(5866,1,'2011-11-27 22:10:36','2011-11-27 20:10:36','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Signs of Christmas\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1089\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413456259/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6413456259_c42761ff47_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1089\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI\'m back from four days in Vienna. It was a wonderful holiday. Really--it doesn\'t get any better than spending a weekend wandering through museums, browsing Christmas markets, drinking mulled wine, shopping and playing around with a friend in Vienna. I headed to Vienna with my friend A.--we also <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/01/back-from-rome/\" target=\"_blank\">went to Rome together</a>. It\'s nice to have friends to travel with!!\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Merry Christmas and a lucky new year!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1076\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413411133/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/6413411133_8a9974621c_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1076\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIt\'s equally nice to be back in Sofia. When we landed a very little girl speaking rather loud and childish English exclaimed: Bulgaria, we\'re here!! She was so excited to be in Sofia. I\'ve never heard anyone be quite so excited about landing in Bulgaria before. It put a huge smile on my face.\r\n\r\nThis was exactly the right way to end my Thanksgiving holiday weekend.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nTh weekend started when we found very inexpensive tickets to Vienna ($122 on Expedia.com--Hint, hint: I\'ve learned to always check expedia and kayak.com because many times you can get flights just as cheap if not cheaper than wizzair/ryanair) and then we decided to stay in a hostel (<a href=\"http://www.wombats-hostels.com/vienna/the-naschmarkt/\" target=\"_blank\">Wombats at the Naschmarket</a>). This was the perfect start for a grand time in Vienna.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Opera in downtown Vienna\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1059\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413346103/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6413346103_89f18a3150_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1059\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe museums weren\'t cheap but that\'s okay when you\'re not spending too much money your travel or lodging. We went to the Albertina and the Leopold and both of these museums cost 11 Euros but they were both worth it. Well worth it. The most important thing is not converting prices from Euros to Leva. Doing so, will give you a heart attack.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Christmas trees outside of the Mozart Cafe\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1097\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413491465/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6413491465_b5b2c11340_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1097\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe city is beautiful during the winter and we spent a lot of time outside. The streets are perfect for strolling a long and going shopping (or window shopping). At about 4pm the Christmas lights turn on and these lights add to the overall atmosphere and feel of the downtown. Even better are the mulled wined stands sprinkled throughout the city and the Christmas markets.\r\n\r\nIt\'s magical feeling.\r\n\r\nAnyhow more on this tomorrow.\r\n\r\nI\'ve got some un-magical things to do tonight: a suitcase to unpack, a load of laundry to run and then it\'s off to bed for me. Then I\'ve got school in the morning.','Vienna,Thanksgiving and Mulled Wine','','publish','open','open','','viennathanksgiving-and-mulled-wine','','','2011-11-28 06:42:01','2011-11-28 04:42:01','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5866',0,'post','',0),(5832,1,'2011-11-18 07:07:27','2011-11-18 05:07:27','Poor American guys. They\'ve had a hard go of things on my blog this week. Sorry guys. It all started with my post on<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/13/a-glimpse-into-masculinity-and-femininity-in-bulgaria/\" target=\"_blank\"> Masculinity and Femininity in Bulgaria. </a>The going got good in the comment section. So if you\'re not a comment reader or you read the post as soon as I read it, you might want to re-read.\r\n\r\nI managed to make it sound like American guys are kind-of oafy and thoughtless. I didn\'t mean to do this.\r\n\r\nBy in large American guys are thoughtful, hard working and considerate. Some of the outward markers of traditionally male behavior--opening doors, carrying bags, helping girls out of cars and walking on the traffic side of the street are falling away but these seem to be acts that are more cultural obligations than anything else.\r\n\r\nAs I wrote in the comments earlier this week, the big problem is that American guys have to deal with independently minded American girls. Girls who have been taught that we can do anything just as well as they can–like open doors and carry our own luggage. Thanks to programs like Title IX, I grew up playing basketball, softball and volleyball. I went to schools that expected girls to preform just as well in the classroom as my male peers and so by the time I headed to college a serious cultural shift was underway. I am part of a generation where for the first time there were more girls in university than boys. That\'s a pretty big deal considering how long many of the ivy league schools remained single sex.\r\n\r\nSo, what\'s a guy to do?  <!--more-->\r\n\r\nWell that seems to be what everyone is interested in and talking about these days. American guys are having a hard go of things.\r\n\r\nIt\'s been reported that men are facing higher unemployment rates then women given the recession. In 2010 the Atlantic ran an article on the<a href=\"http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/07/the-end-of-men/8135/\" target=\"_blank\"> End of Man</a>. (Check it out. The article starts this way: Earlier this year, women became the majority of the workforce for the first time in U.S. history. Most managers are now women too. And for every two men who get a college degree this year, three women will do the same. For years, women’s progress has been cast as a struggle for equality. But what if equality isn’t the end point? What if modern, postindustrial society is simply better suited to women? A report on the unprecedented role reversal now under way— and its vast cultural consequences.)\r\n\r\nAnd this fall the Atlantic ran another article this time titled<a href=\"http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/11/all-the-single-ladies/8654/\" target=\"_blank\"> All the Single Ladies</a> (a take on a Beyoncé song). The basic argument is this: as the economy evolves, it’s time to embrace new ideas about romance and family—and to acknowledge the end of “traditional” marriage as society’s highest ideal. This article exploded on the internet and everyone seemed to be talking about it. Now I am too.\r\n\r\nOr I will be. I\'ve got to get to school <em>now</em>. So you\'ve got your reading list. I\'ll check in later.','American Guys ','','publish','open','open','','american-guys','','','2011-11-18 07:07:27','2011-11-18 05:07:27','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5832',0,'post','',5),(5833,1,'2011-11-18 07:06:35','2011-11-18 05:06:35','Poor American guys. They\'ve had a hard go of things on my blog this week. Sorry guys. It all started with my post on<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/13/a-glimpse-into-masculinity-and-femininity-in-bulgaria/\" target=\"_blank\"> Masculinity and Femininity in Bulgaria. </a>The going got good in the comment section. So if you\'re not a comment reader or you read the post as soon as I read it, you might want to re-read.\n\nI managed to make it sound like American guys are kind-of oafy and thoughtless. I didn\'t mean to do this. Or at least not purposefully. By in large American guys are thoughtful, hard working and considerate. Some of the outward markers of traditionally male behavior--opening doors, carrying bags, helping girls out of cars and walking on the traffic side of the street are falling away but these seem to be acts that are more cultural obligations than anything else.\n\nAs I wrote in the comments earlier this week, the big problem is that American guys have to deal with independently minded American girls. Girls who have been taught that we can do anything just as well as they can–like open doors and carry our own luggage. Thanks to programs like Title IX, I grew up playing basketball, softball and volleyball. I went to schools that expected girls to preform just as well in the classroom as my male peers and so by the time I headed to college a serious cultural shift was underway. I am part of a generation where for the first time there were more girls in university than boys. That\'s a pretty big deal considering how long many of the ivy league schools remained single sex.\n\nSo, what\'s a guy to do?  <!--more-->\n\nWell that seems to be what everyone is interested in and talking about these days. American guys are having a hard go of things.\n\nIt\'s been reported that men are facing higher unemployment rates then women given the recession. In 2010 the Atlantic ran an article on the<a href=\"http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/07/the-end-of-men/8135/\" target=\"_blank\"> End of Man</a>. (Check it out. The article starts this way: Earlier this year, women became the majority of the workforce for the first time in U.S. history. Most managers are now women too. And for every two men who get a college degree this year, three women will do the same. For years, women’s progress has been cast as a struggle for equality. But what if equality isn’t the end point? What if modern, postindustrial society is simply better suited to women? A report on the unprecedented role reversal now under way— and its vast cultural consequences.)\n\nAnd this fall the Atlantic ran another article this time titled<a href=\"http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/11/all-the-single-ladies/8654/\" target=\"_blank\"> All the Single Ladies</a> (a take on a Beyoncé song). The basic argument is this: as the economy evolves, it’s time to embrace new ideas about romance and family—and to acknowledge the end of “traditional” marriage as society’s highest ideal. This article exploded on the internet and everyone seemed to be talking about it. Now I am too.\n\nOr I will be. I\'ve got to get to school <em>now</em>. So you\'ve got your reading list.','American Guys ','','inherit','open','open','','5832-revision','','','2011-11-18 07:06:35','2011-11-18 05:06:35','',5832,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/18/5832-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5834,1,'2011-11-18 07:08:31','2011-11-18 05:08:31','Poor American guys. They\'ve had a hard go of things on my blog this week. Sorry guys. It all started with my post on<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/13/a-glimpse-into-masculinity-and-femininity-in-bulgaria/\" target=\"_blank\"> Masculinity and Femininity in Bulgaria. </a>The going got good in the comment section. So if you\'re not a comment reader or you read the post as soon as I read it, you might want to re-read.\n\nI managed to make it sound like American guys are kind-of oafy and thoughtless. I didn\'t mean to do this.\n\nBy in large American guys are thoughtful, hard working and considerate. Some of the outward markers of traditionally male behavior--opening doors, carrying bags, helping girls out of cars and walking on the traffic side of the street are falling away but these seem to be acts that are more cultural obligations than anything else.\n\nAs I wrote in the comments earlier this week, the big problem is that American guys have to deal with independently minded American girls. Girls who have been taught that we can do anything just as well as they can–like open doors and carry our own luggage. Thanks to programs like Title IX, I grew up playing basketball, softball and volleyball. I went to schools that expected girls to preform just as well in the classroom as my male peers and so by the time I headed to college a serious cultural shift was underway. I am part of a generation where for the first time there were more girls in university than boys. That\'s a pretty big deal considering how long many of the ivy league schools remained single sex.\n\nSo, what\'s a guy to do?  <!--more-->\n\nWell that seems to be what everyone is interested in and talking about these days. American guys are having a hard go of things.\n\nIt\'s been reported that men are facing higher unemployment rates then women given the recession. In 2010 the Atlantic ran an article on the<a href=\"http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2010/07/the-end-of-men/8135/\" target=\"_blank\"> End of Man</a>. (Check it out. The article starts this way: Earlier this year, women became the majority of the workforce for the first time in U.S. history. Most managers are now women too. And for every two men who get a college degree this year, three women will do the same. For years, women’s progress has been cast as a struggle for equality. But what if equality isn’t the end point? What if modern, postindustrial society is simply better suited to women? A report on the unprecedented role reversal now under way— and its vast cultural consequences.)\n\nAnd this fall the Atlantic ran another article this time titled<a href=\"http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/11/all-the-single-ladies/8654/\" target=\"_blank\"> All the Single Ladies</a> (a take on a Beyoncé song). The basic argument is this: as the economy evolves, it’s time to embrace new ideas about romance and family—and to acknowledge the end of “traditional” marriage as society’s highest ideal. This article exploded on the internet and everyone seemed to be talking about it. Now I am too.\n\nOr I will be. I\'ve got to get to school <em>now</em>. So you\'ve got your reading list. I\'ll check in later.','American Guys ','','inherit','open','open','','5832-autosave','','','2011-11-18 07:08:31','2011-11-18 05:08:31','',5832,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/18/5832-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(5835,1,'2011-11-19 12:29:50','0000-00-00 00:00:00','','Living Abroad and Independence ','','draft','open','open','','','','','2011-11-19 12:29:50','2011-11-19 10:29:50','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5835',0,'post','',0),(5836,1,'2011-11-19 12:28:55','2011-11-19 10:28:55','','Independenc','','inherit','open','open','','5835-revision','','','2011-11-19 12:28:55','2011-11-19 10:28:55','',5835,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/19/5835-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5837,1,'2011-11-19 12:35:00','2011-11-19 10:35:00','Today we\'re celebrating Thanksgiving at school. So Happy Early Thanksgiving!\r\n\r\nLast night I made stuffing for 150 people and then pealed and chopped apples for just as many people for apple crisp. It was a lot of work. I got to school on Friday morning at 7:30 am and I got home some time after midnight.\r\n\r\nI\'m getting ready to go back to school now. I should probably brush my teeth before I go. I think you\'re supposed to things like that in polite society.\r\n\r\nPictures will follow, I promise.\r\n\r\nHere\'s the one thing I know for sure: I will never have 150 children. It\'s just too many mouths to feed.','Early Thanksgiving ','','publish','open','open','','early-thanksgiving','','','2011-11-19 12:35:00','2011-11-19 10:35:00','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5837',0,'post','',0),(5838,1,'2011-11-19 12:34:22','2011-11-19 10:34:22','Today we\'re celebrating Thanksgiving at school. So Happy Early Thanksgiving!\n\nLast night I made stuffing for 150 people and then pealed and chopped apples for just as many people for apple crisp. It was a lot of work. I got to school on Friday morning at 7:30 am and I got home some time after midnight.\n\nI\'m getting ready to go back to school now. I should probably brush my teeth before I go. I think you\'re supposed to things like that in polite society.\n\nPictures will follow, I promise.\n\nHere\'s the one thing I know for sure: I will never have 150 children. It\'s just too many mouths to feed.','Early Thanksgiving ','','inherit','open','open','','5837-revision','','','2011-11-19 12:34:22','2011-11-19 10:34:22','',5837,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/19/5837-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5839,1,'2011-11-19 22:13:18','2011-11-19 20:13:18','Today we\'re celebrating Thanksgiving at school. So Happy Early Thanksgiving!\n\nLast night I made stuffing for 150 people and then pealed and chopped apples for just as many people for apple crisp. It was a lot of work. I got to school on Friday morning at 7:30 am and I got home some time after midnight.\n\nI\'m getting ready to go back to school now. I should probably brush my teeth before I go. I think you\'re supposed to things like that in polite society.\n\nPictures will follow, I promise.\n\nHere\'s the one thing I know for sure: I will never have 150 children. It\'s just too many mouths to feed.','Early Thanksgiving ','','inherit','open','open','','5837-autosave','','','2011-11-19 22:13:18','2011-11-19 20:13:18','',5837,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/19/5837-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(5840,1,'2011-11-20 11:52:11','2011-11-20 09:52:11','Living abroad, I find myself pretty immune to the hype of most American holidays. In the States, there\'s endless chatter about classic Thanksgiving recipes and new takes on these recipes before the holiday and at the same time, a million and one different articles which focus on creative things to do with leftovers from the holiday. Thanksgiving is an eating holiday.\r\n\r\nSo abroad, the holiday is more holiday and less hype. Surprise, surprise. It turns out that when you live in a country that doesn\'t celebrate a specific holiday the focus shifts. Last night, we had a big Thanksgiving party at school. We made tons of food, our Bulgarian colleagues came, we ate dinner together and socialized. It was great fun.\r\n\r\nFor me, last night was Thanksgiving. It turns out that the calendar doesn\'t have to dictate when I celebrate. The only thing that is a little disorienting is the fact that no one else has really celebrated the holiday yet. It\'s a little strange to read the Style Section of the New York Times and realize that all of the articles are about what to cook for Thanksgiving.\r\n\r\nI mean, I\'ve already moved on to eating my leftovers. <!--more-->\r\n\r\nIn the States, the day after Thanksgiving is a day of shopping. There are huge sales, long lines and crazy people. I\'ve done my utmost to avoid these sales for years but for most people this day marks the countdown to Christmas. <em>The countdown to Christmas</em>.\r\n\r\nRight now, sitting on my couch in Mladost, it\'s hard to imagine that Christmas is around the corner. Heck, it\'s hard for me to get in my head that it\'s actually the end of November. Funny how that works some times.\r\n\r\nSure, I got an email on Friday establishing the days that we\'re meeting to practice our Balkan Dance for the Christmas Concert at school. I know that next week, I am going to Vienna for four days to celebrate Thanksgiving for a second time. I know that next month is going fly by but today, it\'s pretty hard to imagine all of this.\r\n\r\nSo I am sitting on my couch, drinking coffee, reading the New York Times, planning for Christmas/New Years and generally procrastinating. I should be finishing my Bulgarian homework. I should be doing some housework. I should run to the grocery store. I should respond to some emails. But I am not and today, I am okay with this.','Celebrating Holidays Abroad ','','publish','open','open','','celebrating-holidays-abroad','','','2011-11-20 11:52:11','2011-11-20 09:52:11','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5840',0,'post','',0),(5841,1,'2011-11-20 11:51:33','2011-11-20 09:51:33','Living abroad, I find myself pretty immune to the hype of most American holidays. In the States, there\'s endless chatter about classic Thanksgiving recipes and new takes on these recipes before the holiday and at the same time, a million and one different articles which focus on creative things to do with leftovers from the holiday. Thanksgiving is an eating holiday.\n\nSo abroad, the holiday is more holiday and less hype. Surprise, surprise. It turns out that when you live in a country that doesn\'t celebrate a specific holiday the focus shifts. Last night, we had a big Thanksgiving party at school. We made tons of food, our Bulgarian colleagues came, we ate dinner together and socialized. It was great fun.\n\nFor me, last night was Thanksgiving. It turns out that the calendar doesn\'t have to dictate when I celebrate. The only thing that is a little disorienting is the fact that no one else has really celebrated the holiday yet. So it\'s a little strange to read the Style Section of the New York Times and realize that all of the articles are about what to cook for Thanksgiving. I mean, I\'ve already moved on to eating my leftovers.\n\nIn the States, the day after Thanksgiving is a day of shopping. There are huge sales, long lines and crazy people. I\'ve done my utmost to avoid these sales for years but for most people this day marks the countdown to Christmas. <em>The countdown to Christmas</em>.\n\nRight now, sitting on my couch in Mladost, it\'s hard to imagine that Christmas is around the corner. Heck, it\'s hard for me to get in my head that it\'s actually the end of November. Funny how that works some times.\n\nSure, I got an email on Friday establishing the days that we\'re meeting to practice our Balkan Dance for the Christmas Concert at school. I know that next week, I am going to Vienna for four days to celebrate Thanksgiving for a second time. I know that next month is going fly by but today, it\'s pretty hard to imagine all of this.\n\nSo I am sitting on my couch, drinking coffee, reading the New York Times, planning for Christmas/New Years and generally procrastinating. I should be finishing my Bulgarian homework. I should be doing some housework. I should run to the grocery store. I should respond to some emails. But I am not and today, I am okay with this.','Celebrating Holidays Abroad ','','inherit','open','open','','5840-revision','','','2011-11-20 11:51:33','2011-11-20 09:51:33','',5840,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/20/5840-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5842,1,'2011-11-21 05:26:51','2011-11-21 03:26:51','Yesterday before my Bulgarian lesson, I found myself thinking about the quirky metro that we have here in Sofia. Don\'t get me wrong, I like the metro here. I just don\'t <em>get it</em>.\r\n\r\nDo we have metro etiquette here?\r\n\r\nFor example, in Washington DC when a train arrives you stand to the sides of the doors. You wait for others to file out and then you climb on. Once on the train, you don\'t make eye contact with anyone or at least you try very hard not to.\r\n\r\nBut one of the most important rules is this: you stand to the right. <em>Always</em>. This leaves the left hand side of the escalators free for people who want to walk. If you screw up and stand to the left, there\'s a pretty go chance that you will be yelled at and publicly shamed. Then you won\'t do it again.\r\n\r\nSofia though. The metro here in Sofia seems all backwards. First thing first, we\'ve got one line so you\'re not likely to get lost you just might have a hard time getting in. <!--more-->\r\n\r\nFor some inexplicable reason once you\'ve bought a ticket instead of putting the ticket in the machine on the right hand side of the turnstile, you cross your arm over your body and swipe on the left hand side. This feels totally unnatural and wrong. Oh and it\'s inconvenient to boot. I\'ve never seen another metro system with this set-up.\r\n\r\nThis minor inconvenience shouldn\'t turn people in to crazies but it seems to. I know this because as soon as the train doors open people on the platform begin to pile into the train even if there are people trying to exit. There\'s nothing orderly about this maneuver. People just crowd in. So if you are in the train and you want out, you\'ve got to be ready when the doors open to hop out before others start streaming in.\r\n\r\nIt\'s a little <em>Lord of the Flies</em> and <em>Heart of Darkness</em> action rolled into one. On the metro, it\'s each girl for herself. Good thing I am tall.\r\n\r\nThen there are the escalators.  Generally people just seem to cram on them. A mass of humanity riding on moving stairs. Only today I noticed that there were some younger people trying to climb the escalator but there were people in the way. People moved but only grudgingly and not without a look or two that revealed their annoyance at having to move over to the right.\r\n\r\nI found the whole thing very interesting. And I wanted to shout: stand to the right. Only, I was standing on the left. <em>Gasp.</em>  It lead me to wondering to we have unwritten rules of etiquette for the metro here in Sofia? And have I been inadvertently breaking them?','Metro Etiquette? ','','publish','open','open','','metro-etiquette','','','2011-11-20 21:04:53','2011-11-20 19:04:53','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5842',0,'post','',10),(5843,1,'2011-11-20 21:03:58','2011-11-20 19:03:58','Yesterday before my Bulgarian lesson, I found myself thinking about the quirky metro that we have here in Sofia. Don\'t get me wrong, I like the metro here. I just don\'t <em>get it</em>.\n\nDo we have metro etiquette here?\n\nFor example, in Washington DC when a train arrives you stand to the sides of the doors. You wait for others to file out and then you climb on. Once on the train, you don\'t make eye contact with anyone or at least you try very hard not to.\n\nBut one of the most important rules is this: you stand to the right. <em>Always</em>. This leaves the left hand side of the escalators free for people who want to walk. If you screw up and stand to the left, there\'s a pretty go chance that you will be yelled at and publicly shamed. Then you won\'t do it again.\n\nSofia though. The metro here in Sofia seems all backwards. First thing first, we\'ve got one line so you\'re not likely to get lost you just might have a hard time getting in. <!--more-->\n\nFor some inexplicable reason once you\'ve bought a ticket instead of putting the ticket in the machine on the right hand side of the turnstile, you cross your arm over your body and swipe on the left hand side. This feels totally unnatural and wrong. Oh and it\'s inconvenient to boot. I\'ve never seen another metro system with this set-up.\n\nThis minor inconvenience shouldn\'t turn people in to crazies but it seems to. I know this because as soon as the train doors open people on the platform begin to pile into the train even if there are people trying to exit. There\'s nothing orderly about this maneuver. People just crowd in. So if you are in the train and you want out, you\'ve got to be ready when the doors open to hop out before others start streaming in.\n\nIt\'s a little <em>Lord of the Flies</em> and <em>Heart of Darkness</em> action rolled into one. On the metro, it\'s each girl for herself. Good thing I am tall.\n\nThen there are the escalators.  Generally people just seem to cram on them. A mass of humanity riding on moving stairs. Only today I noticed that there were some younger people trying to climb the escalator but there were people in the way. People moved but only grudgingly and not without a look or two that revealed their annoyance at having to move over to the right.\n\nI found the whole thing very interesting. And I wanted to shout: stand to the right. Only, I was standing on the left. <em>Gasp.</em>  It lead me to wondering to we have unwritten rules of etiquette for the metro here in Sofia? And have I been inadv','Metro Etiquette? ','','inherit','open','open','','5842-revision','','','2011-11-20 21:03:58','2011-11-20 19:03:58','',5842,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/20/5842-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5844,1,'2011-11-20 21:05:57','2011-11-20 19:05:57','Yesterday before my Bulgarian lesson, I found myself thinking about the quirky metro that we have here in Sofia. Don\'t get me wrong, I like the metro here. I just don\'t <em>get it</em>.\n\nDo we have metro etiquette here?\n\nFor example, in Washington DC when a train arrives you stand to the sides of the doors. You wait for others to file out and then you climb on. Once on the train, you don\'t make eye contact with anyone or at least you try very hard not to.\n\nBut one of the most important rules is this: you stand to the right. <em>Always</em>. This leaves the left hand side of the escalators free for people who want to walk. If you screw up and stand to the left, there\'s a pretty go chance that you will be yelled at and publicly shamed. Then you won\'t do it again.\n\nSofia though. The metro here in Sofia seems all backwards. First thing first, we\'ve got one line so you\'re not likely to get lost you just might have a hard time getting in. <!--more-->\n\nFor some inexplicable reason once you\'ve bought a ticket instead of putting the ticket in the machine on the right hand side of the turnstile, you cross your arm over your body and swipe on the left hand side. This feels totally unnatural and wrong. Oh and it\'s inconvenient to boot. I\'ve never seen another metro system with this set-up.\n\nThis minor inconvenience shouldn\'t turn people in to crazies but it seems to. I know this because as soon as the train doors open people on the platform begin to pile into the train even if there are people trying to exit. There\'s nothing orderly about this maneuver. People just crowd in. So if you are in the train and you want out, you\'ve got to be ready when the doors open to hop out before others start streaming in.\n\nIt\'s a little <em>Lord of the Flies</em> and <em>Heart of Darkness</em> action rolled into one. On the metro, it\'s each girl for herself. Good thing I am tall.\n\nThen there are the escalators.  Generally people just seem to cram on them. A mass of humanity riding on moving stairs. Only today I noticed that there were some younger people trying to climb the escalator but there were people in the way. People moved but only grudgingly and not without a look or two that revealed their annoyance at having to move over to the right.\n\nI found the whole thing very interesting. And I wanted to shout: stand to the right. Only, I was standing on the left. <em>Gasp.</em>  It lead me to wondering to we have unwritten rules of etiquette for the metro here in Sofia? And have I been inadvertently breaking them?','Metro Etiquette? ','','inherit','open','open','','5842-autosave','','','2011-11-20 21:05:57','2011-11-20 19:05:57','',5842,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/20/5842-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(5845,1,'2011-11-22 06:27:59','2011-11-22 04:27:59','Thanksgiving recap: 24 turkeys, 9 pans of stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, yams, broccoli salad, corn and two different desserts--pumpkin cheese cake and apple crisp. One big blister on my finger and a burn on my arm and a little rakiya healed both of these ailments.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"My oven of stuffing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"My oven of stuffing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378522269/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6216/6378522269_8870e6def6_b.jpg\" alt=\"My oven of stuffing\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Turkeys\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Turkeys\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378541721/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6019/6378541721_08a751e723_b.jpg\" alt=\"Turkeys\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThis is the third year I\'ve made stuffing for our faculty Thanksgiving dinner but the first year that we\'ve stuffed all of the turkeys with the stuffing. I guess that means that the previous two years I actually made dressing rather than stuffing--but really who\'s counting. (If you are, maybe you\'ll want to read <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/11/21/thanksgiving-stuffing-in-a-picture/\" target=\"_blank\">last year\'s post on the stuffing</a>. If that\'s not enough for you, there\'s this<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/11/19/one-week-thanksgiving/\" target=\"_blank\"> post with the actual recipe</a> and <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/11/19/one-week-thanksgiving/\" target=\"_blank\">this post on the other dishes we made my first year at ACS</a>. Or maybe you want to read about <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/11/29/pilgrams-and-sofia/\" target=\"_blank\">my very first Thanksgiving in Sofia</a>. It\'s hard to believe that was four year ago!! <em>Four years</em>.)\r\n\r\nNow this stuffing is delicious. I know, I know. I am biased. But really, this stuff is <em>tasty</em>.  It\'s also super easy to make and very forgiving.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me and the stuffing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Me and the stuffing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378531345/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6238/6378531345_be89476cbb_b.jpg\" alt=\"Me and the stuffing\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nHere are the basics: Take bread and rip it up. Toast it. Chop up apple, dried fruit, celery, onion and garlic. Mince your herbs. That\'s parsley, rosemary, thyme and sage. Fresh is best but I\'ve made it with a mix of fresh parsley and dry herbs too. Mix all of this together and then add vegetable stock. Let it sit overnight. Bake covered. Stir. Bake uncovered until toasty and hot. Put it in your mouth (but careful, it\'s hot). Then eat some more.\r\n\r\nMostly this recipe is a hurry up and wait recipe. This is a nice thing. It means you can cook and prep other things as you wait. Or in my case, you can just take a ton of pictures as you\'re keeping an eye on your stuffing and drink red wine as you\'re baby sitting the stuffing.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Waiting for the stuffing to cook\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Waiting for the stuffing to cook\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378520531/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6215/6378520531_993050aea8_b.jpg\" alt=\"Waiting for the stuffing to cook\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Rows of ovens\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Rows of ovens\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378517627/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6055/6378517627_38188dc326_b.jpg\" alt=\"Rows of ovens\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nNow it gets a little more complicated when you\'re making stuffing for 150 people but really this is only because no sane person should cook stuffing for 150 people. Enter blister. I chopped and chopped and chopped. Then I diced and diced. It\'s totally worth it but I was also using a crappy knife. I don\'t recommend this.\r\n\r\nBut I do recommend this stuffing. (It\'s easy to make with whatever you have on hand. And the leftovers? Those are to die for.)\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Toasted stuffing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Toasted stuffing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378518997/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6113/6378518997_5558f439e2_b.jpg\" alt=\"Toasted stuffing\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Stuffing pre-cooking\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Stuffing pre-cooking\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378510907/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6227/6378510907_81bb560e51_b.jpg\" alt=\"Stuffing pre-cooking\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Fruit and herbs mix\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Fruit and herbs mix\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378506515/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6093/6378506515_354d8c708e_b.jpg\" alt=\"Fruit and herbs mix\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Green Apples\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Green Apples\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378501803/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6019/6378501803_bd2e3ae197_b.jpg\" alt=\"Green Apples\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Green Onion\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Green Onion\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378500141/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6114/6378500141_7311e0e282_b.jpg\" alt=\"Green Onion\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Lots and lots of bread\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Lots and lots of bread\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378496239/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6041/6378496239_42bb2e3d1d_b.jpg\" alt=\"Lots and lots of bread\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Cranberries\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cranberries\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378489763/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6046/6378489763_acb4074c93_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cranberries\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe blister is a good reminder of the awesome/crazy thing I decided to undertake this weekend. It\'s kind of a badge of honor.\r\n\r\nNow the burnt arm?\r\n\r\nThat\'s a different story. That hurt a lot. A LOT. A Lot. I almost dropped the pan of stuffing in my hands when I did that. I managed to nick the inside part of my forearm on the oven. <em>Yoasa</em>. That hurt. The kind of <em>ow</em> that makes you want to jump around. But, I have to say, the human body is pretty cool because I can barely see the mark on my arm something like 36+ hours later.\r\n\r\nOh and it was quickly forgotten at the party. What\'s not to love about this much food and such great company?!\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Serving Food\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Serving Food\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378556311/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6213/6378556311_2daf4cfc27_b.jpg\" alt=\"Serving Food\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Our Bulgarian Guests\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Guests\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378551645/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6044/6378551645_c989249730_b.jpg\" alt=\"Guests\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe good news? I\'ve still got some leftover stuffing in my fridge and I am heading to Vienna for Thanksgiving. I am kicking my holiday season off in style as I plan to drink plenty of mulled wine, eat roasted chestnuts and sausages and do some holiday shopping.','Thanksgiving Bulgaria Style','','publish','open','open','','thanksgiving-bulgaria-style','','','2011-11-21 22:42:10','2011-11-21 20:42:10','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5845',0,'post','',5),(5846,1,'2011-11-20 23:02:32','2011-11-20 21:02:32','Thanksgiving recap: 24 turkeys, 9 pans of stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, yams, broccoli salad, corn and two different desserts--pumpkin cheese cake and apple crisp. One big blister on my finger and a burn on my arm and a little rakiya healed both of these ailments.\n\nThis is the third year I\'ve made stuffing for our faculty Thanksgiving dinner but the first year that we\'ve stuffed all of the turkeys with the stuffing. I guess that means that the previous two years I actually made dressing rather than stuffing--but really who\'s counting. (If you are, maybe you\'ll want to read <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/11/21/thanksgiving-stuffing-in-a-picture/\" target=\"_blank\">last year\'s post on the stuffing</a>. If that\'s not enough for you, there\'s this<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/11/19/one-week-thanksgiving/\" target=\"_blank\"> post with the actual recipe</a> and <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/11/19/one-week-thanksgiving/\" target=\"_blank\">this post on the other dishes we made my first year at ACS</a>. Or maybe you want to read about <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/11/29/pilgrams-and-sofia/\" target=\"_blank\">my very first Thanksgiving in Sofia</a>. It\'s hard to believe that was four year ago!! <em>Four years</em>.)\n\nNow this stuffing is delicious. I know, I know. I am biased but really, this stuff is <em>tasty</em>.  It\'s also super easy to make and very forgiving.\n\nHere are the basics: Take bread and rip it up. Toast it. Chop up apple, dried fruit, celery, onion and garlic. Mince your herbs. That\'s parsley, rosemary, thyme and sage. Fresh is best but I\'ve made it with a mix of fresh parsley and dry herbs too. Mix all of this together and then add vegetable stock. Let it sit overnight. Bake covered. Stir. Bake uncovered until toasty and hot. Put it in your mouth. Then eat some more.\n\nNow it gets a little more complicated when you\'re making stuffing for 150 people but really this is only because no sane person should cook stuffing for 150 people. Enter blister. I chopped and chopped and chopped. Then I diced and diced. It\'s totally worth it but I was also using a crappy knife. I don\'t recommend this.\n\nThe blister is a good reminder of the awesome/crazy thing I decided to undertake this weekend. It\'s kind of a badge of honor.\n\nNow the burnt arm?\n\nThat\'s a different story. That hurt a lot. A LOT. I almost dropped the pan of stuffing in my hands when I did that. I managed to nick the inside part of my forearm on the oven. <em>Yoasa</em>. That hurt. The kind of <em>ow</em> that makes you want to jump around. But, I have to say, the human body is pretty cool because I can barely see the mark on my arm something like 36+ hours later.\n\nThe good news? I\'ve got some leftover stuffing in my fridge and I am heading to Vienna for Thanksgiving. I am kicking my holiday season off in style as I plan to drink plenty of mulled wine, eat roasted chestnuts and sausages and do some holiday shopping.','Thanksgiving Bulgaria Style','','inherit','open','open','','5845-revision','','','2011-11-20 23:02:32','2011-11-20 21:02:32','',5845,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/20/5845-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5847,1,'2011-11-21 22:26:01','2011-11-21 20:26:01','Thanksgiving recap: 24 turkeys, 9 pans of stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, yams, broccoli salad, corn and two different desserts--pumpkin cheese cake and apple crisp. One big blister on my finger and a burn on my arm and a little rakiya healed both of these ailments.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"My oven of stuffing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"My oven of stuffing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378522269/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6216/6378522269_8870e6def6_b.jpg\" alt=\"My oven of stuffing\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Turkeys\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Turkeys\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378541721/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6019/6378541721_08a751e723_b.jpg\" alt=\"Turkeys\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThis is the third year I\'ve made stuffing for our faculty Thanksgiving dinner but the first year that we\'ve stuffed all of the turkeys with the stuffing. I guess that means that the previous two years I actually made dressing rather than stuffing--but really who\'s counting. (If you are, maybe you\'ll want to read <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/11/21/thanksgiving-stuffing-in-a-picture/\" target=\"_blank\">last year\'s post on the stuffing</a>. If that\'s not enough for you, there\'s this<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/11/19/one-week-thanksgiving/\" target=\"_blank\"> post with the actual recipe</a> and <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/11/19/one-week-thanksgiving/\" target=\"_blank\">this post on the other dishes we made my first year at ACS</a>. Or maybe you want to read about <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/11/29/pilgrams-and-sofia/\" target=\"_blank\">my very first Thanksgiving in Sofia</a>. It\'s hard to believe that was four year ago!! <em>Four years</em>.)\n\nNow this stuffing is delicious. I know, I know. I am biased but really, this stuff is <em>tasty</em>.  It\'s also super easy to make and very forgiving.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me and the stuffing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Me and the stuffing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378531345/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6238/6378531345_be89476cbb_b.jpg\" alt=\"Me and the stuffing\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nHere are the basics: Take bread and rip it up. Toast it. Chop up apple, dried fruit, celery, onion and garlic. Mince your herbs. That\'s parsley, rosemary, thyme and sage. Fresh is best but I\'ve made it with a mix of fresh parsley and dry herbs too. Mix all of this together and then add vegetable stock. Let it sit overnight. Bake covered. Stir. Bake uncovered until toasty and hot. Put it in your mouth. Then eat some more.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1024\" caption=\"Waiting for the stuffing to cook\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Waiting for the stuffing to cook\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378520531/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6215/6378520531_993050aea8_b.jpg\" alt=\"Waiting for the stuffing to cook\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Rows of ovens\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Rows of ovens\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378517627/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6055/6378517627_38188dc326_b.jpg\" alt=\"Rows of ovens\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nNow it gets a little more complicated when you\'re making stuffing for 150 people but really this is only because no sane person should cook stuffing for 150 people. Enter blister. I chopped and chopped and chopped. Then I diced and diced. It\'s totally worth it but I was also using a crappy knife. I don\'t recommend this.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Toasted stuffing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Toasted stuffing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378518997/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6113/6378518997_5558f439e2_b.jpg\" alt=\"Toasted stuffing\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Stuffing pre-cooking\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Stuffing pre-cooking\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378510907/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6227/6378510907_81bb560e51_b.jpg\" alt=\"Stuffing pre-cooking\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThe blister is a good reminder of the awesome/crazy thing I decided to undertake this weekend. It\'s kind of a badge of honor.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Fruit and herbs mix\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Fruit and herbs mix\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378506515/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6093/6378506515_354d8c708e_b.jpg\" alt=\"Fruit and herbs mix\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Green Apples\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378501803/\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6019/6378501803_bd2e3ae197_b.jpg\" alt=\"Green Apples\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a> <a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Green Onion\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378500141/\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6114/6378500141_7311e0e282_b.jpg\" alt=\"Green Onion\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a> <a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Lots and lots of bread\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378496239/\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6041/6378496239_42bb2e3d1d_b.jpg\" alt=\"Lots and lots of bread\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a> <a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cranberries\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378489763/\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6046/6378489763_acb4074c93_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cranberries\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a> Now the burnt arm?\n\nThat\'s a different story. That hurt a lot. A LOT. I almost dropped the pan of stuffing in my hands when I did that. I managed to nick the inside part of my forearm on the oven. <em>Yoasa</em>. That hurt. The kind of <em>ow</em> that makes you want to jump around. But, I have to say, the human body is pretty cool because I can barely see the mark on my arm something like 36+ hours later.\n\n<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Serving Food\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378556311/\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6213/6378556311_2daf4cfc27_b.jpg\" alt=\"Serving Food\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a> <a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Guests\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378551645/\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6044/6378551645_c989249730_b.jpg\" alt=\"Guests\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a> The good news? I\'ve got some leftover stuffing in my fridge and I am heading to Vienna for Thanksgiving. I am kicking my holiday season off in style as I plan to drink plenty of mulled wine, eat roasted chestnuts and sausages and do some holiday shopping.','Thanksgiving Bulgaria Style','','inherit','open','open','','5845-revision-2','','','2011-11-21 22:26:01','2011-11-21 20:26:01','',5845,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/21/5845-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(5848,1,'2011-11-21 22:27:58','2011-11-21 20:27:58','Thanksgiving recap: 24 turkeys, 9 pans of stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, yams, broccoli salad, corn and two different desserts--pumpkin cheese cake and apple crisp. One big blister on my finger and a burn on my arm and a little rakiya healed both of these ailments.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"My oven of stuffing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"My oven of stuffing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378522269/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6216/6378522269_8870e6def6_b.jpg\" alt=\"My oven of stuffing\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Turkeys\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Turkeys\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378541721/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6019/6378541721_08a751e723_b.jpg\" alt=\"Turkeys\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThis is the third year I\'ve made stuffing for our faculty Thanksgiving dinner but the first year that we\'ve stuffed all of the turkeys with the stuffing. I guess that means that the previous two years I actually made dressing rather than stuffing--but really who\'s counting. (If you are, maybe you\'ll want to read <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/11/21/thanksgiving-stuffing-in-a-picture/\" target=\"_blank\">last year\'s post on the stuffing</a>. If that\'s not enough for you, there\'s this<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/11/19/one-week-thanksgiving/\" target=\"_blank\"> post with the actual recipe</a> and <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/11/19/one-week-thanksgiving/\" target=\"_blank\">this post on the other dishes we made my first year at ACS</a>. Or maybe you want to read about <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/11/29/pilgrams-and-sofia/\" target=\"_blank\">my very first Thanksgiving in Sofia</a>. It\'s hard to believe that was four year ago!! <em>Four years</em>.)\r\n\r\nNow this stuffing is delicious. I know, I know. I am biased but really, this stuff is <em>tasty</em>.  It\'s also super easy to make and very forgiving.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me and the stuffing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Me and the stuffing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378531345/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6238/6378531345_be89476cbb_b.jpg\" alt=\"Me and the stuffing\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nHere are the basics: Take bread and rip it up. Toast it. Chop up apple, dried fruit, celery, onion and garlic. Mince your herbs. That\'s parsley, rosemary, thyme and sage. Fresh is best but I\'ve made it with a mix of fresh parsley and dry herbs too. Mix all of this together and then add vegetable stock. Let it sit overnight. Bake covered. Stir. Bake uncovered until toasty and hot. Put it in your mouth. Then eat some more.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"1024\" caption=\"Waiting for the stuffing to cook\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Waiting for the stuffing to cook\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378520531/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6215/6378520531_993050aea8_b.jpg\" alt=\"Waiting for the stuffing to cook\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Rows of ovens\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Rows of ovens\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378517627/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6055/6378517627_38188dc326_b.jpg\" alt=\"Rows of ovens\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nNow it gets a little more complicated when you\'re making stuffing for 150 people but really this is only because no sane person should cook stuffing for 150 people. Enter blister. I chopped and chopped and chopped. Then I diced and diced. It\'s totally worth it but I was also using a crappy knife. I don\'t recommend this.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Toasted stuffing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Toasted stuffing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378518997/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6113/6378518997_5558f439e2_b.jpg\" alt=\"Toasted stuffing\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Stuffing pre-cooking\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Stuffing pre-cooking\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378510907/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6227/6378510907_81bb560e51_b.jpg\" alt=\"Stuffing pre-cooking\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe blister is a good reminder of the awesome/crazy thing I decided to undertake this weekend. It\'s kind of a badge of honor.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Fruit and herbs mix\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Fruit and herbs mix\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378506515/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6093/6378506515_354d8c708e_b.jpg\" alt=\"Fruit and herbs mix\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Green Apples\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Green Apples\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378501803/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6019/6378501803_bd2e3ae197_b.jpg\" alt=\"Green Apples\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Green Onion\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Green Onion\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378500141/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6114/6378500141_7311e0e282_b.jpg\" alt=\"Green Onion\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Lots and lots of bread\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Lots and lots of bread\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378496239/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6041/6378496239_42bb2e3d1d_b.jpg\" alt=\"Lots and lots of bread\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Cranberries\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cranberries\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378489763/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6046/6378489763_acb4074c93_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cranberries\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nNow the burnt arm?\r\n\r\nThat\'s a different story. That hurt a lot. A LOT. I almost dropped the pan of stuffing in my hands when I did that. I managed to nick the inside part of my forearm on the oven. <em>Yoasa</em>. That hurt. The kind of <em>ow</em> that makes you want to jump around. But, I have to say, the human body is pretty cool because I can barely see the mark on my arm something like 36+ hours later.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Serving Food\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Serving Food\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378556311/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6213/6378556311_2daf4cfc27_b.jpg\" alt=\"Serving Food\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Our Bulgarian Guests\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Guests\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378551645/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6044/6378551645_c989249730_b.jpg\" alt=\"Guests\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe good news? I\'ve got some leftover stuffing in my fridge and I am heading to Vienna for Thanksgiving. I am kicking my holiday season off in style as I plan to drink plenty of mulled wine, eat roasted chestnuts and sausages and do some holiday shopping.','Thanksgiving Bulgaria Style','','inherit','open','open','','5845-revision-3','','','2011-11-21 22:27:58','2011-11-21 20:27:58','',5845,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/21/5845-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(5849,1,'2011-11-21 22:38:09','2011-11-21 20:38:09','Thanksgiving recap: 24 turkeys, 9 pans of stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, yams, broccoli salad, corn and two different desserts--pumpkin cheese cake and apple crisp. One big blister on my finger and a burn on my arm and a little rakiya healed both of these ailments.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"My oven of stuffing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"My oven of stuffing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378522269/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6216/6378522269_8870e6def6_b.jpg\" alt=\"My oven of stuffing\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Turkeys\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Turkeys\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378541721/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6019/6378541721_08a751e723_b.jpg\" alt=\"Turkeys\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThis is the third year I\'ve made stuffing for our faculty Thanksgiving dinner but the first year that we\'ve stuffed all of the turkeys with the stuffing. I guess that means that the previous two years I actually made dressing rather than stuffing--but really who\'s counting. (If you are, maybe you\'ll want to read <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/11/21/thanksgiving-stuffing-in-a-picture/\" target=\"_blank\">last year\'s post on the stuffing</a>. If that\'s not enough for you, there\'s this<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/11/19/one-week-thanksgiving/\" target=\"_blank\"> post with the actual recipe</a> and <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/11/19/one-week-thanksgiving/\" target=\"_blank\">this post on the other dishes we made my first year at ACS</a>. Or maybe you want to read about <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/11/29/pilgrams-and-sofia/\" target=\"_blank\">my very first Thanksgiving in Sofia</a>. It\'s hard to believe that was four year ago!! <em>Four years</em>.)