ee T.? I gave it to her Friday night at our school Christmas party with the two most celebrate oranges in the basket. She loved it.','Making Christmas: Oranges and cloves','','publish','open','open','','making-christmas-oranges-and-cloves','','','2011-12-18 10:27:17','2011-12-18 08:27:17','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5999',0,'post','',3),(6000,1,'2011-12-18 10:19:28','2011-12-18 08:19:28','In my attempt to make my own Christmas in Sofia this year, I\'ve been a busy bumble bee.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Final product: Ribbon + Orange + Cloves\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Final product\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529886175/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6529886175_3d96ec20ec_b.jpg\" alt=\"Final product\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI made lemon squares. I\'ve participated in not one but two secret santa gift exchanges. I\'ve thrown on red lipstick for a couple of holiday parties. I\'ve braved the mall (a few times). I\'ve decorated my Christmas tree. I bought Christmas cards but, <em>ahem</em>, I have yet to actually write them. I\'ve made the cookie dough for sugar cookies but I haven\'t found enough time to actually roll out the cookies but I will.\n\nHere\'s one of my holiday projects in pictures. <!--more-->\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Oranges\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Oranges\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529887795/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6529887795_979a446ac5_b.jpg\" alt=\"Oranges\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI had some ribbon left over from another project so I bought a kilo of oranges and a couple of bags of cloves to make these beautiful orange-clove balls. They smell like Christmas and are incredibly easy to make.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Tie on the ribboon\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Tie on the ribboon\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529890845/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6529890845_0ebcbbe74f_b.jpg\" alt=\"Tie on the ribboon\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nNow I\'ve never made them before but I\'ve seen them so I figured I can do this.\n\nHere goes. Take the orange and wrap ribbon around it. Finish it up with a bow on top.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Making the clove oranges\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Making the clove oranges\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529893069/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6529893069_0f8edd2c0a_b.jpg\" alt=\"Making the clove oranges\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThen I took a pen and pricked the orange with the pen before pushing each little clove in. I am not sure that the pen was actually necessary as some of the cloves went in easily to the skin of the orange but in some places the skin was a little thicker or harder and pre-piercing the orange was a good plan.\n\n<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cloves\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529886997/\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6529886997_edaf79b7cd_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cloves\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a> Basically sticking in all of the little cloves takes the most time. I watched the Daily Show with Jon Stewart while pushing in all of the cloves. The two activities were rather cathartic--especially given how crazy the Republican presidential nominees already are.\n\n<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Ribbons and oragnes\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529889181/\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6529889181_89a33aaeb6_b.jpg\" alt=\"Ribbons and oragnes\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a> <a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Oranges and cloves\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529895487/\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6529895487_f1f629dc15_b.jpg\" alt=\"Oranges and cloves\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a> I made two oranges with a really elaborate pattern and one with a less fancy pattern. Basically for the more elaborate orange it takes almost a whole bag of cloves. I figured as much and as such I bought three bags of cloves.\n\n<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Orange and cloves\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529898761/\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6529898761_c6e652c950_b.jpg\" alt=\"Orange and cloves\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a> Only thing is that when I actually started making the oranges I could only find two of the three bags. I figured that I must have made a mistake until I wrapped these gifts up and when to put them in my school tote bag. There in the bottom of my school tote bag/shopping bag did I find the third bag of cloves. <em>Oh well</em>.\n\n<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Apple trivet turned into a basket\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529894735/\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6529894735_0c2ace5d58_b.jpg\" alt=\"Apple trivet turned into a basket\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a> Yep, I made these three oranges as gifts for friends (well for my secret santa-ees). So I\'ve given these away.\n\n<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Apple trivet\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529898059/\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6529898059_2b261996d9_b.jpg\" alt=\"Apple trivet\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a> Oh and did you see what a great handmade dual trivet &amp; basket I found for my secret santa-ee T.? I gave it to her Friday night at our school Christmas party. She loved it.','Making Christmas: Oranges and cloves','','inherit','open','open','','5999-revision','','','2011-12-18 10:19:28','2011-12-18 08:19:28','',5999,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/18/5999-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6001,1,'2011-12-18 10:22:14','2011-12-18 08:22:14','In my attempt to make my own Christmas in Sofia this year, I\'ve been a busy bumble bee.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Final product: Ribbon + Orange + Cloves\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Final product\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529886175/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6529886175_3d96ec20ec_b.jpg\" alt=\"Final product\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI made lemon squares. I\'ve participated in not one but two secret santa gift exchanges. I\'ve thrown on red lipstick for a couple of holiday parties. I\'ve braved the mall (a few times). I\'ve decorated my Christmas tree. I bought Christmas cards but, <em>ahem</em>, I have yet to actually write them. I\'ve made the cookie dough for sugar cookies but I haven\'t found enough time to actually roll out the cookies but I will.\r\n\r\nHere\'s one of my holiday projects in pictures. <!--more-->\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Oranges\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Oranges\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529887795/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6529887795_979a446ac5_b.jpg\" alt=\"Oranges\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI had some ribbon left over from another project so I bought a kilo of oranges and a couple of bags of cloves to make these beautiful orange-clove balls. They smell like Christmas and are incredibly easy to make.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Tie on the ribboon\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Tie on the ribboon\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529890845/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6529890845_0ebcbbe74f_b.jpg\" alt=\"Tie on the ribboon\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nNow I\'ve never made them before but I\'ve seen them so I figured I can do this.\r\n\r\nHere goes. Take the orange and wrap ribbon around it. Finish it up with a bow on top.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Making the clove oranges\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Making the clove oranges\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529893069/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6529893069_0f8edd2c0a_b.jpg\" alt=\"Making the clove oranges\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThen I took a pen and pricked the orange with the pen before pushing each little clove in. I am not sure that the pen was actually necessary as some of the cloves went in easily to the skin of the orange but in some places the skin was a little thicker or harder and pre-piercing the orange was a good plan.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Cloves: the spice of Christmas\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cloves\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529886997/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6529886997_edaf79b7cd_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cloves\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nBasically sticking in all of the little cloves takes the most time. I watched the Daily Show with Jon Stewart while pushing in all of the cloves. The two activities were rather cathartic--especially given how crazy the Republican presidential nominees already are.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Oranges and cloves\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Oranges and cloves\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529895487/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6529895487_f1f629dc15_b.jpg\" alt=\"Oranges and cloves\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Ribbons and oranges\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Ribbons and oragnes\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529889181/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6529889181_89a33aaeb6_b.jpg\" alt=\"Ribbons and oragnes\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI made two oranges with a really elaborate pattern and one with a less fancy pattern. Basically for the more elaborate orange it takes almost a whole bag of cloves. I figured as much and as such I bought three bags of cloves.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Orange and cloves the simple pattern\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Orange and cloves\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529898761/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6529898761_c6e652c950_b.jpg\" alt=\"Orange and cloves\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nOnly thing is that when I actually started making the oranges I could only find two of the three bags. I figured that I must have made a mistake until I wrapped these gifts up and when to put them in my school tote bag. There in the bottom of my school tote bag/shopping bag did I find the third bag of cloves. <em>Oh well</em>.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Apple shaped basket which is also a trivet\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Apple trivet turned into a basket\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529894735/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6529894735_0c2ace5d58_b.jpg\" alt=\"Apple trivet turned into a basket\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nYep, I made these three oranges as gifts for friends (well for my secret santa-ees). So I\'ve given these away.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Apple trivet (which is also a basket)\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Apple trivet\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529898059/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6529898059_2b261996d9_b.jpg\" alt=\"Apple trivet\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nOh and did you see what a great handmade dual trivet &amp; basket I found for my secret santa-ee T.? I gave it to her Friday night at our school Christmas party. She loved it.','Making Christmas: Oranges and cloves','','inherit','open','open','','5999-revision-2','','','2011-12-18 10:22:14','2011-12-18 08:22:14','',5999,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/18/5999-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6002,1,'2011-12-18 10:26:27','2011-12-18 08:26:27','In my attempt to make my own Christmas in Sofia this year, I\'ve been a busy bumble bee.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Final product: Ribbon + Orange + Cloves\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Final product\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529886175/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6529886175_3d96ec20ec_b.jpg\" alt=\"Final product\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI made lemon squares. I\'ve participated in not one but two secret santa gift exchanges. I\'ve thrown on red lipstick for a couple of holiday parties. I\'ve braved the mall (a few times). I\'ve decorated my Christmas tree. I bought Christmas cards but, <em>ahem</em>, I have yet to actually write them. I\'ve made the cookie dough for sugar cookies but I haven\'t found enough time to actually roll out the cookies but I will.\n\nHere\'s one of my holiday projects in pictures. <!--more-->\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Oranges\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Oranges\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529887795/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6529887795_979a446ac5_b.jpg\" alt=\"Oranges\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI had some ribbon left over from another project so I bought a kilo of oranges and a couple of bags of cloves to make these beautiful orange-clove balls. They smell like Christmas and are incredibly easy to make.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Tie on the ribboon\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Tie on the ribboon\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529890845/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6529890845_0ebcbbe74f_b.jpg\" alt=\"Tie on the ribboon\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nNow I\'ve never made them before but I\'ve seen them so I figured I can do this.\n\nHere goes.\n\nTake the orange and wrap ribbon around it. Finish it up with a bow on top.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Making the clove oranges\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Making the clove oranges\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529893069/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6529893069_0f8edd2c0a_b.jpg\" alt=\"Making the clove oranges\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThen I took a pen and pricked the orange with the pen before pushing each little clove in. I am not sure that the pen was actually necessary as some of the cloves went in easily to the skin of the orange but in some places the skin was a little thicker or harder and pre-piercing the orange was a good plan.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Cloves: the spice of Christmas\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cloves\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529886997/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6529886997_edaf79b7cd_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cloves\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nBasically sticking in all of the little cloves takes the most time. I watched the Daily Show with Jon Stewart while pushing in all of the cloves. The two activities were rather cathartic--especially given how crazy the Republican presidential nominees already are.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Oranges and cloves\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Oranges and cloves\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529895487/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6529895487_f1f629dc15_b.jpg\" alt=\"Oranges and cloves\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Ribbons and oranges\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Ribbons and oragnes\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529889181/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6529889181_89a33aaeb6_b.jpg\" alt=\"Ribbons and oragnes\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI made two oranges with a really elaborate pattern and one with a less fancy pattern. Basically for the more elaborate orange it takes almost a whole bag of cloves. I figured as much and as such I bought three bags of cloves.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Orange and cloves the simple pattern\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Orange and cloves\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529898761/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6529898761_c6e652c950_b.jpg\" alt=\"Orange and cloves\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nOnly thing is that when I actually started making the oranges I could only find two of the three bags. I figured that I must have made a mistake until I wrapped these gifts up and went to put them in my school tote bag. There in the bottom of my school tote bag/shopping bag I found the third bag of cloves. <em>Oh well</em>.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Apple shaped basket which is also a trivet\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Apple trivet turned into a basket\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529894735/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6529894735_0c2ace5d58_b.jpg\" alt=\"Apple trivet turned into a basket\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nYep, I made these three oranges as gifts for friends (well for my secret santa-ees). So I\'ve given them away. They were a big hit. I mean, who doesn\'t love the smell of oranges and cloves. And they are pretty. Maybe I\'ll make one for myself. Maybe not.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Apple trivet (which is also a basket)\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Apple trivet\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529898059/\"> <img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6529898059_2b261996d9_b.jpg\" alt=\"Apple trivet\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nOh and did you see what a great handmade dual trivet &amp; basket I found for my secret santa-ee T.? I gave it to her Friday night at our school Christmas party with the two most e. She loved it.','Making Christmas: Oranges and cloves','','inherit','open','open','','5999-revision-3','','','2011-12-18 10:26:27','2011-12-18 08:26:27','',5999,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/18/5999-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6003,1,'2011-12-18 10:26:49','2011-12-18 08:26:49','In my attempt to make my own Christmas in Sofia this year, I\'ve been a busy bumble bee.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Final product: Ribbon + Orange + Cloves\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Final product\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529886175/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6529886175_3d96ec20ec_b.jpg\" alt=\"Final product\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI made lemon squares. I\'ve participated in not one but two secret santa gift exchanges. I\'ve thrown on red lipstick for a couple of holiday parties. I\'ve braved the mall (a few times). I\'ve decorated my Christmas tree. I bought Christmas cards but, <em>ahem</em>, I have yet to actually write them. I\'ve made the cookie dough for sugar cookies but I haven\'t found enough time to actually roll out the cookies but I will.\r\n\r\nHere\'s one of my holiday projects in pictures. <!--more-->\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Oranges\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Oranges\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529887795/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6529887795_979a446ac5_b.jpg\" alt=\"Oranges\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI had some ribbon left over from another project so I bought a kilo of oranges and a couple of bags of cloves to make these beautiful orange-clove balls. They smell like Christmas and are incredibly easy to make.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Tie on the ribboon\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Tie on the ribboon\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529890845/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6529890845_0ebcbbe74f_b.jpg\" alt=\"Tie on the ribboon\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nNow I\'ve never made them before but I\'ve seen them so I figured I can do this.\r\n\r\nHere goes.\r\n\r\nTake the orange and wrap ribbon around it. Finish it up with a bow on top.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Making the clove oranges\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Making the clove oranges\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529893069/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6529893069_0f8edd2c0a_b.jpg\" alt=\"Making the clove oranges\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThen I took a pen and pricked the orange with the pen before pushing each little clove in. I am not sure that the pen was actually necessary as some of the cloves went in easily to the skin of the orange but in some places the skin was a little thicker or harder and pre-piercing the orange was a good plan.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Cloves: the spice of Christmas\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cloves\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529886997/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6529886997_edaf79b7cd_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cloves\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nBasically sticking in all of the little cloves takes the most time. I watched the Daily Show with Jon Stewart while pushing in all of the cloves. The two activities were rather cathartic--especially given how crazy the Republican presidential nominees already are.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Oranges and cloves\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Oranges and cloves\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529895487/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6529895487_f1f629dc15_b.jpg\" alt=\"Oranges and cloves\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Ribbons and oranges\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Ribbons and oragnes\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529889181/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6529889181_89a33aaeb6_b.jpg\" alt=\"Ribbons and oragnes\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI made two oranges with a really elaborate pattern and one with a less fancy pattern. Basically for the more elaborate orange it takes almost a whole bag of cloves. I figured as much and as such I bought three bags of cloves.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Orange and cloves the simple pattern\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Orange and cloves\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529898761/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6529898761_c6e652c950_b.jpg\" alt=\"Orange and cloves\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nOnly thing is that when I actually started making the oranges I could only find two of the three bags. I figured that I must have made a mistake until I wrapped these gifts up and went to put them in my school tote bag. There in the bottom of my school tote bag/shopping bag I found the third bag of cloves. <em>Oh well</em>.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Apple shaped basket which is also a trivet\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Apple trivet turned into a basket\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529894735/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6529894735_0c2ace5d58_b.jpg\" alt=\"Apple trivet turned into a basket\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nYep, I made these three oranges as gifts for friends (well for my secret santa-ees). So I\'ve given them away. They were a big hit. I mean, who doesn\'t love the smell of oranges and cloves. And they are pretty. Maybe I\'ll make one for myself. Maybe not.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Apple trivet (which is also a basket)\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Apple trivet\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529898059/\"> <img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6529898059_2b261996d9_b.jpg\" alt=\"Apple trivet\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nOh and did you see what a great handmade dual trivet &amp; basket I found for my secret santa-ee T.? I gave it to her Friday night at our school Christmas party with the two most celebrate oranges in the basket. She loved it.','Making Christmas: Oranges and cloves','','inherit','open','open','','5999-revision-4','','','2011-12-18 10:26:49','2011-12-18 08:26:49','',5999,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/18/5999-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0);
INSERT INTO `wp_posts` VALUES (6004,1,'2011-12-18 10:26:50','2011-12-18 08:26:50','In my attempt to make my own Christmas in Sofia this year, I\'ve been a busy bumble bee.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Final product: Ribbon + Orange + Cloves\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Final product\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529886175/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6529886175_3d96ec20ec_b.jpg\" alt=\"Final product\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI made lemon squares. I\'ve participated in not one but two secret santa gift exchanges. I\'ve thrown on red lipstick for a couple of holiday parties. I\'ve braved the mall (a few times). I\'ve decorated my Christmas tree. I bought Christmas cards but, <em>ahem</em>, I have yet to actually write them. I\'ve made the cookie dough for sugar cookies but I haven\'t found enough time to actually roll out the cookies but I will.\r\n\r\nHere\'s one of my holiday projects in pictures. <!--more-->\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Oranges\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Oranges\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529887795/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6529887795_979a446ac5_b.jpg\" alt=\"Oranges\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI had some ribbon left over from another project so I bought a kilo of oranges and a couple of bags of cloves to make these beautiful orange-clove balls. They smell like Christmas and are incredibly easy to make.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Tie on the ribboon\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Tie on the ribboon\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529890845/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6529890845_0ebcbbe74f_b.jpg\" alt=\"Tie on the ribboon\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nNow I\'ve never made them before but I\'ve seen them so I figured I can do this.\r\n\r\nHere goes.\r\n\r\nTake the orange and wrap ribbon around it. Finish it up with a bow on top.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Making the clove oranges\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Making the clove oranges\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529893069/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6529893069_0f8edd2c0a_b.jpg\" alt=\"Making the clove oranges\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThen I took a pen and pricked the orange with the pen before pushing each little clove in. I am not sure that the pen was actually necessary as some of the cloves went in easily to the skin of the orange but in some places the skin was a little thicker or harder and pre-piercing the orange was a good plan.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Cloves: the spice of Christmas\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cloves\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529886997/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7164/6529886997_edaf79b7cd_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cloves\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nBasically sticking in all of the little cloves takes the most time. I watched the Daily Show with Jon Stewart while pushing in all of the cloves. The two activities were rather cathartic--especially given how crazy the Republican presidential nominees already are.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Oranges and cloves\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Oranges and cloves\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529895487/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6529895487_f1f629dc15_b.jpg\" alt=\"Oranges and cloves\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Ribbons and oranges\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Ribbons and oragnes\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529889181/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7021/6529889181_89a33aaeb6_b.jpg\" alt=\"Ribbons and oragnes\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI made two oranges with a really elaborate pattern and one with a less fancy pattern. Basically for the more elaborate orange it takes almost a whole bag of cloves. I figured as much and as such I bought three bags of cloves.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Orange and cloves the simple pattern\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Orange and cloves\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529898761/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6529898761_c6e652c950_b.jpg\" alt=\"Orange and cloves\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nOnly thing is that when I actually started making the oranges I could only find two of the three bags. I figured that I must have made a mistake until I wrapped these gifts up and went to put them in my school tote bag. There in the bottom of my school tote bag/shopping bag I found the third bag of cloves. <em>Oh well</em>.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Apple shaped basket which is also a trivet\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Apple trivet turned into a basket\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529894735/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6529894735_0c2ace5d58_b.jpg\" alt=\"Apple trivet turned into a basket\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nYep, I made these three oranges as gifts for friends (well for my secret santa-ees). So I\'ve given them away. They were a big hit. I mean, who doesn\'t love the smell of oranges and cloves. And they are pretty. Maybe I\'ll make one for myself. Maybe not.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Apple trivet (which is also a basket)\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Apple trivet\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529898059/\"> <img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6529898059_2b261996d9_b.jpg\" alt=\"Apple trivet\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nOh and did you see what a great handmade dual trivet &amp; basket I found for my secret santa-ee T.? I gave it to her Friday night at our school Christmas party with the two most celebrate oranges in the basket. She loved it.','Making Christmas: Oranges and cloves','','inherit','open','open','','5999-revision-5','','','2011-12-18 10:26:50','2011-12-18 08:26:50','',5999,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/18/5999-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(6006,1,'2011-12-19 22:40:30','2011-12-19 20:40:30','Today I found myself wondering: is there such thing as too much Christmas cheer?\n\nI think not but I may be getting close. For the first time this school year I missed lunch. And I <em>love</em> lunch. I have a group of Bulgarian students who tutor American teachers in Bulgarian and we were having a meeting/get-together for Christmas. I had students making up quizzes. I was prepping for class. I was doing a million other things rather than eating lunch.\n\nIt wasn\'t until nearly 4pm that I realized I\'d forgotten to eat lunch and at that point there\'s very little you can do.\n\nSo I graded. I went to dance practice for the Christmas concert. I graded a little more. Then I went to a dinner and secret santa exchange at A\'s house. She lives on campus.\n\nOn the way home from school this evening, I realized that I\'ve got something to do every day and night this week. That\'s when I really began to think about Christmas cheer and what the appropriate ratio of Christmas fun to face on my pillow time is and if I\'m actually achieving the optimal balance. I might need to work on this for next year.\n\nTomorrow: caroling at lunch time, Balkan dance practice for the concert and then the international student group at school is hosting a dinner.\n\nWednesday: Christmas concert where I\'ll be dancing two different Bulgarian dances in national costume and drinks afterwards with alumni.\n\nThursday: a half day at school and a repeat of the Christmas concert.\n\nFriday: our first day of Christmas Vacation.\n\nOh and I still have sugar cookie dough in my refrigerator that I\'ve been meaning to roll out into cookies for the last couple of nights. I have no idea when that\'s going to happen. Making the dough was apparently the easy part. The hard part is finding time to roll them out. <em>Who knew?!</em>','Is there such thing as too much Christmas cheer? ','','inherit','open','open','','6005-revision','','','2011-12-19 22:40:30','2011-12-19 20:40:30','',6005,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/19/6005-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6007,1,'2011-12-19 22:41:38','2011-12-19 20:41:38','Today I found myself wondering: is there such thing as too much Christmas cheer?\n\nI think not but I may be getting close. For the first time this school year I missed lunch. And I <em>love</em> lunch. I have a group of Bulgarian students who tutor American teachers in Bulgarian and we were having a meeting/get-together for Christmas. I had students making up quizzes. I was prepping for class. I was doing a million other things rather than eating lunch.\n\nIt wasn\'t until nearly 4pm that I realized I\'d forgotten to eat lunch and at that point there\'s very little you can do.\n\nSo I graded. I went to dance practice for the Christmas concert. I graded a little more. Then I went to a dinner and secret santa exchange at A\'s house. She lives on campus.\n\nOn the way home from school this evening, I realized that I\'ve got something to do every day and night this week. That\'s when I really began to think about Christmas cheer and what the appropriate ratio of Christmas fun to face on my pillow time is and if I\'m actually achieving the optimal balance. I might need to work on this for next year.\n\nTomorrow: caroling at lunch time, Balkan dance practice for the concert and then the international student group at school is hosting a dinner.\n\nWednesday: Christmas concert where I\'ll be dancing two different Bulgarian dances in national costume and drinks afterwards with alumni.\n\nThursday: a half day at school and a repeat of the Christmas concert.\n\nFriday: our first day of Christmas Vacation.\n\nOh and I still have sugar cookie dough in my refrigerator that I\'ve been meaning to roll out into cookies for the last couple of nights. I have no idea when that\'s going to happen. Making the dough was apparently the easy part. The hard part is finding time to roll them out. <em>Who knew?!</em>','Is there such thing as too much Christmas cheer? ','','inherit','open','open','','6005-autosave','','','2011-12-19 22:41:38','2011-12-19 20:41:38','',6005,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/19/6005-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(6008,1,'2011-12-20 08:26:11','2011-12-20 06:26:11','At some point in my childhood, my dAd started his annual Christmas <del>W</del>rap. My memory is that we were driving back to Walla Walla after going shopping about an hour away in the Tri-Cities (you know because they have a real mall with the Gap <em>and</em> Old Navy and these things are <em>important</em> when you\'re 16).\r\n\r\nAnyhow an hour in car with your dAd, little brother and sister is a lot for any teenager.\r\n\r\nI\'d like to say that we were listening to the radio and joking around but I don\'t think that we were listening to the radio because I am not sure that we had a car with a working radio at that point in my life. These things happen when your parents have just started their own antique store. So I\'d guess that we were joking around, telling stories and comparing Christmas finds.\r\n\r\nThe important part of this story is that we were forced to talk to each other and that we were in good spirits because of the holiday season.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Christmas wrap or is that rap?\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Christmas wrap or is that rap?\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529885431/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6529885431_0f18d42b36_b.jpg\" alt=\"Christmas wrap or is that rap?\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nAbout a half an hour away from Walla Walla my dAd had his first go at a Christmas Rap. Yes. He was driving so he was not wrapping presents rather he was rapping. Kind of.\r\n\r\nHe was rapping the way a middle-aged white man would rap. A little bit of beat-box, a little too slowly and with questionable rhymes. He <em>loved</em> it.\r\n\r\nWe were mortified. But things like this are alright in the safety of your own car so then we encouraged him.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nTurns out that we encouraged him more than we <em>ever</em> should have. My dAd is still rapping.\r\n\r\nThese days he only raps when prompted by the word wrap. So at my house we twist ourselves into knots trying to avoid the word: wrap. Mind you it\'s not that easy during the holidays.\r\n\r\nHis rap elicits plenty of groans. I mean he has been doing this every Christmas for<em> half</em> of my life. My poor sister. She\'s five years younger than me and I wonder if she can even remember a time before the \"Christmas Rap.\"\r\n\r\nThe problem of course is that my dAd is a 15 year boy at heart and any kind of a response positive or negative encourages him. So he continues to rap. (Oh my poor mother!)\r\n\r\nLast year I tried to have a little Christmas rap intervention. No luck. We did have a good conversation about current trends in rap and the possibility of  modernizing his rap. I explained that I was looking for him to increase the speed of the rap and decrease the amount of beat-boxing he was doing. I figured if nothing else, he would finish the rap a little faster and put an end to my mortification a little quicker. <em>Dads.</em>\r\n\r\nOf course, this year I found a note in the box my parents sent me. And I<em> loved</em> it. In my dAd\'s square block hand writing, he\'d written: Did you notice the nice Christmas <del>W</del>rap?\r\n\r\nHow could I not? How could I not.','It\'s Christmas: To Wrap or Rap ','','publish','open','open','','its-christmas-to-wrap-or-rap','','','2011-12-20 08:26:11','2011-12-20 06:26:11','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=6008',0,'post','',5),(6009,1,'2011-12-20 06:59:55','2011-12-20 04:59:55','At some point in my childhood, my dAd started his annual Christmas <del>W</del>rap. My memory is that we were driving back to Walla Walla after going shopping about an hour away in the Tri-Cities (you know because they have a real mall with the Gap <em>and</em> Old Navy. These things are <em>important</em> when you\'re 16).\n\nAnyhow an hour in car with your dAd, little brother and sister is a lot for any teenager. I\'d like to say that we were listening to the radio and joking around but I don\'t think that we were listening to the radio because I am not sure that we had a car with a working radio at that point in my life. So I\'d guess that we were joking around, telling stories and comparing Christmas finds.\n\nAbout a half an hour away from Walla Walla my dAd had his first go at a Christmas Rap. Yes. He was driving so he was not wrapping presents rather he was rapping. Kind of.\n\nHe was rapping the way a middle-aged white man would rap. A little bit of beat-box, a little too slowly and with questionable rhymes. He <em>loved</em> it.\n\nWe were mortified. But things like this are alright in the safety of your own car so then we encouraged him.\n\nTurns out that we encouraged him more than we <em>ever</em> should have. My dAd is still rapping.\n\nThese days he only raps when prompted by the word wrap. So at my house we twist ourselves into knots trying to avoid the word: wrap. Mind you it\'s not that easy during the holidays.\n\nHis rap elicits plenty of groans. I mean he has been doing this every Christmas for<em> half</em> of my life. My poor sister. She\'s five years younger than me and I wonder if she can even remember a time before the \"Christmas Rap.\"\n\nThe problem of course is that my dAd is a 15 year boy at heart and any kind of a response positive or negative encourages him. So he continues to rap.\n\nLast year I tried to have a little Christmas rap intervention. No luck. We did have a good conversation about modernizing the rap. I explained that I was looking for him to increase the speed of the rap. I figured if nothing else, even though he was rapping about Christmas he finish the rap a little faster','It\'s Christmas: To Wrap or Rap ','','inherit','open','open','','6008-revision','','','2011-12-20 06:59:55','2011-12-20 04:59:55','',6008,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/20/6008-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6010,1,'2011-12-20 08:15:48','2011-12-20 06:15:48','At some point in my childhood, my dAd started his annual Christmas <del>W</del>rap. My memory is that we were driving back to Walla Walla after going shopping about an hour away in the Tri-Cities (you know because they have a real mall with the Gap <em>and</em> Old Navy. These things are <em>important</em> when you\'re 16).\n\nAnyhow an hour in car with your dAd, little brother and sister is a lot for any teenager. I\'d like to say that we were listening to the radio and joking around but I don\'t think that we were listening to the radio because I am not sure that we had a car with a working radio at that point in my life. So I\'d guess that we were joking around, telling stories and comparing Christmas finds.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Christmas wrap or is that rap?\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Christmas wrap or is that rap?\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529885431/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6529885431_0f18d42b36_b.jpg\" alt=\"Christmas wrap or is that rap?\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nAbout a half an hour away from Walla Walla my dAd had his first go at a Christmas Rap. Yes. He was driving so he was not wrapping presents rather he was rapping. Kind of.\n\nHe was rapping the way a middle-aged white man would rap. A little bit of beat-box, a little too slowly and with questionable rhymes. He <em>loved</em> it.\n\nWe were mortified. But things like this are alright in the safety of your own car so then we encouraged him.<!--more-->\n\nTurns out that we encouraged him more than we <em>ever</em> should have. My dAd is still rapping.\n\nThese days he only raps when prompted by the word wrap. So at my house we twist ourselves into knots trying to avoid the word: wrap. Mind you it\'s not that easy during the holidays.\n\nHis rap elicits plenty of groans. I mean he has been doing this every Christmas for<em> half</em> of my life. My poor sister. She\'s five years younger than me and I wonder if she can even remember a time before the \"Christmas Rap.\"\n\nThe problem of course is that my dAd is a 15 year boy at heart and any kind of a response positive or negative encourages him. So he continues to rap. (Oh my poor mother!)\n\nLast year I tried to have a little Christmas rap intervention. No luck. We did have a good conversation about current trends in rap and the possibility of  modernizing his rap. I explained that I was looking for him to increase the speed of the rap and decrease the amount of beat-boxing he was doing. I figured if nothing else, he would finish the rap a little faster and put an end to my mortification a little quicker. <em>Dads.</em>\n\nOf course, this year I found a note in the box my parents sent me. And I<em> loved</em> it. In my dAd\'s square block hand writing, he\'d written: Did you notice the nice Christmas <del>W</del>rap?\n\nHow could I not? How could I not.','It\'s Christmas: To Wrap or Rap ','','inherit','open','open','','6008-revision-2','','','2011-12-20 08:15:48','2011-12-20 06:15:48','',6008,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/20/6008-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6011,1,'2011-12-20 08:17:47','2011-12-20 06:17:47','At some point in my childhood, my dAd started his annual Christmas <del>W</del>rap. My memory is that we were driving back to Walla Walla after going shopping about an hour away in the Tri-Cities (you know because they have a real mall with the Gap <em>and</em> Old Navy. These things are <em>important</em> when you\'re 16).\r\n\r\nAnyhow an hour in car with your dAd, little brother and sister is a lot for any teenager. I\'d like to say that we were listening to the radio and joking around but I don\'t think that we were listening to the radio because I am not sure that we had a car with a working radio at that point in my life. So I\'d guess that we were joking around, telling stories and comparing Christmas finds.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Christmas wrap or is that rap?\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Christmas wrap or is that rap?\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529885431/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6529885431_0f18d42b36_b.jpg\" alt=\"Christmas wrap or is that rap?\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nAbout a half an hour away from Walla Walla my dAd had his first go at a Christmas Rap. Yes. He was driving so he was not wrapping presents rather he was rapping. Kind of.\r\n\r\nHe was rapping the way a middle-aged white man would rap. A little bit of beat-box, a little too slowly and with questionable rhymes. He <em>loved</em> it.\r\n\r\nWe were mortified. But things like this are alright in the safety of your own car so then we encouraged him.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nTurns out that we encouraged him more than we <em>ever</em> should have. My dAd is still rapping.\r\n\r\nThese days he only raps when prompted by the word wrap. So at my house we twist ourselves into knots trying to avoid the word: wrap. Mind you it\'s not that easy during the holidays.\r\n\r\nHis rap elicits plenty of groans. I mean he has been doing this every Christmas for<em> half</em> of my life. My poor sister. She\'s five years younger than me and I wonder if she can even remember a time before the \"Christmas Rap.\"\r\n\r\nThe problem of course is that my dAd is a 15 year boy at heart and any kind of a response positive or negative encourages him. So he continues to rap. (Oh my poor mother!)\r\n\r\nLast year I tried to have a little Christmas rap intervention. No luck. We did have a good conversation about current trends in rap and the possibility of  modernizing his rap. I explained that I was looking for him to increase the speed of the rap and decrease the amount of beat-boxing he was doing. I figured if nothing else, he would finish the rap a little faster and put an end to my mortification a little quicker. <em>Dads.</em>\r\n\r\nOf course, this year I found a note in the box my parents sent me. And I<em> loved</em> it. In my dAd\'s square block hand writing, he\'d written: Did you notice the nice Christmas <del>W</del>rap?\r\n\r\nHow could I not? How could I not.','It\'s Christmas: To Wrap or Rap ','','inherit','open','open','','6008-revision-3','','','2011-12-20 08:17:47','2011-12-20 06:17:47','',6008,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/20/6008-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6012,1,'2011-12-20 08:24:43','2011-12-20 06:24:43','At some point in my childhood, my dAd started his annual Christmas <del>W</del>rap. My memory is that we were driving back to Walla Walla after going shopping about an hour away in the Tri-Cities (you know because they have a real mall with the Gap <em>and</em> Old Navy and these things are <em>important</em> when you\'re 16).\r\n\r\nAnyhow an hour in car with your dAd, little brother and sister is a lot for any teenager.\r\n\r\nI\'d like to say that we were listening to the radio and joking around but I don\'t think that we were listening to the radio because I am not sure that we had a car with a working radio at that point in my life. These things happen when your parents have just started their own antique store. So I\'d guess that we were joking around, telling stories and comparing Christmas finds.\r\n\r\nThe important part of this story is that we were forced to talk to each other because there was not radio.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Christmas wrap or is that rap?\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Christmas wrap or is that rap?\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529885431/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6529885431_0f18d42b36_b.jpg\" alt=\"Christmas wrap or is that rap?\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nAbout a half an hour away from Walla Walla my dAd had his first go at a Christmas Rap. Yes. He was driving so he was not wrapping presents rather he was rapping. Kind of.\r\n\r\nHe was rapping the way a middle-aged white man would rap. A little bit of beat-box, a little too slowly and with questionable rhymes. He <em>loved</em> it.\r\n\r\nWe were mortified. But things like this are alright in the safety of your own car so then we encouraged him.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nTurns out that we encouraged him more than we <em>ever</em> should have. My dAd is still rapping.\r\n\r\nThese days he only raps when prompted by the word wrap. So at my house we twist ourselves into knots trying to avoid the word: wrap. Mind you it\'s not that easy during the holidays.\r\n\r\nHis rap elicits plenty of groans. I mean he has been doing this every Christmas for<em> half</em> of my life. My poor sister. She\'s five years younger than me and I wonder if she can even remember a time before the \"Christmas Rap.\"\r\n\r\nThe problem of course is that my dAd is a 15 year boy at heart and any kind of a response positive or negative encourages him. So he continues to rap. (Oh my poor mother!)\r\n\r\nLast year I tried to have a little Christmas rap intervention. No luck. We did have a good conversation about current trends in rap and the possibility of  modernizing his rap. I explained that I was looking for him to increase the speed of the rap and decrease the amount of beat-boxing he was doing. I figured if nothing else, he would finish the rap a little faster and put an end to my mortification a little quicker. <em>Dads.</em>\r\n\r\nOf course, this year I found a note in the box my parents sent me. And I<em> loved</em> it. In my dAd\'s square block hand writing, he\'d written: Did you notice the nice Christmas <del>W</del>rap?\r\n\r\nHow could I not? How could I not.','It\'s Christmas: To Wrap or Rap ','','inherit','open','open','','6008-revision-4','','','2011-12-20 08:24:43','2011-12-20 06:24:43','',6008,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/20/6008-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(6013,1,'2011-12-20 08:25:47','2011-12-20 06:25:47','At some point in my childhood, my dAd started his annual Christmas <del>W</del>rap. My memory is that we were driving back to Walla Walla after going shopping about an hour away in the Tri-Cities (you know because they have a real mall with the Gap <em>and</em> Old Navy and these things are <em>important</em> when you\'re 16).\n\nAnyhow an hour in car with your dAd, little brother and sister is a lot for any teenager.\n\nI\'d like to say that we were listening to the radio and joking around but I don\'t think that we were listening to the radio because I am not sure that we had a car with a working radio at that point in my life. These things happen when your parents have just started their own antique store. So I\'d guess that we were joking around, telling stories and comparing Christmas finds.\n\nThe important part of this story is that we were forced to talk to each other and that we were in good sp\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Christmas wrap or is that rap?\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Christmas wrap or is that rap?\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6529885431/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6529885431_0f18d42b36_b.jpg\" alt=\"Christmas wrap or is that rap?\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nAbout a half an hour away from Walla Walla my dAd had his first go at a Christmas Rap. Yes. He was driving so he was not wrapping presents rather he was rapping. Kind of.\n\nHe was rapping the way a middle-aged white man would rap. A little bit of beat-box, a little too slowly and with questionable rhymes. He <em>loved</em> it.\n\nWe were mortified. But things like this are alright in the safety of your own car so then we encouraged him.<!--more-->\n\nTurns out that we encouraged him more than we <em>ever</em> should have. My dAd is still rapping.\n\nThese days he only raps when prompted by the word wrap. So at my house we twist ourselves into knots trying to avoid the word: wrap. Mind you it\'s not that easy during the holidays.\n\nHis rap elicits plenty of groans. I mean he has been doing this every Christmas for<em> half</em> of my life. My poor sister. She\'s five years younger than me and I wonder if she can even remember a time before the \"Christmas Rap.\"\n\nThe problem of course is that my dAd is a 15 year boy at heart and any kind of a response positive or negative encourages him. So he continues to rap. (Oh my poor mother!)\n\nLast year I tried to have a little Christmas rap intervention. No luck. We did have a good conversation about current trends in rap and the possibility of  modernizing his rap. I explained that I was looking for him to increase the speed of the rap and decrease the amount of beat-boxing he was doing. I figured if nothing else, he would finish the rap a little faster and put an end to my mortification a little quicker. <em>Dads.