(7080,1,'2012-08-26 20:38:47','2012-08-26 18:38:47','This weekend I took a little trip to Pendleton, Oregon with my parents as well as<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/14/a-wedding-in-walla-walla/\" target=\"_blank\"> my bother N. and his wife K.</a> Pendleton is about an hour drive from Walla Walla along country roads. It\'s an even longer drive if you get behind a big semi truck that can get up to speed on the hills and then sit for a while on the highway due to road construction/maintenance.\r\n\r\nNo matter.\r\n\r\nWe were driving to Pendleton for a whiskey tasting and release party.\r\n\r\nPretty cool, Pendleton. Pretty cool.\r\n<a title=\"Hamely\'s Wheat Whiskey by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7865632764/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8283/7865632764_5d231171ab_z.jpg\" alt=\"Hamely\'s Wheat Whiskey\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Me at Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858076078/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8284/7858076078_da94d5981f_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me at Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nHamley\'s has just made and released their own whiskey but what makes this whiskey different is that it is made from wheat rather then rye. Why wheat? Well, farmers around Pendleton (and between Pendleton and Walla Walla) grow wheat. Wheat is our grain. Thus whiskey from wheat. Here\'s a really brief piece from <a href=\"http://union-bulletin.com/news/2012/aug/20/hamley-reveals-regions-wheat-new-bottling/#\" target=\"_blank\">the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin newspaper on the whiskey</a>.\r\n\r\nIt seemed interesting and new and just intriguing enough to drive to Pendleton on a Friday night.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nIn my mind, Pendleton is the land of cowboys. There\'s a huge (and very old) rodeo each fall in Pendleton called the <a href=\"http://pendletonroundup.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Pendleton Round Up</a>. The city is crawling with people decked out in the following \"uniform:\" cowboy boots, big belt buckles, plaid shirts and cowboy hats. Streets are closed, country bands set-up outside, bars open their doors (although you\'re not allowed to drink outside on streets) and everyone has a hell of a time dancing and drinking. Oh and actual rodeo tickets are pretty hard to come by--just in case you are wondering you can buy season tickets to the rodeo just like any other sport in America.\r\n\r\nAnd if Pendleton is home of the cowboy then Hamely\'s clothes, outfits and feeds cowboys and has in some way, shape or fashion since 1883.<a href=\"http://www.hamleyco.com/aboutHistory.htm\" target=\"_blank\"> Check out this crazy-great timeline</a>. Hamely\'s is a Pendleton institution. The current owners have worked to rebuild the cache of the name and the brand.\r\n\r\nHamely\'s Whiskey is clearly their newest addition. And what an addition it is.\r\n<a title=\"Drinking Hamely\'s Wheat Whiskey neat by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7865642260/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7111/7865642260_12de779d45_z.jpg\" alt=\"Drinking Hamely\'s Wheat Whiskey neat\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThe party was held in the garden space in front of their steakhouse and next to their clothing and horse tack shop--where they make by hand leather saddles. There was a band, there were drinks and there was bbq.  The night was warm but not too hot. We had a great time--then again we seem to always have a great time no matter what we\'re doing. (I have such a great family.)\r\n<a title=\"Me and my brother at Hamely\'s by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7865675974/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8429/7865675974_ca555b714b_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me and my brother at Hamely\'s\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nAnyhow, back to the whiskey. There were free samples of the new whiskey and there were cocktails made with the whiskey.\r\n\r\nObviously with wheat flavoring the whiskey rather than the traditional rye, the taste was different and I think that the color was a little lighter although this whiskey had also been aged in barrels. In terms of taste, the whiskey had a lighter flavor and was very smooth. The basic idea and essence of whiskey was there but this Hamely\'s whiskey didn\'t seem to linger on the tongue as long as some of the other whiskeys I\'ve tried.\r\n\r\nAll in all, I liked it.\r\n\r\nI think lots of people turn to whiskey in the fall and winter as it\'s a drink that warms you up and after the whiskey has aged in oak barrels, it\'s smokey and seems like the perfect drink to enjoy in front of a fire curled up under a blanket. This said, the Hamely\'s whiskey is smokey and warming but not as heavy as other whiskeys. Even in the middle of summer, I was happy to sip this whiskey neat as well as to drink it in a cocktail.\r\n<a title=\"The tall dark and Hamely by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7865654074/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7135/7865654074_8bcbb47691_z.jpg\" alt=\"The tall dark and Hamely\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Drinking a whiskey cocktail (the tall dark and Hamely) at the Whiskey Release Party by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7865661658/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8440/7865661658_891ee94403_z.jpg\" alt=\"Drinking a whiskey cocktail (the tall dark and Hamely) at the Whiskey Release Party\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThe cocktail that I tried was: the tall, dark and Hamley. I ordered it for two reasons: 1.) it didn\'t sound like it was going to be too sweet and I hate with a burning passion cocktails that are sweet and 2.) I liked the name. Tall, dark and Hamley.... tall, dark and handsome.  It was everything I\'d hoped for.\r\n<a title=\"Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858061558/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8290/7858061558_9d27de214e_z.jpg\" alt=\"Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThe bbq was also top notch. At the event you could choose from beef, pork, chicken, lamb and turkey. I went with the lamb. I might not have chosen the lamb but my dAd asked if he could have a taste of the lamb before picking and the sample of lamb was all that I needed to know that the lamb was the way to go. I thought it was done perfectly--it was cooked well and not at all dry. That seems to be a hard balance to find for lamb. The chili wasn\'t bad either it was just that the lamb was so much better.\r\n<a title=\"Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858048598/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8307/7858048598_aee2356b27_z.jpg\" alt=\"Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThe night ended with all of us sitting around, talking and occasionally singing along to popular country songs.\r\n<a title=\"K and T at Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7857971704/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7266/7857971704_a7131e5c0e_z.jpg\" alt=\"K and T at Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nI apparently surprised my dAd by knowing all of the worlds to \"Friends in Low Places\" by Garth Brooks because he then started taking tons of pictures of my brother and me singing and I heard him say: she knows all the words.\r\n<a title=\"My brother and me Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7857989280/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8433/7857989280_559583ba1d_z.jpg\" alt=\"My brother and me Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a><a title=\"My brother and me Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7857983170/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8439/7857983170_a2b577ef93_z.jpg\" alt=\"My brother and me Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a><a title=\"My brother and me Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7857977168/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8285/7857977168_dbe4728a8f_z.jpg\" alt=\"My brother and me Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nReally, dAd, what kind of girl would I be if I didn\'t know the words?!  This is a country classic. Sure I live in the city but I grew up in the country. So for better or worse this Garth Brooks song is a part of me.  It\'s also a bar favorite given the fact it\'s all about drinking, women and friends.\r\n<a title=\"Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858040432/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7126/7858040432_9a0daf8915_z.jpg\" alt=\"Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThen we took some family pictures. My dAd, who is among the silliest, goofiest people I know, wanted me to let everyone know that he was our D.D. (you know, designated driver) and that over the course of the whole night he had one sip of whiskey and a single beer with dinner but that he\'s still game for the ZZ Top baseball hat and sun glasses look. Yep, my dAd doesn\'t need to drink a thing to have fun.\r\n<a title=\"dAd and me at Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858006184/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7113/7858006184_9a068c0ef5_z.jpg\" alt=\"dAd and me at Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858022468/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7253/7858022468_ca8cde320c_z.jpg\" alt=\"Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858011644/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8432/7858011644_1145da5fe4_z.jpg\" alt=\"Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7857931180/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8443/7857931180_32bca4b513_z.jpg\" alt=\"Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThanks for driving us to Pendleton, dAd!