\n\nNow this stuffing is delicious. I know, I know. I am biased. But really, this stuff is <em>tasty</em>.  It\'s also super easy to make and very forgiving.<!--more-->\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me and the stuffing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Me and the stuffing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378531345/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6238/6378531345_be89476cbb_b.jpg\" alt=\"Me and the stuffing\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nHere are the basics: Take bread and rip it up. Toast it. Chop up apple, dried fruit, celery, onion and garlic. Mince your herbs. That\'s parsley, rosemary, thyme and sage. Fresh is best but I\'ve made it with a mix of fresh parsley and dry herbs too. Mix all of this together and then add vegetable stock. Let it sit overnight. Bake covered. Stir. Bake uncovered until toasty and hot. Put it in your mouth (but careful, it\'s hot). Then eat some more.\n\nMostly this recipe is a hurry up and wait recipe. This is a nice thing. It means you can cook and prep other things as you wait. Or in my case, you can just take a ton of pictures as you\'re keeping an eye on your stuffing and drink red wine as you\'re baby sitting the stuffing.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Waiting for the stuffing to cook\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Waiting for the stuffing to cook\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378520531/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6215/6378520531_993050aea8_b.jpg\" alt=\"Waiting for the stuffing to cook\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Rows of ovens\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Rows of ovens\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378517627/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6055/6378517627_38188dc326_b.jpg\" alt=\"Rows of ovens\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nNow it gets a little more complicated when you\'re making stuffing for 150 people but really this is only because no sane person should cook stuffing for 150 people. Enter blister. I chopped and chopped and chopped. Then I diced and diced. It\'s totally worth it but I was also using a crappy knife. I don\'t recommend this.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Toasted stuffing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Toasted stuffing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378518997/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6113/6378518997_5558f439e2_b.jpg\" alt=\"Toasted stuffing\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Stuffing pre-cooking\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Stuffing pre-cooking\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378510907/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6227/6378510907_81bb560e51_b.jpg\" alt=\"Stuffing pre-cooking\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Fruit and herbs mix\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Fruit and herbs mix\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378506515/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6093/6378506515_354d8c708e_b.jpg\" alt=\"Fruit and herbs mix\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Green Apples\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Green Apples\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378501803/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6019/6378501803_bd2e3ae197_b.jpg\" alt=\"Green Apples\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Green Onion\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Green Onion\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378500141/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6114/6378500141_7311e0e282_b.jpg\" alt=\"Green Onion\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Lots and lots of bread\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Lots and lots of bread\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378496239/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6041/6378496239_42bb2e3d1d_b.jpg\" alt=\"Lots and lots of bread\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Cranberries\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cranberries\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378489763/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6046/6378489763_acb4074c93_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cranberries\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThe blister is a good reminder of the awesome/crazy thing I decided to undertake this weekend. It\'s kind of a badge of honor.\n\nNow the burnt arm?\n\nThat\'s a different story. That hurt a lot. A LOT. A Lot. I almost dropped the pan of stuffing in my hands when I did that. I managed to nick the inside part of my forearm on the oven. <em>Yoasa</em>. That hurt. The kind of <em>ow</em> that makes you want to jump around. But, I have to say, the human body is pretty cool because I can barely see the mark on my arm something like 36+ hours later.\n\nOh and it was quickly forgotten at the party. What\'\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Serving Food\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Serving Food\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378556311/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6213/6378556311_2daf4cfc27_b.jpg\" alt=\"Serving Food\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Our Bulgarian Guests\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Guests\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378551645/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6044/6378551645_c989249730_b.jpg\" alt=\"Guests\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThe good news? I\'ve got some leftover stuffing in my fridge and I am heading to Vienna for Thanksgiving. I am kicking my holiday season off in style as I plan to drink plenty of mulled wine, eat roasted chestnuts and sausages and do some holiday shopping.','Thanksgiving Bulgaria Style','','inherit','open','open','','5845-revision-4','','','2011-11-21 22:38:09','2011-11-21 20:38:09','',5845,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/21/5845-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(5850,1,'2011-11-21 22:42:07','2011-11-21 20:42:07','Thanksgiving recap: 24 turkeys, 9 pans of stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, yams, broccoli salad, corn and two different desserts--pumpkin cheese cake and apple crisp. One big blister on my finger and a burn on my arm and a little rakiya healed both of these ailments.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"My oven of stuffing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"My oven of stuffing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378522269/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6216/6378522269_8870e6def6_b.jpg\" alt=\"My oven of stuffing\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Turkeys\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Turkeys\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378541721/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6019/6378541721_08a751e723_b.jpg\" alt=\"Turkeys\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThis is the third year I\'ve made stuffing for our faculty Thanksgiving dinner but the first year that we\'ve stuffed all of the turkeys with the stuffing. I guess that means that the previous two years I actually made dressing rather than stuffing--but really who\'s counting. (If you are, maybe you\'ll want to read <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/11/21/thanksgiving-stuffing-in-a-picture/\" target=\"_blank\">last year\'s post on the stuffing</a>. If that\'s not enough for you, there\'s this<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/11/19/one-week-thanksgiving/\" target=\"_blank\"> post with the actual recipe</a> and <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/11/19/one-week-thanksgiving/\" target=\"_blank\">this post on the other dishes we made my first year at ACS</a>. Or maybe you want to read about <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/11/29/pilgrams-and-sofia/\" target=\"_blank\">my very first Thanksgiving in Sofia</a>. It\'s hard to believe that was four year ago!! <em>Four years</em>.)\n\nNow this stuffing is delicious. I know, I know. I am biased. But really, this stuff is <em>tasty</em>.  It\'s also super easy to make and very forgiving.<!--more-->\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me and the stuffing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Me and the stuffing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378531345/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6238/6378531345_be89476cbb_b.jpg\" alt=\"Me and the stuffing\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nHere are the basics: Take bread and rip it up. Toast it. Chop up apple, dried fruit, celery, onion and garlic. Mince your herbs. That\'s parsley, rosemary, thyme and sage. Fresh is best but I\'ve made it with a mix of fresh parsley and dry herbs too. Mix all of this together and then add vegetable stock. Let it sit overnight. Bake covered. Stir. Bake uncovered until toasty and hot. Put it in your mouth (but careful, it\'s hot). Then eat some more.\n\nMostly this recipe is a hurry up and wait recipe. This is a nice thing. It means you can cook and prep other things as you wait. Or in my case, you can just take a ton of pictures as you\'re keeping an eye on your stuffing and drink red wine as you\'re baby sitting the stuffing.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Waiting for the stuffing to cook\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Waiting for the stuffing to cook\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378520531/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6215/6378520531_993050aea8_b.jpg\" alt=\"Waiting for the stuffing to cook\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Rows of ovens\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Rows of ovens\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378517627/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6055/6378517627_38188dc326_b.jpg\" alt=\"Rows of ovens\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nNow it gets a little more complicated when you\'re making stuffing for 150 people but really this is only because no sane person should cook stuffing for 150 people. Enter blister. I chopped and chopped and chopped. Then I diced and diced. It\'s totally worth it but I was also using a crappy knife. I don\'t recommend this.\n\nBut I do recommend this stuffing. (It\'s easy to make with whatever you have on hand. And the leftovers? Those are to die for.)\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Toasted stuffing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Toasted stuffing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378518997/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6113/6378518997_5558f439e2_b.jpg\" alt=\"Toasted stuffing\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Stuffing pre-cooking\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Stuffing pre-cooking\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378510907/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6227/6378510907_81bb560e51_b.jpg\" alt=\"Stuffing pre-cooking\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Fruit and herbs mix\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Fruit and herbs mix\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378506515/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6093/6378506515_354d8c708e_b.jpg\" alt=\"Fruit and herbs mix\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Green Apples\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Green Apples\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378501803/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6019/6378501803_bd2e3ae197_b.jpg\" alt=\"Green Apples\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Green Onion\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Green Onion\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378500141/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6114/6378500141_7311e0e282_b.jpg\" alt=\"Green Onion\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Lots and lots of bread\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Lots and lots of bread\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378496239/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6041/6378496239_42bb2e3d1d_b.jpg\" alt=\"Lots and lots of bread\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Cranberries\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cranberries\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378489763/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6046/6378489763_acb4074c93_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cranberries\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThe blister is a good reminder of the awesome/crazy thing I decided to undertake this weekend. It\'s kind of a badge of honor.\n\nNow the burnt arm?\n\nThat\'s a different story. That hurt a lot. A LOT. A Lot. I almost dropped the pan of stuffing in my hands when I did that. I managed to nick the inside part of my forearm on the oven. <em>Yoasa</em>. That hurt. The kind of <em>ow</em> that makes you want to jump around. But, I have to say, the human body is pretty cool because I can barely see the mark on my arm something like 36+ hours later.\n\nOh and it was quickly forgotten at the party. What\'s not to love about this much food and such great company?!\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Serving Food\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Serving Food\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378556311/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6213/6378556311_2daf4cfc27_b.jpg\" alt=\"Serving Food\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Our Bulgarian Guests\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Guests\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378551645/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6044/6378551645_c989249730_b.jpg\" alt=\"Guests\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThe good news? I\'ve still got some leftover stuffing in my fridge and I am heading to Vienna for Thanksgiving. I am kicking my holiday season off in style as I plan to drink plenty of mulled wine, eat roasted chestnuts and sausages and do some holiday shopping.','Thanksgiving Bulgaria Style','','inherit','open','open','','5845-autosave','','','2011-11-21 22:42:07','2011-11-21 20:42:07','',5845,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/21/5845-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(5851,1,'2011-11-21 22:39:02','2011-11-21 20:39:02','Thanksgiving recap: 24 turkeys, 9 pans of stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, yams, broccoli salad, corn and two different desserts--pumpkin cheese cake and apple crisp. One big blister on my finger and a burn on my arm and a little rakiya healed both of these ailments.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"My oven of stuffing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"My oven of stuffing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378522269/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6216/6378522269_8870e6def6_b.jpg\" alt=\"My oven of stuffing\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Turkeys\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Turkeys\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378541721/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6019/6378541721_08a751e723_b.jpg\" alt=\"Turkeys\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThis is the third year I\'ve made stuffing for our faculty Thanksgiving dinner but the first year that we\'ve stuffed all of the turkeys with the stuffing. I guess that means that the previous two years I actually made dressing rather than stuffing--but really who\'s counting. (If you are, maybe you\'ll want to read <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/11/21/thanksgiving-stuffing-in-a-picture/\" target=\"_blank\">last year\'s post on the stuffing</a>. If that\'s not enough for you, there\'s this<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/11/19/one-week-thanksgiving/\" target=\"_blank\"> post with the actual recipe</a> and <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/11/19/one-week-thanksgiving/\" target=\"_blank\">this post on the other dishes we made my first year at ACS</a>. Or maybe you want to read about <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/11/29/pilgrams-and-sofia/\" target=\"_blank\">my very first Thanksgiving in Sofia</a>. It\'s hard to believe that was four year ago!! <em>Four years</em>.)\r\n\r\nNow this stuffing is delicious. I know, I know. I am biased. But really, this stuff is <em>tasty</em>.  It\'s also super easy to make and very forgiving.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me and the stuffing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Me and the stuffing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378531345/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6238/6378531345_be89476cbb_b.jpg\" alt=\"Me and the stuffing\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nHere are the basics: Take bread and rip it up. Toast it. Chop up apple, dried fruit, celery, onion and garlic. Mince your herbs. That\'s parsley, rosemary, thyme and sage. Fresh is best but I\'ve made it with a mix of fresh parsley and dry herbs too. Mix all of this together and then add vegetable stock. Let it sit overnight. Bake covered. Stir. Bake uncovered until toasty and hot. Put it in your mouth (but careful, it\'s hot). Then eat some more.\r\n\r\nMostly this recipe is a hurry up and wait recipe. This is a nice thing. It means you can cook and prep other things as you wait. Or in my case, you can just take a ton of pictures as you\'re keeping an eye on your stuffing and drink red wine as you\'re baby sitting the stuffing.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Waiting for the stuffing to cook\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Waiting for the stuffing to cook\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378520531/\"><img class=\" \" src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6215/6378520531_993050aea8_b.jpg\" alt=\"Waiting for the stuffing to cook\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Rows of ovens\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Rows of ovens\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378517627/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6055/6378517627_38188dc326_b.jpg\" alt=\"Rows of ovens\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nNow it gets a little more complicated when you\'re making stuffing for 150 people but really this is only because no sane person should cook stuffing for 150 people. Enter blister. I chopped and chopped and chopped. Then I diced and diced. It\'s totally worth it but I was also using a crappy knife. I don\'t recommend this.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Toasted stuffing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Toasted stuffing\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378518997/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6113/6378518997_5558f439e2_b.jpg\" alt=\"Toasted stuffing\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Stuffing pre-cooking\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Stuffing pre-cooking\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378510907/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6227/6378510907_81bb560e51_b.jpg\" alt=\"Stuffing pre-cooking\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Fruit and herbs mix\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Fruit and herbs mix\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378506515/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6093/6378506515_354d8c708e_b.jpg\" alt=\"Fruit and herbs mix\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Green Apples\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Green Apples\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378501803/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6019/6378501803_bd2e3ae197_b.jpg\" alt=\"Green Apples\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Green Onion\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Green Onion\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378500141/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6114/6378500141_7311e0e282_b.jpg\" alt=\"Green Onion\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Lots and lots of bread\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Lots and lots of bread\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378496239/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6041/6378496239_42bb2e3d1d_b.jpg\" alt=\"Lots and lots of bread\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Cranberries\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cranberries\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378489763/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6046/6378489763_acb4074c93_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cranberries\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe blister is a good reminder of the awesome/crazy thing I decided to undertake this weekend. It\'s kind of a badge of honor.\r\n\r\nNow the burnt arm?\r\n\r\nThat\'s a different story. That hurt a lot. A LOT. A Lot. I almost dropped the pan of stuffing in my hands when I did that. I managed to nick the inside part of my forearm on the oven. <em>Yoasa</em>. That hurt. The kind of <em>ow</em> that makes you want to jump around. But, I have to say, the human body is pretty cool because I can barely see the mark on my arm something like 36+ hours later.\r\n\r\nOh and it was quickly forgotten at the party. What\'s not to love about this much food and such great company?!\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Serving Food\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Serving Food\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378556311/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6213/6378556311_2daf4cfc27_b.jpg\" alt=\"Serving Food\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Our Bulgarian Guests\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Guests\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6378551645/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6044/6378551645_c989249730_b.jpg\" alt=\"Guests\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe good news? I\'ve still got some leftover stuffing in my fridge and I am heading to Vienna for Thanksgiving. I am kicking my holiday season off in style as I plan to drink plenty of mulled wine, eat roasted chestnuts and sausages and do some holiday shopping.','Thanksgiving Bulgaria Style','','inherit','open','open','','5845-revision-5','','','2011-11-21 22:39:02','2011-11-21 20:39:02','',5845,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/21/5845-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(5852,1,'2011-11-24 06:30:49','2011-11-24 04:30:49','My sister C. and I were talking recently via gmail chat. Some how we got onto the question: is your glass half empty? or half full?\r\n\r\nI\'m pretty clearly a half full kind of girl.\r\n\r\nSure.\r\n\r\nSometimes I complain. Sometimes life is hard. Sometimes school is hard. Sometimes Bulgarian is hard. Sometimes Sofia is. Sometimes I am unhappy.\r\n\r\nBut mostly, I am happy.\r\n\r\nI have great friends and family in my life. I am able to travel. I am healthy. I have a job that I love. I\'ve got this really fun blog.\r\n\r\nStill, I think it\'s important for me to be thankful. I\'ve been very lucky in my life and I am grateful for this. Lots of good things have happened to me.\r\n\r\nSo I decided to take a look at what I\'ve been thankful for in the past. Last year my post was <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/11/25/to-be-thankful/\" target=\"_blank\">short and sweet</a>. The year before that I managed <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/11/27/100-things-i-am-thankful-for-2/\" target=\"_blank\">to create a list of 100 things</a>. And apparently my first year I wasn\'t thankful for anything--or I was too busy/overwhelmed with life abroad to document everything I am thankful for.\r\n\r\nWhat am I thankful for this year?\r\n\r\nWell the list is the same as last year and then some. I am thankful for:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>My parents who have made it so much easier for me to live abroad.</li>\r\n	<li>My bother and sister who are both growing up so quickly and for the joy they\'ve both found in their lives this past year.</li>\r\n	<li>My friends who continue to teach me to be a better friend, who challenge me and who make me see the world in new ways.</li>\r\n	<li>The adventures I\'ve had this year and the ones ahead of me.</li>\r\n	<li>My students who make me laugh, drive me crazy and make me excited to go to work each day.</li>\r\n	<li>Everyone who has read (and reads) my blog, who has encouraged me, who has challenged my claims, who has supported me and for everyone for whom I continue to write.</li>\r\n	<li>My life in Bulgaria. Things haven\'t always been easy but I am a better person for it.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nHappy Thanksgiving to each of you no matter where you are today or how you are celebrating.','Giving Thanks! ','','publish','open','open','','giving-thanks','','','2011-11-24 00:02:08','2011-11-23 22:02:08','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5852',0,'post','',1),(5853,1,'2011-11-21 23:13:52','2011-11-21 21:13:52','My sister C. and I were talking recently via gmail chat. Some how we got onto the question: is your glass half empty? or half full? I\'m pretty clearly a half full kind of girl.\n\nSure. Sometimes I complain. Sometimes life is hard. Sometimes school is hard. Sometimes Bulgarian is hard. Sometimes Sofia is. Sometimes I am unhappy.\n\nBut mostly, I am happy. Still, it\'s important for me to be thankful. I\'ve been very lucky in my life and I am grateful for this.\n\nSo I decided to take a look at what I\'ve been thankful for in the past. Last year my post was <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/11/25/to-be-thankful/\" target=\"_blank\">short and sweet</a>. The year before that I managed <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/11/27/100-things-i-am-thankful-for-2/\" target=\"_blank\">to create a list of 100 things</a>. And apparently my first year I wasn\'t thankful for anything--or I was too busy/overwhelmed with life abroad to document everything I am thankful for.','Giving Thanks! ','','inherit','open','open','','5852-revision','','','2011-11-21 23:13:52','2011-11-21 21:13:52','',5852,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/21/5852-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5855,1,'2011-11-23 06:22:15','2011-11-23 04:22:15','I just got a message via twitter from an expat who just moved to Bulgaria. She wrote to ask me this:\r\n<blockquote>I just wanted to ask what you did to get over the low times you had when you moved here. I am a bit blue.</blockquote>\r\nOh. This caught my eye even during a busy day at school. I wrote back. How could I not?!\r\n<blockquote>Do something you love. Buy yourself some flowers. Get your camera out and go exploring. It\'s not easy but it gets better!!</blockquote>\r\nI mean, it\'s hard to live abroad. It\'s easy to feel rootless, disconnected and a drift. When you move to a country like Bulgaria it\'s not very likely that you know the language and you may or may not know anyone.\r\n\r\nWhen I moved here I basically didn\'t know anyone or anything. I came alone. I knew the Cyrillic alphabet. Sort of. And I kind of knew my numbers 1-20 and a few other greetings. Early on I spent a lot of time speaking to other people in a bizarre-o mix of German and Bulgarian.\r\n\r\nIt was a huge learning curve and so everyday I came home exhausted but pleased with myself. I\'d taken the bus and gone to my language lessons. I\'d found what I needed in the shops near my house. I\'d ordered coffee for myself in a cafe and got what I wanted. I\'d walked around and not gotten lost.\r\n\r\nThe thing is little by little, I didn\'t feel so lost anymore.<!--more--> I met some friends through the Fulbright. I made some friends through friends of friends. I went to parties and smiled and I talked to anyone who would talk to me (and probably some people who didn\'t really want to be talking to me). I struggled to make Bulgarian friends at work (and I still do) but I think that has more to do with our age difference than anything else (and I\'ve taught in two different schools now).\r\n\r\nI didn\'t actively use <a href=\"http://www.couchsurfing.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Couch Surfing</a> to make friends but you easily could. In fact, I think Couch Surfing is great and I certainly don\'t make enough use of it as a networking/friend building option. There\'s a monthly party here in Sofia and that\'s probably the place to start. There\'s also a group <a href=\"https://www.triptrotting.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Trip Trotting</a> (which seems to be spurred by the same guys who are part of <a href=\"http://www.freesofiatour.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Free Sofia Tours</a>) and is a global network for travelers. I went to their first meet-up and really enjoyed myself. The thing is sometimes it\'s easier than others to meet people in big groups like these.\r\n\r\nSo I think my best rule of thumb was basically for a whole year I never say no to anyone. Want to go hiking on Vitosha? Sure. Want to meet for a coffee? Of course. How about going to check out a monastery? Alright. Come over for dinner? Okay. The only offer I haven\'t actively pursued is going bungee jumping--yes, that\'s also been offered. But, I am afraid and a girl has got to know her limit.\r\n\r\nIt\'s easy to for me to feel less lonely (or blue) when I am spending time with other people. But then again I am an extrovert so that probably isn\'t surprising. What I found most difficult my first year was that I didn\'t always have a routine. For the first time in my life, work didn\'t command my choices and options regarding my free time. One morning about 3 months in, I woke up and I realized: I don\'t know what I am doing today. I have no plans. I have no commitments. I have nothing to do.\r\n\r\nThat was a weird, scary feeling for me. Of course, now that I am working in a full-time job one that I miss. But at the time, it made me feel very sad. I thought: well, I\'ve got to options. I could stay in bed or I could get up. I got up and made coffee. Then I decided that I was going out for another coffee. Not because I couldn\'t have a second coffee at home but because I was doing this for me. So I went out and started doing things for myself and by myself.\r\n\r\nI had coffee. I bought myself flowers. I went to museums. I sat in parks and people watched. Most museums in Sofia are eerily empty--something wonderful yet strange after visiting the museums of Western Europe. I read books. I went on walks. And the thing is, I took my camera with me everywhere. Then I wrote about what I saw, what I did, what I thought and what I felt.\r\n\r\nI created this blog. All of a sudden, this blog was keeping me accountable. I had people (mostly my MoM and dAd) who read it. The result was that I kept writing it and more and more people started reading it.\r\n\r\nSo do I still feel lonely or sad? Yes. Of course. From time to time.\r\n\r\nIt just surprises me a little bit more these days because now, these feelings of loneliness or homesickness sneak up on me. I\'ll be fine, I\'ll be fine, I\'ll be fine and then bamm. Homesick. The different today is that I have a bigger support network to rely on. I have a better sense of what will make me happy. Sometimes all it takes is a smile on my part (smiles are contagious you know), sometimes it\'s calling up a sympathetic friend, other times it is making a batch of brownies/chocolate chip cookies/banana bread and sometimes it\'s curling up with a good book.','A Case of the Blues ','','publish','open','open','','a-case-of-the-blues','','','2011-11-22 07:42:55','2011-11-22 05:42:55','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5855',0,'post','',5),(5854,1,'2011-11-21 23:14:26','2011-11-21 21:14:26','My sister C. and I were talking recently via gmail chat. Some how we got onto the question: is your glass half empty? or half full? I\'m pretty clearly a half full kind of girl.\r\n\r\nSure. Sometimes I complain. Sometimes life is hard. Sometimes school is hard. Sometimes Bulgarian is hard. Sometimes Sofia is. Sometimes I am unhappy.\r\n\r\nBut mostly, I am happy. Still, it\'s important for me to be thankful. I\'ve been very lucky in my life and I am grateful for this.\r\n\r\nSo I decided to take a look at what I\'ve been thankful for in the past. Last year my post was <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/11/25/to-be-thankful/\" target=\"_blank\">short and sweet</a>. The year before that I managed <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/11/27/100-things-i-am-thankful-for-2/\" target=\"_blank\">to create a list of 100 things</a>. And apparently my first year I wasn\'t thankful for anything--or I was too busy/overwhelmed with life abroad to document everything I am thankful for.','Giving Thanks! ','','inherit','open','open','','5852-revision-2','','','2011-11-21 23:14:26','2011-11-21 21:14:26','',5852,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/21/5852-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(5856,1,'2011-11-21 23:21:59','2011-11-21 21:21:59','I just got a message via twitter from an expat who just moved to Bulgaria. She wrote to ask me this:\n<blockquote>I just wanted to ask what you did to get over the low times you had when you moved here. I am a bit blue.</blockquote>\nOh. This caught my eye even during a busy day at school. I wrote back. How could I not?!\n<blockquote>Do something you love. Buy yourself some flowers. Get your camera out and go exploring. It\'s not easy but it gets better!!</blockquote>\nI mean, it\'s hard to live abroad.','A Case of the Blues ','','inherit','open','open','','5855-revision','','','2011-11-21 23:21:59','2011-11-21 21:21:59','',5855,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/21/5855-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5857,1,'2011-11-22 06:58:11','2011-11-22 04:58:11','I just got a message via twitter from an expat who just moved to Bulgaria. She wrote to ask me this:\n<blockquote>I just wanted to ask what you did to get over the low times you had when you moved here. I am a bit blue.</blockquote>\nOh. This caught my eye even during a busy day at school. I wrote back. How could I not?!\n<blockquote>Do something you love. Buy yourself some flowers. Get your camera out and go exploring. It\'s not easy but it gets better!!</blockquote>\nI mean, it\'s hard to live abroad. It\'s easy to feel rootless, disconnected and a drift. When you move to a country like Bulgaria it\'s not very likely that you know the language and you may or may not know anyone.\n\nWhen I moved here I basically didn\'t know anyone or anything. I came alone. I knew the Cyrillic alphabet. Sort of. And I kind of knew my numbers 1-20 and a few other greetings. Early on I spent a lot of time speaking to other people in a bizarre-o mix of German and Bulgarian.\n\nIt was a huge learning curve and so everyday I came home exhausted but pleased with myself. I\'d taken the bus and gone to my language lessons. I\'d found what I needed in the shops near my house. I\'d ordered coffee for myself in a cafe and got what I wanted. I\'d walked around and not gotten lost.\n\nThe thing is little by little, I didn\'t feel so lost anymore.<!--more--> I met some friends through the Fulbright. I made some friends through friends of friends. I went to parties and smiled and I talked to anyone who would talk to me (and probably some people who didn\'t really want to be talking to me). I struggled to make Bulgarian friends at work (and I still do) but I think that has more to do with our age difference than anything else (and I\'ve taught in two different schools now).\n\nI didn\'t actively use <a href=\"http://www.couchsurfing.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Couch Surfing</a> to make friends but you easily could. In fact, I think Couch Surfing is great and I certainly don\'t make enough use of it as a networking/friend building option. There\'s a monthly party here in Sofia and that\'s probably the place to start. There\'s also a group <a href=\"https://www.triptrotting.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Trip Trotting</a> (which seems to be spurred by the same guys who are part of <a href=\"http://www.freesofiatour.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Free Sofia Tours</a>) and is a global network for travelers. I went to their first meet-up and really enjoyed myself. The thing is sometimes it\'s easier than others to meet people in big groups like these.\n\nSo I think my best rule of thumb was basically for a whole year I never say no to anyone. Want to go hiking on Vitosha? Sure. Want to meet for a coffee? Of course. How about going to check out a monastery? Alright. Come over for dinner? Okay. The only offer I haven\'t actively pursued is going bungee jumping--yes, that\'s also been offered. But, I am afraid and a girl has got to know her limit.\n\nIt\'s easy to for me to feel less lonely (or blue) when I am spending time with other people. But then again I am an extrovert so that probably isn\'t surprising. What I found most difficult my first year was that I didn\'t always have a routine. For the first time in my life, work didn\'t command my choices and options regarding my free time. One morning about 3 months in, I woke up and I realized: I don\'t know what I am doing today. I have no plans. I have no commitments. I have nothing to do.\n\nThat was a weird, scary feeling for me. Of course, now that I am working in a full-time job one that I miss. But at the time, it made me feel very sad. I thought: well, I\'ve got to options. I could stay in bed or I could get up. I got up and made coffee. Then I decided that I was going out for another coffee. Not because I couldn\'t have a second coffee at home but because I was doing this for me. So I went out and started doing things for myself and by myself.\n\nI had coffee. I bought myself flowers. I went to museums. I sat in parks and people watched. Most museums in Sofia are eerily empty--something wonderful yet strange after visiting the museums of Western Europe. I read books. I went on walks. And the thing is, I took my camera with me everywhere. Then I wrote about what I saw, what I did, what I thought and what I felt.\n\nI created this blog. All of a sudden, this blog was keeping me accountable. I had people (mostly my MoM and dAd) who read it. The result was that I kept writing it and more and more people started reading it.\n\nSo do I still feel lonely or sad? Yes. Of course. From time to time.\n\nIt just surprises me a little bit more these days because now, these feelings of loneliness or homesickness sneak up on me. I\'ll be fine, I\'ll be fine, I\'ll be fine and then bamm. Homesick. The different today is that I have a bigger support network to rely on. I have a better sense of what will make me happy. Sometimes all it takes is a smile on my part (smiles are contagious you know), sometimes it\'s calling up a sympathetic friend, other times it is making a batch of brownies/chocolate chip cookies/banana bread and sometimes it\'s curling up with a good book.','A Case of the Blues ','','inherit','open','open','','5855-revision-2','','','2011-11-22 06:58:11','2011-11-22 04:58:11','',5855,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/22/5855-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(5858,1,'2011-11-22 07:43:59','2011-11-22 05:43:59','I just got a message via twitter from an expat who just moved to Bulgaria. She wrote to ask me this:\n<blockquote>I just wanted to ask what you did to get over the low times you had when you moved here. I am a bit blue.</blockquote>\nOh. This caught my eye even during a busy day at school. I wrote back. How could I not?!\n<blockquote>Do something you love. Buy yourself some flowers. Get your camera out and go exploring. It\'s not easy but it gets better!!</blockquote>\nI mean, it\'s hard to live abroad. It\'s easy to feel rootless, disconnected and a drift. When you move to a country like Bulgaria it\'s not very likely that you know the language and you may or may not know anyone.\n\nWhen I moved here I basically didn\'t know anyone or anything. I came alone. I knew the Cyrillic alphabet. Sort of. And I kind of knew my numbers 1-20 and a few other greetings. Early on I spent a lot of time speaking to other people in a bizarre-o mix of German and Bulgarian.\n\nIt was a huge learning curve and so everyday I came home exhausted but pleased with myself. I\'d taken the bus and gone to my language lessons. I\'d found what I needed in the shops near my house. I\'d ordered coffee for myself in a cafe and got what I wanted. I\'d walked around and not gotten lost.\n\nThe thing is little by little, I didn\'t feel so lost anymore.<!--more--> I met some friends through the Fulbright. I made some friends through friends of friends. I went to parties and smiled and I talked to anyone who would talk to me (and probably some people who didn\'t really want to be talking to me). I struggled to make Bulgarian friends at work (and I still do) but I think that has more to do with our age difference than anything else (and I\'ve taught in two different schools now).\n\nI didn\'t actively use <a href=\"http://www.couchsurfing.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Couch Surfing</a> to make friends but you easily could. In fact, I think Couch Surfing is great and I certainly don\'t make enough use of it as a networking/friend building option. There\'s a monthly party here in Sofia and that\'s probably the place to start. There\'s also a group <a href=\"https://www.triptrotting.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Trip Trotting</a> (which seems to be spurred by the same guys who are part of <a href=\"http://www.freesofiatour.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Free Sofia Tours</a>) and is a global network for travelers. I went to their first meet-up and really enjoyed myself. The thing is sometimes it\'s easier than others to meet people in big groups like these.\n\nSo I think my best rule of thumb was basically for a whole year I never say no to anyone. Want to go hiking on Vitosha? Sure. Want to meet for a coffee? Of course. How about going to check out a monastery? Alright. Come over for dinner? Okay. The only offer I haven\'t actively pursued is going bungee jumping--yes, that\'s also been offered. But, I am afraid and a girl has got to know her limit.\n\nIt\'s easy to for me to feel less lonely (or blue) when I am spending time with other people. But then again I am an extrovert so that probably isn\'t surprising. What I found most difficult my first year was that I didn\'t always have a routine. For the first time in my life, work didn\'t command my choices and options regarding my free time. One morning about 3 months in, I woke up and I realized: I don\'t know what I am doing today. I have no plans. I have no commitments. I have nothing to do.\n\nThat was a weird, scary feeling for me. Of course, now that I am working in a full-time job one that I miss. But at the time, it made me feel very sad. I thought: well, I\'ve got to options. I could stay in bed or I could get up. I got up and made coffee. Then I decided that I was going out for another coffee. Not because I couldn\'t have a second coffee at home but because I was doing this for me. So I went out and started doing things for myself and by myself.\n\nI had coffee. I bought myself flowers. I went to museums. I sat in parks and people watched. Most museums in Sofia are eerily empty--something wonderful yet strange after visiting the museums of Western Europe. I read books. I went on walks. And the thing is, I took my camera with me everywhere. Then I wrote about what I saw, what I did, what I thought and what I felt.\n\nI created this blog. All of a sudden, this blog was keeping me accountable. I had people (mostly my MoM and dAd) who read it. The result was that I kept writing it and more and more people started reading it.\n\nSo do I still feel lonely or sad? Yes. Of course. From time to time.\n\nIt just surprises me a little bit more these days because now, these feelings of loneliness or homesickness sneak up on me. I\'ll be fine, I\'ll be fine, I\'ll be fine and then bamm. Homesick. The different today is that I have a bigger support network to rely on. I have a better sense of what will make me happy. Sometimes all it takes is a smile on my part (smiles are contagious you know), sometimes it\'s calling up a sympathetic friend, other times it is making a batch of brownies/chocolate chip cookies/banana bread and sometimes it\'s curling up with a good book.','A Case of the Blues ','','inherit','open','open','','5855-autosave','','','2011-11-22 07:43:59','2011-11-22 05:43:59','',5855,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/22/5855-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(5859,1,'2011-11-22 06:58:15','2011-11-22 04:58:15','I just got a message via twitter from an expat who just moved to Bulgaria. She wrote to ask me this:\r\n<blockquote>I just wanted to ask what you did to get over the low times you had when you moved here. I am a bit blue.</blockquote>\r\nOh. This caught my eye even during a busy day at school. I wrote back. How could I not?!\r\n<blockquote>Do something you love. Buy yourself some flowers. Get your camera out and go exploring. It\'s not easy but it gets better!!</blockquote>\r\nI mean, it\'s hard to live abroad. It\'s easy to feel rootless, disconnected and a drift. When you move to a country like Bulgaria it\'s not very likely that you know the language and you may or may not know anyone.\r\n\r\nWhen I moved here I basically didn\'t know anyone or anything. I came alone. I knew the Cyrillic alphabet. Sort of. And I kind of knew my numbers 1-20 and a few other greetings. Early on I spent a lot of time speaking to other people in a bizarre-o mix of German and Bulgarian.\r\n\r\nIt was a huge learning curve and so everyday I came home exhausted but pleased with myself. I\'d taken the bus and gone to my language lessons. I\'d found what I needed in the shops near my house. I\'d ordered coffee for myself in a cafe and got what I wanted. I\'d walked around and not gotten lost.\r\n\r\nThe thing is little by little, I didn\'t feel so lost anymore.<!--more--> I met some friends through the Fulbright. I made some friends through friends of friends. I went to parties and smiled and I talked to anyone who would talk to me (and probably some people who didn\'t really want to be talking to me). I struggled to make Bulgarian friends at work (and I still do) but I think that has more to do with our age difference than anything else (and I\'ve taught in two different schools now).\r\n\r\nI didn\'t actively use <a href=\"http://www.couchsurfing.org/\" target=\"_blank\">Couch Surfing</a> to make friends but you easily could. In fact, I think Couch Surfing is great and I certainly don\'t make enough use of it as a networking/friend building option. There\'s a monthly party here in Sofia and that\'s probably the place to start. There\'s also a group <a href=\"https://www.triptrotting.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Trip Trotting</a> (which seems to be spurred by the same guys who are part of <a href=\"http://www.freesofiatour.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Free Sofia Tours</a>) and is a global network for travelers. I went to their first meet-up and really enjoyed myself. The thing is sometimes it\'s easier than others to meet people in big groups like these.\r\n\r\nSo I think my best rule of thumb was basically for a whole year I never say no to anyone. Want to go hiking on Vitosha? Sure. Want to meet for a coffee? Of course. How about going to check out a monastery? Alright. Come over for dinner? Okay. The only offer I haven\'t actively pursued is going bungee jumping--yes, that\'s also been offered. But, I am afraid and a girl has got to know her limit.\r\n\r\nIt\'s easy to for me to feel less lonely (or blue) when I am spending time with other people. But then again I am an extrovert so that probably isn\'t surprising. What I found most difficult my first year was that I didn\'t always have a routine. For the first time in my life, work didn\'t command my choices and options regarding my free time. One morning about 3 months in, I woke up and I realized: I don\'t know what I am doing today. I have no plans. I have no commitments. I have nothing to do.\r\n\r\nThat was a weird, scary feeling for me. Of course, now that I am working in a full-time job one that I miss. But at the time, it made me feel very sad. I thought: well, I\'ve got to options. I could stay in bed or I could get up. I got up and made coffee. Then I decided that I was going out for another coffee. Not because I couldn\'t have a second coffee at home but because I was doing this for me. So I went out and started doing things for myself and by myself.\r\n\r\nI had coffee. I bought myself flowers. I went to museums. I sat in parks and people watched. Most museums in Sofia are eerily empty--something wonderful yet strange after visiting the museums of Western Europe. I read books. I went on walks. And the thing is, I took my camera with me everywhere. Then I wrote about what I saw, what I did, what I thought and what I felt.\r\n\r\nI created this blog. All of a sudden, this blog was keeping me accountable. I had people (mostly my MoM and dAd) who read it. The result was that I kept writing it and more and more people started reading it.\r\n\r\nSo do I still feel lonely or sad? Yes. Of course. From time to time.\r\n\r\nIt just surprises me a little bit more these days because now, these feelings of loneliness or homesickness sneak up on me. I\'ll be fine, I\'ll be fine, I\'ll be fine and then bamm. Homesick. The different today is that I have a bigger support network to rely on. I have a better sense of what will make me happy. Sometimes all it takes is a smile on my part (smiles are contagious you know), sometimes it\'s calling up a sympathetic friend, other times it is making a batch of brownies/chocolate chip cookies/banana bread and sometimes it\'s curling up with a good book.','A Case of the Blues ','','inherit','open','open','','5855-revision-3','','','2011-11-22 06:58:15','2011-11-22 04:58:15','',5855,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/22/5855-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(5910,1,'2011-12-01 11:17:09','2011-12-01 09:17:09','Wow. Somehow today\'s the first day of December. The funny thing is I can hardly remember what happened to the month November. I guess that between two long weekends, an early Thanksgiving and the end of the first quarter. The month just rushed by.\r\n\r\nNow it\'s December. <em>December</em>.\r\n\r\nI\'m afraid December is going to speed by as well. I like being busy just not crazy--it\'s such a fine line--but with so many things already on my calendar it seems like it\'s going to be hard to find the right balance.\r\n\r\nUltimately, this month I want to enjoy myself without stretching myself too thin. I like the build up to Christmas. I like sparkly lights, red wine and cold weather. I like getting dressed up, finding the perfect gifts and spending time with friends. But what I don\'t like is feeling like I am rushing from event to event and from day to day without a chance to really enjoy the time of year or myself.\r\n\r\nThis year is going to be different. (Or at least that\'s what I am telling myself.) This year I am going to be more intentional. I am going to do what I love and let the rest of it go.\r\n\r\nHere\'s my plan:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Dig out my Christmas tree. Yep. It\'s fake and lives under my sink 11 months out of the year.</li>\r\n	<li>Make two kinds of treats for the holidays. Hello, Christmas cookies!</li>\r\n	<li>Wander through the Christmas market in downtown Sofia.</li>\r\n	<li>Send out real (hard-copy) Christmas cards to my intimidate family. I\'m not going home for Christmas this year so it\'s the least I can do.</li>\r\n	<li>Visit the new museum of communism in Sofia. Okay that\'s not related to Christmas but I\'ve been dying to go and I haven\'t had any time.</li>\r\n	<li>Roast my own pumpkin and make my own whipped cream. Enter: pumpkin pie.</li>\r\n	<li>Drink mulled wine and listen to Christmas music.</li>\r\n	<li>Discover something new and wonderful.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nSo that\'s that. December here I come!!','Hello December ','','publish','open','open','','hello-december','','','2011-12-01 11:17:09','2011-12-01 09:17:09','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5910',0,'post','',5),(5861,1,'2011-11-23 23:58:11','2011-11-23 21:58:11','My sister C. and I were talking recently via gmail chat. Some how we got onto the question: is your glass half empty? or half full? I\'m pretty clearly a half full kind of girl.\n\nSure. Sometimes I complain. Sometimes life is hard. Sometimes school is hard. Sometimes Bulgarian is hard. Sometimes Sofia is. Sometimes I am unhappy.\n\nBut mostly, I am happy.  I have great friends and family in my life. I am able to travel. I am healthy. I have a job that I love. I\'ve got this really fun blog.\n\nStill, I think it\'s important for me to be thankful. I\'ve been very lucky in my life and I am grateful for this. Lots of good things have happened to me.\n\nSo I decided to take a look at what I\'ve been thankful for in the past. Last year my post was <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/11/25/to-be-thankful/\" target=\"_blank\">short and sweet</a>. The year before that I managed <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/11/27/100-things-i-am-thankful-for-2/\" target=\"_blank\">to create a list of 100 things</a>. And apparently my first year I wasn\'t thankful for anything--or I was too busy/overwhelmed with life abroad to document everything I am thankful for.\n\nWhat am I thankful for this year?\n\nWell the list is the same as last year and then some. I am thankful for:\n<ul>\n	<li>My parents who have made it so much easier for me to live abroad.</li>\n	<li>My bother and sister who are both growing up so quickly and for the joy they\'ve both found in their lives this past year.</li>\n	<li>My friends who continue to teach me to be a better friend, who challenge me and who make me see the world in new ways.</li>\n	<li>The adventures I\'ve had this year and the ones ahead of me.</li>\n	<li>My students who make me laugh, drive me crazy and make me excited to go to work each day.</li>\n	<li>Everyone who has read (and reads) my blog, who has encouraged me, who has challenged my claims, who has supported me and for everyone for whom I continue to write.</li>\n	<li>My life in Bulgaria. Things haven\'t always been easy but I am a better person for it.</li>\n</ul>\nHappy Thanksgiving to each of you no matter where you are today or how you are celebrating.','Giving Thanks! ','','inherit','open','open','','5852-revision-3','','','2011-11-23 23:58:11','2011-11-23 21:58:11','',5852,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/23/5852-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(5863,1,'2011-11-23 23:59:52','2011-11-23 21:59:52','My sister C. and I were talking recently via gmail chat. Some how we got onto the question: is your glass half empty? or half full?\n\nI\'m pretty clearly a half full kind of girl.\n\nSure.\n\nSometimes I complain. Sometimes life is hard. Sometimes school is hard. Sometimes Bulgarian is hard. Sometimes Sofia is. Sometimes I am unhappy.\n\nBut mostly, I am happy.\n\nI have great friends and family in my life. I am able to travel. I am healthy. I have a job that I love. I\'ve got this really fun blog.\n\nStill, I think it\'s important for me to be thankful. I\'ve been very lucky in my life and I am grateful for this. Lots of good things have happened to me.\n\nSo I decided to take a look at what I\'ve been thankful for in the past. Last year my post was <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/11/25/to-be-thankful/\" target=\"_blank\">short and sweet</a>. The year before that I managed <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/11/27/100-things-i-am-thankful-for-2/\" target=\"_blank\">to create a list of 100 things</a>. And apparently my first year I wasn\'t thankful for anything--or I was too busy/overwhelmed with life abroad to document everything I am thankful for.\n\nWhat am I thankful for this year?\n\nWell the list is the same as last year and then some. I am thankful for:\n<ul>\n	<li>My parents who have made it so much easier for me to live abroad.</li>\n	<li>My bother and sister who are both growing up so quickly and for the joy they\'ve both found in their lives this past year.</li>\n	<li>My friends who continue to teach me to be a better friend, who challenge me and who make me see the world in new ways.</li>\n	<li>The adventures I\'ve had this year and the ones ahead of me.</li>\n	<li>My students who make me laugh, drive me crazy and make me excited to go to work each day.</li>\n	<li>Everyone who has read (and reads) my blog, who has encouraged me, who has challenged my claims, who has supported me and for everyone for whom I continue to write.</li>\n	<li>My life in Bulgaria. Things haven\'t always been easy but I am a better person for it.</li>\n</ul>\nHappy Thanksgiving to each of you no matter where you are today or how you are celebrating.','Giving Thanks! ','','inherit','open','open','','5852-revision-5','','','2011-11-23 23:59:52','2011-11-23 21:59:52','',5852,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/23/5852-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(5862,1,'2011-11-23 23:58:32','2011-11-23 21:58:32','My sister C. and I were talking recently via gmail chat. Some how we got onto the question: is your glass half empty? or half full? I\'m pretty clearly a half full kind of girl.\r\n\r\nSure. Sometimes I complain. Sometimes life is hard. Sometimes school is hard. Sometimes Bulgarian is hard. Sometimes Sofia is. Sometimes I am unhappy.\r\n\r\nBut mostly, I am happy.  I have great friends and family in my life. I am able to travel. I am healthy. I have a job that I love. I\'ve got this really fun blog.\r\n\r\nStill, I think it\'s important for me to be thankful. I\'ve been very lucky in my life and I am grateful for this. Lots of good things have happened to me.\r\n\r\nSo I decided to take a look at what I\'ve been thankful for in the past. Last year my post was <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/11/25/to-be-thankful/\" target=\"_blank\">short and sweet</a>. The year before that I managed <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/11/27/100-things-i-am-thankful-for-2/\" target=\"_blank\">to create a list of 100 things</a>. And apparently my first year I wasn\'t thankful for anything--or I was too busy/overwhelmed with life abroad to document everything I am thankful for.\r\n\r\nWhat am I thankful for this year?\r\n\r\nWell the list is the same as last year and then some. I am thankful for:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>My parents who have made it so much easier for me to live abroad.</li>\r\n	<li>My bother and sister who are both growing up so quickly and for the joy they\'ve both found in their lives this past year.</li>\r\n	<li>My friends who continue to teach me to be a better friend, who challenge me and who make me see the world in new ways.</li>\r\n	<li>The adventures I\'ve had this year and the ones ahead of me.</li>\r\n	<li>My students who make me laugh, drive me crazy and make me excited to go to work each day.</li>\r\n	<li>Everyone who has read (and reads) my blog, who has encouraged me, who has challenged my claims, who has supported me and for everyone for whom I continue to write.</li>\r\n	<li>My life in Bulgaria. Things haven\'t always been easy but I am a better person for it.