</em>\n\nOf course, this year I found a note in the box my parents sent me. And I<em> loved</em> it. In my dAd\'s square block hand writing, he\'d written: Did you notice the nice Christmas <del>W</del>rap?\n\nHow could I not? How could I not.','It\'s Christmas: To Wrap or Rap ','','inherit','open','open','','6008-revision-5','','','2011-12-20 08:25:47','2011-12-20 06:25:47','',6008,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/20/6008-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(6014,1,'2011-12-21 22:53:43','2011-12-21 20:53:43','Well, well. I made it through the Christmas Concert at ACS. That means all that stands between me and Christmas break is a half day of school tomorrow and a second run through of the Christmas Concert after school!!\r\n\r\nHip-hip-houray. It\'s been a long few weeks.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Bulgarian National Costumes\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Bulgarian National Costumes\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550525303/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6550525303_c878682a71.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian National Costumes\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIt\'s a long standing tradition at ACS for foreign teachers to dance the horo in Bulgarian national costume to close the Christmas concert. Now, I think that Bulgarian dance is a lot of fun but it\'s not easy. It\'s anything but easy in fact. The one thing I have going for me is that this is my third year dancing in the concert. <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/12/21/balkan-dance/\" target=\"_blank\">Year one</a> I was terrified and there\'s video to prove it. <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/12/25/christmas-might-just-last-all-month/\" target=\"_blank\">Year two</a> the dances were incredibly difficult (and the costumes weren\'t that cute) and this year, year three, everything was just right.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Before dancing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Before dancing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550523053/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6550523053_a5ac6f7e06.jpg\" alt=\"Before dancing\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nSo this tradition requires a serious commitment and a decent amount of patience. It\'s also an activity that reminds you that you are human <em>and</em> fallible. So we\'ve been practicing the whole month. Last week we practiced on Wednesday and Thursday and this week we practiced on Monday and Tuesday as well as tonight before the actual concert.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"375\" caption=\"H. and me dressed up in national costume\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"H. and me dressed up in national costume\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550523565/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6550523565_1ceca81076.jpg\" alt=\"H. and me dressed up in national costume\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThat\'s a lot of Bulgarian national dance.\r\n\r\nNow here\'s the thing, it\'s worth it.\r\n\r\nWhy? Because you get to dress up in national costume to dance! (And, who doesn\'t like dress up?)\r\n\r\nThe costumes are really pretty and they make you feel like all of your hard work has paid off. I don\'t know what region this year\'s costumes are from but that\'s okay because they are red and perfect for Christmas.\r\n\r\nMine is snug in the chest but there\'s not much that can be done about that. It makes breathing a little harder but that\'s the price we pay for beauty sometimes. Anyhow I don\'t think that you can tell by looking, it\'s just kind of annoying. These things happen sometimes.\r\n\r\nUltimately things like costumes don\'t matter much because it\'s just really fun to dance in the concert. Everyone in the audience is so enthusiastic.\r\n\r\nThis said, I am sure it must be especially funny (and strange) to be in the audience and to watch a bunch of Americans in Bulgarian national costume dancing.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"All of us waiting to dance\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"All of us waiting to dance\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550520961/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6550520961_35ea18fbe3.jpg\" alt=\"All of us waiting to dance\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nRumor has it a video was made of our performance. Maybe I can get my hands on this!! Just don\'t hold your breath.','ACS Christmas Concert! ','','publish','open','open','','acs-christmas-concert','','','2011-12-21 22:53:43','2011-12-21 20:53:43','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=6014',0,'post','',0),(6015,1,'2011-12-21 22:24:24','2011-12-21 20:24:24','Well, well. I made it through the Christmas Concert at ACS. That means all that stands between me and Christmas break is a half day of school tomorrow!!\n\nIt\'s a long standing tradition at ACS for foreign teachers to dance the horo in Bulgarian national costume to close the Christmas concert. Now, I think that Bulgarian dance is a lot of fun but it\'s not easy. It\'s anything but easy in fact.\n\nSo this tradition requires a serious commitment and a decent amount of patience. It\'s also an activity that reminds you that you are human <em>and</em> fallible. So we\'ve been practicing the whole month. Last week we practiced on Wednesday and Thursday and this week we practiced on Monday and Tuesday as well as tonight before the actual concert.\n\nThat\'s a lot of Bulgarian national dance.\n\nNow here\'s the thing, it\'s worth it.\n\nWhy? Because you get to dress up in national costume to dance! (And, who doesn\'t like dress up?)\n\nThe costumes are really pretty and they make you feel like all of your hard work has paid off. I don\'t know what region this year\'s costumes are from but that\'s okay because they are pretty.\n\nMine is snug in the chest but there\'s not much that can be done about that. It makes breathing a little harder but that\'s the price we pay for beauty sometimes. Anyhow I don\'t think that you can tell by looking, it\'s just kind of annoying. These things happen someti','ACS Christmas Concert! ','','inherit','open','open','','6014-revision','','','2011-12-21 22:24:24','2011-12-21 20:24:24','',6014,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/21/6014-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6016,1,'2011-12-21 22:33:58','2011-12-21 20:33:58','Well, well. I made it through the Christmas Concert at ACS. That means all that stands between me and Christmas break is a half day of school tomorrow!!\n\nIt\'s a long standing tradition at ACS for foreign teachers to dance the horo in Bulgarian national costume to close the Christmas concert. Now, I think that Bulgarian dance is a lot of fun but it\'s not easy. It\'s anything but easy in fact.\n\nSo this tradition requires a serious commitment and a decent amount of patience. It\'s also an activity that reminds you that you are human <em>and</em> fallible. So we\'ve been practicing the whole month. Last week we practiced on Wednesday and Thursday and this week we practiced on Monday and Tuesday as well as tonight before the actual concert.\n\nThat\'s a lot of Bulgarian national dance.\n\nNow here\'s the thing, it\'s worth it.\n\nWhy? Because you get to dress up in national costume to dance! (And, who doesn\'t like dress up?)\n\nThe costumes are really pretty and they make you feel like all of your hard work has paid off. I don\'t know what region this year\'s costumes are from but that\'s okay because they are red and perfect for Christmas.\n\nMine is snug in the chest but there\'s not much that can be done about that. It makes breathing a little harder but that\'s the price we pay for beauty sometimes. Anyhow I don\'t think that you can tell by looking, it\'s just kind of annoying. These things happen sometimes.\n\nUltimately things like costumes don\'t matter much because it\'s just really fun to dance in the concert. Everyone in the audience is so enthusiastic. This said, I am sure it must be especially funny (and strange) to be in the audience and to watch a bunch of Americans in Bulgarian national costume dancing.\n\nRumor has it a video was made of our performance. Maybe I can get my hands on this!! Just don\'t hold your breath.','ACS Christmas Concert! ','','inherit','open','open','','6014-revision-2','','','2011-12-21 22:33:58','2011-12-21 20:33:58','',6014,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/21/6014-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6017,1,'2011-12-21 22:35:58','2011-12-21 20:35:58','Well, well. I made it through the Christmas Concert at ACS. That means all that stands between me and Christmas break is a half day of school tomorrow!!\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Before dancing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Before dancing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550523053/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6550523053_a5ac6f7e06.jpg\" alt=\"Before dancing\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nIt\'s a long standing tradition at ACS for foreign teachers to dance the horo in Bulgarian national costume to close the Christmas concert. Now, I think that Bulgarian dance is a lot of fun but it\'s not easy. It\'s anything but easy in fact.\n\nSo this tradition requires a serious commitment and a decent amount of patience. It\'s also an activity that reminds you that you are human <em>and</em> fallible. So we\'ve been practicing the whole month. Last week we practiced on Wednesday and Thursday and this week we practiced on Monday and Tuesday as well as tonight before the actual concert.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"375\" caption=\"H. and me dressed up in national costume\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"H. and me dressed up in national costume\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550523565/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6550523565_1ceca81076.jpg\" alt=\"H. and me dressed up in national costume\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThat\'s a lot of Bulgarian national dance.\n\nNow here\'s the thing, it\'s worth it.\n\nWhy? Because you get to dress up in national costume to dance! (And, who doesn\'t like dress up?)\n\nThe costumes are really pretty and they make you feel like all of your hard work has paid off. I don\'t know what region this year\'s costumes are from but that\'s okay because they are red and perfect for Christmas.\n\nMine is snug in the chest but there\'s not much that can be done about that. It makes breathing a little harder but that\'s the price we pay for beauty sometimes. Anyhow I don\'t think that you can tell by looking, it\'s just kind of annoying. These things happen sometimes.\n\nUltimately things like costumes don\'t matter much because it\'s just really fun to dance in the concert. Everyone in the audience is so enthusiastic. This said, I am sure it must be especially funny (and strange) to be in the audience and to watch a bunch of Americans in Bulgarian national costume dancing.\n\nRumor has it a video was made of our performance. Maybe I can get my hands on this!! Just don\'t hold your breath.','ACS Christmas Concert! ','','inherit','open','open','','6014-revision-3','','','2011-12-21 22:35:58','2011-12-21 20:35:58','',6014,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/21/6014-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6018,1,'2011-12-21 22:38:27','2011-12-21 20:38:27','Well, well. I made it through the Christmas Concert at ACS. That means all that stands between me and Christmas break is a half day of school tomorrow!!\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Before dancing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Before dancing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550523053/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6550523053_a5ac6f7e06.jpg\" alt=\"Before dancing\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIt\'s a long standing tradition at ACS for foreign teachers to dance the horo in Bulgarian national costume to close the Christmas concert. Now, I think that Bulgarian dance is a lot of fun but it\'s not easy. It\'s anything but easy in fact.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Bulgarian National Costumes\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Bulgarian National Costumes\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550525303/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6550525303_c878682a71.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian National Costumes\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nSo this tradition requires a serious commitment and a decent amount of patience. It\'s also an activity that reminds you that you are human <em>and</em> fallible. So we\'ve been practicing the whole month. Last week we practiced on Wednesday and Thursday and this week we practiced on Monday and Tuesday as well as tonight before the actual concert.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"375\" caption=\"H. and me dressed up in national costume\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"H. and me dressed up in national costume\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550523565/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6550523565_1ceca81076.jpg\" alt=\"H. and me dressed up in national costume\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThat\'s a lot of Bulgarian national dance.\r\n\r\nNow here\'s the thing, it\'s worth it.\r\n\r\nWhy? Because you get to dress up in national costume to dance! (And, who doesn\'t like dress up?)\r\n\r\nThe costumes are really pretty and they make you feel like all of your hard work has paid off. I don\'t know what region this year\'s costumes are from but that\'s okay because they are red and perfect for Christmas.\r\n\r\nMine is snug in the chest but there\'s not much that can be done about that. It makes breathing a little harder but that\'s the price we pay for beauty sometimes. Anyhow I don\'t think that you can tell by looking, it\'s just kind of annoying. These things happen sometimes.\r\n\r\nUltimately things like costumes don\'t matter much because it\'s just really fun to dance in the concert. Everyone in the audience is so enthusiastic. This said, I am sure it must be especially funny (and strange) to be in the audience and to watch a bunch of Americans in Bulgarian national costume dancing.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"All of us waiting to dance\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"All of us waiting to dance\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550520961/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6550520961_35ea18fbe3.jpg\" alt=\"All of us waiting to dance\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nRumor has it a video was made of our performance. Maybe I can get my hands on this!! Just don\'t hold your breath.','ACS Christmas Concert! ','','inherit','open','open','','6014-revision-4','','','2011-12-21 22:38:27','2011-12-21 20:38:27','',6014,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/21/6014-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(6019,1,'2011-12-21 22:46:31','2011-12-21 20:46:31','Well, well. I made it through the Christmas Concert at ACS. That means all that stands between me and Christmas break is a half day of school tomorrow and a second run through of the Christmas Concert after school!!\n\nHip-hip-houray. It\'s been a long few weeks.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Before dancing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Before dancing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550523053/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6550523053_a5ac6f7e06.jpg\" alt=\"Before dancing\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nIt\'s a long standing tradition at ACS for foreign teachers to dance the horo in Bulgarian national costume to close the Christmas concert. Now, I think that Bulgarian dance is a lot of fun but it\'s not easy. It\'s anything but easy in fact. The one thing I have going for me is that this is my third year dancing in the concert. <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/12/21/balkan-dance/\" target=\"_blank\">Year one</a> I was terrified and there\'s fi. <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/12/25/christmas-might-just-last-all-month/\" target=\"_blank\">Year two</a> the dances were incredibly difficult (and the costumes weren\'t that cute) and this year, year three, everything was just right.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Bulgarian National Costumes\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Bulgarian National Costumes\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550525303/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6550525303_c878682a71.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian National Costumes\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nSo this tradition requires a serious commitment and a decent amount of patience. It\'s also an activity that reminds you that you are human <em>and</em> fallible. So we\'ve been practicing the whole month. Last week we practiced on Wednesday and Thursday and this week we practiced on Monday and Tuesday as well as tonight before the actual concert.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"375\" caption=\"H. and me dressed up in national costume\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"H. and me dressed up in national costume\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550523565/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6550523565_1ceca81076.jpg\" alt=\"H. and me dressed up in national costume\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThat\'s a lot of Bulgarian national dance.\n\nNow here\'s the thing, it\'s worth it.\n\nWhy? Because you get to dress up in national costume to dance! (And, who doesn\'t like dress up?)\n\nThe costumes are really pretty and they make you feel like all of your hard work has paid off. I don\'t know what region this year\'s costumes are from but that\'s okay because they are red and perfect for Christmas.\n\nMine is snug in the chest but there\'s not much that can be done about that. It makes breathing a little harder but that\'s the price we pay for beauty sometimes. Anyhow I don\'t think that you can tell by looking, it\'s just kind of annoying. These things happen sometimes.\n\nUltimately things like costumes don\'t matter much because it\'s just really fun to dance in the concert. Everyone in the audience is so enthusiastic. This said, I am sure it must be especially funny (and strange) to be in the audience and to watch a bunch of Americans in Bulgarian national costume dancing.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"All of us waiting to dance\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"All of us waiting to dance\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550520961/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6550520961_35ea18fbe3.jpg\" alt=\"All of us waiting to dance\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nRumor has it a video was made of our performance. Maybe I can get my hands on this!! Just don\'t hold your breath.','ACS Christmas Concert! ','','inherit','open','open','','6014-revision-5','','','2011-12-21 22:46:31','2011-12-21 20:46:31','',6014,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/21/6014-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(6020,1,'2011-12-21 22:49:57','2011-12-21 20:49:57','For those of you following my Balkan dance (or more specifically my Bulgarian National Dance) debut you probably know that I danced on both Thursday and on Friday at school for the Christmas concert.  The first song we danced to was relatively easy and the second one was, um, not.  I don\'t think that I\'ll be winning any competitions any time soon.  But hey, the dress is great and I made it through.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2ISE6EmEO8\">Me Balkan Dancing</a>\nhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2ISE6EmEO8\n[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2ISE6EmEO8&amp;feature=player_embedded]\n\nYou\'ll see that I am the tall blond girl on stage in a yellow dress.  You\'ll also notice that on the first song I do a great job but on the second one, well it\'s a mess.  I don\'t leave the stage hop jumping in the right order. Oh well.  The second dance has been cut down from the whole to just a clip but I have to say it felt like I was on stage a lot longer than this two-plus minute clip.\n\nAt least I am good at English.\n\nFinally, I\'d like to apologize to anyone who feels like I\'ve co-opted his or her culture,  to anyone who now has a cramp in his or her side from laughing and to anyone who now can\'t get the image of me jumping off stage on the wrong foot.  Thanks for being patient with me.\n\nOh, this probably my last post for a day or two. I am going to be flying to the States this afternoon and I wont get to Walla Walla until Tuesday evening.  Wish me luck with this and the 10 hour jet lag that I will soon be suffering from.','Balkan Dance','','inherit','open','open','','1634-autosave','','','2011-12-21 22:49:57','2011-12-21 20:49:57','',1634,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/21/1634-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(6021,1,'2011-12-21 22:47:31','2011-12-21 20:47:31','Well, well. I made it through the Christmas Concert at ACS. That means all that stands between me and Christmas break is a half day of school tomorrow and a second run through of the Christmas Concert after school!!\n\nHip-hip-houray. It\'s been a long few weeks.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Before dancing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Before dancing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550523053/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6550523053_a5ac6f7e06.jpg\" alt=\"Before dancing\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nIt\'s a long standing tradition at ACS for foreign teachers to dance the horo in Bulgarian national costume to close the Christmas concert. Now, I think that Bulgarian dance is a lot of fun but it\'s not easy. It\'s anything but easy in fact. The one thing I have going for me is that this is my third year dancing in the concert. <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/12/21/balkan-dance/\" target=\"_blank\">Year one</a> I was terrified and there\'s video to prove it. <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/12/25/christmas-might-just-last-all-month/\" target=\"_blank\">Year two</a> the dances were incredibly difficult (and the costumes weren\'t that cute) and this year, year three, everything was just right.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Bulgarian National Costumes\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Bulgarian National Costumes\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550525303/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6550525303_c878682a71.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian National Costumes\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nSo this tradition requires a serious commitment and a decent amount of patience. It\'s also an activity that reminds you that you are human <em>and</em> fallible. So we\'ve been practicing the whole month. Last week we practiced on Wednesday and Thursday and this week we practiced on Monday and Tuesday as well as tonight before the actual concert.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"375\" caption=\"H. and me dressed up in national costume\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"H. and me dressed up in national costume\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550523565/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6550523565_1ceca81076.jpg\" alt=\"H. and me dressed up in national costume\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThat\'s a lot of Bulgarian national dance.\n\nNow here\'s the thing, it\'s worth it.\n\nWhy? Because you get to dress up in national costume to dance! (And, who doesn\'t like dress up?)\n\nThe costumes are really pretty and they make you feel like all of your hard work has paid off. I don\'t know what region this year\'s costumes are from but that\'s okay because they are red and perfect for Christmas.\n\nMine is snug in the chest but there\'s not much that can be done about that. It makes breathing a little harder but that\'s the price we pay for beauty sometimes. Anyhow I don\'t think that you can tell by looking, it\'s just kind of annoying. These things happen sometimes.\n\nUltimately things like costumes don\'t matter much because it\'s just really fun to dance in the concert. Everyone in the audience is so enthusiastic. This said, I am sure it must be especially funny (and strange) to be in the audience and to watch a bunch of Americans in Bulgarian national costume dancing.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"All of us waiting to dance\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"All of us waiting to dance\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550520961/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6550520961_35ea18fbe3.jpg\" alt=\"All of us waiting to dance\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nRumor has it a video was made of our performance. Maybe I can get my hands on this!! Just don\'t hold your breath.','ACS Christmas Concert! ','','inherit','open','open','','6014-revision-6','','','2011-12-21 22:47:31','2011-12-21 20:47:31','',6014,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/21/6014-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(6022,1,'2009-12-21 08:23:38','2009-12-21 05:23:38','For those of you following my Balkan dance (or more specifically my Bulgarian National Dance) debut you probably know that I danced on both Thursday and on Friday at school for the Christmas concert.  The first song we danced to was relatively easy and the second one was, um, not.  I don\'t think that I\'ll be winning any competitions any time soon.  But hey, the dress is great and I made it through.\n\n[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2ISE6EmEO8&amp;feature=player_embedded]\n\nYou\'ll see that I am the tall blond girl on stage in a yellow dress.  You\'ll also notice that on the first song I do a great job but on the second one, well it\'s a mess.  I don\'t leave the stage hop jumping in the right order. Oh well.  The second dance has been cut down from the whole to just a clip but I have to say it felt like I was on stage a lot longer than this two-plus minute clip.\n\nAt least I am good at English.\n\nFinally, I\'d like to apologize to anyone who feels like I\'ve co-opted his or her culture,  to anyone who now has a cramp in his or her side from laughing and to anyone who now can\'t get the image of me jumping off stage on the wrong foot.  Thanks for being patient with me.\n\nOh, this probably my last post for a day or two. I am going to be flying to the States this afternoon and I wont get to Walla Walla until Tuesday evening.  Wish me luck with this and the 10 hour jet lag that I will soon be suffering from.','Balkan Dance','','inherit','open','open','','1634-revision','','','2009-12-21 08:23:38','2009-12-21 05:23:38','',1634,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/12/21/1634-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6023,1,'2011-12-21 22:50:35','2011-12-21 20:50:35','Well, well. I made it through the Christmas Concert at ACS. That means all that stands between me and Christmas break is a half day of school tomorrow and a second run through of the Christmas Concert after school!!\r\n\r\nHip-hip-houray. It\'s been a long few weeks.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Bulgarian National Costumes\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Bulgarian National Costumes\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550525303/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6550525303_c878682a71.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian National Costumes\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIt\'s a long standing tradition at ACS for foreign teachers to dance the horo in Bulgarian national costume to close the Christmas concert. Now, I think that Bulgarian dance is a lot of fun but it\'s not easy. It\'s anything but easy in fact. The one thing I have going for me is that this is my third year dancing in the concert. <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/12/21/balkan-dance/\" target=\"_blank\">Year one</a> I was terrified and there\'s video to prove it. <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/12/25/christmas-might-just-last-all-month/\" target=\"_blank\">Year two</a> the dances were incredibly difficult (and the costumes weren\'t that cute) and this year, year three, everything was just right.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Before dancing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Before dancing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550523053/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6550523053_a5ac6f7e06.jpg\" alt=\"Before dancing\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nSo this tradition requires a serious commitment and a decent amount of patience. It\'s also an activity that reminds you that you are human <em>and</em> fallible. So we\'ve been practicing the whole month. Last week we practiced on Wednesday and Thursday and this week we practiced on Monday and Tuesday as well as tonight before the actual concert.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"375\" caption=\"H. and me dressed up in national costume\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"H. and me dressed up in national costume\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550523565/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6550523565_1ceca81076.jpg\" alt=\"H. and me dressed up in national costume\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThat\'s a lot of Bulgarian national dance.\r\n\r\nNow here\'s the thing, it\'s worth it.\r\n\r\nWhy? Because you get to dress up in national costume to dance! (And, who doesn\'t like dress up?)\r\n\r\nThe costumes are really pretty and they make you feel like all of your hard work has paid off. I don\'t know what region this year\'s costumes are from but that\'s okay because they are red and perfect for Christmas.\r\n\r\nMine is snug in the chest but there\'s not much that can be done about that. It makes breathing a little harder but that\'s the price we pay for beauty sometimes. Anyhow I don\'t think that you can tell by looking, it\'s just kind of annoying. These things happen sometimes.\r\n\r\nUltimately things like costumes don\'t matter much because it\'s just really fun to dance in the concert. Everyone in the audience is so enthusiastic. This said, I am sure it must be especially funny (and strange) to be in the audience and to watch a bunch of Americans in Bulgarian national costume dancing.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"All of us waiting to dance\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"All of us waiting to dance\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550520961/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6550520961_35ea18fbe3.jpg\" alt=\"All of us waiting to dance\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nRumor has it a video was made of our performance. Maybe I can get my hands on this!! Just don\'t hold your breath.','ACS Christmas Concert! ','','inherit','open','open','','6014-revision-7','','','2011-12-21 22:50:35','2011-12-21 20:50:35','',6014,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/21/6014-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(6024,1,'2011-12-21 22:53:16','2011-12-21 20:53:16','Well, well. I made it through the Christmas Concert at ACS. That means all that stands between me and Christmas break is a half day of school tomorrow and a second run through of the Christmas Concert after school!!\n\nHip-hip-houray. It\'s been a long few weeks.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Bulgarian National Costumes\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Bulgarian National Costumes\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550525303/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6550525303_c878682a71.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian National Costumes\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nIt\'s a long standing tradition at ACS for foreign teachers to dance the horo in Bulgarian national costume to close the Christmas concert. Now, I think that Bulgarian dance is a lot of fun but it\'s not easy. It\'s anything but easy in fact. The one thing I have going for me is that this is my third year dancing in the concert. <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/12/21/balkan-dance/\" target=\"_blank\">Year one</a> I was terrified and there\'s video to prove it. <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/12/25/christmas-might-just-last-all-month/\" target=\"_blank\">Year two</a> the dances were incredibly difficult (and the costumes weren\'t that cute) and this year, year three, everything was just right.<!--more-->\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Before dancing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Before dancing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550523053/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6550523053_a5ac6f7e06.jpg\" alt=\"Before dancing\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nSo this tradition requires a serious commitment and a decent amount of patience. It\'s also an activity that reminds you that you are human <em>and</em> fallible. So we\'ve been practicing the whole month. Last week we practiced on Wednesday and Thursday and this week we practiced on Monday and Tuesday as well as tonight before the actual concert.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"375\" caption=\"H. and me dressed up in national costume\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"H. and me dressed up in national costume\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550523565/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6550523565_1ceca81076.jpg\" alt=\"H. and me dressed up in national costume\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThat\'s a lot of Bulgarian national dance.\n\nNow here\'s the thing, it\'s worth it.\n\nWhy? Because you get to dress up in national costume to dance! (And, who doesn\'t like dress up?)\n\nThe costumes are really pretty and they make you feel like all of your hard work has paid off. I don\'t know what region this year\'s costumes are from but that\'s okay because they are red and perfect for Christmas.\n\nMine is snug in the chest but there\'s not much that can be done about that. It makes breathing a little harder but that\'s the price we pay for beauty sometimes. Anyhow I don\'t think that you can tell by looking, it\'s just kind of annoying. These things happen sometimes.\n\nUltimately things like costumes don\'t matter much because it\'s just really fun to dance in the concert. Everyone in the audience is so enthusiastic.\n\nThis said, I am sure it must be especially funny (and strange) to be in the audience and to watch a bunch of Americans in Bulgarian national costume dancing.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"All of us waiting to dance\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"All of us waiting to dance\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550520961/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6550520961_35ea18fbe3.jpg\" alt=\"All of us waiting to dance\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nRumor has it a video was made of our performance. Maybe I can get my hands on this!! Just don\'t hold your breath.','ACS Christmas Concert! ','','inherit','open','open','','6014-revision-8','','','2011-12-21 22:53:16','2011-12-21 20:53:16','',6014,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/21/6014-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(6025,1,'2011-12-21 22:53:17','2011-12-21 20:53:17','Well, well. I made it through the Christmas Concert at ACS. That means all that stands between me and Christmas break is a half day of school tomorrow and a second run through of the Christmas Concert after school!!\r\n\r\nHip-hip-houray. It\'s been a long few weeks.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Bulgarian National Costumes\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Bulgarian National Costumes\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550525303/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7141/6550525303_c878682a71.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian National Costumes\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIt\'s a long standing tradition at ACS for foreign teachers to dance the horo in Bulgarian national costume to close the Christmas concert. Now, I think that Bulgarian dance is a lot of fun but it\'s not easy. It\'s anything but easy in fact. The one thing I have going for me is that this is my third year dancing in the concert. <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/12/21/balkan-dance/\" target=\"_blank\">Year one</a> I was terrified and there\'s video to prove it. <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/12/25/christmas-might-just-last-all-month/\" target=\"_blank\">Year two</a> the dances were incredibly difficult (and the costumes weren\'t that cute) and this year, year three, everything was just right.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Before dancing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Before dancing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550523053/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6550523053_a5ac6f7e06.jpg\" alt=\"Before dancing\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nSo this tradition requires a serious commitment and a decent amount of patience. It\'s also an activity that reminds you that you are human <em>and</em> fallible. So we\'ve been practicing the whole month. Last week we practiced on Wednesday and Thursday and this week we practiced on Monday and Tuesday as well as tonight before the actual concert.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignright\" width=\"375\" caption=\"H. and me dressed up in national costume\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"H. and me dressed up in national costume\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550523565/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6550523565_1ceca81076.jpg\" alt=\"H. and me dressed up in national costume\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThat\'s a lot of Bulgarian national dance.\r\n\r\nNow here\'s the thing, it\'s worth it.\r\n\r\nWhy? Because you get to dress up in national costume to dance! (And, who doesn\'t like dress up?)\r\n\r\nThe costumes are really pretty and they make you feel like all of your hard work has paid off. I don\'t know what region this year\'s costumes are from but that\'s okay because they are red and perfect for Christmas.\r\n\r\nMine is snug in the chest but there\'s not much that can be done about that. It makes breathing a little harder but that\'s the price we pay for beauty sometimes. Anyhow I don\'t think that you can tell by looking, it\'s just kind of annoying. These things happen sometimes.\r\n\r\nUltimately things like costumes don\'t matter much because it\'s just really fun to dance in the concert. Everyone in the audience is so enthusiastic.\r\n\r\nThis said, I am sure it must be especially funny (and strange) to be in the audience and to watch a bunch of Americans in Bulgarian national costume dancing.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"All of us waiting to dance\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"All of us waiting to dance\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6550520961/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6550520961_35ea18fbe3.jpg\" alt=\"All of us waiting to dance\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nRumor has it a video was made of our performance. Maybe I can get my hands on this!! Just don\'t hold your breath.','ACS Christmas Concert! ','','inherit','open','open','','6014-revision-9','','','2011-12-21 22:53:17','2011-12-21 20:53:17','',6014,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/21/6014-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(6027,1,'2011-12-23 09:05:19','2011-12-23 07:05:19','Today is the first day of my Christmas holiday and I couldn\'t be happier. I slept in until 7:30 am and then I lay in bed for another half an hour before determining that I was in fact not going to be able to make myself fall back to sleep--even if it is vacation. Mind you, sleeping in until 7:30 am is pretty good considering the fact that most mornings I am already out of bed and making coffee at 6am.\n\nI\'m at home drinking coffee, reading the internet, downloading photos and uploading them to Flicker, thinking about doing a load of laundry, plotting about what Santa will bring me this year and thinking vaguely about what I\'ll make for Christmas eve dinner with my friends. Maybe clam chowder.\n\nYesterday ended with the perfect mix of school and friends. The day started off with snow. Lots of it. But not even that could damped my spirits. We had a half day of school and then a second round of the Christmas concert. Our students are so talented but more than that it was great to see them having fun on stage. We danced our two Bulgarian national dances for a second time and we headed outside to dance the horo in the snow. This of course is a beautiful but dangerous and slippery proposition.\n\nBy 3pm, I was back in my classroom changing into my regular clothes. I had a moment where I thought I\'d lost (or someone had stolen) my pants and I had visions of myself going home in my national costume in the snow on the bus in order to get a pair of jeans. Luckily they were tucked under my winter coat. Crisis averted.\n\nI headed over to my friend H.\'s to play card games, eat snacks and drink wine. You know, because I clearly haven\'t been eating enough junk food these last couple of weeks. Snaking turned into dinner (kind of) and playing cards turned into an incredibly long game of <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/MayFair-Games-MFG3061-Settlers-Catan/dp/B000W7JWUA/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=digital-text&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1324623585&amp;sr=1-1-catcorr\" target=\"_blank\">Settlers of Catan</a>. <em>Boy</em> do those Germans know how to make a board game.\n\nOh and PS I heard that Orange book store in The Mall (you know because because in Sofia we have a mall named The Mall) is selling a Bulgarian edition of Settlers of Catan. In case you need to get on this wonderfully fun but rather nerdy bandwagon.\n\nBy 8:00pm the only thing I could think about was getting home and crawling into bed. P. and I left shortly there after. Once at home, I had a cup of tea, thought about writing some Christmas cards, decided against it and snuggled into bed with my kindle about 9pm. Bec','Hip-hip-houray! It\'s Holiday!!','','inherit','open','open','','6026-revision','','','2011-12-23 09:05:19','2011-12-23 07:05:19','',6026,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/23/6026-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6028,1,'2011-12-23 09:14:38','2011-12-23 07:14:38','Today is the first day of my Christmas holiday and I couldn\'t be happier. I slept in until 7:30 am and then I lay in bed for another half an hour before determining that I was in fact not going to be able to make myself fall back to sleep--even if it is vacation. Mind you, sleeping in until 7:30 am is pretty good considering the fact that most mornings I am already out of bed and making coffee at 6am.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Teachers in the snow\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Teachers in the snow\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6557925721/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6557925721_e2301d49a3.jpg\" alt=\"Teachers in the snow\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI\'m at home drinking coffee, reading the internet, downloading photos and uploading them to Flicker, thinking about doing a load of laundry, plotting about what Santa will bring me this year and thinking vaguely about what I\'ll make for Christmas eve dinner with my friends. Maybe clam chowder.\n\nYesterday ended with the perfect mix of school and friends. <!--more-->The day started off with snow. Lots of it. But not even that could damped my spirits. We had a half day of school and then a second round of the Christmas concert. Our students are so talented but more than that it was great to see them having fun on stage. We danced our two Bulgarian national dances for a second time and we headed outside to dance the horo in the snow. This of course is a beautiful but dangerous and slippery proposition.\n\n<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Dancing at ACS\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6557923041/\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6557923041_9ef8d99bb1.jpg\" alt=\"Dancing at ACS\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a> By 3pm, I was back in my classroom changing into my regular clothes. I had a moment where I thought I\'d lost (or someone had stolen) my pants and I had visions of myself going home in my national costume in the snow on the bus in order to get a pair of jeans. Luckily they were tucked under my winter coat. Crisis averted.\n\nI headed over to my friend H.\'s to play card games, eat snacks and drink wine. You know, because I clearly haven\'t been eating enough junk food these last couple of weeks. Snaking turned into dinner (kind of) and playing cards turned into an incredibly long game of <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/MayFair-Games-MFG3061-Settlers-Catan/dp/B000W7JWUA/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=digital-text&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1324623585&amp;sr=1-1-catcorr\" target=\"_blank\">Settlers of Catan</a>. <em>Boy</em> do those Germans know how to make a board game.\n\nOh and PS I heard that Orange book store in The Mall (you know because because in Sofia we have a mall named The Mall) is selling a Bulgarian edition of Settlers of Catan. In case you need to get on this wonderfully fun but rather nerdy bandwagon.\n\nBy 8:00pm the only thing I could think about was getting home and crawling into bed. P. and I left shortly there after. Once at home, I had a cup of tea, thought about writing some Christmas cards, decided against it and snuggled into bed with my kindle about 9pm. Because, I\'m awesome.','Hip-hip-houray! It\'s Holiday!!','','inherit','open','open','','6026-revision-2','','','2011-12-23 09:14:38','2011-12-23 07:14:38','',6026,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/23/6026-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6029,1,'2011-12-23 09:19:39','2011-12-23 07:19:39','Today is the first day of my Christmas holiday and I couldn\'t be happier. I slept in until 7:30 am and then I lay in bed for another half an hour before determining that I was in fact not going to be able to make myself fall back to sleep--even if it is vacation. Mind you, sleeping in until 7:30 am is pretty good considering the fact that most mornings I am already out of bed and making coffee at 6am.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Teachers in the snow\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Teachers in the snow\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6557925721/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6557925721_e2301d49a3.jpg\" alt=\"Teachers in the snow\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI\'m at home drinking coffee, reading the internet, downloading photos and uploading them to Flicker, thinking about doing a load of laundry, plotting about what Santa will bring me this year and thinking vaguely about what I\'ll make for Christmas eve dinner with my friends. Maybe clam chowder.\n\nYesterday ended with the perfect mix of school and friends. <!--more-->The day started off with snow. Lots of it. But not even that could damped my spirits. We had a half day of school and then a second round of the Christmas concert. Our students are so talented but more than that it was great to see them having fun on stage. We danced our two Bulgarian national dances for a second time and we headed outside to dance the horo in the snow. This of course is a beautiful but dangerous and slippery proposition.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Dancing at ACS\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Dancing at ACS\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6557923041/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6557923041_9ef8d99bb1.jpg\" alt=\"Dancing at ACS\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nBy 3pm, I was back in my classroom changing into my regular clothes. I had a moment where I thought I\'d lost (or someone had stolen) my pants and I had visions of myself going home in my national costume in the snow on the bus in order to get a pair of jeans. Luckily they were tucked under my winter coat. Crisis averted.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Dancing the horo in the snow (the woman at the end is 92 years old!)\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Dancing the horo in the snow\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6557924915/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6557924915_8e0c97b46e.jpg\" alt=\"Dancing the horo in the snow\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI headed over to my friend H.\'s to play card games, eat snacks and drink wine. You know, because I clearly haven\'t been eating enough junk food these last couple of weeks. Snaking turned into dinner (kind of) and playing cards turned into an incredibly long game of <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/MayFair-Games-MFG3061-Settlers-Catan/dp/B000W7JWUA/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=digital-text&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1324623585&amp;sr=1-1-catcorr\" target=\"_blank\">Settlers of Catan</a>. <em>Boy</em> do those Germans know how to make a board game.\n\nOh and PS I heard that Orange book store in The Mall (you know because because in Sofia we have a mall named The Mall) is selling a Bulgarian edition of Settlers of Catan. In case you need to get on this wonderfully fun but rather nerdy bandwagon.\n\nBy 8:00pm the only thing I could think about was getting home and crawling into bed. P. and I left shortly there after. Once at home, I had a cup of tea, thought about writing some Christmas cards, decided against it and snuggled into bed with my kindle about 9pm. Because, I\'m awesome.','Hip-hip-houray! It\'s Holiday!!','','inherit','open','open','','6026-revision-3','','','2011-12-23 09:19:39','2011-12-23 07:19:39','',6026,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/23/6026-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6030,1,'2011-12-23 09:22:30','2011-12-23 07:22:30','Today is the first day of my Christmas holiday and I couldn\'t be happier.\n\nI slept in until 7:30 am and then I lay in bed for another half an hour before determining that I was in fact not going to be able to make myself fall back to sleep--even if it is vacation. Mind you, sleeping in until 7:30 am is pretty good considering the fact that most mornings I am already out of bed and making coffee at 6am.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Teachers in the snow\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Teachers in the snow\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6557925721/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6557925721_e2301d49a3.jpg\" alt=\"Teachers in the snow\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI\'m at home drinking coffee, reading the internet, downloading photos and uploading them to Flicker, thinking about doing a load of laundry, plotting about what Santa will bring me this year and thinking vaguely about what I\'ll make for Christmas eve dinner with my friends. Maybe clam chowder.\n\nYesterday ended with the perfect mix of school and friends. <!--more-->The day started off with snow. Lots of it. But not even that could damped my spirits. We had a half day of school and then a second round of the Christmas concert. Our students are so talented but more than that it was great to see them having fun on stage. We danced our two Bulgarian national dances for a second time and we headed outside to dance the horo in the snow. This of course is a beautiful but dangerous and slippery proposition.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Dancing at ACS\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Dancing at ACS\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6557923041/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6557923041_9ef8d99bb1.jpg\" alt=\"Dancing at ACS\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nBy 3pm, I was back in my classroom changing into my regular clothes. I had a moment where I thought I\'d lost (or someone had stolen) my pants and I had visions of myself going home in my national costume in the snow on the bus in order to get a pair of jeans. Luckily they were tucked under my winter coat. Crisis averted.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Dancing the horo in the snow (the woman at the end is 92 years old!)\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Medium\" title=\"Dancing the horo in the snow\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6557924915/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6557924915_8e0c97b46e.jpg\" alt=\"Dancing the horo in the snow\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI headed over to my friend H.\'s to play card games, eat snacks and drink wine. You know, because I clearly haven\'t been eating enough junk food these last couple of weeks. Snaking turned into dinner (kind of) and playing cards turned into an incredibly long game of <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/MayFair-Games-MFG3061-Settlers-Catan/dp/B000W7JWUA/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=digital-text&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1324623585&amp;sr=1-1-catcorr\" target=\"_blank\">Settlers of Catan</a>. <em>Boy</em> do those Germans know how to make a board game.\n\nOh and PS I heard that Orange book store in The Mall (you know because because in Sofia we have a mall named The Mall) is selling a Bulgarian edition of Settlers of Catan. In case you need to get on this wonderfully fun but rather nerdy bandwagon.