\r\n\r\nAnd three cheers of Hamely\'s whiskey. If you ever want to visit Hamely\'s30 Southeast Court Avenue Pendleton, OR 97801 (541) 278-1100. Enjoy.\r\n\r\nOh and there are plenty of <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/\" target=\"_blank\">outtakes and silly photos of our night on flickr</a> if you didn\'t get enough in this post  like this one of me kissing the red cow that comes along with the tall, dark and Hamely.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"The tall dark and Hamely drink comes with a red cow by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7865699168/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8300/7865699168_1267f0f262_z.jpg\" alt=\"The tall dark and Hamely drink comes with a red cow\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>','Hamley\'s Whiskey Tasting in Pendleton ','','inherit','open','open','','7069-revision-10','','','2012-08-26 20:38:47','2012-08-26 18:38:47','',7069,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/26/7069-revision-10/',0,'revision','',0),(7081,1,'2012-08-26 20:41:35','2012-08-26 18:41:35','This weekend I took a little trip to Pendleton, Oregon with my parents as well as<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/14/a-wedding-in-walla-walla/\" target=\"_blank\"> my bother N. and his wife K.</a> Pendleton is about an hour drive from Walla Walla along country roads. It\'s an even longer drive if you get behind a big semi truck that can get up to speed on the hills and then sit for a while on the highway due to road construction/maintenance.\r\n\r\nNo matter.\r\n\r\nWe were driving to Pendleton for a whiskey tasting and release party.\r\n\r\nPretty cool, Pendleton. Pretty cool.\r\n<a title=\"Hamely\'s Wheat Whiskey by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7865632764/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8283/7865632764_5d231171ab_z.jpg\" alt=\"Hamely\'s Wheat Whiskey\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Me at Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858076078/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8284/7858076078_da94d5981f_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me at Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nHamley\'s has just made and released their own whiskey but what makes this whiskey different is that it is made from wheat rather then rye. Why wheat? Well, farmers around Pendleton (and between Pendleton and Walla Walla) grow wheat. Wheat is our grain. Thus whiskey from wheat. Here\'s a really brief piece from <a href=\"http://union-bulletin.com/news/2012/aug/20/hamley-reveals-regions-wheat-new-bottling/#\" target=\"_blank\">the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin newspaper on the whiskey</a>.\r\n\r\nIt seemed interesting and new and just intriguing enough to drive to Pendleton on a Friday night.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nIn my mind, Pendleton is the land of cowboys. There\'s a huge (and very old) rodeo each fall in Pendleton called the <a href=\"http://pendletonroundup.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Pendleton Round Up</a>. The city is crawling with people decked out in the following \"uniform:\" cowboy boots, big belt buckles, plaid shirts and cowboy hats. Streets are closed, country bands set-up outside, bars open their doors (although you\'re not allowed to drink outside on streets) and everyone has a hell of a time dancing and drinking. Oh and actual rodeo tickets are pretty hard to come by--just in case you are wondering you can buy season tickets to the rodeo just like any other sport in America.\r\n\r\nAnd if Pendleton is home of the cowboy then Hamley\'s clothes, outfits and feeds cowboys and has in some way, shape or fashion since 1883.<a href=\"http://www.hamleyco.com/aboutHistory.htm\" target=\"_blank\"> Check out this crazy-great timeline</a>. Hamley\'s is a Pendleton institution. The current owners have worked to rebuild the cache of the name and the brand.\r\n\r\nHamley\'s Whiskey is clearly their newest addition. And what an addition it is.\r\n<a title=\"Drinking Hamely\'s Wheat Whiskey neat by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7865642260/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7111/7865642260_12de779d45_z.jpg\" alt=\"Drinking Hamely\'s Wheat Whiskey neat\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThe party was held in the garden space in front of their steakhouse and next to their clothing and horse tack shop--where they make by hand leather saddles. There was a band, there were drinks and there was bbq.  The night was warm but not too hot. We had a great time--then again we seem to always have a great time no matter what we\'re doing. (I have such a great family.)\r\n<a title=\"Me and my brother at Hamely\'s by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7865675974/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8429/7865675974_ca555b714b_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me and my brother at Hamely\'s\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nAnyhow, back to the whiskey. There were free samples of the new whiskey and there were cocktails made with the whiskey.\r\n\r\nObviously with wheat flavoring the whiskey rather than the traditional rye, the taste was different and I think that the color was a little lighter although this whiskey had also been aged in barrels. In terms of taste, the whiskey had a lighter flavor and was very smooth. The basic idea and essence of whiskey was there but this Hamley\'s whiskey didn\'t seem to linger on the tongue as long as some of the other whiskeys I\'ve tried.\r\n\r\nAll in all, I liked it.\r\n\r\nI think lots of people turn to whiskey in the fall and winter as it\'s a drink that warms you up and after the whiskey has aged in oak barrels, it\'s smokey and seems like the perfect drink to enjoy in front of a fire curled up under a blanket. This said, the Hamley\'s whiskey is smokey and warming but not as heavy as other whiskeys. Even in the middle of summer, I was happy to sip this whiskey neat as well as to drink it in a cocktail.\r\n<a title=\"The tall dark and Hamely by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7865654074/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7135/7865654074_8bcbb47691_z.jpg\" alt=\"The tall dark and Hamely\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Drinking a whiskey cocktail (the tall dark and Hamely) at the Whiskey Release Party by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7865661658/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8440/7865661658_891ee94403_z.jpg\" alt=\"Drinking a whiskey cocktail (the tall dark and Hamely) at the Whiskey Release Party\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThe cocktail that I tried was: the tall, dark and Hamley. I ordered it for two reasons: 1.) it didn\'t sound like it was going to be too sweet and I hate with a burning passion cocktails that are sweet and 2.) I liked the name. Tall, dark and Hamley.... tall, dark and handsome.  It was everything I\'d hoped for.\r\n<a title=\"Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858061558/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8290/7858061558_9d27de214e_z.jpg\" alt=\"Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThe bbq was also top notch. At the event you could choose from beef, pork, chicken, lamb and turkey. I went with the lamb. I might not have chosen the lamb but my dAd asked if he could have a taste of the lamb before picking and the sample of lamb was all that I needed to know that the lamb was the way to go. I thought it was done perfectly--it was cooked well and not at all dry. That seems to be a hard balance to find for lamb. The chili wasn\'t bad either it was just that the lamb was so much better.\r\n<a title=\"Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858048598/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8307/7858048598_aee2356b27_z.jpg\" alt=\"Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThe night ended with all of us sitting around, talking and occasionally singing along to popular country songs.\r\n<a title=\"K and T at Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7857971704/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7266/7857971704_a7131e5c0e_z.jpg\" alt=\"K and T at Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nI apparently surprised my dAd by knowing all of the worlds to \"Friends in Low Places\" by Garth Brooks because he then started taking tons of pictures of my brother and me singing and I heard him say: she knows all the words.\r\n<a title=\"My brother and me Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7857989280/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8433/7857989280_559583ba1d_z.jpg\" alt=\"My brother and me Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a><a title=\"My brother and me Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7857983170/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8439/7857983170_a2b577ef93_z.jpg\" alt=\"My brother and me Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a><a title=\"My brother and me Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7857977168/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8285/7857977168_dbe4728a8f_z.jpg\" alt=\"My brother and me Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nReally, dAd, what kind of girl would I be if I didn\'t know the words?!  This is a country classic. Sure I live in the city but I grew up in the country. So for better or worse this Garth Brooks song is a part of me.  