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nHappy Thanksgiving to each of you no matter where you are today or how you are celebrating.','Giving Thanks! ','','inherit','open','open','','5852-revision-4','','','2011-11-23 23:58:32','2011-11-23 21:58:32','',5852,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/23/5852-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(5864,1,'2011-11-23 23:59:56','2011-11-23 21:59:56','My sister C. and I were talking recently via gmail chat. Some how we got onto the question: is your glass half empty? or half full?\r\n\r\nI\'m pretty clearly a half full kind of girl.\r\n\r\nSure.\r\n\r\nSometimes I complain. Sometimes life is hard. Sometimes school is hard. Sometimes Bulgarian is hard. Sometimes Sofia is. Sometimes I am unhappy.\r\n\r\nBut mostly, I am happy.\r\n\r\nI have great friends and family in my life. I am able to travel. I am healthy. I have a job that I love. I\'ve got this really fun blog.\r\n\r\nStill, I think it\'s important for me to be thankful. I\'ve been very lucky in my life and I am grateful for this. Lots of good things have happened to me.\r\n\r\nSo I decided to take a look at what I\'ve been thankful for in the past. Last year my post was <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/11/25/to-be-thankful/\" target=\"_blank\">short and sweet</a>. The year before that I managed <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/11/27/100-things-i-am-thankful-for-2/\" target=\"_blank\">to create a list of 100 things</a>. And apparently my first year I wasn\'t thankful for anything--or I was too busy/overwhelmed with life abroad to document everything I am thankful for.\r\n\r\nWhat am I thankful for this year?\r\n\r\nWell the list is the same as last year and then some. I am thankful for:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>My parents who have made it so much easier for me to live abroad.</li>\r\n	<li>My bother and sister who are both growing up so quickly and for the joy they\'ve both found in their lives this past year.</li>\r\n	<li>My friends who continue to teach me to be a better friend, who challenge me and who make me see the world in new ways.</li>\r\n	<li>The adventures I\'ve had this year and the ones ahead of me.</li>\r\n	<li>My students who make me laugh, drive me crazy and make me excited to go to work each day.</li>\r\n	<li>Everyone who has read (and reads) my blog, who has encouraged me, who has challenged my claims, who has supported me and for everyone for whom I continue to write.</li>\r\n	<li>My life in Bulgaria. Things haven\'t always been easy but I am a better person for it.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nHappy Thanksgiving to each of you no matter where you are today or how you are celebrating.','Giving Thanks! ','','inherit','open','open','','5852-revision-6','','','2011-11-23 23:59:56','2011-11-23 21:59:56','',5852,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/23/5852-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(5865,1,'2011-11-24 00:03:12','2011-11-23 22:03:12','My sister C. and I were talking recently via gmail chat. Some how we got onto the question: is your glass half empty? or half full?\n\nI\'m pretty clearly a half full kind of girl.\n\nSure.\n\nSometimes I complain. Sometimes life is hard. Sometimes school is hard. Sometimes Bulgarian is hard. Sometimes Sofia is. Sometimes I am unhappy.\n\nBut mostly, I am happy.\n\nI have great friends and family in my life. I am able to travel. I am healthy. I have a job that I love. I\'ve got this really fun blog.\n\nStill, I think it\'s important for me to be thankful. I\'ve been very lucky in my life and I am grateful for this. Lots of good things have happened to me.\n\nSo I decided to take a look at what I\'ve been thankful for in the past. Last year my post was <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/11/25/to-be-thankful/\" target=\"_blank\">short and sweet</a>. The year before that I managed <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/11/27/100-things-i-am-thankful-for-2/\" target=\"_blank\">to create a list of 100 things</a>. And apparently my first year I wasn\'t thankful for anything--or I was too busy/overwhelmed with life abroad to document everything I am thankful for.\n\nWhat am I thankful for this year?\n\nWell the list is the same as last year and then some. I am thankful for:\n<ul>\n	<li>My parents who have made it so much easier for me to live abroad.</li>\n	<li>My bother and sister who are both growing up so quickly and for the joy they\'ve both found in their lives this past year.</li>\n	<li>My friends who continue to teach me to be a better friend, who challenge me and who make me see the world in new ways.</li>\n	<li>The adventures I\'ve had this year and the ones ahead of me.</li>\n	<li>My students who make me laugh, drive me crazy and make me excited to go to work each day.</li>\n	<li>Everyone who has read (and reads) my blog, who has encouraged me, who has challenged my claims, who has supported me and for everyone for whom I continue to write.</li>\n	<li>My life in Bulgaria. Things haven\'t always been easy but I am a better person for it.</li>\n</ul>\nHappy Thanksgiving to each of you no matter where you are today or how you are celebrating.','Giving Thanks! ','','inherit','open','open','','5852-autosave','','','2011-11-24 00:03:12','2011-11-23 22:03:12','',5852,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/24/5852-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(5867,1,'2011-11-27 21:48:36','2011-11-27 19:48:36','I\'m back from four days in Vienna. It was a wonderful holiday. Really--it doesn\'t get any better than spending a weekend wandering through museums, browsing Christmas markets, drinking mulled wine, shopping and playing around with a friend in Vienna. I headed to Vienna with my friend A.--we also <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/01/back-from-rome/\" target=\"_blank\">went to Rome together</a>. It\'s nice to have friends to travel with!!\n\nIt\'s equally nice to be back in Sofia. When we landed a very little girl speaking rather loud and childish English exclaimed: Bulgaria, we\'re here!! She was so excited to be in Sofia. I\'ve never heard anyone be quite so excited about landing in Bulgaria before. It put a huge smile on my face.\n\nThis was exactly the right way to end my Thanksgiving holiday weekend.\n\nTh weekend started when we found very inexpensive tickets to Vienna ($122 on Expedia.com--Hint, hint: I\'ve learned to always check expedia and kayak.com because many times you can get flights just as cheep if not cheeper than wizzair/ryanair) and then we decided to stay in a hostel (<a href=\"http://www.wombats-hostels.com/vienna/the-naschmarkt/\" target=\"_blank\">Wombats at the Naschmarket</a>). This was the perfect start for a grand time in Vienna.\n\nThe museums weren\'t cheep but that\'s okay when you\'re not spending too much money your travel or lodging. We went to the Albertina and the Leopold and both of these museums cost 11 Euros but they were both worth it. Well worth it. The most important thing is not converting prices from Euros to Leva. Doing so, will give you a heart attack.\n\nThe city is beautiful during the winter and we spent a lot of time outside. The streets are perfect for strolling a long and going shopping (or window shopping). At about 4pm the Christmas lights turn on and these lights add to the overall atmosphere and feel of the downtown. Even better are the mulled wined stands sprinkled throughout the city and the Christmas markets.\n\nIt\'s magical feeling.\n\nAnyhow more on this tomorrow.\n\nI\'ve got some un-magical things to do tonight: a suitcase to unpack, a load of laundry to run and then it\'s off to bed for me. Then I\'ve got school in the morning.','Vienna,Thanksgiving and Mulled Wine','','inherit','open','open','','5866-revision','','','2011-11-27 21:48:36','2011-11-27 19:48:36','',5866,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/27/5866-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5868,1,'2011-11-27 22:05:11','2011-11-27 20:05:11','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Signs of Christmas\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1089\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413456259/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6413456259_c42761ff47_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1089\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI\'m back from four days in Vienna. It was a wonderful holiday. Really--it doesn\'t get any better than spending a weekend wandering through museums, browsing Christmas markets, drinking mulled wine, shopping and playing around with a friend in Vienna. I headed to Vienna with my friend A.--we also <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/01/back-from-rome/\" target=\"_blank\">went to Rome together</a>. It\'s nice to have friends to travel with!!\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Merry Christmas and a lucky new year!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1076\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413411133/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/6413411133_8a9974621c_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1076\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nIt\'s equally nice to be back in Sofia. When we landed a very little girl speaking rather loud and childish English exclaimed: Bulgaria, we\'re here!! She was so excited to be in Sofia. I\'ve never heard anyone be quite so excited about landing in Bulgaria before. It put a huge smile on my face.\n\nThis was exactly the right way to end my Thanksgiving holiday weekend.<!--more-->\n\nTh weekend started when we found very inexpensive tickets to Vienna ($122 on Expedia.com--Hint, hint: I\'ve learned to always check expedia and kayak.com because many times you can get flights just as cheep if not cheeper than wizzair/ryanair) and then we decided to stay in a hostel (<a href=\"http://www.wombats-hostels.com/vienna/the-naschmarkt/\" target=\"_blank\">Wombats at the Naschmarket</a>). This was the perfect start for a grand time in Vienna.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Opera in downtown Vienna\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1059\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413346103/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6413346103_89f18a3150_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1059\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThe museums weren\'t cheep but that\'s okay when you\'re not spending too much money your travel or lodging. We went to the Albertina and the Leopold and both of these museums cost 11 Euros but they were both worth it. Well worth it. The most important thing is not converting prices from Euros to Leva. Doing so, will give you a heart attack.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Steiff Teddy Bears\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1070\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413387111/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6413387111_46962129be_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1070\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThe city is beautiful during the winter and we spent a lot of time outside. The streets are perfect for strolling a long and going shopping (or window shopping). At about 4pm the Christmas lights turn on and these lights add to the overall atmosphere and feel of the downtown. Even better are the mulled wined stands sprinkled throughout the city and the Christmas markets.\n\nIt\'s magical feeling.\n\nAnyhow more on this tomorrow.\n\nI\'ve got some un-magical things to do tonight: a suitcase to unpack, a load of laundry to run and then it\'s off to bed for me. Then I\'ve got school in the morning.','Vienna,Thanksgiving and Mulled Wine','','inherit','open','open','','5866-revision-2','','','2011-11-27 22:05:11','2011-11-27 20:05:11','',5866,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/27/5866-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(5869,1,'2011-11-27 22:06:57','2011-11-27 20:06:57','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Signs of Christmas\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1089\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413456259/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6413456259_c42761ff47_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1089\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI\'m back from four days in Vienna. It was a wonderful holiday. Really--it doesn\'t get any better than spending a weekend wandering through museums, browsing Christmas markets, drinking mulled wine, shopping and playing around with a friend in Vienna. I headed to Vienna with my friend A.--we also <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/01/back-from-rome/\" target=\"_blank\">went to Rome together</a>. It\'s nice to have friends to travel with!!\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Merry Christmas and a lucky new year!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1076\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413411133/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/6413411133_8a9974621c_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1076\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIt\'s equally nice to be back in Sofia. When we landed a very little girl speaking rather loud and childish English exclaimed: Bulgaria, we\'re here!! She was so excited to be in Sofia. I\'ve never heard anyone be quite so excited about landing in Bulgaria before. It put a huge smile on my face.\r\n\r\nThis was exactly the right way to end my Thanksgiving holiday weekend.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nTh weekend started when we found very inexpensive tickets to Vienna ($122 on Expedia.com--Hint, hint: I\'ve learned to always check expedia and kayak.com because many times you can get flights just as cheep if not cheeper than wizzair/ryanair) and then we decided to stay in a hostel (<a href=\"http://www.wombats-hostels.com/vienna/the-naschmarkt/\" target=\"_blank\">Wombats at the Naschmarket</a>). This was the perfect start for a grand time in Vienna.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Opera in downtown Vienna\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1059\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413346103/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6413346103_89f18a3150_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1059\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe museums weren\'t cheep but that\'s okay when you\'re not spending too much money your travel or lodging. We went to the Albertina and the Leopold and both of these museums cost 11 Euros but they were both worth it. Well worth it. The most important thing is not converting prices from Euros to Leva. Doing so, will give you a heart attack.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Steiff Teddy Bears\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1070\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413387111/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6413387111_46962129be_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1070\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe city is beautiful during the winter and we spent a lot of time outside. The streets are perfect for strolling a long and going shopping (or window shopping). At about 4pm the Christmas lights turn on and these lights add to the overall atmosphere and feel of the downtown. Even better are the mulled wined stands sprinkled throughout the city and the Christmas markets.\r\n\r\nIt\'s magical feeling.\r\n\r\nAnyhow more on this tomorrow.\r\n\r\nI\'ve got some un-magical things to do tonight: a suitcase to unpack, a load of laundry to run and then it\'s off to bed for me. Then I\'ve got school in the morning.','Vienna,Thanksgiving and Mulled Wine','','inherit','open','open','','5866-revision-3','','','2011-11-27 22:06:57','2011-11-27 20:06:57','',5866,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/27/5866-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(5870,1,'2011-11-27 22:10:07','2011-11-27 20:10:07','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Signs of Christmas\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1089\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413456259/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6413456259_c42761ff47_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1089\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI\'m back from four days in Vienna. It was a wonderful holiday. Really--it doesn\'t get any better than spending a weekend wandering through museums, browsing Christmas markets, drinking mulled wine, shopping and playing around with a friend in Vienna. I headed to Vienna with my friend A.--we also <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/01/back-from-rome/\" target=\"_blank\">went to Rome together</a>. It\'s nice to have friends to travel with!!\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Merry Christmas and a lucky new year!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1076\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413411133/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/6413411133_8a9974621c_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1076\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIt\'s equally nice to be back in Sofia. When we landed a very little girl speaking rather loud and childish English exclaimed: Bulgaria, we\'re here!! She was so excited to be in Sofia. I\'ve never heard anyone be quite so excited about landing in Bulgaria before. It put a huge smile on my face.\r\n\r\nThis was exactly the right way to end my Thanksgiving holiday weekend.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nTh weekend started when we found very inexpensive tickets to Vienna ($122 on Expedia.com--Hint, hint: I\'ve learned to always check expedia and kayak.com because many times you can get flights just as cheep if not cheeper than wizzair/ryanair) and then we decided to stay in a hostel (<a href=\"http://www.wombats-hostels.com/vienna/the-naschmarkt/\" target=\"_blank\">Wombats at the Naschmarket</a>). This was the perfect start for a grand time in Vienna.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Opera in downtown Vienna\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1059\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413346103/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6413346103_89f18a3150_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1059\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe museums weren\'t cheep but that\'s okay when you\'re not spending too much money your travel or lodging. We went to the Albertina and the Leopold and both of these museums cost 11 Euros but they were both worth it. Well worth it. The most important thing is not converting prices from Euros to Leva. Doing so, will give you a heart attack.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Christmas trees outside of the Mozart Cafe\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1097\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413491465/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6413491465_b5b2c11340_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1097\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe city is beautiful during the winter and we spent a lot of time outside. The streets are perfect for strolling a long and going shopping (or window shopping). At about 4pm the Christmas lights turn on and these lights add to the overall atmosphere and feel of the downtown. Even better are the mulled wined stands sprinkled throughout the city and the Christmas markets.\r\n\r\nIt\'s magical feeling.\r\n\r\nAnyhow more on this tomorrow.\r\n\r\nI\'ve got some un-magical things to do tonight: a suitcase to unpack, a load of laundry to run and then it\'s off to bed for me. Then I\'ve got school in the morning.','Vienna,Thanksgiving and Mulled Wine','','inherit','open','open','','5866-revision-4','','','2011-11-27 22:10:07','2011-11-27 20:10:07','',5866,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/27/5866-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(5871,1,'2011-11-28 08:14:47','2011-11-28 06:14:47','The Christmas Markets in Vienna all sell mulled wine or in German glühwein. It\'s perfect. The weather is cold. The drink is hot and spiced with orange and cinnamon making it taste like the holidays. Moreover, you get to walk around with a mug of hot wine while you\'re shopping.\r\n\r\nBasically, you pay a deposit on the mug. Then when you\'re done you have the option of refilling the mug, returning the mug for your deposit or keeping the mug. <em>Genius</em>, if you ask me.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me drinking mulled wine outside!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1123\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413551353/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6031/6413551353_4400248043_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1123\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nEach of the mulled wines is a little different.  That makes it seem totally acceptable to try a few.\r\n\r\nOh and did I mention it\'s cold outside? It\'s so much nicer to shop with hot wine in your hands. Sure there\'s increased danger of spilling wine on your wonderful new winter coat but sometimes a girl has to risk it. Luckily I escaped unscathed. <!--more-->\r\n\r\nIt seems like the most popular base is wine but there are a range of different choices from white wine to orange punch to beer punch and a lot of options in between. I mostly stuck to the glühwein made with red wine. I know what I like and really beer punch doesn\'t sound that tasty. Sure that\'s probably why I should have tried it but I didn\'t.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"At a Christmas Market drinking hot wine\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1110\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413523191/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6413523191_8dcbf5cc90_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1110\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThis trip confirmed a few things for me. I\'m in love with Mulled Wine. Winter Weather (at least right now, I am. Check back in with me in January and I\'m sure I\'ll be singing a different tune). Christmas. Cinnamon. Sparkly Lights. Red and Green. Capitol Letters. Gingerbread. Hats and Gloves.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Mug of Glühwein\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1309\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413927399/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6413927399_8dd4f7e999_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1309\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nNow I am definitely going to try my hand at making glühwein. It just seems like the right thing to do. It\'s winter here in Bulgaria after all and I like red wine.\r\n\r\nSo I scouted out some recipes for glühwein. They all seem pretty easy. It\'s some combination of wine, sugar, spices and orange.  <a href=\"http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/the-cookworks/mulled-wine-recipe/index.html\" target=\"_blank\">This recipe from the Food Network</a> looks pretty basic and I have a hunch this is one of those times where basic is better. Or there\'s <a href=\"http://www.marthastewart.com/332441/mulled-wine\" target=\"_blank\">this recipe from Martha Stewart </a>which has a few more ingredients and sounds delightful.  And then there is <a href=\"http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/mulled-wine.html\" target=\"_blank\">this Williams and Sonoma recipe</a> I found which has an interesting combination of spices.\r\n\r\nThoughts? Does anyone have a tried and true recipe? One that you absolutely love? Could you send it my way?\r\n\r\nThanks.','Drinking Mulled Wine ','','publish','open','open','','drinking-mulled-wine','','','2011-11-28 08:14:47','2011-11-28 06:14:47','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5871',0,'post','',3),(5872,1,'2011-11-27 22:28:52','2011-11-27 20:28:52','The Christmas Markets in Vienna all sell mulled wine or in German glühwein. It\'s perfect. The weather is cold. The drink is hot and spiced with orange and cinnamon making it taste like the holidays. Moreover, you get to walk around with a mug of hot wine while you\'re shopping.\n\nBasically, you pay a deposit on the mug. Then when you\'re done you have the option of refilling the mug, returning the mug for your deposit or keeping the mug. <em>Genius</em>, if you ask me.\n\nEach of the mulled wines is a little different. It seems like the most popular base is wine but there are a range of different choices from white wine to orange punch to beer punch and a lot of options in between. I mostly stuck to the glühwein made with red wine. I know what I like and really beer punch doesn\'t sound that tasty. Sure that\'s probably why I should have tried it but I didn\'t.\n\nI\'m in love with mulled wine. I am definitely going to try my hand at it. <a href=\"http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/the-cookworks/mulled-wine-recipe/index.html\" target=\"_blank\">This recipe from the Food Network</a> looks pretty basic but I have a hunch this is one of those times where basic is better. Or there\'s <a href=\"http://www.marthastewart.com/332441/mulled-wine\" target=\"_blank\">this recipe from Martha Stewart </a>which has a few more ingredients.  And then there is <a href=\"http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/mulled-wine.html\" target=\"_blank\">this Williams and Sonoma recipe</a> I found.\n\nThoughts? Does anyone have a tried and true rec','Drinking Mulled Wine ','','inherit','open','open','','5871-revision','','','2011-11-27 22:28:52','2011-11-27 20:28:52','',5871,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/27/5871-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5873,1,'2011-11-28 06:43:06','2011-11-28 04:43:06','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Signs of Christmas\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1089\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413456259/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6413456259_c42761ff47_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1089\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI\'m back from four days in Vienna. It was a wonderful holiday. Really--it doesn\'t get any better than spending a weekend wandering through museums, browsing Christmas markets, drinking mulled wine, shopping and playing around with a friend in Vienna. I headed to Vienna with my friend A.--we also <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/01/back-from-rome/\" target=\"_blank\">went to Rome together</a>. It\'s nice to have friends to travel with!!\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Merry Christmas and a lucky new year!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1076\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413411133/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/6413411133_8a9974621c_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1076\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nIt\'s equally nice to be back in Sofia. When we landed a very little girl speaking rather loud and childish English exclaimed: Bulgaria, we\'re here!! She was so excited to be in Sofia. I\'ve never heard anyone be quite so excited about landing in Bulgaria before. It put a huge smile on my face.\n\nThis was exactly the right way to end my Thanksgiving holiday weekend.<!--more-->\n\nTh weekend started when we found very inexpensive tickets to Vienna ($122 on Expedia.com--Hint, hint: I\'ve learned to always check expedia and kayak.com because many times you can get flights just as cheap if not cheaper than wizzair/ryanair) and then we decided to stay in a hostel (<a href=\"http://www.wombats-hostels.com/vienna/the-naschmarkt/\" target=\"_blank\">Wombats at the Naschmarket</a>). This was the perfect start for a grand time in Vienna.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Opera in downtown Vienna\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1059\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413346103/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6413346103_89f18a3150_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1059\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThe museums weren\'t cheap but that\'s okay when you\'re not spending too much money your travel or lodging. We went to the Albertina and the Leopold and both of these museums cost 11 Euros but they were both worth it. Well worth it. The most important thing is not converting prices from Euros to Leva. Doing so, will give you a heart attack.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Christmas trees outside of the Mozart Cafe\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1097\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413491465/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6413491465_b5b2c11340_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1097\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThe city is beautiful during the winter and we spent a lot of time outside. The streets are perfect for strolling a long and going shopping (or window shopping). At about 4pm the Christmas lights turn on and these lights add to the overall atmosphere and feel of the downtown. Even better are the mulled wined stands sprinkled throughout the city and the Christmas markets.\n\nIt\'s magical feeling.\n\nAnyhow more on this tomorrow.\n\nI\'ve got some un-magical things to do tonight: a suitcase to unpack, a load of laundry to run and then it\'s off to bed for me. Then I\'ve got school in the morning.','Vienna,Thanksgiving and Mulled Wine','','inherit','open','open','','5866-autosave','','','2011-11-28 06:43:06','2011-11-28 04:43:06','',5866,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/28/5866-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(5874,1,'2011-11-27 22:10:36','2011-11-27 20:10:36','[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Signs of Christmas\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1089\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413456259/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6413456259_c42761ff47_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1089\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI\'m back from four days in Vienna. It was a wonderful holiday. Really--it doesn\'t get any better than spending a weekend wandering through museums, browsing Christmas markets, drinking mulled wine, shopping and playing around with a friend in Vienna. I headed to Vienna with my friend A.--we also <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/01/back-from-rome/\" target=\"_blank\">went to Rome together</a>. It\'s nice to have friends to travel with!!\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Merry Christmas and a lucky new year!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1076\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413411133/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/6413411133_8a9974621c_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1076\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIt\'s equally nice to be back in Sofia. When we landed a very little girl speaking rather loud and childish English exclaimed: Bulgaria, we\'re here!! She was so excited to be in Sofia. I\'ve never heard anyone be quite so excited about landing in Bulgaria before. It put a huge smile on my face.\r\n\r\nThis was exactly the right way to end my Thanksgiving holiday weekend.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nTh weekend started when we found very inexpensive tickets to Vienna ($122 on Expedia.com--Hint, hint: I\'ve learned to always check expedia and kayak.com because many times you can get flights just as cheep if not cheeper than wizzair/ryanair) and then we decided to stay in a hostel (<a href=\"http://www.wombats-hostels.com/vienna/the-naschmarkt/\" target=\"_blank\">Wombats at the Naschmarket</a>). This was the perfect start for a grand time in Vienna.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Opera in downtown Vienna\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1059\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413346103/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7170/6413346103_89f18a3150_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1059\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe museums weren\'t cheep but that\'s okay when you\'re not spending too much money your travel or lodging. We went to the Albertina and the Leopold and both of these museums cost 11 Euros but they were both worth it. Well worth it. The most important thing is not converting prices from Euros to Leva. Doing so, will give you a heart attack.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Christmas trees outside of the Mozart Cafe\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1097\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413491465/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6413491465_b5b2c11340_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1097\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe city is beautiful during the winter and we spent a lot of time outside. The streets are perfect for strolling a long and going shopping (or window shopping). At about 4pm the Christmas lights turn on and these lights add to the overall atmosphere and feel of the downtown. Even better are the mulled wined stands sprinkled throughout the city and the Christmas markets.\r\n\r\nIt\'s magical feeling.\r\n\r\nAnyhow more on this tomorrow.\r\n\r\nI\'ve got some un-magical things to do tonight: a suitcase to unpack, a load of laundry to run and then it\'s off to bed for me. Then I\'ve got school in the morning.','Vienna,Thanksgiving and Mulled Wine','','inherit','open','open','','5866-revision-5','','','2011-11-27 22:10:36','2011-11-27 20:10:36','',5866,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/27/5866-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(5932,1,'2011-12-06 06:11:47','2011-12-06 04:11:47','You may or may not know this about Bulgarians but Bulgarians are serious about their yogurt.\r\n\r\nIn comparison, I am not.\r\n\r\nThe first time I ever had homemade yogurt was last March. I documented this in a post titled: <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/03/11/its-friday-i-am-in-love/\" target=\"_blank\">It\'s Friday I am in Love.</a> For anyone who\'s counting, I,<em> gasp</em>, lived in this country for three years without actually tasting homemade yogurt.\r\n\r\nI mean Bulgarians are so serious about yogurt that they have their own yogurt strain. Or if you\'re hip to the yogurt terminology their own yogurt culture: <em>Lactobacillus bulgaricus.</em>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Homemade yogurt\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Homemade yogurt\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461776599/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6461776599_5a4206162c_b.jpg\" alt=\"Homemade yogurt\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn comparison, I am a yogurt novice.\r\n\r\nAt the grocery store I buy yogurt based on the container. Sometimes I go for the one with old Bulgarian renaissance houses other times I feel like the one with a grandmother and once in a while I spring for the one with an ugly baby on it. Mostly it depends on my mood and which one is nearest at hand when I decide that I need yogurt.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Bulgarian yogurt in a jar\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Bulgarian yogurt in a jar\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461764501/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6461764501_5857c4dd90_b.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian yogurt in a jar\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nDon\'t get me wrong, I am not a flavored yogurt girl. Oh no. But I am in no way shape or form as serious about yogurt as most Bulgarians are. I like plain slightly tart yogurt.\r\n\r\nI\'ll eat it plain. I\'ll add granola or jam. I\'ll drizzle honey on it. I\'ll makes dips out of it. I\'ll stir it into soup.\r\n\r\nBut for the majority of my life I\'ve been the buy it at the store girl. <!--more-->I don\'t know anyone in the States who makes their own yogurt. The yogurt <em>de jour</em> in the States is made from cow\'s milk.\r\n\r\nOnly here in Bulgaria is probably just as easy to get cow\'s mild yogurt as sheep\'s milk yogurt. <em>Variety</em>! What\'s more, it seems like lots of people make yogurt at home.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Super thick Bulgarian yogurt\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Super thick Bulgarian yogurt\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461772245/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6461772245_7fe8cc371a_b.jpg\" alt=\"Super thick Bulgarian yogurt\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThis said, I\'ve been given some serious yogurt. It\'s incredibly thick. My amateur opinion/observation is this: the yogurt doesn\'t seem to have any water in it. It seems to be tangier than other yogurts I am used to eating. It\'s almost earthy. I like it.\r\n\r\nGood thing too. I\'ve got two big jars of it in my fridge.  Two big jars and I really had to wrestle with one of them to get it open this morning. Sure it probably took me longer than it should have. I really hadn\'t had enough coffee at that point and it took me awhile to figure out that I was spinning the lid around without making any progress at actually unscrewing it. <em>Awesome</em>.\r\n\r\nFor the record, some people wake up awesome. Not me. I wake up <em>nearly</em> awesome.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Homemade Bulgarian yogurt\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Bulgarian yogurt\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461766193/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7150/6461766193_741f82d476_b.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian yogurt\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nAnyhow this is a really long lead up for me to ask this question: how long can something like homemade yogurt last in my fridge? And what does it actually take to make yogurt?','Yogurt and then some ','','publish','open','open','','yogurt-and-then-some','','','2011-12-05 22:54:06','2011-12-05 20:54:06','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5932',0,'post','',30),(5878,1,'2011-11-28 08:01:17','2011-11-28 06:01:17','The Christmas Markets in Vienna all sell mulled wine or in German glühwein. It\'s perfect. The weather is cold. The drink is hot and spiced with orange and cinnamon making it taste like the holidays. Moreover, you get to walk around with a mug of hot wine while you\'re shopping.\n\nBasically, you pay a deposit on the mug. Then when you\'re done you have the option of refilling the mug, returning the mug for your deposit or keeping the mug. <em>Genius</em>, if you ask me.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me drinking mulled wine outside!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1123\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413551353/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6031/6413551353_4400248043_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1123\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nEach of the mulled wines is a little different. It seems like the most popular base is wine but there are a range of different choices from white wine to orange punch to beer punch and a lot of options in between. I mostly stuck to the glühwein made with red wine. I know what I like and really beer punch doesn\'t sound that tasty. Sure that\'s probably why I should have tried it but I didn\'t.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"At a Christmas Market drinking hot wine\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1110\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413523191/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6413523191_8dcbf5cc90_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1110\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI\'m in love with mulled wine.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Mug of glühwein\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1309\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413927399/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6413927399_8dd4f7e999_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1309\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI am definitely going to try my hand at it. <a href=\"http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/the-cookworks/mulled-wine-recipe/index.html\" target=\"_blank\">This recipe from the Food Network</a> looks pretty basic but I have a hunch this is one of those times where basic is better. Or there\'s <a href=\"http://www.marthastewart.com/332441/mulled-wine\" target=\"_blank\">this recipe from Martha Stewart </a>which has a few more ingredients.  And then there is <a href=\"http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/mulled-wine.html\" target=\"_blank\">this Williams and Sonoma recipe</a> I found.\n\nThoughts? Does anyone have a tried and true recipe? One that they love?','Drinking Mulled Wine ','','inherit','open','open','','5871-revision-2','','','2011-11-28 08:01:17','2011-11-28 06:01:17','',5871,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/28/5871-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(5879,1,'2011-11-28 08:02:17','2011-11-28 06:02:17','The Christmas Markets in Vienna all sell mulled wine or in German glühwein. It\'s perfect. The weather is cold. The drink is hot and spiced with orange and cinnamon making it taste like the holidays. Moreover, you get to walk around with a mug of hot wine while you\'re shopping.\n\nBasically, you pay a deposit on the mug. Then when you\'re done you have the option of refilling the mug, returning the mug for your deposit or keeping the mug. <em>Genius</em>, if you ask me.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me drinking mulled wine outside!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1123\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413551353/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6031/6413551353_4400248043_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1123\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nEach of the mulled wines is a little different. It seems like the most popular base is wine but there are a range of different choices from white wine to orange punch to beer punch and a lot of options in between. I mostly stuck to the glühwein made with red wine. I know what I like and really beer punch doesn\'t sound that tasty. Sure that\'s probably why I should have tried it but I didn\'t.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"At a Christmas Market drinking hot wine\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1110\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413523191/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6413523191_8dcbf5cc90_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1110\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI\'m in love with mulled wine. Winter weather (at least right now, I am\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Mug of Glühwein\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1309\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413927399/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6413927399_8dd4f7e999_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1309\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI am definitely going to try my hand at it. <a href=\"http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/the-cookworks/mulled-wine-recipe/index.html\" target=\"_blank\">This recipe from the Food Network</a> looks pretty basic but I have a hunch this is one of those times where basic is better. Or there\'s <a href=\"http://www.marthastewart.com/332441/mulled-wine\" target=\"_blank\">this recipe from Martha Stewart </a>which has a few more ingredients.  And then there is <a href=\"http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/mulled-wine.html\" target=\"_blank\">this Williams and Sonoma recipe</a> I found.\n\nThoughts? Does anyone have a tried and true recipe? One that they love?','Drinking Mulled Wine ','','inherit','open','open','','5871-revision-3','','','2011-11-28 08:02:17','2011-11-28 06:02:17','',5871,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/28/5871-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(5880,1,'2011-11-28 08:10:47','2011-11-28 06:10:47','The Christmas Markets in Vienna all sell mulled wine or in German glühwein. It\'s perfect. The weather is cold. The drink is hot and spiced with orange and cinnamon making it taste like the holidays. Moreover, you get to walk around with a mug of hot wine while you\'re shopping.\r\n\r\nBasically, you pay a deposit on the mug. Then when you\'re done you have the option of refilling the mug, returning the mug for your deposit or keeping the mug. <em>Genius</em>, if you ask me.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me drinking mulled wine outside!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1123\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413551353/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6031/6413551353_4400248043_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1123\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nEach of the mulled wines is a little different.\r\n\r\nIt seems like the most popular base is wine but there are a range of different choices from white wine to orange punch to beer punch and a lot of options in between. I mostly stuck to the glühwein made with red wine. I know what I like and really beer punch doesn\'t sound that tasty. Sure that\'s probably why I should have tried it but I didn\'t.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"At a Christmas Market drinking hot wine\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1110\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413523191/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6413523191_8dcbf5cc90_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1110\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThis trip confirmed a few things for me. I\'m in love with Mulled Wine. Winter Weather (at least right now, I am. Check back in with me in January and I\'m sure I\'ll be singing a different tune). Christmas. Cinnamon. Sparkly Lights. Red and Green. Capitol Letters. Gingerbread. Hats and Gloves.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Mug of Glühwein\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1309\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413927399/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6413927399_8dd4f7e999_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1309\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nNow I am definitely going to try my hand at making glühwein. It just seems like the right thing to do. It\'s winter here in Bulgaria after all and I like red wine.\r\n\r\nSo I scouted out some recipes for glühwein. They all seem pretty easy. It\'s some combination of wine, sugar, spices and orange.  <a href=\"http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/the-cookworks/mulled-wine-recipe/index.html\" target=\"_blank\">This recipe from the Food Network</a> looks pretty basic and I have a hunch this is one of those times where basic is better. Or there\'s <a href=\"http://www.marthastewart.com/332441/mulled-wine\" target=\"_blank\">this recipe from Martha Stewart </a>which has a few more ingredients and sounds delightful.  And then there is <a href=\"http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/mulled-wine.html\" target=\"_blank\">this Williams and Sonoma recipe</a> I found which has an interesting combination of spices.\r\n\r\nThoughts? Does anyone have a tried and true recipe? One that you absolutely love? Could you send it my way?\r\n\r\nThanks.','Drinking Mulled Wine ','','inherit','open','open','','5871-revision-4','','','2011-11-28 08:10:47','2011-11-28 06:10:47','',5871,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/28/5871-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(5881,1,'2011-11-28 08:11:19','2011-11-28 06:11:19','The Christmas Markets in Vienna all sell mulled wine or in German glühwein. It\'s perfect. The weather is cold. The drink is hot and spiced with orange and cinnamon making it taste like the holidays. Moreover, you get to walk around with a mug of hot wine while you\'re shopping.\r\n\r\nBasically, you pay a deposit on the mug. Then when you\'re done you have the option of refilling the mug, returning the mug for your deposit or keeping the mug. <em>Genius</em>, if you ask me.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me drinking mulled wine outside!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1123\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413551353/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6031/6413551353_4400248043_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1123\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nEach of the mulled wines is a little different.\r\n\r\nIt seems like the most popular base is wine but there are a range of different choices from white wine to orange punch to beer punch and a lot of options in between. I mostly stuck to the glühwein made with red wine. I know what I like and really beer punch doesn\'t sound that tasty. Sure that\'s probably why I should have tried it but I didn\'t.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"At a Christmas Market drinking hot wine\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1110\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413523191/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6413523191_8dcbf5cc90_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1110\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThis trip confirmed a few things for me. I\'m in love with Mulled Wine. Winter Weather (at least right now, I am. Check back in with me in January and I\'m sure I\'ll be singing a different tune). Christmas. Cinnamon. Sparkly Lights. Red and Green. Capitol Letters. Gingerbread. Hats and Gloves.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Mug of Glühwein\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1309\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413927399/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6413927399_8dd4f7e999_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1309\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nNow I am definitely going to try my hand at making glühwein. It just seems like the right thing to do. It\'s winter here in Bulgaria after all and I like red wine.\r\n\r\nSo I scouted out some recipes for glühwein. They all seem pretty easy. It\'s some combination of wine, sugar, spices and orange.  <a href=\"http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/the-cookworks/mulled-wine-recipe/index.html\" target=\"_blank\">This recipe from the Food Network</a> looks pretty basic and I have a hunch this is one of those times where basic is better. Or there\'s <a href=\"http://www.marthastewart.com/332441/mulled-wine\" target=\"_blank\">this recipe from Martha Stewart </a>which has a few more ingredients and sounds delightful.  And then there is <a href=\"http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/mulled-wine.html\" target=\"_blank\">this Williams and Sonoma recipe</a> I found which has an interesting combination of spices.\r\n\r\nThoughts? Does anyone have a tried and true recipe? One that you absolutely love? Could you send it my way?\r\n\r\nThanks.','Drinking Mulled Wine ','','inherit','open','open','','5871-revision-5','','','2011-11-28 08:11:19','2011-11-28 06:11:19','',5871,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/28/5871-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(5882,1,'2011-11-28 08:15:52','2011-11-28 06:15:52','The Christmas Markets in Vienna all sell mulled wine or in German glühwein. It\'s perfect. The weather is cold. The drink is hot and spiced with orange and cinnamon making it taste like the holidays. Moreover, you get to walk around with a mug of hot wine while you\'re shopping.\n\nBasically, you pay a deposit on the mug. Then when you\'re done you have the option of refilling the mug, returning the mug for your deposit or keeping the mug. <em>Genius</em>, if you ask me.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me drinking mulled wine outside!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1123\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413551353/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6031/6413551353_4400248043_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1123\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nEach of the mulled wines is a little different.  That makes it seem totally acceptable to try a few.\n\nOh and did I mention it\'s cold outside? It\'s so much nicer to shop with hot wine in your hands. Sure there\'s increased danger of spilling wine on your wonderful new winter coat but sometimes a girl has to risk it. Luckily I escaped unscathed. <!--more-->\n\nIt seems like the most popular base is wine but there are a range of different choices from white wine to orange punch to beer punch and a lot of options in between. I mostly stuck to the glühwein made with red wine. I know what I like and really beer punch doesn\'t sound that tasty. Sure that\'s probably why I should have tried it but I didn\'t.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"At a Christmas Market drinking hot wine\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1110\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413523191/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6413523191_8dcbf5cc90_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1110\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThis trip confirmed a few things for me. I\'m in love with Mulled Wine. Winter Weather (at least right now, I am. Check back in with me in January and I\'m sure I\'ll be singing a different tune). Christmas. Cinnamon. Sparkly Lights. Red and Green. Capitol Letters. Gingerbread. Hats and Gloves.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Mug of Glühwein\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1309\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413927399/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7011/6413927399_8dd4f7e999_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1309\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nNow I am definitely going to try my hand at making glühwein. It just seems like the right thing to do. It\'s winter here in Bulgaria after all and I like red wine.\n\nSo I scouted out some recipes for glühwein. They all seem pretty easy. It\'s some combination of wine, sugar, spices and orange.  <a href=\"http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/the-cookworks/mulled-wine-recipe/index.html\" target=\"_blank\">This recipe from the Food Network</a> looks pretty basic and I have a hunch this is one of those times where basic is better. Or there\'s <a href=\"http://www.marthastewart.com/332441/mulled-wine\" target=\"_blank\">this recipe from Martha Stewart </a>which has a few more ingredients and sounds delightful.  And then there is <a href=\"http://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/mulled-wine.html\" target=\"_blank\">this Williams and Sonoma recipe</a> I found which has an interesting combination of spices.\n\nThoughts? Does anyone have a tried and true recipe? One that you absolutely love? Could you send it my way?\n\nThanks.','Drinking Mulled Wine ','','inherit','open','open','','5871-autosave','','','2011-11-28 08:15:52','2011-11-28 06:15:52','',5871,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/28/5871-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(5883,1,'2011-11-28 14:30:37','2011-11-28 12:30:37','Over the last couple of weeks I\'ve been re-reading Conrad\'s novel Heart of Darkness.\n\n&nbsp;','Reading and re-reading Heart of Darkness ','','inherit','open','open','','5809-revision-2','','','2011-11-28 14:30:37','2011-11-28 12:30:37','',5809,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/28/5809-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(5884,1,'2011-11-28 14:32:38','2011-11-28 12:32:38','Over the last couple of weeks I\'ve been re-reading Conrad\'s novel Heart of Darkness.\n<blockquote>\" Imagine him here-- the very end of the world, a sea the color of lead, a sky the color of smoke, a kind of ship about as rigid as a concertina-- and going up this river with stores, or orders, or what you like. Sandbanks, marshes, forests, savages,--precious little to eat fit for a civilized man, nothing but Thames water to drink. No Falernian wine here, no going ashore. Here and there a military camp lost in a wilderness, like a needle in a bundle of hay--cold, fog, tempests, disease, exile, and death,-- death skulking in the air, in the water, in the bush. They must have been dying like flies here. Oh yes--he did it. Did it very well, too, no doubt, and without thinking much about it either, except afterwards to brag of what he had gone through in his time, perhaps. They were men enough to face the darkness. And perhaps he was cheered by keeping his eye on a chance of promotion to the fleet at Ravenna by-and-by, if he had good friends in Rome and survived the awful climate. Or think of a decent young citizen in a toga--perhaps too much dice, you know--coming out here in the train of some prefect, or tax-gatherer, or trader even, to mend his fortunes. Land in a swamp, march through the woods, and in some inland post feel the savagery, the utter savagery, had closed round him,-- all that mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest, in the jungles, in the hearts of wild men. There\'s no initiation either into such mysteries. He has to live in the midst of the incomprehensible, which is also detestable. And it has a fascination, too, that goes to work upon him. The fascination of the abomination--you know. Imagine the growing regrets, the longing to escape, the powerless disgust, the surrender, the hate.\" (p8-9)</blockquote>','Reading and re-reading Heart of Darkness ','','inherit','open','open','','5809-revision-3','','','2011-11-28 14:32:38','2011-11-28 12:32:38','',5809,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/28/5809-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(5885,1,'2011-11-29 06:38:24','2011-11-29 04:38:24','The light in my bathroom went out recently. I figured that I could handle it. Stand up on a chair, take off the cover, put in a new light bulb. Easy-peasy.\r\n\r\nHa. Ha.\r\n\r\nTurns out I need a Philips head screwdriver and not a flat head. Thing is, I don\'t have either (but I do know the name of both. That should count for something).\r\n\r\nSo I showered in a dark for a few days.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Headlamp, butter knife and a light bulb\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Headlamp, butter knife and a light bulb\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6420452691/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6420452691_c35d199f68_b.jpg\" alt=\"Headlamp, butter knife and a light bulb\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThen I dug out my headlamp, a butter knife and pulled a chair into the bathroom. Headlamp on, I managed to unscrew all three screws. I also silently cursed whoever felt like they needed to screw in the screws so tightly but then again I was using a butter knife as a screwdriver and repeating the mantra \"right-y thight-y, left-y loose-y.\" <!--more-->\r\n\r\nI got the cover off, the light bulb out and I put the new one in. And wa-la! Light. Then I screwed the plastic cover back on. Sure I lost a screw in the process. It dropped out of my hand and I looked around my bathroom floor but I couldn\'t find it so two screws will have to do for now.\r\n\r\nIt\'s funny when I lived in a group house, I used to always make my roommate S. climb up on the ladder to change our light bulbs. I\'d hold the ladder while he changed the burnt out light bulbs and then I\'d hand him the replacement bulbs. I felt very happy to be helping rather than actually changing the light bulbs.\r\n\r\nNow I do it by myself. The thing is I know people in my building who would change it for me if I asked them. I just don\'t. I probably could have made it easier on myself by borrowing a screwdriver but where\'s the fun in that?!\r\n\r\nTurns out this is just one of many moments that have made me realize how self-reliant I\'ve become living abroad. Then the more I thought about it I began to think that actually it was more than being self-reliant. In fact, I\'ve become incredibly independent.