I never imagined that I would be overwhelmed with options in Bulgaria.  I think that I thought this is for two reasons. First, in the States we seem to have about 15-20 different choices for everything when you go to the store.  This goes for kinds of cheese to shampoo to dish soap to boxes of cereal and even pain killers and sandwich bags.  In other words, I thought no one can have more options than I am faced with on a daily basis in Washington DC.  Second, I think I may have been imagining Bulgaria as a post-communist country still.  A country where I would get to decide between do different brands and ultimately make my decision based on which packaging appealed to me.

Naive. This I now know completely and utterly naive.

Yesterday I went to the Apteka--or pharmacy to buy face lotion. Easy you might think.  I thought so too.  But it's not.

<!--more-->

Now that I've said this, I think that some background is necessary for those readers living outside of Bulgaria.  There seems to be about three different ways that these stores--the aptekas--are set up.  The first is that nearly everything is behind the counter--tooth paste, tampons, conditioner, contact solution and you have to ask for it.  It may not be a surprise but given my current level of familiarity with the language I am intimidated by this set-up.  I have purchased successfully from this kind of a store contact solution and tooth paste (which I was glad to be able to point at through the glass).  The second is that some things are out in the isle like shampoo, body wash, hairspray, body lotion and make-up and then other things are behind the counter like tampons, deodorant and all of the non-prescription medicines and pain relievers. Meaning that somethings you can pick-up off the shelf and purchase and other things you have to request (and hope that you know the names of things that you want)  The final kind of store has almost everything out on the store floor hair dye, sunscreen, hair removal products--you name it and only medicine like things are behind the counter.

The Apteka closest to my house is the second kind and this is where I have purchased most of my personal care products--shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, hair spray and hair gel.  I can look around, I have time to read the labels and it's convenient.  This said, yesterday I went to buy face lotion.  I am not a very picky person and am lucky to have skin that is fairly easy going.  So I planned to go in look at my options and pick one. Ha, ha.

At the store, I couldn't find face lotion on the self with the other lotions.  Nor did I see face wash.  That's when for the first time I looked carefully behind the counter and realized that all of these things seemed to be on the wall behind the counter.  On top of this, the wall is far enough I way that I can't really read the fine print, I don't really know what I am looking for <em>and</em> there are so many different kinds I don't even know where to start.  Great.  All I have is a phrase that my tutor gave me in Washington DC which is something like crem za litse or the direct translation seems to be cream for the face.  And this doesn't seem to be getting me anywhere.  The woman is bring me what looks like face wash or alternately little tiny bottles of creams that are marked 30+ leva (which seems like too much to pay).

After the woman waiting on me made a couple of trips back and forth from the wall to the counter, which actually isn't that far away, I can tell that she is frustrated with me.  I find myself wishing that she could speak English or that I could speak Bulgarian because I don't like people being annoyed with me.  I also don't like the feeling that I am troubling someone and all of this makes me flustered and frustrated so that I can't really think in Bulgarian.  All I want is face lotion.  Anyhow, this back and forth goes no where and I leave empty handed.

I remember that I know where a bigger store is so I walk over there.  Here, I easily find conditioner that I want but when it comes to the face lotion, it's again a different story.  How can there be so many different brands? and how can there be so many different products for the face? And why don't any of them seem to say simply lotion for the face? I wish I knew what I was looking for.

So I stand there in front of the boxes of lotion and read and read trying to make sense of what the store has to offer.  Everything seems to be face wash, toner or products for pimples or wrinkles.  I can't help wondering: doesn't anyone in the country use just a plain straightforward face lotion? About this time a young sales girl says good afternoon to me and I think she asks me if I need help with anything.  I ask her if she speaks English.  She doesn't and walks away. <em>Awesome.</em>

Alright then.  So I stand there some more looking at the boxes.  I realize that I am not buying face lotion today and go to stand in line to buy the hair conditioner I have been carrying around the store for a half an hour.  I figure that I'll ask a friend that I am meeting for dinner to write down the name of the product she uses and I'll come back the next day.  <em>Who knew this would be such a process?</em>

Well, I asked her after dinner and she basically told me that she didn't use any.  This is, I think, wholly unfair because since I've moved to Bulgaria I think that my entire body is drying out and I drink plenty of water.  Sofia, I think, sucks the moisture out of me.  I put body lotion on every day, my hair needs more conditioner than normal, my lips seem to be constantly chapped when I wake up in the mornings and my face requires extra doses of lotion in the morning and before bed.  And, she doesn't use facial lotion?!?  Man, that's not fair.

So, I've made a mental list of other friends to ask about what kind and brand of face lotion they use and if this fails, I guess I'll just go back to store and buy a few things and hope to find a magic brand or combination that makes my face feel less like a desert or sandpaper and more like my face again.  Wish me luck!