It\'s also a bar favorite given the fact it\'s all about drinking, women and friends.\r\n<a title=\"Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858040432/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7126/7858040432_9a0daf8915_z.jpg\" alt=\"Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThen we took some family pictures. My dAd, who is among the silliest, goofiest people I know, wanted me to let everyone know that he was our D.D. (you know, designated driver) and that over the course of the whole night he had one sip of whiskey and a single beer with dinner but that he\'s still game for the ZZ Top baseball hat and sun glasses look. Yep, my dAd doesn\'t need to drink a thing to have fun.\r\n<a title=\"dAd and me at Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858006184/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7113/7858006184_9a068c0ef5_z.jpg\" alt=\"dAd and me at Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858022468/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7253/7858022468_ca8cde320c_z.jpg\" alt=\"Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858011644/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8432/7858011644_1145da5fe4_z.jpg\" alt=\"Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7857931180/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8443/7857931180_32bca4b513_z.jpg\" alt=\"Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThanks for driving us to Pendleton, dAd!\r\n\r\nAnd three cheers of Hamley\'s whiskey. If you ever want to visit Hamley\'s 30 Southeast Court Avenue Pendleton, OR 97801 (541) 278-1100. Enjoy.\r\n\r\nOh and there are plenty of <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/\" target=\"_blank\">outtakes and silly photos of our night on flickr</a> if you didn\'t get enough in this post  like this one of me kissing the red cow that comes along with the tall, dark and Hamley.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"The tall dark and Hamely drink comes with a red cow by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7865699168/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8300/7865699168_1267f0f262_z.jpg\" alt=\"The tall dark and Hamely drink comes with a red cow\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>','Hamley\'s Whiskey Tasting in Pendleton ','','inherit','open','open','','7069-revision-11','','','2012-08-26 20:41:35','2012-08-26 18:41:35','',7069,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/26/7069-revision-11/',0,'revision','',0),(7082,1,'2012-08-26 20:43:10','2012-08-26 18:43:10','This weekend I took a little trip to Pendleton, Oregon with my parents as well as<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/14/a-wedding-in-walla-walla/\" target=\"_blank\"> my bother N. and his wife K.</a> Pendleton is about an hour drive from Walla Walla along country roads. It\'s an even longer drive if you get behind a big semi truck that can get up to speed on the hills and then sit for a while on the highway due to road construction/maintenance.\r\n\r\nNo matter.\r\n\r\nWe were driving to Pendleton for a whiskey tasting and release party.\r\n\r\nPretty cool, Pendleton. Pretty cool.\r\n<a title=\"Hamely\'s Wheat Whiskey by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7865632764/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8283/7865632764_5d231171ab_z.jpg\" alt=\"Hamely\'s Wheat Whiskey\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Me at Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858076078/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8284/7858076078_da94d5981f_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me at Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nHamley\'s has just made and released their own whiskey but what makes this whiskey different is that it is made from wheat rather then rye. Why wheat? Well, farmers around Pendleton (and between Pendleton and Walla Walla) grow wheat. Wheat is our grain. Thus whiskey from wheat. Here\'s a really brief piece from <a href=\"http://union-bulletin.com/news/2012/aug/20/hamley-reveals-regions-wheat-new-bottling/#\" target=\"_blank\">the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin newspaper on the whiskey</a>.\r\n\r\nIt seemed interesting and new and just intriguing enough to drive to Pendleton on a Friday night.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nIn my mind, Pendleton is the land of cowboys. There\'s a huge (and very old) rodeo each fall in Pendleton called the <a href=\"http://pendletonroundup.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Pendleton Round Up</a>. The city is crawling with people decked out in the following \"uniform:\" cowboy boots, big belt buckles, plaid shirts and cowboy hats. Streets are closed, country bands set-up outside, bars open their doors (although you\'re not allowed to drink outside on streets) and everyone has a hell of a time dancing and drinking. Oh and actual rodeo tickets are pretty hard to come by--just in case you are wondering you can buy season tickets to the rodeo just like any other sport in America.\r\n\r\nAnd if Pendleton is home of the cowboy then Hamley\'s clothes, outfits and feeds cowboys and has in some way, shape or fashion since 1883.<a href=\"http://www.hamleyco.com/aboutHistory.htm\" target=\"_blank\"> Check out this crazy-great timeline</a>. Hamley\'s is a Pendleton institution. The current owners have worked to rebuild the cache of the name and the brand.\r\n\r\nHamley\'s Whiskey is clearly their newest addition. And what an addition it is.\r\n<a title=\"Drinking Hamely\'s Wheat Whiskey neat by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7865642260/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7111/7865642260_12de779d45_z.jpg\" alt=\"Drinking Hamely\'s Wheat Whiskey neat\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThe party was held in the garden space in front of their steakhouse and next to their clothing and horse tack shop--where they make by hand leather saddles. There was a band, there were drinks and there was bbq.  The night was warm but not too hot. We had a great time--then again we seem to always have a great time no matter what we\'re doing. (I have such a great family.)\r\n<a title=\"Me and my brother at Hamely\'s by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7865675974/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8429/7865675974_ca555b714b_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me and my brother at Hamely\'s\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nAnyhow, back to the whiskey. There were free samples of the new whiskey and there were cocktails made with the whiskey.\r\n\r\nObviously with wheat flavoring the whiskey rather than the traditional rye, the taste was different and I think that the color was a little lighter although this whiskey had also been aged in barrels. In terms of taste, the whiskey had a lighter flavor and was very smooth. The basic idea and essence of whiskey was there but this Hamley\'s whiskey didn\'t seem to linger on the tongue as long as some of the other whiskeys I\'ve tried.\r\n\r\nAll in all, I liked it.\r\n\r\nI think lots of people turn to whiskey in the fall and winter as it\'s a drink that warms you up and after the whiskey has aged in oak barrels, it\'s smokey and seems like the perfect drink to enjoy in front of a fire curled up under a blanket. This said, the Hamley\'s whiskey is smokey and warming but not as heavy as other whiskeys. Even in the middle of summer, I was happy to sip this whiskey neat as well as to drink it in a cocktail.\r\n<a title=\"The tall dark and Hamely by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7865654074/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7135/7865654074_8bcbb47691_z.jpg\" alt=\"The tall dark and Hamely\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Drinking a whiskey cocktail (the tall dark and Hamely) at the Whiskey Release Party by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7865661658/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8440/7865661658_891ee94403_z.jpg\" alt=\"Drinking a whiskey cocktail (the tall dark and Hamely) at the Whiskey Release Party\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThe cocktail that I tried was: the tall, dark and Hamley. I ordered it for two reasons: 1.) it didn\'t sound like it was going to be too sweet and I hate with a burning passion cocktails that are sweet and 2.) I liked the name. Tall, dark and Hamley.... tall, dark and handsome.  It was everything I\'d hoped for.\r\n<a title=\"Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858061558/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8290/7858061558_9d27de214e_z.jpg\" alt=\"Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThe bbq was also top notch. At the event you could choose from beef, pork, chicken, lamb and turkey. I went with the lamb. I might not have chosen the lamb but my dAd asked if he could have a taste of the lamb before picking and the sample of lamb was all that I needed to know that the lamb was the way to go. I thought it was done perfectly--it was cooked well and not at all dry. That seems to be a hard balance to find for lamb. The chili wasn\'t bad either it was just that the lamb was so much better.\r\n<a title=\"Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858048598/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8307/7858048598_aee2356b27_z.jpg\" alt=\"Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThe night ended with all of us sitting around, talking and occasionally singing along to popular country songs.