\r\n\r\nLiving abroad by myself has challenged me in 100s of good ways. I\'ve traveled all over huge swaths of Eastern Europe by myself. I\'ve eaten in restaurants alone and enjoyed it. I\'ve cleaned out my own plugged up drains. I\'ve more or less learned to cook for one.  It\'s nice to know that I can do these things by myself and for myself.\r\n\r\nThis is not to say, that I don\'t look forward to a time where I am making coffee for more than one or that it\'s generally more fun to eat in a restaurant with  friend. Nope, it\'s to say this: I am glad that I realized that I could wait around forever for other people to do what I wanted so it\'s nice to know that I <em>can</em> live on my own. Sure when I am taking the garbage out at 9pm in the cold, I wish there was someone else I could convince to do this but these days it\'s just me, so I do it. And really, who\'s to say that it would be any different if I wasn\'t living by myself?','Living abroad alone: Self-reliant or Independent?','','publish','open','open','','living-abroad-alone-self-reliant-or-independent','','','2011-11-28 22:42:01','2011-11-28 20:42:01','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5885',0,'post','',3),(5886,1,'2011-11-28 21:59:54','2011-11-28 19:59:54','The light in my bathroom went out recently. I figured that I could handle it. Stand up on a chair, take off the cover, put in a new light bulb. Easy-peasy.\n\nHa. Ha.\n\nTurns out I need a Philips head screwdriver and not a flat head. Thing is, I don\'t have either. So I showered in a dark for a few days.\n\nThen I dug out my headlamp, a butter knife and pulled a chair into the bathroom. Headlamp on, I managed to unscrew all three screws. I also silently cursed whoever felt like they needed to screw in the screws so tightly but then again I was using a butter knife as a screwdriver and repeating the mantra \"right-y thight-y, left-y loose-y.\" I got the light bulb out, put the new one in and wa-la! Light. Then I screwed the plastic cover back on. Sure I lost a screw in the process. It dropped out of my hand and I looked around my bathroom floor but I couldn\'t find it so two screws will have to do for now.\n\nIt\'s funny when I lived in a group house, I used to always make my roommate S. climb up on the ladder to change our light bulbs. I\'d hold the ladder while he changed the burnt out light bulbs and then I\'d hand him the replacement bulbs. I felt very happy to be helping rather than actually changing the light bulbs.\n\nNow I do it by myself. The thing is I know people in my building who would change it for me if I asked them. I just don\'t. I probably could have made it easier on myself by borrowing a screwdriver but where\'s the fun in that?!\n\nThis is just one of many moments that have made me realize how self-reliant I\'ve become living abroad. Then the more I thought about it I began to think that actually it was more than being self-reliant. In fact, I\'ve become fire','Fircely Independent ','','inherit','open','open','','5885-revision','','','2011-11-28 21:59:54','2011-11-28 19:59:54','',5885,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/28/5885-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5887,1,'2011-11-28 22:38:22','2011-11-28 20:38:22','The light in my bathroom went out recently. I figured that I could handle it. Stand up on a chair, take off the cover, put in a new light bulb. Easy-peasy.\n\nHa. Ha.\n\nTurns out I need a Philips head screwdriver and not a flat head. Thing is, I don\'t have either (but I do know the name of both. That should count for something). So I showered in a dark for a few days.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Headlamp, butter knife and a light bulb\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Headlamp, butter knife and a light bulb\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6420452691/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6420452691_c35d199f68_b.jpg\" alt=\"Headlamp, butter knife and a light bulb\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThen I dug out my headlamp, a butter knife and pulled a chair into the bathroom. Headlamp on, I managed to unscrew all three screws. I also silently cursed whoever felt like they needed to screw in the screws so tightly but then again I was using a butter knife as a screwdriver and repeating the mantra \"right-y thight-y, left-y loose-y.\" <!--more-->I got the cover off, the light bulb out and I put the new one in. And wa-la! Light. Then I screwed the plastic cover back on. Sure I lost a screw in the process. It dropped out of my hand and I looked around my bathroom floor but I couldn\'t find it so two screws will have to do for now.\n\nIt\'s funny when I lived in a group house, I used to always make my roommate S. climb up on the ladder to change our light bulbs. I\'d hold the ladder while he changed the burnt out light bulbs and then I\'d hand him the replacement bulbs. I felt very happy to be helping rather than actually changing the light bulbs.\n\nNow I do it by myself. The thing is I know people in my building who would change it for me if I asked them. I just don\'t. I probably could have made it easier on myself by borrowing a screwdriver but where\'s the fun in that?!\n\nTurns out this is just one of many moments that have made me realize how self-reliant I\'ve become living abroad. Then the more I thought about it I began to think that actually it was more than being self-reliant. In fact, I\'ve become incredibly independent.\n\nLiving abroad by myself has challenged me in 100s of good ways. I\'ve traveled all over huge swaths of Eastern Europe by myself. I\'ve eaten in restaurants alone and enjoyed it. I\'ve cleaned out my own plugged up drains. I\'ve more or less learned to cook for one.  It\'s nice to know that I can do these things by myself and for myself.\n\nThis is not to say, that I don\'t look forward to a time where I am making coffee for more than one or that it\'s generally more fun to eat in a restaurant with  friend. Nope, it\'s to say this: I am glad that I realized that I could wait around forever for other people to do what I wanted so it\'s nice to know that I <em>can</em> live on my own. Sure when I am taking the garbage out at 9pm in the cold, I wish there was someone else I could convince to do this but these days it\'s just me, so I do it. And really, who\'s to say that it would be any different if I wasn\'t living by myself?','Living abroad: Self-reliant or Independent?','','inherit','open','open','','5885-revision-2','','','2011-11-28 22:38:22','2011-11-28 20:38:22','',5885,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/28/5885-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(5888,1,'2011-11-28 22:38:24','2011-11-28 20:38:24','The light in my bathroom went out recently. I figured that I could handle it. Stand up on a chair, take off the cover, put in a new light bulb. Easy-peasy.\r\n\r\nHa. Ha.\r\n\r\nTurns out I need a Philips head screwdriver and not a flat head. Thing is, I don\'t have either (but I do know the name of both. That should count for something). So I showered in a dark for a few days.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Headlamp, butter knife and a light bulb\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Headlamp, butter knife and a light bulb\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6420452691/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6420452691_c35d199f68_b.jpg\" alt=\"Headlamp, butter knife and a light bulb\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThen I dug out my headlamp, a butter knife and pulled a chair into the bathroom. Headlamp on, I managed to unscrew all three screws. I also silently cursed whoever felt like they needed to screw in the screws so tightly but then again I was using a butter knife as a screwdriver and repeating the mantra \"right-y thight-y, left-y loose-y.\" <!--more-->I got the cover off, the light bulb out and I put the new one in. And wa-la! Light. Then I screwed the plastic cover back on. Sure I lost a screw in the process. It dropped out of my hand and I looked around my bathroom floor but I couldn\'t find it so two screws will have to do for now.\r\n\r\nIt\'s funny when I lived in a group house, I used to always make my roommate S. climb up on the ladder to change our light bulbs. I\'d hold the ladder while he changed the burnt out light bulbs and then I\'d hand him the replacement bulbs. I felt very happy to be helping rather than actually changing the light bulbs.\r\n\r\nNow I do it by myself. The thing is I know people in my building who would change it for me if I asked them. I just don\'t. I probably could have made it easier on myself by borrowing a screwdriver but where\'s the fun in that?!\r\n\r\nTurns out this is just one of many moments that have made me realize how self-reliant I\'ve become living abroad. Then the more I thought about it I began to think that actually it was more than being self-reliant. In fact, I\'ve become incredibly independent.\r\n\r\nLiving abroad by myself has challenged me in 100s of good ways. I\'ve traveled all over huge swaths of Eastern Europe by myself. I\'ve eaten in restaurants alone and enjoyed it. I\'ve cleaned out my own plugged up drains. I\'ve more or less learned to cook for one.  It\'s nice to know that I can do these things by myself and for myself.\r\n\r\nThis is not to say, that I don\'t look forward to a time where I am making coffee for more than one or that it\'s generally more fun to eat in a restaurant with  friend. Nope, it\'s to say this: I am glad that I realized that I could wait around forever for other people to do what I wanted so it\'s nice to know that I <em>can</em> live on my own. Sure when I am taking the garbage out at 9pm in the cold, I wish there was someone else I could convince to do this but these days it\'s just me, so I do it. And really, who\'s to say that it would be any different if I wasn\'t living by myself?','Living abroad: Self-reliant or Independent?','','inherit','open','open','','5885-revision-3','','','2011-11-28 22:38:24','2011-11-28 20:38:24','',5885,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/28/5885-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(5889,1,'2011-11-28 22:38:30','2011-11-28 20:38:30','The light in my bathroom went out recently. I figured that I could handle it. Stand up on a chair, take off the cover, put in a new light bulb. Easy-peasy.\r\n\r\nHa. Ha.\r\n\r\nTurns out I need a Philips head screwdriver and not a flat head. Thing is, I don\'t have either (but I do know the name of both. That should count for something). So I showered in a dark for a few days.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Headlamp, butter knife and a light bulb\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Headlamp, butter knife and a light bulb\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6420452691/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6420452691_c35d199f68_b.jpg\" alt=\"Headlamp, butter knife and a light bulb\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThen I dug out my headlamp, a butter knife and pulled a chair into the bathroom. Headlamp on, I managed to unscrew all three screws. I also silently cursed whoever felt like they needed to screw in the screws so tightly but then again I was using a butter knife as a screwdriver and repeating the mantra \"right-y thight-y, left-y loose-y.\" <!--more-->I got the cover off, the light bulb out and I put the new one in. And wa-la! Light. Then I screwed the plastic cover back on. Sure I lost a screw in the process. It dropped out of my hand and I looked around my bathroom floor but I couldn\'t find it so two screws will have to do for now.\r\n\r\nIt\'s funny when I lived in a group house, I used to always make my roommate S. climb up on the ladder to change our light bulbs. I\'d hold the ladder while he changed the burnt out light bulbs and then I\'d hand him the replacement bulbs. I felt very happy to be helping rather than actually changing the light bulbs.\r\n\r\nNow I do it by myself. The thing is I know people in my building who would change it for me if I asked them. I just don\'t. I probably could have made it easier on myself by borrowing a screwdriver but where\'s the fun in that?!\r\n\r\nTurns out this is just one of many moments that have made me realize how self-reliant I\'ve become living abroad. Then the more I thought about it I began to think that actually it was more than being self-reliant. In fact, I\'ve become incredibly independent.\r\n\r\nLiving abroad by myself has challenged me in 100s of good ways. I\'ve traveled all over huge swaths of Eastern Europe by myself. I\'ve eaten in restaurants alone and enjoyed it. I\'ve cleaned out my own plugged up drains. I\'ve more or less learned to cook for one.  It\'s nice to know that I can do these things by myself and for myself.\r\n\r\nThis is not to say, that I don\'t look forward to a time where I am making coffee for more than one or that it\'s generally more fun to eat in a restaurant with  friend. Nope, it\'s to say this: I am glad that I realized that I could wait around forever for other people to do what I wanted so it\'s nice to know that I <em>can</em> live on my own. Sure when I am taking the garbage out at 9pm in the cold, I wish there was someone else I could convince to do this but these days it\'s just me, so I do it. And really, who\'s to say that it would be any different if I wasn\'t living by myself?','Living abroad: Self-reliant or Independent?','','inherit','open','open','','5885-revision-4','','','2011-11-28 22:38:30','2011-11-28 20:38:30','',5885,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/28/5885-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(5890,1,'2011-11-28 22:50:05','2011-11-28 20:50:05','The light in my bathroom went out recently. I figured that I could handle it. Stand up on a chair, take off the cover, put in a new light bulb. Easy-peasy.\n\nHa. Ha.\n\nTurns out I need a Philips head screwdriver and not a flat head. Thing is, I don\'t have either (but I do know the name of both. That should count for something).\n\nSo I showered in a dark for a few days.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Headlamp, butter knife and a light bulb\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Headlamp, butter knife and a light bulb\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6420452691/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6420452691_c35d199f68_b.jpg\" alt=\"Headlamp, butter knife and a light bulb\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThen I dug out my headlamp, a butter knife and pulled a chair into the bathroom. Headlamp on, I managed to unscrew all three screws. I also silently cursed whoever felt like they needed to screw in the screws so tightly but then again I was using a butter knife as a screwdriver and repeating the mantra \"right-y thight-y, left-y loose-y.\" <!--more-->\n\nI got the cover off, the light bulb out and I put the new one in. And wa-la! Light. Then I screwed the plastic cover back on. Sure I lost a screw in the process. It dropped out of my hand and I looked around my bathroom floor but I couldn\'t find it so two screws will have to do for now.\n\nIt\'s funny when I lived in a group house, I used to always make my roommate S. climb up on the ladder to change our light bulbs. I\'d hold the ladder while he changed the burnt out light bulbs and then I\'d hand him the replacement bulbs. I felt very happy to be helping rather than actually changing the light bulbs.\n\nNow I do it by myself.\n\nThe thing is I know people in my building who would change it for me if I asked them. I just don\'t. I probably could have made it easier on myself by borrowing a screwdriver but where\'s the fun in that?!\n\nTurns out this is just one of many moments that have made me realize how self-reliant I\'ve become living abroad. Then the more I thought about it I began to think that actually my life abroad is about something more than being self-reliant. In fact, over the last three years, I\'ve become incredibly independent.\n\nLiving abroad by myself has challenged me in 100s of good ways. I\'ve traveled all over huge swaths of Eastern Europe by myself. I\'ve eaten in restaurants alone and enjoyed it. I\'ve cleaned out my own plugged up drains. I\'ve more or less learned to cook for one.  In a pinch I can use a butter knife for a screwdriver. It\'s nice to know that I can do these things by myself and for myself.\n\nThis is not to say, that I don\'t look forward to a time where I am making coffee for more than one or that I prefer to eat alone because actually it\'s generally more fun to eat in a restaurant with  friend. Nope, it\'s to say this: I am glad that I realized that I could wait around forever for other people to do what I wanted so it\'s nice to know that I <em>can</em> live on my own. Sure when I am taking the garbage out at 9pm in the cold, I wish there was someone else I could convince to do this but these days it\'s just me, so I do it. And really, who\'s to say that it would be any different if I wasn\'t living by myself?','Living abroad alone: Self-reliant or Independent?','','inherit','open','open','','5885-autosave','','','2011-11-28 22:50:05','2011-11-28 20:50:05','',5885,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/28/5885-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(5891,1,'2011-11-30 06:15:35','2011-11-30 04:15:35','The Sacher Hotel and Sacher Cafe are well known in Vienna. They are known for a not-too-sweet-chocolate cake called sachertorte.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me eating Sachertorte\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Me eating Sachertorte\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413737517/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6230/6413737517_eba7ce4f5d_b.jpg\" alt=\"Me eating Sachertorte\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nNow my whole life I\'ve been a white cake girl. I love a lightly vanilla cake. I love vanilla butter-cream frosting. I always have. I think this is because some chocolate cakes are too rich for me. I know plenty of people doubled over gasping for air at their computers right now. My sister C. is probably one of those people. Our whole lives this has been the case. I have a May birthday and my cake of choice has always been vanilla or strawberry shortcake. She has a June birthday and she always has chocolate cake.\r\n\r\nThis is a cake that I suspect could make us both happy.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Sachertorte\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Sachertorte\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413730027/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6413730027_e0338468c5_b.jpg\" alt=\"Sachertorte\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nAnyhow, back to the sachertorte. It\'s an institution in Vienna. Yes. The cake is an institution in and of itself.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Cafe Sacher menu\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cafe Sacher menu\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413673543/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6214/6413673543_c5977d89ac_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cafe Sacher menu\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThis cake is well known and well loved so who am I to poo-poo a cake before actually trying it? So A. and I went to the Sacher Cafe. We had a slice of cake and a coffee. The cake? It was just about perfect.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Sachertorte close-up\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Sachertorte close-up\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413699943/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6052/6413699943_2982a0819a_b.jpg\" alt=\"Sachertorte close-up\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI guess that shouldn\'t surprise me. A cake doesn\'t get this famous without good reason. Here\'s what great about the cake. It\'s light. The crumb is soft without being dry. There\'s a hint of jam between the two layers of cake and what seems to be the chocolate ganache topping. The cake is served with a side of not-too-sweet whipped cream.\r\n\r\nYum.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"More Sachertorte close-up\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Sachertorte close-up\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413714819/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6413714819_2ce699edce_b.jpg\" alt=\"Sachertorte close-up\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThis is a chocolate cake that I could get behind. In fact, I think that I am going to give this one a whirl at home at some point in the future.\r\n\r\nThe original sachertorte recipe is apparently a well guarded secret but luckily for me there are lots of entrepreneuring cooks out there and plenty of versions of this recipe available on the internet. <a href=\"http://www.pomiane.com/2008/01/recipe-original-sachertorte.html\" target=\"_blank\">This recipe looks pretty good</a> and sums up the legal battle over the cake\'s origins.\r\n\r\nOh and the cafe itself it pretty fancy. And very pretty too look at both from the inside and the outside. Enjoy these few pictures!\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Chandler Inside the Cafe Sacher\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Chandler Inside the Cafe Sacher\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413692127/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6413692127_e36f8637b3_b.jpg\" alt=\"Chandler Inside the Cafe Sacher\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me taking a photo of the logo of the Hotel Sacher\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1156\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413665407/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7024/6413665407_c64a1a3436_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1156\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Hotel Sacher from the outside looking in!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Hotel Sacher\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413760163/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6413760163_685e781dcf_b.jpg\" alt=\"Hotel Sacher\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Hello Cafe Sacher\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cafe Sacher\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413747273/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6413747273_224f51c596_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cafe Sacher\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]','Sachertorte in Vienna ','','publish','open','open','','sachertorte-in-vienna','','','2011-11-29 18:19:38','2011-11-29 16:19:38','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5891',0,'post','',1),(5892,1,'2011-11-29 18:15:02','2011-11-29 16:15:02','The Sacher Hotel and Sacher Cafe are well known in Vienna. They are known for a not-too-sweet-chocolate cake called sachertorte.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me eating Sachertorte\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Me eating Sachertorte\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413737517/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6230/6413737517_eba7ce4f5d_b.jpg\" alt=\"Me eating Sachertorte\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nNow my whole life I\'ve been a white cake girl. I love a lightly vanilla cake. I love vanilla butter-cream frosting. I always have. I think this is because some chocolate cakes are too rich for me. I know plenty of people doubled over gasping for air at their computers right now. My sister C. is probably one of those people. Our whole lives this has been the case. I have a May birthday and my cake of choice has always been vanilla or strawberry shortcake. She has a June birthday and she always has chocolate cake.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Sachertorte\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Sachertorte\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413730027/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6413730027_e0338468c5_b.jpg\" alt=\"Sachertorte\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nAnyhow, back to the sachertorte. It\'s an institution in Vienna. Yes. The cake is an institution in and of itself.\n\nThis cake is well known and well loved so who am I to poo-poo a cake before actually trying it? So A. and I went to the Sacher Cafe. We had a slice of cake and a coffee. The cake? It was just about perfect.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Sachertorte close-up\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Sachertorte close-up\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413699943/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6052/6413699943_2982a0819a_b.jpg\" alt=\"Sachertorte close-up\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI guess that shouldn\'t surprise me. A cake doesn\'t get this famous without good reason. Here\'s what great about the cake. It\'s light. The crumb is soft without being dry. There\'s a hint of jam between the two layers of cake and what seems to be the chocolate ganache topping. The cake is served with a side of not-too-sweet whipped cream.\n\nYum.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"More Sachertorte close-up\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Sachertorte close-up\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413714819/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6413714819_2ce699edce_b.jpg\" alt=\"Sachertorte close-up\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThis is a chocolate cake that I could get behind. In fact, I think that I am going to give this one a whirl at home at some point in the future.\n\nThe original sachertorte recipe is apparently a well guarded secret but luckily for me there are lots of entrepreneuring cooks out there and plenty of versions of this recipe available on the internet. <a href=\"http://www.pomiane.com/2008/01/recipe-original-sachertorte.html\" target=\"_blank\">This recipe looks pretty good</a> and sums up the legal battle over the cake\'s origins.\n\nOh and the cafe itself it pretty fancy. And very pretty too look at both from the inside and the outs\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Chandler Inside the Cafe Sacher\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Chandler Inside the Cafe Sacher\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413692127/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6413692127_e36f8637b3_b.jpg\" alt=\"Chandler Inside the Cafe Sacher\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Hotel Sacher from the outside looking in!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Hotel Sacher\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413760163/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6413760163_685e781dcf_b.jpg\" alt=\"Hotel Sacher\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Hello Cafe Sacher\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cafe Sacher\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413747273/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6413747273_224f51c596_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cafe Sacher\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me taking a photo of the logo of the Hotel Sacher\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1156\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413665407/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7024/6413665407_c64a1a3436_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1156\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Cafe Sacher menu\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cafe Sacher menu\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413673543/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6214/6413673543_c5977d89ac_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cafe Sacher menu\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]','Sachertorte in Vienna ','','inherit','open','open','','5891-revision','','','2011-11-29 18:15:02','2011-11-29 16:15:02','',5891,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/29/5891-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5893,1,'2011-11-29 18:15:34','2011-11-29 16:15:34','The Sacher Hotel and Sacher Cafe are well known in Vienna. They are known for a not-too-sweet-chocolate cake called sachertorte.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me eating Sachertorte\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Me eating Sachertorte\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413737517/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6230/6413737517_eba7ce4f5d_b.jpg\" alt=\"Me eating Sachertorte\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nNow my whole life I\'ve been a white cake girl. I love a lightly vanilla cake. I love vanilla butter-cream frosting. I always have. I think this is because some chocolate cakes are too rich for me. I know plenty of people doubled over gasping for air at their computers right now. My sister C. is probably one of those people. Our whole lives this has been the case. I have a May birthday and my cake of choice has always been vanilla or strawberry shortcake. She has a June birthday and she always has chocolate cake.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Sachertorte\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Sachertorte\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413730027/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6413730027_e0338468c5_b.jpg\" alt=\"Sachertorte\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nAnyhow, back to the sachertorte. It\'s an institution in Vienna. Yes. The cake is an institution in and of itself.\r\n\r\nThis cake is well known and well loved so who am I to poo-poo a cake before actually trying it? So A. and I went to the Sacher Cafe. We had a slice of cake and a coffee. The cake? It was just about perfect.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Sachertorte close-up\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Sachertorte close-up\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413699943/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6052/6413699943_2982a0819a_b.jpg\" alt=\"Sachertorte close-up\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI guess that shouldn\'t surprise me. A cake doesn\'t get this famous without good reason. Here\'s what great about the cake. It\'s light. The crumb is soft without being dry. There\'s a hint of jam between the two layers of cake and what seems to be the chocolate ganache topping. The cake is served with a side of not-too-sweet whipped cream.\r\n\r\nYum.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"More Sachertorte close-up\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Sachertorte close-up\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413714819/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6413714819_2ce699edce_b.jpg\" alt=\"Sachertorte close-up\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThis is a chocolate cake that I could get behind. In fact, I think that I am going to give this one a whirl at home at some point in the future.\r\n\r\nThe original sachertorte recipe is apparently a well guarded secret but luckily for me there are lots of entrepreneuring cooks out there and plenty of versions of this recipe available on the internet. <a href=\"http://www.pomiane.com/2008/01/recipe-original-sachertorte.html\" target=\"_blank\">This recipe looks pretty good</a> and sums up the legal battle over the cake\'s origins.\r\n\r\nOh and the cafe itself it pretty fancy. And very pretty too look at both from the inside and the outside. Enjoy these few pictures!\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Chandler Inside the Cafe Sacher\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Chandler Inside the Cafe Sacher\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413692127/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6413692127_e36f8637b3_b.jpg\" alt=\"Chandler Inside the Cafe Sacher\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Hotel Sacher from the outside looking in!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Hotel Sacher\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413760163/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6413760163_685e781dcf_b.jpg\" alt=\"Hotel Sacher\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Hello Cafe Sacher\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cafe Sacher\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413747273/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6413747273_224f51c596_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cafe Sacher\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me taking a photo of the logo of the Hotel Sacher\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1156\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413665407/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7024/6413665407_c64a1a3436_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1156\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Cafe Sacher menu\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cafe Sacher menu\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413673543/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6214/6413673543_c5977d89ac_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cafe Sacher menu\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]','Sachertorte in Vienna ','','inherit','open','open','','5891-revision-2','','','2011-11-29 18:15:34','2011-11-29 16:15:34','',5891,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/29/5891-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(5894,1,'2011-11-29 18:17:38','2011-11-29 16:17:38','The Sacher Hotel and Sacher Cafe are well known in Vienna. They are known for a not-too-sweet-chocolate cake called sachertorte.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me eating Sachertorte\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Me eating Sachertorte\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413737517/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6230/6413737517_eba7ce4f5d_b.jpg\" alt=\"Me eating Sachertorte\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nNow my whole life I\'ve been a white cake girl. I love a lightly vanilla cake. I love vanilla butter-cream frosting. I always have. I think this is because some chocolate cakes are too rich for me. I know plenty of people doubled over gasping for air at their computers right now. My sister C. is probably one of those people. Our whole lives this has been the case. I have a May birthday and my cake of choice has always been vanilla or strawberry shortcake. She has a June birthday and she always has chocolate cake.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Sachertorte\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Sachertorte\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413730027/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6413730027_e0338468c5_b.jpg\" alt=\"Sachertorte\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nAnyhow, back to the sachertorte. It\'s an institution in Vienna. Yes. The cake is an institution in and of itself.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Cafe Sacher menu\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cafe Sacher menu\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413673543/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6214/6413673543_c5977d89ac_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cafe Sacher menu\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThis cake is well known and well loved so who am I to poo-poo a cake before actually trying it? So A. and I went to the Sacher Cafe. We had a slice of cake and a coffee. The cake? It was just about perfect.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Sachertorte close-up\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Sachertorte close-up\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413699943/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6052/6413699943_2982a0819a_b.jpg\" alt=\"Sachertorte close-up\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI guess that shouldn\'t surprise me. A cake doesn\'t get this famous without good reason. Here\'s what great about the cake. It\'s light. The crumb is soft without being dry. There\'s a hint of jam between the two layers of cake and what seems to be the chocolate ganache topping. The cake is served with a side of not-too-sweet whipped cream.\n\nYum.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"More Sachertorte close-up\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Sachertorte close-up\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413714819/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6413714819_2ce699edce_b.jpg\" alt=\"Sachertorte close-up\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThis is a chocolate cake that I could get behind. In fact, I think that I am going to give this one a whirl at home at some point in the future.\n\nThe original sachertorte recipe is apparently a well guarded secret but luckily for me there are lots of entrepreneuring cooks out there and plenty of versions of this recipe available on the internet. <a href=\"http://www.pomiane.com/2008/01/recipe-original-sachertorte.html\" target=\"_blank\">This recipe looks pretty good</a> and sums up the legal battle over the cake\'s origins.\n\nOh and the cafe itself it pretty fancy. And very pretty too look at both from the inside and the outside. Enjoy these few pictures!\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Chandler Inside the Cafe Sacher\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Chandler Inside the Cafe Sacher\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413692127/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6413692127_e36f8637b3_b.jpg\" alt=\"Chandler Inside the Cafe Sacher\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me taking a photo of the logo of the Hotel Sacher\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1156\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413665407/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7024/6413665407_c64a1a3436_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1156\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Hotel Sacher from the outside looking in!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Hotel Sacher\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413760163/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6413760163_685e781dcf_b.jpg\" alt=\"Hotel Sacher\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Hello Cafe Sacher\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cafe Sacher\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413747273/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6413747273_224f51c596_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cafe Sacher\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]','Sachertorte in Vienna ','','inherit','open','open','','5891-revision-3','','','2011-11-29 18:17:38','2011-11-29 16:17:38','',5891,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/29/5891-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(5895,1,'2011-11-29 18:17:40','2011-11-29 16:17:40','The Sacher Hotel and Sacher Cafe are well known in Vienna. They are known for a not-too-sweet-chocolate cake called sachertorte.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me eating Sachertorte\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Me eating Sachertorte\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413737517/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6230/6413737517_eba7ce4f5d_b.jpg\" alt=\"Me eating Sachertorte\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nNow my whole life I\'ve been a white cake girl. I love a lightly vanilla cake. I love vanilla butter-cream frosting. I always have. I think this is because some chocolate cakes are too rich for me. I know plenty of people doubled over gasping for air at their computers right now. My sister C. is probably one of those people. Our whole lives this has been the case. I have a May birthday and my cake of choice has always been vanilla or strawberry shortcake. She has a June birthday and she always has chocolate cake.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Sachertorte\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Sachertorte\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413730027/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6413730027_e0338468c5_b.jpg\" alt=\"Sachertorte\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nAnyhow, back to the sachertorte. It\'s an institution in Vienna. Yes. The cake is an institution in and of itself.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Cafe Sacher menu\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cafe Sacher menu\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413673543/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6214/6413673543_c5977d89ac_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cafe Sacher menu\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThis cake is well known and well loved so who am I to poo-poo a cake before actually trying it? So A. and I went to the Sacher Cafe. We had a slice of cake and a coffee. The cake? It was just about perfect.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Sachertorte close-up\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Sachertorte close-up\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413699943/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6052/6413699943_2982a0819a_b.jpg\" alt=\"Sachertorte close-up\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI guess that shouldn\'t surprise me. A cake doesn\'t get this famous without good reason. Here\'s what great about the cake. It\'s light. The crumb is soft without being dry. There\'s a hint of jam between the two layers of cake and what seems to be the chocolate ganache topping. The cake is served with a side of not-too-sweet whipped cream.\r\n\r\nYum.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"More Sachertorte close-up\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Sachertorte close-up\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413714819/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6413714819_2ce699edce_b.jpg\" alt=\"Sachertorte close-up\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThis is a chocolate cake that I could get behind. In fact, I think that I am going to give this one a whirl at home at some point in the future.\r\n\r\nThe original sachertorte recipe is apparently a well guarded secret but luckily for me there are lots of entrepreneuring cooks out there and plenty of versions of this recipe available on the internet. <a href=\"http://www.pomiane.com/2008/01/recipe-original-sachertorte.html\" target=\"_blank\">This recipe looks pretty good</a> and sums up the legal battle over the cake\'s origins.\r\n\r\nOh and the cafe itself it pretty fancy. And very pretty too look at both from the inside and the outside. Enjoy these few pictures!\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Chandler Inside the Cafe Sacher\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Chandler Inside the Cafe Sacher\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413692127/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6413692127_e36f8637b3_b.jpg\" alt=\"Chandler Inside the Cafe Sacher\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me taking a photo of the logo of the Hotel Sacher\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1156\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413665407/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7024/6413665407_c64a1a3436_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1156\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Hotel Sacher from the outside looking in!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Hotel Sacher\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413760163/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6413760163_685e781dcf_b.jpg\" alt=\"Hotel Sacher\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Hello Cafe Sacher\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cafe Sacher\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413747273/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6413747273_224f51c596_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cafe Sacher\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]','Sachertorte in Vienna ','','inherit','open','open','','5891-revision-4','','','2011-11-29 18:17:40','2011-11-29 16:17:40','',5891,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/29/5891-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(5896,1,'2011-11-29 18:20:41','2011-11-29 16:20:41','The Sacher Hotel and Sacher Cafe are well known in Vienna. They are known for a not-too-sweet-chocolate cake called sachertorte.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me eating Sachertorte\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Me eating Sachertorte\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413737517/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6230/6413737517_eba7ce4f5d_b.jpg\" alt=\"Me eating Sachertorte\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nNow my whole life I\'ve been a white cake girl. I love a lightly vanilla cake. I love vanilla butter-cream frosting. I always have. I think this is because some chocolate cakes are too rich for me. I know plenty of people doubled over gasping for air at their computers right now. My sister C. is probably one of those people. Our whole lives this has been the case. I have a May birthday and my cake of choice has always been vanilla or strawberry shortcake. She has a June birthday and she always has chocolate cake.\n\nThis is a cake that I suspect could make us both happy.<!--more-->\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Sachertorte\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Sachertorte\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413730027/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6413730027_e0338468c5_b.jpg\" alt=\"Sachertorte\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nAnyhow, back to the sachertorte. It\'s an institution in Vienna. Yes. The cake is an institution in and of itself.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Cafe Sacher menu\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cafe Sacher menu\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413673543/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6214/6413673543_c5977d89ac_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cafe Sacher menu\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThis cake is well known and well loved so who am I to poo-poo a cake before actually trying it? So A. and I went to the Sacher Cafe. We had a slice of cake and a coffee. The cake? It was just about perfect.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Sachertorte close-up\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Sachertorte close-up\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413699943/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6052/6413699943_2982a0819a_b.jpg\" alt=\"Sachertorte close-up\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI guess that shouldn\'t surprise me. A cake doesn\'t get this famous without good reason. Here\'s what great about the cake. It\'s light. The crumb is soft without being dry. There\'s a hint of jam between the two layers of cake and what seems to be the chocolate ganache topping. The cake is served with a side of not-too-sweet whipped cream.\n\nYum.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"More Sachertorte close-up\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Sachertorte close-up\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413714819/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6413714819_2ce699edce_b.jpg\" alt=\"Sachertorte close-up\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThis is a chocolate cake that I could get behind. In fact, I think that I am going to give this one a whirl at home at some point in the future.\n\nThe original sachertorte recipe is apparently a well guarded secret but luckily for me there are lots of entrepreneuring cooks out there and plenty of versions of this recipe available on the internet. <a href=\"http://www.pomiane.com/2008/01/recipe-original-sachertorte.html\" target=\"_blank\">This recipe looks pretty good</a> and sums up the legal battle over the cake\'s origins.\n\nOh and the cafe itself it pretty fancy. And very pretty too look at both from the inside and the outside. Enjoy these few pictures!\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Chandler Inside the Cafe Sacher\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Chandler Inside the Cafe Sacher\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413692127/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6413692127_e36f8637b3_b.jpg\" alt=\"Chandler Inside the Cafe Sacher\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me taking a photo of the logo of the Hotel Sacher\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1156\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413665407/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7024/6413665407_c64a1a3436_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1156\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Hotel Sacher from the outside looking in!\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Hotel Sacher\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413760163/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6413760163_685e781dcf_b.jpg\" alt=\"Hotel Sacher\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Hello Cafe Sacher\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Cafe Sacher\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413747273/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6413747273_224f51c596_b.jpg\" alt=\"Cafe Sacher\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]','Sachertorte in Vienna ','','inherit','open','open','','5891-autosave','','','2011-11-29 18:20:41','2011-11-29 16:20:41','',5891,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/29/5891-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(5949,1,'2011-12-09 06:58:10','2011-12-09 04:58:10','So, all week I\'ve been thinking about a gift giving post focused on Sofia (and Bulgaria). One of those what to buy for everyone on your holiday list. I wanted mine to be tongue in cheek. I wanted mine to be funny. I wanted mine to have 10 items. Then I got busy.\r\n\r\nSomehow this week I haven\'t eaten a single meal at home this week. This put a serious dent in my list making plan (but on the upside, my refrigerator is well stocked still).\r\n\r\nThis week, I\'ve been out and about--shopping, Christmas market-ing, Balkan dancing, holiday party-ing, and eating tacos &amp; decorating a Christmas tree. That last one is pretty awesome and I\'d encourage you to read it again. Yep. We had a little get together at our boss\'s house last night that included eating tacos (tortillas, spicy ground beef, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, onion, olives, salsa and guacamole), plenty of sitting around a fire and talking, and then decorating a Christmas tree. It doesn\'t really get any better than this mix of tacos and Christmas (Southwest Christmas,<em> anyone?</em>). A little unexpected but totally wonderful.\r\n\r\nThis is basically how my whole week as been. A little unexpected but wonderful.\r\n\r\nWe got our first real snow yesterday. We had a little fake snow in October but that doesn\'t really count because it didn\'t really stick. It\'s funny before school started yesterday, my students had been moping around about how it doesn\'t feel like Christmas but by the afternoon they were singing a different tune. Echos of \"happy first snow\" were ringing throughout our building and after school snowballs were flying.\r\n\r\nHappy First Snow!','A week in Sofia','','publish','open','open','','a-week-in-sofia','','','2011-12-09 06:58:10','2011-12-09 04:58:10','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5949',0,'post','',2),(5898,1,'2011-12-04 11:23:51','2011-12-04 09:23:51','Vienna over Thanksgiving Giving weekend was the perfect holiday.  The city is easy to get around and they\'re already well into celebrating the upcoming Christmas season.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me Christmas market-ing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1300\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413923073/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6413923073_099dc7a2d5_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1300\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThere are a slew of little (some not so little) markets that get set-up all over the city. These are the Christmas Markets. Basically there are four things that one can do there. First, drink mulled wine outside. Second, buy things for Christmas. Third, eat German food. Four, have fun doing some combination of 1-3.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Shopping at the Rathaus Christmas market\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Shopping at the Rathaus Christmas market\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6419183471/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6419183471_5883652c49_b.jpg\" alt=\"Shopping at the Rathaus Christmas market\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nOver a single long weekend we went to seven different Christmas markets. This may have been overkill but when in Vienna at Christmas time, a girl has got to do these things.\r\n\r\nSome of the markets are better than others but really I think it just depend what you\'re looking for.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Rathaus dressed up for Christmas\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Rathaus dressed up for Christmas\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6419197563/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6231/6419197563_3ebda6bd49_b.jpg\" alt=\"Rathaus dressed up for Christmas\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI think my favorite market was at the Schönbrunn palace. The palace is a lovely backdrop for a very traditional market with lots of Christmas ornaments, homemade treats like jam and schnaps, live caroling and plenty of good wine and food. I bought some of my favorite gifts there.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Schönbrunn at Night\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Schönbrunn\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413954639/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6225/6413954639_2f2349c8e1_b.jpg\" alt=\"Schönbrunn\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nMy second favorite is the Spittelberg market. It\'s tucked away on a few streets in a lovely neighborhood but the kinds of gifts at this market ranged from interesting handmade things to mass-produced toys and hats. But if what you are looking for is atmosphere and you want to wander the streets with a mug of wine and do some window shopping, you really can\'t go wrong here.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Altwiener Christkindlmarkt at night\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Altwiener Christkindlmarkt at night\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6419131507/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6419131507_e6857b2a21_b.jpg\" alt=\"Altwiener Christkindlmarkt at night\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe Rathaus on the other hand is a crowded mass of humanity with too many people to safely drink wine without the imminent threat of spilling. And this was problematic because my major goal of the weekend was not spill any mulled wine on my new coat. I think that you go to the Rathaus because it\'s beautiful at night. Likewise, I think that you go for the people, for the crowds--to confirm that you\'re having a good time and you\'re having the full Christmas market experience.\r\n\r\nNow, I\'ve got to get myself to the Christmas market that has just opened in Sofia!!\r\n\r\nOh and if you want to see more pictures from Vienna, I <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/\" target=\"_blank\">uploaded a ton to flickr</a>.','Christmas Markets in Vienna ','','publish','open','open','','christmas-markets-in-vienna','','','2011-12-04 11:23:51','2011-12-04 09:23:51','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5898',0,'post','',0),(5899,1,'2011-11-30 06:54:21','2011-11-30 04:54:21','Vienna over Thanksgiving Giving weekend was the perfect holiday.  The city is easy to get around and they\'re already well into celebrating the upcoming Christmas season.\n\nThere are a slew of little (some not so little) markets that get set-up all over the city. These are the Christmas Markets. Basically there are three things that one can do there. First, drink mulled wine outside. Second','Christmas Markets in Vienna ','','inherit','open','open','','5898-revision','','','2011-11-30 06:54:21','2011-11-30 04:54:21','',5898,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/30/5898-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5900,1,'2011-11-30 08:07:42','2011-11-30 06:07:42','Over the last couple of weeks I\'ve been re-reading Conrad\'s novel <em>Heart of Darkness</em>. It\'s one of the books that I teach in 11th grade and it\'s not exactly light reading. I\'ve also been re-reading <em>Lord of the Flies</em> by William Golding for 10th grade. Neither of these books are exactly uplifting novels. In fact, there have been a few afternoons where I find myself kind of down after teaching the whole day about the darkness of man.\n<blockquote>\" Imagine him here-- the very end of the world, a sea the color of lead, a sky the color of smoke, a kind of ship about as rigid as a concertina-- and going up this river with stores, or orders, or what you like. Sandbanks, marshes, forests, savages,--precious little to eat fit for a civilized man, nothing but Thames water to drink. No Falernian wine here, no going ashore. Here and there a military camp lost in a wilderness, like a needle in a bundle of hay--cold, fog, tempests, disease, exile, and death,-- death skulking in the air, in the water, in the bush. They must have been dying like flies here. Oh yes--he did it. Did it very well, too, no doubt, and without thinking much about it either, except afterwards to brag of what he had gone through in his time, perhaps. They were men enough to face the darkness. And perhaps he was cheered by keeping his eye on a chance of promotion to the fleet at Ravenna by-and-by, if he had good friends in Rome and survived the awful climate. Or think of a decent young citizen in a toga--perhaps too much dice, you know--coming out here in the train of some prefect, or tax-gatherer, or trader even, to mend his fortunes. Land in a swamp, march through the woods, and in some inland post feel the savagery, the utter savagery, had closed round him,-- all that mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest, in the jungles, in the hearts of wild men. There\'s no initiation either into such mysteries. He has to live in the midst of the incomprehensible, which is also detestable. And it has a fascination, too, that goes to work upon him. The fascination of the abomination--you know. Imagine the growing regrets, the longing to escape, the powerless disgust, the surrender, the hate.\" (p8-9)</blockquote>','Reading and re-reading Heart of Darkness ','','inherit','open','open','','5809-revision-4','','','2011-11-30 08:07:42','2011-11-30 06:07:42','',5809,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/30/5809-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(5901,1,'2011-11-30 08:23:12','2011-11-30 06:23:12','Over the last couple of weeks I\'ve been re-reading Conrad\'s novel <em>Heart of Darkness</em>. It\'s one of the books that I teach in 11th grade and it\'s not exactly light reading. I\'ve also been re-reading <em>Lord of the Flies</em> by William Golding for 10th grade. Neither of these books are exactly uplifting novels. In fact, there have been a few afternoons where I find myself kind of down after teaching the whole day about the darkness of man. It doesn\'t help that at the same time the days are getting shorter and dusk is falling sooner.\n\nDespite the fact that these are heavy books, I like the act of re-reading them. The temptation of course in the act of re-reading something (especially for work) is to read quickly, to skim, to jump a head, to hurry through the novel. The pleasure however comes in the act of slowing down. The second (or <em>sixth</em>) time through a book you don\'t have to worry about what\'s going on, who the characters are or what is going to happen. You can let the book wash over you. You can experience the book in a new way.