I don't lists that are posts very often.  But this said, here's my new list.  It's a list of the things I can't get enough in Sofia, Bulgaria.  Things that I see and love, laugh at or just find wonderful.  There's a lot of stuff to love here.

[caption id="attachment_1293" align="alignleft" width="500" caption="First and foremost are the friends I&#39;ve made in Bulgaria!"]<img class="size-full wp-image-1293" title="Friends " src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/dsc01133.jpg" alt="First and foremost are the friends I've made in Bulgaria!" width="500" height="375" />[/caption]
<ol>
	<li>First up, <strong>Crimped Hair</strong>. Followed by my second favorite style: <strong>Teased Hair</strong>. There's a lot of crimped hair in Sofia this fall.  I noticed it late this spring/early summer but now it's every where.  The thing I don't really get is the fact that mostly the crimping happens right at or around the roots of the hair. Rather than actually crimping all of one's hair.  I think it's to give it volume but some times there's an errant crimp or two near the middle or bottom of one's hair. All of this said, I like the commitment to volume even if it means that women walk around with hair that kind of looks like a mix between a helmet and I spent the night at my boyfriends and this is as good as it gets the next morning.</li>
	<li><strong>The Metro</strong>. I love the metro.  For some unknown reason, it more or less runs on time, it's clean and easy to use.  These things alone make it a novelty in Bulgaria.  And on top of this it's easy to get around the city and it's cheap. The thing I hate is that to enter the metro with your ticket you've got to use the ticket machines on your left rather than on your right. Effectively you've got to cross your arm over your body to make the machine work. I am getting better and better at this even though it feels completely, absolutely wrong to me.<!--more--></li>
	<li><strong>Shopping in a well stocked grocery store</strong>. I probably don't really need to elaborate on this one.  But I realized recently that often I decide what to buy based on whether or not I can tell how to make it.  I am getting better and better at reading pictures and Bulgarian.  I have to say that when the labels of different food products have Hungarian, Turkish, Greek, Romanian, Russian and Bulgarian--I am glad I know Cyrillic. Yep.  I am not sure I ever thought I'd say that. Also there's the <strong>Billa Card</strong>. I like Billa a lot.  See the first half of number three.  But one of the things I can't get enough of is the fact that when I am checking out at Billa the cashiers almost never say hello to me but they always ask if I have a Billa Card.  I say no.  I pay with a 20 leva note and they give me a look--like really you don't have anything smaller? Um it's not like I can get 5 leva notes from the ATM.</li>
	<li>Then there's the <strong>Cold Water Phenomena</strong>. This is still something I am getting the hang of.  Basically, Bulgarians seem sure that cold water, cold air and/or other cold things like this will make you sick.  I am not sure why or how this works.  In fact, I am kind of skeptical about the whole thing but now just to hedge my bets I too drink room temperature water.  I think most of the time I'd rather drink cold water but well, when in Bulgaria...</li>
	<li>Walking home at night and <strong>looking into the lit up windows in blocks all over Mladost</strong>--there's something really wonderful about it.  To see that people are home, living their lives--in apartments and flats all over the city.  A patchwork of windows in yellow light, white light and gray-blue light.  In the dark of night it looks pretty incredible.</li>
	<li>I've said it before and been reminded that prices are different for those of use who get paid expat salaries but I can't help repeat the fact that I  love the prices of food, beverages and taxis in Bulgaria. Especially the <strong>Price of Beer</strong>. Two leva or less that's hard to beat. For the record, I also feel guilty when I am told the final prices and I always leave a tip.</li>
	<li><strong>Feeling like I am actually learning Bulgarian</strong>. I am taking lessons on Sunday with a tutor that I met through my blog! Hi, I.  And I am taking lessons twice a week at the American College with a teacher.  Oh yeah and this year I am actually posting little blogs in Bulgarian (which my MoM always makes me translate for her--she's then disappointed because she already knows what I've said in Bulgarian).</li>
	<li><strong>Roasted Pumpkin</strong>. Um, I think that the very best roasted pumpkin is sold by this really cute old Bulgarian man at the corner of Graf Ignativ and the 6th of September right inside the corner of the park.  It's amazing.  I can honestly say I've never had anything like it before and as many times as I have had it, I've never been disappointed by it.  That's a lot to live up to for a humble veggie like pumpkin.  More or less it's like pumpkin pie without the crust.  Delicious.</li>
	<li>This one is a toss up.  I can't enough of two different things: <strong>Bulgarian Red</strong> and <strong>Bulgarian Women in Boots</strong>. The thing is I don't mean Bulgarian red wine.  What I actually mean is the hair color: Bulgarian Red. I've written about it before....<a href="http://karolinkabulgaria.wordpress.com/2009/03/31/things-i-dont-understand/">How can every woman go to the hair dresser and come out with the same color of hair? Does she say: “oh give me what you just gave her” and point?</a> Then there are the Boots. Now that it's fall and winter's around the corner, the boots are emerging.  They come in all shapes and sizes but the ones that make my heart pitter-patter have high heals, patent leather, buckles and are either black (boring) or shinny and bright.  Now that's pretty incredible. I am pull between a desire to own a pair and to run very far away from this Bulgarian fashion.  So far I find myself in the later camp.  No boots yet.  Maybe because then I'd have to buy super-duper skinny jeans to wear under my boots to complete the look.</li>
	<li><strong>Fall in Sofia</strong>. The might be the thing I love the most.  The thing that I can't get enough of.  I can't believe that I am here for a second fall.  It's crisp, cold and wonderful to be here, now.  I wake up in the morning and think: really? I am here?! Yep.</li>
</ol>
There are a few things that I can get enough of (and have had enough of).
<ol>
	<li>That's the <strong>Surprise Pickle</strong>. It's the pickle that shows up hidden under a layer of cheese on pizza, in yogurt/mayonnaise based salads or even in baked and breaded meat dishes.  Don't get me wrong, I like pickles.  I just don't like it when I'm caught off guard by them.</li>
	<li><strong>Uneven Sidewalks</strong>. That's it. I hate them. I think all sidewalks are out to get me. Seriously.</li>
	<li><strong>Teenagers making-out everywhere</strong>.  Yes, I was a teenager once but really?! Buses, park benches, the hallway at school.  They are everywhere I tell you, everywhere. I get it, I work at a high school but it's gratuitous.</li>
	<li>A piece of me thinks that after a year here, I'd be better at <strong>standing in line</strong>.  Not the case. I hate that I always end up at the end with no one else behind me.  Then I get to watch other people cut in line before me. I can't say anything of substance to them besides give mean looks and I am not sure I'd want to say anything and then be forced to stand in line anyway.</li>
	<li>I know that I am about to commit a huge sin but I loath eating <strong>Shopska Salad in Winter</strong>.  I know, I know this is like the Bulgarian national salad and in fact it's probably in my best interest not to write this but I am. Now that summer is over, the salad tastes flat to me.  The tomatoes and cucumbers are being imported kind of red and kind of green.  They look like tomatoes and cucumbers but that's about where the resemblance stops. Last year, I ate the salad out with Bulgarians based on their recommendations (as if I  had one yet); I smiled and choked down underripe (or never to ripen) tomatoes and bitter cucumbers.  I will not do that this year.  I will wait until summer rolls back around and the salad once again tastes like sunshine.</li>
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