\r\n<a title=\"K and T at Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7857971704/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7266/7857971704_a7131e5c0e_z.jpg\" alt=\"K and T at Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nI apparently surprised my dAd by knowing all of the worlds to \"Friends in Low Places\" by Garth Brooks because he then started taking tons of pictures of my brother and me singing and I heard him say: she knows all the words.\r\n<a title=\"My brother and me Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7857989280/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8433/7857989280_559583ba1d_z.jpg\" alt=\"My brother and me Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a><a title=\"My brother and me Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7857983170/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8439/7857983170_a2b577ef93_z.jpg\" alt=\"My brother and me Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a><a title=\"My brother and me Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7857977168/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8285/7857977168_dbe4728a8f_z.jpg\" alt=\"My brother and me Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nReally, dAd, what kind of girl would I be if I didn\'t know the words?!  This is a country classic. Sure I live in the city but I grew up in the country. So for better or worse this Garth Brooks song is a part of me.  It\'s also a bar favorite given the fact it\'s all about drinking, women and friends.\r\n<a title=\"Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858040432/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7126/7858040432_9a0daf8915_z.jpg\" alt=\"Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThen we took some family pictures. My dAd, who is among the silliest, goofiest people I know, wanted me to let everyone know that he was our D.D. (you know, designated driver) and that over the course of the whole night he had one sip of whiskey and a single beer with dinner but that he\'s still game for the ZZ Top baseball hat and sun glasses look. Yep, my dAd doesn\'t need to drink a thing to have fun.\r\n<a title=\"dAd and me at Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858006184/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7113/7858006184_9a068c0ef5_z.jpg\" alt=\"dAd and me at Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858022468/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7253/7858022468_ca8cde320c_z.jpg\" alt=\"Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858011644/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8432/7858011644_1145da5fe4_z.jpg\" alt=\"Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Hamley\'s whisky release by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7857931180/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8443/7857931180_32bca4b513_z.jpg\" alt=\"Hamley\'s whisky release\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThanks for driving us to Pendleton, dAd!\r\n\r\nAnd three cheers of Hamley\'s whiskey. If you ever want to visit Hamley\'s 30 Southeast Court Avenue Pendleton, OR 97801 (541) 278-1100. Enjoy.\r\n\r\nOh and there are plenty of <a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/\" target=\"_blank\">outtakes and silly photos of our night on flickr</a> if you didn\'t get enough in this post  like this one of me kissing the red cow that comes along with the tall, dark and Hamley.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"The tall dark and Hamely drink comes with a red cow by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7865699168/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8300/7865699168_1267f0f262_z.jpg\" alt=\"The tall dark and Hamely drink comes with a red cow\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>','Hamley\'s Whiskey Tasting in Pendleton ','','inherit','open','open','','7069-revision-12','','','2012-08-26 20:43:10','2012-08-26 18:43:10','',7069,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/26/7069-revision-12/',0,'revision','',0),(7083,1,'2012-08-27 02:34:56','2012-08-27 00:34:56','<em>Surprise, surprise</em>. Things have changed in the lives of my high school friends over the last few years. Go figure, we graduated from high school more than 10 years ago.\r\n\r\nYou know what\'s funny? The first time I wrote out: we graduated from high school more than 100 years ago. This was clearly a typo but I thought: it does kind of feel like that, like high school was 100 years ago.\r\n\r\nBut then you come home, see your friends and talk to them and it feels like high school was just yesterday. However in this moment, when high school was yesterday, you catch yourself wondering: where did this baby come from?\r\n\r\nThen you  remember: Hey, we\'re 30!  No wait, we\'re <em>31</em>.\r\n\r\nOur lives are no longer as simple as they once were but that doesn\'t mean they aren\'t pretty wonderful.\r\n\r\nFor example, my good friend B. has this little wonder N.\r\n<a title=\"Holding baby N. by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858495104/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8436/7858495104_e9a5831b58_z.jpg\" alt=\"Holding baby N.\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nAnd beyond all reason, she let me hold her. How wonderful is that?!','Wonders','','publish','open','open','','wonders','','','2012-08-27 02:34:56','2012-08-27 00:34:56','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7083',0,'post','',0),(7084,1,'2012-08-27 02:23:52','2012-08-27 00:23:52','Things have changed in the lives of my high school friends. Go figure we graduated from high school more than 10 years ago.\n\nYou know what\'s funny? The first time I wrote out: we graduate from high school more than 100 years ago. This was clearly a typo but I thought: it does kind of feel like that, like high school was 100 years ago, but then you see your friends and talk to them and it feels like high school was just yesterday. However in this moment, where high school was yesterday, you then catch yourself wondering were did this baby come from?\n\nThen you  remember: hey we\'re 30.  No wait, we\'re 3\n\nOur lives are no longer as simple as they once were but that doesn\'t mean they aren\'t pretty wonderful.\n\nFor example, my good friend B. has this little wonder N.\n<a title=\"Holding baby N. by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858495104/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8436/7858495104_e9a5831b58_z.jpg\" alt=\"Holding baby N.\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\nAnd beyond all reason, she let me hold her.','Wonders','','inherit','open','open','','7083-revision','','','2012-08-27 02:23:52','2012-08-27 00:23:52','',7083,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/27/7083-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7085,1,'2012-08-27 02:24:51','2012-08-27 00:24:51','Things have changed in the lives of my high school friends. Go figure we graduated from high school more than 10 years ago.\n\nYou know what\'s funny? The first time I wrote out: we graduate from high school more than 100 years ago. This was clearly a typo but I thought: it does kind of feel like that, like high school was 100 years ago, but then you see your friends and talk to them and it feels like high school was just yesterday. However in this moment, where high school was yesterday, you then catch yourself wondering were did this baby come from?\n\nThen you  remember: hey we\'re 30.  No wait, we\'re <em>31</em>.\n\nOur lives are no longer as simple as they once were but that doesn\'t mean they aren\'t pretty wonderful.\n\nFor example, my good friend B. has this little wonder N.\n<a title=\"Holding baby N. by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858495104/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8436/7858495104_e9a5831b58_z.jpg\" alt=\"Holding baby N.\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\nAnd beyond all reason, she let me hold her.','Wonders','','inherit','open','open','','7083-revision-2','','','2012-08-27 02:24:51','2012-08-27 00:24:51','',7083,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/27/7083-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7086,1,'2012-08-27 02:34:06','2012-08-27 00:34:06','<em>Surprise, surprise</em>. Things have changed in the lives of my high school friends over the last few years. Go figure, we graduated from high school more than 10 years ago.\n\nYou know what\'s funny? The first time I wrote out: we graduated from high school more than 100 years ago. This was clearly a typo but I thought: it does kind of feel like that, like high school was 100 years ago.\n\nBut then you see your friends and talk to them and it feels like high school was just yesterday. However in this moment, where high school was yesterday, you then catch yourself wondering were did this baby come from?\n\nThen you  remember: Hey, we\'re 30!  No wait, we\'re <em>31</em>.\n\nOur lives are no longer as simple as they once were but that doesn\'t mean they aren\'t pretty wonderful.\n\nFor example, my good friend B. has this little wonder N.\n<a title=\"Holding baby N. by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7858495104/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8436/7858495104_e9a5831b58_z.jpg\" alt=\"Holding baby N.\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\nAnd beyond all reason, she let me hold her. How wonderful is that?!','Wonders','','inherit','open','open','','7083-revision-3','','','2012-08-27 02:34:06','2012-08-27 00:34:06','',7083,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/27/7083-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7087,1,'2012-08-27 02:38:38','2012-08-27 00:38:38','For those of you who don\'t know, nature is pretty amazing. Not a little amazing. I am talking capitol letter Amazing.\n\nThis year marks the second (or maybe third) year since the 1920\'s that salmon have returned to our little creek--Mill Creek to spawn.