\n\nThis year in re-reading <em>Heart of Darkness</em>, I was struck by a passage from early in the novel. I knew it but had never thought about it relationship to my own life. Then I became obsessed by the thought: what if I am like the Romans in England or Marlow in Africa?\n\nSo let me give this quote a little context. Marlow is sitting on a boat <em>the Nellie</em> which is on the Thames River and he begins to think about what England must have been like for the Romans when they first arrived. The England he imagines is wild, uncivilized in contrast to the England which he is clearly familiar with.\n<blockquote>\" Imagine him here-- the very end of the world, a sea the color of lead, a sky the color of smoke, a kind of ship about as rigid as a concertina-- and going up this river with stores, or orders, or what you like. Sandbanks, marshes, forests, savages,--precious little to eat fit for a civilized man, nothing but Thames water to drink. No Falernian wine here, no going ashore. Here and there a military camp lost in a wilderness, like a needle in a bundle of hay--cold, fog, tempests, disease, exile, and death,-- death skulking in the air, in the water, in the bush. They must have been dying like flies here. Oh yes--he did it. Did it very well, too, no doubt, and without thinking much about it either, except afterwards to brag of what he had gone through in his time, perhaps. They were men enough to face the darkness. And perhaps he was cheered by keeping his eye on a chance of promotion to the fleet at Ravenna by-and-by, if he had good friends in Rome and survived the awful climate. Or think of a decent young citizen in a toga--perhaps too much dice, you know--coming out here in the train of some prefect, or tax-gatherer, or trader even, to mend his fortunes. Land in a swamp, march through the woods, and in some inland post feel the savagery, the utter savagery, had closed round him,-- all that mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest, in the jungles, in the hearts of wild men. There\'s no initiation either into such mysteries. He has to live in the midst of the incomprehensible, which is also detestable. And it has a fascination, too, that goes to work upon him. The fascination of the abomination--you know. Imagine the growing regrets, the longing to escape, the powerless disgust, the surrender, the hate.\" (p8-9)</blockquote>','Reading and re-reading Heart of Darkness ','','inherit','open','open','','5809-revision-5','','','2011-11-30 08:23:12','2011-11-30 06:23:12','',5809,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/30/5809-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(5902,1,'2011-11-30 08:26:03','2011-11-30 06:26:03','Over the last couple of weeks I\'ve been re-reading Conrad\'s novel <em>Heart of Darkness</em>. It\'s one of the books that I teach in 11th grade and it\'s not exactly light reading. I\'ve also been re-reading <em>Lord of the Flies</em> by William Golding for 10th grade. Neither of these books are exactly uplifting novels. In fact, there have been a few afternoons where I find myself kind of down after teaching the whole day about the darkness of man. It doesn\'t help that at the same time the days are getting shorter and dusk is falling sooner.\r\n\r\nDespite the fact that these are heavy books, I like the act of re-reading them. The temptation of course in the act of re-reading something (especially for work) is to read quickly, to skim, to jump a head, to hurry through the novel. The pleasure however comes in the act of slowing down. The second (or <em>sixth</em>) time through a book you don\'t have to worry about what\'s going on, who the characters are or what is going to happen. You can let the book wash over you. You can experience the book in a new way.\r\n\r\nThis year in re-reading <em>Heart of Darkness</em>, I was struck by a passage from early in the novel. I knew it but had never thought about it relationship to my own life. Then I became obsessed by the thought: what if I am like the Romans in England or Marlow in Africa?\r\n\r\nSo let me give this quote a little context (and let me apologize for the fact the quote is a <em>little</em> on the long side). Marlow is sitting on a boat <em>the Nellie</em> which is on the Thames River and he begins to think about what England must have been like for the Romans when they first arrived. The England he imagines is wild, uncivilized in contrast to the England which he is clearly familiar with.\r\n<blockquote>\"Imagine him here-- the very end of the world, a sea the color of lead, a sky the color of smoke, a kind of ship about as rigid as a concertina-- and going up this river with stores, or orders, or what you like. Sandbanks, marshes, forests, savages,--precious little to eat fit for a civilized man, nothing but Thames water to drink. No Falernian wine here, no going ashore. Here and there a military camp lost in a wilderness, like a needle in a bundle of hay--cold, fog, tempests, disease, exile, and death,-- death skulking in the air, in the water, in the bush. They must have been dying like flies here. Oh yes--he did it. Did it very well, too, no doubt, and without thinking much about it either, except afterwards to brag of what he had gone through in his time, perhaps. They were men enough to face the darkness. And perhaps he was cheered by keeping his eye on a chance of promotion to the fleet at Ravenna by-and-by, if he had good friends in Rome and survived the awful climate. Or think of a decent young citizen in a toga--perhaps too much dice, you know--coming out here in the train of some prefect, or tax-gatherer, or trader even, to mend his fortunes. Land in a swamp, march through the woods, and in some inland post feel the savagery, the utter savagery, had closed round him,-- all that mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest, in the jungles, in the hearts of wild men. There\'s no initiation either into such mysteries. He has to live in the midst of the incomprehensible, which is also detestable. And it has a fascination, too, that goes to work upon him. The fascination of the abomination--you know. Imagine the growing regrets, the longing to escape, the powerless disgust, the surrender, the hate.\" (p8-9)</blockquote>','Reading and re-reading Heart of Darkness ','','inherit','open','open','','5809-revision-6','','','2011-11-30 08:26:03','2011-11-30 06:26:03','',5809,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/30/5809-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(5903,1,'2011-11-30 08:45:07','2011-11-30 06:45:07','Over the last couple of weeks I\'ve been re-reading Conrad\'s novel <em>Heart of Darkness</em>. It\'s one of the books that I teach in 11th grade and it\'s not exactly light reading. I\'ve also been re-reading <em>Lord of the Flies</em> by William Golding for 10th grade. Neither of these books are exactly uplifting novels. In fact, there have been a few afternoons where I find myself kind of down after teaching the whole day about the darkness of man. It doesn\'t help that at the same time the days are getting shorter and dusk is falling sooner.\n\nDespite the fact that these are heavy books, I like the act of re-reading them. The temptation of course in the act of re-reading something (especially for work) is to read quickly, to skim, to jump a head, to hurry through the novel. The pleasure however comes in the act of slowing down. The second (or <em>sixth</em>) time through a book you don\'t have to worry about what\'s going on, who the characters are or what is going to happen. You can let the book wash over you. You can experience the book in a new way.\n\nThis year in re-reading <em>Heart of Darkness</em>, I was struck by a passage from early in the novel. I knew it but had never thought about it relationship to my own life. Then I became obsessed by the thought: what if I am like the Romans in England or Marlow in Africa?\n\nSo let me give this quote a little context (and let me apologize for the fact the quote is a <em>little</em> on the long side). Marlow is sitting on a boat <em>the Nellie</em> which is on the Thames River and he begins to think about what England must have been like for the Romans when they first arrived. The England he imagines is wild, uncivilized in contrast to the England which he is clearly familiar with.\n<blockquote>\"Imagine him here-- the very end of the world, a sea the color of lead, a sky the color of smoke, a kind of ship about as rigid as a concertina-- and going up this river with stores, or orders, or what you like. Sandbanks, marshes, forests, savages,--precious little to eat fit for a civilized man, nothing but Thames water to drink. No Falernian wine here, no going ashore. Here and there a military camp lost in a wilderness, like a needle in a bundle of hay--cold, fog, tempests, disease, exile, and death,-- death skulking in the air, in the water, in the bush. They must have been dying like flies here. Oh yes--he did it. Did it very well, too, no doubt, and without thinking much about it either, except afterwards to brag of what he had gone through in his time, perhaps. They were men enough to face the darkness. And perhaps he was cheered by keeping his eye on a chance of promotion to the fleet at Ravenna by-and-by, if he had good friends in Rome and survived the awful climate. Or think of a decent young citizen in a toga--perhaps too much dice, you know--coming out here in the train of some prefect, or tax-gatherer, or trader even, to mend his fortunes. Land in a swamp, march through the woods, and in some inland post feel the savagery, the utter savagery, had closed round him,-- all that mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest, in the jungles, in the hearts of wild men. There\'s no initiation either into such mysteries. He has to live in the midst of the incomprehensible, which is also detestable. And it has a fascination, too, that goes to work upon him. The fascination of the abomination--you know. Imagine the growing regrets, the longing to escape, the powerless disgust, the surrender, the hate.\" (p8-9)</blockquote>\nWhat resonated with me in reading this passage is the sense of cultural superiority, the idea of going to the end of the world--some place utterly different, the impossibilities of obtaining familiar food and drink, the need to brag later about surviving the experience, the hint that one may travel to escape debt (or to make a fortune), the confrontation with the unknown in a foreign land and finally the effect that this has on one.\n\nThis year, I read this passage and thought: oh my god, what if this is me in Bulgaria?\n\nThere are times where I feel like I am living at the very end of the world. Times where I feel like I am living in the wilderness surrounded by concrete flats and wild dogs. Times where I wish that I could get my hands on the food of my childhood. Times where I think: at least this will make a good story later. Times where I complain bitterly about the cold weather and the poor transportation in this country. Times when i won','Reading and re-reading Heart of Darkness ','','inherit','open','open','','5809-revision-7','','','2011-11-30 08:45:07','2011-11-30 06:45:07','',5809,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/30/5809-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(5904,1,'2011-11-30 08:56:10','2011-11-30 06:56:10','Over the last couple of weeks I\'ve been re-reading Conrad\'s novel <em>Heart of Darkness</em>. It\'s one of the books that I teach in 11th grade and it\'s not exactly light reading. I\'ve also been re-reading <em>Lord of the Flies</em> by William Golding for 10th grade. Neither of these books are exactly uplifting novels. In fact, there have been a few afternoons where I find myself kind of down after teaching the whole day about the darkness of man. It doesn\'t help that at the same time the days are getting shorter and dusk is falling sooner.\n\nDespite the fact that these are heavy books, I like the act of re-reading them. The temptation of course in the act of re-reading something (especially for work) is to read quickly, to skim, to jump a head, to hurry through the novel. The pleasure however comes in the act of slowing down. The second (or <em>sixth</em>) time through a book you don\'t have to worry about what\'s going on, who the characters are or what is going to happen. You can let the book wash over you. You can experience the book in a new way.\n\nThis year in re-reading <em>Heart of Darkness</em>, I was struck by a passage from early in the novel. I knew it but had never thought about it relationship to my own life. Then I became obsessed by the thought: what if I am like the Romans in England or Marlow in Africa?\n\nSo let me give this quote a little context (and let me apologize for the fact the quote is a <em>little</em> on the long side). Marlow is sitting on a boat <em>the Nellie</em> which is on the Thames River and he begins to think about what England must have been like for the Romans when they first arrived. The England he imagines is wild, uncivilized in contrast to the England which he is clearly familiar with.\n<blockquote>\"Imagine him here-- the very end of the world, a sea the color of lead, a sky the color of smoke, a kind of ship about as rigid as a concertina-- and going up this river with stores, or orders, or what you like. Sandbanks, marshes, forests, savages,--precious little to eat fit for a civilized man, nothing but Thames water to drink. No Falernian wine here, no going ashore. Here and there a military camp lost in a wilderness, like a needle in a bundle of hay--cold, fog, tempests, disease, exile, and death,-- death skulking in the air, in the water, in the bush. They must have been dying like flies here. Oh yes--he did it. Did it very well, too, no doubt, and without thinking much about it either, except afterwards to brag of what he had gone through in his time, perhaps. They were men enough to face the darkness. And perhaps he was cheered by keeping his eye on a chance of promotion to the fleet at Ravenna by-and-by, if he had good friends in Rome and survived the awful climate. Or think of a decent young citizen in a toga--perhaps too much dice, you know--coming out here in the train of some prefect, or tax-gatherer, or trader even, to mend his fortunes. Land in a swamp, march through the woods, and in some inland post feel the savagery, the utter savagery, had closed round him,-- all that mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest, in the jungles, in the hearts of wild men. There\'s no initiation either into such mysteries. He has to live in the midst of the incomprehensible, which is also detestable. And it has a fascination, too, that goes to work upon him. The fascination of the abomination--you know. Imagine the growing regrets, the longing to escape, the powerless disgust, the surrender, the hate.\" (p8-9)</blockquote>\nWhat resonated with me in reading this passage is the sense of cultural superiority, the idea of going to the end of the world--some place utterly different, the impossibilities of obtaining familiar food and drink, the need to brag later about surviving the experience, the hint that one may travel to escape debt (or to make a fortune), the confrontation with the unknown in a foreign land and finally the effect that this has on one.\n\nThis year, I read this passage and thought: oh my god, what if this is me in Bulgaria?\n\nThere are times where I feel like I am living at the very end of the world. Times where I feel like I am living in the wilderness surrounded by concrete flats and wild dogs. Times where I wish that I could get my hands on the food of my childhood. Times where I think: at least this will make a good story later. Times where I complain bitterly about the cold weather and the poor transportation in this country. Times when I wonder, what am I doing here when I am certainly not making a fortune as a teacher in Bulgaria.\n\nBut what I got really hung up on was this idea of a place that is at once incomprehensible, detestable, fascinating and abominable. There is a tension here that I recognize.\n\nI am fascinated with Bulgaria but in many ways it\'s a place that resists knowing. I\'ve been here for three-plus years. I keep looking, thinking and writing about this country and my experiences here. Still, in many ways,','Reading and re-reading Heart of Darkness ','','inherit','open','open','','5809-revision-8','','','2011-11-30 08:56:10','2011-11-30 06:56:10','',5809,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/30/5809-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(5905,1,'2011-11-30 09:12:45','2011-11-30 07:12:45','Over the last couple of weeks I\'ve been re-reading Conrad\'s novel <em>Heart of Darkness</em>. It\'s one of the books that I teach in 11th grade and it\'s not exactly light reading. I\'ve also been re-reading <em>Lord of the Flies</em> by William Golding for 10th grade. Neither of these books are exactly uplifting novels. In fact, there have been a few afternoons where I find myself kind of down after teaching the whole day about the darkness of man. It doesn\'t help that at the same time the days are getting shorter and dusk is falling sooner.\n\nDespite the fact that these are heavy books, I like the act of re-reading them. The temptation of course in the act of re-reading something (especially for work) is to read quickly, to skim, to jump a head, to hurry through the novel. The pleasure however comes in the act of slowing down. The second (or <em>sixth</em>) time through a book you don\'t have to worry about what\'s going on, who the characters are or what is going to happen. You can let the book wash over you. You can experience the book in a new way.\n\nThis year in re-reading <em>Heart of Darkness</em>, I was struck by a passage from early in the novel. I knew it but had never thought about it relationship to my own life. Then I became obsessed by the thought: what if I am like the Romans in England or Marlow in Africa?\n\nSo let me give this quote a little context (and let me apologize for the fact the quote is a <em>little</em> on the long side). Marlow is sitting on a boat <em>the Nellie</em> which is on the Thames River and he begins to think about what England must have been like for the Romans when they first arrived. The England he imagines is wild, uncivilized in contrast to the England which he is clearly familiar with.\n<blockquote>\"Imagine him here-- the very end of the world, a sea the color of lead, a sky the color of smoke, a kind of ship about as rigid as a concertina-- and going up this river with stores, or orders, or what you like. Sandbanks, marshes, forests, savages,--precious little to eat fit for a civilized man, nothing but Thames water to drink. No Falernian wine here, no going ashore. Here and there a military camp lost in a wilderness, like a needle in a bundle of hay--cold, fog, tempests, disease, exile, and death,-- death skulking in the air, in the water, in the bush. They must have been dying like flies here. Oh yes--he did it. Did it very well, too, no doubt, and without thinking much about it either, except afterwards to brag of what he had gone through in his time, perhaps. They were men enough to face the darkness. And perhaps he was cheered by keeping his eye on a chance of promotion to the fleet at Ravenna by-and-by, if he had good friends in Rome and survived the awful climate. Or think of a decent young citizen in a toga--perhaps too much dice, you know--coming out here in the train of some prefect, or tax-gatherer, or trader even, to mend his fortunes. Land in a swamp, march through the woods, and in some inland post feel the savagery, the utter savagery, had closed round him,-- all that mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest, in the jungles, in the hearts of wild men. There\'s no initiation either into such mysteries. He has to live in the midst of the incomprehensible, which is also detestable. And it has a fascination, too, that goes to work upon him. The fascination of the abomination--you know. Imagine the growing regrets, the longing to escape, the powerless disgust, the surrender, the hate.\" (p8-9)</blockquote>\nWhat resonated with me in reading this passage is the sense of cultural superiority, the idea of going to the end of the world--some place utterly different, the impossibilities of obtaining familiar food and drink, the need to brag later about surviving the experience, the hint that one may travel to escape debt (or to make a fortune), the confrontation with the unknown in a foreign land and finally the effect that this has on one.\n\nThis year, I read this passage and thought: oh my god, what if this is me in Bulgaria?\n\nThere are times where I feel like I am living at the very end of the world. Times where I feel like I am living in the wilderness surrounded by concrete flats and wild dogs. Times where I wish that I could get my hands on the food of my childhood. Times where I think: at least this will make a good story later. Times where I complain bitterly about the cold weather and the poor transportation in this country. Times when I wonder, what am I doing here when I am certainly not making a fortune as a teacher in Bulgaria.\n\nBut what I got really hung up on was this idea of a place that is at once incomprehensible, detestable, fascinating and abominable. There is a tension here that I recognize.\n\nI am fascinated with Bulgaria but in many ways it\'s a place that resists knowing. I\'ve been here for three-plus years. I keep looking, thinking and writing about this country and my experiences here. Still, in many ways, I find this place confusing. It\'s difficult to live here. I find myself looking and looking (in fact, sometimes I can\'t look away) but no matter how much I look the place does not yield to me.\n\nThe difference of course between me and Marlow is that I\'ve gotten off the boat, so to speak. I live in Mladost. I\'m learning the language. I take the bus (and the metro). I eat the food and drink the local spirits. I shop locally. I\'ve always got my eye out for what\'s new and interesting in Sofia. I have Bulgarian friends.\n\nBut Marlow is right when he states, \"There\'s no initiation either into such mysteries.\" We jump in and do the best that we can. No one can teach us these things. We\'ve got to figure them out ourselves.','Reading and re-reading Heart of Darkness ','','inherit','open','open','','5809-revision-9','','','2011-11-30 09:12:45','2011-11-30 07:12:45','',5809,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/30/5809-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(5906,1,'2011-11-30 09:13:14','2011-11-30 07:13:14','Over the last couple of weeks I\'ve been re-reading Conrad\'s novel <em>Heart of Darkness</em>. It\'s one of the books that I teach in 11th grade and it\'s not exactly light reading. I\'ve also been re-reading <em>Lord of the Flies</em> by William Golding for 10th grade. Neither of these books are exactly uplifting novels. In fact, there have been a few afternoons where I find myself kind of down after teaching the whole day about the darkness of man. It doesn\'t help that at the same time the days are getting shorter and dusk is falling sooner.\r\n\r\nDespite the fact that these are heavy books, I like the act of re-reading them. The temptation of course in the act of re-reading something (especially for work) is to read quickly, to skim, to jump a head, to hurry through the novel. The pleasure however comes in the act of slowing down. The second (or <em>sixth</em>) time through a book you don\'t have to worry about what\'s going on, who the characters are or what is going to happen. You can let the book wash over you. You can experience the book in a new way.\r\n\r\nThis year in re-reading <em>Heart of Darkness</em>, I was struck by a passage from early in the novel. I knew it but had never thought about it relationship to my own life. Then I became obsessed by the thought: what if I am like the Romans in England or Marlow in Africa?\r\n\r\nSo let me give this quote a little context (and let me apologize for the fact the quote is a <em>little</em> on the long side). Marlow is sitting on a boat <em>the Nellie</em> which is on the Thames River and he begins to think about what England must have been like for the Romans when they first arrived. The England he imagines is wild, uncivilized in contrast to the England which he is clearly familiar with.\r\n<blockquote>\"Imagine him here-- the very end of the world, a sea the color of lead, a sky the color of smoke, a kind of ship about as rigid as a concertina-- and going up this river with stores, or orders, or what you like. Sandbanks, marshes, forests, savages,--precious little to eat fit for a civilized man, nothing but Thames water to drink. No Falernian wine here, no going ashore. Here and there a military camp lost in a wilderness, like a needle in a bundle of hay--cold, fog, tempests, disease, exile, and death,-- death skulking in the air, in the water, in the bush. They must have been dying like flies here. Oh yes--he did it. Did it very well, too, no doubt, and without thinking much about it either, except afterwards to brag of what he had gone through in his time, perhaps. They were men enough to face the darkness. And perhaps he was cheered by keeping his eye on a chance of promotion to the fleet at Ravenna by-and-by, if he had good friends in Rome and survived the awful climate. Or think of a decent young citizen in a toga--perhaps too much dice, you know--coming out here in the train of some prefect, or tax-gatherer, or trader even, to mend his fortunes. Land in a swamp, march through the woods, and in some inland post feel the savagery, the utter savagery, had closed round him,-- all that mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest, in the jungles, in the hearts of wild men. There\'s no initiation either into such mysteries. He has to live in the midst of the incomprehensible, which is also detestable. And it has a fascination, too, that goes to work upon him. The fascination of the abomination--you know. Imagine the growing regrets, the longing to escape, the powerless disgust, the surrender, the hate.\" (p8-9)</blockquote>\r\nWhat resonated with me in reading this passage is the sense of cultural superiority, the idea of going to the end of the world--some place utterly different, the impossibilities of obtaining familiar food and drink, the need to brag later about surviving the experience, the hint that one may travel to escape debt (or to make a fortune), the confrontation with the unknown in a foreign land and finally the effect that this has on one.\r\n\r\nThis year, I read this passage and thought: oh my god, what if this is me in Bulgaria?\r\n\r\nThere are times where I feel like I am living at the very end of the world. Times where I feel like I am living in the wilderness surrounded by concrete flats and wild dogs. Times where I wish that I could get my hands on the food of my childhood. Times where I think: at least this will make a good story later. Times where I complain bitterly about the cold weather and the poor transportation in this country. Times when I wonder, what am I doing here when I am certainly not making a fortune as a teacher in Bulgaria.\r\n\r\nBut what I got really hung up on was this idea of a place that is at once incomprehensible, detestable, fascinating and abominable. There is a tension here that I recognize.\r\n\r\nI am fascinated with Bulgaria but in many ways it\'s a place that resists knowing. I\'ve been here for three-plus years. I keep looking, thinking and writing about this country and my experiences here. Still, in many ways, I find this place confusing. It\'s difficult to live here. I find myself looking and looking (in fact, sometimes I can\'t look away) but no matter how much I look the place does not yield to me.\r\n\r\nThe difference of course between me and Marlow is that I\'ve gotten off the boat, so to speak. I live in Mladost. I\'m learning the language. I take the bus (and the metro). I eat the food and drink the local spirits. I shop locally. I\'ve always got my eye out for what\'s new and interesting in Sofia. I have Bulgarian friends.\r\n\r\nBut Marlow is right when he states, \"There\'s no initiation either into such mysteries.\" We jump in and do the best that we can. No one can teach us these things. We\'ve got to figure them out ourselves.','Reading and re-reading Heart of Darkness ','','inherit','open','open','','5809-revision-10','','','2011-11-30 09:13:14','2011-11-30 07:13:14','',5809,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/30/5809-revision-10/',0,'revision','',0),(5907,1,'2011-11-30 09:13:20','2011-11-30 07:13:20','Over the last couple of weeks I\'ve been re-reading Conrad\'s novel <em>Heart of Darkness</em>. It\'s one of the books that I teach in 11th grade and it\'s not exactly light reading. I\'ve also been re-reading <em>Lord of the Flies</em> by William Golding for 10th grade. Neither of these books are exactly uplifting novels. In fact, there have been a few afternoons where I find myself kind of down after teaching the whole day about the darkness of man. It doesn\'t help that at the same time the days are getting shorter and dusk is falling sooner.\r\n\r\nDespite the fact that these are heavy books, I like the act of re-reading them. The temptation of course in the act of re-reading something (especially for work) is to read quickly, to skim, to jump a head, to hurry through the novel. The pleasure however comes in the act of slowing down. The second (or <em>sixth</em>) time through a book you don\'t have to worry about what\'s going on, who the characters are or what is going to happen. You can let the book wash over you. You can experience the book in a new way.\r\n\r\nThis year in re-reading <em>Heart of Darkness</em>, I was struck by a passage from early in the novel. I knew it but had never thought about it relationship to my own life. Then I became obsessed by the thought: what if I am like the Romans in England or Marlow in Africa?\r\n\r\nSo let me give this quote a little context (and let me apologize for the fact the quote is a <em>little</em> on the long side). Marlow is sitting on a boat <em>the Nellie</em> which is on the Thames River and he begins to think about what England must have been like for the Romans when they first arrived. The England he imagines is wild, uncivilized in contrast to the England which he is clearly familiar with.\r\n<blockquote>\"Imagine him here-- the very end of the world, a sea the color of lead, a sky the color of smoke, a kind of ship about as rigid as a concertina-- and going up this river with stores, or orders, or what you like. Sandbanks, marshes, forests, savages,--precious little to eat fit for a civilized man, nothing but Thames water to drink. No Falernian wine here, no going ashore. Here and there a military camp lost in a wilderness, like a needle in a bundle of hay--cold, fog, tempests, disease, exile, and death,-- death skulking in the air, in the water, in the bush. They must have been dying like flies here. Oh yes--he did it. Did it very well, too, no doubt, and without thinking much about it either, except afterwards to brag of what he had gone through in his time, perhaps. They were men enough to face the darkness. And perhaps he was cheered by keeping his eye on a chance of promotion to the fleet at Ravenna by-and-by, if he had good friends in Rome and survived the awful climate. Or think of a decent young citizen in a toga--perhaps too much dice, you know--coming out here in the train of some prefect, or tax-gatherer, or trader even, to mend his fortunes. Land in a swamp, march through the woods, and in some inland post feel the savagery, the utter savagery, had closed round him,-- all that mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest, in the jungles, in the hearts of wild men. There\'s no initiation either into such mysteries. He has to live in the midst of the incomprehensible, which is also detestable. And it has a fascination, too, that goes to work upon him. The fascination of the abomination--you know. Imagine the growing regrets, the longing to escape, the powerless disgust, the surrender, the hate.\" (p8-9)</blockquote>\r\nWhat resonated with me in reading this passage is the sense of cultural superiority, the idea of going to the end of the world--some place utterly different, the impossibilities of obtaining familiar food and drink, the need to brag later about surviving the experience, the hint that one may travel to escape debt (or to make a fortune), the confrontation with the unknown in a foreign land and finally the effect that this has on one.\r\n\r\nThis year, I read this passage and thought: oh my god, what if this is me in Bulgaria?\r\n\r\nThere are times where I feel like I am living at the very end of the world. Times where I feel like I am living in the wilderness surrounded by concrete flats and wild dogs. Times where I wish that I could get my hands on the food of my childhood. Times where I think: at least this will make a good story later. Times where I complain bitterly about the cold weather and the poor transportation in this country. Times when I wonder, what am I doing here when I am certainly not making a fortune as a teacher in Bulgaria.\r\n\r\nBut what I got really hung up on was this idea of a place that is at once incomprehensible, detestable, fascinating and abominable. There is a tension here that I recognize.\r\n\r\nI am fascinated with Bulgaria but in many ways it\'s a place that resists knowing. I\'ve been here for three-plus years. I keep looking, thinking and writing about this country and my experiences here. Still, in many ways, I find this place confusing. It\'s difficult to live here. I find myself looking and looking (in fact, sometimes I can\'t look away) but no matter how much I look the place does not yield to me.\r\n\r\nThe difference of course between me and Marlow is that I\'ve gotten off the boat, so to speak. I live in Mladost. I\'m learning the language. I take the bus (and the metro). I eat the food and drink the local spirits. I shop locally. I\'ve always got my eye out for what\'s new and interesting in Sofia. I have Bulgarian friends.\r\n\r\nBut Marlow is right when he states, \"There\'s no initiation either into such mysteries.\" We jump in and do the best that we can. No one can teach us these things. We\'ve got to figure them out ourselves.','Reading and re-reading Heart of Darkness ','','inherit','open','open','','5809-revision-11','','','2011-11-30 09:13:20','2011-11-30 07:13:20','',5809,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/30/5809-revision-11/',0,'revision','',0),(5908,1,'2011-11-30 09:14:45','2011-11-30 07:14:45','Over the last couple of weeks I\'ve been re-reading Conrad\'s novel <em>Heart of Darkness</em>. It\'s one of the books that I teach in 11th grade and it\'s not exactly light reading. I\'ve also been re-reading <em>Lord of the Flies</em> by William Golding for 10th grade. Neither of these books are exactly uplifting novels. In fact, there have been a few afternoons where I find myself kind of down after teaching the whole day about the darkness of man. It doesn\'t help that at the same time the days are getting shorter and dusk is falling sooner.\r\n\r\nDespite the fact that these are heavy books, I like the act of re-reading them. The temptation of course in the act of re-reading something (especially for work) is to read quickly, to skim, to jump a head, to hurry through the novel. The pleasure however comes in the act of slowing down. The second (or <em>sixth</em>) time through a book you don\'t have to worry about what\'s going on, who the characters are or what is going to happen. You can let the book wash over you. You can experience the book in a new way.\r\n\r\nThis year in re-reading <em>Heart of Darkness</em>, I was struck by a passage from early in the novel. I knew it but had never thought about it relationship to my own life. Then I became obsessed by the thought: what if I am like the Romans in England or Marlow in Africa?<!--more-->\r\n\r\nSo let me give this quote a little context (and let me apologize for the fact the quote is a <em>little</em> on the long side). Marlow is sitting on a boat <em>the Nellie</em> which is on the Thames River and he begins to think about what England must have been like for the Romans when they first arrived. The England he imagines is wild, uncivilized in contrast to the England which he is clearly familiar with.\r\n<blockquote>\"Imagine him here-- the very end of the world, a sea the color of lead, a sky the color of smoke, a kind of ship about as rigid as a concertina-- and going up this river with stores, or orders, or what you like. Sandbanks, marshes, forests, savages,--precious little to eat fit for a civilized man, nothing but Thames water to drink. No Falernian wine here, no going ashore. Here and there a military camp lost in a wilderness, like a needle in a bundle of hay--cold, fog, tempests, disease, exile, and death,-- death skulking in the air, in the water, in the bush. They must have been dying like flies here. Oh yes--he did it. Did it very well, too, no doubt, and without thinking much about it either, except afterwards to brag of what he had gone through in his time, perhaps. They were men enough to face the darkness. And perhaps he was cheered by keeping his eye on a chance of promotion to the fleet at Ravenna by-and-by, if he had good friends in Rome and survived the awful climate. Or think of a decent young citizen in a toga--perhaps too much dice, you know--coming out here in the train of some prefect, or tax-gatherer, or trader even, to mend his fortunes. Land in a swamp, march through the woods, and in some inland post feel the savagery, the utter savagery, had closed round him,-- all that mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest, in the jungles, in the hearts of wild men. There\'s no initiation either into such mysteries. He has to live in the midst of the incomprehensible, which is also detestable. And it has a fascination, too, that goes to work upon him. The fascination of the abomination--you know. Imagine the growing regrets, the longing to escape, the powerless disgust, the surrender, the hate.\" (p8-9)</blockquote>\r\nWhat resonated with me in reading this passage is the sense of cultural superiority, the idea of going to the end of the world--some place utterly different, the impossibilities of obtaining familiar food and drink, the need to brag later about surviving the experience, the hint that one may travel to escape debt (or to make a fortune), the confrontation with the unknown in a foreign land and finally the effect that this has on one.\r\n\r\nThis year, I read this passage and thought: oh my god, what if this is me in Bulgaria?\r\n\r\nThere are times where I feel like I am living at the very end of the world. Times where I feel like I am living in the wilderness surrounded by concrete flats and wild dogs. Times where I wish that I could get my hands on the food of my childhood. Times where I think: at least this will make a good story later. Times where I complain bitterly about the cold weather and the poor transportation in this country. Times when I wonder, what am I doing here when I am certainly not making a fortune as a teacher in Bulgaria.\r\n\r\nBut what I got really hung up on was this idea of a place that is at once incomprehensible, detestable, fascinating and abominable. There is a tension here that I recognize.\r\n\r\nI am fascinated with Bulgaria but in many ways it\'s a place that resists knowing. I\'ve been here for three-plus years. I keep looking, thinking and writing about this country and my experiences here. Still, in many ways, I find this place confusing. It\'s difficult to live here. I find myself looking and looking (in fact, sometimes I can\'t look away) but no matter how much I look the place does not yield to me.\r\n\r\nThe difference of course between me and Marlow is that I\'ve gotten off the boat, so to speak. I live in Mladost. I\'m learning the language. I take the bus (and the metro). I eat the food and drink the local spirits. I shop locally. I\'ve always got my eye out for what\'s new and interesting in Sofia. I have Bulgarian friends.\r\n\r\nBut Marlow is right when he states, \"There\'s no initiation either into such mysteries.\" We jump in and do the best that we can. No one can teach us these things. We\'ve got to figure them out ourselves.','Reading and re-reading Heart of Darkness ','','inherit','open','open','','5809-revision-12','','','2011-11-30 09:14:45','2011-11-30 07:14:45','',5809,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/30/5809-revision-12/',0,'revision','',0),(5909,1,'2011-11-30 09:16:37','2011-11-30 07:16:37','Over the last couple of weeks I\'ve been re-reading Conrad\'s novel <em>Heart of Darkness</em>. It\'s one of the books that I teach in 11th grade and it\'s not exactly light reading. I\'ve also been re-reading <em>Lord of the Flies</em> by William Golding for 10th grade. Neither of these books are exactly uplifting novels. In fact, there have been a few afternoons where I find myself kind of down after teaching the whole day about the darkness of man. It doesn\'t help that at the same time the days are getting shorter and dusk is falling sooner.\n\nDespite the fact that these are heavy books, I like the act of re-reading them. The temptation of course in the act of re-reading something (especially for work) is to read quickly, to skim, to jump a head, to hurry through the novel. The pleasure however comes in the act of slowing down. The second (or <em>sixth</em>) time through a book you don\'t have to worry about what\'s going on, who the characters are or what is going to happen. You can let the book wash over you. You can experience the book in a new way.\n\nThis year in re-reading <em>Heart of Darkness</em>, I was struck by a passage from early in the novel. I knew it but had never thought about it relationship to my own life. Then I became obsessed by the thought: what if I am like the Romans in England or Marlow in Africa?<!--more-->\n\nSo let me give this quote a little context (and let me apologize for the fact the quote is a <em>little</em> on the long side). Marlow is sitting on a boat <em>the Nellie</em> which is on the Thames River and he begins to think about what England must have been like for the Romans when they first arrived. The England he imagines is wild, uncivilized in contrast to the England which he is clearly familiar with.\n<blockquote>Imagine him here-- the very end of the world, a sea the color of lead, a sky the color of smoke, a kind of ship about as rigid as a concertina-- and going up this river with stores, or orders, or what you like. Sandbanks, marshes, forests, savages,--precious little to eat fit for a civilized man, nothing but Thames water to drink. No Falernian wine here, no going ashore. Here and there a military camp lost in a wilderness, like a needle in a bundle of hay--cold, fog, tempests, disease, exile, and death,-- death skulking in the air, in the water, in the bush. They must have been dying like flies here. Oh yes--he did it. Did it very well, too, no doubt, and without thinking much about it either, except afterwards to brag of what he had gone through in his time, perhaps. They were men enough to face the darkness. And perhaps he was cheered by keeping his eye on a chance of promotion to the fleet at Ravenna by-and-by, if he had good friends in Rome and survived the awful climate. Or think of a decent young citizen in a toga--perhaps too much dice, you know--coming out here in the train of some prefect, or tax-gatherer, or trader even, to mend his fortunes. Land in a swamp, march through the woods, and in some inland post feel the savagery, the utter savagery, had closed round him,-- all that mysterious life of the wilderness that stirs in the forest, in the jungles, in the hearts of wild men. There\'s no initiation either into such mysteries. He has to live in the midst of the incomprehensible, which is also detestable. And it has a fascination, too, that goes to work upon him. The fascination of the abomination--you know. Imagine the growing regrets, the longing to escape, the powerless disgust, the surrender, the hate.\" (p8-9)</blockquote>\nWhat resonated with me in reading this passage is the sense of cultural superiority, the idea of going to the end of the world--some place utterly different, the impossibilities of obtaining familiar food and drink, the need to brag later about surviving the experience, the hint that one may travel to escape debt (or to make a fortune), the confrontation with the unknown in a foreign land and finally the effect that this has on one.\n\nThis year, I read this passage and thought: oh my god, what if this is me in Bulgaria?\n\nThere are times where I feel like I am living at the very end of the world. Times where I feel like I am living in the wilderness surrounded by concrete flats and wild dogs. Times where I wish that I could get my hands on the food of my childhood. Times where I think: at least this will make a good story later. Times where I complain bitterly about the cold weather and the poor transportation in this country. Times when I wonder, what am I doing here when I am certainly not making a fortune as a teacher in Bulgaria.\n\nBut what I got really hung up on was this idea of a place that is at once incomprehensible, detestable, fascinating and abominable. There is a tension here that I recognize.\n\nI am fascinated with Bulgaria but in many ways it\'s a place that resists knowing. I\'ve been here for three-plus years. I keep looking, thinking and writing about this country and my experiences here. Still, in many ways, I find this place confusing. It\'s difficult to live here. I find myself looking and looking (in fact, sometimes I can\'t look away) but no matter how much I look the place does not yield to me.\n\nThe difference of course between me and Marlow is that I\'ve gotten off the boat, so to speak. I live in Mladost. I\'m learning the language. I take the bus (and the metro). I eat the food and drink the local spirits. I shop locally. I\'ve always got my eye out for what\'s new and interesting in Sofia. I have Bulgarian friends.\n\nBut Marlow is right when he states, \"There\'s no initiation either into such mysteries.\" We jump in and do the best that we can. No one can teach us these things. We\'ve got to figure them out ourselves.','Reading and re-reading Heart of Darkness ','','inherit','open','open','','5809-autosave','','','2011-11-30 09:16:37','2011-11-30 07:16:37','',5809,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/11/30/5809-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(5911,1,'2011-12-01 11:15:14','2011-12-01 09:15:14','Wow. Somehow today\'s the first day of December. The funny thing is I can hardly remember what happened to the month November. I guess that between two long weekends, an early Thanksgiving and the end of the first quarter. The month just rushed by.\n\nNow it\'s December. <em>December</em>.\n\nI\'m afraid December is going to speed by as well. I like being busy just not crazy--it\'s such a fine line--but with so many things already on my calendar it seems like it\'s going to be hard to find the right balance.\n\nUltimately, this month I want to enjoy myself without stretching myself too thin. I like the build up to Christmas. I like sparkly lights, red wine and cold weather. I like getting dressed up, finding the perfect gifts and spending time with friends. But what I don\'t like is feeling like I am rushing from event to event and from day to day without a chance to really enjoy the time of year or myself.\n\nThis year is going to be different. (Or at least that\'s what I am telling myself.) This year I am going to be more intentional. I am going to do what I love and let the rest of it go.\n\nHere\'s my plan:\n<ul>\n	<li>Dig out my Christmas tree. Yep. It\'s fake and lives under my sink 11 months out of the year.</li>\n	<li>Make two kinds of treats for the holidays. Hello, Christmas cookies!</li>\n	<li>Wander through the Christmas market in downtown Sofia.</li>\n	<li>Send out real (hard-copy) Christmas cards to my intimidate family. I\'m not going home for Christmas this year so it\'s the least I can do.</li>\n	<li>Visit the new museum of communism in Sofia. Okay that\'s not related to Christmas but I\'ve been dying to go and I haven\'t had any time.</li>\n	<li>Roast my own pumpkin and make my own whipped cream. Enter: pumpkin pie.</li>\n	<li>Drink mulled wine and listen to Christmas music.</li>\n	<li>Discover something new and wonderful.</li>\n</ul>','Hello December ','','inherit','open','open','','5910-revision','','','2011-12-01 11:15:14','2011-12-01 09:15:14','',5910,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/01/5910-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5912,1,'2011-12-01 11:15:40','2011-12-01 09:15:40','Wow. Somehow today\'s the first day of December. The funny thing is I can hardly remember what happened to the month November. I guess that between two long weekends, an early Thanksgiving and the end of the first quarter. The month just rushed by.\r\n\r\nNow it\'s December. <em>December</em>.\r\n\r\nI\'m afraid December is going to speed by as well. I like being busy just not crazy--it\'s such a fine line--but with so many things already on my calendar it seems like it\'s going to be hard to find the right balance.\r\n\r\nUltimately, this month I want to enjoy myself without stretching myself too thin. I like the build up to Christmas. I like sparkly lights, red wine and cold weather. I like getting dressed up, finding the perfect gifts and spending time with friends. But what I don\'t like is feeling like I am rushing from event to event and from day to day without a chance to really enjoy the time of year or myself.\r\n\r\nThis year is going to be different. (Or at least that\'s what I am telling myself.) This year I am going to be more intentional. I am going to do what I love and let the rest of it go.\r\n\r\nHere\'s my plan:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Dig out my Christmas tree. Yep. It\'s fake and lives under my sink 11 months out of the year.</li>\r\n	<li>Make two kinds of treats for the holidays. Hello, Christmas cookies!</li>\r\n	<li>Wander through the Christmas market in downtown Sofia.</li>\r\n	<li>Send out real (hard-copy) Christmas cards to my intimidate family. I\'m not going home for Christmas this year so it\'s the least I can do.</li>\r\n	<li>Visit the new museum of communism in Sofia. Okay that\'s not related to Christmas but I\'ve been dying to go and I haven\'t had any time.</li>\r\n	<li>Roast my own pumpkin and make my own whipped cream. Enter: pumpkin pie.</li>\r\n	<li>Drink mulled wine and listen to Christmas music.</li>\r\n	<li>Discover something new and wonderful.</li>\r\n</ul>','Hello December ','','inherit','open','open','','5910-revision-2','','','2011-12-01 11:15:40','2011-12-01 09:15:40','',5910,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/01/5910-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(5913,1,'2011-12-01 11:16:32','2011-12-01 09:16:32','Wow. Somehow today\'s the first day of December. The funny thing is I can hardly remember what happened to the month November. I guess that between two long weekends, an early Thanksgiving and the end of the first quarter. The month just rushed by.\r\n\r\nNow it\'s December. <em>December</em>.\r\n\r\nI\'m afraid December is going to speed by as well. I like being busy just not crazy--it\'s such a fine line--but with so many things already on my calendar it seems like it\'s going to be hard to find the right balance.\r\n\r\nUltimately, this month I want to enjoy myself without stretching myself too thin. I like the build up to Christmas. I like sparkly lights, red wine and cold weather. I like getting dressed up, finding the perfect gifts and spending time with friends. But what I don\'t like is feeling like I am rushing from event to event and from day to day without a chance to really enjoy the time of year or myself.\r\n\r\nThis year is going to be different. (Or at least that\'s what I am telling myself.) This year I am going to be more intentional. I am going to do what I love and let the rest of it go.\r\n\r\nHere\'s my plan:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>Dig out my Christmas tree. Yep. It\'s fake and lives under my sink 11 months out of the year.</li>\r\n	<li>Make two kinds of treats for the holidays. Hello, Christmas cookies!</li>\r\n	<li>Wander through the Christmas market in downtown Sofia.</li>\r\n	<li>Send out real (hard-copy) Christmas cards to my intimidate family. I\'m not going home for Christmas this year so it\'s the least I can do.</li>\r\n	<li>Visit the new museum of communism in Sofia. Okay that\'s not related to Christmas but I\'ve been dying to go and I haven\'t had any time.</li>\r\n	<li>Roast my own pumpkin and make my own whipped cream. Enter: pumpkin pie.</li>\r\n	<li>Drink mulled wine and listen to Christmas music.</li>\r\n	<li>Discover something new and wonderful.</li>\r\n</ul>','Hello December ','','inherit','open','open','','5910-revision-3','','','2011-12-01 11:16:32','2011-12-01 09:16:32','',5910,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/01/5910-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(5914,1,'2011-12-01 11:18:15','2011-12-01 09:18:15','Wow. Somehow today\'s the first day of December. The funny thing is I can hardly remember what happened to the month November. I guess that between two long weekends, an early Thanksgiving and the end of the first quarter. The month just rushed by.\n\nNow it\'s December. <em>December</em>.\n\nI\'m afraid December is going to speed by as well. I like being busy just not crazy--it\'s such a fine line--but with so many things already on my calendar it seems like it\'s going to be hard to find the right balance.\n\nUltimately, this month I want to enjoy myself without stretching myself too thin. I like the build up to Christmas. I like sparkly lights, red wine and cold weather. I like getting dressed up, finding the perfect gifts and spending time with friends. But what I don\'t like is feeling like I am rushing from event to event and from day to day without a chance to really enjoy the time of year or myself.\n\nThis year is going to be different. (Or at least that\'s what I am telling myself.) This year I am going to be more intentional. I am going to do what I love and let the rest of it go.\n\nHere\'s my plan:\n<ul>\n	<li>Dig out my Christmas tree. Yep. It\'s fake and lives under my sink 11 months out of the year.</li>\n	<li>Make two kinds of treats for the holidays. Hello, Christmas cookies!</li>\n	<li>Wander through the Christmas market in downtown Sofia.</li>\n	<li>Send out real (hard-copy) Christmas cards to my intimidate family. I\'m not going home for Christmas this year so it\'s the least I can do.</li>\n	<li>Visit the new museum of communism in Sofia. Okay that\'s not related to Christmas but I\'ve been dying to go and I haven\'t had any time.</li>\n	<li>Roast my own pumpkin and make my own whipped cream. Enter: pumpkin pie.</li>\n	<li>Drink mulled wine and listen to Christmas music.</li>\n	<li>Discover something new and wonderful.</li>\n</ul>\nSo that\'s that. December here I come!!','Hello December ','','inherit','open','open','','5910-autosave','','','2011-12-01 11:18:15','2011-12-01 09:18:15','',5910,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/01/5910-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(6069,1,'2012-01-08 12:30:45','2012-01-08 10:30:45','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=\"500\" 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.jpg\" alt=\"Me in front of Buckingham Palace\" width=\"500\" height=\"333\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\n&nbsp;\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-2','','','2012-01-08 12:30:45','2012-01-08 10:30:45','',6067,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/08/6067-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(6068,1,'2012-01-08 12:22:41','2012-01-08 10:22:41','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.\n\nLet me say this: I love to travel but it\'s nice to be home.\n\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.\n\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.\n\nWish me luck!','Back from London and Paris!','','inherit','open','open','','6067-revision','','','2012-01-08 12:22:41','2012-01-08 10:22:41','',6067,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/01/08/6067-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5920,1,'2011-12-04 11:08:37','2011-12-04 09:08:37','Vienna over Thanksgiving Giving weekend was the perfect holiday.  The city is easy to get around and they\'re already well into celebrating the upcoming Christmas season.\n\nThere are a slew of little (some not so little) markets that get set-up all over the city. These are the Christmas Markets. Basically there are three things that one can do there. First, drink mulled wine outside. Second, buy things for Christmas. Third, eat German food.\n\nOver a weekend we went to seven different Christmas markets. This may have been overkill but when in Vienna at Christmas time, a girl has got to do these things.\n\nSome of the markets are better than others but really I think it just depend what you\'re looking for.\n\nI think my favorite market was at the Schönbrunn palace. The palace is a lovely backdrop for a very traditional market with lots of Christmas ornaments, homemade treats like jam and schnaps, live caroling and plenty of good wine and food. I bought some of my favorite gifts there.\n\nMy second favorite is the Spittelberg market. It\'s tucked away on a few streets in a lovely neighborhood but the kinds of gifts at this market ranged from interesting handmade things to mass-produced toys and hats. But if what you are looking for is atmosphere and you want to wander the streets with a mug of wine and do some window shopping, you really can\'t go wrong here.\n\nThe Rathaus on the other hand is a crowded mass of humanity with too many people to safely drink wine without the imminent threat of spilling. And this was problematic because my major goal of the weekend was not spill any mulled wine on my new coat. I think that you go to the Rathaus because it\'s beautiful at night. Likewise, I think that you go for the people, for the crowds--to confirm that you\'re having a good time and you\'re ge','Christmas Markets in Vienna ','','inherit','open','open','','5898-revision-2','','','2011-12-04 11:08:37','2011-12-04 09:08:37','',5898,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/04/5898-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(5921,1,'2011-12-04 11:21:41','2011-12-04 09:21:41','Vienna over Thanksgiving Giving weekend was the perfect holiday.  The city is easy to get around and they\'re already well into celebrating the upcoming Christmas season.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me Christmas market-ing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1300\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413923073/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6413923073_099dc7a2d5_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1300\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThere are a slew of little (some not so little) markets that get set-up all over the city. These are the Christmas Markets. Basically there are three things that one can do there. First, drink mulled wine outside. Second, buy things for Christmas. Third, eat German food.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Shopping at the Rathaus Christmas market\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Shopping at the Rathaus Christmas market\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6419183471/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6419183471_5883652c49_b.jpg\" alt=\"Shopping at the Rathaus Christmas market\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nOver a single long weekend we went to seven different Christmas markets. This may have been overkill but when in Vienna at Christmas time, a girl has got to do these things.\n\nSome of the markets are better than others but really I think it just depend what you\'re looking for.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Rathaus dressed up for Christmas\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Rathaus dressed up for Christmas\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6419197563/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6231/6419197563_3ebda6bd49_b.jpg\" alt=\"Rathaus dressed up for Christmas\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI think my favorite market was at the Schönbrunn palace. The palace is a lovely backdrop for a very traditional market with lots of Christmas ornaments, homemade treats like jam and schnaps, live caroling and plenty of good wine and food. I bought some of my favorite gifts there.