\n\nBy 8:00pm the only thing I could think about was getting home and crawling into bed. P. and I left shortly there after. Once at home, I had a cup of tea, thought about writing some Christmas cards, decided against it and snuggled into bed with my kindle about 9pm. Because, I\'m awesome.','Hip-hip-houray! It\'s Holiday!!','','inherit','open','open','','6026-autosave','','','2011-12-23 09:22:30','2011-12-23 07:22:30','',6026,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/23/6026-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(6067,1,'2012-01-08 12:32:56','2012-01-08 10:32:56','I\'m home! I got back last night at 11:50pm. I was supposed to be back in Sofia by 9pm but apparently there was a medical emergency on the in bound flight--thus a series of delays. Oh well. I had my kindle, a coffee and a baguette sandwich so I was okay. I\'ve been reading <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Plot-Novel-Jeffrey-Eugenides/dp/0374203059\">The Marriage Plot</a> by Jeffrey Eugenides it\'s a little over the top with its literature and theory references but I dig it in a really nerdy way.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Me in front of Buckingham Palace\"]<a title=\"Me in front of Buckingham Palace by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658440533/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6658440533_92c279c2f3_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me in front of Buckingham Palace\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nLet me say this: I love to travel but it\'s nice to be home.\r\n\r\nI got to sleep in my own bed. I have clean clothes. I made my own coffee. I took a long hot shower. I slept in late. And now I am in the process of puttering around my house and getting my life back in order. School starts again tomorrow.\r\n\r\nSo this is a quick post to say hello to everyone! I\'ve got a million life maintenance things to take care of today--say going to the grocery store seeing as I have zero real food in my fridge and grading. It\'s snowy and sunny in Sofia so that makes picking up groceries not very interesting but it does make the task of sitting at my table and grading seem a little more manageable.\r\n\r\nWish me luck!','Back from London and Paris!','','publish','open','open','','back-from-london-and-paris','','','2012-01-08 12:32:56','2012-01-08 10:32:56','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=6067',0,'post','',0),(6032,1,'2011-12-23 11:09:19','2011-12-23 09:09:19','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"553\" caption=\"Весела Коледа и Щастлива Нова Година!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6558166089/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6558166089_96d800e72b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" width=\"553\" height=\"425\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn a lifetime before this one, I used to send friends Christmas cards. Then I moved to Bulgaria and started this little blog. Now here I am in a Bulgarian national costume with the beautifully snowy American College of Sofia as my backdrop. Life is funny sometimes. And I can\'t help but wonder how did I get so lucky to live <em>this</em> charmed life?','A Little Christmas Card ','','publish','open','open','','a-little-christmas-card','','','2011-12-23 12:07:42','2011-12-23 10:07:42','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=6032',0,'post','',4),(6033,1,'2011-12-23 10:09:37','2011-12-23 08:09:37','','My Christmas Card ','','inherit','open','open','','6032-revision','','','2011-12-23 10:09:37','2011-12-23 08:09:37','',6032,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/23/6032-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6034,1,'2011-12-23 10:09:59','2011-12-23 08:09:59','<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6558166089/\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6558166089_96d800e72b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" width=\"1024\" height=\"787\" /></a>','My Christmas Card ','','inherit','open','open','','6032-revision-2','','','2011-12-23 10:09:59','2011-12-23 08:09:59','',6032,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/23/6032-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6035,1,'2011-12-23 10:10:22','2011-12-23 08:10:22','<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6558166089/\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6558166089_96d800e72b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" width=\"614\" height=\"472\" /></a>','My Christmas Card ','','inherit','open','open','','6032-revision-3','','','2011-12-23 10:10:22','2011-12-23 08:10:22','',6032,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/23/6032-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6036,1,'2011-12-23 10:10:26','2011-12-23 08:10:26','<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6558166089/\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6558166089_96d800e72b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" width=\"614\" height=\"472\" /></a>','My Christmas Card ','','inherit','open','open','','6032-revision-4','','','2011-12-23 10:10:26','2011-12-23 08:10:26','',6032,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/23/6032-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(6037,1,'2011-12-23 10:11:35','2011-12-23 08:11:35','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"553\" caption=\"Весела Коледа и Щастлива Нова Година!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6558166089/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6558166089_96d800e72b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" width=\"553\" height=\"425\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','My Christmas Card ','','inherit','open','open','','6032-revision-5','','','2011-12-23 10:11:35','2011-12-23 08:11:35','',6032,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/23/6032-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(6038,1,'2011-12-23 10:18:04','2011-12-23 08:18:04','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"553\" caption=\"Весела Коледа и Щастлива Нова Година!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6558166089/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6558166089_96d800e72b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" width=\"553\" height=\"425\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn a lifetime before this one, I used to send friends Christmas cards. Then I moved to Bulgaria and started this little blog.','A Little Christmas Card ','','inherit','open','open','','6032-revision-6','','','2011-12-23 10:18:04','2011-12-23 08:18:04','',6032,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/23/6032-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(6039,1,'2011-12-23 10:19:44','2011-12-23 08:19:44','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"553\" caption=\"Весела Коледа и Щастлива Нова Година!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6558166089/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6558166089_96d800e72b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" width=\"553\" height=\"425\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn a lifetime before this one, I used to send friends Christmas cards. Then I moved to Bulgaria and started this little blog. Life is funny sometimes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','A Little Christmas Card ','','inherit','open','open','','6032-revision-7','','','2011-12-23 10:19:44','2011-12-23 08:19:44','',6032,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/23/6032-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(6040,1,'2011-12-23 10:21:37','2011-12-23 08:21:37','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"553\" caption=\"Весела Коледа и Щастлива Нова Година!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6558166089/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6558166089_96d800e72b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" width=\"553\" height=\"425\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn a lifetime before this one, I used to send friends Christmas cards. Then I moved to Bulgaria and started this little blog. Now here I am in a Bulgarian national costume with the beautifully snowy American College of Sofia as my backdrop. Life is funny sometimes.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','A Little Christmas Card ','','inherit','open','open','','6032-revision-8','','','2011-12-23 10:21:37','2011-12-23 08:21:37','',6032,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/23/6032-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(6041,1,'2011-12-23 10:23:31','2011-12-23 08:23:31','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"553\" caption=\"Весела Коледа и Щастлива Нова Година!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6558166089/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6558166089_96d800e72b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" width=\"553\" height=\"425\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn a lifetime before this one, I used to send friends Christmas cards. Then I moved to Bulgaria and started this little blog. Now here I am in a Bulgarian national costume with the beautifully snowy American College of Sofia as my backdrop. Life is funny sometimes. And I can\'t help but wonder how did I get so lucky to live this charmed life?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','A Little Christmas Card ','','inherit','open','open','','6032-revision-9','','','2011-12-23 10:23:31','2011-12-23 08:23:31','',6032,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/23/6032-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(6043,1,'2011-12-23 10:25:15','2011-12-23 08:25:15','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"553\" caption=\"Весела Коледа и Щастлива Нова Година!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6558166089/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6558166089_96d800e72b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" width=\"553\" height=\"425\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn a lifetime before this one, I used to send friends Christmas cards. Then I moved to Bulgaria and started this little blog. Now here I am in a Bulgarian national costume with the beautifully snowy American College of Sofia as my backdrop. Life is funny sometimes. And I can\'t help but wonder how did I get so lucky to live <em>this</em> charmed life?','A Little Christmas Card ','','inherit','open','open','','6032-revision-11','','','2011-12-23 10:25:15','2011-12-23 08:25:15','',6032,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/23/6032-revision-11/',0,'revision','',0),(6042,1,'2011-12-23 10:24:04','2011-12-23 08:24:04','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"553\" caption=\"Весела Коледа и Щастлива Нова Година!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6558166089/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6558166089_96d800e72b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" width=\"553\" height=\"425\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn a lifetime before this one, I used to send friends Christmas cards. Then I moved to Bulgaria and started this little blog. Now here I am in a Bulgarian national costume with the beautifully snowy American College of Sofia as my backdrop.\r\n\r\nLife is funny sometimes.\r\n\r\nAnd I can\'t help but wonder how did I get so lucky to live this charmed life?\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','A Little Christmas Card ','','inherit','open','open','','6032-revision-10','','','2011-12-23 10:24:04','2011-12-23 08:24:04','',6032,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/23/6032-revision-10/',0,'revision','',0),(6044,1,'2011-12-23 10:27:32','2011-12-23 08:27:32','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"553\" caption=\"Весела Коледа и Щастлива Нова Година!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6558166089/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6558166089_96d800e72b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" width=\"553\" height=\"425\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nIn a lifetime before this one, I used to send friends Christmas cards. Then I moved to Bulgaria and started this little blog. Now here I am in a Bulgarian national costume with the beautifully snowy American College of Sofia as my backdrop. Life is funny sometimes. And I can\'t help but wonder how did I get so lucky to live <em>this</em> charmed life?','A Little Christmas Card ','','inherit','open','open','','6032-autosave','','','2011-12-23 10:27:32','2011-12-23 08:27:32','',6032,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/23/6032-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(6045,1,'2011-12-23 10:26:29','2011-12-23 08:26:29','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"553\" caption=\"Весела Коледа и Щастлива Нова Година!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6558166089/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6558166089_96d800e72b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Merry Christmas from Karolinka\" width=\"553\" height=\"425\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn a lifetime before this one, I used to send friends Christmas cards. Then I moved to Bulgaria and started this little blog. Now here I am in a Bulgarian national costume with the beautifully snowy American College of Sofia as my backdrop. Life is funny sometimes. And I can\'t help but wonder how did I get so lucky to live <em>this</em> charmed life?','A Little Christmas Card ','','inherit','open','open','','6032-revision-12','','','2011-12-23 10:26:29','2011-12-23 08:26:29','',6032,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/23/6032-revision-12/',0,'revision','',0),(6046,1,'2011-12-24 08:43:22','2011-12-24 06:43:22','The basic Christmas cookie in the States? Sugar cookies. The dough is easy to make. You get to roll it out, use cookie cutters, bake them and then frost them. Fun-wise it doesn\'t really get any better than that.\n\nWhen I was growing up we\'d make dozens of these cookies. They went on every cookie try and we gave them as gifts to everyone--teachers, neighbors, friends and family.\n\nNow that I am older, they seem like a little more work than I\'d like to go to on my own. The thought of little kids rolling sugar cookies out is cute. While the thought of me cutting cookie, after cookie out is not so cute. Not mention frosting all of these cookies after they bake and cool.\n\nAnyhow, I pushed these thoughts out of my mind and I threw together a batch of sugar cookie dough (<a href=\"http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/sugar-cookies/90993177-b5fe-4cc7-a6b6-8f58913d36e8#?st=6&amp;term=Sugar%20cookies&amp;ps=9&amp;pi=9&amp;fv=AND%28HasGridViewImage%3ATrue%29\" target=\"_blank\">thanks once again Betty Crocker</a>). The thing about sugar cookies is that it\'s really important for the dough to chill at least 2 hours before you try to roll the dough or to cut it out. So I figured that I\'ll make the dough one night, bake the cookies another and wrap the whole thing up with frosting them the next night. That way I can really stretch these damn cookies out as long humanly possible.\n\nOnly thing is that I made the cookie dough a week ago, stored it away in a tupperware container and promptly ran out of time to do anything at home but sleep and make coffee for a week. <em>Awesome</em>. So yesterday on my first day of vacation I rolled out the cookies.  I cut out hearts because I don\'t actually have any Christmas cookie cutters and I baked the cookies.\n\nNow I\'ve got to frost them. These cookies are taking <em>forever</em> to actually make.\n\nOh well, they are going to be so cute (and tasty) once I\'ve made the frosting and frosted them.','Sugar Cookies: Standard Issue','','inherit','open','open','','5968-revision-3','','','2011-12-24 08:43:22','2011-12-24 06:43:22','',5968,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/24/5968-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6047,1,'2011-12-24 08:45:07','2011-12-24 06:45:07','The basic Christmas cookie in the States? Sugar cookies. The dough is easy to make. You get to roll it out, use cookie cutters, bake them and then frost them. Fun-wise it doesn\'t really get any better than that.\n\nSugar cookies are the gold standard of the holidays.\n\nWhen I was growing up we\'d make dozens of these cookies. They went on every cookie try and we gave them as gifts to everyone--teachers, neighbors, friends and family.\n\nNow that I am older, they seem like a little more work than I\'d like to go to on my own. The thought of little kids rolling sugar cookies out is cute. While the thought of me cutting cookie, after cookie out is not so cute. Not mention frosting all of these cookies after they bake and cool.\n\nAnyhow, I pushed these thoughts out of my mind and I threw together a batch of sugar cookie dough (<a href=\"http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/sugar-cookies/90993177-b5fe-4cc7-a6b6-8f58913d36e8#?st=6&amp;term=Sugar%20cookies&amp;ps=9&amp;pi=9&amp;fv=AND%28HasGridViewImage%3ATrue%29\" target=\"_blank\">thanks once again Betty Crocker</a>). The thing about sugar cookies is that it\'s really important for the dough to chill at least 2 hours before you try to roll the dough or to cut it out. So I figured that I\'ll make the dough one night, bake the cookies another and wrap the whole thing up with frosting them the next night. That way I can really stretch these damn cookies out as long humanly possible.\n\nOnly thing is that I made the cookie dough a week ago, stored it away in a tupperware container and promptly ran out of time to do anything at home but sleep and make coffee for a week. <em>Awesome</em>. So yesterday on my first day of vacation I rolled out the cookies.  I cut out hearts because I don\'t actually have any Christmas cookie cutters and I baked the cookies.\n\nNow I\'ve got to frost them. These cookies are taking <em>forever</em> to actually make.\n\nOh well, they are going to be so cute (and tasty) once I\'ve made the frosting and frosted them.','Sugar Cookies: Standard Issue','','inherit','open','open','','5968-revision-4','','','2011-12-24 08:45:07','2011-12-24 06:45:07','',5968,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/24/5968-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(6048,1,'2011-12-24 10:35:56','2011-12-24 08:35:56','The basic Christmas cookie in the States? Sugar cookies. The dough is easy to make. You get to roll it out, use cookie cutters, bake them and then frost them. Fun-wise it doesn\'t really get any better than that.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Christmas Sugar Cookies\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Christmas Sugar Cookies\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563179553/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6563179553_8d28a1b974_b.jpg\" alt=\"Christmas Sugar Cookies\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nSugar cookies are the gold standard of the holidays.\n\nWhen I was growing up we\'d make dozens of these cookies. They went on every cookie try and we gave them as gifts to everyone--teachers, neighbors, friends and family.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Cutting out cookies\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cutting out cookies\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563173503/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6563173503_31eb51c554_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cutting out cookies\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nNow that I am older, they seem like a little more work than I\'d like to go to on my own. The thought of little kids rolling sugar cookies out is cute. While the thought of me cutting cookie, after cookie out is not so cute. Not mention frosting all of these cookies after they bake and cool.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Cookies fresh out of the oven\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cookies fresh out of the oven\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563174145/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6563174145_33f021720b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cookies fresh out of the oven\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nAnyhow, I pushed these thoughts out of my mind and I threw together a batch of sugar cookie dough (<a href=\"http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/sugar-cookies/90993177-b5fe-4cc7-a6b6-8f58913d36e8#?st=6&amp;term=Sugar%20cookies&amp;ps=9&amp;pi=9&amp;fv=AND%28HasGridViewImage%3ATrue%29\" target=\"_blank\">thanks once again Betty Crocker</a>). The thing about sugar cookies is that it\'s really important for the dough to chill at least 2 hours before you try to roll the dough or to cut it out. So I figured that I\'ll make the dough one night, bake the cookies another and wrap the whole thing up with frosting them the next night. That way I can really stretch these (damn cookies out as long humanly possible.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Frosting in green and red\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Frosting in grenn and red\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563176463/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6563176463_c8935c5c8f_b.jpg\" alt=\"Frosting in green and red\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nOnly thing is that I made the cookie dough a week ago, stored it away in a tupperware container and promptly ran out of time to do anything at home but sleep and make coffee for a week. <em>Awesome</em>. So yesterday on my first day of vacation I rolled out the cookies.  I cut out hearts because I don\'t actually have any Christmas cookie cutters and I baked the cookies.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Green tree, red cookie\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Green tree, red cookie\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563177823/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6563177823_429e9c6603_b.jpg\" alt=\"Green tree, red cookie\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nNow I\'ve got to frost them. These cookies are taking <em>forever</em> to actually make.\n\nOh well, they are pretty cute (and tasty) and now that I\'ve made the frosting and frosted them, I am ready for Santa. Santa don\'t forget, I\'ve been a good girl this year.','Sugar Cookies: Standard Issue','','inherit','open','open','','5968-revision-5','','','2011-12-24 10:35:56','2011-12-24 08:35:56','',5968,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/24/5968-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(6049,1,'2011-12-24 10:36:46','2011-12-24 08:36:46','The basic Christmas cookie in the States? Sugar cookies. The dough is easy to make. You get to roll it out, use cookie cutters, bake them and then frost them. Fun-wise it doesn\'t really get any better than that.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Christmas Sugar Cookies\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Christmas Sugar Cookies\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563179553/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6563179553_8d28a1b974_b.jpg\" alt=\"Christmas Sugar Cookies\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nSugar cookies are the gold standard of the holidays.\r\n\r\nWhen I was growing up we\'d make dozens of these cookies. They went on every cookie try and we gave them as gifts to everyone--teachers, neighbors, friends and family.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Cutting out cookies\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cutting out cookies\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563173503/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6563173503_31eb51c554_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cutting out cookies\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nNow that I am older, they seem like a little more work than I\'d like to go to on my own. The thought of little kids rolling sugar cookies out is cute. While the thought of me cutting cookie, after cookie out is not so cute. Not mention frosting all of these cookies after they bake and cool.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Cookies fresh out of the oven\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cookies fresh out of the oven\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563174145/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6563174145_33f021720b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cookies fresh out of the oven\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Stacks of sugar cookies\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Stacks of sugar cookies\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563175759/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6563175759_d00fdf7b3c_b.jpg\" alt=\"Stacks of sugar cookies\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nAnyhow, I pushed these thoughts out of my mind and I threw together a batch of sugar cookie dough (<a href=\"http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/sugar-cookies/90993177-b5fe-4cc7-a6b6-8f58913d36e8#?st=6&amp;term=Sugar%20cookies&amp;ps=9&amp;pi=9&amp;fv=AND%28HasGridViewImage%3ATrue%29\" target=\"_blank\">thanks once again Betty Crocker</a>). The thing about sugar cookies is that it\'s really important for the dough to chill at least 2 hours before you try to roll the dough or to cut it out. So I figured that I\'ll make the dough one night, bake the cookies another and wrap the whole thing up with frosting them the next night. That way I can really stretch these (damn) cookies out as long humanly possible.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Frosting in green and red\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Frosting in grenn and red\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563176463/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6563176463_c8935c5c8f_b.jpg\" alt=\"Frosting in green and red\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nOnly thing is that I made the cookie dough a week ago, stored it away in a tupperware container and promptly ran out of time to do anything at home but sleep and make coffee for a week. <em>Awesome</em>. So yesterday on my first day of vacation I rolled out the cookies.  I cut out hearts because I don\'t actually have any Christmas cookie cutters and I baked the cookies.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Green tree, red cookie\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Green tree, red cookie\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563177823/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6563177823_429e9c6603_b.jpg\" alt=\"Green tree, red cookie\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nNow I\'ve got to frost them. These cookies are taking <em>forever</em> to actually make.\r\n\r\nOh well, they are pretty cute (and tasty) and now that I\'ve made the frosting and frosted them, I am ready for Santa. Santa don\'t forget, I\'ve been a good girl this year.','Sugar Cookies: Standard Issue','','inherit','open','open','','5968-revision-6','','','2011-12-24 10:36:46','2011-12-24 08:36:46','',5968,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/24/5968-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(6050,1,'2011-12-24 10:38:51','2011-12-24 08:38:51','The basic Christmas cookie in the States? Sugar cookies. The dough is easy to make. You get to roll it out, use cookie cutters, bake them and then frost them. Fun-wise it doesn\'t really get any better than that.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Christmas Sugar Cookies\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Christmas Sugar Cookies\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563179553/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6563179553_8d28a1b974_b.jpg\" alt=\"Christmas Sugar Cookies\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nSugar cookies are the gold standard of the holidays.\n\nWhen I was growing up we\'d make dozens of these cookies. They went on every cookie try and we gave them as gifts to everyone--teachers, neighbors, friends and family.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Cutting out cookies\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cutting out cookies\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563173503/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6563173503_31eb51c554_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cutting out cookies\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nNow that I am older, they seem like a little more work than I\'d like to do to on my own. The thought of little kids rolling sugar cookies out is cute. While the thought of me cutting cookie, after cookie out is not so cute. Not mention frosting all of these cookies after they bake and cool.\n\nBut you these are the things you do for Christmas. <!--more-->\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Cookies fresh out of the oven\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cookies fresh out of the oven\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563174145/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6563174145_33f021720b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cookies fresh out of the oven\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Stacks of sugar cookies\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Stacks of sugar cookies\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563175759/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6563175759_d00fdf7b3c_b.jpg\" alt=\"Stacks of sugar cookies\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nAnyhow, I pushed these thoughts out of my mind and I threw together a batch of sugar cookie dough (<a href=\"http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/sugar-cookies/90993177-b5fe-4cc7-a6b6-8f58913d36e8#?st=6&amp;term=Sugar%20cookies&amp;ps=9&amp;pi=9&amp;fv=AND%28HasGridViewImage%3ATrue%29\" target=\"_blank\">thanks once again Betty Crocker</a>). The thing about sugar cookies is that it\'s really important for the dough to chill at least 2 hours before you try to roll the dough or to cut it out. So I figured that I\'ll make the dough one night, bake the cookies another and wrap the whole thing up with frosting them the next night. That way I can really stretch these (damn) cookies out as long humanly possible.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Frosting in green and red\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Frosting in grenn and red\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563176463/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6563176463_c8935c5c8f_b.jpg\" alt=\"Frosting in green and red\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nOnly thing is that I made the cookie dough a week ago, stored it away in a tupperware container and promptly ran out of time to do anything at home but sleep and make coffee for a week. <em>Awesome</em>. So yesterday on my first day of vacation I rolled out the cookies.  I cut out hearts because I don\'t actually have any Christmas cookie cutters and I baked the cookies.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Green tree, red cookie\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Green tree, red cookie\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563177823/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6563177823_429e9c6603_b.jpg\" alt=\"Green tree, red cookie\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nNow I\'ve got to frost them. These cookies are taking <em>forever</em> to actually make.\n\nOh well, they are pretty cute (and tasty) and now that I\'ve made the frosting and frosted them, I am ready for Santa. Santa don\'t forget, I\'ve been a good girl this year.','Sugar Cookies: Standard Issue','','inherit','open','open','','5968-revision-7','','','2011-12-24 10:38:51','2011-12-24 08:38:51','',5968,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/24/5968-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(6051,1,'2011-12-24 10:40:03','2011-12-24 08:40:03','The basic Christmas cookie in the States? Sugar cookies. The dough is easy to make. You get to roll it out, use cookie cutters, bake them and then frost them. Fun-wise it doesn\'t really get any better than that.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Christmas Sugar Cookies\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Christmas Sugar Cookies\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563179553/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7013/6563179553_8d28a1b974_b.jpg\" alt=\"Christmas Sugar Cookies\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nSugar cookies are the gold standard of the holidays.\n\nWhen I was growing up we\'d make dozens of these cookies. They went on every cookie try and we gave them as gifts to everyone--teachers, neighbors, friends and family.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Cutting out cookies\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cutting out cookies\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563173503/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6563173503_31eb51c554_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cutting out cookies\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nNow that I am older, they seem like a little more work than I\'d like to do to on my own. The thought of little kids rolling sugar cookies out is cute. While the thought of me cutting cookie, after cookie out is not so cute. Not mention frosting all of these cookies after they bake and cool.\n\nBut you these are the things you do for Christmas. <!--more-->\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Cookies fresh out of the oven\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cookies fresh out of the oven\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563174145/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6563174145_33f021720b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cookies fresh out of the oven\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Stacks of sugar cookies\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Stacks of sugar cookies\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563175759/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6563175759_d00fdf7b3c_b.jpg\" alt=\"Stacks of sugar cookies\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nAnyhow, I pushed these thoughts out of my mind and I threw together a batch of sugar cookie dough (<a href=\"http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/sugar-cookies/90993177-b5fe-4cc7-a6b6-8f58913d36e8#?st=6&amp;term=Sugar%20cookies&amp;ps=9&amp;pi=9&amp;fv=AND%28HasGridViewImage%3ATrue%29\" target=\"_blank\">thanks once again Betty Crocker</a>). The thing about sugar cookies is that it\'s really important for the dough to chill at least 2 hours before you try to roll the dough or to cut it out. So I figured that I\'ll make the dough one night, bake the cookies another and wrap the whole thing up with frosting them the next night. That way I can really stretch these (damn) cookies out as long humanly possible.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Frosting in green and red\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Frosting in grenn and red\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563176463/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6563176463_c8935c5c8f_b.jpg\" alt=\"Frosting in green and red\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nOnly thing is that I made the cookie dough a week ago, stored it away in a tupperware container and promptly ran out of time to do anything at home but sleep and make coffee for a week. <em>Awesome</em>. So yesterday on my first day of vacation I rolled out the cookies.  I cut out hearts because I don\'t actually have any Christmas cookie cutters and I baked the cookies.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Green tree, red cookie\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Green tree, red cookie\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563177823/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6563177823_429e9c6603_b.jpg\" alt=\"Green tree, red cookie\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nNow I\'ve got to frost them. These cookies are taking <em>forever</em> to actually make.\n\nOh well, they are pretty cute (and tasty) and now that I\'ve made the frosting and frosted them, I am ready for Santa. Santa don\'t forget, I\'ve been a good girl this year.','Sugar Cookies: Standard Issue','','inherit','open','open','','5968-autosave','','','2011-12-24 10:40:03','2011-12-24 08:40:03','',5968,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/24/5968-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(6052,1,'2011-12-27 07:04:55','2011-12-27 05:04:55','I\'ve always loved magazines. I like to see what people are interested. I like a little escape. I like pretty things. I like inspiration.\r\n\r\nMy dAd has an endless supply of them. It\'s because of the antique store. He likes to see what\'s hot each season and often he decorates accordingly. I love to thumb through these when I am at home. My old roommate S. subscribed to a couple of different food/cooking magazines and I often flipped through this for new dishes, things to try and food to dream about. In the States I often flip through magazines at the gym, in line at the grocery store and at the dentist\'s/doctor\'s office.\r\n\r\nNeedless to say my access to magazines in Bulgaria is different. There are plenty of magazines but they take more time and effort to read. There are lots of word that I don\'t know but I still like to look at the pictures.\r\n\r\nI wrote a post about this about a year ago (<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/02/27/magazines-abroad/\" target=\"_blank\">Magazines Abroad</a>) and then in the last year there\'ve been a slew of new digital magazines. I guess that with the economic crisis some print magazines closed and now these new digital magazines are filling this void. Pretty cool. <!--more-->\r\n\r\nAmong my favorites are <a href=\"http://matchbookmag.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Matchbook</a>, <a href=\"http://www.ruemag.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Rue</a>, <a href=\"http://lonnymag.com\" target=\"_blank\">Looney</a> and <a href=\"http://www.offswitchmagazine.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Off Switch</a>. <a href=\"http://www.theeverygirl.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Everygirl</a> has been discussed on a few fashion blogs that follow but their first issue isn\'t due out February 2012. On a whole I think that these magazines are clever, well put together and fairly well written. Some of the pieces could use a little editing or cutting that I assume a piece would receive if the magazine were in print. Here\'s what I especially like: the digital magazines are relatively easy to flip through and they fill a need in my life--mindless escape, inspiration and novelty.\r\n\r\nI was thrilled when Christina Nigohosian the journalist who <a href=\"http://sofialive.bg/heroes/sugrajdanin/145-karolin-ejmi.html\" target=\"_blank\">interviewed me for Sofia Live</a> wrote to me this week to tell me about her new project: <a href=\"http://antre.bg/\" target=\"_blank\">Antre (<strong></strong>Антре)</a> a digital lifestyle magazine that she\'s publishing in Bulgarian!! The magazine is beautiful and rivals any of those English language magazines that I mentioned above in terms of visual appeal, layout and typography.\r\n\r\nMind you my Bulgarian isn\'t great but I enjoyed reading/browsing/looking at this magazine. And I am looking forward to to the next issue. Maybe if I keep this reading thing up I\'ll eventually learn Bulgarian.','Things I love: (digital) Magazines','','publish','open','open','','things-i-love-magazines','','','2011-12-24 12:49:29','2011-12-24 10:49:29','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=6052',0,'post','',1),(6053,1,'2011-12-24 12:47:09','2011-12-24 10:47:09','I\'ve always loved magazines. I like to see what people are interested. I like a little escape. I like pretty things. I like inspiration.\n\nMy dAd has an endless supply of them. It\'s because of the antique store. He likes to see what\'s hot each season and often he decorates accordingly. I love to thumb through these when I am at home. My old roommate S. subscribed to a couple of different food/cooking magazines and I often flipped through this for new dishes, things to try and food to dream about. In the States I often flip through magazines at the gym, in line at the grocery store and at the dentist\'s/doctor\'s office.\n\nNeedless to say my access to magazines in Bulgaria is different. There are plenty of magazines but they take more time and effort to read. There are lots of word that I don\'t know but I still like to look at the pictures.\n\nI wrote a post about this about a year ago (<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/02/27/magazines-abroad/\" target=\"_blank\">Magazines Abroad</a>) and then in the last year there\'ve been a slew of new digital magazines. I guess that with the economic crisis some print magazines closed and now these new digital magazines are filling this void. Pretty cool.\n\nAmong my favorites are <a href=\"http://matchbookmag.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Matchbook</a>, <a href=\"http://www.ruemag.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Rue</a>, <a href=\"http://lonnymag.com\" target=\"_blank\">Looney</a> and <a href=\"http://www.offswitchmagazine.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Off Switch</a>. <a href=\"http://www.theeverygirl.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Everygirl</a> has been discussed on a few fashion blogs that follow but their first issue isn\'t due out February 2012. On a whole I think that these magazines are clever, well put together and fairly well written. Some of the pieces could use a little editing or cutting that I assume a piece would receive if the magazine were in print. Here\'s what I especially like: the digital magazines are relatively easy to flip through and they fill a need in my life--mindless escape, inspiration and novelty.\n\nI was thrilled when Christina Nigohosian the journalist who <a href=\"http://sofialive.bg/heroes/sugrajdanin/145-karolin-ejmi.html\" target=\"_blank\">interviewed me for Sofia Live</a> wrote to me this week to tell me about her new project: <a href=\"http://antre.bg/\" target=\"_blank\">Antre (<strong></strong>Антре)</a> a digital lifestyle magazine that she\'s publishing in Bulgarian!! The magazine is beautiful and rivals any of those English language magazines that I mentioned above in terms of visual appeal, layout and typography.\n\nMind you my Bulgarian isn\'t great but I enjoyed reading/browsing/looking at this magazine. And I am looking forward to to the next issue. Maybe if I keep reading thing up I\'ll eventually learn Bulgarian.','Things I love: Magazines','','inherit','open','open','','6052-revision','','','2011-12-24 12:47:09','2011-12-24 10:47:09','',6052,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/24/6052-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6054,1,'2011-12-24 12:47:14','2011-12-24 10:47:14','I\'ve always loved magazines. I like to see what people are interested. I like a little escape. I like pretty things. I like inspiration.\r\n\r\nMy dAd has an endless supply of them. It\'s because of the antique store. He likes to see what\'s hot each season and often he decorates accordingly. I love to thumb through these when I am at home. My old roommate S. subscribed to a couple of different food/cooking magazines and I often flipped through this for new dishes, things to try and food to dream about. In the States I often flip through magazines at the gym, in line at the grocery store and at the dentist\'s/doctor\'s office.\r\n\r\nNeedless to say my access to magazines in Bulgaria is different. There are plenty of magazines but they take more time and effort to read. There are lots of word that I don\'t know but I still like to look at the pictures.\r\n\r\nI wrote a post about this about a year ago (<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/02/27/magazines-abroad/\" target=\"_blank\">Magazines Abroad</a>) and then in the last year there\'ve been a slew of new digital magazines. I guess that with the economic crisis some print magazines closed and now these new digital magazines are filling this void. Pretty cool.\r\n\r\nAmong my favorites are <a href=\"http://matchbookmag.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Matchbook</a>, <a href=\"http://www.ruemag.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Rue</a>, <a href=\"http://lonnymag.com\" target=\"_blank\">Looney</a> and <a href=\"http://www.offswitchmagazine.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Off Switch</a>. <a href=\"http://www.theeverygirl.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Everygirl</a> has been discussed on a few fashion blogs that follow but their first issue isn\'t due out February 2012. On a whole I think that these magazines are clever, well put together and fairly well written. Some of the pieces could use a little editing or cutting that I assume a piece would receive if the magazine were in print. Here\'s what I especially like: the digital magazines are relatively easy to flip through and they fill a need in my life--mindless escape, inspiration and novelty.\r\n\r\nI was thrilled when Christina Nigohosian the journalist who <a href=\"http://sofialive.bg/heroes/sugrajdanin/145-karolin-ejmi.html\" target=\"_blank\">interviewed me for Sofia Live</a> wrote to me this week to tell me about her new project: <a href=\"http://antre.bg/\" target=\"_blank\">Antre (<strong></strong>Антре)</a> a digital lifestyle magazine that she\'s publishing in Bulgarian!! The magazine is beautiful and rivals any of those English language magazines that I mentioned above in terms of visual appeal, layout and typography.\r\n\r\nMind you my Bulgarian isn\'t great but I enjoyed reading/browsing/looking at this magazine. And I am looking forward to to the next issue. Maybe if I keep reading thing up I\'ll eventually learn Bulgarian.','Things I love: Magazines','','inherit','open','open','','6052-revision-2','','','2011-12-24 12:47:14','2011-12-24 10:47:14','',6052,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/24/6052-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6055,1,'2011-12-24 12:48:50','2011-12-24 10:48:50','I\'ve always loved magazines. I like to see what people are interested. I like a little escape. I like pretty things. I like inspiration.\r\n\r\nMy dAd has an endless supply of them. It\'s because of the antique store. He likes to see what\'s hot each season and often he decorates accordingly. I love to thumb through these when I am at home. My old roommate S. subscribed to a couple of different food/cooking magazines and I often flipped through this for new dishes, things to try and food to dream about. In the States I often flip through magazines at the gym, in line at the grocery store and at the dentist\'s/doctor\'s office.\r\n\r\nNeedless to say my access to magazines in Bulgaria is different. There are plenty of magazines but they take more time and effort to read. There are lots of word that I don\'t know but I still like to look at the pictures.\r\n\r\nI wrote a post about this about a year ago (<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/02/27/magazines-abroad/\" target=\"_blank\">Magazines Abroad</a>) and then in the last year there\'ve been a slew of new digital magazines. I guess that with the economic crisis some print magazines closed and now these new digital magazines are filling this void. Pretty cool. <!--more-->\r\n\r\nAmong my favorites are <a href=\"http://matchbookmag.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Matchbook</a>, <a href=\"http://www.ruemag.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Rue</a>, <a href=\"http://lonnymag.com\" target=\"_blank\">Looney</a> and <a href=\"http://www.offswitchmagazine.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Off Switch</a>. <a href=\"http://www.theeverygirl.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Everygirl</a> has been discussed on a few fashion blogs that follow but their first issue isn\'t due out February 2012. On a whole I think that these magazines are clever, well put together and fairly well written. Some of the pieces could use a little editing or cutting that I assume a piece would receive if the magazine were in print. Here\'s what I especially like: the digital magazines are relatively easy to flip through and they fill a need in my life--mindless escape, inspiration and novelty.\r\n\r\nI was thrilled when Christina Nigohosian the journalist who <a href=\"http://sofialive.bg/heroes/sugrajdanin/145-karolin-ejmi.html\" target=\"_blank\">interviewed me for Sofia Live</a> wrote to me this week to tell me about her new project: <a href=\"http://antre.bg/\" target=\"_blank\">Antre (<strong></strong>Антре)</a> a digital lifestyle magazine that she\'s publishing in Bulgarian!! The magazine is beautiful and rivals any of those English language magazines that I mentioned above in terms of visual appeal, layout and typography.\r\n\r\nMind you my Bulgarian isn\'t great but I enjoyed reading/browsing/looking at this magazine. And I am looking forward to to the next issue. Maybe if I keep reading thing up I\'ll eventually learn Bulgarian.','Things I love: Magazines','','inherit','open','open','','6052-revision-3','','','2011-12-24 12:48:50','2011-12-24 10:48:50','',6052,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/24/6052-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6056,1,'2011-12-24 12:49:12','2011-12-24 10:49:12','I\'ve always loved magazines. I like to see what people are interested. I like a little escape. I like pretty things. I like inspiration.\r\n\r\nMy dAd has an endless supply of them. It\'s because of the antique store. He likes to see what\'s hot each season and often he decorates accordingly. I love to thumb through these when I am at home. My old roommate S. subscribed to a couple of different food/cooking magazines and I often flipped through this for new dishes, things to try and food to dream about. In the States I often flip through magazines at the gym, in line at the grocery store and at the dentist\'s/doctor\'s office.\r\n\r\nNeedless to say my access to magazines in Bulgaria is different. There are plenty of magazines but they take more time and effort to read. There are lots of word that I don\'t know but I still like to look at the pictures.\r\n\r\nI wrote a post about this about a year ago (<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/02/27/magazines-abroad/\" target=\"_blank\">Magazines Abroad</a>) and then in the last year there\'ve been a slew of new digital magazines. I guess that with the economic crisis some print magazines closed and now these new digital magazines are filling this void. Pretty cool. <!--more-->\r\n\r\nAmong my favorites are <a href=\"http://matchbookmag.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Matchbook</a>, <a href=\"http://www.ruemag.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Rue</a>, <a href=\"http://lonnymag.com\" target=\"_blank\">Looney</a> and <a href=\"http://www.offswitchmagazine.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Off Switch</a>. <a href=\"http://www.theeverygirl.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Everygirl</a> has been discussed on a few fashion blogs that follow but their first issue isn\'t due out February 2012. On a whole I think that these magazines are clever, well put together and fairly well written. Some of the pieces could use a little editing or cutting that I assume a piece would receive if the magazine were in print. Here\'s what I especially like: the digital magazines are relatively easy to flip through and they fill a need in my life--mindless escape, inspiration and novelty.\r\n\r\nI was thrilled when Christina Nigohosian the journalist who <a href=\"http://sofialive.bg/heroes/sugrajdanin/145-karolin-ejmi.html\" target=\"_blank\">interviewed me for Sofia Live</a> wrote to me this week to tell me about her new project: <a href=\"http://antre.bg/\" target=\"_blank\">Antre (<strong></strong>Антре)</a> a digital lifestyle magazine that she\'s publishing in Bulgarian!! The magazine is beautiful and rivals any of those English language magazines that I mentioned above in terms of visual appeal, layout and typography.\r\n\r\nMind you my Bulgarian isn\'t great but I enjoyed reading/browsing/looking at this magazine. And I am looking forward to to the next issue. Maybe if I keep this reading thing up I\'ll eventually learn Bulgarian.','Things I love: Magazines','','inherit','open','open','','6052-revision-4','','','2011-12-24 12:49:12','2011-12-24 10:49:12','',6052,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/24/6052-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(6057,1,'2011-12-25 11:24:40','2011-12-25 09:24:40','I made a fruit plate for Christmas Eve dinner.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Fruit plate by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6568153829/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6568153829_1dd6e8d709.jpg\" alt=\"Fruit plate\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a>\r\n\r\nWhile I was digging out the necessary fruit I realized that I also had some Belgian beer that would go perfectly with cutting, pealing and plating a fruit salad. Kriek beer--a sour cheery beer. It\'s light cheery flavor was exactly what I wanted while pealing more little mandarin oranges than I cared to count.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Kriek beer  by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6568155097/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6568155097_ef123f7641.jpg\" alt=\"Kriek beer \" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThis repetitive activity of chopping and pealing me reminded me of two different things. Isn\'t that how it always works?<!--more-->\r\n\r\nIn high school I had a friend J. who always pealed my oranges for me at lunch. He pealed them perfectly in one long continuous strip. He liked the show of it. I liked the fact that I didn\'t have to peal the orange. I fall into the I like to eat them not peal them camp.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Kriek beer by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6568154537/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6568154537_d8ea168cbc.jpg\" alt=\"Kriek beer\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a>\r\n\r\nIn Washington DC after college, I lived in a group house. We had parties there. Lots of them. We invited our friends and in turn they invited us to their houses. Another group house two blocks away regularly had house parties and every time we showed up at one of their parties, no matter the time of year, I\'d be greeted with a loud: \"Well, Christmas has come early this year\" by one of the guys who lived there. He never greeted me this way anywhere else we\'d meet. Just his house. The result was that I always blushed and everyone else within earshot would laugh uncomfortably.