\n\n<a href=\"http://wallawallalocal.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/return-of-the-spring-chinook-salmon-to-mill-creek-oregon/\" target=\"_blank\">My dAd wrote about it last year on his blog</a>. He took pictures. He told me about about it via skype. He was wow-ed by it. When he saw it last year, it was the first time in his life--his whole life--not just his adult life---that he\'d seen salmon in the creek.\n\nI didn\'t get it. Sure I knew it was interesting. I thought it was pretty great that the salmon could make it back to our little creek. There\'s a lot standing in the way of a single salmon returning to spawn in our creek. The creek it was born in.\n\nThere\'s man (who fishes, who builds damns and who pollutes among other things), there\'s the distance and there\'s climate change. Everything seems stacked against these fish.  Still, they manage to get back home to spawn and die.\n\nMy dAd was busy telling me how great it was to see the salmon in our creek but I didn\'t get it.\n\nNope, I didn\'t get it until I saw it.\n\nThen I couldn\'t do anything other than sit on a big rock and watch the salmon in the creek. They are big. Probably 24\".','Salmon and Nature ','','inherit','open','open','','7035-revision-4','','','2012-08-27 02:38:38','2012-08-27 00:38:38','',7035,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/27/7035-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(7088,1,'2012-08-27 02:39:44','2012-08-27 00:39:44','For those of you who don\'t know, nature is pretty amazing. Not a little amazing. I am talking capitol letter Amazing.\n\nThis year marks the second (or maybe third) year since the 1920\'s that salmon have returned to our little creek--Mill Creek to spawn.\n\n<a href=\"http://wallawallalocal.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/return-of-the-spring-chinook-salmon-to-mill-creek-oregon/\" target=\"_blank\">My dAd wrote about it last year on his blog</a>. He took pictures. He told me about about it via skype. He was wow-ed by it. When he saw it last year, it was the first time in his life--his whole life--not just his adult life---that he\'d seen salmon in the creek.\n\nI didn\'t get it. Sure I knew it was interesting. I thought it was pretty great that the salmon could make it back to our little creek. There\'s a lot standing in the way of a single salmon returning to spawn in our creek. The creek it was born in.\n\nThere\'s man (who fishes, who builds damns and who pollutes among other things), there\'s the distance and there\'s climate change. Everything seems stacked against these fish.  Still, they manage to get back home to spawn and die.\n\nMy dAd was busy telling me how great it was to see the salmon in our creek but I didn\'t get it.\n\nNope, I didn\'t get it until I saw it.\n\nThen I couldn\'t do anything other than sit on a big rock and watch the salmon in the creek. They are big. Probably 24\" or more in length and they where they were spawning the creek was so shallow that the backs of the salm.','Salmon and Nature ','','inherit','open','open','','7035-revision-5','','','2012-08-27 02:39:44','2012-08-27 00:39:44','',7035,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/27/7035-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(7089,1,'2012-08-27 20:01:18','2012-08-27 18:01:18','For those of you who don\'t know, nature is pretty amazing. Not a little amazing. I am talking capitol letter Amazing.\n\nThis year marks the second (or maybe third) year since the 1920\'s that salmon have returned to our little creek--Mill Creek to spawn.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874131978/\" title=\"Me looking for Salmon by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8300/7874131978_8341593a0a_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Me looking for Salmon\"></a>\n<a href=\"http://wallawallalocal.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/return-of-the-spring-chinook-salmon-to-mill-creek-oregon/\" target=\"_blank\">My dAd wrote about it last year on his blog</a>. He took pictures. He told me about about it via skype. He was wow-ed by it. When he saw it last year, it was the first time in his life--his whole life--not just his adult life---that he\'d seen salmon in the creek.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874125600/\" title=\"dAd in Mill Creek taking photos by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8422/7874125600_e7bf8378ee_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"dAd in Mill Creek taking photos\"></a>\nI didn\'t get it. Sure I knew it was interesting. I thought it was pretty great that the salmon could make it back to our little creek. There\'s a lot standing in the way of a single salmon returning to spawn in our creek. The creek it was born in.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874133826/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8433/7874133826_ae863abe7a_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a>\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874135160/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8283/7874135160_e0d9e409f5_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a>\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874137472/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8293/7874137472_e35df25e08_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a>\nThere\'s man (who fishes, who builds damns and who pollutes among other things), there\'s the distance and there\'s climate change. Everything seems stacked against these fish.  Still, they manage to get back home to spawn and die.\n\nMy dAd was busy telling me how great it was to see the salmon in our creek but I didn\'t get it.\n\nNope, I didn\'t get it until I saw it.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874147390/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7247/7874147390_69d8d759b0_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a>\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874145782/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8292/7874145782_93e6bcb593_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a>\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874143952/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8296/7874143952_3a1ecaf582_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874142724/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7874142724_75f6442f9f_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874143952/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8296/7874143952_3a1ecaf582_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874142724/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7874142724_75f6442f9f_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874141584/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8294/7874141584_dc794efff5_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874139632/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/7874139632_2d92bfbfaa_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874138326/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/7874138326_a3987d25c2_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a>\nThen I couldn\'t do anything other than sit on a big rock and watch the salmon in the creek. They are big. Probably 24\" or more in length and they where they were spawning the creek was so shallow that the backs of the salmon were sticking out of the water.\n\nWhen you see this you think: <em>What?!</em> How on earth did these salmon make it back here?!\n\nThen you watch them flipping around in the creek which is many places is not much more than ankle deep turning up the rocks and creating a good place to lay their eggs and spawn. Then you can see them swim back later to cover the (hopefully) fertilized eggs to protect them. These are big fish in a little creek and if you look closely you can see that the fish are also turning white. One had a white tail and the other a white stripe down the middle of its back. This is because the fish are process of dying and they are no longer producing pigment. Once they have spawned they die. ','Salmon and Nature ','','inherit','open','open','','7035-revision-6','','','2012-08-27 20:01:18','2012-08-27 18:01:18','',7035,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/27/7035-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(7090,1,'2012-08-27 20:02:18','2012-08-27 18:02:18','For those of you who don\'t know, nature is pretty amazing. Not a little amazing. I am talking capitol letter Amazing.\r\n\r\nThis year marks the second (or maybe third) year since the 1920\'s that salmon have returned to our little creek--Mill Creek to spawn.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874131978/\" title=\"Me looking for Salmon by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8300/7874131978_8341593a0a_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Me looking for Salmon\"></a>\r\n<a href=\"http://wallawallalocal.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/return-of-the-spring-chinook-salmon-to-mill-creek-oregon/\" target=\"_blank\">My dAd wrote about it last year on his blog</a>. He took pictures. He told me about about it via skype. He was wow-ed by it. When he saw it last year, it was the first time in his life--his whole life--not just his adult life---that he\'d seen salmon in the creek.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874125600/\" title=\"dAd in Mill Creek taking photos by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8422/7874125600_e7bf8378ee_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"dAd in Mill Creek taking photos\"></a>\r\nI didn\'t get it. Sure I knew it was interesting. I thought it was pretty great that the salmon could make it back to our little creek. There\'s a lot standing in the way of a single salmon returning to spawn in our creek. The creek it was born in.