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Schönbrunn at Night\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Schönbrunn\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413954639/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6225/6413954639_2f2349c8e1_b.jpg\" alt=\"Schönbrunn\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nMy second favorite is the Spittelberg market. It\'s tucked away on a few streets in a lovely neighborhood but the kinds of gifts at this market ranged from interesting handmade things to mass-produced toys and hats. But if what you are looking for is atmosphere and you want to wander the streets with a mug of wine and do some window shopping, you really can\'t go wrong here.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Altwiener Christkindlmarkt at night\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Altwiener Christkindlmarkt at night\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6419131507/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6419131507_e6857b2a21_b.jpg\" alt=\"Altwiener Christkindlmarkt at night\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThe Rathaus on the other hand is a crowded mass of humanity with too many people to safely drink wine without the imminent threat of spilling. And this was problematic because my major goal of the weekend was not spill any mulled wine on my new coat. I think that you go to the Rathaus because it\'s beautiful at night. Likewise, I think that you go for the people, for the crowds--to confirm that you\'re having a good time and you\'re having the full Christmas market experience.\n\nOh and if you want to see more pictures from Vienna, I uploaded a ton to flickr.','Christmas Markets in Vienna ','','inherit','open','open','','5898-revision-3','','','2011-12-04 11:21:41','2011-12-04 09:21:41','',5898,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/04/5898-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(5922,1,'2011-12-04 11:22:41','2011-12-04 09:22:41','Vienna over Thanksgiving Giving weekend was the perfect holiday.  The city is easy to get around and they\'re already well into celebrating the upcoming Christmas season.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me Christmas market-ing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1300\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413923073/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6413923073_099dc7a2d5_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1300\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThere are a slew of little (some not so little) markets that get set-up all over the city. These are the Christmas Markets. Basically there are three things that one can do there. First, drink mulled wine outside. Second, buy things for Christmas. Third, eat German food.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Shopping at the Rathaus Christmas market\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Shopping at the Rathaus Christmas market\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6419183471/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6419183471_5883652c49_b.jpg\" alt=\"Shopping at the Rathaus Christmas market\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nOver a single long weekend we went to seven different Christmas markets. This may have been overkill but when in Vienna at Christmas time, a girl has got to do these things.\n\nSome of the markets are better than others but really I think it just depend what you\'re looking for.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Rathaus dressed up for Christmas\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Rathaus dressed up for Christmas\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6419197563/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6231/6419197563_3ebda6bd49_b.jpg\" alt=\"Rathaus dressed up for Christmas\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI think my favorite market was at the Schönbrunn palace. The palace is a lovely backdrop for a very traditional market with lots of Christmas ornaments, homemade treats like jam and schnaps, live caroling and plenty of good wine and food. I bought some of my favorite gifts there.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Schönbrunn at Night\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Schönbrunn\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413954639/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6225/6413954639_2f2349c8e1_b.jpg\" alt=\"Schönbrunn\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nMy second favorite is the Spittelberg market. It\'s tucked away on a few streets in a lovely neighborhood but the kinds of gifts at this market ranged from interesting handmade things to mass-produced toys and hats. But if what you are looking for is atmosphere and you want to wander the streets with a mug of wine and do some window shopping, you really can\'t go wrong here.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Altwiener Christkindlmarkt at night\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Altwiener Christkindlmarkt at night\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6419131507/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6419131507_e6857b2a21_b.jpg\" alt=\"Altwiener Christkindlmarkt at night\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThe Rathaus on the other hand is a crowded mass of humanity with too many people to safely drink wine without the imminent threat of spilling. And this was problematic because my major goal of the weekend was not spill any mulled wine on my new coat. I think that you go to the Rathaus because it\'s beautiful at night. Likewise, I think that you go for the people, for the crowds--to confirm that you\'re having a good time and you\'re having the full Christmas market experience.\n\nOh and if you want to see more pictures from Vienna, I <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/\" target=\"_blank\">uploaded a ton to flickr</a>.','Christmas Markets in Vienna ','','inherit','open','open','','5898-revision-4','','','2011-12-04 11:22:41','2011-12-04 09:22:41','',5898,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/04/5898-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(5923,1,'2011-12-04 11:24:56','2011-12-04 09:24:56','Vienna over Thanksgiving Giving weekend was the perfect holiday.  The city is easy to get around and they\'re already well into celebrating the upcoming Christmas season.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me Christmas market-ing\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"IMG_1300\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413923073/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6413923073_099dc7a2d5_b.jpg\" alt=\"IMG_1300\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThere are a slew of little (some not so little) markets that get set-up all over the city. These are the Christmas Markets. Basically there are four things that one can do there. First, drink mulled wine outside. Second, buy things for Christmas. Third, eat German food. Four, have fun doing some combination of 1-3.<!--more-->\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Shopping at the Rathaus Christmas market\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Shopping at the Rathaus Christmas market\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6419183471/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7160/6419183471_5883652c49_b.jpg\" alt=\"Shopping at the Rathaus Christmas market\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nOver a single long weekend we went to seven different Christmas markets. This may have been overkill but when in Vienna at Christmas time, a girl has got to do these things.\n\nSome of the markets are better than others but really I think it just depend what you\'re looking for.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Rathaus dressed up for Christmas\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Rathaus dressed up for Christmas\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6419197563/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6231/6419197563_3ebda6bd49_b.jpg\" alt=\"Rathaus dressed up for Christmas\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI think my favorite market was at the Schönbrunn palace. The palace is a lovely backdrop for a very traditional market with lots of Christmas ornaments, homemade treats like jam and schnaps, live caroling and plenty of good wine and food. I bought some of my favorite gifts there.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Schönbrunn at Night\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Schönbrunn\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6413954639/\"><img src=\"http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6225/6413954639_2f2349c8e1_b.jpg\" alt=\"Schönbrunn\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nMy second favorite is the Spittelberg market. It\'s tucked away on a few streets in a lovely neighborhood but the kinds of gifts at this market ranged from interesting handmade things to mass-produced toys and hats. But if what you are looking for is atmosphere and you want to wander the streets with a mug of wine and do some window shopping, you really can\'t go wrong here.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Altwiener Christkindlmarkt at night\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Altwiener Christkindlmarkt at night\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6419131507/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6419131507_e6857b2a21_b.jpg\" alt=\"Altwiener Christkindlmarkt at night\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThe Rathaus on the other hand is a crowded mass of humanity with too many people to safely drink wine without the imminent threat of spilling. And this was problematic because my major goal of the weekend was not spill any mulled wine on my new coat. I think that you go to the Rathaus because it\'s beautiful at night. Likewise, I think that you go for the people, for the crowds--to confirm that you\'re having a good time and you\'re having the full Christmas market experience.\n\nNow, I\'ve got to get myself to the Christmas market that has just opened in Sofia!!\n\nOh and if you want to see more pictures from Vienna, I <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/\" target=\"_blank\">uploaded a ton to flickr</a>.','Christmas Markets in Vienna ','','inherit','open','open','','5898-autosave','','','2011-12-04 11:24:56','2011-12-04 09:24:56','',5898,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/04/5898-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(5924,1,'2011-12-05 06:36:49','2011-12-05 04:36:49','What you say? What\'s Fakesgiving?\r\n\r\nWell, this weekend I had a Fakesgiving party.  A couple of weeks ago I decided that Fakesgiving is like the ugly step child of Thanksgiving. Less formal. More fun because you get to eat a lot, drink and then drink some more without the pressure of a formal holiday. So I invited friends over to celebrate!\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Snacks at Fakesgiving\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Snacks at Fakesgiving\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454259159/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6454259159_39d4058818_b.jpg\" alt=\"Snacks at Fakesgiving\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIt was tons of fun.\r\n\r\nWhy not actually celebrate Thanksgiving? Well,  I was traveling for the actual Thanksgiving but I still wanted to celebrate with friends so this gave me a chance to do just this a little after the fact.\r\n\r\nAnd I love Thanksgiving so Fakesgiving was a perfect stand in.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me and my cake\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Me and my cake\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454292711/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6454292711_0f255cb8a2_b.jpg\" alt=\"Me and my cake\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn fact, I think that Thanksgiving might be my favorite holiday with Fakesgiving coming in as a close runner up. It\'s a celebration of the good things in your life--friends and family and somehow it\'s still not<em> too</em> commercial. You get to cook great food. You get to make a mess in your kitchen. It gives you an excuse to make paper hand-turkeys to hang on your fridge and wear your turkey socks (if you have them)!!\r\n\r\nAnyhow, back to Fakesgiving. It was a great success. <!--more-->I squeezed a bunch of my friends into my too small apartment and made these friends from disparate parts of my life hang out. I made a ton of food which was no small feat considering the size of my oven and the fact that I only have two burners. Everyone was super cheerful--I think the mulled wine helped but really it\'s a testament to my friends!\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"A Sweet Potato Pie\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"A Sweet Potato Pie\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454266681/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6454266681_2bd6dd3db7_b.jpg\" alt=\"A Sweet Potato Pie\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nWe started with a range of appetizers--hummus (store bought), pea and mint dip, guacamole, stuffed mushrooms, a tray of green olives, black olives, pickled baby onions and pickled hot peppers as well as chips and crackers. The actual Fakesgiving menu included two deli roasted chickens from Billa, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cream corn casserole, green beans, rosemary roasted carrots, gravy, canned cranberry relish (imported from the States and brought by a guest) and a delicious broccoli salad that A. made.\r\n\r\nDessert was a big hit. A made a pecan pie (turns out that you can buy pecans at Carrefore), P. made a sweet potato pie and I made a yogurt cake and whipped cream. Yep and even more impressively I whipped it by hand. I don\'t own an electric mixer.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Friends at Fakesgiving\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Friends at Fakesgiving\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454286467/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7035/6454286467_c5cb308ac8_b.jpg\" alt=\"Friends at Fakesgiving\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThat means I also mashed the potatoes by hand. I am serious about Fakesgiving. Oh and I don\'t have a microwave either so the whole affair was a juggling act. Not to mention the fact that I didn\'t want to use plastic silverware so I spent a decent amount of time washing silverware. No big deal, it was totally worth it.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Pecan Pie\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Pecan Pie\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454275427/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6454275427_79d324860b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Pecan Pie\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn the aftermath of this party a few things have become more clear: I should have bought a new mop ages ago. It was so easy to clean up after the party with my new mop. Really, who new that a new mop-head would make such a difference?! I think that I\'ve now washed all of the dishes in my house at least twice in a period of 12 hours and I think my fingers might permanently look like raisins now. It\'s incredibly satisfying to recycle bottles because when you toss them into the recycling container they break  loudly when they land on the others.\r\n\r\nNow, it\'s official: here in ends my three weekends of Thanksgiving celebrations. I am onto the next big holiday: <em>Christmas</em>.','Celebrating Fakesgiving','','publish','open','open','','celebrating-fakesgiving','','','2011-12-05 06:36:49','2011-12-05 04:36:49','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5924',0,'post','',0),(5925,1,'2011-12-04 20:27:12','2011-12-04 18:27:12','What you say? What\'s Fakesgiving? Well, I\'ve decided that Fakesgiving is like the ugly step child of Thanksgiving. Less formal. More fun. You get to eat a lot, drink and then drink some more.\n\nI was traveling for\n\nIt\'s hard work but I think it\'s going to be tons of fun.','Celebrating Fakesgiving','','inherit','open','open','','5924-revision','','','2011-12-04 20:27:12','2011-12-04 18:27:12','',5924,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/04/5924-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5926,1,'2011-12-04 22:37:37','2011-12-04 20:37:37','What you say? What\'s Fakesgiving?\n\nWell this weekend I had a Fakesgiving party.  I\'ve decided that Fakesgiving is like the ugly step child of Thanksgiving. Less formal. More fun. You get to eat a lot, drink and then drink some more.\n\nIt was tons of fun.\n\nWhy not actually celebrate Thanksgiving? Well,  I was traveling for the actual Thanksgiving so this gave me a chance to celebrate with friends a little after the fact.\n\nAnd I love Thanksgiving so Fakesgiving was a perfect stand in.\n\nIn fact, I think that Thanksgiving might be my favorite holiday with Fakesgiving coming in as a close runner up. It\'s a celebration of the good things in your life--friends and family and somehow it\'s still not<em> too</em> commercial. You get to cook great food. You get to make a mess in your kitchen. It gives you an excuse to make paper hand-turkeys to hang on your fridge and wear your turkey socks (if you have them)!!\n\nAnyhow, Fakesgiving was a great success. I squeezed a bunch of friends into my too small apartment and made all of my friends from disparate parts of my life hand out. I made a ton of food which was no small feat considering the size of my oven and the fact that I only have two burners. Still everyone was super cheerful--I think the mulled wine helped!\n\nWe started with a range of appetizers--hummus (store bought), pea and mint dip, guacamole, stuffed mushrooms, a tray of green olives, black olives, pickled baby onions and pickled hot peppers as well as chips and crackers. The actual Fakesgiving menu included two deli roasted chickens from Billa, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cream corn casserole, green beans, rosemary roasted carrots, gravy, canned cranberry relish (imported from the States and brought by a guest) and a delicious broccoli salad that A. made.\n\nDessert was a big hit. A made a pecan pie (turns out that you can buy pecans at Carrefore), P. made a sweet potato pie and I made a yogurt cake and whipped cream. Yep and even more impressively I whipped it by hand. I don\'t own an electric mixer.\n\nThat means I also mashed the potatoes by hand. I am serious about Fakesgiving. Oh and I don\'t have a microwave either so the whole affair was a juggling act. Not to mention the fact that I didn\'t want to use plastic silverware so I spent a decent amount of time washing silverware. No big deal, it was totally worth it.\n\nIn the aftermath of this party a few things have become more clear: I should have bought a new mop ages ago. It was so easy to clean up after the party with my new mop. Really, who new that a new mop-head would make such a difference?! I think that I\'ve now washed all of the dishes in my house at least twice in a period of 12 hours and I think my fingers might permanently look like raisins now. It\'s incredibly satisfying to recycle bottles because when you toss them into the recycling container they break  loudly when they land on the others.\n\nNow, it\'s official: here in ends my three weekends of Thanksgiving celebrations. I am onto the next big holiday: Christmas.','Celebrating Fakesgiving','','inherit','open','open','','5924-revision-2','','','2011-12-04 22:37:37','2011-12-04 20:37:37','',5924,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/04/5924-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(5927,1,'2011-12-04 22:41:54','2011-12-04 20:41:54','What you say? What\'s Fakesgiving?\n\nWell, this weekend I had a Fakesgiving party.  I\'ve decided that Fakesgiving is like the ugly step child of Thanksgiving. Less formal. More fun because you get to eat a lot, drink and then drink some more without the pressure of a formal holiday.\n\nIt was tons of fun.\n\nWhy not actually celebrate Thanksgiving? Well,  I was traveling for the actual Thanksgiving but I still wanted to celebrate with friends so this gave me a chance to do just this a little after the fact.\n\nAnd I love Thanksgiving so Fakesgiving was a perfect stand in.\n\nIn fact, I think that Thanksgiving might be my favorite holiday with Fakesgiving coming in as a close runner up. It\'s a celebration of the good things in your life--friends and family and somehow it\'s still not<em> too</em> commercial. You get to cook great food. You get to make a mess in your kitchen. It gives you an excuse to make paper hand-turkeys to hang on your fridge and wear your turkey socks (if you have them)!!\n\nAnyhow, back to Fakesgiving. It was a great success. I squeezed a bunch of my friends into my too small apartment and made these friends from disparate parts of my life hang out. I made a ton of food which was no small feat considering the size of my oven and the fact that I only have two burners. Everyone was super cheerful--I think the mulled wine helped but really it\'s a testament to my friends!\n\n<em>How did I get so lucky to have such great friends?!</em>\n\nWe started with a range of appetizers--hummus (store bought), pea and mint dip, guacamole, stuffed mushrooms, a tray of green olives, black olives, pickled baby onions and pickled hot peppers as well as chips and crackers. The actual Fakesgiving menu included two deli roasted chickens from Billa, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cream corn casserole, green beans, rosemary roasted carrots, gravy, canned cranberry relish (imported from the States and brought by a guest) and a delicious broccoli salad that A. made.\n\nDessert was a big hit. A made a pecan pie (turns out that you can buy pecans at Carrefore), P. made a sweet potato pie and I made a yogurt cake and whipped cream. Yep and even more impressively I whipped it by hand. I don\'t own an electric mixer.\n\nThat means I also mashed the potatoes by hand. I am serious about Fakesgiving. Oh and I don\'t have a microwave either so the whole affair was a juggling act. Not to mention the fact that I didn\'t want to use plastic silverware so I spent a decent amount of time washing silverware. No big deal, it was totally worth it.\n\nIn the aftermath of this party a few things have become more clear: I should have bought a new mop ages ago. It was so easy to clean up after the party with my new mop. Really, who new that a new mop-head would make such a difference?! I think that I\'ve now washed all of the dishes in my house at least twice in a period of 12 hours and I think my fingers might permanently look like raisins now. It\'s incredibly satisfying to recycle bottles because when you toss them into the recycling container they break  loudly when they land on the others.\n\nNow, it\'s official: here in ends my three weekends of Thanksgiving celebrations. I am onto the next big holiday: <em>Christmas</em>.','Celebrating Fakesgiving','','inherit','open','open','','5924-revision-3','','','2011-12-04 22:41:54','2011-12-04 20:41:54','',5924,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/04/5924-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(5928,1,'2011-12-05 06:29:34','2011-12-05 04:29:34','What you say? What\'s Fakesgiving?\n\nWell, this weekend I had a Fakesgiving party.  A couple of weeks ago I decided that Fakesgiving is like the ugly step child of Thanksgiving. Less formal. More fun because you get to eat a lot, drink and then drink some more without the pressure of a formal holiday. So I invited friends over to celebrate!\n\nIt was tons of fun.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Snacks at Fakesgiving\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Snacks at Fakesgiving\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454259159/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6454259159_39d4058818_b.jpg\" alt=\"Snacks at Fakesgiving\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nWhy not actually celebrate Thanksgiving? Well,  I was traveling for the actual Thanksgiving but I still wanted to celebrate with friends so this gave me a chance to do just this a little after the fact.\n\nAnd I love Thanksgiving so Fakesgiving was a perfect stand in.<!--more-->\n\nIn fact, I think that Thanksgiving might be my favorite holiday with Fakesgiving coming in as a close runner up. It\'s a celebration of the good things in your life--friends and family and somehow it\'s still not<em> too</em> commercial. You get to cook great food. You get to make a mess in your kitchen. It gives you an excuse to make paper hand-turkeys to hang on your fridge and wear your turkey socks (if you have them)!!\n\nAnyhow, back to Fakesgiving. It was a great success. I squeezed a bunch of my friends into my too small apartment and made these friends from disparate parts of my life hang out. I made a ton of food which was no small feat considering the size of my oven and the fact that I only have two burners. Everyone was super cheerful--I think the mulled wine helped but really it\'s a testament to my friends!\n\n<em>How did I get so lucky to have such great friends?!</em>\n\nWe started with a range of appetizers--hummus (store bought), pea and mint dip, guacamole, stuffed mushrooms, a tray of green olives, black olives, pickled baby onions and pickled hot peppers as well as chips and crackers. The actual Fakesgiving menu included two deli roasted chickens from Billa, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cream corn casserole, green beans, rosemary roasted carrots, gravy, canned cranberry relish (imported from the States and brought by a guest) and a delicious broccoli salad that A. made.\n\nDessert was a big hit. A made a pecan pie (turns out that you can buy pecans at Carrefore), P. made a sweet potato pie and I made a yogurt cake and whipped cream. Yep and even more impressively I whipped it by hand. I don\'t own an electric mixer.\n\nThat means I also mashed the potatoes by hand. I am serious about Fakesgiving. Oh and I don\'t have a microwave either so the whole affair was a juggling act. Not to mention the fact that I didn\'t want to use plastic silverware so I spent a decent amount of time washing silverware. No big deal, it was totally worth it.\n\nIn the aftermath of this party a few things have become more clear: I should have bought a new mop ages ago. It was so easy to clean up after the party with my new mop. Really, who new that a new mop-head would make such a difference?! I think that I\'ve now washed all of the dishes in my house at least twice in a period of 12 hours and I think my fingers might permanently look like raisins now. It\'s incredibly satisfying to recycle bottles because when you toss them into the recycling container they break  loudly when they land on the others.\n\nNow, it\'s official: here in ends my three weekends of Thanksgiving celebrations. I am onto the next big holiday: <em>Christmas</em>.','Celebrating Fakesgiving','','inherit','open','open','','5924-revision-4','','','2011-12-05 06:29:34','2011-12-05 04:29:34','',5924,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/05/5924-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(5929,1,'2011-12-05 06:32:34','2011-12-05 04:32:34','What you say? What\'s Fakesgiving?\n\nWell, this weekend I had a Fakesgiving party.  A couple of weeks ago I decided that Fakesgiving is like the ugly step child of Thanksgiving. Less formal. More fun because you get to eat a lot, drink and then drink some more without the pressure of a formal holiday. So I invited friends over to celebrate!\n\nIt was tons of fun.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Snacks at Fakesgiving\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Snacks at Fakesgiving\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454259159/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6454259159_39d4058818_b.jpg\" alt=\"Snacks at Fakesgiving\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nWhy not actually celebrate Thanksgiving? Well,  I was traveling for the actual Thanksgiving but I still wanted to celebrate with friends so this gave me a chance to do just this a little after the fact.\n\nAnd I love Thanksgiving so Fakesgiving was a perfect stand in.<!--more-->\n\nIn fact, I think that Thanksgiving might be my favorite holiday with Fakesgiving coming in as a close runner up. It\'s a celebration of the good things in your life--friends and family and somehow it\'s still not<em> too</em> commercial. You get to cook great food. You get to make a mess in your kitchen. It gives you an excuse to make paper hand-turkeys to hang on your fridge and wear your turkey socks (if you have them)!!\n\nAnyhow, back to Fakesgiving. It was a great success. I squeezed a bunch of my friends into my too small apartment and made these friends from disparate parts of my life hang out. I made a ton of food which was no small feat considering the size of my oven and the fact that I only have two burners. Everyone was super cheerful--I think the mulled wine helped but really it\'s a testament to my friends!\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"A Sweet Potato Pie\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"A Sweet Potato Pie\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454266681/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6454266681_2bd6dd3db7_b.jpg\" alt=\"A Sweet Potato Pie\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nWe started with a range of appetizers--hummus (store bought), pea and mint dip, guacamole, stuffed mushrooms, a tray of green olives, black olives, pickled baby onions and pickled hot peppers as well as chips and crackers. The actual Fakesgiving menu included two deli roasted chickens from Billa, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cream corn casserole, green beans, rosemary roasted carrots, gravy, canned cranberry relish (imported from the States and brought by a guest) and a delicious broccoli salad that A. made.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Pecan Pie\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Pecan Pie\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454275427/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6454275427_79d324860b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Pecan Pie\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nDessert was a big hit. A made a pecan pie (turns out that you can buy pecans at Carrefore), P. made a sweet potato pie and I made a yogurt cake and whipped cream. Yep and even more impressively I whipped it by hand. I don\'t own an electric mixer.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Friends at Fakesgiving\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Friends at Fakesgiving\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454286467/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7035/6454286467_c5cb308ac8_b.jpg\" alt=\"Friends at Fakesgiving\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThat means I also mashed the potatoes by hand. I am serious about Fakesgiving. Oh and I don\'t have a microwave either so the whole affair was a juggling act. Not to mention the fact that I didn\'t want to use plastic silverware so I spent a decent amount of time washing silverware. No big deal, it was totally worth it.\n\nIn the aftermath of this party a few things have become more clear: I should have bought a new mop ages ago. It was so easy to clean up after the party with my new mop. Really, who new that a new mop-head would make such a difference?! I think that I\'ve now washed all of the dishes in my house at least twice in a period of 12 hours and I think my fingers might permanently look like raisins now. It\'s incredibly satisfying to recycle bottles because when you toss them into the recycling container they break  loudly when they land on the others.\n\nNow, it\'s official: here in ends my three weekends of Thanksgiving celebrations. I am onto the next big holiday: <em>Christmas</em>.','Celebrating Fakesgiving','','inherit','open','open','','5924-revision-5','','','2011-12-05 06:32:34','2011-12-05 04:32:34','',5924,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/05/5924-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(5930,1,'2011-12-05 06:35:41','2011-12-05 04:35:41','What you say? What\'s Fakesgiving?\r\n\r\nWell, this weekend I had a Fakesgiving party.  A couple of weeks ago I decided that Fakesgiving is like the ugly step child of Thanksgiving. Less formal. More fun because you get to eat a lot, drink and then drink some more without the pressure of a formal holiday. So I invited friends over to celebrate!\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Snacks at Fakesgiving\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Snacks at Fakesgiving\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454259159/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6454259159_39d4058818_b.jpg\" alt=\"Snacks at Fakesgiving\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIt was tons of fun.\r\n\r\nWhy not actually celebrate Thanksgiving? Well,  I was traveling for the actual Thanksgiving but I still wanted to celebrate with friends so this gave me a chance to do just this a little after the fact.\r\n\r\nAnd I love Thanksgiving so Fakesgiving was a perfect stand in.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me and my cake\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Me and my cake\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454292711/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6454292711_0f255cb8a2_b.jpg\" alt=\"Me and my cake\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn fact, I think that Thanksgiving might be my favorite holiday with Fakesgiving coming in as a close runner up. It\'s a celebration of the good things in your life--friends and family and somehow it\'s still not<em> too</em> commercial. You get to cook great food. You get to make a mess in your kitchen. It gives you an excuse to make paper hand-turkeys to hang on your fridge and wear your turkey socks (if you have them)!!\r\n\r\nAnyhow, back to Fakesgiving. It was a great success. <!--more-->I squeezed a bunch of my friends into my too small apartment and made these friends from disparate parts of my life hang out. I made a ton of food which was no small feat considering the size of my oven and the fact that I only have two burners. Everyone was super cheerful--I think the mulled wine helped but really it\'s a testament to my friends!\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"A Sweet Potato Pie\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"A Sweet Potato Pie\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454266681/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6454266681_2bd6dd3db7_b.jpg\" alt=\"A Sweet Potato Pie\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nWe started with a range of appetizers--hummus (store bought), pea and mint dip, guacamole, stuffed mushrooms, a tray of green olives, black olives, pickled baby onions and pickled hot peppers as well as chips and crackers. The actual Fakesgiving menu included two deli roasted chickens from Billa, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cream corn casserole, green beans, rosemary roasted carrots, gravy, canned cranberry relish (imported from the States and brought by a guest) and a delicious broccoli salad that A. made.\r\n\r\nDessert was a big hit. A made a pecan pie (turns out that you can buy pecans at Carrefore), P. made a sweet potato pie and I made a yogurt cake and whipped cream. Yep and even more impressively I whipped it by hand. I don\'t own an electric mixer.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Friends at Fakesgiving\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Friends at Fakesgiving\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454286467/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7035/6454286467_c5cb308ac8_b.jpg\" alt=\"Friends at Fakesgiving\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThat means I also mashed the potatoes by hand. I am serious about Fakesgiving. Oh and I don\'t have a microwave either so the whole affair was a juggling act. Not to mention the fact that I didn\'t want to use plastic silverware so I spent a decent amount of time washing silverware. No big deal, it was totally worth it.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Pecan Pie\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Pecan Pie\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454275427/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6454275427_79d324860b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Pecan Pie\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn the aftermath of this party a few things have become more clear: I should have bought a new mop ages ago. It was so easy to clean up after the party with my new mop. Really, who new that a new mop-head would make such a difference?! I think that I\'ve now washed all of the dishes in my house at least twice in a period of 12 hours and I think my fingers might permanently look like raisins now. It\'s incredibly satisfying to recycle bottles because when you toss them into the recycling container they break  loudly when they land on the others.\r\n\r\nNow, it\'s official: here in ends my three weekends of Thanksgiving celebrations. I am onto the next big holiday: <em>Christmas</em>.','Celebrating Fakesgiving','','inherit','open','open','','5924-revision-6','','','2011-12-05 06:35:41','2011-12-05 04:35:41','',5924,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/05/5924-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(5931,1,'2011-12-05 06:37:53','2011-12-05 04:37:53','What you say? What\'s Fakesgiving?\n\nWell, this weekend I had a Fakesgiving party.  A couple of weeks ago I decided that Fakesgiving is like the ugly step child of Thanksgiving. Less formal. More fun because you get to eat a lot, drink and then drink some more without the pressure of a formal holiday. So I invited friends over to celebrate!\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Snacks at Fakesgiving\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Snacks at Fakesgiving\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454259159/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6454259159_39d4058818_b.jpg\" alt=\"Snacks at Fakesgiving\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nIt was tons of fun.\n\nWhy not actually celebrate Thanksgiving? Well,  I was traveling for the actual Thanksgiving but I still wanted to celebrate with friends so this gave me a chance to do just this a little after the fact.\n\nAnd I love Thanksgiving so Fakesgiving was a perfect stand in.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Me and my cake\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Me and my cake\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454292711/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7029/6454292711_0f255cb8a2_b.jpg\" alt=\"Me and my cake\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nIn fact, I think that Thanksgiving might be my favorite holiday with Fakesgiving coming in as a close runner up. It\'s a celebration of the good things in your life--friends and family and somehow it\'s still not<em> too</em> commercial. You get to cook great food. You get to make a mess in your kitchen. It gives you an excuse to make paper hand-turkeys to hang on your fridge and wear your turkey socks (if you have them)!!\n\nAnyhow, back to Fakesgiving. It was a great success. <!--more-->I squeezed a bunch of my friends into my too small apartment and made these friends from disparate parts of my life hang out. I made a ton of food which was no small feat considering the size of my oven and the fact that I only have two burners. Everyone was super cheerful--I think the mulled wine helped but really it\'s a testament to my friends!\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"A Sweet Potato Pie\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"A Sweet Potato Pie\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454266681/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7154/6454266681_2bd6dd3db7_b.jpg\" alt=\"A Sweet Potato Pie\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nWe started with a range of appetizers--hummus (store bought), pea and mint dip, guacamole, stuffed mushrooms, a tray of green olives, black olives, pickled baby onions and pickled hot peppers as well as chips and crackers. The actual Fakesgiving menu included two deli roasted chickens from Billa, stuffing, mashed potatoes, cream corn casserole, green beans, rosemary roasted carrots, gravy, canned cranberry relish (imported from the States and brought by a guest) and a delicious broccoli salad that A. made.\n\nDessert was a big hit. A made a pecan pie (turns out that you can buy pecans at Carrefore), P. made a sweet potato pie and I made a yogurt cake and whipped cream. Yep and even more impressively I whipped it by hand. I don\'t own an electric mixer.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Friends at Fakesgiving\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Friends at Fakesgiving\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454286467/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7035/6454286467_c5cb308ac8_b.jpg\" alt=\"Friends at Fakesgiving\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThat means I also mashed the potatoes by hand. I am serious about Fakesgiving. Oh and I don\'t have a microwave either so the whole affair was a juggling act. Not to mention the fact that I didn\'t want to use plastic silverware so I spent a decent amount of time washing silverware. No big deal, it was totally worth it.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Pecan Pie\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Pecan Pie\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454275427/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6454275427_79d324860b_b.jpg\" alt=\"Pecan Pie\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nIn the aftermath of this party a few things have become more clear: I should have bought a new mop ages ago. It was so easy to clean up after the party with my new mop. Really, who new that a new mop-head would make such a difference?! I think that I\'ve now washed all of the dishes in my house at least twice in a period of 12 hours and I think my fingers might permanently look like raisins now. It\'s incredibly satisfying to recycle bottles because when you toss them into the recycling container they break  loudly when they land on the others.\n\nNow, it\'s official: here in ends my three weekends of Thanksgiving celebrations. I am onto the next big holiday: <em>Christmas</em>.','Celebrating Fakesgiving','','inherit','open','open','','5924-autosave','','','2011-12-05 06:37:53','2011-12-05 04:37:53','',5924,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/05/5924-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(5933,1,'2011-12-05 22:43:48','2011-12-05 20:43:48','You may or may not know this about Bulgarians but Bulgarians are serious about their yogurt. In comparison, I am not. The first time I ever had homemade yogurt was last March. I documented this in a post titled: <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/03/11/its-friday-i-am-in-love/\" target=\"_blank\">It\'s Friday I am in Love.</a>\n\nI mean Bulgarians are so serious about yogurt that they have their own yogurt strain. Or if you\'re hip to the yogurt terminology their own yogurt culture: <em>Lactobacillus bulgaricus.</em>\n\nIn comparison, I am a yogurt novice.\n\nAt the grocery store I buy yogurt based on the container. Sometimes I go for the one with old Bulgarian renaissance houses other times I feel like the one with a grandmother and once in a while I spring for the one with an ugly baby on it. Mostly it depends on my mood and which one is nearest at hand when I decide that I need yogurt.\n\nDon\'t get me wrong, I am not a flavored yogurt girl. Oh no. But I am in no way shape or form as serious about yogurt as most Bulgarians are. I like plain slightly yogurt.\n\nI\'ll eat it plain. I\'ll add granola or jam. I\'ll drizzle honey on it. I\'ll makes dips out of it. I\'ll stir it into soup.\n\nBut for the majority of my life I\'ve been the buy it at the store girl. I don\'t know anyone in the States who makes their own yogurt. The yogurt <em>de jour</em> in the States is made from cow\'s milk.\n\nOnly here in Bulgaria is probably just as easy to get cow\'s mild yogurt as sheep\'s milk yogurt. <em>Variety</em>! What\'s more, it seems like lots of people make yogurt at home.\n\nThis said, I\'ve been given some serious yogurt. It\'s incredibly thick. My amateur opinion/observation is this: the yogurt doesn\'t seem to have any water in it. It seems to be tangier than other yogurts I am used to eating. It\'s almost earthy. I like it.\n\nGood thing too. I\'ve got two big jars of it in my fridge.  Two big jars and I really had to wrestle with one of them to get it open this morning. Sure it probably took me longer than it should have. I really hadn\'t had enough coffee at that point and it took me awhile to figure out that I was spinning the lid around without making any progress at actually unscrewing it. <em>Awesome</em>. Some people wake up awesome. Not me. I w\n\nHow long can something like homemade yogurt last?','Yogurt and then some ','','inherit','open','open','','5932-revision','','','2011-12-05 22:43:48','2011-12-05 20:43:48','',5932,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/05/5932-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5934,1,'2011-12-05 22:47:44','2011-12-05 20:47:44','You may or may not know this about Bulgarians but Bulgarians are serious about their yogurt. In comparison, I am not. The first time I ever had homemade yogurt was last March. I documented this in a post titled: <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/03/11/its-friday-i-am-in-love/\" target=\"_blank\">It\'s Friday I am in Love.</a>\n\nI mean Bulgarians are so serious about yogurt that they have their own yogurt strain. Or if you\'re hip to the yogurt terminology their own yogurt culture: <em>Lactobacillus bulgaricus.</em>\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Homemade yogurt\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Homemade yogurt\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461776599/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6461776599_5a4206162c_b.jpg\" alt=\"Homemade yogurt\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nIn comparison, I am a yogurt novice.\n\nAt the grocery store I buy yogurt based on the container. Sometimes I go for the one with old Bulgarian renaissance houses other times I feel like the one with a grandmother and once in a while I spring for the one with an ugly baby on it. Mostly it depends on my mood and which one is nearest at hand when I decide that I need yogurt.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Bulgarian yogurt in a jar\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Bulgarian yogurt in a jar\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461764501/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6461764501_5857c4dd90_b.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian yogurt in a jar\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nDon\'t get me wrong, I am not a flavored yogurt girl. Oh no. But I am in no way shape or form as serious about yogurt as most Bulgarians are. I like plain slightly yogurt.\n\nI\'ll eat it plain. I\'ll add granola or jam. I\'ll drizzle honey on it. I\'ll makes dips out of it. I\'ll stir it into soup.\n\nBut for the majority of my life I\'ve been the buy it at the store girl. I don\'t know anyone in the States who makes their own yogurt. The yogurt <em>de jour</em> in the States is made from cow\'s milk.\n\nOnly here in Bulgaria is probably just as easy to get cow\'s mild yogurt as sheep\'s milk yogurt. <em>Variety</em>! What\'s more, it seems like lots of people make yogurt at home.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Super thick Bulgarian yogurt\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Super thick Bulgarian yogurt\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461772245/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6461772245_7fe8cc371a_b.jpg\" alt=\"Super thick Bulgarian yogurt\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThis said, I\'ve been given some serious yogurt. It\'s incredibly thick. My amateur opinion/observation is this: the yogurt doesn\'t seem to have any water in it. It seems to be tangier than other yogurts I am used to eating. It\'s almost earthy. I like it.\n\nGood thing too. I\'ve got two big jars of it in my fridge.  Two big jars and I really had to wrestle with one of them to get it open this morning. Sure it probably took me longer than it should have. I really hadn\'t had enough coffee at that point and it took me awhile to figure out that I was spinning the lid around without making any progress at actually unscrewing it. <em>Awesome</em>. Some people wake up awesome. Not me. I wake up <em>nearly</em> awesome.\n\nAnyhow this is a really long lead up for me to ask this question: how long can something like homemade yogurt last in my fridge?','Yogurt and then some ','','inherit','open','open','','5932-revision-2','','','2011-12-05 22:47:44','2011-12-05 20:47:44','',5932,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/05/5932-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(5935,1,'2011-12-05 22:48:55','2011-12-05 20:48:55','You may or may not know this about Bulgarians but Bulgarians are serious about their yogurt. In comparison, I am not. The first time I ever had homemade yogurt was last March. I documented this in a post titled: <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/03/11/its-friday-i-am-in-love/\" target=\"_blank\">It\'s Friday I am in Love.</a>\r\n\r\nI mean Bulgarians are so serious about yogurt that they have their own yogurt strain. Or if you\'re hip to the yogurt terminology their own yogurt culture: <em>Lactobacillus bulgaricus.</em>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Homemade yogurt\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Homemade yogurt\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461776599/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6461776599_5a4206162c_b.jpg\" alt=\"Homemade yogurt\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn comparison, I am a yogurt novice.\r\n\r\nAt the grocery store I buy yogurt based on the container. Sometimes I go for the one with old Bulgarian renaissance houses other times I feel like the one with a grandmother and once in a while I spring for the one with an ugly baby on it. Mostly it depends on my mood and which one is nearest at hand when I decide that I need yogurt.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Bulgarian yogurt in a jar\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Bulgarian yogurt in a jar\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461764501/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6461764501_5857c4dd90_b.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian yogurt in a jar\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nDon\'t get me wrong, I am not a flavored yogurt girl. Oh no. But I am in no way shape or form as serious about yogurt as most Bulgarians are. I like plain slightly tart yogurt.\r\n\r\nI\'ll eat it plain. I\'ll add granola or jam. I\'ll drizzle honey on it. I\'ll makes dips out of it. I\'ll stir it into soup.\r\n\r\nBut for the majority of my life I\'ve been the buy it at the store girl. <!--more-->I don\'t know anyone in the States who makes their own yogurt. The yogurt <em>de jour</em> in the States is made from cow\'s milk.\r\n\r\nOnly here in Bulgaria is probably just as easy to get cow\'s mild yogurt as sheep\'s milk yogurt. <em>Variety</em>! What\'s more, it seems like lots of people make yogurt at home.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Super thick Bulgarian yogurt\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Super thick Bulgarian yogurt\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461772245/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6461772245_7fe8cc371a_b.jpg\" alt=\"Super thick Bulgarian yogurt\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThis said, I\'ve been given some serious yogurt. It\'s incredibly thick. My amateur opinion/observation is this: the yogurt doesn\'t seem to have any water in it. It seems to be tangier than other yogurts I am used to eating. It\'s almost earthy. I like it.\r\n\r\nGood thing too. I\'ve got two big jars of it in my fridge.  Two big jars and I really had to wrestle with one of them to get it open this morning. Sure it probably took me longer than it should have. I really hadn\'t had enough coffee at that point and it took me awhile to figure out that I was spinning the lid around without making any progress at actually unscrewing it. <em>Awesome</em>. Some people wake up awesome. Not me. I wake up <em>nearly</em> awesome.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Homemade Bulgarian yogurt\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Bulgarian yogurt\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461766193/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7150/6461766193_741f82d476_b.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian yogurt\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nAnyhow this is a really long lead up for me to ask this question: how long can something like homemade yogurt last in my fridge?','Yogurt and then some ','','inherit','open','open','','5932-revision-3','','','2011-12-05 22:48:55','2011-12-05 20:48:55','',5932,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/05/5932-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(5936,1,'2011-12-05 22:51:02','2011-12-05 20:51:02','You may or may not know this about Bulgarians but Bulgarians are serious about their yogurt.\n\nIn comparison, I am not.\n\nThe first time I ever had homemade yogurt was last March. I documented this in a post titled: <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/03/11/its-friday-i-am-in-love/\" target=\"_blank\">It\'s Friday I am in Love.</a> For anyone who\'s counting I lived in this country for three years without actually tasting homemade yogurt.\n\nI mean Bulgarians are so serious about yogurt that they have their own yogurt strain. Or if you\'re hip to the yogurt terminology their own yogurt culture: <em>Lactobacillus bulgaricus.</em>\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Homemade yogurt\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Homemade yogurt\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461776599/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6461776599_5a4206162c_b.jpg\" alt=\"Homemade yogurt\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nIn comparison, I am a yogurt novice.\n\nAt the grocery store I buy yogurt based on the container. Sometimes I go for the one with old Bulgarian renaissance houses other times I feel like the one with a grandmother and once in a while I spring for the one with an ugly baby on it. Mostly it depends on my mood and which one is nearest at hand when I decide that I need yogurt.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Bulgarian yogurt in a jar\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Bulgarian yogurt in a jar\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461764501/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6461764501_5857c4dd90_b.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian yogurt in a jar\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nDon\'t get me wrong, I am not a flavored yogurt girl. Oh no. But I am in no way shape or form as serious about yogurt as most Bulgarians are. I like plain slightly tart yogurt.\n\nI\'ll eat it plain. I\'ll add granola or jam. I\'ll drizzle honey on it. I\'ll makes dips out of it. I\'ll stir it into soup.\n\nBut for the majority of my life I\'ve been the buy it at the store girl. <!--more-->I don\'t know anyone in the States who makes their own yogurt. The yogurt <em>de jour</em> in the States is made from cow\'s milk.\n\nOnly here in Bulgaria is probably just as easy to get cow\'s mild yogurt as sheep\'s milk yogurt. <em>Variety</em>! What\'s more, it seems like lots of people make yogurt at home.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Super thick Bulgarian yogurt\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Super thick Bulgarian yogurt\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461772245/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6461772245_7fe8cc371a_b.jpg\" alt=\"Super thick Bulgarian yogurt\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThis said, I\'ve been given some serious yogurt. It\'s incredibly thick. My amateur opinion/observation is this: the yogurt doesn\'t seem to have any water in it. It seems to be tangier than other yogurts I am used to eating. It\'s almost earthy. I like it.\n\nGood thing too. I\'ve got two big jars of it in my fridge.  Two big jars and I really had to wrestle with one of them to get it open this morning. Sure it probably took me longer than it should have. I really hadn\'t had enough coffee at that point and it took me awhile to figure out that I was spinning the lid around without making any progress at actually unscrewing it. <em>Awesome</em>. Some people wake up awesome. Not me. I wake up <em>nearly</em> awesome.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Homemade Bulgarian yogurt\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Bulgarian yogurt\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461766193/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7150/6461766193_741f82d476_b.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian yogurt\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nAnyhow this is a really long lead up for me to ask this question: how long can something like homemade yogurt last in my fridge?','Yogurt and then some ','','inherit','open','open','','5932-revision-4','','','2011-12-05 22:51:02','2011-12-05 20:51:02','',5932,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/05/5932-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(5937,1,'2011-12-05 22:51:46','2011-12-05 20:51:46','You may or may not know this about Bulgarians but Bulgarians are serious about their yogurt.\r\n\r\nIn comparison, I am not.\r\n\r\nThe first time I ever had homemade yogurt was last March. I documented this in a post titled: <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/03/11/its-friday-i-am-in-love/\" target=\"_blank\">It\'s Friday I am in Love.</a> For anyone who\'s counting, I,<em> gasp</em>, lived in this country for three years without actually tasting homemade yogurt.\r\n\r\nI mean Bulgarians are so serious about yogurt that they have their own yogurt strain. Or if you\'re hip to the yogurt terminology their own yogurt culture: <em>Lactobacillus bulgaricus.</em>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Homemade yogurt\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Homemade yogurt\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461776599/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6461776599_5a4206162c_b.jpg\" alt=\"Homemade yogurt\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn comparison, I am a yogurt novice.\r\n\r\nAt the grocery store I buy yogurt based on the container. Sometimes I go for the one with old Bulgarian renaissance houses other times I feel like the one with a grandmother and once in a while I spring for the one with an ugly baby on it. Mostly it depends on my mood and which one is nearest at hand when I decide that I need yogurt.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Bulgarian yogurt in a jar\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Bulgarian yogurt in a jar\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461764501/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6461764501_5857c4dd90_b.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian yogurt in a jar\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nDon\'t get me wrong, I am not a flavored yogurt girl. Oh no. But I am in no way shape or form as serious about yogurt as most Bulgarians are. I like plain slightly tart yogurt.\r\n\r\nI\'ll eat it plain. I\'ll add granola or jam. I\'ll drizzle honey on it. I\'ll makes dips out of it. I\'ll stir it into soup.\r\n\r\nBut for the majority of my life I\'ve been the buy it at the store girl. <!--more-->I don\'t know anyone in the States who makes their own yogurt. The yogurt <em>de jour</em> in the States is made from cow\'s milk.\r\n\r\nOnly here in Bulgaria is probably just as easy to get cow\'s mild yogurt as sheep\'s milk yogurt. <em>Variety</em>! What\'s more, it seems like lots of people make yogurt at home.