\r\n\r\nIt\'s funny how I haven\'t thought about either of those moments in years and prepping a fruit plate for Christmas Eve dinner would bring two just different memories back to me.','Fruit Plate & Fruit Beer ','','publish','open','open','','fruit-plate-fruit-beer','','','2011-12-25 11:24:40','2011-12-25 09:24:40','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=6057',0,'post','',0),(6058,1,'2011-12-24 16:36:22','2011-12-24 14:36:22','I made a fruit plate for Christmas Eve dinner. While I was digging out the necessary fruit I realized that I also had some Belgian beer that would go perfectly with cutting, pealing and plating a fruit salad. Kriek beer--a sour cheery beer. It\'s light cheery flavor was exactly what I wanted while pealing more little mandarin oranges than I cared to count.\n\nThis repetitive activity of chopping and pealing me reminded me of two different things.\n\nIn high school I had a friend J. who always pealed my oranges for me at lunch. He pealed them perfectly in one long continuous strip. He liked the show of it. I liked the fact that I didn\'t have to peal the orange. I fall into the I like to eat them not peal them camp.\n\nIn Washington DC after college, I lived in a group house. We had parties there. Lots of them. We invited our friends and in turn they invited us to their houses. Another group house two blocks away regularly had house parties and every time we showed up at one of their parties, no matter the time of year, I\'d be greeted with a loud: \"Well, Christmas has come early this year\" by one of the guys who lived there. He never greeted me this way anywhere else we\'d meet. Just his house. The result was that I always blushed and everyone else within earshot would laugh uncomfortably.\n\nIt\'s funny how I haven\'t thought about either of those moments in years and prepping a fruit plate for Christmas Eve dinner would bring two just different memories back to me.','Fruit Plate & Fruit Beer ','','inherit','open','open','','6057-revision','','','2011-12-24 16:36:22','2011-12-24 14:36:22','',6057,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/24/6057-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6059,1,'2011-12-25 11:16:58','2011-12-25 09:16:58','I made a fruit plate for Christmas Eve dinner.\n\nWhile I was digging out the necessary fruit I realized that I also had some Belgian beer that would go perfectly with cutting, pealing and plating a fruit salad. Kriek beer--a sour cheery beer. It\'s light cheery flavor was exactly what I wanted while pealing more little mandarin oranges than I cared to count.\n\nThis repetitive activity of chopping and pealing me reminded me of two different things.\n\nIn high school I had a friend J. who always pealed my oranges for me at lunch. He pealed them perfectly in one long continuous strip. He liked the show of it. I liked the fact that I didn\'t have to peal the orange. I fall into the I like to eat them not peal them camp.\n\nIn Washington DC after college, I lived in a group house. We had parties there. Lots of them. We invited our friends and in turn they invited us to their houses. Another group house two blocks away regularly had house parties and every time we showed up at one of their parties, no matter the time of year, I\'d be greeted with a loud: \"Well, Christmas has come early this year\" by one of the guys who lived there. He never greeted me this way anywhere else we\'d meet. Just his house. The result was that I always blushed and everyone else within earshot would laugh uncomfortably.\n\nIt\'s funny how I haven\'t thought about either of those moments in years and prepping a fruit plate for Christmas Eve dinner would bring two just different memories back to me.','Fruit Plate & Fruit Beer ','','inherit','open','open','','6057-revision-2','','','2011-12-25 11:16:58','2011-12-25 09:16:58','',6057,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/25/6057-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6060,1,'2011-12-25 11:23:01','2011-12-25 09:23:01','I made a fruit plate for Christmas Eve dinner.\n\n<a title=\"Fruit plate by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6568153829/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6568153829_1dd6e8d709.jpg\" alt=\"Fruit plate\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a>\n\nWhile I was digging out the necessary fruit I realized that I also had some Belgian beer that would go perfectly with cutting, pealing and plating a fruit salad. Kriek beer--a sour cheery beer. It\'s light cheery flavor was exactly what I wanted while pealing more little mandarin oranges than I cared to count.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6568155097/\" title=\"Kriek beer  by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6568155097_ef123f7641.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" alt=\"Kriek beer \"></a>\n\nThis repetitive activity of chopping and pealing me reminded me of two different things.\n\nIn high school I had a friend J. who always pealed my oranges for me at lunch. He pealed them perfectly in one long continuous strip. He liked the show of it. I liked the fact that I didn\'t have to peal the orange. I fall into the I like to eat them not peal them camp.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6568154537/\" title=\"Kriek beer by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6568154537_d8ea168cbc.jpg\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" alt=\"Kriek beer\"></a>\nIn Washington DC after college, I lived in a group house. We had parties there. Lots of them. We invited our friends and in turn they invited us to their houses. Another group house two blocks away regularly had house parties and every time we showed up at one of their parties, no matter the time of year, I\'d be greeted with a loud: \"Well, Christmas has come early this year\" by one of the guys who lived there. He never greeted me this way anywhere else we\'d meet. Just his house. The result was that I always blushed and everyone else within earshot would laugh uncomfortably.\n\nIt\'s funny how I haven\'t thought about either of those moments in years and prepping a fruit plate for Christmas Eve dinner would bring two just different memories back to me.','Fruit Plate & Fruit Beer ','','inherit','open','open','','6057-revision-3','','','2011-12-25 11:23:01','2011-12-25 09:23:01','',6057,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/25/6057-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6061,1,'2011-12-25 11:23:10','2011-12-25 09:23:10','I made a fruit plate for Christmas Eve dinner.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Fruit plate by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6568153829/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6568153829_1dd6e8d709.jpg\" alt=\"Fruit plate\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a>\r\n\r\nWhile I was digging out the necessary fruit I realized that I also had some Belgian beer that would go perfectly with cutting, pealing and plating a fruit salad. Kriek beer--a sour cheery beer. It\'s light cheery flavor was exactly what I wanted while pealing more little mandarin oranges than I cared to count.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Kriek beer  by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6568155097/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6568155097_ef123f7641.jpg\" alt=\"Kriek beer \" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThis repetitive activity of chopping and pealing me reminded me of two different things.\r\n\r\nIn high school I had a friend J. who always pealed my oranges for me at lunch. He pealed them perfectly in one long continuous strip. He liked the show of it. I liked the fact that I didn\'t have to peal the orange. I fall into the I like to eat them not peal them camp.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Kriek beer by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6568154537/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6568154537_d8ea168cbc.jpg\" alt=\"Kriek beer\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a>\r\n\r\nIn Washington DC after college, I lived in a group house. We had parties there. Lots of them. We invited our friends and in turn they invited us to their houses. Another group house two blocks away regularly had house parties and every time we showed up at one of their parties, no matter the time of year, I\'d be greeted with a loud: \"Well, Christmas has come early this year\" by one of the guys who lived there. He never greeted me this way anywhere else we\'d meet. Just his house. The result was that I always blushed and everyone else within earshot would laugh uncomfortably.\r\n\r\nIt\'s funny how I haven\'t thought about either of those moments in years and prepping a fruit plate for Christmas Eve dinner would bring two just different memories back to me.','Fruit Plate & Fruit Beer ','','inherit','open','open','','6057-revision-4','','','2011-12-25 11:23:10','2011-12-25 09:23:10','',6057,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/25/6057-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(6062,1,'2011-12-25 11:24:14','2011-12-25 09:24:14','I made a fruit plate for Christmas Eve dinner.\n\n<a title=\"Fruit plate by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6568153829/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6568153829_1dd6e8d709.jpg\" alt=\"Fruit plate\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a>\n\nWhile I was digging out the necessary fruit I realized that I also had some Belgian beer that would go perfectly with cutting, pealing and plating a fruit salad. Kriek beer--a sour cheery beer. It\'s light cheery flavor was exactly what I wanted while pealing more little mandarin oranges than I cared to count.\n\n<a title=\"Kriek beer  by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6568155097/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6568155097_ef123f7641.jpg\" alt=\"Kriek beer \" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a>\n\nThis repetitive activity of chopping and pealing me reminded me of two different things.\n\nIn high school I had a friend J. who always pealed my oranges for me at lunch. He pealed them perfectly in one long continuous strip. He liked the show of it. I liked the fact that I didn\'t have to peal the orange. I fall into the I like to eat them not peal them camp.\n\n<a title=\"Kriek beer by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6568154537/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7152/6568154537_d8ea168cbc.jpg\" alt=\"Kriek beer\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a>\n\nIn Washington DC after college, I lived in a group house. We had parties there. Lots of them. We invited our friends and in turn they invited us to their houses. Another group house two blocks away regularly had house parties and every time we showed up at one of their parties, no matter the time of year, I\'d be greeted with a loud: \"Well, Christmas has come early this year\" by one of the guys who lived there. He never greeted me this way anywhere else we\'d meet. Just his house. The result was that I always blushed and everyone else within earshot would laugh uncomfortably.\n\nIt\'s funny how I haven\'t thought about either of those moments in years and prepping a fruit plate for Christmas Eve dinner would bring two just different memories back to me.','Fruit Plate & Fruit Beer ','','inherit','open','open','','6057-revision-5','','','2011-12-25 11:24:14','2011-12-25 09:24:14','',6057,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/25/6057-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(6063,1,'2011-12-26 08:20:25','2011-12-26 06:20:25','I have a secret love of marshmallow Peeps. They are marshmallow, vanilla and sugar shaped into to different holiday icons--at Christmas snowmen, for Valentines Day hearts and on Easter yellow, pink and blue chicks. Now theses peeps really aren\'t tasty but they are festive.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Marshmallow Peep Snowmen by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563171643/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6563171643_1ec851cf7e_z.jpg\" alt=\"Marshmallow Peep Snowmen\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSo low and behold, both my parents and my bother N. and his girlfriend K. sent me peeps in the mail for Christmas. Aww...  <!--more-->My MoM and dAd went the standard route and put theirs in a ziplock bag. My bother N. (&amp; K.) kicked things up a notch sending me two peeps which had been vacuumed packed in a bag. In other words, all of the air has been sucked out.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Vacuum Packed Peep Snowmen by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563172187/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6563172187_794720ceeb_z.jpg\" alt=\"Vacuum Packed Peep Snowmen\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI am not sure how much vacuum packing marshmallows helps them stay fresh but in these case it made them look they have melted in the bag. It\'s very funny if you ask me. And I had a long laugh about it.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Peep Snowmen  by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563172945/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7008/6563172945_aec1a6fecf_z.jpg\" alt=\"Peep Snowmen \" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n\r\nOkay, I\'ve got to go and finish getting packed for my London adventure. I\'ll be in London for a week and then I am taking the train to Paris. I\'ll fly back to Sofia on the 7th!','Marshmallow Peeps','','publish','open','open','','marshmallow-peeps','','','2011-12-26 08:20:25','2011-12-26 06:20:25','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=6063',0,'post','',2),(6064,1,'2011-12-26 08:19:18','2011-12-26 06:19:18','I have a secret love of marshmallow Peeps. They are marshmallow, vanilla and sugar shaped into to different holiday icons--at Christmas snowmen, for Valentines Day hearts and on Easter yellow, pink and blue chicks. Now theses peeps really aren\'t tasty but they are festive.\n\n<a title=\"Marshmallow Peep Snowmen by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563171643/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6563171643_1ec851cf7e_z.jpg\" alt=\"Marshmallow Peep Snowmen\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n\nSo low and behold, both my parents and my bother N. and his girlfriend K. sent me peeps in the mail for Christmas. Aww...  My MoM and dAd went the standard route and put theirs in a ziplock bag. My bother N. (&amp; K.) kicked things up a notch sending me two peeps which had been vacuumed packed in a bag. In other words, all of the air has been sucked out.\n\n<a title=\"Vacuum Packed Peep Snowmen by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563172187/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6563172187_794720ceeb_z.jpg\" alt=\"Vacuum Packed Peep Snowmen\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n\nI am not sure how much vacuum packing marshmallows helps them stay fresh but in these case it made them look they have melted in the bag. It\'s very funny if you ask me. And I had a long laugh about it.\n\n<a title=\"Peep Snowmen  by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563172945/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7008/6563172945_aec1a6fecf_z.jpg\" alt=\"Peep Snowmen \" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n\nOkay, I\'ve got to go and finish getting packed for my London adventure. I\'ll be in London for a week and then I am taking the train to Paris. I\'ll fly back to Sofia on the 7th!','Marshmallow Peeps','','inherit','open','open','','6063-revision','','','2011-12-26 08:19:18','2011-12-26 06:19:18','',6063,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/26/6063-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6065,1,'2011-12-26 08:19:19','2011-12-26 06:19:19','I have a secret love of marshmallow Peeps. They are marshmallow, vanilla and sugar shaped into to different holiday icons--at Christmas snowmen, for Valentines Day hearts and on Easter yellow, pink and blue chicks. Now theses peeps really aren\'t tasty but they are festive.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Marshmallow Peep Snowmen by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563171643/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6563171643_1ec851cf7e_z.jpg\" alt=\"Marshmallow Peep Snowmen\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSo low and behold, both my parents and my bother N. and his girlfriend K. sent me peeps in the mail for Christmas. Aww...  My MoM and dAd went the standard route and put theirs in a ziplock bag. My bother N. (&amp; K.) kicked things up a notch sending me two peeps which had been vacuumed packed in a bag. In other words, all of the air has been sucked out.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Vacuum Packed Peep Snowmen by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563172187/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6563172187_794720ceeb_z.jpg\" alt=\"Vacuum Packed Peep Snowmen\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI am not sure how much vacuum packing marshmallows helps them stay fresh but in these case it made them look they have melted in the bag. It\'s very funny if you ask me. And I had a long laugh about it.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Peep Snowmen  by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563172945/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7008/6563172945_aec1a6fecf_z.jpg\" alt=\"Peep Snowmen \" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n\r\nOkay, I\'ve got to go and finish getting packed for my London adventure. I\'ll be in London for a week and then I am taking the train to Paris. I\'ll fly back to Sofia on the 7th!','Marshmallow Peeps','','inherit','open','open','','6063-revision-2','','','2011-12-26 08:19:19','2011-12-26 06:19:19','',6063,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/26/6063-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6066,1,'2011-12-26 08:21:30','2011-12-26 06:21:30','I have a secret love of marshmallow Peeps. They are marshmallow, vanilla and sugar shaped into to different holiday icons--at Christmas snowmen, for Valentines Day hearts and on Easter yellow, pink and blue chicks. Now theses peeps really aren\'t tasty but they are festive.\n\n<a title=\"Marshmallow Peep Snowmen by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563171643/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6563171643_1ec851cf7e_z.jpg\" alt=\"Marshmallow Peep Snowmen\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n\nSo low and behold, both my parents and my bother N. and his girlfriend K. sent me peeps in the mail for Christmas. Aww...  <!--more-->My MoM and dAd went the standard route and put theirs in a ziplock bag. My bother N. (&amp; K.) kicked things up a notch sending me two peeps which had been vacuumed packed in a bag. In other words, all of the air has been sucked out.\n\n<a title=\"Vacuum Packed Peep Snowmen by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563172187/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6563172187_794720ceeb_z.jpg\" alt=\"Vacuum Packed Peep Snowmen\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n\nI am not sure how much vacuum packing marshmallows helps them stay fresh but in these case it made them look they have melted in the bag. It\'s very funny if you ask me. And I had a long laugh about it.\n\n<a title=\"Peep Snowmen  by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6563172945/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7008/6563172945_aec1a6fecf_z.jpg\" alt=\"Peep Snowmen \" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n\nOkay, I\'ve got to go and finish getting packed for my London adventure. I\'ll be in London for a week and then I am taking the train to Paris. I\'ll fly back to Sofia on the 7th!','Marshmallow Peeps','','inherit','open','open','','6063-autosave','','','2011-12-26 08:21:30','2011-12-26 06:21:30','',6063,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/26/6063-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(6070,1,'2012-01-08 12:31:50','2012-01-08 10:31:50','I\'m home! I got back last night at 11:50pm. I was supposed to be back in Sofia by 9pm but apparently there was a medical emergency on the in bound flight--thus a series of delays. Oh well. I had my kindle, a coffee and a baguette sandwich so I was okay. I\'ve been reading <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Plot-Novel-Jeffrey-Eugenides/dp/0374203059\">The Marriage Plot</a> by Jeffrey Eugenides it\'s a little over the top with its literature and theory references but I dig it in a really nerdy way.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"640\" caption=\"Me in front of Buckingham Palace\"]<a title=\"Me in front of Buckingham Palace by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658440533/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6658440533_92c279c2f3_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me in front of Buckingham Palace\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nLet me say this: I love to travel but it\'s nice to be home.\r\n\r\nI got to sleep in my own bed. I have clean clothes. I made my own coffee. I took a long hot shower. I slept in late. And now I am in the process of puttering around my house and getting my life back in order. School starts again tomorrow.\r\n\r\nSo this is a quick post to say hello to everyone! I\'ve got a million life maintenance things to take care of today--say going to the grocery store seeing as I have zero real food in my fridge and grading. It\'s snowy and sunny in Sofia so that makes picking up groceries not very interesting but it does make the task of sitting at my table and grading seem a little more manageable.\r\n\r\nWish me luck!','Back from London and Paris!','','inherit','open','open','','6067-revision-3','','','2012-01-08 12:31:50','2012-01-08 10:31:50','',6067,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/08/6067-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6071,1,'2012-01-08 12:31:51','2012-01-08 10:31:51','I\'m home! I got back last night at 11:50pm. I was supposed to be back in Sofia by 9pm but apparently there was a medical emergency on the in bound flight--thus a series of delays. Oh well. I had my kindle, a coffee and a baguette sandwich so I was okay. I\'ve been reading <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Plot-Novel-Jeffrey-Eugenides/dp/0374203059\">The Marriage Plot</a> by Jeffrey Eugenides it\'s a little over the top with its literature and theory references but I dig it in a really nerdy way.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"640\" caption=\"Me in front of Buckingham Palace\"]<a title=\"Me in front of Buckingham Palace by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658440533/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6658440533_92c279c2f3_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me in front of Buckingham Palace\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nLet me say this: I love to travel but it\'s nice to be home.\r\n\r\nI got to sleep in my own bed. I have clean clothes. I made my own coffee. I took a long hot shower. I slept in late. And now I am in the process of puttering around my house and getting my life back in order. School starts again tomorrow.\r\n\r\nSo this is a quick post to say hello to everyone! I\'ve got a million life maintenance things to take care of today--say going to the grocery store seeing as I have zero real food in my fridge and grading. It\'s snowy and sunny in Sofia so that makes picking up groceries not very interesting but it does make the task of sitting at my table and grading seem a little more manageable.\r\n\r\nWish me luck!','Back from London and Paris!','','inherit','open','open','','6067-revision-4','','','2012-01-08 12:31:51','2012-01-08 10:31:51','',6067,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/08/6067-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(6072,1,'2012-01-08 12:32:30','2012-01-08 10:32:30','I\'m home! I got back last night at 11:50pm. I was supposed to be back in Sofia by 9pm but apparently there was a medical emergency on the in bound flight--thus a series of delays. Oh well. I had my kindle, a coffee and a baguette sandwich so I was okay. I\'ve been reading <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Plot-Novel-Jeffrey-Eugenides/dp/0374203059\">The Marriage Plot</a> by Jeffrey Eugenides it\'s a little over the top with its literature and theory references but I dig it in a really nerdy way.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Me in front of Buckingham Palace\"]<a title=\"Me in front of Buckingham Palace by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658440533/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6658440533_92c279c2f3_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me in front of Buckingham Palace\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nLet me say this: I love to travel but it\'s nice to be home.\r\n\r\nI got to sleep in my own bed. I have clean clothes. I made my own coffee. I took a long hot shower. I slept in late. And now I am in the process of puttering around my house and getting my life back in order. School starts again tomorrow.\r\n\r\nSo this is a quick post to say hello to everyone! I\'ve got a million life maintenance things to take care of today--say going to the grocery store seeing as I have zero real food in my fridge and grading. It\'s snowy and sunny in Sofia so that makes picking up groceries not very interesting but it does make the task of sitting at my table and grading seem a little more manageable.\r\n\r\nWish me luck!','Back from London and Paris!','','inherit','open','open','','6067-revision-5','','','2012-01-08 12:32:30','2012-01-08 10:32:30','',6067,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/08/6067-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(6073,1,'2012-01-08 12:32:30','2012-01-08 10:32:30','I\'m home! I got back last night at 11:50pm. I was supposed to be back in Sofia by 9pm but apparently there was a medical emergency on the in bound flight--thus a series of delays. Oh well. I had my kindle, a coffee and a baguette sandwich so I was okay. I\'ve been reading <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Marriage-Plot-Novel-Jeffrey-Eugenides/dp/0374203059\">The Marriage Plot</a> by Jeffrey Eugenides it\'s a little over the top with its literature and theory references but I dig it in a really nerdy way.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Me in front of Buckingham Palace\"]<a title=\"Me in front of Buckingham Palace by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658440533/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6658440533_92c279c2f3_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me in front of Buckingham Palace\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nLet me say this: I love to travel but it\'s nice to be home.\r\n\r\nI got to sleep in my own bed. I have clean clothes. I made my own coffee. I took a long hot shower. I slept in late. And now I am in the process of puttering around my house and getting my life back in order. School starts again tomorrow.\r\n\r\nSo this is a quick post to say hello to everyone! I\'ve got a million life maintenance things to take care of today--say going to the grocery store seeing as I have zero real food in my fridge and grading. It\'s snowy and sunny in Sofia so that makes picking up groceries not very interesting but it does make the task of sitting at my table and grading seem a little more manageable.\r\n\r\nWish me luck!','Back from London and Paris!','','inherit','open','open','','6067-revision-6','','','2012-01-08 12:32:30','2012-01-08 10:32:30','',6067,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/08/6067-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(6127,1,'2012-01-16 08:47:44','2012-01-16 06:47:44','My friend S. suggested that Borough Market is the market for food lovers. Hey, that\'s me. The first time I tried to go the market was closed for a couple of days around the New Year but I was determined and went back a few days later.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Borough Market veggies\"]<a title=\"Borough Market veggies by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6702162421/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6702162421_c02878a318_z.jpg\" alt=\"Borough Market veggies\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI am glad that I did. The colors were wonderful. The flavors both sweet and savory. The whole experience was delicious.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Borough Market\"]<a title=\"Borough Market by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6702175823/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7174/6702175823_d90613b9da_z.jpg\" alt=\"Borough Market\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIt was so interesting to see people doing clever things with food but I liked the sense that I got that this market was a mix of tradition and innovation. Moreover, everyone was having fun. There were tons of people but no one was pushy. There were lines but people stood in them. There were samples and people politely took one and then talked to the vendor.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Owl Shortbread at Borough Market\"]<a title=\"Owl Shortbread at Borough Market by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6701933639/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6701933639_9639bfb029_z.jpg\" alt=\"Owl Shortbread at Borough Market\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI\'d wished that I had access to a kitchen of any sort because everything looked so good. <!--more-->The American in me also just about died when I saw fresh cranberries. I love cranberries during the holidays and they just aren\'t that easy to come by in Bulgaria. Last year I saw them once at Hit. This year I never saw them.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Shopping at Borough Market\"]<a title=\"Shopping at Borough Market by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6701831033/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6701831033_c264f544ec_z.jpg\" alt=\"Shopping at Borough Market\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe crazy person in me thought about buying some but really, what I am going to do with a bag of cranberries while traveling!? It\'s not like I am going to be eating them straight out of the bag.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Borough Market and a car in the air\"]<a title=\"Borough Market and a car in the air by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6701800187/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7003/6701800187_3b835a86e8_z.jpg\" alt=\"Borough Market and a car in the air\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nSo I admired.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Pot Pie\"]<a title=\"Pot Pie by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6701894529/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6701894529_94ceacb70d_z.jpg\" alt=\"Pot Pie\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Yum, yum Guinness Stew\"]<a title=\"Yum, yum Guinness Stew by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6701955655/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6701955655_ac76fdc59f_z.jpg\" alt=\"Yum, yum Guinness Stew\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI also bought a big dish of stew. Guinness stew to be exact. I guess the base of the stew is made out off Guinness beer and to this chunks of beef, cubed potatoes, carrots and leaks are added. This was really tasty and heartwarming. I was a little nervous about spilling this stew right down the front of my coat. I was given a big dish of it in a styrofoam container with a wooden spoon/fork combo. Given the fact that the container was very full, the market was crowded and I know myself I thought I was doomed but somehow I escaped unscathed.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Hot Mulled Cider\"]<a title=\"Hot Mulled Cider by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6702194535/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7008/6702194535_95bbf5599e_z.jpg\" alt=\"Hot Mulled Cider\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThen I had a cup of hot mulled cider. Yum, yum.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Sweets at Borough Market\"]<a title=\"Sweets at Borough Market  by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6702168871/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6702168871_10a60e1415_z.jpg\" alt=\"Sweets at Borough Market \" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI\'d definitely go back to the Borough Market. It felt local and accessible. Sure there were plenty of tourists there but it wasn\'t too much. Yes you could easily eat too much but the market itself was very do-able in terms of size and scope.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Oliveologly at Borough Market\"]<a title=\"Oliveologly at Borough Market by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6701835741/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6701835741_6dc5a62098_z.jpg\" alt=\"Oliveologly at Borough Market\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]','Borough Market: a whole lot of great food','','publish','open','open','','borough-market-a-whole-lot-of-great-food','','','2012-01-16 08:47:44','2012-01-16 06:47:44','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=6127',0,'post','',4),(6075,1,'2012-01-10 08:21:06','2012-01-10 06:21:06','I\'ve never been to England before. So when I realized that I was going to be in Europe for Christmas, I thought: why not? So I bought tickets and made hostel reservations. Then I got busy and promptly stopped planning. I have a tendency to do this. I think: phew the hard part is over.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Statue of Queen Victoria in front of Buckingham Palace\"]<a title=\"Statue of Queen Victoria in front of Buckingham Palace by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658442579/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6658442579_496508a1a3_z.jpg\" alt=\"Statue of Queen Victoria in front of Buckingham Palace\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThen I forget that I should probably have some idea of what I want to see and do. This usually strikes me about three days before I am set to leave and then I scramble around to make sure I know the three or four must dos of the city I am visiting. I generally figure that anything else is just extra.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Buckingham Palace\"]<a title=\"Buckingham Palace by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658436575/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7027/6658436575_bd90d96081_z.jpg\" alt=\"Buckingham Palace\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI realized long ago that I can\'t do everything when I am traveling. I\'ve just got to make sure that I am doing and seeing what I love and the rest is just icing on the cake.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"In the distance the London Eye\"]<a title=\"In the distance the London Eye  by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658452131/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6658452131_ff2a722112_z.jpg\" alt=\"In the distance the London Eye \" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nLondon. Well travel guides make whole books for this city. <em>Of course</em>. So I knew I wasn\'t going to be bored but I also didn\'t know where to start.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Men on horses\"]<a title=\"Men on horses by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658450213/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6658450213_0a7b04b77c_z.jpg\" alt=\"Men on horses\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI ended up emailing my sister C. who lived in London for a semester in college. Lucky girl. She wrote back with a list of suggestions of museums and other noteworthy things. Then I messaged my college friend and roommate S. who has spent a couple of summers in London. Jealous. Jealous. She sent me a great list of to-dos, to-sees and to-eats.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Buckingham Palace and Statue nearby\"]<a title=\"Buckingham Palace Statue by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658445767/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6658445767_971662b868_z.jpg\" alt=\"Buckingham Palace Statue\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThat\'s enough for me. I printed them out and off I went.\r\n\r\nMy goals for the week: explore, walk through the city, take in some museums and go to a show. I am happy to report that I did all of these things and then some.','London an overview','','publish','open','open','','london-an-overview','','','2012-01-10 22:30:35','2012-01-10 20:30:35','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=6075',0,'post','',3),(6076,1,'2012-01-10 06:51:53','2012-01-10 04:51:53','I\'ve never been to England before. So when I realized that I was going to be in Europe for Christmas, I thought: why not? So I bought tickets and made hostel reservations. Then I got busy and promptly stopped planning. I have a tendency to do this. I think: phew the hard part is over.\n\nThen I forget that I should probably have some idea of what I want to see and do. This usually strikes me about three days before I am set to leave and then I scramble around to make sure I know the three or four must dos of the city I am visiting. I generally figure that anything else is just extra.\n\nI realized long ago that I can\'t do everything when I am traveling. I\'ve just got to make sure that I am doing and seeing what I love and the rest is just icing on the cake.\n\nLondon. Well travel guides make whole books for this city. <em>Of course</em>. So I knew I wasn\'t going to be board but I also didn\'t know where to start.\n\nI ended up emailing my sister C. who lived in London for a semester in college. Lucky girl. She wrote back with a list of suggestions of museums and other noteworthy things.\n\nThen I messaged my college friend and roommate S. who has spent a couple of summers in London. Jealous. Jealous. She sent me a great list of to-dos, to-sees and to-eats.','London an overview','','inherit','open','open','','6075-revision','','','2012-01-10 06:51:53','2012-01-10 04:51:53','',6075,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/10/6075-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6077,1,'2012-01-10 08:20:29','2012-01-10 06:20:29','I\'ve never been to England before. So when I realized that I was going to be in Europe for Christmas, I thought: why not? So I bought tickets and made hostel reservations. Then I got busy and promptly stopped planning. I have a tendency to do this. I think: phew the hard part is over.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Statue of Queen Victoria in front of Buckingham Palace\"]<a title=\"Statue of Queen Victoria in front of Buckingham Palace by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658442579/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6658442579_496508a1a3_z.jpg\" alt=\"Statue of Queen Victoria in front of Buckingham Palace\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThen I forget that I should probably have some idea of what I want to see and do. This usually strikes me about three days before I am set to leave and then I scramble around to make sure I know the three or four must dos of the city I am visiting. I generally figure that anything else is just extra.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Buckingham Palace\"]<a title=\"Buckingham Palace by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658436575/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7027/6658436575_bd90d96081_z.jpg\" alt=\"Buckingham Palace\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI realized long ago that I can\'t do everything when I am traveling. I\'ve just got to make sure that I am doing and seeing what I love and the rest is just icing on the cake.<!--more-->\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"In the distance the London Eye\"]<a title=\"In the distance the London Eye  by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658452131/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6658452131_ff2a722112_z.jpg\" alt=\"In the distance the London Eye \" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nLondon. Well travel guides make whole books for this city. <em>Of course</em>. So I knew I wasn\'t going to be board but I also didn\'t know where to start.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Men on horses\"]<a title=\"Men on horses by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658450213/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6658450213_0a7b04b77c_z.jpg\" alt=\"Men on horses\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI ended up emailing my sister C. who lived in London for a semester in college. Lucky girl. She wrote back with a list of suggestions of museums and other noteworthy things. Then I messaged my college friend and roommate S. who has spent a couple of summers in London. Jealous. Jealous. She sent me a great list of to-dos, to-sees and to-eats.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Buckingham Palace and Statue nearby\"]<a title=\"Buckingham Palace Statue by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658445767/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6658445767_971662b868_z.jpg\" alt=\"Buckingham Palace Statue\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThat\'s enough for me. I printed them out and off I went.\n\nMy goals for the week: explore, walk through the city, take in some museums and go to a show. I am happy to report that I did all of these things and then some.','London an overview','','inherit','open','open','','6075-revision-2','','','2012-01-10 08:20:29','2012-01-10 06:20:29','',6075,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/10/6075-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6078,1,'2012-01-10 08:20:30','2012-01-10 06:20:30','I\'ve never been to England before. So when I realized that I was going to be in Europe for Christmas, I thought: why not? So I bought tickets and made hostel reservations. Then I got busy and promptly stopped planning. I have a tendency to do this. I think: phew the hard part is over.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Statue of Queen Victoria in front of Buckingham Palace\"]<a title=\"Statue of Queen Victoria in front of Buckingham Palace by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658442579/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6658442579_496508a1a3_z.jpg\" alt=\"Statue of Queen Victoria in front of Buckingham Palace\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThen I forget that I should probably have some idea of what I want to see and do. This usually strikes me about three days before I am set to leave and then I scramble around to make sure I know the three or four must dos of the city I am visiting. I generally figure that anything else is just extra.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Buckingham Palace\"]<a title=\"Buckingham Palace by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658436575/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7027/6658436575_bd90d96081_z.jpg\" alt=\"Buckingham Palace\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI realized long ago that I can\'t do everything when I am traveling. I\'ve just got to make sure that I am doing and seeing what I love and the rest is just icing on the cake.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"In the distance the London Eye\"]<a title=\"In the distance the London Eye  by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658452131/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6658452131_ff2a722112_z.jpg\" alt=\"In the distance the London Eye \" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nLondon. Well travel guides make whole books for this city. <em>Of course</em>. So I knew I wasn\'t going to be board but I also didn\'t know where to start.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Men on horses\"]<a title=\"Men on horses by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658450213/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6658450213_0a7b04b77c_z.jpg\" alt=\"Men on horses\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI ended up emailing my sister C. who lived in London for a semester in college. Lucky girl. She wrote back with a list of suggestions of museums and other noteworthy things. Then I messaged my college friend and roommate S. who has spent a couple of summers in London. Jealous. Jealous. She sent me a great list of to-dos, to-sees and to-eats.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Buckingham Palace and Statue nearby\"]<a title=\"Buckingham Palace Statue by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658445767/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6658445767_971662b868_z.jpg\" alt=\"Buckingham Palace Statue\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThat\'s enough for me. I printed them out and off I went.\r\n\r\nMy goals for the week: explore, walk through the city, take in some museums and go to a show. I am happy to report that I did all of these things and then some.','London an overview','','inherit','open','open','','6075-revision-3','','','2012-01-10 08:20:30','2012-01-10 06:20:30','',6075,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/10/6075-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6079,1,'2012-01-10 22:31:40','2012-01-10 20:31:40','I\'ve never been to England before. So when I realized that I was going to be in Europe for Christmas, I thought: why not? So I bought tickets and made hostel reservations. Then I got busy and promptly stopped planning. I have a tendency to do this. I think: phew the hard part is over.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Statue of Queen Victoria in front of Buckingham Palace\"]<a title=\"Statue of Queen Victoria in front of Buckingham Palace by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658442579/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6658442579_496508a1a3_z.jpg\" alt=\"Statue of Queen Victoria in front of Buckingham Palace\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThen I forget that I should probably have some idea of what I want to see and do. This usually strikes me about three days before I am set to leave and then I scramble around to make sure I know the three or four must dos of the city I am visiting. I generally figure that anything else is just extra.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Buckingham Palace\"]<a title=\"Buckingham Palace by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658436575/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7027/6658436575_bd90d96081_z.jpg\" alt=\"Buckingham Palace\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI realized long ago that I can\'t do everything when I am traveling. I\'ve just got to make sure that I am doing and seeing what I love and the rest is just icing on the cake.<!--more-->\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"In the distance the London Eye\"]<a title=\"In the distance the London Eye  by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658452131/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6658452131_ff2a722112_z.jpg\" alt=\"In the distance the London Eye \" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nLondon. Well travel guides make whole books for this city. <em>Of course</em>. So I knew I wasn\'t going to be bored but I also didn\'t know where to start.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Men on horses\"]<a title=\"Men on horses by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658450213/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6658450213_0a7b04b77c_z.jpg\" alt=\"Men on horses\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI ended up emailing my sister C. who lived in London for a semester in college. Lucky girl. She wrote back with a list of suggestions of museums and other noteworthy things. Then I messaged my college friend and roommate S. who has spent a couple of summers in London. Jealous. Jealous. She sent me a great list of to-dos, to-sees and to-eats.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Buckingham Palace and Statue nearby\"]<a title=\"Buckingham Palace Statue by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658445767/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6658445767_971662b868_z.jpg\" alt=\"Buckingham Palace Statue\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThat\'s enough for me. I printed them out and off I went.\n\nMy goals for the week: explore, walk through the city, take in some museums and go to a show. I am happy to report that I did all of these things and then some.','London an overview','','inherit','open','open','','6075-autosave','','','2012-01-10 22:31:40','2012-01-10 20:31:40','',6075,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/10/6075-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(6080,1,'2012-01-11 14:17:00','2012-01-11 12:17:00','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Me in Trafalgar Square\"]<a title=\"Me in Trafalgar Square by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674249317/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6674249317_85598083b3_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me in Trafalgar Square\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nLondon for those of you not in the know is a big city. A really big city. They have a great (but rather expensive metro). They have plenty of free museums (which then tell you how much the suggested donation is). They have red telephone booths and matching buses (this may or may not be trying to hard).\r\n\r\nOver Christmas holiday I spent a week there. It wasn\'t cheep but it was well worth it.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Telephone booth\"]<a title=\"Telephone booth by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674271819/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6674271819_9af48315b2_z.jpg\" alt=\"Telephone booth\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI didn\'t really know what to expect but I found that I liked the city. I was ready for rain. Gray. Rain. And more rain and gray but I think that I got exceedingly lucky and the only day with really heavy rain was January 1st. It drizzled another day or two for part of an afternoon but I can\'t complain about that.\r\n\r\nA huge part of my to-do list included exploring and museum going. In my mind these go hand in hand and it\'s even better if you\'ve got a camera on hand as well.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Trafalgar Square\"]<a title=\"Trafalgar Square by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674250805/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6674250805_d8a14c6a11_z.jpg\" alt=\"Trafalgar Square\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nMy first day I wandered from my hostel to Buckingham Palace. It\'s big but somehow I expected more. What I am not sure but it comes off as a little plain from outside. Then I meandered over to Westminster and Big Ben. From there I strolled up the street to Trafalgar Square. I admired buildings, took pictures and ate a sandwich and a bag of chips on Trafalgar Square.\r\n\r\nFrom there I popped into the National Gallery. I got yelled at for taking this picture in the foyer. Ops. Sorry.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Inside the National Gallery\"]<a title=\"Inside the National Gallery by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674254143/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6674254143_676b86a7c6_z.jpg\" alt=\"Inside the National Gallery\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI was impressed by the National Gallery and if there had actually been tickets to the the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit. I would have gladly paid to do so. Of course there were no tickets. That\'s okay though because there were plenty of other paintings to keep me busy.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"National Portrait Gallery\"]<a title=\"National Protrait Gallery by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674268755/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6674268755_d99e75fa2e_z.jpg\" alt=\"National Protrait Gallery\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nUpon exhausting the National Gallery, I went around the corner to the National Portrait Gallery. My sister C. said I would love it. I did. This is one of those museums that holds paintings that you\'ve seen prints of in text books/history books and then you think to yourself: it\'s better in person. I guess though that\'s always the case.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Fence detail at the National Portrait Gallery\"]<a title=\"Fence detail at the National Protrait Gallery by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674260217/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6674260217_f2b466033b_z.jpg\" alt=\"Fence detail at the National Protrait Gallery\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"National Portrait Gallery tile floor\"]<a title=\"National Protrait Gallery tile floor by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674259041/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6674259041_7dbb305c65_z.jpg\" alt=\"National Protrait Gallery tile floor\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nAfterwords, I wandered around the great neighborhood window shopping, drinking coffee and taking plenty of photos. London at dusk is so pretty.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Dusk falling in London SoHo\"]<a title=\"Dusk falling in London SoHo by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674292143/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6674292143_2fd345979d_z.jpg\" alt=\"Dusk falling in London SoHo\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]','London and Trafalgar Square','','publish','open','open','','london-and-trafalgar-square','','','2012-01-11 14:17:00','2012-01-11 12:17:00','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=6080',0,'post','',1),(6081,1,'2012-01-10 21:44:21','2012-01-10 19:44:21','London for those of you not in the know is a big city. A really big city. They have a great (but rather expensive metro). They have plenty of free museums (which then tell you how much the suggested donation is). They have red telephone booths and matching buses (this may or may not be trying to hard).\n\nOver Christmas holiday I spent a week there. It wasn\'t cheep but it was well worth it.\n\nI didn\'t really know what to expect but I found that I liked the city. I was ready for rain. Gray. Rain. And more rain and gray but I think that I got exceedingly lucky and the only day with really heavy rain was January 1st. It drizzled another day or two for part of an afternoon but I can\'t complain about that.\n\nA huge part of my to-do list included exploring and museum going. In my mind these go hand in hand and it\'s even better if you\'ve got a camera on hand as well.