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874133826/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8433/7874133826_ae863abe7a_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874135160/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8283/7874135160_e0d9e409f5_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874137472/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8293/7874137472_e35df25e08_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a>\r\nThere\'s man (who fishes, who builds damns and who pollutes among other things), there\'s the distance and there\'s climate change. Everything seems stacked against these fish.  Still, they manage to get back home to spawn and die.\r\n\r\nMy dAd was busy telling me how great it was to see the salmon in our creek but I didn\'t get it.\r\n\r\nNope, I didn\'t get it until I saw it.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874147390/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7247/7874147390_69d8d759b0_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874145782/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8292/7874145782_93e6bcb593_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874143952/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8296/7874143952_3a1ecaf582_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874142724/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7874142724_75f6442f9f_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874143952/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8296/7874143952_3a1ecaf582_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874142724/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7874142724_75f6442f9f_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874141584/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8294/7874141584_dc794efff5_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874139632/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/7874139632_2d92bfbfaa_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874138326/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/7874138326_a3987d25c2_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a>\r\nThen I couldn\'t do anything other than sit on a big rock and watch the salmon in the creek. They are big. Probably 24\" or more in length and they where they were spawning the creek was so shallow that the backs of the salmon were sticking out of the water.\r\n\r\nWhen you see this you think: <em>What?!</em> How on earth did these salmon make it back here?!\r\n\r\nThen you watch them flipping around in the creek which is many places is not much more than ankle deep turning up the rocks and creating a good place to lay their eggs and spawn. Then you can see them swim back later to cover the (hopefully) fertilized eggs to protect them. These are big fish in a little creek and if you look closely you can see that the fish are also turning white. \r\n\r\nYou can see in pictures that one salmon had a white tail and the other a white stripe down the middle of its back. This is because the fish are process of dying and they are no longer producing pigment. Once they have spawned they die because they\'ve done what they needed to do. ','Salmon and Nature ','','inherit','open','open','','7035-revision-7','','','2012-08-27 20:02:18','2012-08-27 18:02:18','',7035,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/27/7035-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(7091,1,'2012-08-27 20:08:20','2012-08-27 18:08:20','For those of you who don\'t know, nature is pretty amazing. Not a little amazing. I am talking capitol letter Amazing.\n\nThis year marks the second (or maybe third) year since the 1920\'s that salmon have returned to our little creek--Mill Creek to spawn.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874131978/\" title=\"Me looking for Salmon by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8300/7874131978_8341593a0a_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Me looking for Salmon\"></a>\n<a href=\"http://wallawallalocal.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/return-of-the-spring-chinook-salmon-to-mill-creek-oregon/\" target=\"_blank\">My dAd wrote about it last year on his blog</a>. He took pictures. He told me about about it via skype. He was wow-ed by it. When he saw it last year, it was the first time in his life--his whole life--not just his adult life---that he\'d seen salmon in the creek.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874125600/\" title=\"dAd in Mill Creek taking photos by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8422/7874125600_e7bf8378ee_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"dAd in Mill Creek taking photos\"></a>\nI didn\'t get it. Sure I knew it was interesting. I thought it was pretty great that the salmon could make it back to our little creek. There\'s a lot standing in the way of a single salmon returning to spawn in our creek. The creek it was born in.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874133826/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8433/7874133826_ae863abe7a_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a>\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874135160/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8283/7874135160_e0d9e409f5_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a>\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874137472/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8293/7874137472_e35df25e08_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a>\nThere\'s man (who fishes, who builds damns and who pollutes among other things), there\'s the distance and there\'s climate change. Everything seems stacked against these fish.  Still, they manage to get back home to spawn and die.\n\nMy dAd was busy telling me how great it was to see the salmon in our creek but I didn\'t get it.\n\nNope, I didn\'t get it until I saw it.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874147390/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7247/7874147390_69d8d759b0_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a>\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874145782/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8292/7874145782_93e6bcb593_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a>\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874143952/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8296/7874143952_3a1ecaf582_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874142724/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7874142724_75f6442f9f_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874143952/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8296/7874143952_3a1ecaf582_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874142724/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7874142724_75f6442f9f_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874141584/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8294/7874141584_dc794efff5_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874139632/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/7874139632_2d92bfbfaa_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874138326/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/7874138326_a3987d25c2_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a>\nThen I couldn\'t do anything other than sit on a big rock and watch the salmon in the creek. They are big. Probably 24\" or more in length and they where they were spawning the creek was so shallow that the backs of the salmon were sticking out of the water.\n\nWhen you see this you think: <em>What?!</em> How on earth did these salmon make it back here?!\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874121752/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8285/7874121752_04d4abd220_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a>\nThen you watch them flipping around in the creek which is many places is not much more than ankle deep turning up the rocks and creating a good place to lay their eggs and spawn. Then you can see them swim back later to cover the (hopefully) fertilized eggs to protect them. These are big fish in a little creek and if you look closely you can see that the fish are also turning white. \n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874124782/\" title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7256/7874124782_3946ff0284_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\"></a>\nYou can see in pictures that one salmon had a white tail and the other a white stripe down the middle of its back. This is because the fish are process of dying and they are no longer producing pigment. Once they have spawned they die because they\'ve done what they needed to do. \n\nIt\'s hard work being a salmon. \n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874129134/\" title=\"Mill Creek by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7874129134_2014257b92_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Mill Creek\"></a>\nThe whole thing is pretty amazing. As are my dAd\'s photos. A big thanks to my dAd for getting all the way out in the middle of the (cold) creek to take these photos and for sharing these with me because all I could do was sit on a rock and be amazed by the fact that against all odds we have salmon in our little creek. ','Salmon and Nature ','','inherit','open','open','','7035-revision-8','','','2012-08-27 20:08:20','2012-08-27 18:08:20','',7035,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/27/7035-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(7092,1,'2012-08-27 20:09:20','2012-08-27 18:09:20','For those of you who don\'t know, nature is pretty amazing. Not a little amazing. I am talking capitol letter Amazing.