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Super thick Bulgarian yogurt\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Super thick Bulgarian yogurt\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461772245/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6461772245_7fe8cc371a_b.jpg\" alt=\"Super thick Bulgarian yogurt\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThis said, I\'ve been given some serious yogurt. It\'s incredibly thick. My amateur opinion/observation is this: the yogurt doesn\'t seem to have any water in it. It seems to be tangier than other yogurts I am used to eating. It\'s almost earthy. I like it.\r\n\r\nGood thing too. I\'ve got two big jars of it in my fridge.  Two big jars and I really had to wrestle with one of them to get it open this morning. Sure it probably took me longer than it should have. I really hadn\'t had enough coffee at that point and it took me awhile to figure out that I was spinning the lid around without making any progress at actually unscrewing it. <em>Awesome</em>. Some people wake up awesome. Not me. I wake up <em>nearly</em> awesome.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Homemade Bulgarian yogurt\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Bulgarian yogurt\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461766193/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7150/6461766193_741f82d476_b.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian yogurt\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nAnyhow this is a really long lead up for me to ask this question: how long can something like homemade yogurt last in my fridge?','Yogurt and then some ','','inherit','open','open','','5932-revision-5','','','2011-12-05 22:51:46','2011-12-05 20:51:46','',5932,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/05/5932-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(5938,1,'2011-12-05 22:51:54','2011-12-05 20:51:54','You may or may not know this about Bulgarians but Bulgarians are serious about their yogurt.\r\n\r\nIn comparison, I am not.\r\n\r\nThe first time I ever had homemade yogurt was last March. I documented this in a post titled: <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/03/11/its-friday-i-am-in-love/\" target=\"_blank\">It\'s Friday I am in Love.</a> For anyone who\'s counting, I,<em> gasp</em>, lived in this country for three years without actually tasting homemade yogurt.\r\n\r\nI mean Bulgarians are so serious about yogurt that they have their own yogurt strain. Or if you\'re hip to the yogurt terminology their own yogurt culture: <em>Lactobacillus bulgaricus.</em>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Homemade yogurt\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Homemade yogurt\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461776599/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6461776599_5a4206162c_b.jpg\" alt=\"Homemade yogurt\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIn comparison, I am a yogurt novice.\r\n\r\nAt the grocery store I buy yogurt based on the container. Sometimes I go for the one with old Bulgarian renaissance houses other times I feel like the one with a grandmother and once in a while I spring for the one with an ugly baby on it. Mostly it depends on my mood and which one is nearest at hand when I decide that I need yogurt.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Bulgarian yogurt in a jar\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Bulgarian yogurt in a jar\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461764501/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6461764501_5857c4dd90_b.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian yogurt in a jar\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nDon\'t get me wrong, I am not a flavored yogurt girl. Oh no. But I am in no way shape or form as serious about yogurt as most Bulgarians are. I like plain slightly tart yogurt.\r\n\r\nI\'ll eat it plain. I\'ll add granola or jam. I\'ll drizzle honey on it. I\'ll makes dips out of it. I\'ll stir it into soup.\r\n\r\nBut for the majority of my life I\'ve been the buy it at the store girl. <!--more-->I don\'t know anyone in the States who makes their own yogurt. The yogurt <em>de jour</em> in the States is made from cow\'s milk.\r\n\r\nOnly here in Bulgaria is probably just as easy to get cow\'s mild yogurt as sheep\'s milk yogurt. <em>Variety</em>! What\'s more, it seems like lots of people make yogurt at home.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Super thick Bulgarian yogurt\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Super thick Bulgarian yogurt\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461772245/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6461772245_7fe8cc371a_b.jpg\" alt=\"Super thick Bulgarian yogurt\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThis said, I\'ve been given some serious yogurt. It\'s incredibly thick. My amateur opinion/observation is this: the yogurt doesn\'t seem to have any water in it. It seems to be tangier than other yogurts I am used to eating. It\'s almost earthy. I like it.\r\n\r\nGood thing too. I\'ve got two big jars of it in my fridge.  Two big jars and I really had to wrestle with one of them to get it open this morning. Sure it probably took me longer than it should have. I really hadn\'t had enough coffee at that point and it took me awhile to figure out that I was spinning the lid around without making any progress at actually unscrewing it. <em>Awesome</em>. Some people wake up awesome. Not me. I wake up <em>nearly</em> awesome.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Homemade Bulgarian yogurt\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Bulgarian yogurt\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461766193/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7150/6461766193_741f82d476_b.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian yogurt\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nAnyhow this is a really long lead up for me to ask this question: how long can something like homemade yogurt last in my fridge?','Yogurt and then some ','','inherit','open','open','','5932-revision-6','','','2011-12-05 22:51:54','2011-12-05 20:51:54','',5932,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/05/5932-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(5939,1,'2011-12-07 08:58:41','2011-12-07 06:58:41','Okay, maybe you haven\'t caught this yet but I spending Christmas in Sofia this year.\r\n\r\nMaybe it\'s because I haven\'t actually made a big deal about it because it\'s not. Not really.\r\n\r\nI\'ll be here for Christmas.\r\n\r\nA couple of things came together to lead me to this decision but mostly it was the calendar. It was not, I repeat not, in any way shape or form related to my family. If fact, I know that I am going to miss them <em>terribly</em> the closer and closer we get to Christmas. Even knowing this, I still decided to stay in Europe.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"All things Christmas\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"All things Christmas\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454300265/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6454300265_d7fcf85109_b.jpg\" alt=\"All things Christmas\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThis year at ACS we are working through the 22nd of December meaning that I couldn\'t actually get on a flight until the 23 and flights are <em>expensive</em> this year that close to Christmas. Moreover while it\'s great to go home it stinks to fly for 20+ hours. On top of this, then I am supposed to be human for the next two days!? Ha. And the next two days just happen to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.\r\n\r\nThe other thing is that flying for a short holiday (10 days) does a number on your body. For me there\'s a ten hour time difference between Sofia and Walla Walla (that\'s near Seattle). Ten hours of jet-lag is a serious thing. It means you\'re starving in the middle of the night and you wake up at 3am ready to go but no one else is awake and there\'s not even anything good on tv and then by 5pm all you want to do is sleep.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Christmas cookies from 100 Grams of Sweet\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Christmas cookies\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454305019/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6454305019_af7b9e3ec2_b.jpg\" alt=\"Christmas cookies\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nSo you tell your MoM: I am going to take a<em> little</em> nap on the couch wake me up for dinner. (Ha.) She\'ll wake you up, you\'ll beg for a little longer nap, maybe you\'ll eat some food at the dinner table but you won\'t be able to produce actual sentences and then you\'ll stumble upstairs to go to bed feeling kind of bad about the whole thing but unable to do anything else.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nIn an attempt to understand and make sense of this whole jet lag thing, I read once that you need a day for every hour of jet lag. That means I need 10 days to get over my 10 hour jet lag. <em>Oh</em>. So by the time I\'ve adjusted I simply turn around and then I get to fight 10 hours of jet lag going in the other direction. For anyone who\'s counting that\'s 20 days of jet lag in a row. <em>Gross</em>.\r\n\r\nSo I made the executive decision to stay in Europe for Christmas.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Advent Calendar\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Advent Calendar\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461780237/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6461780237_3ef0c31838_b.jpg\" alt=\"Advent Calendar\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIt bummed my parents out. My sister told me that Christmas wouldn\'t be the same without me. I reminded her that it\'s happened before. I assume that my brother will also be sad that I am not there but he\'s not a wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve kind of guy. Sure, I\'ll miss them as well as my aunts, uncles, cousins and the dogs (I\'m a dog aunt you know) but I couldn\'t quite figure out how to swing a Christmas visit this year.\r\n\r\nSo what does this all boil down to? Well, I am going to be spending Christmas in Sofia. On the 26th I\'ll catch a flight to London to explore (I\'ve never been to England) and then after a week I\'ll take the train to Paris and then I\'ll fly back to Sofia from there.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Star Christmas Cookie\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Christmas Cookie\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454314751/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6454314751_bf9b00775f_b.jpg\" alt=\"Christmas Cookie\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nAs a result, this year I feel much more obliged to make sure that I am celebrating Christmas. Basically, it\'s up to me to make sure that I\'m enjoying myself, that I\'m doing what I love and that I am creating whatever I dream of as Christmas.\r\n\r\nFirst step? Christmas tree. I decked it out with lights. Next step, I am going to make some little ornaments for my little tree.\r\n\r\nOther assorted holiday cheer? I was given a poinsettia for Fakesgiving so the timing there couldn\'t have been better because I was planning to buy one this week. I adore mandarin oranges and for whatever reason these scream Christmas to me so I bought a bag of them. I filled up a green glass bowl that I have and put it next to my tree. And I was given some really beautiful Christmas cookies from 100 Grams of Sweet. These cookies will put anything I make to shame. Oh and I bought an advent calendar!!\r\n\r\nThis seems like a pretty reasonable place to start my decorating and celebrating.','Christmas in Sofia ','','publish','open','open','','christmas-in-sofia-2','','','2011-12-07 08:58:41','2011-12-07 06:58:41','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5939',0,'post','',2),(5940,1,'2011-12-06 06:53:24','2011-12-06 04:53:24','Maybe you haven\'t caught this yet but I spending Christmas in Sofia this year. Maybe it\'s because I haven\'t actually made a big deal about it.\n\nA couple of things came together to lead me to this decision but mostly it was the calendar. This year at ACS we are working through the 22nd of December meaning that I can\'t actually get on a flight until the 23 and flights are <em>expensive</em> this year. Moreover while it\'s great to go home it stinks to fly for 20+ hours and then I am supposed to be human for the next two days!? Ha. And these two days just happen to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.\n\nThe other thing is that flying for a short holiday (10 days) does a number on your body. Ten hours of jet-lag is a serious thing. It means you\'re starving in the middle of the night and you wake up at 3am ready to go but no one else is awake and there\'s not even anything good on tv. I read once that you need a day for every hour of jet lag. That means I need 10 days to get over my 10 hour jet lag. Oh. So by the time I\'ve adjusted I simply turn around and then I get to fight 10 hours of jet lag going in the other direction. For anyone who\'s counting that\'s 20 days of jet lag in a row. <em>Gross</em>.\n\nSo I made the executive decision to stay in Europe for Christmas.\n\nIt bummed my parents out. My sister told me that Christmas wouldn\'t be the same without me. I reminded her that it\'s happened before. I assume that my brother will also be sad that I am not there but he\'s not a wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve kind of guy. Sure, I\'ll miss them as well as my aunts, uncles, cousins and the dogs (I\'m a dog aunt you know) but I couldn\'t quite figure out how to swing a Christmas visit this year.\n\nSo what does this all boil down to? Well, I am going to be spending Christmas in Sofia. On the 26th I\'ll catch a flight to London to explore (I\'ve never been to England) and then after a week I\'ll be taking the train to Paris and then I\'ll fly back t','Christmas in Sofia ','','inherit','open','open','','5939-revision','','','2011-12-06 06:53:24','2011-12-06 04:53:24','',5939,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/06/5939-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5941,1,'2011-12-06 06:55:19','2011-12-06 04:55:19','Maybe you haven\'t caught this yet but I spending Christmas in Sofia this year. Maybe it\'s because I haven\'t actually made a big deal about it.\n\nA couple of things came together to lead me to this decision but mostly it was the calendar. This year at ACS we are working through the 22nd of December meaning that I can\'t actually get on a flight until the 23 and flights are <em>expensive</em> this year. Moreover while it\'s great to go home it stinks to fly for 20+ hours and then I am supposed to be human for the next two days!? Ha. And these two days just happen to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.\n\nThe other thing is that flying for a short holiday (10 days) does a number on your body. Ten hours of jet-lag is a serious thing. It means you\'re starving in the middle of the night and you wake up at 3am ready to go but no one else is awake and there\'s not even anything good on tv. I read once that you need a day for every hour of jet lag. That means I need 10 days to get over my 10 hour jet lag. Oh. So by the time I\'ve adjusted I simply turn around and then I get to fight 10 hours of jet lag going in the other direction. For anyone who\'s counting that\'s 20 days of jet lag in a row. <em>Gross</em>.\n\nSo I made the executive decision to stay in Europe for Christmas.\n\nIt bummed my parents out. My sister told me that Christmas wouldn\'t be the same without me. I reminded her that it\'s happened before. I assume that my brother will also be sad that I am not there but he\'s not a wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve kind of guy. Sure, I\'ll miss them as well as my aunts, uncles, cousins and the dogs (I\'m a dog aunt you know) but I couldn\'t quite figure out how to swing a Christmas visit this year.\n\nSo what does this all boil down to? Well, I am going to be spending Christmas in Sofia. On the 26th I\'ll catch a flight to London to explore (I\'ve never been to England) and then after a week I\'ll be taking the train to Paris and then I\'ll fly back to Sofia from there.\n\nAs a result, this year I feel much more obligated to make sure that I am celebrating Christmas.','Christmas in Sofia ','','inherit','open','open','','5939-revision-2','','','2011-12-06 06:55:19','2011-12-06 04:55:19','',5939,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/06/5939-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(5973,1,'2011-12-16 06:53:26','2011-12-16 04:53:26','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.\r\n\r\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).\r\n\r\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).\r\n\r\nAnyhow which Bulgarian novels should you buy for your nearest and dearest (or simply for yourself) this year? <!--more-->\r\n\r\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.\r\n<ul>\r\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>\r\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>\r\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>\r\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>\r\n</ul>\r\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.\r\n\r\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 ','','publish','open','open','','books-christmas-and-bulgaria','','','2011-12-16 06:53:26','2011-12-16 04:53:26','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5973',0,'post','',1),(5943,1,'2011-12-07 06:56:17','2011-12-07 04:56:17','Maybe you haven\'t caught this yet but I spending Christmas in Sofia this year. Maybe it\'s because I haven\'t actually made a big deal about it because it\'s not. Not really.\n\nA couple of things came together to lead me to this decision but mostly it was the calendar. It was not, I repeat not, in any way shape or form related to my family. If fact, I know that I am going to miss them <em>terribly</em> the closer and closer we get to Christmas. Even knowing this, I still decided to stay in Europe.\n\nThis year at ACS we are working through the 22nd of December meaning that I couldn\'t actually get on a flight until the 23 and flights are <em>expensive</em> this year that close to Christmas. Moreover while it\'s great to go home it stinks to fly for 20+ hours and then I am supposed to be human for the next two days!? Ha. And the next two days just happen to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.\n\nThe other thing is that flying for a short holiday (10 days) does a number on your body. For me there\'s a ten hour time difference between Sofia and Walla Walla (that\'s near Seattle). Ten hours of jet-lag is a serious thing. It means you\'re starving in the middle of the night and you wake up at 3am ready to go but no one else is awake and there\'s not even anything good on tv and then by 5pm all you want to do is sleep. So you tell your MoM: I am going to take a nap on the couch wake me up for dinner. (Ha.) She\'ll wake you up, you\'ll beg for a little longer nap, maybe you\'ll eat some food but you won\'t be able to produce language and then you\'ll stumble upstairs to go to bed feeling kind of bad about the whole thing but unable to do anything else.\n\nI read once that you need a day for every hour of jet lag. That means I need 10 days to get over my 10 hour jet lag. <em>Oh</em>. So by the time I\'ve adjusted I simply turn around and then I get to fight 10 hours of jet lag going in the other direction. For anyone who\'s counting that\'s 20 days of jet lag in a row. <em>Gross</em>.\n\nSo I made the executive decision to stay in Europe for Christmas.\n\nIt bummed my parents out. My sister told me that Christmas wouldn\'t be the same without me. I reminded her that it\'s happened before. I assume that my brother will also be sad that I am not there but he\'s not a wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve kind of guy. Sure, I\'ll miss them as well as my aunts, uncles, cousins and the dogs (I\'m a dog aunt you know) but I couldn\'t quite figure out how to swing a Christmas visit this year.\n\nSo what does this all boil down to? Well, I am going to be spending Christmas in Sofia. On the 26th I\'ll catch a flight to London to explore (I\'ve never been to England) and then after a week I\'ll be taking the train to Paris and then I\'ll fly back to Sofia from there.\n\nAs a result, this year I feel much more obligated to make sure that I am celebrating Christmas. Basically, it\'s up to me to make sure that I\'m doing what I love, that I\'m enjoying myself and that I am creating whatever I dream of as Christmas.\n\nFirst step? Christmas tree. I decked it out with lights. I am going to make some little ornaments for my little tree. I was given a poinsettia for Fakesgiving so the timing there couldn\'t have been better because I was planning to buy one this week. I adore mandarin oranges and for whatever reason these scream Christmas to me so I bought a bag of them. I filled up a green glass bowl that I have and put it next to my tree.\n\nThis seems like a pretty reasonable place to start my decorating and celebrating.','Christmas in Sofia ','','inherit','open','open','','5939-revision-3','','','2011-12-07 06:56:17','2011-12-07 04:56:17','',5939,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/07/5939-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(5944,1,'2011-12-07 08:22:26','2011-12-07 06:22:26','Maybe you haven\'t caught this yet but I spending Christmas in Sofia this year. Maybe it\'s because I haven\'t actually made a big deal about it because it\'s not. Not really.\n\nA couple of things came together to lead me to this decision but mostly it was the calendar. It was not, I repeat not, in any way shape or form related to my family. If fact, I know that I am going to miss them <em>terribly</em> the closer and closer we get to Christmas. Even knowing this, I still decided to stay in Europe.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"All things Christmas\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"All things Christmas\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454300265/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6454300265_d7fcf85109_b.jpg\" alt=\"All things Christmas\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThis year at ACS we are working through the 22nd of December meaning that I couldn\'t actually get on a flight until the 23 and flights are <em>expensive</em> this year that close to Christmas. Moreover while it\'s great to go home it stinks to fly for 20+ hours. On top of this, then I am supposed to be human for the next two days!? Ha. And the next two days just happen to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.\n\nThe other thing is that flying for a short holiday (10 days) does a number on your body. For me there\'s a ten hour time difference between Sofia and Walla Walla (that\'s near Seattle). Ten hours of jet-lag is a serious thing. It means you\'re starving in the middle of the night and you wake up at 3am ready to go but no one else is awake and there\'s not even anything good on tv and then by 5pm all you want to do is sleep.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Christmas cookies from 100 Grams of Sweet\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Christmas cookies\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454305019/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6454305019_af7b9e3ec2_b.jpg\" alt=\"Christmas cookies\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nSo you tell your MoM: I am going to take a<em> little</em> nap on the couch wake me up for dinner. (Ha.) She\'ll wake you up, you\'ll beg for a little longer nap, maybe you\'ll eat some food at the dinner table but you won\'t be able to produce actual sentences and then you\'ll stumble upstairs to go to bed feeling kind of bad about the whole thing but unable to do anything else.<!--more-->\n\nIn an attempt to understand and make sense of this whole jet lag thing, I read once that you need a day for every hour of jet lag. That means I need 10 days to get over my 10 hour jet lag. <em>Oh</em>. So by the time I\'ve adjusted I simply turn around and then I get to fight 10 hours of jet lag going in the other direction. For anyone who\'s counting that\'s 20 days of jet lag in a row. <em>Gross</em>.\n\nSo I made the executive decision to stay in Europe for Christmas.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Advent Calendar\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Advent Calendar\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461780237/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6461780237_3ef0c31838_b.jpg\" alt=\"Advent Calendar\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nIt bummed my parents out. My sister told me that Christmas wouldn\'t be the same without me. I reminded her that it\'s happened before. I assume that my brother will also be sad that I am not there but he\'s not a wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve kind of guy. Sure, I\'ll miss them as well as my aunts, uncles, cousins and the dogs (I\'m a dog aunt you know) but I couldn\'t quite figure out how to swing a Christmas visit this year.\n\nSo what does this all boil down to? Well, I am going to be spending Christmas in Sofia. On the 26th I\'ll catch a flight to London to explore (I\'ve never been to England) and then after a week I\'ll take the train to Paris and then I\'ll fly back to Sofia from there.\n\nAs a result, this year I feel much more obliged to make sure that I am celebrating Christmas. Basically, it\'s up to me to make sure that I\'m enjoying myself, that I\'m doing what I love and that I am creating whatever I dream of as Christmas.\n\nFirst step? Christmas tree. I decked it out with lights. Next step, I am going to make some little ornaments for my little tree.\n\nOther assorted holiday cheer? I was given a poinsettia for Fakesgiving so the timing there couldn\'t have been better because I was planning to buy one this week. I adore mandarin oranges and for whatever reason these scream Christmas to me so I bought a bag of them. I filled up a green glass bowl that I have and put it next to my tree. And I was given some really beautiful Christmas cookies from 100 Grams of Sweet. These cookies will put anything I make to shame. Oh and I bought an advent calendar!!\n\nThis seems like a pretty reasonable place to start my decorating and celebrating.','Christmas in Sofia ','','inherit','open','open','','5939-revision-4','','','2011-12-07 08:22:26','2011-12-07 06:22:26','',5939,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/07/5939-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(5945,1,'2011-12-07 08:24:26','2011-12-07 06:24:26','Maybe you haven\'t caught this yet but I spending Christmas in Sofia this year. Maybe it\'s because I haven\'t actually made a big deal about it because it\'s not. Not really.\n\nA couple of things came together to lead me to this decision but mostly it was the calendar. It was not, I repeat not, in any way shape or form related to my family. If fact, I know that I am going to miss them <em>terribly</em> the closer and closer we get to Christmas. Even knowing this, I still decided to stay in Europe.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"All things Christmas\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"All things Christmas\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454300265/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6454300265_d7fcf85109_b.jpg\" alt=\"All things Christmas\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThis year at ACS we are working through the 22nd of December meaning that I couldn\'t actually get on a flight until the 23 and flights are <em>expensive</em> this year that close to Christmas. Moreover while it\'s great to go home it stinks to fly for 20+ hours. On top of this, then I am supposed to be human for the next two days!? Ha. And the next two days just happen to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.\n\nThe other thing is that flying for a short holiday (10 days) does a number on your body. For me there\'s a ten hour time difference between Sofia and Walla Walla (that\'s near Seattle). Ten hours of jet-lag is a serious thing. It means you\'re starving in the middle of the night and you wake up at 3am ready to go but no one else is awake and there\'s not even anything good on tv and then by 5pm all you want to do is sleep.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Christmas cookies from 100 Grams of Sweet\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Christmas cookies\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454305019/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6454305019_af7b9e3ec2_b.jpg\" alt=\"Christmas cookies\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nSo you tell your MoM: I am going to take a<em> little</em> nap on the couch wake me up for dinner. (Ha.) She\'ll wake you up, you\'ll beg for a little longer nap, maybe you\'ll eat some food at the dinner table but you won\'t be able to produce actual sentences and then you\'ll stumble upstairs to go to bed feeling kind of bad about the whole thing but unable to do anything else.<!--more-->\n\nIn an attempt to understand and make sense of this whole jet lag thing, I read once that you need a day for every hour of jet lag. That means I need 10 days to get over my 10 hour jet lag. <em>Oh</em>. So by the time I\'ve adjusted I simply turn around and then I get to fight 10 hours of jet lag going in the other direction. For anyone who\'s counting that\'s 20 days of jet lag in a row. <em>Gross</em>.\n\nSo I made the executive decision to stay in Europe for Christmas.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Advent Calendar\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Advent Calendar\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461780237/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6461780237_3ef0c31838_b.jpg\" alt=\"Advent Calendar\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nIt bummed my parents out. My sister told me that Christmas wouldn\'t be the same without me. I reminded her that it\'s happened before. I assume that my brother will also be sad that I am not there but he\'s not a wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve kind of guy. Sure, I\'ll miss them as well as my aunts, uncles, cousins and the dogs (I\'m a dog aunt you know) but I couldn\'t quite figure out how to swing a Christmas visit this year.\n\nSo what does this all boil down to? Well, I am going to be spending Christmas in Sofia. On the 26th I\'ll catch a flight to London to explore (I\'ve never been to England) and then after a week I\'ll take the train to Paris and then I\'ll fly back to Sofia from there.\n\nAs a result, this year I feel much more obliged to make sure that I am celebrating Christmas. Basically, it\'s up to me to make sure that I\'m enjoying myself, that I\'m doing what I love and that I am creating whatever I dream of as Christmas.\n\nFirst step? Christmas tree. I decked it out with lights. Next step, I am going to make some little ornaments for my little tree.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Star Christmas Cookie\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Christmas Cookie\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454314751/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6454314751_bf9b00775f_b.jpg\" alt=\"Christmas Cookie\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nOther assorted holiday cheer? I was given a poinsettia for Fakesgiving so the timing there couldn\'t have been better because I was planning to buy one this week. I adore mandarin oranges and for whatever reason these scream Christmas to me so I bought a bag of them. I filled up a green glass bowl that I have and put it next to my tree. And I was given some really beautiful Christmas cookies from 100 Grams of Sweet. These cookies will put anything I make to shame. Oh and I bought an advent calendar!!\n\nThis seems like a pretty reasonable place to start my decorating and celebrating.','Christmas in Sofia ','','inherit','open','open','','5939-revision-5','','','2011-12-07 08:24:26','2011-12-07 06:24:26','',5939,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/07/5939-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(5946,1,'2011-12-07 08:25:01','2011-12-07 06:25:01','Maybe you haven\'t caught this yet but I spending Christmas in Sofia this year. Maybe it\'s because I haven\'t actually made a big deal about it because it\'s not. Not really.\r\n\r\nA couple of things came together to lead me to this decision but mostly it was the calendar. It was not, I repeat not, in any way shape or form related to my family. If fact, I know that I am going to miss them <em>terribly</em> the closer and closer we get to Christmas. Even knowing this, I still decided to stay in Europe.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"All things Christmas\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"All things Christmas\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454300265/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6454300265_d7fcf85109_b.jpg\" alt=\"All things Christmas\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThis year at ACS we are working through the 22nd of December meaning that I couldn\'t actually get on a flight until the 23 and flights are <em>expensive</em> this year that close to Christmas. Moreover while it\'s great to go home it stinks to fly for 20+ hours. On top of this, then I am supposed to be human for the next two days!? Ha. And the next two days just happen to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.\r\n\r\nThe other thing is that flying for a short holiday (10 days) does a number on your body. For me there\'s a ten hour time difference between Sofia and Walla Walla (that\'s near Seattle). Ten hours of jet-lag is a serious thing. It means you\'re starving in the middle of the night and you wake up at 3am ready to go but no one else is awake and there\'s not even anything good on tv and then by 5pm all you want to do is sleep.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Christmas cookies from 100 Grams of Sweet\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Christmas cookies\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454305019/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6454305019_af7b9e3ec2_b.jpg\" alt=\"Christmas cookies\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nSo you tell your MoM: I am going to take a<em> little</em> nap on the couch wake me up for dinner. (Ha.) She\'ll wake you up, you\'ll beg for a little longer nap, maybe you\'ll eat some food at the dinner table but you won\'t be able to produce actual sentences and then you\'ll stumble upstairs to go to bed feeling kind of bad about the whole thing but unable to do anything else.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nIn an attempt to understand and make sense of this whole jet lag thing, I read once that you need a day for every hour of jet lag. That means I need 10 days to get over my 10 hour jet lag. <em>Oh</em>. So by the time I\'ve adjusted I simply turn around and then I get to fight 10 hours of jet lag going in the other direction. For anyone who\'s counting that\'s 20 days of jet lag in a row. <em>Gross</em>.\r\n\r\nSo I made the executive decision to stay in Europe for Christmas.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Advent Calendar\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Advent Calendar\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461780237/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6461780237_3ef0c31838_b.jpg\" alt=\"Advent Calendar\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIt bummed my parents out. My sister told me that Christmas wouldn\'t be the same without me. I reminded her that it\'s happened before. I assume that my brother will also be sad that I am not there but he\'s not a wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve kind of guy. Sure, I\'ll miss them as well as my aunts, uncles, cousins and the dogs (I\'m a dog aunt you know) but I couldn\'t quite figure out how to swing a Christmas visit this year.\r\n\r\nSo what does this all boil down to? Well, I am going to be spending Christmas in Sofia. On the 26th I\'ll catch a flight to London to explore (I\'ve never been to England) and then after a week I\'ll take the train to Paris and then I\'ll fly back to Sofia from there.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Star Christmas Cookie\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Christmas Cookie\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454314751/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6454314751_bf9b00775f_b.jpg\" alt=\"Christmas Cookie\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nAs a result, this year I feel much more obliged to make sure that I am celebrating Christmas. Basically, it\'s up to me to make sure that I\'m enjoying myself, that I\'m doing what I love and that I am creating whatever I dream of as Christmas.\r\n\r\nFirst step? Christmas tree. I decked it out with lights. Next step, I am going to make some little ornaments for my little tree.\r\n\r\nOther assorted holiday cheer? I was given a poinsettia for Fakesgiving so the timing there couldn\'t have been better because I was planning to buy one this week. I adore mandarin oranges and for whatever reason these scream Christmas to me so I bought a bag of them. I filled up a green glass bowl that I have and put it next to my tree. And I was given some really beautiful Christmas cookies from 100 Grams of Sweet. These cookies will put anything I make to shame. Oh and I bought an advent calendar!!\r\n\r\nThis seems like a pretty reasonable place to start my decorating and celebrating.','Christmas in Sofia ','','inherit','open','open','','5939-revision-6','','','2011-12-07 08:25:01','2011-12-07 06:25:01','',5939,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/07/5939-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(5947,1,'2011-12-07 08:54:37','2011-12-07 06:54:37','Okay, maybe you haven\'t caught this yet but I spending Christmas in Sofia this year.\r\n\r\nMaybe it\'s because I haven\'t actually made a big deal about it because it\'s not. Not really.\r\n\r\nI\'ll be here for Christmas.\r\n\r\nA couple of things came together to lead me to this decision but mostly it was the calendar. It was not, I repeat not, in any way shape or form related to my family. If fact, I know that I am going to miss them <em>terribly</em> the closer and closer we get to Christmas. Even knowing this, I still decided to stay in Europe.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"All things Christmas\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"All things Christmas\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454300265/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7148/6454300265_d7fcf85109_b.jpg\" alt=\"All things Christmas\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThis year at ACS we are working through the 22nd of December meaning that I couldn\'t actually get on a flight until the 23 and flights are <em>expensive</em> this year that close to Christmas. Moreover while it\'s great to go home it stinks to fly for 20+ hours. On top of this, then I am supposed to be human for the next two days!? Ha. And the next two days just happen to Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.\r\n\r\nThe other thing is that flying for a short holiday (10 days) does a number on your body. For me there\'s a ten hour time difference between Sofia and Walla Walla (that\'s near Seattle). Ten hours of jet-lag is a serious thing. It means you\'re starving in the middle of the night and you wake up at 3am ready to go but no one else is awake and there\'s not even anything good on tv and then by 5pm all you want to do is sleep.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Christmas cookies from 100 Grams of Sweet\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Christmas cookies\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454305019/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6454305019_af7b9e3ec2_b.jpg\" alt=\"Christmas cookies\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nSo you tell your MoM: I am going to take a<em> little</em> nap on the couch wake me up for dinner. (Ha.) She\'ll wake you up, you\'ll beg for a little longer nap, maybe you\'ll eat some food at the dinner table but you won\'t be able to produce actual sentences and then you\'ll stumble upstairs to go to bed feeling kind of bad about the whole thing but unable to do anything else.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nIn an attempt to understand and make sense of this whole jet lag thing, I read once that you need a day for every hour of jet lag. That means I need 10 days to get over my 10 hour jet lag. <em>Oh</em>. So by the time I\'ve adjusted I simply turn around and then I get to fight 10 hours of jet lag going in the other direction. For anyone who\'s counting that\'s 20 days of jet lag in a row. <em>Gross</em>.\r\n\r\nSo I made the executive decision to stay in Europe for Christmas.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Advent Calendar\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Advent Calendar\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6461780237/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6461780237_3ef0c31838_b.jpg\" alt=\"Advent Calendar\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nIt bummed my parents out. My sister told me that Christmas wouldn\'t be the same without me. I reminded her that it\'s happened before. I assume that my brother will also be sad that I am not there but he\'s not a wear-your-heart-on-your-sleeve kind of guy. Sure, I\'ll miss them as well as my aunts, uncles, cousins and the dogs (I\'m a dog aunt you know) but I couldn\'t quite figure out how to swing a Christmas visit this year.\r\n\r\nSo what does this all boil down to? Well, I am going to be spending Christmas in Sofia. On the 26th I\'ll catch a flight to London to explore (I\'ve never been to England) and then after a week I\'ll take the train to Paris and then I\'ll fly back to Sofia from there.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Star Christmas Cookie\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Christmas Cookie\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6454314751/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7016/6454314751_bf9b00775f_b.jpg\" alt=\"Christmas Cookie\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nAs a result, this year I feel much more obliged to make sure that I am celebrating Christmas. Basically, it\'s up to me to make sure that I\'m enjoying myself, that I\'m doing what I love and that I am creating whatever I dream of as Christmas.\r\n\r\nFirst step? Christmas tree. I decked it out with lights. Next step, I am going to make some little ornaments for my little tree.\r\n\r\nOther assorted holiday cheer? I was given a poinsettia for Fakesgiving so the timing there couldn\'t have been better because I was planning to buy one this week. I adore mandarin oranges and for whatever reason these scream Christmas to me so I bought a bag of them. I filled up a green glass bowl that I have and put it next to my tree. And I was given some really beautiful Christmas cookies from 100 Grams of Sweet. These cookies will put anything I make to shame. Oh and I bought an advent calendar!!\r\n\r\nThis seems like a pretty reasonable place to start my decorating and celebrating.','Christmas in Sofia ','','inherit','open','open','','5939-revision-7','','','2011-12-07 08:54:37','2011-12-07 06:54:37','',5939,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/07/5939-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(5950,1,'2011-12-09 06:58:00','2011-12-09 04:58:00','So, all week I\'ve been thinking about a gift giving post focused on Sofia (and Bulgaria). One of those what to buy for everyone on your holiday list. I wanted mine to be tongue in cheek. I wanted mine to be funny. I wanted mine to have 10 items. Then I got busy.\n\nSomehow this week I haven\'t eaten a single meal at home this week. This put a serious dent in my list making plan (but on the upside, my refrigerator is well stocked still).\n\nThis week, I\'ve been out and about--shopping, Christmas market-ing, Balkan dancing, holiday party-ing, and eating tacos &amp; decorating a Christmas tree. That last one is pretty awesome and I\'d encourage you to read it again. Yep. We had a little get together at our boss\'s house last night that included eating tacos (tortillas, spicy ground beef, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, onion, olives, salsa and guacamole), plenty of sitting around a fire and talking, and then decorating a Christmas tree. It doesn\'t really get any better than this mix of tacos and Christmas (Southwest Christmas,<em> anyone?</em>). A little unexpected but totally wonderful.\n\nThis is basically how my whole week as been. A little unexpected but wonderful.\n\nWe got our first real snow yesterday. We had a little fake snow in October but that doesn\'t really count because it didn\'t really stick. It\'s funny before school started yesterday, my students had been moping around about how it doesn\'t feel like Christmas but by the afternoon they were singing a different tune. Echos of \"happy first snow\" were ringing throughout our building and after school snowballs were flying.\n\nHappy First Snow!','A week in Sofia','','inherit','open','open','','5949-revision','','','2011-12-09 06:58:00','2011-12-09 04:58:00','',5949,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/09/5949-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5951,1,'2011-12-09 06:59:14','2011-12-09 04:59:14','So, all week I\'ve been thinking about a gift giving post focused on Sofia (and Bulgaria). One of those what to buy for everyone on your holiday list. I wanted mine to be tongue in cheek. I wanted mine to be funny. I wanted mine to have 10 items. Then I got busy.\n\nSomehow this week I haven\'t eaten a single meal at home this week. This put a serious dent in my list making plan (but on the upside, my refrigerator is well stocked still).\n\nThis week, I\'ve been out and about--shopping, Christmas market-ing, Balkan dancing, holiday party-ing, and eating tacos &amp; decorating a Christmas tree. That last one is pretty awesome and I\'d encourage you to read it again. Yep. We had a little get together at our boss\'s house last night that included eating tacos (tortillas, spicy ground beef, cheddar cheese, tomatoes, onion, olives, salsa and guacamole), plenty of sitting around a fire and talking, and then decorating a Christmas tree. It doesn\'t really get any better than this mix of tacos and Christmas (Southwest Christmas,<em> anyone?</em>). A little unexpected but totally wonderful.\n\nThis is basically how my whole week as been. A little unexpected but wonderful.\n\nWe got our first real snow yesterday. We had a little fake snow in October but that doesn\'t really count because it didn\'t really stick. It\'s funny before school started yesterday, my students had been moping around about how it doesn\'t feel like Christmas but by the afternoon they were singing a different tune. Echos of \"happy first snow\" were ringing throughout our building and after school snowballs were flying.\n\nHappy First Snow!','A week in Sofia','','inherit','open','open','','5949-autosave','','','2011-12-09 06:59:14','2011-12-09 04:59:14','',5949,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/09/5949-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(5952,1,'2011-12-10 13:48:37','2011-12-10 11:48:37','On Tuesday night after work I went with A. to Sofia\'s Christmas Market. The market is located between Sofia University and parliament in the little park that separates the two.\r\n\r\nIt\'s really cute but very small but I think that\'s to be expected. The park isn\'t really very big and this is the first year of the market.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Weihnachtsmarkt Sofia\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Weinachtsmarket Sofia\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6480318919/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6480318919_120f13d362_b.jpg\" alt=\"Weihnachtsmarkt Sofia\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe Weihnachtsmarkt has all of the necessary staples: hot wine, pretzels and wurst as well as little houses with Christmas things for sale. The night I was there, there was also a big group of German speaking men there making the whole thing feel extra-authentic.\r\n\r\nEven after a whole <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/04/christmas-markets-in-vienna/\" target=\"_blank\">weekend in Vienna Christmas market-ing</a>, I found myself thinking: this is small but cute. Before going, I\'d worried that I might be disappointed. I wasn\'t. <!--more-->That probably says something about either the market or my standards.\r\n\r\nOne fact that supports my claim is that all of the signage is in both Bulgarian and German. <em>Super cute</em>. I love details like that.\r\n\r\nAnyhow, while small, it\'s worth checking out because really the reason to go is to drink hot wine outside. <em>Who are we kidding?!</em>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Sofia&#39;s Christmast Market Wine\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Sofia\'s Christmast Market Wine\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6480321401/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6480321401_ea8f48720f_b.jpg\" alt=\"Sofia\'s Christmast Market Wine\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe mulled wine was good. It was hot, sweet and fragrant. I only had one cup full but given a chance I\'d have had a second. About the hot wine. A. told me: this one smells better than yours but it\'s really sweet. I took this to mean that mine smelled spicier but tasted better. It did get me thinking about how I could tweak my recipe a little.\r\n\r\nHere\'s my big complaint I would have loved my own Sofia Christmas Market mug of wine rather than a styrofoam cup but frankly that\'s a pretty small thing. I had the best intentions of making A. take my photo with my styrofoam cup of hot wine but the rain ruined this plan as well as our plan to eat German wurst. So our Christmas market adventure ended at a nearby pizza restaurant rather than with wurst and a pretzel. <em>Such is life</em>.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Christmas Market in Sofia\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Christmas Market in Sofia\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6480320661/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7014/6480320661_981481d090_b.jpg\" alt=\"Christmas Market in Sofia\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nRain aside, December in Sofia is really the prefect time to drink hot wine outside with friends. Really a Christmas market in the shadow of Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is a charming thing--so get out there and enjoy it.','Sofia\'s Christmas Market ','','publish','open','open','','sofias-christmas-market','','','2011-12-10 13:48:37','2011-12-10 11:48:37','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5952',0,'post','',2),(5953,1,'2011-12-10 13:27:32','2011-12-10 11:27:32','On Tuesday night after work I went with A. to Sofia\'s Christmas Market. The market is located between Sofia University and parliament in the little park that separates the two.\n\nIt\'s really cute but very small but I think that\'s to be expected. The park isn\'t really very big and this is the first year of the market.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Weihnachtsmarkt Sofia\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Weinachtsmarket Sofia\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6480318919/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6480318919_120f13d362_b.jpg\" alt=\"Weihnachtsmarkt Sofia\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThe Weihnachtsmarkt has all of the necessary staples: hot wine, pretzels and wurst as well as little houses with Christmas things for sale. The night I was there, there was also a big group of German speaking men there making the whole thing feel extra-authentic.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Sofia&#39;s Christmast Market Wine\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Sofia\'s Christmast Market Wine\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6480321401/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6480321401_ea8f48720f_b.jpg\" alt=\"Sofia\'s Christmast Market Wine\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nAll of the signage is in both Bulgarian and German. <em>Super cute</em>. I love details like that.\n\nI would have loved my own Sofia Christmas Market mug of wine rather than a styrofoam cup but that\'s a pretty small thing. I had the best intentions of making A. take my photo with my styrofoam cup of hot wine but the rain ruined this plan as well as our plan to eat German wurst. We ended up at a nearby pizza restaurant instead.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Christmas Market in Sofia\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Christmas Market in Sofia\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6480320661/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7014/6480320661_981481d090_b.jpg\" alt=\"Christmas Market in Sofia\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nRain aside, December in Sofia is really the prefect time to drink hot wine outside with friends.','Sofia\'s Christmas Market ','','inherit','open','open','','5952-revision','','','2011-12-10 13:27:32','2011-12-10 11:27:32','',5952,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/10/5952-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5954,1,'2011-12-10 13:29:36','2011-12-10 11:29:36','On Tuesday night after work I went with A. to Sofia\'s Christmas Market. The market is located between Sofia University and parliament in the little park that separates the two.\n\nIt\'s really cute but very small but I think that\'s to be expected. The park isn\'t really very big and this is the first year of the market.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Weihnachtsmarkt Sofia\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Weinachtsmarket Sofia\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6480318919/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6480318919_120f13d362_b.jpg\" alt=\"Weihnachtsmarkt Sofia\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nThe Weihnachtsmarkt has all of the necessary staples: hot wine, pretzels and wurst as well as little houses with Christmas things for sale. The night I was there, there was also a big group of German speaking men there making the whole thing feel extra-authentic.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Sofia&#39;s Christmast Market Wine\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Sofia\'s Christmast Market Wine\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6480321401/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6480321401_ea8f48720f_b.jpg\" alt=\"Sofia\'s Christmast Market Wine\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nAll of the signage is in both Bulgarian and German. <em>Super cute</em>. I love details like that.\n\nI would have loved my own Sofia Christmas Market mug of wine rather than a styrofoam cup but that\'s a pretty small thing. I had the best intentions of making A. take my photo with my styrofoam cup of hot wine but the rain ruined this plan as well as our plan to eat German wurst. We ended up at a nearby pizza restaurant instead.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Christmas Market in Sofia\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Christmas Market in Sofia\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6480320661/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7014/6480320661_981481d090_b.jpg\" alt=\"Christmas Market in Sofia\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nRain aside, December in Sofia is really the prefect time to drink hot wine outside with friends.','Sofia\'s Christmas Market ','','inherit','open','open','','5952-revision-2','','','2011-12-10 13:29:36','2011-12-10 11:29:36','',5952,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/10/5952-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(5955,1,'2011-12-10 13:30:19','2011-12-10 11:30:19','On Tuesday night after work I went with A. to Sofia\'s Christmas Market. The market is located between Sofia University and parliament in the little park that separates the two.\r\n\r\nIt\'s really cute but very small but I think that\'s to be expected. The park isn\'t really very big and this is the first year of the market.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Weihnachtsmarkt Sofia\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Weinachtsmarket Sofia\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6480318919/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7146/6480318919_120f13d362_b.jpg\" alt=\"Weihnachtsmarkt Sofia\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nThe Weihnachtsmarkt has all of the necessary staples: hot wine, pretzels and wurst as well as little houses with Christmas things for sale. The night I was there, there was also a big group of German speaking men there making the whole thing feel extra-authentic.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Sofia&#39;s Christmast Market Wine\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Sofia\'s Christmast Market Wine\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6480321401/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6480321401_ea8f48720f_b.jpg\" alt=\"Sofia\'s Christmast Market Wine\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nAll of the signage is in both Bulgarian and German. <em>Super cute</em>. I love details like that.\r\n\r\nI would have loved my own Sofia Christmas Market mug of wine rather than a styrofoam cup but that\'s a pretty small thing. I had the best intentions of making A. take my photo with my styrofoam cup of hot wine but the rain ruined this plan as well as our plan to eat German wurst. We ended up at a nearby pizza restaurant instead.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Christmas Market in Sofia\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Christmas Market in Sofia\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6480320661/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7014/6480320661_981481d090_b.jpg\" alt=\"Christmas Market in Sofia\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nRain aside, December in Sofia is really the prefect time to drink hot wine outside with friends.','Sofia\'s Christmas Market ','','inherit','open','open','','5952-revision-3','','','2011-12-10 13:30:19','2011-12-10 11:30:19','',5952,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/10/5952-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(6005,1,'2011-12-19 22:40:34','2011-12-19 20:40:34','Today I found myself wondering: is there such thing as too much Christmas cheer?\r\n\r\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.\r\n\r\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.\r\n\r\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.\r\n\r\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.\r\n\r\nTomorrow: caroling at lunch time, Balkan dance practice for the concert and then the international student group at school is hosting a dinner.\r\n\r\nWednesday: Christmas concert where I\'ll be dancing two different Bulgarian dances in national costume and drinks afterwards with alumni.\r\n\r\nThursday: a half day at school and a repeat of the Christmas concert.\r\n\r\nFriday: our first day of Christmas Vacation.\r\n\r\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? ','','publish','open','open','','is-there-such-thing-as-too-much-christmas-cheer','','','2011-12-19 22:40:34','2011-12-19 20:40:34','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=6005',0,'post','',0),(5957,1,'2011-12-12 20:01:54','2011-12-12 18:01:54','Last week was busy and my weekend much of a break. This thing is sometimes it\'s nice to be busy. Other times it\'s just nice to sit on your couch.\r\n\r\nThis weekend was just go, go, go for me.\r\n\r\nI was on a mission.\r\n\r\nOn Saturday, I got up made a pot of coffee and started my day.\r\n\r\nI started some laundry.