\n\nMy first day I wandered from my hostel to Buckingham Palace. It\'s big but somehow I expected more. What I am not sure but it comes off as a little plain from outside. Then I meandered over to Westminster and Big Ben. From there I strolled up the street to Trafalgar Square. I admired buildings, took pictures and ate a sandwich and a bag of chips on Trafalgar Square.\n\nFrom there I popped into the National Gallery. I got yelled at for taking this picture in the foyer. Ops. Sorry.\n\nI was impressed by the National Gallery and if there had actually been tickets to the the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit. I would have gladly paid to do so. Of course there were no tickets. That\'s okay though because there were plenty of other paintings to keep me busy.\n\nUpon exhausting the National Gallery, I went around the corner to the National Portrait Gallery. My sister C. said I w','London and Trafalgar Square','','inherit','open','open','','6080-revision','','','2012-01-10 21:44:21','2012-01-10 19:44:21','',6080,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/10/6080-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6082,1,'2012-01-10 21:45:31','2012-01-10 19:45:31','London for those of you not in the know is a big city. A really big city. They have a great (but rather expensive metro). They have plenty of free museums (which then tell you how much the suggested donation is). They have red telephone booths and matching buses (this may or may not be trying to hard).\n\nOver Christmas holiday I spent a week there. It wasn\'t cheep but it was well worth it.\n\nI didn\'t really know what to expect but I found that I liked the city. I was ready for rain. Gray. Rain. And more rain and gray but I think that I got exceedingly lucky and the only day with really heavy rain was January 1st. It drizzled another day or two for part of an afternoon but I can\'t complain about that.\n\nA huge part of my to-do list included exploring and museum going. In my mind these go hand in hand and it\'s even better if you\'ve got a camera on hand as well.\n\nMy first day I wandered from my hostel to Buckingham Palace. It\'s big but somehow I expected more. What I am not sure but it comes off as a little plain from outside. Then I meandered over to Westminster and Big Ben. From there I strolled up the street to Trafalgar Square. I admired buildings, took pictures and ate a sandwich and a bag of chips on Trafalgar Square.\n\nFrom there I popped into the National Gallery. I got yelled at for taking this picture in the foyer. Ops. Sorry.\n\nI was impressed by the National Gallery and if there had actually been tickets to the the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit. I would have gladly paid to do so. Of course there were no tickets. That\'s okay though because there were plenty of other paintings to keep me busy.\n\nUpon exhausting the National Gallery, I went around the corner to the National Portrait Gallery. My sister C. said I would love it. I did.','London and Trafalgar Square','','inherit','open','open','','6080-revision-2','','','2012-01-10 21:45:31','2012-01-10 19:45:31','',6080,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/10/6080-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6083,1,'2012-01-10 08:21:06','2012-01-10 06:21:06','I\'ve never been to England before. So when I realized that I was going to be in Europe for Christmas, I thought: why not? So I bought tickets and made hostel reservations. Then I got busy and promptly stopped planning. I have a tendency to do this. I think: phew the hard part is over.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Statue of Queen Victoria in front of Buckingham Palace\"]<a title=\"Statue of Queen Victoria in front of Buckingham Palace by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658442579/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6658442579_496508a1a3_z.jpg\" alt=\"Statue of Queen Victoria in front of Buckingham Palace\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThen I forget that I should probably have some idea of what I want to see and do. This usually strikes me about three days before I am set to leave and then I scramble around to make sure I know the three or four must dos of the city I am visiting. I generally figure that anything else is just extra.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Buckingham Palace\"]<a title=\"Buckingham Palace by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658436575/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7027/6658436575_bd90d96081_z.jpg\" alt=\"Buckingham Palace\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI realized long ago that I can\'t do everything when I am traveling. I\'ve just got to make sure that I am doing and seeing what I love and the rest is just icing on the cake.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"In the distance the London Eye\"]<a title=\"In the distance the London Eye  by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658452131/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6658452131_ff2a722112_z.jpg\" alt=\"In the distance the London Eye \" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nLondon. Well travel guides make whole books for this city. <em>Of course</em>. So I knew I wasn\'t going to be board but I also didn\'t know where to start.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Men on horses\"]<a title=\"Men on horses by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658450213/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6658450213_0a7b04b77c_z.jpg\" alt=\"Men on horses\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI ended up emailing my sister C. who lived in London for a semester in college. Lucky girl. She wrote back with a list of suggestions of museums and other noteworthy things. Then I messaged my college friend and roommate S. who has spent a couple of summers in London. Jealous. Jealous. She sent me a great list of to-dos, to-sees and to-eats.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Buckingham Palace and Statue nearby\"]<a title=\"Buckingham Palace Statue by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6658445767/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6658445767_971662b868_z.jpg\" alt=\"Buckingham Palace Statue\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThat\'s enough for me. I printed them out and off I went.\r\n\r\nMy goals for the week: explore, walk through the city, take in some museums and go to a show. I am happy to report that I did all of these things and then some.','London an overview','','inherit','open','open','','6075-revision-4','','','2012-01-10 08:21:06','2012-01-10 06:21:06','',6075,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/10/6075-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(6084,1,'2012-01-11 14:10:30','2012-01-11 12:10:30','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Me in Trafalgar Square\"]<a title=\"Me in Trafalgar Square by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674249317/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6674249317_85598083b3_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me in Trafalgar Square\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nLondon for those of you not in the know is a big city. A really big city. They have a great (but rather expensive metro). They have plenty of free museums (which then tell you how much the suggested donation is). They have red telephone booths and matching buses (this may or may not be trying to hard).\n\nOver Christmas holiday I spent a week there. It wasn\'t cheep but it was well worth it.\n\nI didn\'t really know what to expect but I found that I liked the city. I was ready for rain. Gray. Rain. And more rain and gray but I think that I got exceedingly lucky and the only day with really heavy rain was January 1st. It drizzled another day or two for part of an afternoon but I can\'t complain about that.\n\nA huge part of my to-do list included exploring and museum going. In my mind these go hand in hand and it\'s even better if you\'ve got a camera on hand as well.<!--more-->\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Telephone booth\"]<a title=\"Telephone booth by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674271819/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6674271819_9af48315b2_z.jpg\" alt=\"Telephone booth\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Trafalgar Square\"]<a title=\"Trafalgar Square by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674250805/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6674250805_d8a14c6a11_z.jpg\" alt=\"Trafalgar Square\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nMy first day I wandered from my hostel to Buckingham Palace. It\'s big but somehow I expected more. What I am not sure but it comes off as a little plain from outside. Then I meandered over to Westminster and Big Ben. From there I strolled up the street to Trafalgar Square. I admired buildings, took pictures and ate a sandwich and a bag of chips on Trafalgar Square.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Inside the National Gallery\"]<a title=\"Inside the National Gallery by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674254143/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6674254143_676b86a7c6_z.jpg\" alt=\"Inside the National Gallery\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"National Protrait Gallery\"]<a title=\"National Protrait Gallery by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674268755/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6674268755_d99e75fa2e_z.jpg\" alt=\"National Protrait Gallery\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Fence detail at the National Portrait Gallery\"]<a title=\"Fence detail at the National Protrait Gallery by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674260217/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6674260217_f2b466033b_z.jpg\" alt=\"Fence detail at the National Protrait Gallery\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"National Portrait Gallery tile floor\"]<a title=\"National Protrait Gallery tile floor by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674259041/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6674259041_7dbb305c65_z.jpg\" alt=\"National Protrait Gallery tile floor\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nFrom there I popped into the National Gallery. I got yelled at for taking this picture in the foyer. Ops. Sorry.\n\nI was impressed by the National Gallery and if there had actually been tickets to the the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit. I would have gladly paid to do so. Of course there were no tickets. That\'s okay though because there were plenty of other paintings to keep me busy.\n\nUpon exhausting the National Gallery, I went around the corner to the National Portrait Gallery. My sister C. said I would love it. I did. This is one of those museums that holds paintings that you\'ve seen prints of in text books/history books and then you think to yourself: it\'s better in person. I guess though that\'s always the case.\n\nAfterwords, I wandered around the great neighborhood window shopping, drinking coffee and taking plenty of photos. London at dusk is so pretty.<a title=\"Dusk falling in London SoHo by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674292143/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6674292143_2fd345979d_z.jpg\" alt=\"Dusk falling in London SoHo\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>','London and Trafalgar Square','','inherit','open','open','','6080-revision-3','','','2012-01-11 14:10:30','2012-01-11 12:10:30','',6080,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/11/6080-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6085,1,'2012-01-11 14:11:30','2012-01-11 12:11:30','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Me in Trafalgar Square\"]<a title=\"Me in Trafalgar Square by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674249317/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6674249317_85598083b3_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me in Trafalgar Square\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nLondon for those of you not in the know is a big city. A really big city. They have a great (but rather expensive metro). They have plenty of free museums (which then tell you how much the suggested donation is). They have red telephone booths and matching buses (this may or may not be trying to hard).\n\nOver Christmas holiday I spent a week there. It wasn\'t cheep but it was well worth it.\n\nI didn\'t really know what to expect but I found that I liked the city. I was ready for rain. Gray. Rain. And more rain and gray but I think that I got exceedingly lucky and the only day with really heavy rain was January 1st. It drizzled another day or two for part of an afternoon but I can\'t complain about that.\n\nA huge part of my to-do list included exploring and museum going. In my mind these go hand in hand and it\'s even better if you\'ve got a camera on hand as well.<!--more-->\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Telephone booth\"]<a title=\"Telephone booth by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674271819/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6674271819_9af48315b2_z.jpg\" alt=\"Telephone booth\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Trafalgar Square\"]<a title=\"Trafalgar Square by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674250805/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6674250805_d8a14c6a11_z.jpg\" alt=\"Trafalgar Square\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nMy first day I wandered from my hostel to Buckingham Palace. It\'s big but somehow I expected more. What I am not sure but it comes off as a little plain from outside. Then I meandered over to Westminster and Big Ben. From there I strolled up the street to Trafalgar Square. I admired buildings, took pictures and ate a sandwich and a bag of chips on Trafalgar Square.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Inside the National Gallery\"]<a title=\"Inside the National Gallery by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674254143/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6674254143_676b86a7c6_z.jpg\" alt=\"Inside the National Gallery\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"National Portrait Gallery\"]<a title=\"National Protrait Gallery by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674268755/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6674268755_d99e75fa2e_z.jpg\" alt=\"National Protrait Gallery\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Fence detail at the National Portrait Gallery\"]<a title=\"Fence detail at the National Protrait Gallery by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674260217/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6674260217_f2b466033b_z.jpg\" alt=\"Fence detail at the National Protrait Gallery\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"National Portrait Gallery tile floor\"]<a title=\"National Protrait Gallery tile floor by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674259041/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6674259041_7dbb305c65_z.jpg\" alt=\"National Protrait Gallery tile floor\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nFrom there I popped into the National Gallery. I got yelled at for taking this picture in the foyer. Ops. Sorry.\n\nI was impressed by the National Gallery and if there had actually been tickets to the the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit. I would have gladly paid to do so. Of course there were no tickets. That\'s okay though because there were plenty of other paintings to keep me busy.\n\nUpon exhausting the National Gallery, I went around the corner to the National Portrait Gallery. My sister C. said I would love it. I did. This is one of those museums that holds paintings that you\'ve seen prints of in text books/history books and then you think to yourself: it\'s better in person. I guess though that\'s always the case.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Dusk falling in London SoHo\"]<a title=\"Dusk falling in London SoHo by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674292143/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6674292143_2fd345979d_z.jpg\" alt=\"Dusk falling in London SoHo\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nAfterwords, I wandered around the great neighborhood window shopping, drinking coffee and taking plenty of photos. London at dusk is so pretty.','London and Trafalgar Square','','inherit','open','open','','6080-revision-4','','','2012-01-11 14:11:30','2012-01-11 12:11:30','',6080,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/11/6080-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(6086,1,'2012-01-11 14:13:30','2012-01-11 12:13:30','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Me in Trafalgar Square\"]<a title=\"Me in Trafalgar Square by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674249317/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6674249317_85598083b3_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me in Trafalgar Square\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nLondon for those of you not in the know is a big city. A really big city. They have a great (but rather expensive metro). They have plenty of free museums (which then tell you how much the suggested donation is). They have red telephone booths and matching buses (this may or may not be trying to hard).\r\n\r\nOver Christmas holiday I spent a week there. It wasn\'t cheep but it was well worth it.\r\n\r\nI didn\'t really know what to expect but I found that I liked the city. I was ready for rain. Gray. Rain. And more rain and gray but I think that I got exceedingly lucky and the only day with really heavy rain was January 1st. It drizzled another day or two for part of an afternoon but I can\'t complain about that.\r\n\r\nA huge part of my to-do list included exploring and museum going. In my mind these go hand in hand and it\'s even better if you\'ve got a camera on hand as well.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Telephone booth\"]<a title=\"Telephone booth by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674271819/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6674271819_9af48315b2_z.jpg\" alt=\"Telephone booth\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Trafalgar Square\"]<a title=\"Trafalgar Square by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674250805/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6674250805_d8a14c6a11_z.jpg\" alt=\"Trafalgar Square\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nMy first day I wandered from my hostel to Buckingham Palace. It\'s big but somehow I expected more. What I am not sure but it comes off as a little plain from outside. Then I meandered over to Westminster and Big Ben. From there I strolled up the street to Trafalgar Square. I admired buildings, took pictures and ate a sandwich and a bag of chips on Trafalgar Square.\r\n\r\nFrom there I popped into the National Gallery. I got yelled at for taking this picture in the foyer. Ops. Sorry.\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Inside the National Gallery\"]<a title=\"Inside the National Gallery by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674254143/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6674254143_676b86a7c6_z.jpg\" alt=\"Inside the National Gallery\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\nI was impressed by the National Gallery and if there had actually been tickets to the the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit. I would have gladly paid to do so. Of course there were no tickets. That\'s okay though because there were plenty of other paintings to keep me busy.\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"National Portrait Gallery\"]<a title=\"National Protrait Gallery by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674268755/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6674268755_d99e75fa2e_z.jpg\" alt=\"National Protrait Gallery\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\nUpon exhausting the National Gallery, I went around the corner to the National Portrait Gallery. My sister C. said I would love it. I did. This is one of those museums that holds paintings that you\'ve seen prints of in text books/history books and then you think to yourself: it\'s better in person. I guess though that\'s always the case.\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Fence detail at the National Portrait Gallery\"]<a title=\"Fence detail at the National Protrait Gallery by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674260217/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6674260217_f2b466033b_z.jpg\" alt=\"Fence detail at the National Protrait Gallery\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"National Portrait Gallery tile floor\"]<a title=\"National Protrait Gallery tile floor by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674259041/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6674259041_7dbb305c65_z.jpg\" alt=\"National Protrait Gallery tile floor\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Dusk falling in London SoHo\"]<a title=\"Dusk falling in London SoHo by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674292143/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6674292143_2fd345979d_z.jpg\" alt=\"Dusk falling in London SoHo\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nAfterwords, I wandered around the great neighborhood window shopping, drinking coffee and taking plenty of photos. London at dusk is so pretty.','London and Trafalgar Square','','inherit','open','open','','6080-revision-5','','','2012-01-11 14:13:30','2012-01-11 12:13:30','',6080,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/11/6080-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(6087,1,'2012-01-11 14:13:32','2012-01-11 12:13:32','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Me in Trafalgar Square\"]<a title=\"Me in Trafalgar Square by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674249317/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6674249317_85598083b3_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me in Trafalgar Square\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nLondon for those of you not in the know is a big city. A really big city. They have a great (but rather expensive metro). They have plenty of free museums (which then tell you how much the suggested donation is). They have red telephone booths and matching buses (this may or may not be trying to hard).\r\n\r\nOver Christmas holiday I spent a week there. It wasn\'t cheep but it was well worth it.\r\n\r\nI didn\'t really know what to expect but I found that I liked the city. I was ready for rain. Gray. Rain. And more rain and gray but I think that I got exceedingly lucky and the only day with really heavy rain was January 1st. It drizzled another day or two for part of an afternoon but I can\'t complain about that.\r\n\r\nA huge part of my to-do list included exploring and museum going. In my mind these go hand in hand and it\'s even better if you\'ve got a camera on hand as well.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Telephone booth\"]<a title=\"Telephone booth by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674271819/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6674271819_9af48315b2_z.jpg\" alt=\"Telephone booth\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Trafalgar Square\"]<a title=\"Trafalgar Square by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674250805/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6674250805_d8a14c6a11_z.jpg\" alt=\"Trafalgar Square\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nMy first day I wandered from my hostel to Buckingham Palace. It\'s big but somehow I expected more. What I am not sure but it comes off as a little plain from outside. Then I meandered over to Westminster and Big Ben. From there I strolled up the street to Trafalgar Square. I admired buildings, took pictures and ate a sandwich and a bag of chips on Trafalgar Square.\r\n\r\nFrom there I popped into the National Gallery. I got yelled at for taking this picture in the foyer. Ops. Sorry.\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Inside the National Gallery\"]<a title=\"Inside the National Gallery by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674254143/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6674254143_676b86a7c6_z.jpg\" alt=\"Inside the National Gallery\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\nI was impressed by the National Gallery and if there had actually been tickets to the the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit. I would have gladly paid to do so. Of course there were no tickets. That\'s okay though because there were plenty of other paintings to keep me busy.\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"National Portrait Gallery\"]<a title=\"National Protrait Gallery by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674268755/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6674268755_d99e75fa2e_z.jpg\" alt=\"National Protrait Gallery\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\nUpon exhausting the National Gallery, I went around the corner to the National Portrait Gallery. My sister C. said I would love it. I did. This is one of those museums that holds paintings that you\'ve seen prints of in text books/history books and then you think to yourself: it\'s better in person. I guess though that\'s always the case.\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Fence detail at the National Portrait Gallery\"]<a title=\"Fence detail at the National Protrait Gallery by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674260217/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6674260217_f2b466033b_z.jpg\" alt=\"Fence detail at the National Protrait Gallery\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"National Portrait Gallery tile floor\"]<a title=\"National Protrait Gallery tile floor by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674259041/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6674259041_7dbb305c65_z.jpg\" alt=\"National Protrait Gallery tile floor\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Dusk falling in London SoHo\"]<a title=\"Dusk falling in London SoHo by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674292143/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6674292143_2fd345979d_z.jpg\" alt=\"Dusk falling in London SoHo\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nAfterwords, I wandered around the great neighborhood window shopping, drinking coffee and taking plenty of photos. London at dusk is so pretty.','London and Trafalgar Square','','inherit','open','open','','6080-revision-6','','','2012-01-11 14:13:32','2012-01-11 12:13:32','',6080,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/11/6080-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(6088,1,'2012-01-11 14:15:33','2012-01-11 12:15:33','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Me in Trafalgar Square\"]<a title=\"Me in Trafalgar Square by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674249317/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6674249317_85598083b3_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me in Trafalgar Square\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nLondon for those of you not in the know is a big city. A really big city. They have a great (but rather expensive metro). They have plenty of free museums (which then tell you how much the suggested donation is). They have red telephone booths and matching buses (this may or may not be trying to hard).\r\n\r\nOver Christmas holiday I spent a week there. It wasn\'t cheep but it was well worth it.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Telephone booth\"]<a title=\"Telephone booth by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674271819/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6674271819_9af48315b2_z.jpg\" alt=\"Telephone booth\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\nI didn\'t really know what to expect but I found that I liked the city. I was ready for rain. Gray. Rain. And more rain and gray but I think that I got exceedingly lucky and the only day with really heavy rain was January 1st. It drizzled another day or two for part of an afternoon but I can\'t complain about that.\r\n\r\nA huge part of my to-do list included exploring and museum going. In my mind these go hand in hand and it\'s even better if you\'ve got a camera on hand as well.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Trafalgar Square\"]<a title=\"Trafalgar Square by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674250805/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6674250805_d8a14c6a11_z.jpg\" alt=\"Trafalgar Square\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nMy first day I wandered from my hostel to Buckingham Palace. It\'s big but somehow I expected more. What I am not sure but it comes off as a little plain from outside. Then I meandered over to Westminster and Big Ben. From there I strolled up the street to Trafalgar Square. I admired buildings, took pictures and ate a sandwich and a bag of chips on Trafalgar Square.\r\n\r\nFrom there I popped into the National Gallery. I got yelled at for taking this picture in the foyer. Ops. Sorry.\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Inside the National Gallery\"]<a title=\"Inside the National Gallery by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674254143/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6674254143_676b86a7c6_z.jpg\" alt=\"Inside the National Gallery\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\nI was impressed by the National Gallery and if there had actually been tickets to the the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit. I would have gladly paid to do so. Of course there were no tickets. That\'s okay though because there were plenty of other paintings to keep me busy.\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"National Portrait Gallery\"]<a title=\"National Protrait Gallery by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674268755/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6674268755_d99e75fa2e_z.jpg\" alt=\"National Protrait Gallery\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\nUpon exhausting the National Gallery, I went around the corner to the National Portrait Gallery. My sister C. said I would love it. I did. This is one of those museums that holds paintings that you\'ve seen prints of in text books/history books and then you think to yourself: it\'s better in person. I guess though that\'s always the case.\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Fence detail at the National Portrait Gallery\"]<a title=\"Fence detail at the National Protrait Gallery by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674260217/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6674260217_f2b466033b_z.jpg\" alt=\"Fence detail at the National Protrait Gallery\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"National Portrait Gallery tile floor\"]<a title=\"National Protrait Gallery tile floor by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674259041/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6674259041_7dbb305c65_z.jpg\" alt=\"National Protrait Gallery tile floor\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nAfterwords, I wandered around the great neighborhood window shopping, drinking coffee and taking plenty of photos. London at dusk is so pretty.\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Dusk falling in London SoHo\"]<a title=\"Dusk falling in London SoHo by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674292143/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6674292143_2fd345979d_z.jpg\" alt=\"Dusk falling in London SoHo\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n','London and Trafalgar Square','','inherit','open','open','','6080-revision-7','','','2012-01-11 14:15:33','2012-01-11 12:15:33','',6080,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/11/6080-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(6089,1,'2012-01-11 14:16:36','2012-01-11 12:16:36','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Me in Trafalgar Square\"]<a title=\"Me in Trafalgar Square by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674249317/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6674249317_85598083b3_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me in Trafalgar Square\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nLondon for those of you not in the know is a big city. A really big city. They have a great (but rather expensive metro). They have plenty of free museums (which then tell you how much the suggested donation is). They have red telephone booths and matching buses (this may or may not be trying to hard).\n\nOver Christmas holiday I spent a week there. It wasn\'t cheep but it was well worth it.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Telephone booth\"]<a title=\"Telephone booth by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674271819/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6674271819_9af48315b2_z.jpg\" alt=\"Telephone booth\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI didn\'t really know what to expect but I found that I liked the city. I was ready for rain. Gray. Rain. And more rain and gray but I think that I got exceedingly lucky and the only day with really heavy rain was January 1st. It drizzled another day or two for part of an afternoon but I can\'t complain about that.\n\nA huge part of my to-do list included exploring and museum going. In my mind these go hand in hand and it\'s even better if you\'ve got a camera on hand as well.<!--more-->\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Trafalgar Square\"]<a title=\"Trafalgar Square by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674250805/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6674250805_d8a14c6a11_z.jpg\" alt=\"Trafalgar Square\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nMy first day I wandered from my hostel to Buckingham Palace. It\'s big but somehow I expected more. What I am not sure but it comes off as a little plain from outside. Then I meandered over to Westminster and Big Ben. From there I strolled up the street to Trafalgar Square. I admired buildings, took pictures and ate a sandwich and a bag of chips on Trafalgar Square.\n\nFrom there I popped into the National Gallery. I got yelled at for taking this picture in the foyer. Ops. Sorry.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Inside the National Gallery\"]<a title=\"Inside the National Gallery by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674254143/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6674254143_676b86a7c6_z.jpg\" alt=\"Inside the National Gallery\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI was impressed by the National Gallery and if there had actually been tickets to the the Leonardo da Vinci exhibit. I would have gladly paid to do so. Of course there were no tickets. That\'s okay though because there were plenty of other paintings to keep me busy.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"National Portrait Gallery\"]<a title=\"National Protrait Gallery by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674268755/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6674268755_d99e75fa2e_z.jpg\" alt=\"National Protrait Gallery\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nUpon exhausting the National Gallery, I went around the corner to the National Portrait Gallery. My sister C. said I would love it. I did. This is one of those museums that holds paintings that you\'ve seen prints of in text books/history books and then you think to yourself: it\'s better in person. I guess though that\'s always the case.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Fence detail at the National Portrait Gallery\"]<a title=\"Fence detail at the National Protrait Gallery by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674260217/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6674260217_f2b466033b_z.jpg\" alt=\"Fence detail at the National Protrait Gallery\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"National Portrait Gallery tile floor\"]<a title=\"National Protrait Gallery tile floor by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674259041/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6674259041_7dbb305c65_z.jpg\" alt=\"National Protrait Gallery tile floor\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nAfterwords, I wandered around the great neighborhood window shopping, drinking coffee and taking plenty of photos. London at dusk is so pretty.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Dusk falling in London SoHo\"]<a title=\"Dusk falling in London SoHo by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6674292143/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6674292143_2fd345979d_z.jpg\" alt=\"Dusk falling in London SoHo\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]','London and Trafalgar Square','','inherit','open','open','','6080-revision-8','','','2012-01-11 14:16:36','2012-01-11 12:16:36','',6080,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/11/6080-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(6090,1,'2012-01-11 21:26:49','0000-00-00 00:00:00','My most recent visit reminded me that everything I know about England I first learned in children\'s books. Enter: <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddington_Bear\" target=\"_blank\">Paddington Bear</a>. <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrix_Potter\" target=\"_blank\">Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit</a>. <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_Garden\" target=\"_blank\">The Secret Garden</a>. <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion,_the_Witch_and_the_Wardrobe\" target=\"_blank\">The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. </a>','Everything I know about England I learned first in Children\'s Books','','draft','open','open','','','','','2012-01-11 21:26:49','2012-01-11 19:26:49','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=6090',0,'post','',0),(6091,1,'2012-01-11 21:10:55','2012-01-11 19:10:55','My most recent visit reminded me that everything I know about London I first learned in children\'s books.\n\n<a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddington_Bear\" target=\"_blank\">Paddington Bear</a>.\n\n<a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrix_Potter\" target=\"_blank\">Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit</a>.\n\n<a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_Garden\" target=\"_blank\">The Secret Garden</a>.\n\n<a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion,_the_Witch_and_the_Wardrobe\" target=\"_blank\">The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. </a>','Everything I know about London I learned first in Children\'s Books','','inherit','open','open','','6090-revision','','','2012-01-11 21:10:55','2012-01-11 19:10:55','',6090,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/11/6090-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6092,1,'2012-01-11 21:25:21','2012-01-11 19:25:21','My most recent visit reminded me that everything I know about England I first learned in children\'s books. Enter: <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paddington_Bear\" target=\"_blank\">addington Bear</a>. <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatrix_Potter\" target=\"_blank\">Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit</a>. <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Secret_Garden\" target=\"_blank\">The Secret Garden</a>. <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lion,_the_Witch_and_the_Wardrobe\" target=\"_blank\">The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. </a>','Everything I know about England I learned first in Children\'s Books','','inherit','open','open','','6090-revision-2','','','2012-01-11 21:25:21','2012-01-11 19:25:21','',6090,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/11/6090-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6093,1,'2012-01-12 22:23:49','2012-01-12 20:23:49','Sometimes I forget that it\'s hard to go back to work after a holiday. This is one of those weeks.\r\n\r\nI got back on Saturday night, did life maintenance tasks on Sunday and jumped into school on Monday. Since Monday, I feel like I\'ve been going nonstop.\r\n\r\nI made breakfast everyday this week. None of that grab an apple and eat it on the way to school. I took a homemade lunch with me to eat. School lunch is only so-so which is why when I was in London I thought: why not make my lunch for a month and see how I feel? I\'ve been to yoga, Bulgarian national dance and book club as well. Oh and I met a friend for dinner and took my friend P. out for a birthday beer.\r\n\r\nSchool hasn\'t been much slower. I\'ve got a vocab quiz and a half left to grade, some random homework to check and discussion grades to write. I have lessons to plan, a final exam to write and then at the end of the month semester grades to write.\r\n\r\nSo I am plugging along. I wrote half a blog post about London last night but was more interested in sleeping than writing. That\'s probably a good sign to call it quits. I brushed my teeth and crawled into bed. When my alarm clock rang this morning I couldn\'t imagine that I actually had to get out of bed. I hit snooze a few times.\r\n\r\nLuckily that\'s allowed the week after a vacation.\r\n\r\nAnd there you have it. My life this week in a nut shell. Needless to say I am looking forward to Saturday morning. My bed. My pajamas. And a some point, a cup (or three) of coffee.','School and Vacation ','','publish','open','open','','school-and-vacation','','','2012-01-12 22:23:49','2012-01-12 20:23:49','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=6093',0,'post','',2),(6094,1,'2012-01-12 22:23:08','2012-01-12 20:23:08','Sometimes I forget that it\'s hard to go back to work after a holiday. This is one of those weeks.\n\nI got back on Saturday night, did life maintenance tasks on Sunday and jumped into school on Monday. Since Monday, I feel like I\'ve been going nonstop.\n\nI made breakfast everyday this week. None of that grab an apple and eat it on the way to school. I took a homemade lunch with me to eat. School lunch is only so-so which is why when I was in London I thought: why not make my lunch for a month and see how I feel? I\'ve been to yoga, Bulgarian national dance and book club as well. Oh and I met a friend for dinner and took my friend P. out for a birthday beer.\n\nSchool hasn\'t been much slower. I\'ve got a vocab quiz and a half left to grade, some random homework to check and discussion grades to write. I have lessons to plan, a final exam to write and then at the end of the month semester grades to write.\n\nSo I am plugging along. I wrote half a blog post about London last night but was more interested in sleeping than writing. That\'s probably a good sign to call it quits. I brushed my teeth and crawled into bed. When my alarm clock rang this morning I couldn\'t imagine that I actually had to get out of bed. I hit snooze a few times.\n\nLuckily that\'s allowed the week after a vacation.\n\nAnd there you have it. My life this week in a nut shell. Needless to say I am looking forward to Saturday morning. My bed. My pajamas. And a some point, a cup (or three)','School and Vacation ','','inherit','open','open','','6093-revision','','','2012-01-12 22:23:08','2012-01-12 20:23:08','',6093,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/12/6093-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6095,1,'2012-01-12 22:23:34','2012-01-12 20:23:34','Sometimes I forget that it\'s hard to go back to work after a holiday. This is one of those weeks.\r\n\r\nI got back on Saturday night, did life maintenance tasks on Sunday and jumped into school on Monday. Since Monday, I feel like I\'ve been going nonstop.\r\n\r\nI made breakfast everyday this week. None of that grab an apple and eat it on the way to school. I took a homemade lunch with me to eat. School lunch is only so-so which is why when I was in London I thought: why not make my lunch for a month and see how I feel? I\'ve been to yoga, Bulgarian national dance and book club as well. Oh and I met a friend for dinner and took my friend P. out for a birthday beer.\r\n\r\nSchool hasn\'t been much slower. I\'ve got a vocab quiz and a half left to grade, some random homework to check and discussion grades to write. I have lessons to plan, a final exam to write and then at the end of the month semester grades to write.\r\n\r\nSo I am plugging along. I wrote half a blog post about London last night but was more interested in sleeping than writing. That\'s probably a good sign to call it quits. I brushed my teeth and crawled into bed. When my alarm clock rang this morning I couldn\'t imagine that I actually had to get out of bed. I hit snooze a few times.\r\n\r\nLuckily that\'s allowed the week after a vacation.\r\n\r\nAnd there you have it. My life this week in a nut shell. Needless to say I am looking forward to Saturday morning. My bed. My pajamas. And a some point, a cup (or three) of coffee.','School and Vacation ','','inherit','open','open','','6093-revision-2','','','2012-01-12 22:23:34','2012-01-12 20:23:34','',6093,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/12/6093-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6096,1,'2012-01-12 22:23:36','2012-01-12 20:23:36','Sometimes I forget that it\'s hard to go back to work after a holiday. This is one of those weeks.\r\n\r\nI got back on Saturday night, did life maintenance tasks on Sunday and jumped into school on Monday. Since Monday, I feel like I\'ve been going nonstop.\r\n\r\nI made breakfast everyday this week. None of that grab an apple and eat it on the way to school. I took a homemade lunch with me to eat. School lunch is only so-so which is why when I was in London I thought: why not make my lunch for a month and see how I feel? I\'ve been to yoga, Bulgarian national dance and book club as well. Oh and I met a friend for dinner and took my friend P. out for a birthday beer.\r\n\r\nSchool hasn\'t been much slower. I\'ve got a vocab quiz and a half left to grade, some random homework to check and discussion grades to write. I have lessons to plan, a final exam to write and then at the end of the month semester grades to write.\r\n\r\nSo I am plugging along. I wrote half a blog post about London last night but was more interested in sleeping than writing. That\'s probably a good sign to call it quits. I brushed my teeth and crawled into bed. When my alarm clock rang this morning I couldn\'t imagine that I actually had to get out of bed. I hit snooze a few times.\r\n\r\nLuckily that\'s allowed the week after a vacation.\r\n\r\nAnd there you have it. My life this week in a nut shell. Needless to say I am looking forward to Saturday morning. My bed. My pajamas. And a some point, a cup (or three) of coffee.','School and Vacation ','','inherit','open','open','','6093-revision-3','','','2012-01-12 22:23:36','2012-01-12 20:23:36','',6093,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/12/6093-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6097,1,'2012-01-12 22:24:53','2012-01-12 20:24:53','Sometimes I forget that it\'s hard to go back to work after a holiday. This is one of those weeks.\n\nI got back on Saturday night, did life maintenance tasks on Sunday and jumped into school on Monday. Since Monday, I feel like I\'ve been going nonstop.\n\nI made breakfast everyday this week. None of that grab an apple and eat it on the way to school. I took a homemade lunch with me to eat. School lunch is only so-so which is why when I was in London I thought: why not make my lunch for a month and see how I feel? I\'ve been to yoga, Bulgarian national dance and book club as well. Oh and I met a friend for dinner and took my friend P. out for a birthday beer.\n\nSchool hasn\'t been much slower. I\'ve got a vocab quiz and a half left to grade, some random homework to check and discussion grades to write. I have lessons to plan, a final exam to write and then at the end of the month semester grades to write.\n\nSo I am plugging along. I wrote half a blog post about London last night but was more interested in sleeping than writing. That\'s probably a good sign to call it quits. I brushed my teeth and crawled into bed. When my alarm clock rang this morning I couldn\'t imagine that I actually had to get out of bed. I hit snooze a few times.\n\nLuckily that\'s allowed the week after a vacation.\n\nAnd there you have it. My life this week in a nut shell. Needless to say I am looking forward to Saturday morning. My bed. My pajamas. And a some point, a cup (or three) of coffee.','School and Vacation ','','inherit','open','open','','6093-autosave','','','2012-01-12 22:24:53','2012-01-12 20:24:53','',6093,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/12/6093-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(6098,1,'2012-01-14 11:09:03','2012-01-14 09:09:03','I find it really hard to write posts about cities that people love and travel to a lot. London of course is one of these cities.\r\n\r\nThe thing about London is that it\'s big. There\'s something for everyone. It\'s old and new at the same time. And, it\'s funny to hear people speaking English with an accent.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Tate Britain\"]<a title=\"Tate Britain  by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693698465/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6693698465_02b603f6b0.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Britain \" width=\"300\" height=\"450\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI had a great time and I find myself insanely jealous of the fabulous museums in this city. These museums put those in Sofia to shame. Sure British Museum is full of stolen things but to their credit they did steal pretty great stuff and they\'ve done an even better job displaying it.  I mean: mummies (men, women, children, birds, cats and even alligators?!) <em>and</em> the Rosetta Stone?!\r\n\r\nSo I spent a huge portion of my time in museums and galleries--looking at things, admiring art and trying not to be snippy with pushy tourists (and there are some <em>crazy</em> tourists in London). The fact that I love art, history and old things makes visiting London in the middle of winter seem much more reasonable.\r\n\r\nEach day I basically did some variation of: walk to a museum, see the museum, walk around the neighborhood, find something to eat/drink and then I\'d go to another museum and repeat. Truth be told, I was happy as a clam to do this. I didn\'t go to London to shop. Sure I popped into a few shops but most of them were crawling with people scooping up post-Christmas sale-items and the shops themselves were usually in disarray. This is not my idea of a good time. Ever.\r\n\r\nSo I stuck to wandering. Taking pictures. Eating. Exploring.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nAfter all of this, I think that if you\'re short on time in London there are probably five must see museums: the National Portrait Gallery, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Britain and the Tate Modern.\r\n\r\nIn writing this post, I tried to determine if I had a favorite museum in London but that\'s sort of like comparing apples and oranges. I don\'t have a single favorite but in my mind these are the museums and galleries that I liked the most.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Rainy Garden in the V&amp;A\"]<a title=\"Rainy Garden in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693892783/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7143/6693892783_025a603c73_z.jpg\" alt=\"Rainy Garden in the V&amp;A\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A\"]<a title=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693887145/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6693887145_606efd6a91_z.jpg\" alt=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI was pleasantly surprised by how modern and hip the Victoria and Albert Museum came off even with their various collection of objects. This is a museum with a good sense of space, style and humor. And the Chihuly glass sculpture in the foyer is incredible--what to know how they clean it?! The V&amp;A has a <a href=\"http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/b/behind-the-scenes-chihuly-chandelier/?utm_source=V%26A-website&amp;utm_medium=redirect&amp;utm_content=int-chihuly-desktop-wallpaper&amp;utm_campaign=ugc-rev-nov11\" target=\"_blank\">behind the scenes piece on this</a> on their website.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Staircase in the V&amp;A\"]<a title=\"Staircase in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693885377/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6693885377_3a1f2c8033_z.jpg\" alt=\"Staircase in the V&amp;A\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Bridge to St Paul&#39;s from the Tate Modern\"]<a title=\"Bridge to St Paul\'s by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693684039/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6693684039_702da143eb_z.jpg\" alt=\"Bridge to St Paul\'s\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Millennium Foot Bridge to the Tate Modern\"]<a title=\"Millennium Foot Bridge by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693679605/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6693679605_b811d44710_z.jpg\" alt=\"Millennium Foot Bridge\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI was prepared to LOVE the Tate Modern which I did. Just with lowercase letters. The Tate Modern has a pretty wonderful collection but between the layout, the colors and the bookstore/gift shop the Tate Modern seems like it\'s trying too hard to be cool and cutting edge. Should you go? Absolutely. Just be warned.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Tate Modern: Poetry and Dream\"]<a title=\"Tate Modern Poetry and Dream by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693685895/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6693685895_6151b54663_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Modern Poetry and Dream\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Tate Modern timeline\"]<a title=\"Tate Modern timeline by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693684599/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6693684599_76463677fa_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Modern timeline\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe Tate Britain seems a little stodgy but they have a lot of classics, big rooms and plenty of places to sit and really look at the art. This museum in comparison to many that I visited was comparatively empty. I felt like I had the museum to myself. That was good because it gave me plenty of time to check out <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophelia_%28painting%29\" target=\"_blank\">Sir John Everett Millais\'s Ophelia</a>--a painting I\'ve seen plenty of times reproduced in textbooks but which is even creepier and more intense in person. This interestingly hangs just feet from <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_of_Shalott_%28painting%29\" target=\"_blank\">Waterhouse\'s The Lady of Shalott</a>. I knew both of these paintings were here but I wasn\'t prepared to seem them on the same wall.','Five of My Favorite Museums in London','','publish','open','open','','five-of-my-favorite-museums-in-london','','','2012-01-14 11:09:03','2012-01-14 09:09:03','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=6098',0,'post','',0),(6099,1,'2012-01-14 10:40:36','2012-01-14 08:40:36','I find it really hard to write posts about cities that people love and travel to a lot. London of course is one of these cities.