\n\nThis year marks the second (or maybe third) year since the 1920\'s that salmon have returned to our little creek--Mill Creek to spawn.\n<a title=\"Me looking for Salmon by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874131978/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8300/7874131978_8341593a0a_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me looking for Salmon\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n<a href=\"http://wallawallalocal.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/return-of-the-spring-chinook-salmon-to-mill-creek-oregon/\" target=\"_blank\">My dAd wrote about it last year on his blog</a>. He took pictures. He told me about about it via skype. He was wow-ed by it. When he saw it last year, it was the first time in his life--his whole life--not just his adult life---that he\'d seen salmon in the creek.\n<a title=\"dAd in Mill Creek taking photos by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874125600/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8422/7874125600_e7bf8378ee_z.jpg\" alt=\"dAd in Mill Creek taking photos\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\nI didn\'t get it. Sure I knew it was interesting. I thought it was pretty great that the salmon could make it back to our little creek. There\'s a lot standing in the way of a single salmon returning to spawn in our creek. The creek it was born in.<!--more-->\n<a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874133826/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8433/7874133826_ae863abe7a_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n<a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874135160/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8283/7874135160_e0d9e409f5_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n<a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874137472/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8293/7874137472_e35df25e08_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\nThere\'s man (who fishes, who builds damns and who pollutes among other things), there\'s the distance and there\'s climate change. Everything seems stacked against these fish.  Still, they manage to get back home to spawn and die.\n\nMy dAd was busy telling me how great it was to see the salmon in our creek but I didn\'t get it.\n\nNope, I didn\'t get it until I saw it.\n<a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874147390/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7247/7874147390_69d8d759b0_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n<a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874145782/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8292/7874145782_93e6bcb593_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n<a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874143952/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8296/7874143952_3a1ecaf582_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a><a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874142724/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7874142724_75f6442f9f_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a><a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874143952/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8296/7874143952_3a1ecaf582_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a><a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874142724/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7874142724_75f6442f9f_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a><a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874141584/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8294/7874141584_dc794efff5_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a><a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874139632/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/7874139632_2d92bfbfaa_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a><a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874138326/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/7874138326_a3987d25c2_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\nThen I couldn\'t do anything other than sit on a big rock and watch the salmon in the creek. They are big. Probably 24\" or more in length and they where they were spawning the creek was so shallow that the backs of the salmon were sticking out of the water.\n\nWhen you see this you think: <em>What?!</em> How on earth did these salmon make it back here?!\n<a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874121752/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8285/7874121752_04d4abd220_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\nThen you watch them flipping around in the creek which is many places is not much more than ankle deep turning up the rocks and creating a good place to lay their eggs and spawn. Then you can see them swim back later to cover the (hopefully) fertilized eggs to protect them. These are big fish in a little creek and if you look closely you can see that the fish are also turning white.\n<a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874124782/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7256/7874124782_3946ff0284_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\nYou can see in pictures that one salmon had a white tail and the other a white stripe down the middle of its back. This is because the fish are process of dying and they are no longer producing pigment. Once they have spawned they die because they\'ve done what they needed to do.\n\nIt\'s hard work being a salmon.\n<a title=\"Mill Creek by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874129134/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7874129134_2014257b92_z.jpg\" alt=\"Mill Creek\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\nThe whole thing is pretty amazing. As are my dAd\'s photos. A big thanks to my dAd for getting all the way out in the middle of the (cold) creek to take these photos and for sharing these with me because all I could do was sit on a rock and be amazed by the fact that against all odds we have salmon in our little creek.','Salmon and Nature ','','inherit','open','open','','7035-revision-9','','','2012-08-27 20:09:20','2012-08-27 18:09:20','',7035,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/27/7035-revision-9/',0,'revision','',0),(7093,1,'2012-08-27 20:14:15','2012-08-27 18:14:15','For those of you who don\'t know, nature is pretty amazing. Not a little amazing. I am talking capitol letter Amazing.\r\n\r\nThis year marks the second (or maybe third) year since the 1920\'s that salmon have returned to our little creek--Mill Creek to spawn.\r\n<a title=\"Me looking for Salmon by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874131978/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8300/7874131978_8341593a0a_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me looking for Salmon\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n<a href=\"http://wallawallalocal.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/return-of-the-spring-chinook-salmon-to-mill-creek-oregon/\" target=\"_blank\">My dAd wrote about it last year on his blog</a>. He took pictures. He told me about about it via skype. He was wow-ed by it. When he saw it last year, it was the first time in his life--his whole life--not just his adult life---that he\'d seen salmon in the creek.\r\n<a title=\"dAd in Mill Creek taking photos by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874125600/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8422/7874125600_e7bf8378ee_z.jpg\" alt=\"dAd in Mill Creek taking photos\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nI didn\'t get it. Sure I knew it was interesting. I thought it was pretty great that the salmon could make it back to our little creek. There\'s a lot standing in the way of a single salmon returning to spawn in our creek. Or is it the salmon\'s creek? I mean it was <em>born</em> in the creek.<!--more-->\r\n<a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874133826/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8433/7874133826_ae863abe7a_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874135160/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8283/7874135160_e0d9e409f5_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874137472/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8293/7874137472_e35df25e08_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThere\'s man (who fishes, who builds damns and who pollutes among other things), there\'s the distance and there\'s climate change. Everything seems stacked against these fish.  Still, they manage to get back home to spawn and die.\r\n\r\nMy dAd was busy telling me how great it was to see the salmon in our creek but I didn\'t get it.\r\n\r\nNope, I didn\'t get it until I saw it.