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"My Christmas Tree\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"My Christmas Tree\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6500217353/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6500217353_db1b7ae24d_b.jpg\" alt=\"My Christmas Tree\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI made a calendar on snapfish.com with my little sister. It\'s kind of our thing. We make a calendar for our family and friends for the upcoming year with photos from the past year. Everyone loves to open a calendar like this but these things don\'t make themselves. You have to pick a theme, gather together all of the photos you want to use, pick the page layout, arrange and size the photos and then make sure that you\'ve included pictures of everyone. Leaving someone off is not an option.\r\n\r\nI talked to my sister on skype while futzing around with the calendar. I am a perfectionist.\r\n\r\nI decorated my Christmas tree with handmade red and green hearts. So I guess I should also add that I made my own heart-shaped ornaments. This was super fun and easy. After hanging up the homemade hearts I tossed on some aluminum ornaments that I bought in Vienna as well.  It\'s nothing fancy but then again neither is a fake tree that you store under the sink 11 months a year. It\'s feels Christmas-y and really that\'s all that matters to me.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nAt some point in here, I cleaned my apartment.\r\n\r\nI made a list of the cookies that I want to make for cookies this year. Enter: <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\">sugar cookies</a>, <a href=\"http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/luscious-lemon-squares/c01a5935-6f52-419c-af08-e8c267c1aaf7\" target=\"_blank\">lemon squares</a>, chocolate peanut butter bon-bons and chocolate dipped pretzel sticks. I went to my girl Betty Crocker for the first two recipes. These are the recipes of my childhood. Then I wrote to my sister for the bon-bon recipe. She sent it to me and I\'m pretty sure that I can dip pretzel sticks without a recipe.\r\n\r\nI graded 20+ student essays on the novel Heart of Darkness and Lord of the Flies. Nothing like teaching two depressing books at the same time.\r\n\r\nThen I went shopping. I\'ve got some friends to pick gifts up for, a secret santa at school, the women at school who clean our classrooms and, well, myself. Secret santa: check. Gifts for friends: more or less check. Women who clean at school: still looking and for myself, I found a really great new circle scarf. I\'m obsessed with circle scarves. They are super super cozy.\r\n\r\nI had a second mulled wine at the German Christmas market but there were lots of people being pushy and so my friend A. I went home. She thought the market was cute too. So there you have it A. who when to Vienna with me liked the market too. Now you have to go and check it out.\r\n\r\nOn Sunday, it was more of the same.\r\n\r\nOnly instead of shopping, I picked up somethings at the grocery store for cookie baking. I whipped up a pan of the lemon squares. These are really not super Christmas-y but they are buttery and lemony, easy to make and a nice counter point to the chocolatey dishes that dominate the season.\r\n\r\nI talked to my sister again about the calendar. She likes it. It\'s a go. Phew.\r\n\r\nI finish up my homework for my Bulgarian lesson and I only missed two questions on the unit test. What-what!!\r\n\r\nThen I head into the city for my lesson. An hour an half later, I am at the mall drinking a coffee with A. from there we decide to go to studentski grad for dinner. The restaurant he\'d wanted to go to is closed. Apparently they only work until 6pm on Sundays. <em>Go figure</em>. Sometimes I think, I am never going to figure this place out.\r\n\r\nAnd that\'s that.\r\n\r\nNow it\'s Monday. Monday night.','Christmas Crazy ','','publish','open','open','','christmas-crazy','','','2011-12-12 20:01:54','2011-12-12 18:01:54','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5957',0,'post','',0),(5958,1,'2011-12-12 19:41:50','2011-12-12 17:41:50','Last week was busy and my weekend much of a break. This thing is sometimes it\'s nice to be busy. Other times it\'s just nice to sit on your couch.\n\nThis weekend was just go, go, go for me.\n\nI was on a mission.\n\nOn Saturday, I got up made a pot of coffee and started my day.\n\nI started some laundry.\n\nI made a calendar on snapfish.com with my little sister. It\'s kind of our thing. We make a calendar for our family and friends for the upcoming year with photos from the past year. Everyone loves to open a calendar like this but these things don\'t make themselves. You have to pick a theme, gather together all of the photos you want to use, pick the page layout, arrange and size the photos and then make sure that you\'ve included pictures of everyone. Leaving someone off is not an option.\n\nI talked to my sister on skype while futzing around with the calendar. I am a perfectionist.\n\nI decorated my Christmas tree with handmade red and green hearts. So I guess I should also add that I made my own heart-shaped ornaments. This was super fun and easy. After hanging up the homemade hearts I tossed on some aluminum ornaments that I bought in Vienna as well.  It\'s nothing fancy but then again neither is a fake tree that you store under the sink 11 months a year. It\'s feels Christmas-y and really that\'s all that matters to me.\n\nAt some point in here, I cleaned my apartment.\n\nI made a list of the cookies that I want to make for cookies this year. Enter: <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\">sugar cookies</a>, <a href=\"http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/luscious-lemon-squares/c01a5935-6f52-419c-af08-e8c267c1aaf7\" target=\"_blank\">lemon squares</a>, chocolate peanut butter bon-bons and chocolate dipped pretzel sticks. I went to my girl Betty Crocker for the first two recipes. These are the recipes of my childhood. Then I wrote to my sister for the bon-bon recipe. She sent it to me and I\'m pretty sure that I can dip pretzel sticks without a recipe.\n\nI graded 20+ student essays on the novel Heart of Darkness and Lord of the Flies. Nothing like teaching two depressing books at the same time.\n\nThen I went shopping. I\'ve got some friends to pick gifts up for, a secret santa at school, the women at school who clean our classrooms and, well, myself. Secret santa: check. Gifts for friends: more or less check. Women who clean at school: still looking and for myself, I found a really great new circle scarf. I\'m obsessed with circle scarves. They are super super cozy.\n\nI had a second mulled wine at the German Christmas market but there were lots of people being pushy and so my friend A. I went home. She thought the market was cute too. So there you have it A. who when to Vienna with me liked the market too. Now you have to go and check it out.\n\nOn Sunday, it was more of the same.\n\nOnly instead of shopping, I picked up somethings at the grocery store for cookie baking. I whipped up a pan of the lemon squares. These are really not super Christmas-y but they are buttery and lemony, easy to make and a nice counter point to the chocolatey dishes that dominate the season.\n\nI talked to my sister again about the calendar. She likes it. It\'s a go. Phew.\n\nI finish up my homework for my Bulgarian lesson and I only missed two questions on the unit test. What-what!!\n\nThen I head into the city for my lesson. An hour an half later, I am at the mall drinking a coffee with A. from there we decide to go to studentski grad for dinner. The restaurant he\'d wanted to go to is closed. Apparently they only work until 6pm on Sundays. <em>Go figure</em>. Sometimes I think, I am never going to figure this place out.\n\nAnd that\'s that.\n\nNow it\'s Monday. Monday night.','Christmas Crazy ','','inherit','open','open','','5957-revision','','','2011-12-12 19:41:50','2011-12-12 17:41:50','',5957,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/12/5957-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5959,1,'2011-12-13 05:33:41','2011-12-13 03:33:41','Lemon cookies are tangy and buttery. They aren\'t too sweet which also nice. Oh and because they are bar cookies they are ridiculously easy to make.\r\n\r\nI think these are the perfect, unexpected Christmas cookie. They balance out gingerbread, chocolates like fudge or cream cheese filled desserts.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Lemon squares in a round springform pan\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Lemon squares\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6500211975/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6500211975_c0ef6ee5c3_b.jpg\" alt=\"Lemon squares\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI don\'t bake a lot in Sofia. I often find it frustrating to get all of the ingredients. I dislike guessing exactly which temperature I should be baking things at and how much butter my recipe is actually calling for. Cups to grams is beyond annoying. And I can\'t seem for the life of me to remember the conversion so every single time I bake, I have to look it up.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nWhen I do bake, I usually find myself pleasantly surprised. Thinking thoughts like: see that wasn\'t so hard but I also find myself amazed that things turned out. The whole thing seems pretty hit or miss to me.  There are just so many factors that you have to control for.\r\n\r\nSo over the past few years, I perfected a few select dishes and now I make these for everything. People like them and they always turn out good.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Lemon square: see the lemony middle?\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Lemon squares\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6500213761/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6500213761_f6eb246db9_b.jpg\" alt=\"Lemon squares\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nWhy I decided this year that I <em>had</em> to make Christmas cookies I am not sure but I wrote about it i<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/01/hello-december/\" target=\"_blank\">n a blog post a week ago </a>and I am not about to poo-poo a list I\'ve made. So I measured out the ingredients, I followed the directions and baked these lemon square bars in my apartment in Sofia in less than an hour from start to finish without a microwave or an electric mixer.\r\n\r\nI did it all by hand and it was easy peasy. What took the most time? Waiting for the cookies to bake. Not bad, not bad.\r\n\r\nThus I am happy to report that I am making good time on my Christmas to-do list. I\'ve <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/07/christmas-in-sofia-2/\" target=\"_blank\">got my Christmas tree out</a> and <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/12/christmas-crazy/\" target=\"_blank\">decorated</a>. I\'ve been to the <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/10/sofias-christmas-market/\" target=\"_blank\">Christmas market in downtown Sofia</a>, I\'ve <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/05/celebrating-fakesgiving/\" target=\"_blank\">made mulled wine</a> and I\'ve listened to Christmas music. I am making good progress on my list.I\'ve been a busy cookie.\r\n\r\nThe lemon cookie recipe came straight from the <a href=\"http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/luscious-lemon-squares/c01a5935-6f52-419c-af08-e8c267c1aaf7\" target=\"_blank\">Betty Crocker website</a>. This is the recipe of my childhood. Who needs to improve on a good thing?! Certainly not me.\r\n\r\nI am happy to report that these cookie bars turned out excellently. I couldn\'t be happier with them. Maybe you\'ll want to make them too.','Lemon Bar Cookies ','','publish','open','open','','lemon-bar-cookies','','','2011-12-12 20:34:37','2011-12-12 18:34:37','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5959',0,'post','',5),(5960,1,'2011-12-12 20:00:57','2011-12-12 18:00:57','Last week was busy and my weekend much of a break. This thing is sometimes it\'s nice to be busy. Other times it\'s just nice to sit on your couch.\n\nThis weekend was just go, go, go for me.\n\nI was on a mission.\n\nOn Saturday, I got up made a pot of coffee and started my day.\n\nI started some laundry.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"My Christmas Tree\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"My Christmas Tree\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6500217353/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6500217353_db1b7ae24d_b.jpg\" alt=\"My Christmas Tree\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI made a calendar on snapfish.com with my little sister. It\'s kind of our thing. We make a calendar for our family and friends for the upcoming year with photos from the past year. Everyone loves to open a calendar like this but these things don\'t make themselves. You have to pick a theme, gather together all of the photos you want to use, pick the page layout, arrange and size the photos and then make sure that you\'ve included pictures of everyone. Leaving someone off is not an option.\n\nI talked to my sister on skype while futzing around with the calendar. I am a perfectionist.\n\nI decorated my Christmas tree with handmade red and green hearts. So I guess I should also add that I made my own heart-shaped ornaments. This was super fun and easy. After hanging up the homemade hearts I tossed on some aluminum ornaments that I bought in Vienna as well.  It\'s nothing fancy but then again neither is a fake tree that you store under the sink 11 months a year. It\'s feels Christmas-y and really that\'s all that matters to me.\n\nAt some point in here, I cleaned my apartment.\n\nI made a list of the cookies that I want to make for cookies this year. Enter: <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\">sugar cookies</a>, <a href=\"http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/luscious-lemon-squares/c01a5935-6f52-419c-af08-e8c267c1aaf7\" target=\"_blank\">lemon squares</a>, chocolate peanut butter bon-bons and chocolate dipped pretzel sticks. I went to my girl Betty Crocker for the first two recipes. These are the recipes of my childhood. Then I wrote to my sister for the bon-bon recipe. She sent it to me and I\'m pretty sure that I can dip pretzel sticks without a recipe.\n\nI graded 20+ student essays on the novel Heart of Darkness and Lord of the Flies. Nothing like teaching two depressing books at the same time.\n\nThen I went shopping. I\'ve got some friends to pick gifts up for, a secret santa at school, the women at school who clean our classrooms and, well, myself. Secret santa: check. Gifts for friends: more or less check. Women who clean at school: still looking and for myself, I found a really great new circle scarf. I\'m obsessed with circle scarves. They are super super cozy.\n\nI had a second mulled wine at the German Christmas market but there were lots of people being pushy and so my friend A. I went home. She thought the market was cute too. So there you have it A. who when to Vienna with me liked the market too. Now you have to go and check it out.\n\nOn Sunday, it was more of the same.\n\nOnly instead of shopping, I picked up somethings at the grocery store for cookie baking. I whipped up a pan of the lemon squares. These are really not super Christmas-y but they are buttery and lemony, easy to make and a nice counter point to the chocolatey dishes that dominate the season.\n\nI talked to my sister again about the calendar. She likes it. It\'s a go. Phew.\n\nI finish up my homework for my Bulgarian lesson and I only missed two questions on the unit test. What-what!!\n\nThen I head into the city for my lesson. An hour an half later, I am at the mall drinking a coffee with A. from there we decide to go to studentski grad for dinner. The restaurant he\'d wanted to go to is closed. Apparently they only work until 6pm on Sundays. <em>Go figure</em>. Sometimes I think, I am never going to figure this place out.\n\nAnd that\'s that.\n\nNow it\'s Monday. Monday night.','Christmas Crazy ','','inherit','open','open','','5957-revision-2','','','2011-12-12 20:00:57','2011-12-12 18:00:57','',5957,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/12/5957-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(5961,1,'2011-12-12 20:01:10','2011-12-12 18:01:10','Last week was busy and my weekend much of a break. This thing is sometimes it\'s nice to be busy. Other times it\'s just nice to sit on your couch.\r\n\r\nThis weekend was just go, go, go for me.\r\n\r\nI was on a mission.\r\n\r\nOn Saturday, I got up made a pot of coffee and started my day.\r\n\r\nI started some laundry.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"My Christmas Tree\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"My Christmas Tree\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6500217353/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6500217353_db1b7ae24d_b.jpg\" alt=\"My Christmas Tree\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI made a calendar on snapfish.com with my little sister. It\'s kind of our thing. We make a calendar for our family and friends for the upcoming year with photos from the past year. Everyone loves to open a calendar like this but these things don\'t make themselves. You have to pick a theme, gather together all of the photos you want to use, pick the page layout, arrange and size the photos and then make sure that you\'ve included pictures of everyone. Leaving someone off is not an option.\r\n\r\nI talked to my sister on skype while futzing around with the calendar. I am a perfectionist.\r\n\r\nI decorated my Christmas tree with handmade red and green hearts. So I guess I should also add that I made my own heart-shaped ornaments. This was super fun and easy. After hanging up the homemade hearts I tossed on some aluminum ornaments that I bought in Vienna as well.  It\'s nothing fancy but then again neither is a fake tree that you store under the sink 11 months a year. It\'s feels Christmas-y and really that\'s all that matters to me.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nAt some point in here, I cleaned my apartment.\r\n\r\nI made a list of the cookies that I want to make for cookies this year. Enter: <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\">sugar cookies</a>, <a href=\"http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/luscious-lemon-squares/c01a5935-6f52-419c-af08-e8c267c1aaf7\" target=\"_blank\">lemon squares</a>, chocolate peanut butter bon-bons and chocolate dipped pretzel sticks. I went to my girl Betty Crocker for the first two recipes. These are the recipes of my childhood. Then I wrote to my sister for the bon-bon recipe. She sent it to me and I\'m pretty sure that I can dip pretzel sticks without a recipe.\r\n\r\nI graded 20+ student essays on the novel Heart of Darkness and Lord of the Flies. Nothing like teaching two depressing books at the same time.\r\n\r\nThen I went shopping. I\'ve got some friends to pick gifts up for, a secret santa at school, the women at school who clean our classrooms and, well, myself. Secret santa: check. Gifts for friends: more or less check. Women who clean at school: still looking and for myself, I found a really great new circle scarf. I\'m obsessed with circle scarves. They are super super cozy.\r\n\r\nI had a second mulled wine at the German Christmas market but there were lots of people being pushy and so my friend A. I went home. She thought the market was cute too. So there you have it A. who when to Vienna with me liked the market too. Now you have to go and check it out.\r\n\r\nOn Sunday, it was more of the same.\r\n\r\nOnly instead of shopping, I picked up somethings at the grocery store for cookie baking. I whipped up a pan of the lemon squares. These are really not super Christmas-y but they are buttery and lemony, easy to make and a nice counter point to the chocolatey dishes that dominate the season.\r\n\r\nI talked to my sister again about the calendar. She likes it. It\'s a go. Phew.\r\n\r\nI finish up my homework for my Bulgarian lesson and I only missed two questions on the unit test. What-what!!\r\n\r\nThen I head into the city for my lesson. An hour an half later, I am at the mall drinking a coffee with A. from there we decide to go to studentski grad for dinner. The restaurant he\'d wanted to go to is closed. Apparently they only work until 6pm on Sundays. <em>Go figure</em>. Sometimes I think, I am never going to figure this place out.\r\n\r\nAnd that\'s that.\r\n\r\nNow it\'s Monday. Monday night.','Christmas Crazy ','','inherit','open','open','','5957-revision-3','','','2011-12-12 20:01:10','2011-12-12 18:01:10','',5957,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/12/5957-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(5962,1,'2011-12-12 20:01:18','2011-12-12 18:01:18','Last week was busy and my weekend much of a break. This thing is sometimes it\'s nice to be busy. Other times it\'s just nice to sit on your couch.\r\n\r\nThis weekend was just go, go, go for me.\r\n\r\nI was on a mission.\r\n\r\nOn Saturday, I got up made a pot of coffee and started my day.\r\n\r\nI started some laundry.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"My Christmas Tree\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"My Christmas Tree\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6500217353/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7004/6500217353_db1b7ae24d_b.jpg\" alt=\"My Christmas Tree\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI made a calendar on snapfish.com with my little sister. It\'s kind of our thing. We make a calendar for our family and friends for the upcoming year with photos from the past year. Everyone loves to open a calendar like this but these things don\'t make themselves. You have to pick a theme, gather together all of the photos you want to use, pick the page layout, arrange and size the photos and then make sure that you\'ve included pictures of everyone. Leaving someone off is not an option.\r\n\r\nI talked to my sister on skype while futzing around with the calendar. I am a perfectionist.\r\n\r\nI decorated my Christmas tree with handmade red and green hearts. So I guess I should also add that I made my own heart-shaped ornaments. This was super fun and easy. After hanging up the homemade hearts I tossed on some aluminum ornaments that I bought in Vienna as well.  It\'s nothing fancy but then again neither is a fake tree that you store under the sink 11 months a year. It\'s feels Christmas-y and really that\'s all that matters to me.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nAt some point in here, I cleaned my apartment.\r\n\r\nI made a list of the cookies that I want to make for cookies this year. Enter: <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\">sugar cookies</a>, <a href=\"http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/luscious-lemon-squares/c01a5935-6f52-419c-af08-e8c267c1aaf7\" target=\"_blank\">lemon squares</a>, chocolate peanut butter bon-bons and chocolate dipped pretzel sticks. I went to my girl Betty Crocker for the first two recipes. These are the recipes of my childhood. Then I wrote to my sister for the bon-bon recipe. She sent it to me and I\'m pretty sure that I can dip pretzel sticks without a recipe.\r\n\r\nI graded 20+ student essays on the novel Heart of Darkness and Lord of the Flies. Nothing like teaching two depressing books at the same time.\r\n\r\nThen I went shopping. I\'ve got some friends to pick gifts up for, a secret santa at school, the women at school who clean our classrooms and, well, myself. Secret santa: check. Gifts for friends: more or less check. Women who clean at school: still looking and for myself, I found a really great new circle scarf. I\'m obsessed with circle scarves. They are super super cozy.\r\n\r\nI had a second mulled wine at the German Christmas market but there were lots of people being pushy and so my friend A. I went home. She thought the market was cute too. So there you have it A. who when to Vienna with me liked the market too. Now you have to go and check it out.\r\n\r\nOn Sunday, it was more of the same.\r\n\r\nOnly instead of shopping, I picked up somethings at the grocery store for cookie baking. I whipped up a pan of the lemon squares. These are really not super Christmas-y but they are buttery and lemony, easy to make and a nice counter point to the chocolatey dishes that dominate the season.\r\n\r\nI talked to my sister again about the calendar. She likes it. It\'s a go. Phew.\r\n\r\nI finish up my homework for my Bulgarian lesson and I only missed two questions on the unit test. What-what!!\r\n\r\nThen I head into the city for my lesson. An hour an half later, I am at the mall drinking a coffee with A. from there we decide to go to studentski grad for dinner. The restaurant he\'d wanted to go to is closed. Apparently they only work until 6pm on Sundays. <em>Go figure</em>. Sometimes I think, I am never going to figure this place out.\r\n\r\nAnd that\'s that.\r\n\r\nNow it\'s Monday. Monday night.','Christmas Crazy ','','inherit','open','open','','5957-revision-4','','','2011-12-12 20:01:18','2011-12-12 18:01:18','',5957,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/12/5957-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(5963,1,'2011-12-12 19:59:37','2011-12-12 17:59:37','Lemon cookies are tangy and buttery. They aren\'t too sweet which also nice. Oh and because they are bar cookies they are ridiculously easy to make.\n\nI think these are the perfect, unexpected Christmas cookie. They balance out gingerbread, chocolates like fudge or cream cheese filled desserts.\n\nI don\'t bake a lot in Sofia. I often find it frustrating to get all of the ingredients. I dislike guessing exactly which temperature I should be baking things at and how much butter my recipe is actually calling for. Cups to grams is beyond annoying. And I can\'t seem for the life of me to remember the conversion so every single time I bake, I have to look it up.\n\nWhen I do bake, I usually find myself pleasantly surprised. Thinking thoughts like: see that wasn\'t so hard but I also find myself amazed that things turned out. The whole thing seems pretty hit or miss to me.  There are just so many factors that you have to control for.\n\nSo over the past few years, I perfected a few select dishes and now I make these for everything. People like them and they always turn out good.\n\nWhy I decided this year that I <em>had</em> to make Christmas cookies I am not sure but I wrote about it in a blog post a week ago and I am not about to poo-poo a list I\'ve made.','Lemon Bar Cookies ','','inherit','open','open','','5959-revision','','','2011-12-12 19:59:37','2011-12-12 17:59:37','',5959,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/12/5959-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5964,1,'2011-12-12 20:10:29','2011-12-12 18:10:29','Lemon cookies are tangy and buttery. They aren\'t too sweet which also nice. Oh and because they are bar cookies they are ridiculously easy to make.\n\nI think these are the perfect, unexpected Christmas cookie. They balance out gingerbread, chocolates like fudge or cream cheese filled desserts.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Lemon squares in a round springform pan\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Lemon squares\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6500211975/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6500211975_c0ef6ee5c3_b.jpg\" alt=\"Lemon squares\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI don\'t bake a lot in Sofia. I often find it frustrating to get all of the ingredients. I dislike guessing exactly which temperature I should be baking things at and how much butter my recipe is actually calling for. Cups to grams is beyond annoying. And I can\'t seem for the life of me to remember the conversion so every single time I bake, I have to look it up.\n\nWhen I do bake, I usually find myself pleasantly surprised. Thinking thoughts like: see that wasn\'t so hard but I also find myself amazed that things turned out. The whole thing seems pretty hit or miss to me.  There are just so many factors that you have to control for.\n\nSo over the past few years, I perfected a few select dishes and now I make these for everything. People like them and they always turn out good.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Lemon square: see the lemony middle?\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Lemon squares\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6500213761/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6500213761_f6eb246db9_b.jpg\" alt=\"Lemon squares\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nWhy I decided this year that I <em>had</em> to make Christmas cookies I am not sure but I wrote about it i<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/01/hello-december/\" target=\"_blank\">n a blog post a week ago </a>and I am not about to poo-poo a list I\'ve made.\n\nI mean, I\'ve got my Christmas tree out and decorated. I\'ve been to the Christmas market in downtown Sofia, I\'ve made mulled wine and I\'ve listened to Christmas music. I am making good progress on my list.\n\nThe lemon cookie recipe came straight from the <a href=\"http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/luscious-lemon-squares/c01a5935-6f52-419c-af08-e8c267c1aaf7\" target=\"_blank\">Betty Crocker website</a>. This is the recipe of my childhood. Who needs to improve on a good thing?! Certainly not me.\n\nI am happy to report that these cookie bars turned out excellently. I couldn\'t be happier with them. Maybe you\'ll want to make them too.','Lemon Bar Cookies ','','inherit','open','open','','5959-revision-2','','','2011-12-12 20:10:29','2011-12-12 18:10:29','',5959,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/12/5959-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(5965,1,'2011-12-12 20:10:38','2011-12-12 18:10:38','Lemon cookies are tangy and buttery. They aren\'t too sweet which also nice. Oh and because they are bar cookies they are ridiculously easy to make.\r\n\r\nI think these are the perfect, unexpected Christmas cookie. They balance out gingerbread, chocolates like fudge or cream cheese filled desserts.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Lemon squares in a round springform pan\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Lemon squares\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6500211975/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6500211975_c0ef6ee5c3_b.jpg\" alt=\"Lemon squares\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI don\'t bake a lot in Sofia. I often find it frustrating to get all of the ingredients. I dislike guessing exactly which temperature I should be baking things at and how much butter my recipe is actually calling for. Cups to grams is beyond annoying. And I can\'t seem for the life of me to remember the conversion so every single time I bake, I have to look it up.\r\n\r\nWhen I do bake, I usually find myself pleasantly surprised. Thinking thoughts like: see that wasn\'t so hard but I also find myself amazed that things turned out. The whole thing seems pretty hit or miss to me.  There are just so many factors that you have to control for.\r\n\r\nSo over the past few years, I perfected a few select dishes and now I make these for everything. People like them and they always turn out good.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Lemon square: see the lemony middle?\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Lemon squares\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6500213761/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6500213761_f6eb246db9_b.jpg\" alt=\"Lemon squares\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nWhy I decided this year that I <em>had</em> to make Christmas cookies I am not sure but I wrote about it i<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/01/hello-december/\" target=\"_blank\">n a blog post a week ago </a>and I am not about to poo-poo a list I\'ve made.\r\n\r\nI mean, I\'ve got my Christmas tree out and decorated. I\'ve been to the Christmas market in downtown Sofia, I\'ve made mulled wine and I\'ve listened to Christmas music. I am making good progress on my list.\r\n\r\nThe lemon cookie recipe came straight from the <a href=\"http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/luscious-lemon-squares/c01a5935-6f52-419c-af08-e8c267c1aaf7\" target=\"_blank\">Betty Crocker website</a>. This is the recipe of my childhood. Who needs to improve on a good thing?! Certainly not me.\r\n\r\nI am happy to report that these cookie bars turned out excellently. I couldn\'t be happier with them. Maybe you\'ll want to make them too.','Lemon Bar Cookies ','','inherit','open','open','','5959-revision-3','','','2011-12-12 20:10:38','2011-12-12 18:10:38','',5959,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/12/5959-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(5966,1,'2011-12-12 20:33:40','2011-12-12 18:33:40','Lemon cookies are tangy and buttery. They aren\'t too sweet which also nice. Oh and because they are bar cookies they are ridiculously easy to make.\r\n\r\nI think these are the perfect, unexpected Christmas cookie. They balance out gingerbread, chocolates like fudge or cream cheese filled desserts.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Lemon squares in a round springform pan\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Lemon squares\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6500211975/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6500211975_c0ef6ee5c3_b.jpg\" alt=\"Lemon squares\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nI don\'t bake a lot in Sofia. I often find it frustrating to get all of the ingredients. I dislike guessing exactly which temperature I should be baking things at and how much butter my recipe is actually calling for. Cups to grams is beyond annoying. And I can\'t seem for the life of me to remember the conversion so every single time I bake, I have to look it up.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nWhen I do bake, I usually find myself pleasantly surprised. Thinking thoughts like: see that wasn\'t so hard but I also find myself amazed that things turned out. The whole thing seems pretty hit or miss to me.  There are just so many factors that you have to control for.\r\n\r\nSo over the past few years, I perfected a few select dishes and now I make these for everything. People like them and they always turn out good.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Lemon square: see the lemony middle?\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Lemon squares\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6500213761/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6500213761_f6eb246db9_b.jpg\" alt=\"Lemon squares\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nWhy I decided this year that I <em>had</em> to make Christmas cookies I am not sure but I wrote about it i<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/01/hello-december/\" target=\"_blank\">n a blog post a week ago </a>and I am not about to poo-poo a list I\'ve made. So I measured out the ingredients, I followed the directions and baked these lemon square bars in my apartment in Sofia in less than an hour from start to finish without a microwave or an electric mixer.\r\n\r\nI did it all by hand and it was easy peasy. What took the most time? Waiting for the cookies to bake. Not bad, not bad.\r\n\r\nThus I am happy to report that I am making good time on my Christmas to-do list. I\'ve <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/07/christmas-in-sofia-2/\" target=\"_blank\">got my Christmas tree out</a> and <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/12/christmas-crazy/\" target=\"_blank\">decorated</a>. I\'ve been to the <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/10/sofias-christmas-market/\" target=\"_blank\">Christmas market in downtown Sofia</a>, I\'ve <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/05/celebrating-fakesgiving/\" target=\"_blank\">made mulled wine</a> and I\'ve listened to Christmas music. I am making good progress on my list.I\'ve been a busy cookie.\r\n\r\nThe lemon cookie recipe came straight from the <a href=\"http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/luscious-lemon-squares/c01a5935-6f52-419c-af08-e8c267c1aaf7\" target=\"_blank\">Betty Crocker website</a>. This is the recipe of my childhood. Who needs to improve on a good thing?! Certainly not me.\r\n\r\nI am happy to report that these cookie bars turned out excellently. I couldn\'t be happier with them. Maybe you\'ll want to make them too.','Lemon Bar Cookies ','','inherit','open','open','','5959-revision-4','','','2011-12-12 20:33:40','2011-12-12 18:33:40','',5959,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/12/5959-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(5967,1,'2011-12-12 20:35:42','2011-12-12 18:35:42','Lemon cookies are tangy and buttery. They aren\'t too sweet which also nice. Oh and because they are bar cookies they are ridiculously easy to make.\n\nI think these are the perfect, unexpected Christmas cookie. They balance out gingerbread, chocolates like fudge or cream cheese filled desserts.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Lemon squares in a round springform pan\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Lemon squares\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6500211975/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6500211975_c0ef6ee5c3_b.jpg\" alt=\"Lemon squares\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nI don\'t bake a lot in Sofia. I often find it frustrating to get all of the ingredients. I dislike guessing exactly which temperature I should be baking things at and how much butter my recipe is actually calling for. Cups to grams is beyond annoying. And I can\'t seem for the life of me to remember the conversion so every single time I bake, I have to look it up.<!--more-->\n\nWhen I do bake, I usually find myself pleasantly surprised. Thinking thoughts like: see that wasn\'t so hard but I also find myself amazed that things turned out. The whole thing seems pretty hit or miss to me.  There are just so many factors that you have to control for.\n\nSo over the past few years, I perfected a few select dishes and now I make these for everything. People like them and they always turn out good.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Lemon square: see the lemony middle?\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Lemon squares\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6500213761/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6500213761_f6eb246db9_b.jpg\" alt=\"Lemon squares\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nWhy I decided this year that I <em>had</em> to make Christmas cookies I am not sure but I wrote about it i<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/01/hello-december/\" target=\"_blank\">n a blog post a week ago </a>and I am not about to poo-poo a list I\'ve made. So I measured out the ingredients, I followed the directions and baked these lemon square bars in my apartment in Sofia in less than an hour from start to finish without a microwave or an electric mixer.\n\nI did it all by hand and it was easy peasy. What took the most time? Waiting for the cookies to bake. Not bad, not bad.\n\nThus I am happy to report that I am making good time on my Christmas to-do list. I\'ve <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/07/christmas-in-sofia-2/\" target=\"_blank\">got my Christmas tree out</a> and <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/12/christmas-crazy/\" target=\"_blank\">decorated</a>. I\'ve been to the <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/10/sofias-christmas-market/\" target=\"_blank\">Christmas market in downtown Sofia</a>, I\'ve <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/05/celebrating-fakesgiving/\" target=\"_blank\">made mulled wine</a> and I\'ve listened to Christmas music. I am making good progress on my list.I\'ve been a busy cookie.\n\nThe lemon cookie recipe came straight from the <a href=\"http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/luscious-lemon-squares/c01a5935-6f52-419c-af08-e8c267c1aaf7\" target=\"_blank\">Betty Crocker website</a>. This is the recipe of my childhood. Who needs to improve on a good thing?! Certainly not me.\n\nI am happy to report that these cookie bars turned out excellently. I couldn\'t be happier with them. Maybe you\'ll want to make them too.','Lemon Bar Cookies ','','inherit','open','open','','5959-autosave','','','2011-12-12 20:35:42','2011-12-12 18:35:42','',5959,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/12/5959-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(5968,1,'2011-12-24 10:38:58','2011-12-24 08:38:58','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 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.\r\n\r\nBut you these are the things you do for Christmas. <!--more-->\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','','publish','open','open','','sugar-cookies-standard-issue','','','2011-12-24 10:38:58','2011-12-24 08:38:58','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5968',0,'post','',1),(5970,1,'2012-02-20 07:04:46','2012-02-20 05:04:46','I watched the Bulgarian film \"A Time of Violence\" recently. It\'s one of those films that I\'ve taken way to long to actually watch.\r\n\r\nSomehow I thought it was going to be over the top with Bulgarian nationalism. So I put it off and put it off. And put it off some more.\r\n\r\nI\'d been told under no uncertain terms by a Bulgarian that: first I had to watch the film and that upon watching the film I\'d hate the Turks. Um, language like this makes me uneasy and so I passively resisted by not watching the film.\r\n\r\n<iframe src=\"http://www.youtube.com/embed/gSxIrsmx7vE\" frameborder=\"0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\"></iframe>\r\n\r\nBut then I watched it and I couldn\'t stop. I didn\'t want to talk to my parents on skype (but I did). I paused to make dinner (because I was starving). And then I cried for the final 15 minutes of the film.\r\n\r\nNow here\'s the thing, the film has a very clear point of view. It\'s based on a Bulgarian novel, made in Bulgaria in 1988 by Bulgarians and Bulgarians have pretty good historical reasons for disliking the Ottoman Empire.\r\n\r\nAs an outsider, it\'s been difficult for me to grasp the often nearly palpable hate that many Bulgarians express for the Turks during the Ottoman occupation of Bulgaria.<!--more--> I\'d read about <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Janissary\" target=\"_blank\">janissaries</a> and the Ottoman occupation of Bulgaria. I\'d heard about the \"Turkish Yoke.\" I\'d read widely through Bulgarian history. I had an understanding of the events but I hadn\'t spent much time thinking about what all of these meant on a personal level.\r\n\r\nThe movie makes it personal. Really personal. The forced conversion of Christian villagers in the Rhodope Mountains to Islam at the hands of a Bulgarian jannissary and his army.\r\n\r\nThe film makes this history real and personal in a way that it wasn\'t for me before watching.  In the film you meet one small village and you are quickly pulled into their troubles.  Interestingly you also get to see both sides of the story because you also meet the Turkish governor ruling over this part of the Rhodope Mountains.\r\n\r\nWhat stood out to me was how little actual violence there actually is in film. There\'s implied violence and plenty of cruelty but hardly any out and out violence. I expected more given the name of the film, the history of the time period and my imagination.\r\n\r\nI also didn\'t expect the ending of the film leading me to engage in some pretty serious crying while waiting for something <em>really</em> bad to happen. But it doesn\'t happen, making it almost worse because you know it <em>will</em> happen.\r\n\r\nI am really glad that I decided to finally watch the film. Maybe I shouldn\'t be so stubborn about these things in the future.','A Time of Violence ','','publish','open','open','','a-time-of-violence','','','2012-02-19 11:08:49','2012-02-19 09:08:49','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5970',0,'post','',11),(5969,1,'2011-12-12 20:50:39','2011-12-12 18:50:39','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 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. 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\nI probably wont want to eat a single cookie by the time I am finally done main','Sugar Cookies: Standard Issue','','inherit','open','open','','5968-revision','','','2011-12-12 20:50:39','2011-12-12 18:50:39','',5968,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/12/5968-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5971,1,'2011-12-12 20:57:10','2011-12-12 18:57:10','I watched the Bulgarian film \"A Time of Violence\" last week. It\'s probably one of those films that I\'ve taken way to long not wa','A Time of Violence ','','inherit','open','open','','5970-revision','','','2011-12-12 20:57:10','2011-12-12 18:57:10','',5970,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/12/5970-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5972,1,'2011-12-12 20:52:04','2011-12-12 18:52:04','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 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. 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&nbsp;','Sugar Cookies: Standard Issue','','inherit','open','open','','5968-revision-2','','','2011-12-12 20:52:04','2011-12-12 18:52:04','',5968,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/12/5968-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(5974,1,'2011-12-15 06:49:08','2011-12-15 04:49:08','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 life in Bulgaria right before the changes. I\'d heard about the book earlier this year but it was Petya writing 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 buy and start reading 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. 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). I am also not convinced that everyone needs to be such a single-track 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? Well I am making an on-going list on the tab at the top of my blog, maybe you know the one: <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/works-cited/\" target=\"_blank\">Works Cited</a>--but here are a few of my favorites.\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</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</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</li>\n	<li>Solo by Rana Dasgupta</li>\n</ul>','Books, Christmas and Bulgaria ','','inherit','open','open','','5973-revision','','','2011-12-15 06:49:08','2011-12-15 04:49:08','',5973,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/15/5973-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(6026,1,'2011-12-23 09:21:26','2011-12-23 07:21:26','Today is the first day of my Christmas holiday and I couldn\'t be happier.\r\n\r\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.\r\n\r\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]\r\n\r\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.\r\n\r\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.\r\n\r\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]\r\n\r\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.\r\n\r\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]\r\n\r\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.\r\n\r\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.\r\n\r\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!!','','publish','open','open','','hip-hip-houray-its-holiday','','','2011-12-23 09:21:26','2011-12-23 07:21:26','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=6026',0,'post','',0),(5976,1,'2011-12-15 09:41:01','2011-12-15 07:41:01','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 life in Bulgaria right before the changes. I\'d heard about the book earlier this year but it was Petya writing 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 buy and start reading 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. 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). I am also not convinced that everyone needs to be such a single-track 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? Well I am making an on-going list on the tab at the top of my blog, maybe you know the one: <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/works-cited/\" target=\"_blank\">Works Cited</a>--but here are a few of my favorites.\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. My favorite stories are</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</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</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</li>\n</ul>','Books, Christmas and Bulgaria ','','inherit','open','open','','5973-revision-2','','','2011-12-15 09:41:01','2011-12-15 07:41:01','',5973,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/15/5973-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(5977,1,'2011-12-15 20:31:30','2011-12-15 18:31:30','I don\'t want to make anyone crazy jealous but I have a hunch that I am about to.\r\n\r\nHere it goes.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Bulgarian Christmas cards\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Bulgarian Christmas cards\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6516857681/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6516857681_cf46d9e9de_b.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian Christmas cards\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nTonight I was walking home from school and I passed a stationary store selling Christmas cards. I stopped to buy a few. Okay or I bought 20 leva worth and then I also bought 4 leva worth of notebooks.\r\n\r\nWhy? Because I am awesome. And so were the notebooks.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Notebook with girls picking roses on the cover\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Notebook of girls picking roses\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6516860047/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6516860047_443365fa8c_b.jpg\" alt=\"Notebook of girls picking roses\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nHere\'s where the jealous part comes in. I bought the last two in the store.\r\n\r\nWhy? Because I am not fooling around. When you see things this great for the same price as your morning cappuccino you buy them. Then you blog about them.\r\n\r\nAfter that you decide what you\'re going to do with two notebooks with Bulgarian girls dressed up in national costume picking roses on the front cover.\r\n\r\nSeriously, does it get much better than this?!','Christmas Cards and not one but two new Notebooks ','','publish','open','open','','christmas-cards-and-not-one-but-two-new-notebooks','','','2011-12-15 20:31:30','2011-12-15 18:31:30','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=5977',0,'post','',7),(5978,1,'2011-12-15 20:27:12','2011-12-15 18:27:12','I don\'t want to make anyone crazy jealous but I have a hunch that I am about to. Here it goes.\n\n<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Bulgarian Christmas cards\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6516857681/\"><img class=\"alignnone\" src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6516857681_cf46d9e9de_b.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian Christmas cards\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" /></a> Tonight I was walking home from school and I passed a stationary store selling Christmas cards. I stopped to buy a few. Okay or I bought 20 leva worth and then I also bought 4 leva worth of notebooks. Why? Because I am awesome. And so were the notebooks.\n\nHere\'s where the jealous part comes in. I bought the last two in the store. Why? Because I am not fooling around. When you see things this great for the same price as your morning cappuccino you buy them. Then you blog about them.\n\nAfter that you decide what you\'re going to do with two notebooks with Bulgarian girls dressed up in national costume picking roses.','A new Notebook ','','inherit','open','open','','5977-revision','','','2011-12-15 20:27:12','2011-12-15 18:27:12','',5977,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/15/5977-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(5979,1,'2011-12-15 20:29:15','2011-12-15 18:29:15','I don\'t want to make anyone crazy jealous but I have a hunch that I am about to. Here it goes.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Bulgarian Christmas cards\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Bulgarian Christmas cards\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6516857681/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6516857681_cf46d9e9de_b.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian Christmas cards\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nTonight I was walking home from school and I passed a stationary store selling Christmas cards. I stopped to buy a few. Okay or I bought 20 leva worth and then I also bought 4 leva worth of notebooks. Why? Because I am awesome. And so were the notebooks.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Notebook with girls picking roses on the cover\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Notebook of girls picking roses\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6516860047/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6516860047_443365fa8c_b.jpg\" alt=\"Notebook of girls picking roses\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nHere\'s where the jealous part comes in. I bought the last two in the store. Why? Because I am not fooling around. When you see things this great for the same price as your morning cappuccino you buy them. Then you blog about them.\n\nAfter that you decide what you\'re going to do with two notebooks with Bulgarian girls dressed up in national costume picking roses.','Christmas Cards and not o Notebook ','','inherit','open','open','','5977-revision-2','','','2011-12-15 20:29:15','2011-12-15 18:29:15','',5977,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/15/5977-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(5980,1,'2011-12-15 20:30:40','2011-12-15 18:30:40','I don\'t want to make anyone crazy jealous but I have a hunch that I am about to. Here it goes.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Bulgarian Christmas cards\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Bulgarian Christmas cards\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6516857681/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6516857681_cf46d9e9de_b.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian Christmas cards\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nTonight I was walking home from school and I passed a stationary store selling Christmas cards. I stopped to buy a few. Okay or I bought 20 leva worth and then I also bought 4 leva worth of notebooks.\r\n\r\nWhy? Because I am awesome. And so were the notebooks.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Notebook with girls picking roses on the cover\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Notebook of girls picking roses\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6516860047/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6516860047_443365fa8c_b.jpg\" alt=\"Notebook of girls picking roses\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\r\n\r\nHere\'s where the jealous part comes in. I bought the last two in the store. Why? Because I am not fooling around. When you see things this great for the same price as your morning cappuccino you buy them. Then you blog about them.\r\n\r\nAfter that you decide what you\'re going to do with two notebooks with Bulgarian girls dressed up in national costume picking roses on the front cover.\r\n\r\nSeriously, does it get much better than this?!','Christmas Cards and not one but two new Notebooks ','','inherit','open','open','','5977-revision-3','','','2011-12-15 20:30:40','2011-12-15 18:30:40','',5977,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/15/5977-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(5981,1,'2011-12-15 20:33:06','2011-12-15 18:33:06','I don\'t want to make anyone crazy jealous but I have a hunch that I am about to.\n\nHere it goes.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Bulgarian Christmas cards\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Bulgarian Christmas cards\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6516857681/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6516857681_cf46d9e9de_b.jpg\" alt=\"Bulgarian Christmas cards\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nTonight I was walking home from school and I passed a stationary store selling Christmas cards. I stopped to buy a few. Okay or I bought 20 leva worth and then I also bought 4 leva worth of notebooks.\n\nWhy? Because I am awesome. And so were the notebooks.\n\n[caption id=\"\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"614\" caption=\"Notebook with girls picking roses on the cover\"]<a class=\"tt-flickr tt-flickr-Large\" title=\"Notebook of girls picking roses\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6516860047/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6516860047_443365fa8c_b.jpg\" alt=\"Notebook of girls picking roses\" width=\"614\" height=\"410\" /></a>[/caption]\n\nHere\'s where the jealous part comes in. I bought the last two in the store.\n\nWhy? Because I am not fooling around. When you see things this great for the same price as your morning cappuccino you buy them. Then you blog about them.\n\nAfter that you decide what you\'re going to do with two notebooks with Bulgarian girls dressed up in national costume picking roses on the front cover.\n\nSeriously, does it get much better than this?!','Christmas Cards and not one but two new Notebooks ','','inherit','open','open','','5977-autosave','','','2011-12-15 20:33:06','2011-12-15 18:33:06','',5977,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/15/5977-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(5982,1,'2011-12-15 23:07:47','2011-12-15 21:07:47','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 life in Bulgaria right before the changes. I\'d heard about the book earlier this year but it was Petya writing 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 buy and start reading 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. And, 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). Sure 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.\n\nAnyhow which Bulgarian novels should you buy for your nearest and dearest (or simply for yourself) this year? Well I am making an on-going list on the tab at the top of my blog, maybe you know the one: <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/works-cited/\" target=\"_blank\">Works Cited</a>--but here are a few of my favorites from this past year.\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 and next door neighbor. 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.</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 your no. As a collection they paint a rich and varied','Books, Christmas and Bulgaria ','','inherit','open','open','','5973-revision-3','','','2011-12-15 23:07:47','2011-12-15 21:07:47','',5973,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/15/5973-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(5983,1,'2011-12-16 06:51:03','2011-12-16 04:51:03','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\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.\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.','Books, Christmas and Bulgaria ','','inherit','open','open','','5973-revision-4','','','2011-12-16 06:51:03','2011-12-16 04:51:03','',5973,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/16/5973-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(5984,1,'2011-12-16 06:51:04','2011-12-16 04:51:04','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.\r\n\r\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).\r\n\r\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).\r\n\r\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.\r\n\r\nAnyhow which Bulgarian novels should you buy for your nearest and dearest (or simply for yourself) this year? <!--more-->\r\n\r\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.\r\n<ul>\r\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>\r\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>\r\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>\r\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>\r\n</ul>\r\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.','Books, Christmas and Bulgaria ','','inherit','open','open','','5973-revision-5','','','2011-12-16 06:51:04','2011-12-16 04:51:04','',5973,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/12/16/5973-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),