\n\nThe thing about London is that it\'s big. There\'s something for everyone. It\'s old and new at the same time. And, it\'s funny to hear people speaking English with an accent.\n\nI had a great time and I find myself insanely jealous of the fabulous museums in this city. These museums put those in Sofia to shame. Sure British Museum is full of stolen things but to their credit they did steal pretty great stuff and they\'ve done an even better job displaying it.  I mean: mummies (men, women, children, birds, cats and even alligators?!) <em>and</em> the Rosetta Stone?!\n\nSo I spent a huge portion of my time in museums and galleries--looking at things, admiring art and trying not to be snippy with pushy tourists (and there are some <em>crazy</em> tourists in London). The fact that I love art, history and old things makes visiting London in the middle of winter seem much more reasonable.\n\nEach day I basically did some variation of: walk to a museum, see the museum, walk around the neighborhood, find something to eat/drink and then I\'d go to another museum and repeat. Truth be told, I was happy as a clam to do this. I didn\'t go to London to shop. Sure I popped into a few shops but most of them were crawling with people scooping up post-Christmas sale-items and the shops themselves were usually in disarray. This is not my idea of a good time. Ever.\n\nSo I stuck to wandering. Taking pictures. Eating. Exploring.\n\nAfter all of this, I think that if you\'re short on time in London there are probably five must see museums: the National Portriat Gallery, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Britain and the Tate Modern.\n\nIn writing this post, I tried to determine if I had a favorite museum in London but that\'s sort of like comparing apples and oranges. I was pleasantly surprised by how modern and hip the Victoria and Albert Museum came off even with their various collection of objects. This is a museum with a good sense of space, style and humor. And the Chihuly glass sculpture in the foyer is incredible--what to know how they clean it?! The V&amp;A has a <a href=\"http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/b/behind-the-scenes-chihuly-chandelier/?utm_source=V%26A-website&amp;utm_medium=redirect&amp;utm_content=int-chihuly-desktop-wallpaper&amp;utm_campaign=ugc-rev-nov11\" target=\"_blank\">behind the scenes piece on this</a> on their website.\n\nI was prepared to LOVE the Tate Modern which I did. Just with lowercase letters. The Tate Modern has a pretty wonderful collection but between the layout, the colors and the bookstore/gift shop the Tate Modern seems like it\'s trying too hard to be cool and cutting edge. Should you go? Absolutely. Just be warned.\n\nThe Tate Britain seems a little stodgy but they have a lot of classics, big rooms and plenty of places to sit and really look at the art. This museum in comparison to many that I visited was comparatively empty. I felt like I had the museum to myself. That was good because it gave me plenty of time to check out <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophelia_%28painting%29\" target=\"_blank\">Sir John Everett Millais\'s Ophelia</a>--a painting I\'ve seen plenty of times reproduced in textbooks but which is even creepier and more intense in person. This interestingly hangs just feet from <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_of_Shalott_%28painting%29\" target=\"_blank\">Waterhouse\'s The Lady of Shalott</a>. I knew both of these paintings were here but I wasn\'t prepared to seem them on the same wall.','','','inherit','open','open','','6098-revision','','','2012-01-14 10:40:36','2012-01-14 08:40:36','',6098,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/14/6098-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6100,1,'2012-01-14 10:54:11','2012-01-14 08:54:11','I find it really hard to write posts about cities that people love and travel to a lot. London of course is one of these cities.\n\nThe thing about London is that it\'s big. There\'s something for everyone. It\'s old and new at the same time. And, it\'s funny to hear people speaking English with an accent.\n\n<a title=\"Tate Britain  by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693698465/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6693698465_02b603f6b0.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Britain \" width=\"333\" height=\"500\" /></a>I had a great time and I find myself insanely jealous of the fabulous museums in this city. These museums put those in Sofia to shame. Sure British Museum is full of stolen things but to their credit they did steal pretty great stuff and they\'ve done an even better job displaying it.  I mean: mummies (men, women, children, birds, cats and even alligators?!) <em>and</em> the Rosetta Stone?!\n\nSo I spent a huge portion of my time in museums and galleries--looking at things, admiring art and trying not to be snippy with pushy tourists (and there are some <em>crazy</em> tourists in London). The fact that I love art, history and old things makes visiting London in the middle of winter seem much more reasonable.\n\nEach day I basically did some variation of: walk to a museum, see the museum, walk around the neighborhood, find something to eat/drink and then I\'d go to another museum and repeat. Truth be told, I was happy as a clam to do this. I didn\'t go to London to shop. Sure I popped into a few shops but most of them were crawling with people scooping up post-Christmas sale-items and the shops themselves were usually in disarray. This is not my idea of a good time. Ever.\n\nSo I stuck to wandering. Taking pictures. Eating. Exploring.\n\nAfter all of this, I think that if you\'re short on time in London there are probably five must see museums: the National Portriat Gallery, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Britain and the Tate Modern.\n\nIn writing this post, I tried to determine if I had a favorite museum in London but that\'s sort of like comparing apples and oranges. I was pleasantly surprised by how modern and hip the Victoria and Albert Museum came off even with their various collection of objects. This is a museum with a good sense of space, style and humor. And the Chihuly glass sculpture in the foyer is incredible--what to know how they clean it?! The V&amp;A has a <a href=\"http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/b/behind-the-scenes-chihuly-chandelier/?utm_source=V%26A-website&amp;utm_medium=redirect&amp;utm_content=int-chihuly-desktop-wallpaper&amp;utm_campaign=ugc-rev-nov11\" target=\"_blank\">behind the scenes piece on this</a> on their website.\n<a title=\"Bridge to St Paul\'s by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693684039/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6693684039_702da143eb_z.jpg\" alt=\"Bridge to St Paul\'s\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\nI was prepared to LOVE the Tate Modern which I did. Just with lowercase letters. The Tate Modern has a pretty wonderful collection but between the layout, the colors and the bookstore/gift shop the Tate Modern seems like it\'s trying too hard to be cool and cutting edge. Should you go? Absolutely. Just be warned.<a title=\"Millennium Foot Bridge by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693679605/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6693679605_b811d44710_z.jpg\" alt=\"Millennium Foot Bridge\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n<a title=\"Tate Modern Poetry and Dream by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693685895/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6693685895_6151b54663_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Modern Poetry and Dream\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n<a title=\"Tate Modern timeline by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693684599/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6693684599_76463677fa_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Modern timeline\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n\nThe Tate Britain seems a little stodgy but they have a lot of classics, big rooms and plenty of places to sit and really look at the art. This museum in comparison to many that I visited was comparatively empty. I felt like I had the museum to myself. That was good because it gave me plenty of time to check out <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophelia_%28painting%29\" target=\"_blank\">Sir John Everett Millais\'s Ophelia</a>--a painting I\'ve seen plenty of times reproduced in textbooks but which is even creepier and more intense in person. This interestingly hangs just feet from <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_of_Shalott_%28painting%29\" target=\"_blank\">Waterhouse\'s The Lady of Shalott</a>. I knew both of these paintings were here but I wasn\'t prepared to seem them on the same wall.','Five of My Favorite Museums and Galleries in London','','inherit','open','open','','6098-revision-2','','','2012-01-14 10:54:11','2012-01-14 08:54:11','',6098,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/14/6098-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6101,1,'2012-01-14 10:57:11','2012-01-14 08:57:11','I find it really hard to write posts about cities that people love and travel to a lot. London of course is one of these cities.\n\nThe thing about London is that it\'s big. There\'s something for everyone. It\'s old and new at the same time. And, it\'s funny to hear people speaking English with an accent.\n\n<a title=\"Tate Britain  by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693698465/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6693698465_02b603f6b0.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Britain \" width=\"333\" height=\"500\" /></a>I had a great time and I find myself insanely jealous of the fabulous museums in this city. These museums put those in Sofia to shame. Sure British Museum is full of stolen things but to their credit they did steal pretty great stuff and they\'ve done an even better job displaying it.  I mean: mummies (men, women, children, birds, cats and even alligators?!) <em>and</em> the Rosetta Stone?!\n\nSo I spent a huge portion of my time in museums and galleries--looking at things, admiring art and trying not to be snippy with pushy tourists (and there are some <em>crazy</em> tourists in London). The fact that I love art, history and old things makes visiting London in the middle of winter seem much more reasonable.\n\nEach day I basically did some variation of: walk to a museum, see the museum, walk around the neighborhood, find something to eat/drink and then I\'d go to another museum and repeat. Truth be told, I was happy as a clam to do this. I didn\'t go to London to shop. Sure I popped into a few shops but most of them were crawling with people scooping up post-Christmas sale-items and the shops themselves were usually in disarray. This is not my idea of a good time. Ever.\n\nSo I stuck to wandering. Taking pictures. Eating. Exploring.\n\nAfter all of this, I think that if you\'re short on time in London there are probably five must see museums: the National Portriat Gallery, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Britain and the Tate Modern.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693887145/\" title=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6693887145_606efd6a91_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A\"></a>In writing this post, I tried to determine if I had a favorite museum in London but that\'s sort of like comparing apples and oranges. I was pleasantly surprised by how modern and hip the Victoria and Albert Museum came off even with their various collection of objects. This is a museum with a good sense of space, style and humor. And the Chihuly glass sculpture in the foyer is incredible--what to know how they clean it?! The V&amp;A has a <a href=\"http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/b/behind-the-scenes-chihuly-chandelier/?utm_source=V%26A-website&amp;utm_medium=redirect&amp;utm_content=int-chihuly-desktop-wallpaper&amp;utm_campaign=ugc-rev-nov11\" target=\"_blank\">behind the scenes piece on this</a> on their website.\n<a title=\"Bridge to St Paul\'s by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693684039/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6693684039_702da143eb_z.jpg\" alt=\"Bridge to St Paul\'s\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\nI was prepared to LOVE the Tate Modern which I did. Just with lowercase letters. The Tate Modern has a pretty wonderful collection but between the layout, the colors and the bookstore/gift shop the Tate Modern seems like it\'s trying too hard to be cool and cutting edge. Should you go? Absolutely. Just be warned.<a title=\"Millennium Foot Bridge by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693679605/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6693679605_b811d44710_z.jpg\" alt=\"Millennium Foot Bridge\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n<a title=\"Tate Modern Poetry and Dream by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693685895/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6693685895_6151b54663_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Modern Poetry and Dream\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n<a title=\"Tate Modern timeline by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693684599/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6693684599_76463677fa_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Modern timeline\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n\nThe Tate Britain seems a little stodgy but they have a lot of classics, big rooms and plenty of places to sit and really look at the art. This museum in comparison to many that I visited was comparatively empty. I felt like I had the museum to myself. That was good because it gave me plenty of time to check out <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophelia_%28painting%29\" target=\"_blank\">Sir John Everett Millais\'s Ophelia</a>--a painting I\'ve seen plenty of times reproduced in textbooks but which is even creepier and more intense in person. This interestingly hangs just feet from <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_of_Shalott_%28painting%29\" target=\"_blank\">Waterhouse\'s The Lady of Shalott</a>. I knew both of these paintings were here but I wasn\'t prepared to seem them on the same wall.','Five of My Favorite Museums and Galleries in London','','inherit','open','open','','6098-revision-3','','','2012-01-14 10:57:11','2012-01-14 08:57:11','',6098,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/14/6098-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6102,1,'2012-01-14 10:59:35','2012-01-14 08:59:35','I find it really hard to write posts about cities that people love and travel to a lot. London of course is one of these cities.\n\nThe thing about London is that it\'s big. There\'s something for everyone. It\'s old and new at the same time. And, it\'s funny to hear people speaking English with an accent.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Tate Britain\"]<a title=\"Tate Britain  by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693698465/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6693698465_02b603f6b0.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Britain \" width=\"300\" height=\"450\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI had a great time and I find myself insanely jealous of the fabulous museums in this city. These museums put those in Sofia to shame. Sure British Museum is full of stolen things but to their credit they did steal pretty great stuff and they\'ve done an even better job displaying it.  I mean: mummies (men, women, children, birds, cats and even alligators?!) <em>and</em> the Rosetta Stone?!\n\nSo I spent a huge portion of my time in museums and galleries--looking at things, admiring art and trying not to be snippy with pushy tourists (and there are some <em>crazy</em> tourists in London). The fact that I love art, history and old things makes visiting London in the middle of winter seem much more reasonable.\n\nEach day I basically did some variation of: walk to a museum, see the museum, walk around the neighborhood, find something to eat/drink and then I\'d go to another museum and repeat. Truth be told, I was happy as a clam to do this. I didn\'t go to London to shop. Sure I popped into a few shops but most of them were crawling with people scooping up post-Christmas sale-items and the shops themselves were usually in disarray. This is not my idea of a good time. Ever.\n\nSo I stuck to wandering. Taking pictures. Eating. Exploring.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Rainy Garden in the V&amp;A\"]<a title=\"Rainy Garden in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693892783/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7143/6693892783_025a603c73_z.jpg\" alt=\"Rainy Garden in the V&amp;A\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nAfter all of this, I think that if you\'re short on time in London there are probably five must see museums: the National Portriat Gallery, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Britain and the Tate Modern.\n\n<a title=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693887145/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6693887145_606efd6a91_z.jpg\" alt=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>In writing this post, I tried to determine if I had a favorite museum in London but that\'s sort of like comparing apples and oranges. I was pleasantly surprised by how modern and hip the Victoria and Albert Museum came off even with their various collection of objects. This is a museum with a good sense of space, style and humor. And the Chihuly glass sculpture in the foyer is incredible--what to know how they clean it?! The V&amp;A has a <a href=\"http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/b/behind-the-scenes-chihuly-chandelier/?utm_source=V%26A-website&amp;utm_medium=redirect&amp;utm_content=int-chihuly-desktop-wallpaper&amp;utm_campaign=ugc-rev-nov11\" target=\"_blank\">behind the scenes piece on this</a> on their website.\n<a title=\"Staircase in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693885377/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6693885377_3a1f2c8033_z.jpg\" alt=\"Staircase in the V&amp;A\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n<a title=\"Bridge to St Paul\'s by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693684039/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6693684039_702da143eb_z.jpg\" alt=\"Bridge to St Paul\'s\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\nI was prepared to LOVE the Tate Modern which I did. Just with lowercase letters. The Tate Modern has a pretty wonderful collection but between the layout, the colors and the bookstore/gift shop the Tate Modern seems like it\'s trying too hard to be cool and cutting edge. Should you go? Absolutely. Just be warned.<a title=\"Millennium Foot Bridge by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693679605/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6693679605_b811d44710_z.jpg\" alt=\"Millennium Foot Bridge\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n<a title=\"Tate Modern Poetry and Dream by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693685895/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6693685895_6151b54663_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Modern Poetry and Dream\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n<a title=\"Tate Modern timeline by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693684599/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6693684599_76463677fa_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Modern timeline\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n\nThe Tate Britain seems a little stodgy but they have a lot of classics, big rooms and plenty of places to sit and really look at the art. This museum in comparison to many that I visited was comparatively empty. I felt like I had the museum to myself. That was good because it gave me plenty of time to check out <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophelia_%28painting%29\" target=\"_blank\">Sir John Everett Millais\'s Ophelia</a>--a painting I\'ve seen plenty of times reproduced in textbooks but which is even creepier and more intense in person. This interestingly hangs just feet from <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_of_Shalott_%28painting%29\" target=\"_blank\">Waterhouse\'s The Lady of Shalott</a>. I knew both of these paintings were here but I wasn\'t prepared to seem them on the same wall.','Five of My Favorite Museums and Galleries in London','','inherit','open','open','','6098-revision-4','','','2012-01-14 10:59:35','2012-01-14 08:59:35','',6098,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/14/6098-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(6103,1,'2012-01-14 11:01:49','2012-01-14 09:01:49','I find it really hard to write posts about cities that people love and travel to a lot. London of course is one of these cities.\r\n\r\nThe thing about London is that it\'s big. There\'s something for everyone. It\'s old and new at the same time. And, it\'s funny to hear people speaking English with an accent.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Tate Britain\"]<a title=\"Tate Britain  by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693698465/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6693698465_02b603f6b0.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Britain \" width=\"300\" height=\"450\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI had a great time and I find myself insanely jealous of the fabulous museums in this city. These museums put those in Sofia to shame. Sure British Museum is full of stolen things but to their credit they did steal pretty great stuff and they\'ve done an even better job displaying it.  I mean: mummies (men, women, children, birds, cats and even alligators?!) <em>and</em> the Rosetta Stone?!\r\n\r\nSo I spent a huge portion of my time in museums and galleries--looking at things, admiring art and trying not to be snippy with pushy tourists (and there are some <em>crazy</em> tourists in London). The fact that I love art, history and old things makes visiting London in the middle of winter seem much more reasonable.\r\n\r\nEach day I basically did some variation of: walk to a museum, see the museum, walk around the neighborhood, find something to eat/drink and then I\'d go to another museum and repeat. Truth be told, I was happy as a clam to do this. I didn\'t go to London to shop. Sure I popped into a few shops but most of them were crawling with people scooping up post-Christmas sale-items and the shops themselves were usually in disarray. This is not my idea of a good time. Ever.\r\n\r\nSo I stuck to wandering. Taking pictures. Eating. Exploring.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Rainy Garden in the V&amp;A\"]<a title=\"Rainy Garden in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693892783/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7143/6693892783_025a603c73_z.jpg\" alt=\"Rainy Garden in the V&amp;A\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A\"]<a title=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693887145/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6693887145_606efd6a91_z.jpg\" alt=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Staircase in the V&amp;A\"]<a title=\"Staircase in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693885377/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6693885377_3a1f2c8033_z.jpg\" alt=\"Staircase in the V&amp;A\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Bridge to St Paul&#39;s from the Tate Modern\"]<a title=\"Bridge to St Paul\'s by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693684039/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6693684039_702da143eb_z.jpg\" alt=\"Bridge to St Paul\'s\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Millennium Foot Bridge to the Tate Modern\"]<a title=\"Millennium Foot Bridge by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693679605/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6693679605_b811d44710_z.jpg\" alt=\"Millennium Foot Bridge\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Tate Modern: Poetry and Dream\"]<a title=\"Tate Modern Poetry and Dream by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693685895/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6693685895_6151b54663_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Modern Poetry and Dream\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Tate Modern timeline\"]<a title=\"Tate Modern timeline by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693684599/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6693684599_76463677fa_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Modern timeline\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nAfter all of this, I think that if you\'re short on time in London there are probably five must see museums: the National Portrait Gallery, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Britain and the Tate Modern.\r\n\r\nIn writing this post, I tried to determine if I had a favorite museum in London but that\'s sort of like comparing apples and oranges. I was pleasantly surprised by how modern and hip the Victoria and Albert Museum came off even with their various collection of objects. This is a museum with a good sense of space, style and humor. And the Chihuly glass sculpture in the foyer is incredible--what to know how they clean it?! The V&amp;A has a <a href=\"http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/b/behind-the-scenes-chihuly-chandelier/?utm_source=V%26A-website&amp;utm_medium=redirect&amp;utm_content=int-chihuly-desktop-wallpaper&amp;utm_campaign=ugc-rev-nov11\" target=\"_blank\">behind the scenes piece on this</a> on their website.\r\n\r\n\r\nI was prepared to LOVE the Tate Modern which I did. Just with lowercase letters. The Tate Modern has a pretty wonderful collection but between the layout, the colors and the bookstore/gift shop the Tate Modern seems like it\'s trying too hard to be cool and cutting edge. Should you go? Absolutely. Just be warned.\r\nThe Tate Britain seems a little stodgy but they have a lot of classics, big rooms and plenty of places to sit and really look at the art. This museum in comparison to many that I visited was comparatively empty. I felt like I had the museum to myself. That was good because it gave me plenty of time to check out <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophelia_%28painting%29\" target=\"_blank\">Sir John Everett Millais\'s Ophelia</a>--a painting I\'ve seen plenty of times reproduced in textbooks but which is even creepier and more intense in person. This interestingly hangs just feet from <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_of_Shalott_%28painting%29\" target=\"_blank\">Waterhouse\'s The Lady of Shalott</a>. I knew both of these paintings were here but I wasn\'t prepared to seem them on the same wall.','Five of My Favorite Museums and Galleries in London','','inherit','open','open','','6098-revision-5','','','2012-01-14 11:01:49','2012-01-14 09:01:49','',6098,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/14/6098-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(6104,1,'2012-01-14 11:01:50','2012-01-14 09:01:50','I find it really hard to write posts about cities that people love and travel to a lot. London of course is one of these cities.\r\n\r\nThe thing about London is that it\'s big. There\'s something for everyone. It\'s old and new at the same time. And, it\'s funny to hear people speaking English with an accent.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Tate Britain\"]<a title=\"Tate Britain  by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693698465/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6693698465_02b603f6b0.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Britain \" width=\"300\" height=\"450\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI had a great time and I find myself insanely jealous of the fabulous museums in this city. These museums put those in Sofia to shame. Sure British Museum is full of stolen things but to their credit they did steal pretty great stuff and they\'ve done an even better job displaying it.  I mean: mummies (men, women, children, birds, cats and even alligators?!) <em>and</em> the Rosetta Stone?!\r\n\r\nSo I spent a huge portion of my time in museums and galleries--looking at things, admiring art and trying not to be snippy with pushy tourists (and there are some <em>crazy</em> tourists in London). The fact that I love art, history and old things makes visiting London in the middle of winter seem much more reasonable.\r\n\r\nEach day I basically did some variation of: walk to a museum, see the museum, walk around the neighborhood, find something to eat/drink and then I\'d go to another museum and repeat. Truth be told, I was happy as a clam to do this. I didn\'t go to London to shop. Sure I popped into a few shops but most of them were crawling with people scooping up post-Christmas sale-items and the shops themselves were usually in disarray. This is not my idea of a good time. Ever.\r\n\r\nSo I stuck to wandering. Taking pictures. Eating. Exploring.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Rainy Garden in the V&amp;A\"]<a title=\"Rainy Garden in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693892783/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7143/6693892783_025a603c73_z.jpg\" alt=\"Rainy Garden in the V&amp;A\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A\"]<a title=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693887145/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6693887145_606efd6a91_z.jpg\" alt=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Staircase in the V&amp;A\"]<a title=\"Staircase in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693885377/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6693885377_3a1f2c8033_z.jpg\" alt=\"Staircase in the V&amp;A\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Bridge to St Paul&#39;s from the Tate Modern\"]<a title=\"Bridge to St Paul\'s by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693684039/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6693684039_702da143eb_z.jpg\" alt=\"Bridge to St Paul\'s\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Millennium Foot Bridge to the Tate Modern\"]<a title=\"Millennium Foot Bridge by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693679605/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6693679605_b811d44710_z.jpg\" alt=\"Millennium Foot Bridge\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Tate Modern: Poetry and Dream\"]<a title=\"Tate Modern Poetry and Dream by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693685895/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6693685895_6151b54663_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Modern Poetry and Dream\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Tate Modern timeline\"]<a title=\"Tate Modern timeline by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693684599/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6693684599_76463677fa_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Modern timeline\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nAfter all of this, I think that if you\'re short on time in London there are probably five must see museums: the National Portrait Gallery, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Britain and the Tate Modern.\r\n\r\nIn writing this post, I tried to determine if I had a favorite museum in London but that\'s sort of like comparing apples and oranges. I was pleasantly surprised by how modern and hip the Victoria and Albert Museum came off even with their various collection of objects. This is a museum with a good sense of space, style and humor. And the Chihuly glass sculpture in the foyer is incredible--what to know how they clean it?! The V&amp;A has a <a href=\"http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/b/behind-the-scenes-chihuly-chandelier/?utm_source=V%26A-website&amp;utm_medium=redirect&amp;utm_content=int-chihuly-desktop-wallpaper&amp;utm_campaign=ugc-rev-nov11\" target=\"_blank\">behind the scenes piece on this</a> on their website.\r\n\r\n\r\nI was prepared to LOVE the Tate Modern which I did. Just with lowercase letters. The Tate Modern has a pretty wonderful collection but between the layout, the colors and the bookstore/gift shop the Tate Modern seems like it\'s trying too hard to be cool and cutting edge. Should you go? Absolutely. Just be warned.\r\nThe Tate Britain seems a little stodgy but they have a lot of classics, big rooms and plenty of places to sit and really look at the art. This museum in comparison to many that I visited was comparatively empty. I felt like I had the museum to myself. That was good because it gave me plenty of time to check out <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophelia_%28painting%29\" target=\"_blank\">Sir John Everett Millais\'s Ophelia</a>--a painting I\'ve seen plenty of times reproduced in textbooks but which is even creepier and more intense in person. This interestingly hangs just feet from <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_of_Shalott_%28painting%29\" target=\"_blank\">Waterhouse\'s The Lady of Shalott</a>. I knew both of these paintings were here but I wasn\'t prepared to seem them on the same wall.','Five of My Favorite Museums and Galleries in London','','inherit','open','open','','6098-revision-6','','','2012-01-14 11:01:50','2012-01-14 09:01:50','',6098,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/14/6098-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(6105,1,'2012-01-14 11:05:00','2012-01-14 09:05:00','I find it really hard to write posts about cities that people love and travel to a lot. London of course is one of these cities.\n\nThe thing about London is that it\'s big. There\'s something for everyone. It\'s old and new at the same time. And, it\'s funny to hear people speaking English with an accent.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Tate Britain\"]<a title=\"Tate Britain  by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693698465/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6693698465_02b603f6b0.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Britain \" width=\"300\" height=\"450\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI had a great time and I find myself insanely jealous of the fabulous museums in this city. These museums put those in Sofia to shame. Sure British Museum is full of stolen things but to their credit they did steal pretty great stuff and they\'ve done an even better job displaying it.  I mean: mummies (men, women, children, birds, cats and even alligators?!) <em>and</em> the Rosetta Stone?!\n\nSo I spent a huge portion of my time in museums and galleries--looking at things, admiring art and trying not to be snippy with pushy tourists (and there are some <em>crazy</em> tourists in London). The fact that I love art, history and old things makes visiting London in the middle of winter seem much more reasonable.\n\nEach day I basically did some variation of: walk to a museum, see the museum, walk around the neighborhood, find something to eat/drink and then I\'d go to another museum and repeat. Truth be told, I was happy as a clam to do this. I didn\'t go to London to shop. Sure I popped into a few shops but most of them were crawling with people scooping up post-Christmas sale-items and the shops themselves were usually in disarray. This is not my idea of a good time. Ever.\n\nSo I stuck to wandering. Taking pictures. Eating. Exploring.<!--more-->\n\nAfter all of this, I think that if you\'re short on time in London there are probably five must see museums: the National Portrait Gallery, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Britain and the Tate Modern.\n\nIn writing this post, I tried to determine if I had a favorite museum in London but that\'s sort of like comparing apples and oranges.\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Rainy Garden in the V&amp;A\"]<a title=\"Rainy Garden in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693892783/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7143/6693892783_025a603c73_z.jpg\" alt=\"Rainy Garden in the V&amp;A\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A\"]<a title=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693887145/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6693887145_606efd6a91_z.jpg\" alt=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Staircase in the V&amp;A\"]<a title=\"Staircase in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693885377/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6693885377_3a1f2c8033_z.jpg\" alt=\"Staircase in the V&amp;A\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Bridge to St Paul&#39;s from the Tate Modern\"]<a title=\"Bridge to St Paul\'s by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693684039/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6693684039_702da143eb_z.jpg\" alt=\"Bridge to St Paul\'s\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Millennium Foot Bridge to the Tate Modern\"]<a title=\"Millennium Foot Bridge by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693679605/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6693679605_b811d44710_z.jpg\" alt=\"Millennium Foot Bridge\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI was prepared to LOVE the Tate Modern which I did. Just with lowercase letters. The Tate Modern has a pretty wonderful collection but between the layout, the colors and the bookstore/gift shop the Tate Modern seems like it\'s trying too hard to be cool and cutting edge. Should you go? Absolutely. Just be warned.\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Tate Modern: Poetry and Dream\"]<a title=\"Tate Modern Poetry and Dream by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693685895/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6693685895_6151b54663_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Modern Poetry and Dream\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Tate Modern timeline\"]<a title=\"Tate Modern timeline by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693684599/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6693684599_76463677fa_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Modern timeline\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI was pleasantly surprised by how modern and hip the Victoria and Albert Museum came off even with their various collection of objects. This is a museum with a good sense of space, style and humor. And the Chihuly glass sculpture in the foyer is incredible--what to know how they clean it?! The V&amp;A has a <a href=\"http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/b/behind-the-scenes-chihuly-chandelier/?utm_source=V%26A-website&amp;utm_medium=redirect&amp;utm_content=int-chihuly-desktop-wallpaper&amp;utm_campaign=ugc-rev-nov11\" target=\"_blank\">behind the scenes piece on this</a> on their website.\n\nThe Tate Britain seems a little stodgy but they have a lot of classics, big rooms and plenty of places to sit and really look at the art. This museum in comparison to many that I visited was comparatively empty. I felt like I had the museum to myself. That was good because it gave me plenty of time to check out <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophelia_%28painting%29\" target=\"_blank\">Sir John Everett Millais\'s Ophelia</a>--a painting I\'ve seen plenty of times reproduced in textbooks but which is even creepier and more intense in person. This interestingly hangs just feet from <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_of_Shalott_%28painting%29\" target=\"_blank\">Waterhouse\'s The Lady of Shalott</a>. I knew both of these paintings were here but I wasn\'t prepared to seem them on the same wall.','Five of My Favorite Museums and Galleries in London','','inherit','open','open','','6098-revision-7','','','2012-01-14 11:05:00','2012-01-14 09:05:00','',6098,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/14/6098-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(6107,1,'2012-01-14 11:07:16','2012-01-14 09:07:16','I find it really hard to write posts about cities that people love and travel to a lot. London of course is one of these cities.\n\nThe thing about London is that it\'s big. There\'s something for everyone. It\'s old and new at the same time. And, it\'s funny to hear people speaking English with an accent.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Tate Britain\"]<a title=\"Tate Britain  by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693698465/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6693698465_02b603f6b0.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Britain \" width=\"300\" height=\"450\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI had a great time and I find myself insanely jealous of the fabulous museums in this city. These museums put those in Sofia to shame. Sure British Museum is full of stolen things but to their credit they did steal pretty great stuff and they\'ve done an even better job displaying it.  I mean: mummies (men, women, children, birds, cats and even alligators?!) <em>and</em> the Rosetta Stone?!\n\nSo I spent a huge portion of my time in museums and galleries--looking at things, admiring art and trying not to be snippy with pushy tourists (and there are some <em>crazy</em> tourists in London). The fact that I love art, history and old things makes visiting London in the middle of winter seem much more reasonable.\n\nEach day I basically did some variation of: walk to a museum, see the museum, walk around the neighborhood, find something to eat/drink and then I\'d go to another museum and repeat. Truth be told, I was happy as a clam to do this. I didn\'t go to London to shop. Sure I popped into a few shops but most of them were crawling with people scooping up post-Christmas sale-items and the shops themselves were usually in disarray. This is not my idea of a good time. Ever.\n\nSo I stuck to wandering. Taking pictures. Eating. Exploring.<!--more-->\n\nAfter all of this, I think that if you\'re short on time in London there are probably five must see museums: the National Portrait Gallery, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Britain and the Tate Modern.\n\nIn writing this post, I tried to determine if I had a favorite museum in London but that\'s sort of like comparing apples and oranges.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Rainy Garden in the V&amp;A\"]<a title=\"Rainy Garden in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693892783/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7143/6693892783_025a603c73_z.jpg\" alt=\"Rainy Garden in the V&amp;A\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A\"]<a title=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693887145/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6693887145_606efd6a91_z.jpg\" alt=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI was pleasantly surprised by how modern and hip the Victoria and Albert Museum came off even with their various collection of objects. This is a museum with a good sense of space, style and humor. And the Chihuly glass sculpture in the foyer is incredible--what to know how they clean it?! The V&amp;A has a <a href=\"http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/b/behind-the-scenes-chihuly-chandelier/?utm_source=V%26A-website&amp;utm_medium=redirect&amp;utm_content=int-chihuly-desktop-wallpaper&amp;utm_campaign=ugc-rev-nov11\" target=\"_blank\">behind the scenes piece on this</a> on their website.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Staircase in the V&amp;A\"]<a title=\"Staircase in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693885377/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6693885377_3a1f2c8033_z.jpg\" alt=\"Staircase in the V&amp;A\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Bridge to St Paul&#39;s from the Tate Modern\"]<a title=\"Bridge to St Paul\'s by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693684039/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6693684039_702da143eb_z.jpg\" alt=\"Bridge to St Paul\'s\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Millennium Foot Bridge to the Tate Modern\"]<a title=\"Millennium Foot Bridge by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693679605/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6693679605_b811d44710_z.jpg\" alt=\"Millennium Foot Bridge\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI was prepared to LOVE the Tate Modern which I did. Just with lowercase letters. The Tate Modern has a pretty wonderful collection but between the layout, the colors and the bookstore/gift shop the Tate Modern seems like it\'s trying too hard to be cool and cutting edge. Should you go? Absolutely. Just be warned.\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Tate Modern: Poetry and Dream\"]<a title=\"Tate Modern Poetry and Dream by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693685895/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6693685895_6151b54663_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Modern Poetry and Dream\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Tate Modern timeline\"]<a title=\"Tate Modern timeline by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693684599/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6693684599_76463677fa_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Modern timeline\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\nThe Tate Britain seems a little stodgy but they have a lot of classics, big rooms and plenty of places to sit and really look at the art. This museum in comparison to many that I visited was comparatively empty. I felt like I had the museum to myself. That was good because it gave me plenty of time to check out <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophelia_%28painting%29\" target=\"_blank\">Sir John Everett Millais\'s Ophelia</a>--a painting I\'ve seen plenty of times reproduced in textbooks but which is even creepier and more intense in person. This interestingly hangs just feet from <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_of_Shalott_%28painting%29\" target=\"_blank\">Waterhouse\'s The Lady of Shalott</a>. I knew both of these paintings were here but I wasn\'t prepared to seem them on the same wall.','Five of My Favorite Museums and Galleries in London','','inherit','open','open','','6098-revision-9','','','2012-01-14 11:07:16','2012-01-14 09:07:16','',6098,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/14/6098-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(6106,1,'2012-01-14 11:05:33','2012-01-14 09:05:33','I find it really hard to write posts about cities that people love and travel to a lot. London of course is one of these cities.\r\n\r\nThe thing about London is that it\'s big. There\'s something for everyone. It\'s old and new at the same time. And, it\'s funny to hear people speaking English with an accent.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Tate Britain\"]<a title=\"Tate Britain  by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693698465/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6693698465_02b603f6b0.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Britain \" width=\"300\" height=\"450\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI had a great time and I find myself insanely jealous of the fabulous museums in this city. These museums put those in Sofia to shame. Sure British Museum is full of stolen things but to their credit they did steal pretty great stuff and they\'ve done an even better job displaying it.  I mean: mummies (men, women, children, birds, cats and even alligators?!) <em>and</em> the Rosetta Stone?!\r\n\r\nSo I spent a huge portion of my time in museums and galleries--looking at things, admiring art and trying not to be snippy with pushy tourists (and there are some <em>crazy</em> tourists in London). The fact that I love art, history and old things makes visiting London in the middle of winter seem much more reasonable.\r\n\r\nEach day I basically did some variation of: walk to a museum, see the museum, walk around the neighborhood, find something to eat/drink and then I\'d go to another museum and repeat. Truth be told, I was happy as a clam to do this. I didn\'t go to London to shop. Sure I popped into a few shops but most of them were crawling with people scooping up post-Christmas sale-items and the shops themselves were usually in disarray. This is not my idea of a good time. Ever.\r\n\r\nSo I stuck to wandering. Taking pictures. Eating. Exploring.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nAfter all of this, I think that if you\'re short on time in London there are probably five must see museums: the National Portrait Gallery, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Britain and the Tate Modern.\r\n\r\nIn writing this post, I tried to determine if I had a favorite museum in London but that\'s sort of like comparing apples and oranges.\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Rainy Garden in the V&amp;A\"]<a title=\"Rainy Garden in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693892783/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7143/6693892783_025a603c73_z.jpg\" alt=\"Rainy Garden in the V&amp;A\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A\"]<a title=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693887145/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6693887145_606efd6a91_z.jpg\" alt=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\nI was pleasantly surprised by how modern and hip the Victoria and Albert Museum came off even with their various collection of objects. This is a museum with a good sense of space, style and humor. And the Chihuly glass sculpture in the foyer is incredible--what to know how they clean it?! The V&amp;A has a <a href=\"http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/b/behind-the-scenes-chihuly-chandelier/?utm_source=V%26A-website&amp;utm_medium=redirect&amp;utm_content=int-chihuly-desktop-wallpaper&amp;utm_campaign=ugc-rev-nov11\" target=\"_blank\">behind the scenes piece on this</a> on their website.\r\n\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Staircase in the V&amp;A\"]<a title=\"Staircase in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693885377/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6693885377_3a1f2c8033_z.jpg\" alt=\"Staircase in the V&amp;A\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Bridge to St Paul&#39;s from the Tate Modern\"]<a title=\"Bridge to St Paul\'s by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693684039/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6693684039_702da143eb_z.jpg\" alt=\"Bridge to St Paul\'s\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Millennium Foot Bridge to the Tate Modern\"]<a title=\"Millennium Foot Bridge by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693679605/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6693679605_b811d44710_z.jpg\" alt=\"Millennium Foot Bridge\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI was prepared to LOVE the Tate Modern which I did. Just with lowercase letters. The Tate Modern has a pretty wonderful collection but between the layout, the colors and the bookstore/gift shop the Tate Modern seems like it\'s trying too hard to be cool and cutting edge. Should you go? Absolutely. Just be warned.\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Tate Modern: Poetry and Dream\"]<a title=\"Tate Modern Poetry and Dream by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693685895/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6693685895_6151b54663_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Modern Poetry and Dream\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Tate Modern timeline\"]<a title=\"Tate Modern timeline by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693684599/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6693684599_76463677fa_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Modern timeline\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\r\nThe Tate Britain seems a little stodgy but they have a lot of classics, big rooms and plenty of places to sit and really look at the art. This museum in comparison to many that I visited was comparatively empty. I felt like I had the museum to myself. That was good because it gave me plenty of time to check out <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophelia_%28painting%29\" target=\"_blank\">Sir John Everett Millais\'s Ophelia</a>--a painting I\'ve seen plenty of times reproduced in textbooks but which is even creepier and more intense in person. This interestingly hangs just feet from <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_of_Shalott_%28painting%29\" target=\"_blank\">Waterhouse\'s The Lady of Shalott</a>. I knew both of these paintings were here but I wasn\'t prepared to seem them on the same wall.','Five of My Favorite Museums and Galleries in London','','inherit','open','open','','6098-revision-8','','','2012-01-14 11:05:33','2012-01-14 09:05:33','',6098,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/14/6098-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(6108,1,'2012-01-14 11:08:32','2012-01-14 09:08:32','I find it really hard to write posts about cities that people love and travel to a lot. London of course is one of these cities.\n\nThe thing about London is that it\'s big. There\'s something for everyone. It\'s old and new at the same time. And, it\'s funny to hear people speaking English with an accent.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\" caption=\"Tate Britain\"]<a title=\"Tate Britain  by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693698465/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6693698465_02b603f6b0.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Britain \" width=\"300\" height=\"450\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI had a great time and I find myself insanely jealous of the fabulous museums in this city. These museums put those in Sofia to shame. Sure British Museum is full of stolen things but to their credit they did steal pretty great stuff and they\'ve done an even better job displaying it.  I mean: mummies (men, women, children, birds, cats and even alligators?!) <em>and</em> the Rosetta Stone?!