The AmCham Christmas party on Thursday was great fun. The Sheraton Sofia Hotel Balkan is the perfect place for the party (even if the name is a mouthful). They have an incredible space--basically two large ballrooms.  This means that there's room for a stage, a band and a dance floor in addition to a couple of buffet tables, three or four different drink stations and three or four dozen small cocktail tables one can stand around.

[caption id="attachment_4005" align="alignleft" width="614" caption="At the Christmas Party"]<a rel="attachment wp-att-4005" href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?attachment_id=4005"><img class="size-large wp-image-4005 " title="At the Christmas Party" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/DSC02086-1024x768.jpg" alt="" width="614" height="461" /></a>[/caption]

It's a big event.  There were Christmas carolers to begin the night and a band to end the night.

[caption id="attachment_4006" align="alignleft" width="614" caption="Christmas Songs"]<a rel="attachment wp-att-4006" href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?attachment_id=4006"><img class="size-large wp-image-4006 " title="Christmas Songs" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/DSC02083-1024x768.jpg" alt="" width="614" height="461" /></a>[/caption]

The band was the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B.T.R." target="_blank">Bulgarian rock group BTR</a>. I knew next to nothing about them before the night. And when I mentioned this to Bulgarians I generally got on of two responses.  Basically this either they were great or they're shit.

So I didn't know the group at their peak but BTR was pretty fun at the Christmas party. They played a mix of covers and their own stuff. It's clear that the Bulgarians <em>loved</em> the group. Not a little bit, <em>a lot</em>.  I guess it shouldn't surprise me. They are a Bulgarian group. And they're good at what they do.

[caption id="attachment_4007" align="alignleft" width="614" caption="The Holiday with Friends"]<a rel="attachment wp-att-4007" href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?attachment_id=4007"><img class="size-large wp-image-4007 " title="The Holiday with Friends" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/DSC02088-1024x768.jpg" alt="" width="614" height="461" /></a>[/caption]

You really can't ask for a lot more than that.

Except for celebrating the holiday with friends and colleagues. And dancing, a lot.

[caption id="attachment_4008" align="alignleft" width="614" caption="Christmas Party + Friends"]<a rel="attachment wp-att-4008" href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?attachment_id=4008"><img class="size-large wp-image-4008 " title="Christmas Party + Friends" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/DSC02087-1024x768.jpg" alt="" width="614" height="461" /></a>[/caption]

The best part was that the event really put me in the Christmas spirit. That and the sudden dash of cold weather we're experiencing in Sofia.

<em>Maybe</em> Christmas is just around the corner.