\n\nSo I spent a huge portion of my time in museums and galleries--looking at things, admiring art and trying not to be snippy with pushy tourists (and there are some <em>crazy</em> tourists in London). The fact that I love art, history and old things makes visiting London in the middle of winter seem much more reasonable.\n\nEach day I basically did some variation of: walk to a museum, see the museum, walk around the neighborhood, find something to eat/drink and then I\'d go to another museum and repeat. Truth be told, I was happy as a clam to do this. I didn\'t go to London to shop. Sure I popped into a few shops but most of them were crawling with people scooping up post-Christmas sale-items and the shops themselves were usually in disarray. This is not my idea of a good time. Ever.\n\nSo I stuck to wandering. Taking pictures. Eating. Exploring.<!--more-->\n\nAfter all of this, I think that if you\'re short on time in London there are probably five must see museums: the National Portrait Gallery, the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Britain and the Tate Modern.\n\nIn writing this post, I tried to determine if I had a favorite museum in London but that\'s sort of like comparing apples and oranges. I don\'t have a single favorite but in my mind these are the museums and galleries that I liked the\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Rainy Garden in the V&amp;A\"]<a title=\"Rainy Garden in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693892783/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7143/6693892783_025a603c73_z.jpg\" alt=\"Rainy Garden in the V&amp;A\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A\"]<a title=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693887145/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7158/6693887145_606efd6a91_z.jpg\" alt=\"Chihuly Glass in the V&amp;A\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI was pleasantly surprised by how modern and hip the Victoria and Albert Museum came off even with their various collection of objects. This is a museum with a good sense of space, style and humor. And the Chihuly glass sculpture in the foyer is incredible--what to know how they clean it?! The V&amp;A has a <a href=\"http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/b/behind-the-scenes-chihuly-chandelier/?utm_source=V%26A-website&amp;utm_medium=redirect&amp;utm_content=int-chihuly-desktop-wallpaper&amp;utm_campaign=ugc-rev-nov11\" target=\"_blank\">behind the scenes piece on this</a> on their website.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Staircase in the V&amp;A\"]<a title=\"Staircase in the V&amp;A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693885377/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7173/6693885377_3a1f2c8033_z.jpg\" alt=\"Staircase in the V&amp;A\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Bridge to St Paul&#39;s from the Tate Modern\"]<a title=\"Bridge to St Paul\'s by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693684039/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6693684039_702da143eb_z.jpg\" alt=\"Bridge to St Paul\'s\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Millennium Foot Bridge to the Tate Modern\"]<a title=\"Millennium Foot Bridge by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693679605/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6693679605_b811d44710_z.jpg\" alt=\"Millennium Foot Bridge\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI was prepared to LOVE the Tate Modern which I did. Just with lowercase letters. The Tate Modern has a pretty wonderful collection but between the layout, the colors and the bookstore/gift shop the Tate Modern seems like it\'s trying too hard to be cool and cutting edge. Should you go? Absolutely. Just be warned.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Tate Modern: Poetry and Dream\"]<a title=\"Tate Modern Poetry and Dream by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693685895/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6693685895_6151b54663_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Modern Poetry and Dream\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Tate Modern timeline\"]<a title=\"Tate Modern timeline by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6693684599/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7022/6693684599_76463677fa_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tate Modern timeline\" width=\"576\" height=\"384\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThe Tate Britain seems a little stodgy but they have a lot of classics, big rooms and plenty of places to sit and really look at the art. This museum in comparison to many that I visited was comparatively empty. I felt like I had the museum to myself. That was good because it gave me plenty of time to check out <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ophelia_%28painting%29\" target=\"_blank\">Sir John Everett Millais\'s Ophelia</a>--a painting I\'ve seen plenty of times reproduced in textbooks but which is even creepier and more intense in person. This interestingly hangs just feet from <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lady_of_Shalott_%28painting%29\" target=\"_blank\">Waterhouse\'s The Lady of Shalott</a>. I knew both of these paintings were here but I wasn\'t prepared to seem them on the same wall.','Five of My Favorite Museums and Galleries in London','','inherit','open','open','','6098-revision-10','','','2012-01-14 11:08:32','2012-01-14 09:08:32','',6098,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/14/6098-revision-10/',0,'revision','',0),(6109,1,'2012-01-15 11:06:19','2012-01-15 09:06:19','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"384\" caption=\"Me drinking coffee at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Me having coffee at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699760477/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6699760477_e41c8dd275_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me having coffee at Ma Baker\" width=\"384\" height=\"512\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nYesterday I met up with my friend P. for coffee. It was great to catch up with him.\r\n\r\nWe shocked ourselves to discover that we hadn\'t seen each other since my Fasksgiving party. This resulted in lots of wishes for Christmas and the New Year and a lot of different things that we had to catch-up on.\r\n\r\nI\'d suggested that we check out this new(-ish) bakery and cafe that I\'d heard about and read about near NDK called Ma Baker. Sometimes I am nervous about taking friends to a place I\'ve never been before. I don\'t like to stake my name on it before I\'ve tried it out. Because really, what if I\'ve talked it up and the coffee stinks or the people working there are mean? What if the place isn\'t actually cute? What if there\'s no place to sit?\r\n\r\nWorse yet. What if it\'s just plain-old-every-day <em>bad</em> and you\'ve invited a friend to check it out with you?! What are you supposed to do then?!\r\n\r\nLuckily, none of these things happened to be the case. The interior of the the shop is light and open. The espresso machine is actually on an island in the middle of the room. The cafe smelled of baking bread and richly roasted coffee beans.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Sweets at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Sweets at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699756219/\"><img class=\"   \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6699756219_13f76a6c01_z.jpg\" alt=\"Sweets at Ma Baker\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI walked in and given the difference in temperature between the outdoors and the indoors my glasses fogged up immediately. It took me a couple of minutes to get my glasses to a place where I could see. I don\'t think P. realized what was going on because he kept asking me: where do you want to sit and I kept telling him: pick I can\'t really see right now without my glasses on, you pick. He then politely asks me: how\'s this? Even though I am still rubbing my glasses to warm them up, I figure that there aren\'t any bad seats in the bakery so I say: great.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Inside Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Inside Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699759367/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6699759367_90f82fc27a_z.jpg\" alt=\"Inside Ma Baker\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nReally there probably aren\'t seats for more than 12-14 people anyway so what are the chances of getting a bad one? I noticed that there also seems to be a space for tables and chairs outside the cafe during the spring and summer which is nice but that\'s a distant dream at this point.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699757833/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6699757833_8708407322_z.jpg\" alt=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe shop is customer driven. You order at the counter, you take your treat/snack/sweets to your seat and you get your drink when they call out the order. I like this but I have to say, it seems a tiny bit silly given how small the shop actually is. I think that the girl who made our drinks walked further to the mini-island for drink pick-up than she would have walked if she put them down at our table. This said, I also think it\'s silly when little cafes have two or three women working at them as waitresses when I could just as easily order a drink for myself at the bar and take it to a table myself. (I am apparently not that easy to please.)\r\n\r\nSo the coffee was great. I, of course, had a cappuccino. It was hot, hot. The milk was well steamed and the espresso finished on a slightly sweet note rather than a bitter overly roasted note, as so often happens in Sofia. P. lamented at the price of the small cappuccino--I think it was around 2.50 leva. This happens when you get used to paying 1 leva for espressos in hole-in-the-wall cafes around the city but I will say this, you get what you pay for in these little cafes.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"P. and his cookie\"]<a title=\"P. and his cookie by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699756795/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6699756795_1861e08d3b_z.jpg\" alt=\"P. and his cookie\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nP. ordered a very big chocolate chip cookie and I went with a slice of the raspberry tart. The chocolate chip cookie was good. It had plenty of chocolate and a little hint of vanilla to it. The problem in my mind is this: the cookie was crispy. I want a slightly chewy chocolate chip cookie. I want the edges to be a little crispy and the middle to be soft still. Bulgarians and I don\'t see eye to eye on this matter. I\'ve never had a chocolate chip cookie that does what I am looking for in this country--good thing I know how to make my own.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699757341/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7002/6699757341_ba7decf57c_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI had the slice of raspberry tart (about 3.50 leva). It was delicious. The crust was shortbread-esque. The raspberry filling was very raspberry-y with a hint of sweet but it was definitely not the cloying sweat of raspberry jam and on top there was a light layer of shaved almond. This is the kind of dessert that you don\'t really want to share but you do because as a friend, it\'s the right thing to do.\r\n\r\nWe talked for a long time and then out the way out bought baguettes (1.60 each). The baguettes came fresh out of the oven while we were talking and as soon as I saw that I knew that I <em>had</em> to have one. It was about all I could do not to take a big bite out of my baguette on the metro on the way home. The way a baguette hangs out of the end of its bag would make it so easy to do. The first thing I did when I got home was to slice a large piece off. I\'m happy to tell you this: the baguette rivaled any of those that I ate in Paris a week ago. The outside was dense and slightly crispy and the middle was chewy and airy. Perfection.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Ma Baker next to NDK\"]<a title=\"Ma Baker next to NDK by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699761983/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6699761983_b726653aab_z.jpg\" alt=\"Ma Baker next to NDK\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nNow while I\'d love to have this bakery in Mladost 1A, I am rather glad Ma Baker is downtown next to NDK (at<a href=\"http://programata.bg/?p=73&amp;l=2&amp;c=1&amp;id=6106\" target=\"_blank\"> 7 Skobelev Blvd</a>) as this means I can\'t go everyday even if I wanted to which for the record I do.\r\n\r\nThe one annoying thing is that Ma Baker doesn\'t seem to have a website. They do have a Facebook <em>profile</em> but really they should have their own<em> page</em> with information like their street address, phone number, hours and the like.','In Sofia: Ma Baker','','publish','open','open','','in-sofia-ma-baker','','','2012-01-15 11:06:19','2012-01-15 09:06:19','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=6109',0,'post','',2),(6110,1,'2012-01-15 10:25:35','2012-01-15 08:25:35','Yesterday I met up with my friend P. for coffee. It was great to catch up with him.\n\nWe shocked ourselves to discover that we hadn\'t seen each other since my Fasksgiving party. This resulted in lots of wishes for Christmas and the New Year and a lot of different things that we had to catch-up on.\n\nI\'d suggested that we check out this new(-ish) bakery and cafe that I\'d heard about and read about near NDK called Ma Baker. Sometimes I am nervous about taking friends to a place I\'ve never been before. I don\'t like to stake my name on it before I\'ve tried it out. Because really, what if I\'ve talked it up and the coffee stinks or the people working there are mean? What if the place isn\'t actually cute? What if there\'s no place to sit?\n\nWhat if it\'s just plain-old-every-day <em>bad</em>?!\n\nLuckily, none of these things happened to be the case. The interior of the the shop is light and open. The espresso machine is actually on an island in the middle of the room. The cafe smelled of baking bread and richly roasted coffee beans.\n\nI walked in and given the difference in temperature between the outdoors and the indoors my glasses fogged up immediately. It took me a couple of minutes to get my glasses to a place where I could see. I don\'t think P. realized what was going on because he kept asking me: where do you want to sit and I kept telling him: pick I can\'t really see right now without my glasses on, you pick. He then politely asks me: how\'s this? Even though I am still rubbing my glasses to warm them up, I figure that there aren\'t any bad seats in the bakery so I say: great.\n\nReally there probably aren\'t seats for more than 12-14 people anyway so what are the chances of getting a bad one? I noticed that there also seems to be a space for tables and chairs outside the cafe during the spring and summer which is nice but that\'s a distant dream at this point.\n\nThe shop is customer driven. You order at the counter, you take your treat/snack/sweets to your seat and you get your drink when they call out the order. I like this but I have to say, it seems a tiny bit silly given how small the shop actually is. I think that the girl who made our drinks walked further to the mini-island for drink pick-up than she would have walked if she put them down at our table. This said, I also think it\'s silly when little cafes have two or three women working at them as waitresses when I could just as easily order a drink for myself at the bar and take it to a table myself. (I am apparently not that easy to please.)\n\nSo the coffee was great. I, of course, had a cappuccino. It was hot, hot. The milk was well steamed and the espresso finished on a slightly sweet note rather than a bitter overly roasted note, as so often happens in Sofia. P. lamented at the price of the small cappuccino--I think it was around 2.50 leva. This happens when you get used to paying 1 leva for espressos in hole-in-the-wall cafes around the city but I will say this, you get what you pay for in these little cafes.\n\nP. ordered a very big chocolate chip cookie and I went with a slice of the raspberry tart. The chocolate chip cookie was good. It had plenty of chocolate and a little hint of vanilla to it. The problem in my mind is this: the cookie was crispy. I want a slightly chewy chocolate chip cookie. I want the edges to be a little crispy and the middle to be soft still. Bulgarians and I don\'t see eye to eye on this matter. I\'ve never had a chocolate chip cookie that does what I am looking for in this country--good thing I know how to make my own.\n\nI had the slice of raspberry tart (about 3.50 leva). It was delicious. The crust was shortbread-esque. The raspberry filling was very raspberry-y with a hint of sweet but it was definitely not the cloying sweat of raspberry jam and on top there was a light crumble topping. This is the kind of dessert that you don\'t really want to share but you do because as a friend, it\'s the right thing to do.\n\nWe talked for a long time and then out the way out bought baguettes (1.60 each). The baguettes came fresh out of the oven while we were talking and as soon as I saw that I knew that I <em>had</em> to have one. It was about all I could do not to take a big bite out of my baguette on the metro on the way home. The way a baguette hangs out of the end of its bag would make it so easy to do. The first thing I did when I got home was to slice a large piece off. I\'m happy to tell you this: the baguette rivaled any of those that I ate in Paris a week ago. The outside was dense and slightly crispy and the middle was chewy and airy. Perfection.\n\nNow while I\'d love to have this bakery in Mladost 1A, I am rather glad Ma Baker is downtown next to NDK (at<a href=\"http://programata.bg/?p=73&amp;l=2&amp;c=1&amp;id=6106\" target=\"_blank\"> 7 Skobelev Blvd</a>) as this means I can\'t go everyday even if I wanted to which for the record I do.\n\nThe one annoying thing is that Ma Baker doesn\'t seem to have a website. They do have a Facebook <em>profile</em> but really they should have their own<em> page</em> with information like their street address, phone number, hours and the like.','In Sofia: Ma Baker','','inherit','open','open','','6109-revision','','','2012-01-15 10:25:35','2012-01-15 08:25:35','',6109,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/15/6109-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6111,1,'2012-01-15 10:50:29','2012-01-15 08:50:29','<a title=\"Me having coffee at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699760477/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6699760477_e41c8dd275_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me having coffee at Ma Baker\" width=\"480\" height=\"640\" /></a>Yesterday I met up with my friend P. for coffee. It was great to catch up with him.\n\nWe shocked ourselves to discover that we hadn\'t seen each other since my Fasksgiving party. This resulted in lots of wishes for Christmas and the New Year and a lot of different things that we had to catch-up on.\n\nI\'d suggested that we check out this new(-ish) bakery and cafe that I\'d heard about and read about near NDK called Ma Baker. Sometimes I am nervous about taking friends to a place I\'ve never been before. I don\'t like to stake my name on it before I\'ve tried it out. Because really, what if I\'ve talked it up and the coffee stinks or the people working there are mean? What if the place isn\'t actually cute? What if there\'s no place to sit?\n\nWhat if it\'s just plain-old-every-day <em>bad</em>?!\n\nLuckily, none of these things happened to be the case. The interior of the the shop is light and open. The espresso machine is actually on an island in the middle of the room. The cafe smelled of baking bread and richly roasted coffee beans.\n\nI walked in and given the difference in temperature between the outdoors and the indoors my glasses fogged up immediately. It took me a couple of minutes to get my glasses to a place where I could see. I don\'t think P. realized what was going on because he kept asking me: where do you want to sit and I kept telling him: pick I can\'t really see right now without my glasses on, you pick. He then politely asks me: how\'s this? Even though I am still rubbing my glasses to warm them up, I figure that there aren\'t any bad seats in the bakery so I say: great.\n\nReally there probably aren\'t seats for more than 12-14 people anyway so what are the chances of getting a bad one? I noticed that there also seems to be a space for tables and chairs outside the cafe during the spring and summer which is nice but that\'s a distant dream at this point.\n\nThe shop is customer driven. You order at the counter, you take your treat/snack/sweets to your seat and you get your drink when they call out the order. I like this but I have to say, it seems a tiny bit silly given how small the shop actually is. I think that the girl who made our drinks walked further to the mini-island for drink pick-up than she would have walked if she put them down at our table. This said, I also think it\'s silly when little cafes have two or three women working at them as waitresses when I could just as easily order a drink for myself at the bar and take it to a table myself. (I am apparently not that easy to please.)\n\nSo the coffee was great. I, of course, had a cappuccino. It was hot, hot. The milk was well steamed and the espresso finished on a slightly sweet note rather than a bitter overly roasted note, as so often happens in Sofia. P. lamented at the price of the small cappuccino--I think it was around 2.50 leva. This happens when you get used to paying 1 leva for espressos in hole-in-the-wall cafes around the city but I will say this, you get what you pay for in these little cafes.\n\nP. ordered a very big chocolate chip cookie and I went with a slice of the raspberry tart. The chocolate chip cookie was good. It had plenty of chocolate and a little hint of vanilla to it. The problem in my mind is this: the cookie was crispy. I want a slightly chewy chocolate chip cookie. I want the edges to be a little crispy and the middle to be soft still. Bulgarians and I don\'t see eye to eye on this matter. I\'ve never had a chocolate chip cookie that does what I am looking for in this country--good thing I know how to make my own.\n\nI had the slice of raspberry tart (about 3.50 leva). It was delicious. The crust was shortbread-esque. The raspberry filling was very raspberry-y with a hint of sweet but it was definitely not the cloying sweat of raspberry jam and on top there was a light layer of shaved almond. This is the kind of dessert that you don\'t really want to share but you do because as a friend, it\'s the right thing to do.\n\nWe talked for a long time and then out the way out bought baguettes (1.60 each). The baguettes came fresh out of the oven while we were talking and as soon as I saw that I knew that I <em>had</em> to have one. It was about all I could do not to take a big bite out of my baguette on the metro on the way home. The way a baguette hangs out of the end of its bag would make it so easy to do. The first thing I did when I got home was to slice a large piece off. I\'m happy to tell you this: the baguette rivaled any of those that I ate in Paris a week ago. The outside was dense and slightly crispy and the middle was chewy and airy. Perfection.\n\nNow while I\'d love to have this bakery in Mladost 1A, I am rather glad Ma Baker is downtown next to NDK (at<a href=\"http://programata.bg/?p=73&amp;l=2&amp;c=1&amp;id=6106\" target=\"_blank\"> 7 Skobelev Blvd</a>) as this means I can\'t go everyday even if I wanted to which for the record I do.\n\nThe one annoying thing is that Ma Baker doesn\'t seem to have a website. They do have a Facebook <em>profile</em> but really they should have their own<em> page</em> with information like their street address, phone number, hours and the like.','In Sofia: Ma Baker','','inherit','open','open','','6109-revision-2','','','2012-01-15 10:50:29','2012-01-15 08:50:29','',6109,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/15/6109-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6112,1,'2012-01-15 10:51:29','2012-01-15 08:51:29','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"384\" caption=\"Me drinking coffee at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Me having coffee at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699760477/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6699760477_e41c8dd275_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me having coffee at Ma Baker\" width=\"384\" height=\"512\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nYesterday I met up with my friend P. for coffee. It was great to catch up with him.\n\nWe shocked ourselves to discover that we hadn\'t seen each other since my Fasksgiving party. This resulted in lots of wishes for Christmas and the New Year and a lot of different things that we had to catch-up on.\n\nI\'d suggested that we check out this new(-ish) bakery and cafe that I\'d heard about and read about near NDK called Ma Baker. Sometimes I am nervous about taking friends to a place I\'ve never been before. I don\'t like to stake my name on it before I\'ve tried it out. Because really, what if I\'ve talked it up and the coffee stinks or the people working there are mean? What if the place isn\'t actually cute? What if there\'s no place to sit?\n\nWhat if it\'s just plain-old-every-day <em>bad</em>?!\n\nLuckily, none of these things happened to be the case. The interior of the the shop is light and open. The espresso machine is actually on an island in the middle of the room. The cafe smelled of baking bread and richly roasted coffee beans.\n\nI walked in and given the difference in temperature between the outdoors and the indoors my glasses fogged up immediately. It took me a couple of minutes to get my glasses to a place where I could see. I don\'t think P. realized what was going on because he kept asking me: where do you want to sit and I kept telling him: pick I can\'t really see right now without my glasses on, you pick. He then politely asks me: how\'s this? Even though I am still rubbing my glasses to warm them up, I figure that there aren\'t any bad seats in the bakery so I say: great.\n\nReally there probably aren\'t seats for more than 12-14 people anyway so what are the chances of getting a bad one? I noticed that there also seems to be a space for tables and chairs outside the cafe during the spring and summer which is nice but that\'s a distant dream at this point.\n\nThe shop is customer driven. You order at the counter, you take your treat/snack/sweets to your seat and you get your drink when they call out the order. I like this but I have to say, it seems a tiny bit silly given how small the shop actually is. I think that the girl who made our drinks walked further to the mini-island for drink pick-up than she would have walked if she put them down at our table. This said, I also think it\'s silly when little cafes have two or three women working at them as waitresses when I could just as easily order a drink for myself at the bar and take it to a table myself. (I am apparently not that easy to please.)\n\nSo the coffee was great. I, of course, had a cappuccino. It was hot, hot. The milk was well steamed and the espresso finished on a slightly sweet note rather than a bitter overly roasted note, as so often happens in Sofia. P. lamented at the price of the small cappuccino--I think it was around 2.50 leva. This happens when you get used to paying 1 leva for espressos in hole-in-the-wall cafes around the city but I will say this, you get what you pay for in these little cafes.\n\nP. ordered a very big chocolate chip cookie and I went with a slice of the raspberry tart. The chocolate chip cookie was good. It had plenty of chocolate and a little hint of vanilla to it. The problem in my mind is this: the cookie was crispy. I want a slightly chewy chocolate chip cookie. I want the edges to be a little crispy and the middle to be soft still. Bulgarians and I don\'t see eye to eye on this matter. I\'ve never had a chocolate chip cookie that does what I am looking for in this country--good thing I know how to make my own.\n\nI had the slice of raspberry tart (about 3.50 leva). It was delicious. The crust was shortbread-esque. The raspberry filling was very raspberry-y with a hint of sweet but it was definitely not the cloying sweat of raspberry jam and on top there was a light layer of shaved almond. This is the kind of dessert that you don\'t really want to share but you do because as a friend, it\'s the right thing to do.\n\nWe talked for a long time and then out the way out bought baguettes (1.60 each). The baguettes came fresh out of the oven while we were talking and as soon as I saw that I knew that I <em>had</em> to have one. It was about all I could do not to take a big bite out of my baguette on the metro on the way home. The way a baguette hangs out of the end of its bag would make it so easy to do. The first thing I did when I got home was to slice a large piece off. I\'m happy to tell you this: the baguette rivaled any of those that I ate in Paris a week ago. The outside was dense and slightly crispy and the middle was chewy and airy. Perfection.\n\nNow while I\'d love to have this bakery in Mladost 1A, I am rather glad Ma Baker is downtown next to NDK (at<a href=\"http://programata.bg/?p=73&amp;l=2&amp;c=1&amp;id=6106\" target=\"_blank\"> 7 Skobelev Blvd</a>) as this means I can\'t go everyday even if I wanted to which for the record I do.\n\nThe one annoying thing is that Ma Baker doesn\'t seem to have a website. They do have a Facebook <em>profile</em> but really they should have their own<em> page</em> with information like their street address, phone number, hours and the like.','In Sofia: Ma Baker','','inherit','open','open','','6109-revision-3','','','2012-01-15 10:51:29','2012-01-15 08:51:29','',6109,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/15/6109-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6113,1,'2012-01-15 10:55:54','2012-01-15 08:55:54','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"384\" caption=\"Me drinking coffee at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Me having coffee at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699760477/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6699760477_e41c8dd275_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me having coffee at Ma Baker\" width=\"384\" height=\"512\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nYesterday I met up with my friend P. for coffee. It was great to catch up with him.\r\n\r\nWe shocked ourselves to discover that we hadn\'t seen each other since my Fasksgiving party. This resulted in lots of wishes for Christmas and the New Year and a lot of different things that we had to catch-up on.\r\n\r\nI\'d suggested that we check out this new(-ish) bakery and cafe that I\'d heard about and read about near NDK called Ma Baker. Sometimes I am nervous about taking friends to a place I\'ve never been before. I don\'t like to stake my name on it before I\'ve tried it out. Because really, what if I\'ve talked it up and the coffee stinks or the people working there are mean? What if the place isn\'t actually cute? What if there\'s no place to sit?\r\n\r\nWhat if it\'s just plain-old-every-day <em>bad</em>?!\r\n\r\nLuckily, none of these things happened to be the case. The interior of the the shop is light and open. The espresso machine is actually on an island in the middle of the room. The cafe smelled of baking bread and richly roasted coffee beans.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699756219/\" title=\"Sweets at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6699756219_13f76a6c01_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Sweets at Ma Baker\"></a>I walked in and given the difference in temperature between the outdoors and the indoors my glasses fogged up immediately. It took me a couple of minutes to get my glasses to a place where I could see. I don\'t think P. realized what was going on because he kept asking me: where do you want to sit and I kept telling him: pick I can\'t really see right now without my glasses on, you pick. He then politely asks me: how\'s this? Even though I am still rubbing my glasses to warm them up, I figure that there aren\'t any bad seats in the bakery so I say: great.<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699761983/\" title=\"Ma Baker next to NDK by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6699761983_b726653aab_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Ma Baker next to NDK\"></a>\r\n\r\nReally there probably aren\'t seats for more than 12-14 people anyway so what are the chances of getting a bad one? I noticed that there also seems to be a space for tables and chairs outside the cafe during the spring and summer which is nice but that\'s a distant dream at this point.<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699759367/\" title=\"Inside Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6699759367_90f82fc27a_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Inside Ma Baker\"></a>\r\n\r\nThe shop is customer driven. You order at the counter, you take your treat/snack/sweets to your seat and you get your drink when they call out the order. I like this but I have to say, it seems a tiny bit silly given how small the shop actually is. I think that the girl who made our drinks walked further to the mini-island for drink pick-up than she would have walked if she put them down at our table. This said, I also think it\'s silly when little cafes have two or three women working at them as waitresses when I could just as easily order a drink for myself at the bar and take it to a table myself. (I am apparently not that easy to please.)<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699757833/\" title=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6699757833_8708407322_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker\"></a>\r\n\r\nSo the coffee was great. I, of course, had a cappuccino. It was hot, hot. The milk was well steamed and the espresso finished on a slightly sweet note rather than a bitter overly roasted note, as so often happens in Sofia. P. lamented at the price of the small cappuccino--I think it was around 2.50 leva. This happens when you get used to paying 1 leva for espressos in hole-in-the-wall cafes around the city but I will say this, you get what you pay for in these little cafes.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699756795/\" title=\"P. and his cookie by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6699756795_1861e08d3b_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"P. and his cookie\"></a>P. ordered a very big chocolate chip cookie and I went with a slice of the raspberry tart. The chocolate chip cookie was good. It had plenty of chocolate and a little hint of vanilla to it. The problem in my mind is this: the cookie was crispy. I want a slightly chewy chocolate chip cookie. I want the edges to be a little crispy and the middle to be soft still. Bulgarians and I don\'t see eye to eye on this matter. I\'ve never had a chocolate chip cookie that does what I am looking for in this country--good thing I know how to make my own.\r\n\r\nI had the slice of raspberry tart (about 3.50 leva). It was delicious. The crust was shortbread-esque. The raspberry filling was very raspberry-y with a hint of sweet but it was definitely not the cloying sweat of raspberry jam and on top there was a light layer of shaved almond. This is the kind of dessert that you don\'t really want to share but you do because as a friend, it\'s the right thing to do.<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699757341/\" title=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7002/6699757341_ba7decf57c_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker\"></a>\r\n\r\nWe talked for a long time and then out the way out bought baguettes (1.60 each). The baguettes came fresh out of the oven while we were talking and as soon as I saw that I knew that I <em>had</em> to have one. It was about all I could do not to take a big bite out of my baguette on the metro on the way home. The way a baguette hangs out of the end of its bag would make it so easy to do. The first thing I did when I got home was to slice a large piece off. I\'m happy to tell you this: the baguette rivaled any of those that I ate in Paris a week ago. The outside was dense and slightly crispy and the middle was chewy and airy. Perfection.\r\n\r\nNow while I\'d love to have this bakery in Mladost 1A, I am rather glad Ma Baker is downtown next to NDK (at<a href=\"http://programata.bg/?p=73&amp;l=2&amp;c=1&amp;id=6106\" target=\"_blank\"> 7 Skobelev Blvd</a>) as this means I can\'t go everyday even if I wanted to which for the record I do.\r\n\r\nThe one annoying thing is that Ma Baker doesn\'t seem to have a website. They do have a Facebook <em>profile</em> but really they should have their own<em> page</em> with information like their street address, phone number, hours and the like.','In Sofia: Ma Baker','','inherit','open','open','','6109-revision-4','','','2012-01-15 10:55:54','2012-01-15 08:55:54','',6109,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/15/6109-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(6114,1,'2012-01-15 10:56:30','2012-01-15 08:56:30','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"384\" caption=\"Me drinking coffee at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Me having coffee at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699760477/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6699760477_e41c8dd275_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me having coffee at Ma Baker\" width=\"384\" height=\"512\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nYesterday I met up with my friend P. for coffee. It was great to catch up with him.\r\n\r\nWe shocked ourselves to discover that we hadn\'t seen each other since my Fasksgiving party. This resulted in lots of wishes for Christmas and the New Year and a lot of different things that we had to catch-up on.\r\n\r\nI\'d suggested that we check out this new(-ish) bakery and cafe that I\'d heard about and read about near NDK called Ma Baker. Sometimes I am nervous about taking friends to a place I\'ve never been before. I don\'t like to stake my name on it before I\'ve tried it out. Because really, what if I\'ve talked it up and the coffee stinks or the people working there are mean? What if the place isn\'t actually cute? What if there\'s no place to sit?\r\n\r\nWhat if it\'s just plain-old-every-day <em>bad</em>?!\r\n\r\nLuckily, none of these things happened to be the case. The interior of the the shop is light and open. The espresso machine is actually on an island in the middle of the room. The cafe smelled of baking bread and richly roasted coffee beans.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Sweets at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Sweets at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699756219/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6699756219_13f76a6c01_z.jpg\" alt=\"Sweets at Ma Baker\" width=\"576\" height=\"432\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI walked in and given the difference in temperature between the outdoors and the indoors my glasses fogged up immediately. It took me a couple of minutes to get my glasses to a place where I could see. I don\'t think P. realized what was going on because he kept asking me: where do you want to sit and I kept telling him: pick I can\'t really see right now without my glasses on, you pick. He then politely asks me: how\'s this? Even though I am still rubbing my glasses to warm them up, I figure that there aren\'t any bad seats in the bakery so I say: great.<a title=\"Ma Baker next to NDK by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699761983/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6699761983_b726653aab_z.jpg\" alt=\"Ma Baker next to NDK\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\n\r\nReally there probably aren\'t seats for more than 12-14 people anyway so what are the chances of getting a bad one? I noticed that there also seems to be a space for tables and chairs outside the cafe during the spring and summer which is nice but that\'s a distant dream at this point.<a title=\"Inside Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699759367/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6699759367_90f82fc27a_z.jpg\" alt=\"Inside Ma Baker\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe shop is customer driven. You order at the counter, you take your treat/snack/sweets to your seat and you get your drink when they call out the order. I like this but I have to say, it seems a tiny bit silly given how small the shop actually is. I think that the girl who made our drinks walked further to the mini-island for drink pick-up than she would have walked if she put them down at our table. This said, I also think it\'s silly when little cafes have two or three women working at them as waitresses when I could just as easily order a drink for myself at the bar and take it to a table myself. (I am apparently not that easy to please.)<a title=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699757833/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6699757833_8708407322_z.jpg\" alt=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSo the coffee was great. I, of course, had a cappuccino. It was hot, hot. The milk was well steamed and the espresso finished on a slightly sweet note rather than a bitter overly roasted note, as so often happens in Sofia. P. lamented at the price of the small cappuccino--I think it was around 2.50 leva. This happens when you get used to paying 1 leva for espressos in hole-in-the-wall cafes around the city but I will say this, you get what you pay for in these little cafes.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"P. and his cookie by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699756795/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6699756795_1861e08d3b_z.jpg\" alt=\"P. and his cookie\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>P. ordered a very big chocolate chip cookie and I went with a slice of the raspberry tart. The chocolate chip cookie was good. It had plenty of chocolate and a little hint of vanilla to it. The problem in my mind is this: the cookie was crispy. I want a slightly chewy chocolate chip cookie. I want the edges to be a little crispy and the middle to be soft still. Bulgarians and I don\'t see eye to eye on this matter. I\'ve never had a chocolate chip cookie that does what I am looking for in this country--good thing I know how to make my own.\r\n\r\nI had the slice of raspberry tart (about 3.50 leva). It was delicious. The crust was shortbread-esque. The raspberry filling was very raspberry-y with a hint of sweet but it was definitely not the cloying sweat of raspberry jam and on top there was a light layer of shaved almond. This is the kind of dessert that you don\'t really want to share but you do because as a friend, it\'s the right thing to do.<a title=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699757341/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7002/6699757341_ba7decf57c_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\n\r\nWe talked for a long time and then out the way out bought baguettes (1.60 each). The baguettes came fresh out of the oven while we were talking and as soon as I saw that I knew that I <em>had</em> to have one. It was about all I could do not to take a big bite out of my baguette on the metro on the way home. The way a baguette hangs out of the end of its bag would make it so easy to do. The first thing I did when I got home was to slice a large piece off. I\'m happy to tell you this: the baguette rivaled any of those that I ate in Paris a week ago. The outside was dense and slightly crispy and the middle was chewy and airy. Perfection.\r\n\r\nNow while I\'d love to have this bakery in Mladost 1A, I am rather glad Ma Baker is downtown next to NDK (at<a href=\"http://programata.bg/?p=73&amp;l=2&amp;c=1&amp;id=6106\" target=\"_blank\"> 7 Skobelev Blvd</a>) as this means I can\'t go everyday even if I wanted to which for the record I do.\r\n\r\nThe one annoying thing is that Ma Baker doesn\'t seem to have a website. They do have a Facebook <em>profile</em> but really they should have their own<em> page</em> with information like their street address, phone number, hours and the like.','In Sofia: Ma Baker','','inherit','open','open','','6109-revision-5','','','2012-01-15 10:56:30','2012-01-15 08:56:30','',6109,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/15/6109-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(6115,1,'2012-01-15 10:58:37','2012-01-15 08:58:37','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"384\" caption=\"Me drinking coffee at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Me having coffee at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699760477/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6699760477_e41c8dd275_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me having coffee at Ma Baker\" width=\"384\" height=\"512\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nYesterday I met up with my friend P. for coffee. It was great to catch up with him.\n\nWe shocked ourselves to discover that we hadn\'t seen each other since my Fasksgiving party. This resulted in lots of wishes for Christmas and the New Year and a lot of different things that we had to catch-up on.\n\nI\'d suggested that we check out this new(-ish) bakery and cafe that I\'d heard about and read about near NDK called Ma Baker. Sometimes I am nervous about taking friends to a place I\'ve never been before. I don\'t like to stake my name on it before I\'ve tried it out. Because really, what if I\'ve talked it up and the coffee stinks or the people working there are mean? What if the place isn\'t actually cute? What if there\'s no place to sit?\n\nWhat if it\'s just plain-old-every-day <em>bad</em>?!\n\nLuckily, none of these things happened to be the case. The interior of the the shop is light and open. The espresso machine is actually on an island in the middle of the room. The cafe smelled of baking bread and richly roasted coffee beans.<!--more-->\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Sweets at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Sweets at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699756219/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6699756219_13f76a6c01_z.jpg\" alt=\"Sweets at Ma Baker\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI walked in and given the difference in temperature between the outdoors and the indoors my glasses fogged up immediately. It took me a couple of minutes to get my glasses to a place where I could see. I don\'t think P. realized what was going on because he kept asking me: where do you want to sit and I kept telling him: pick I can\'t really see right now without my glasses on, you pick. He then politely asks me: how\'s this? Even though I am still rubbing my glasses to warm them up, I figure that there aren\'t any bad seats in the bakery so I say: great.<a title=\"Ma Baker next to NDK by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699761983/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6699761983_b726653aab_z.jpg\" alt=\"Ma Baker next to NDK\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\n\nReally there probably aren\'t seats for more than 12-14 people anyway so what are the chances of getting a bad one? I noticed that there also seems to be a space for tables and chairs outside the cafe during the spring and summer which is nice but that\'s a distant dream at this point.<a title=\"Inside Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699759367/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6699759367_90f82fc27a_z.jpg\" alt=\"Inside Ma Baker\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\n\nThe shop is customer driven. You order at the counter, you take your treat/snack/sweets to your seat and you get your drink when they call out the order. I like this but I have to say, it seems a tiny bit silly given how small the shop actually is. I think that the girl who made our drinks walked further to the mini-island for drink pick-up than she would have walked if she put them down at our table. This said, I also think it\'s silly when little cafes have two or three women working at them as waitresses when I could just as easily order a drink for myself at the bar and take it to a table myself. (I am apparently not that easy to please.)<a title=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699757833/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6699757833_8708407322_z.jpg\" alt=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\n\nSo the coffee was great. I, of course, had a cappuccino. It was hot, hot. The milk was well steamed and the espresso finished on a slightly sweet note rather than a bitter overly roasted note, as so often happens in Sofia. P. lamented at the price of the small cappuccino--I think it was around 2.50 leva. This happens when you get used to paying 1 leva for espressos in hole-in-the-wall cafes around the city but I will say this, you get what you pay for in these little cafes.\n\n<a title=\"P. and his cookie by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699756795/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6699756795_1861e08d3b_z.jpg\" alt=\"P. and his cookie\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>P. ordered a very big chocolate chip cookie and I went with a slice of the raspberry tart. The chocolate chip cookie was good. It had plenty of chocolate and a little hint of vanilla to it. The problem in my mind is this: the cookie was crispy. I want a slightly chewy chocolate chip cookie. I want the edges to be a little crispy and the middle to be soft still. Bulgarians and I don\'t see eye to eye on this matter. I\'ve never had a chocolate chip cookie that does what I am looking for in this country--good thing I know how to make my own.\n\nI had the slice of raspberry tart (about 3.50 leva). It was delicious. The crust was shortbread-esque. The raspberry filling was very raspberry-y with a hint of sweet but it was definitely not the cloying sweat of raspberry jam and on top there was a light layer of shaved almond. This is the kind of dessert that you don\'t really want to share but you do because as a friend, it\'s the right thing to do.<a title=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699757341/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7002/6699757341_ba7decf57c_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\n\nWe talked for a long time and then out the way out bought baguettes (1.60 each). The baguettes came fresh out of the oven while we were talking and as soon as I saw that I knew that I <em>had</em> to have one. It was about all I could do not to take a big bite out of my baguette on the metro on the way home. The way a baguette hangs out of the end of its bag would make it so easy to do. The first thing I did when I got home was to slice a large piece off. I\'m happy to tell you this: the baguette rivaled any of those that I ate in Paris a week ago. The outside was dense and slightly crispy and the middle was chewy and airy. Perfection.\n\nNow while I\'d love to have this bakery in Mladost 1A, I am rather glad Ma Baker is downtown next to NDK (at<a href=\"http://programata.bg/?p=73&amp;l=2&amp;c=1&amp;id=6106\" target=\"_blank\"> 7 Skobelev Blvd</a>) as this means I can\'t go everyday even if I wanted to which for the record I do.\n\nThe one annoying thing is that Ma Baker doesn\'t seem to have a website. They do have a Facebook <em>profile</em> but really they should have their own<em> page</em> with information like their street address, phone number, hours and the like.','In Sofia: Ma Baker','','inherit','open','open','','6109-revision-6','','','2012-01-15 10:58:37','2012-01-15 08:58:37','',6109,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/15/6109-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(6116,1,'2012-01-15 10:58:38','2012-01-15 08:58:38','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"384\" caption=\"Me drinking coffee at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Me having coffee at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699760477/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6699760477_e41c8dd275_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me having coffee at Ma Baker\" width=\"384\" height=\"512\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nYesterday I met up with my friend P. for coffee. It was great to catch up with him.\r\n\r\nWe shocked ourselves to discover that we hadn\'t seen each other since my Fasksgiving party. This resulted in lots of wishes for Christmas and the New Year and a lot of different things that we had to catch-up on.\r\n\r\nI\'d suggested that we check out this new(-ish) bakery and cafe that I\'d heard about and read about near NDK called Ma Baker. Sometimes I am nervous about taking friends to a place I\'ve never been before. I don\'t like to stake my name on it before I\'ve tried it out. Because really, what if I\'ve talked it up and the coffee stinks or the people working there are mean? What if the place isn\'t actually cute? What if there\'s no place to sit?\r\n\r\nWhat if it\'s just plain-old-every-day <em>bad</em>?!\r\n\r\nLuckily, none of these things happened to be the case. The interior of the the shop is light and open. The espresso machine is actually on an island in the middle of the room. The cafe smelled of baking bread and richly roasted coffee beans.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Sweets at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Sweets at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699756219/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6699756219_13f76a6c01_z.jpg\" alt=\"Sweets at Ma Baker\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI walked in and given the difference in temperature between the outdoors and the indoors my glasses fogged up immediately. It took me a couple of minutes to get my glasses to a place where I could see. I don\'t think P. realized what was going on because he kept asking me: where do you want to sit and I kept telling him: pick I can\'t really see right now without my glasses on, you pick. He then politely asks me: how\'s this? Even though I am still rubbing my glasses to warm them up, I figure that there aren\'t any bad seats in the bakery so I say: great.<a title=\"Ma Baker next to NDK by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699761983/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6699761983_b726653aab_z.jpg\" alt=\"Ma Baker next to NDK\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\n\r\nReally there probably aren\'t seats for more than 12-14 people anyway so what are the chances of getting a bad one? I noticed that there also seems to be a space for tables and chairs outside the cafe during the spring and summer which is nice but that\'s a distant dream at this point.<a title=\"Inside Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699759367/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6699759367_90f82fc27a_z.jpg\" alt=\"Inside Ma Baker\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\n\r\nThe shop is customer driven. You order at the counter, you take your treat/snack/sweets to your seat and you get your drink when they call out the order. I like this but I have to say, it seems a tiny bit silly given how small the shop actually is. I think that the girl who made our drinks walked further to the mini-island for drink pick-up than she would have walked if she put them down at our table. This said, I also think it\'s silly when little cafes have two or three women working at them as waitresses when I could just as easily order a drink for myself at the bar and take it to a table myself. (I am apparently not that easy to please.)<a title=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699757833/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6699757833_8708407322_z.jpg\" alt=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\n\r\nSo the coffee was great. I, of course, had a cappuccino. It was hot, hot. The milk was well steamed and the espresso finished on a slightly sweet note rather than a bitter overly roasted note, as so often happens in Sofia. P. lamented at the price of the small cappuccino--I think it was around 2.50 leva. This happens when you get used to paying 1 leva for espressos in hole-in-the-wall cafes around the city but I will say this, you get what you pay for in these little cafes.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"P. and his cookie by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699756795/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6699756795_1861e08d3b_z.jpg\" alt=\"P. and his cookie\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>P. ordered a very big chocolate chip cookie and I went with a slice of the raspberry tart. The chocolate chip cookie was good. It had plenty of chocolate and a little hint of vanilla to it. The problem in my mind is this: the cookie was crispy. I want a slightly chewy chocolate chip cookie. I want the edges to be a little crispy and the middle to be soft still. Bulgarians and I don\'t see eye to eye on this matter. I\'ve never had a chocolate chip cookie that does what I am looking for in this country--good thing I know how to make my own.\r\n\r\nI had the slice of raspberry tart (about 3.50 leva). It was delicious. The crust was shortbread-esque. The raspberry filling was very raspberry-y with a hint of sweet but it was definitely not the cloying sweat of raspberry jam and on top there was a light layer of shaved almond. This is the kind of dessert that you don\'t really want to share but you do because as a friend, it\'s the right thing to do.<a title=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699757341/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7002/6699757341_ba7decf57c_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\n\r\nWe talked for a long time and then out the way out bought baguettes (1.60 each). The baguettes came fresh out of the oven while we were talking and as soon as I saw that I knew that I <em>had</em> to have one. It was about all I could do not to take a big bite out of my baguette on the metro on the way home. The way a baguette hangs out of the end of its bag would make it so easy to do. The first thing I did when I got home was to slice a large piece off. I\'m happy to tell you this: the baguette rivaled any of those that I ate in Paris a week ago. The outside was dense and slightly crispy and the middle was chewy and airy. Perfection.\r\n\r\nNow while I\'d love to have this bakery in Mladost 1A, I am rather glad Ma Baker is downtown next to NDK (at<a href=\"http://programata.bg/?p=73&amp;l=2&amp;c=1&amp;id=6106\" target=\"_blank\"> 7 Skobelev Blvd</a>) as this means I can\'t go everyday even if I wanted to which for the record I do.\r\n\r\nThe one annoying thing is that Ma Baker doesn\'t seem to have a website. They do have a Facebook <em>profile</em> but really they should have their own<em> page</em> with information like their street address, phone number, hours and the like.','In Sofia: Ma Baker','','inherit','open','open','','6109-revision-7','','','2012-01-15 10:58:38','2012-01-15 08:58:38','',6109,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/15/6109-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(6117,1,'2012-01-15 11:01:45','2012-01-15 09:01:45','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"384\" caption=\"Me drinking coffee at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Me having coffee at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699760477/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6699760477_e41c8dd275_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me having coffee at Ma Baker\" width=\"384\" height=\"512\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nYesterday I met up with my friend P. for coffee. It was great to catch up with him.\r\n\r\nWe shocked ourselves to discover that we hadn\'t seen each other since my Fasksgiving party. This resulted in lots of wishes for Christmas and the New Year and a lot of different things that we had to catch-up on.\r\n\r\nI\'d suggested that we check out this new(-ish) bakery and cafe that I\'d heard about and read about near NDK called Ma Baker. Sometimes I am nervous about taking friends to a place I\'ve never been before. I don\'t like to stake my name on it before I\'ve tried it out. Because really, what if I\'ve talked it up and the coffee stinks or the people working there are mean? What if the place isn\'t actually cute? What if there\'s no place to sit?\r\n\r\nWhat if it\'s just plain-old-every-day <em>bad</em>?!\r\n\r\nLuckily, none of these things happened to be the case. The interior of the the shop is light and open. The espresso machine is actually on an island in the middle of the room. The cafe smelled of baking bread and richly roasted coffee beans.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Sweets at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Sweets at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699756219/\"><img class=\"  \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6699756219_13f76a6c01_z.jpg\" alt=\"Sweets at Ma Baker\" width=\"576\" height=\"432\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Ma Baker next to NDK\"]<a title=\"Ma Baker next to NDK by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699761983/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6699761983_b726653aab_z.jpg\" alt=\"Ma Baker next to NDK\" width=\"576\" height=\"432\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI walked in and given the difference in temperature between the outdoors and the indoors my glasses fogged up immediately. It took me a couple of minutes to get my glasses to a place where I could see. I don\'t think P. realized what was going on because he kept asking me: where do you want to sit and I kept telling him: pick I can\'t really see right now without my glasses on, you pick. He then politely asks me: how\'s this? Even though I am still rubbing my glasses to warm them up, I figure that there aren\'t any bad seats in the bakery so I say: great.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Inside Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Inside Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699759367/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6699759367_90f82fc27a_z.jpg\" alt=\"Inside Ma Baker\" width=\"576\" height=\"432\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nReally there probably aren\'t seats for more than 12-14 people anyway so what are the chances of getting a bad one? I noticed that there also seems to be a space for tables and chairs outside the cafe during the spring and summer which is nice but that\'s a distant dream at this point.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699757833/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6699757833_8708407322_z.jpg\" alt=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker\" width=\"576\" height=\"432\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe shop is customer driven. You order at the counter, you take your treat/snack/sweets to your seat and you get your drink when they call out the order. I like this but I have to say, it seems a tiny bit silly given how small the shop actually is. I think that the girl who made our drinks walked further to the mini-island for drink pick-up than she would have walked if she put them down at our table. This said, I also think it\'s silly when little cafes have two or three women working at them as waitresses when I could just as easily order a drink for myself at the bar and take it to a table myself. (I am apparently not that easy to please.)\r\n\r\nSo the coffee was great. I, of course, had a cappuccino. It was hot, hot. The milk was well steamed and the espresso finished on a slightly sweet note rather than a bitter overly roasted note, as so often happens in Sofia. P. lamented at the price of the small cappuccino--I think it was around 2.50 leva. This happens when you get used to paying 1 leva for espressos in hole-in-the-wall cafes around the city but I will say this, you get what you pay for in these little cafes.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"P. and his cookie\"]<a title=\"P. and his cookie by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699756795/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6699756795_1861e08d3b_z.jpg\" alt=\"P. and his cookie\" width=\"576\" height=\"432\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nP. ordered a very big chocolate chip cookie and I went with a slice of the raspberry tart. The chocolate chip cookie was good. It had plenty of chocolate and a little hint of vanilla to it. The problem in my mind is this: the cookie was crispy. I want a slightly chewy chocolate chip cookie. I want the edges to be a little crispy and the middle to be soft still. Bulgarians and I don\'t see eye to eye on this matter. I\'ve never had a chocolate chip cookie that does what I am looking for in this country--good thing I know how to make my own.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"576\" caption=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699757341/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7002/6699757341_ba7decf57c_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker\" width=\"576\" height=\"432\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI had the slice of raspberry tart (about 3.50 leva). It was delicious. The crust was shortbread-esque. The raspberry filling was very raspberry-y with a hint of sweet but it was definitely not the cloying sweat of raspberry jam and on top there was a light layer of shaved almond. This is the kind of dessert that you don\'t really want to share but you do because as a friend, it\'s the right thing to do.\r\n\r\nWe talked for a long time and then out the way out bought baguettes (1.60 each). The baguettes came fresh out of the oven while we were talking and as soon as I saw that I knew that I <em>had</em> to have one. It was about all I could do not to take a big bite out of my baguette on the metro on the way home. The way a baguette hangs out of the end of its bag would make it so easy to do. The first thing I did when I got home was to slice a large piece off. I\'m happy to tell you this: the baguette rivaled any of those that I ate in Paris a week ago. The outside was dense and slightly crispy and the middle was chewy and airy. Perfection.\r\n\r\nNow while I\'d love to have this bakery in Mladost 1A, I am rather glad Ma Baker is downtown next to NDK (at<a href=\"http://programata.bg/?p=73&amp;l=2&amp;c=1&amp;id=6106\" target=\"_blank\"> 7 Skobelev Blvd</a>) as this means I can\'t go everyday even if I wanted to which for the record I do.\r\n\r\nThe one annoying thing is that Ma Baker doesn\'t seem to have a website. They do have a Facebook <em>profile</em> but really they should have their own<em> page</em> with information like their street address, phone number, hours and the like.','In Sofia: Ma Baker','','inherit','open','open','','6109-revision-8','','','2012-01-15 11:01:45','2012-01-15 09:01:45','',6109,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/15/6109-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(6118,1,'2012-01-15 11:03:50','2012-01-15 09:03:50','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"384\" caption=\"Me drinking coffee at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Me having coffee at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699760477/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6699760477_e41c8dd275_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me having coffee at Ma Baker\" width=\"384\" height=\"512\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nYesterday I met up with my friend P. for coffee. It was great to catch up with him.\n\nWe shocked ourselves to discover that we hadn\'t seen each other since my Fasksgiving party. This resulted in lots of wishes for Christmas and the New Year and a lot of different things that we had to catch-up on.\n\nI\'d suggested that we check out this new(-ish) bakery and cafe that I\'d heard about and read about near NDK called Ma Baker. Sometimes I am nervous about taking friends to a place I\'ve never been before. I don\'t like to stake my name on it before I\'ve tried it out. Because really, what if I\'ve talked it up and the coffee stinks or the people working there are mean? What if the place isn\'t actually cute? What if there\'s no place to sit?\n\nWhat if it\'s just plain-old-every-day <em>bad</em>?!\n\nLuckily, none of these things happened to be the case. The interior of the the shop is light and open. The espresso machine is actually on an island in the middle of the room. The cafe smelled of baking bread and richly roasted coffee beans.<!--more-->\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Sweets at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Sweets at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699756219/\"><img class=\"   \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6699756219_13f76a6c01_z.jpg\" alt=\"Sweets at Ma Baker\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Ma Baker next to NDK\"]<a title=\"Ma Baker next to NDK by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699761983/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6699761983_b726653aab_z.jpg\" alt=\"Ma Baker next to NDK\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI walked in and given the difference in temperature between the outdoors and the indoors my glasses fogged up immediately. It took me a couple of minutes to get my glasses to a place where I could see. I don\'t think P. realized what was going on because he kept asking me: where do you want to sit and I kept telling him: pick I can\'t really see right now without my glasses on, you pick. He then politely asks me: how\'s this? Even though I am still rubbing my glasses to warm them up, I figure that there aren\'t any bad seats in the bakery so I say: great.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Inside Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Inside Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699759367/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6699759367_90f82fc27a_z.jpg\" alt=\"Inside Ma Baker\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nReally there probably aren\'t seats for more than 12-14 people anyway so what are the chances of getting a bad one? I noticed that there also seems to be a space for tables and chairs outside the cafe during the spring and summer which is nice but that\'s a distant dream at this point.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699757833/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6699757833_8708407322_z.jpg\" alt=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThe shop is customer driven. You order at the counter, you take your treat/snack/sweets to your seat and you get your drink when they call out the order. I like this but I have to say, it seems a tiny bit silly given how small the shop actually is. I think that the girl who made our drinks walked further to the mini-island for drink pick-up than she would have walked if she put them down at our table. This said, I also think it\'s silly when little cafes have two or three women working at them as waitresses when I could just as easily order a drink for myself at the bar and take it to a table myself. (I am apparently not that easy to please.)\n\nSo the coffee was great. I, of course, had a cappuccino. It was hot, hot. The milk was well steamed and the espresso finished on a slightly sweet note rather than a bitter overly roasted note, as so often happens in Sofia. P. lamented at the price of the small cappuccino--I think it was around 2.50 leva. This happens when you get used to paying 1 leva for espressos in hole-in-the-wall cafes around the city but I will say this, you get what you pay for in these little cafes.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"P. and his cookie\"]<a title=\"P. and his cookie by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699756795/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6699756795_1861e08d3b_z.jpg\" alt=\"P. and his cookie\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nP. ordered a very big chocolate chip cookie and I went with a slice of the raspberry tart. The chocolate chip cookie was good. It had plenty of chocolate and a little hint of vanilla to it. The problem in my mind is this: the cookie was crispy. I want a slightly chewy chocolate chip cookie. I want the edges to be a little crispy and the middle to be soft still. Bulgarians and I don\'t see eye to eye on this matter. I\'ve never had a chocolate chip cookie that does what I am looking for in this country--good thing I know how to make my own.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699757341/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7002/6699757341_ba7decf57c_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI had the slice of raspberry tart (about 3.50 leva). It was delicious. The crust was shortbread-esque. The raspberry filling was very raspberry-y with a hint of sweet but it was definitely not the cloying sweat of raspberry jam and on top there was a light layer of shaved almond. This is the kind of dessert that you don\'t really want to share but you do because as a friend, it\'s the right thing to do.\n\nWe talked for a long time and then out the way out bought baguettes (1.60 each). The baguettes came fresh out of the oven while we were talking and as soon as I saw that I knew that I <em>had</em> to have one. It was about all I could do not to take a big bite out of my baguette on the metro on the way home. The way a baguette hangs out of the end of its bag would make it so easy to do. The first thing I did when I got home was to slice a large piece off. I\'m happy to tell you this: the baguette rivaled any of those that I ate in Paris a week ago. The outside was dense and slightly crispy and the middle was chewy and airy. Perfection.\n\nNow while I\'d love to have this bakery in Mladost 1A, I am rather glad Ma Baker is downtown next to NDK (at<a href=\"http://programata.bg/?p=73&amp;l=2&amp;c=1&amp;id=6106\" target=\"_blank\"> 7 Skobelev Blvd</a>) as this means I can\'t go everyday even if I wanted to which for the record I do.\n\nThe one annoying thing is that Ma Baker doesn\'t seem to have a website. They do have a Facebook <em>profile</em> but really they should have their own<em> page</em> with information like their street address, phone number, hours and the like.','In Sofia: Ma Baker','','inherit','open','open','','6109-revision-9','','','2012-01-15 11:03:50','2012-01-15 09:03:50','',6109,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/15/6109-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(6119,1,'2012-01-15 11:04:50','2012-01-15 09:04:50','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"384\" caption=\"Me drinking coffee at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Me having coffee at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699760477/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6699760477_e41c8dd275_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me having coffee at Ma Baker\" width=\"384\" height=\"512\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nYesterday I met up with my friend P. for coffee. It was great to catch up with him.\n\nWe shocked ourselves to discover that we hadn\'t seen each other since my Fasksgiving party. This resulted in lots of wishes for Christmas and the New Year and a lot of different things that we had to catch-up on.\n\nI\'d suggested that we check out this new(-ish) bakery and cafe that I\'d heard about and read about near NDK called Ma Baker. Sometimes I am nervous about taking friends to a place I\'ve never been before. I don\'t like to stake my name on it before I\'ve tried it out. Because really, what if I\'ve talked it up and the coffee stinks or the people working there are mean? What if the place isn\'t actually cute? What if there\'s no place to sit?\n\nWhat if it\'s just plain-old-every-day <em>bad</em>?!\n\nLuckily, none of these things happened to be the case. The interior of the the shop is light and open. The espresso machine is actually on an island in the middle of the room. The cafe smelled of baking bread and richly roasted coffee beans.<!--more-->\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Sweets at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Sweets at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699756219/\"><img class=\"   \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6699756219_13f76a6c01_z.jpg\" alt=\"Sweets at Ma Baker\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI walked in and given the difference in temperature between the outdoors and the indoors my glasses fogged up immediately. It took me a couple of minutes to get my glasses to a place where I could see. I don\'t think P. realized what was going on because he kept asking me: where do you want to sit and I kept telling him: pick I can\'t really see right now without my glasses on, you pick. He then politely asks me: how\'s this? Even though I am still rubbing my glasses to warm them up, I figure that there aren\'t any bad seats in the bakery so I say: great.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Inside Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Inside Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699759367/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6699759367_90f82fc27a_z.jpg\" alt=\"Inside Ma Baker\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nReally there probably aren\'t seats for more than 12-14 people anyway so what are the chances of getting a bad one? I noticed that there also seems to be a space for tables and chairs outside the cafe during the spring and summer which is nice but that\'s a distant dream at this point.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699757833/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6699757833_8708407322_z.jpg\" alt=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThe shop is customer driven. You order at the counter, you take your treat/snack/sweets to your seat and you get your drink when they call out the order. I like this but I have to say, it seems a tiny bit silly given how small the shop actually is. I think that the girl who made our drinks walked further to the mini-island for drink pick-up than she would have walked if she put them down at our table. This said, I also think it\'s silly when little cafes have two or three women working at them as waitresses when I could just as easily order a drink for myself at the bar and take it to a table myself. (I am apparently not that easy to please.)\n\nSo the coffee was great. I, of course, had a cappuccino. It was hot, hot. The milk was well steamed and the espresso finished on a slightly sweet note rather than a bitter overly roasted note, as so often happens in Sofia. P. lamented at the price of the small cappuccino--I think it was around 2.50 leva. This happens when you get used to paying 1 leva for espressos in hole-in-the-wall cafes around the city but I will say this, you get what you pay for in these little cafes.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"P. and his cookie\"]<a title=\"P. and his cookie by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699756795/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6699756795_1861e08d3b_z.jpg\" alt=\"P. and his cookie\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nP. ordered a very big chocolate chip cookie and I went with a slice of the raspberry tart. The chocolate chip cookie was good. It had plenty of chocolate and a little hint of vanilla to it. The problem in my mind is this: the cookie was crispy. I want a slightly chewy chocolate chip cookie. I want the edges to be a little crispy and the middle to be soft still. Bulgarians and I don\'t see eye to eye on this matter. I\'ve never had a chocolate chip cookie that does what I am looking for in this country--good thing I know how to make my own.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699757341/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7002/6699757341_ba7decf57c_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI had the slice of raspberry tart (about 3.50 leva). It was delicious. The crust was shortbread-esque. The raspberry filling was very raspberry-y with a hint of sweet but it was definitely not the cloying sweat of raspberry jam and on top there was a light layer of shaved almond. This is the kind of dessert that you don\'t really want to share but you do because as a friend, it\'s the right thing to do.\n\nWe talked for a long time and then out the way out bought baguettes (1.60 each). The baguettes came fresh out of the oven while we were talking and as soon as I saw that I knew that I <em>had</em> to have one. It was about all I could do not to take a big bite out of my baguette on the metro on the way home. The way a baguette hangs out of the end of its bag would make it so easy to do. The first thing I did when I got home was to slice a large piece off. I\'m happy to tell you this: the baguette rivaled any of those that I ate in Paris a week ago. The outside was dense and slightly crispy and the middle was chewy and airy. Perfection.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Ma Baker next to NDK\"]<a title=\"Ma Baker next to NDK by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699761983/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6699761983_b726653aab_z.jpg\" alt=\"Ma Baker next to NDK\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nNow while I\'d love to have this bakery in Mladost 1A, I am rather glad Ma Baker is downtown next to NDK (at<a href=\"http://programata.bg/?p=73&amp;l=2&amp;c=1&amp;id=6106\" target=\"_blank\"> 7 Skobelev Blvd</a>) as this means I can\'t go everyday even if I wanted to which for the record I do.\n\nThe one annoying thing is that Ma Baker doesn\'t seem to have a website. They do have a Facebook <em>profile</em> but really they should have their own<em> page</em> with information like their street address, phone number, hours and the like.','In Sofia: Ma Baker','','inherit','open','open','','6109-revision-10','','','2012-01-15 11:04:50','2012-01-15 09:04:50','',6109,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/15/6109-revision-10/',0,'revision','',0),(6120,1,'2012-01-15 11:05:33','2012-01-15 09:05:33','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"384\" caption=\"Me drinking coffee at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Me having coffee at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699760477/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6699760477_e41c8dd275_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me having coffee at Ma Baker\" width=\"384\" height=\"512\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nYesterday I met up with my friend P. for coffee. It was great to catch up with him.\r\n\r\nWe shocked ourselves to discover that we hadn\'t seen each other since my Fasksgiving party. This resulted in lots of wishes for Christmas and the New Year and a lot of different things that we had to catch-up on.\r\n\r\nI\'d suggested that we check out this new(-ish) bakery and cafe that I\'d heard about and read about near NDK called Ma Baker. Sometimes I am nervous about taking friends to a place I\'ve never been before. I don\'t like to stake my name on it before I\'ve tried it out. Because really, what if I\'ve talked it up and the coffee stinks or the people working there are mean? What if the place isn\'t actually cute? What if there\'s no place to sit?\r\n\r\nWorse yet. What if it\'s just plain-old-every-day <em>bad</em> and you\'ve invited a friend to check it out with you?! What are you supposed to do then?!\r\n\r\nLuckily, none of these things happened to be the case. The interior of the the shop is light and open. The espresso machine is actually on an island in the middle of the room. The cafe smelled of baking bread and richly roasted coffee beans.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Sweets at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Sweets at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699756219/\"><img class=\"   \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6699756219_13f76a6c01_z.jpg\" alt=\"Sweets at Ma Baker\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI walked in and given the difference in temperature between the outdoors and the indoors my glasses fogged up immediately. It took me a couple of minutes to get my glasses to a place where I could see. I don\'t think P. realized what was going on because he kept asking me: where do you want to sit and I kept telling him: pick I can\'t really see right now without my glasses on, you pick. He then politely asks me: how\'s this? Even though I am still rubbing my glasses to warm them up, I figure that there aren\'t any bad seats in the bakery so I say: great.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Inside Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Inside Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699759367/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6699759367_90f82fc27a_z.jpg\" alt=\"Inside Ma Baker\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nReally there probably aren\'t seats for more than 12-14 people anyway so what are the chances of getting a bad one? I noticed that there also seems to be a space for tables and chairs outside the cafe during the spring and summer which is nice but that\'s a distant dream at this point.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699757833/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6699757833_8708407322_z.jpg\" alt=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe shop is customer driven. You order at the counter, you take your treat/snack/sweets to your seat and you get your drink when they call out the order. I like this but I have to say, it seems a tiny bit silly given how small the shop actually is. I think that the girl who made our drinks walked further to the mini-island for drink pick-up than she would have walked if she put them down at our table. This said, I also think it\'s silly when little cafes have two or three women working at them as waitresses when I could just as easily order a drink for myself at the bar and take it to a table myself. (I am apparently not that easy to please.)\r\n\r\nSo the coffee was great. I, of course, had a cappuccino. It was hot, hot. The milk was well steamed and the espresso finished on a slightly sweet note rather than a bitter overly roasted note, as so often happens in Sofia. P. lamented at the price of the small cappuccino--I think it was around 2.50 leva. This happens when you get used to paying 1 leva for espressos in hole-in-the-wall cafes around the city but I will say this, you get what you pay for in these little cafes.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"P. and his cookie\"]<a title=\"P. and his cookie by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699756795/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6699756795_1861e08d3b_z.jpg\" alt=\"P. and his cookie\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nP. ordered a very big chocolate chip cookie and I went with a slice of the raspberry tart. The chocolate chip cookie was good. It had plenty of chocolate and a little hint of vanilla to it. The problem in my mind is this: the cookie was crispy. I want a slightly chewy chocolate chip cookie. I want the edges to be a little crispy and the middle to be soft still. Bulgarians and I don\'t see eye to eye on this matter. I\'ve never had a chocolate chip cookie that does what I am looking for in this country--good thing I know how to make my own.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699757341/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7002/6699757341_ba7decf57c_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI had the slice of raspberry tart (about 3.50 leva). It was delicious. The crust was shortbread-esque. The raspberry filling was very raspberry-y with a hint of sweet but it was definitely not the cloying sweat of raspberry jam and on top there was a light layer of shaved almond. This is the kind of dessert that you don\'t really want to share but you do because as a friend, it\'s the right thing to do.\r\n\r\nWe talked for a long time and then out the way out bought baguettes (1.60 each). The baguettes came fresh out of the oven while we were talking and as soon as I saw that I knew that I <em>had</em> to have one. It was about all I could do not to take a big bite out of my baguette on the metro on the way home. The way a baguette hangs out of the end of its bag would make it so easy to do. The first thing I did when I got home was to slice a large piece off. I\'m happy to tell you this: the baguette rivaled any of those that I ate in Paris a week ago. The outside was dense and slightly crispy and the middle was chewy and airy. Perfection.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Ma Baker next to NDK\"]<a title=\"Ma Baker next to NDK by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699761983/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6699761983_b726653aab_z.jpg\" alt=\"Ma Baker next to NDK\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nNow while I\'d love to have this bakery in Mladost 1A, I am rather glad Ma Baker is downtown next to NDK (at<a href=\"http://programata.bg/?p=73&amp;l=2&amp;c=1&amp;id=6106\" target=\"_blank\"> 7 Skobelev Blvd</a>) as this means I can\'t go everyday even if I wanted to which for the record I do.\r\n\r\nThe one annoying thing is that Ma Baker doesn\'t seem to have a website. They do have a Facebook <em>profile</em> but really they should have their own<em> page</em> with information like their street address, phone number, hours and the like.','In Sofia: Ma Baker','','inherit','open','open','','6109-revision-11','','','2012-01-15 11:05:33','2012-01-15 09:05:33','',6109,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/15/6109-revision-11/',0,'revision','',0),(6121,1,'2012-01-15 11:07:24','2012-01-15 09:07:24','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"384\" caption=\"Me drinking coffee at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Me having coffee at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699760477/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6699760477_e41c8dd275_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me having coffee at Ma Baker\" width=\"384\" height=\"512\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nYesterday I met up with my friend P. for coffee. It was great to catch up with him.\n\nWe shocked ourselves to discover that we hadn\'t seen each other since my Fasksgiving party. This resulted in lots of wishes for Christmas and the New Year and a lot of different things that we had to catch-up on.\n\nI\'d suggested that we check out this new(-ish) bakery and cafe that I\'d heard about and read about near NDK called Ma Baker. Sometimes I am nervous about taking friends to a place I\'ve never been before. I don\'t like to stake my name on it before I\'ve tried it out. Because really, what if I\'ve talked it up and the coffee stinks or the people working there are mean? What if the place isn\'t actually cute? What if there\'s no place to sit?\n\nWorse yet. What if it\'s just plain-old-every-day <em>bad</em> and you\'ve invited a friend to check it out with you?! What are you supposed to do then?!\n\nLuckily, none of these things happened to be the case. The interior of the the shop is light and open. The espresso machine is actually on an island in the middle of the room. The cafe smelled of baking bread and richly roasted coffee beans.<!--more-->\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Sweets at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Sweets at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699756219/\"><img class=\"   \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6699756219_13f76a6c01_z.jpg\" alt=\"Sweets at Ma Baker\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI walked in and given the difference in temperature between the outdoors and the indoors my glasses fogged up immediately. It took me a couple of minutes to get my glasses to a place where I could see. I don\'t think P. realized what was going on because he kept asking me: where do you want to sit and I kept telling him: pick I can\'t really see right now without my glasses on, you pick. He then politely asks me: how\'s this? Even though I am still rubbing my glasses to warm them up, I figure that there aren\'t any bad seats in the bakery so I say: great.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Inside Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Inside Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699759367/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7159/6699759367_90f82fc27a_z.jpg\" alt=\"Inside Ma Baker\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nReally there probably aren\'t seats for more than 12-14 people anyway so what are the chances of getting a bad one? I noticed that there also seems to be a space for tables and chairs outside the cafe during the spring and summer which is nice but that\'s a distant dream at this point.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699757833/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6699757833_8708407322_z.jpg\" alt=\"Newspapers at Ma Baker\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThe shop is customer driven. You order at the counter, you take your treat/snack/sweets to your seat and you get your drink when they call out the order. I like this but I have to say, it seems a tiny bit silly given how small the shop actually is. I think that the girl who made our drinks walked further to the mini-island for drink pick-up than she would have walked if she put them down at our table. This said, I also think it\'s silly when little cafes have two or three women working at them as waitresses when I could just as easily order a drink for myself at the bar and take it to a table myself. (I am apparently not that easy to please.)\n\nSo the coffee was great. I, of course, had a cappuccino. It was hot, hot. The milk was well steamed and the espresso finished on a slightly sweet note rather than a bitter overly roasted note, as so often happens in Sofia. P. lamented at the price of the small cappuccino--I think it was around 2.50 leva. This happens when you get used to paying 1 leva for espressos in hole-in-the-wall cafes around the city but I will say this, you get what you pay for in these little cafes.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"P. and his cookie\"]<a title=\"P. and his cookie by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699756795/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7155/6699756795_1861e08d3b_z.jpg\" alt=\"P. and his cookie\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nP. ordered a very big chocolate chip cookie and I went with a slice of the raspberry tart. The chocolate chip cookie was good. It had plenty of chocolate and a little hint of vanilla to it. The problem in my mind is this: the cookie was crispy. I want a slightly chewy chocolate chip cookie. I want the edges to be a little crispy and the middle to be soft still. Bulgarians and I don\'t see eye to eye on this matter. I\'ve never had a chocolate chip cookie that does what I am looking for in this country--good thing I know how to make my own.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker\"]<a title=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699757341/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7002/6699757341_ba7decf57c_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tart and cookie at Ma Baker\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI had the slice of raspberry tart (about 3.50 leva). It was delicious. The crust was shortbread-esque. The raspberry filling was very raspberry-y with a hint of sweet but it was definitely not the cloying sweat of raspberry jam and on top there was a light layer of shaved almond. This is the kind of dessert that you don\'t really want to share but you do because as a friend, it\'s the right thing to do.\n\nWe talked for a long time and then out the way out bought baguettes (1.60 each). The baguettes came fresh out of the oven while we were talking and as soon as I saw that I knew that I <em>had</em> to have one. It was about all I could do not to take a big bite out of my baguette on the metro on the way home. The way a baguette hangs out of the end of its bag would make it so easy to do. The first thing I did when I got home was to slice a large piece off. I\'m happy to tell you this: the baguette rivaled any of those that I ate in Paris a week ago. The outside was dense and slightly crispy and the middle was chewy and airy. Perfection.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"518\" caption=\"Ma Baker next to NDK\"]<a title=\"Ma Baker next to NDK by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6699761983/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6699761983_b726653aab_z.jpg\" alt=\"Ma Baker next to NDK\" width=\"518\" height=\"389\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nNow while I\'d love to have this bakery in Mladost 1A, I am rather glad Ma Baker is downtown next to NDK (at<a href=\"http://programata.bg/?p=73&amp;l=2&amp;c=1&amp;id=6106\" target=\"_blank\"> 7 Skobelev Blvd</a>) as this means I can\'t go everyday even if I wanted to which for the record I do.\n\nThe one annoying thing is that Ma Baker doesn\'t seem to have a website. They do have a Facebook <em>profile</em> but really they should have their own<em> page</em> with information like their street address, phone number, hours and the like.','In Sofia: Ma Baker','','inherit','open','open','','6109-autosave','','','2012-01-15 11:07:24','2012-01-15 09:07:24','',6109,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/15/6109-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(6122,1,'2012-01-15 18:28:15','2012-01-15 16:28:15','It\'s been a strange day.\r\n\r\nI got super frustrated with my Bulgarian lesson and cried about it. I\'ve never done this before. Then I spent some time wondering alternately, why I am crying about Bulgarian and why I\'m bothering to learn Bulgarian? I pulled myself together, finished my homework and left for my lesson.\r\n\r\nOn the way to my lesson it started snowing those horrible little flakes that sting your face and make you question the necessity of actually going where you\'re going. Luckily once I was in the city center, there was no falling snow to speak of.\r\n\r\nAll things considered my Bulgarian lesson went pretty well. I did most of my homework correctly and there were no tears. I. my tutor also reminded me that I haven\'t really been speaking or practicing my Bulgarian for the last three weeks. That\'s also a good point.\r\n\r\nOn my way back to the metro, I saw the weirdest, coolest, grossest most surprising thing. I walked by it and thought: hey that\'s a fish head and I kept going. Then I went back. I looked at it again. Then I took a picture. Be warned. It\'s anything but cute. <!--more-->\r\n\r\nSorry it\'s not very good. I think that my loyal little Sony Cyber-shot is dying.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Fish head on the sidewalk\"]<a title=\"Fish head on the sidewalk by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6701680319/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6701680319_2516c82350.jpg\" alt=\"Fish head on the sidewalk\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nBecause really, did the fish head just fall like that? Did someone pose it?\r\n\r\nI have no idea. None. It\'s so weird. And gross. Oh and cool. Did I mention that it kind of looks like it\'s poking it\'s head out the cement?!\r\n\r\nYeah. It\'s been a strange day.','Gross, Cool, Weird & Surprising all at once','','publish','open','open','','gross-cool-weird-surprising-all-at-once','','','2012-01-15 18:28:15','2012-01-15 16:28:15','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=6122',0,'post','',1),(6123,1,'2012-01-15 18:19:19','2012-01-15 16:19:19','It\'s been a strange day.\n\nI got super frustrated with my Bulgarian lesson and cried about it. I\'ve never done this before. Then I spent some time wondering alternately, why I am crying about Bulgarian and why I\'m bothering to learn Bulgarian? I pulled myself together, finished my homework and left for my lesson.\n\nOn the way to my lesson it started snowing those horrible little flakes that sting your face and make you question the necessity of actually going where you\'re going. Luckily once I was in the city center, there was no falling snow to speak of.\n\nAll things considered my Bulgarian lesson went pretty well. I did most of my homework correctly and there were no tears. I. my tutor also reminded me that I haven\'t really been speaking or practicing my Bulgarian for the last three weeks. That\'s also a good point.\n\nOn my way back to the metro, I saw the weirdest, coolest, grossest most surprising thing. I walked by it and thought: hey that\'s a fish head and I kept going. Then I went back. I looked at it again. Then I took a picture. Sorry it\'s not very good.\n<a title=\"Fish head on the sidewalk by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6701680319/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6701680319_2516c82350.jpg\" alt=\"Fish head on the sidewalk\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>\n\nBecause really, did the fish head just fall like that? Did someone pose it?\n\nI have no idea. None. It\'s so weird. And gross. Oh and cool. Did I mention that it kind of looks like it\'s poking it\'s head out the cement?!\n\nYeah. It\'s been a strange day.','Gross, Cool, Weird & Surprising all at once','','inherit','open','open','','6122-revision','','','2012-01-15 18:19:19','2012-01-15 16:19:19','',6122,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/15/6122-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6124,1,'2012-01-15 18:21:24','2012-01-15 16:21:24','It\'s been a strange day.\n\nI got super frustrated with my Bulgarian lesson and cried about it. I\'ve never done this before. Then I spent some time wondering alternately, why I am crying about Bulgarian and why I\'m bothering to learn Bulgarian? I pulled myself together, finished my homework and left for my lesson.\n\nOn the way to my lesson it started snowing those horrible little flakes that sting your face and make you question the necessity of actually going where you\'re going. Luckily once I was in the city center, there was no falling snow to speak of.\n\nAll things considered my Bulgarian lesson went pretty well. I did most of my homework correctly and there were no tears. I. my tutor also reminded me that I haven\'t really been speaking or practicing my Bulgarian for the last three weeks. That\'s also a good point.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Fish head on the sidewalk\"]<a title=\"Fish head on the sidewalk by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6701680319/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6701680319_2516c82350.jpg\" alt=\"Fish head on the sidewalk\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nOn my way back to the metro, I saw the weirdest, coolest, grossest most surprising thing. I walked by it and thought: hey that\'s a fish head and I kept going. Then I went back. I looked at it again. Then I took a picture. Be warned. It\'s anything but cute. <!--more-->Sorry it\'s not very good.\n\nBecause really, did the fish head just fall like that? Did someone pose it?\n\nI have no idea. None. It\'s so weird. And gross. Oh and cool. Did I mention that it kind of looks like it\'s poking it\'s head out the cement?!\n\nYeah. It\'s been a strange day.','Gross, Cool, Weird & Surprising all at once','','inherit','open','open','','6122-revision-2','','','2012-01-15 18:21:24','2012-01-15 16:21:24','',6122,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/15/6122-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6125,1,'2012-01-15 18:24:45','2012-01-15 16:24:45','It\'s been a strange day.\r\n\r\nI got super frustrated with my Bulgarian lesson and cried about it. I\'ve never done this before. Then I spent some time wondering alternately, why I am crying about Bulgarian and why I\'m bothering to learn Bulgarian? I pulled myself together, finished my homework and left for my lesson.\r\n\r\nOn the way to my lesson it started snowing those horrible little flakes that sting your face and make you question the necessity of actually going where you\'re going. Luckily once I was in the city center, there was no falling snow to speak of.\r\n\r\nAll things considered my Bulgarian lesson went pretty well. I did most of my homework correctly and there were no tears. I. my tutor also reminded me that I haven\'t really been speaking or practicing my Bulgarian for the last three weeks. That\'s also a good point.\r\n\r\nOn my way back to the metro, I saw the weirdest, coolest, grossest most surprising thing. I walked by it and thought: hey that\'s a fish head and I kept going. Then I went back. I looked at it again. Then I took a picture. Be warned. It\'s anything but cute. <!--more-->Sorry it\'s not very good.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Fish head on the sidewalk\"]<a title=\"Fish head on the sidewalk by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6701680319/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6701680319_2516c82350.jpg\" alt=\"Fish head on the sidewalk\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n\r\nBecause really, did the fish head just fall like that? Did someone pose it?\r\n\r\nI have no idea. None. It\'s so weird. And gross. Oh and cool. Did I mention that it kind of looks like it\'s poking it\'s head out the cement?!\r\n\r\nYeah. It\'s been a strange day.','Gross, Cool, Weird & Surprising all at once','','inherit','open','open','','6122-revision-3','','','2012-01-15 18:24:45','2012-01-15 16:24:45','',6122,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/15/6122-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6126,1,'2012-01-15 18:25:56','2012-01-15 16:25:56','It\'s been a strange day.\n\nI got super frustrated with my Bulgarian lesson and cried about it. I\'ve never done this before. Then I spent some time wondering alternately, why I am crying about Bulgarian and why I\'m bothering to learn Bulgarian? I pulled myself together, finished my homework and left for my lesson.\n\nOn the way to my lesson it started snowing those horrible little flakes that sting your face and make you question the necessity of actually going where you\'re going. Luckily once I was in the city center, there was no falling snow to speak of.\n\nAll things considered my Bulgarian lesson went pretty well. I did most of my homework correctly and there were no tears. I. my tutor also reminded me that I haven\'t really been speaking or practicing my Bulgarian for the last three weeks. That\'s also a good point.\n\nOn my way back to the metro, I saw the weirdest, coolest, grossest most surprising thing. I walked by it and thought: hey that\'s a fish head and I kept going. Then I went back. I looked at it again. Then I took a picture. Be warned. It\'s anything but cute. <!--more-->\n\nSorry it\'s not very good. I think that my loyal little Sony Cyber-shot is dying.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"500\" caption=\"Fish head on the sidewalk\"]<a title=\"Fish head on the sidewalk by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6701680319/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7172/6701680319_2516c82350.jpg\" alt=\"Fish head on the sidewalk\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nBecause really, did the fish head just fall like that? Did someone pose it?\n\nI have no idea. None. It\'s so weird. And gross. Oh and cool. Did I mention that it kind of looks like it\'s poking it\'s head out the cement?!\n\nYeah. It\'s been a strange day.','Gross, Cool, Weird & Surprising all at once','','inherit','open','open','','6122-revision-4','','','2012-01-15 18:25:56','2012-01-15 16:25:56','',6122,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/15/6122-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(6128,1,'2012-01-16 08:21:56','2012-01-16 06:21:56','My friend S. suggested that Borough Market is the market for food lovers. Hey, that\'s me. The first time I tried to go the market was closed for a couple of days around the New Year but I was determined and went back a few days later.\n\nI am glad that I did. The colors were wonderful. The flavors both sweet and savory. The whole experience was delicious.\n\nIt was so interesting to see people doing clever things with food but I liked the sense that I got that this market was a mix of tradition and innovation. Moreover, everyone was having fun. There were tons of people but no one was pushy. There were lines but people stood in them. There were samples and people politely took one and then talked to the vendor.\n\nI\'d wished that I had access to a kitchen of any sort because everything looked so good. The American in me also just about died when I saw fresh cranberries. I love cranberries during the holidays and they just aren\'t that easy to come by in Bulgaria. Last year I saw them once at Hit. This year I never saw them.\n\nThe crazy person in me thought about buying some but really, what I am going to do with a bag of cranberries while traveling!? It\'s not like I am going to be eating them straight out of the bag.\n\nSo I admired.\n\nI also bought a big dish of stew. Guinness stew to be exact. I guess the base of the stew is made out off Guinness beer and to this chunks of beef, cubed potatoes, carrots and leaks are added. This was really tasty and heartwarming. I was a little nervous about spilling this stew right down the front of my coat. I was given a bi','Borough Market: a whole lot of great food','','inherit','open','open','','6127-revision','','','2012-01-16 08:21:56','2012-01-16 06:21:56','',6127,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/16/6127-revision/',0,'revision','',0),