\r\n<a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874147390/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7247/7874147390_69d8d759b0_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874145782/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8292/7874145782_93e6bcb593_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874143952/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8296/7874143952_3a1ecaf582_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a><a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874142724/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7874142724_75f6442f9f_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a><a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874143952/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8296/7874143952_3a1ecaf582_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a><a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874142724/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7874142724_75f6442f9f_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a><a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874141584/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8294/7874141584_dc794efff5_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a><a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874139632/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/7874139632_2d92bfbfaa_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a><a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874138326/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/7874138326_a3987d25c2_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThen I couldn\'t do anything other than sit on a big rock and watch the salmon in the creek. They are big. Probably 24\" or more in length and they where they were spawning the creek was so shallow that the backs of the salmon were sticking out of the water.\r\n\r\nWhen you see this you think: <em>What?!</em> How on earth did these salmon make it back here?!\r\n<a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874121752/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8285/7874121752_04d4abd220_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n\r\nHeck, how did they even know how to get back here? This question is impossibly hard. They just know. \r\n\r\nSo then you move on to watching them flipping around in the creek which is many places is not much more than ankle deep. They turn up the rocks and create a good place to lay their eggs and spawn. Later they swim back and flip around again. This time to cover up the (hopefully) fertilized eggs in order to protect them. These are big fish in a little creek and if you look closely you can see that the fish are also turning white.\r\n<a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874124782/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7256/7874124782_3946ff0284_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nYou can see in pictures that one salmon had a white tail and the other a white stripe down the middle of its back. This is because the fish are process of dying and they are no longer producing pigment. Once they have spawned they die because they\'ve done what they needed to do.\r\n\r\nIt\'s hard work being a salmon.\r\n<a title=\"Mill Creek by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874129134/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7874129134_2014257b92_z.jpg\" alt=\"Mill Creek\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThe whole thing is pretty amazing. As are my dAd\'s photos. A big thanks to my dAd for getting all the way out in the middle of the (cold) creek to take these photos and for sharing these with me because all I could do was sit on a rock and be amazed by the fact that against all odds we have salmon in our little creek.','Salmon and Nature ','','inherit','open','open','','7035-revision-10','','','2012-08-27 20:14:15','2012-08-27 18:14:15','',7035,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/27/7035-revision-10/',0,'revision','',0),(7094,1,'2012-08-27 20:14:16','2012-08-27 18:14:16','For those of you who don\'t know, nature is pretty amazing. Not a little amazing. I am talking capitol letter Amazing.\r\n\r\nThis year marks the second (or maybe third) year since the 1920\'s that salmon have returned to our little creek--Mill Creek to spawn.\r\n<a title=\"Me looking for Salmon by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874131978/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8300/7874131978_8341593a0a_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me looking for Salmon\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n<a href=\"http://wallawallalocal.wordpress.com/2011/11/03/return-of-the-spring-chinook-salmon-to-mill-creek-oregon/\" target=\"_blank\">My dAd wrote about it last year on his blog</a>. He took pictures. He told me about about it via skype. He was wow-ed by it. When he saw it last year, it was the first time in his life--his whole life--not just his adult life---that he\'d seen salmon in the creek.\r\n<a title=\"dAd in Mill Creek taking photos by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874125600/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8422/7874125600_e7bf8378ee_z.jpg\" alt=\"dAd in Mill Creek taking photos\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nI didn\'t get it. Sure I knew it was interesting. I thought it was pretty great that the salmon could make it back to our little creek. There\'s a lot standing in the way of a single salmon returning to spawn in our creek. Or is it the salmon\'s creek? I mean it was <em>born</em> in the creek.<!--more-->\r\n<a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874133826/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8433/7874133826_ae863abe7a_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874135160/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8283/7874135160_e0d9e409f5_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874137472/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8293/7874137472_e35df25e08_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThere\'s man (who fishes, who builds damns and who pollutes among other things), there\'s the distance and there\'s climate change. Everything seems stacked against these fish.  Still, they manage to get back home to spawn and die.\r\n\r\nMy dAd was busy telling me how great it was to see the salmon in our creek but I didn\'t get it.\r\n\r\nNope, I didn\'t get it until I saw it.\r\n<a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874147390/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7247/7874147390_69d8d759b0_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874145782/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8292/7874145782_93e6bcb593_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874143952/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8296/7874143952_3a1ecaf582_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a><a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874142724/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7874142724_75f6442f9f_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a><a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874143952/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8296/7874143952_3a1ecaf582_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a><a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874142724/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7874142724_75f6442f9f_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a><a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874141584/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8294/7874141584_dc794efff5_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a><a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874139632/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/7874139632_2d92bfbfaa_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a><a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874138326/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/7874138326_a3987d25c2_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThen I couldn\'t do anything other than sit on a big rock and watch the salmon in the creek. They are big. Probably 24\" or more in length and they where they were spawning the creek was so shallow that the backs of the salmon were sticking out of the water.\r\n\r\nWhen you see this you think: <em>What?!</em> How on earth did these salmon make it back here?!\r\n<a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874121752/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8285/7874121752_04d4abd220_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n\r\nHeck, how did they even know how to get back here? This question is impossibly hard. They just know. \r\n\r\nSo then you move on to watching them flipping around in the creek which is many places is not much more than ankle deep. They turn up the rocks and create a good place to lay their eggs and spawn. Later they swim back and flip around again. This time to cover up the (hopefully) fertilized eggs in order to protect them. These are big fish in a little creek and if you look closely you can see that the fish are also turning white.\r\n<a title=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874124782/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7256/7874124782_3946ff0284_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salmon in Mill Creek, OR\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nYou can see in pictures that one salmon had a white tail and the other a white stripe down the middle of its back. This is because the fish are process of dying and they are no longer producing pigment. Once they have spawned they die because they\'ve done what they needed to do.\r\n\r\nIt\'s hard work being a salmon.\r\n<a title=\"Mill Creek by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874129134/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7874129134_2014257b92_z.jpg\" alt=\"Mill Creek\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThe whole thing is pretty amazing. As are my dAd\'s photos. A big thanks to my dAd for getting all the way out in the middle of the (cold) creek to take these photos and for sharing these with me because all I could do was sit on a rock and be amazed by the fact that against all odds we have salmon in our little creek.','Salmon and Nature ','','inherit','open','open','','7035-revision-11','','','2012-08-27 20:14:16','2012-08-27 18:14:16','',7035,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/27/7035-revision-11/',0,'revision','',0),(7095,1,'2012-08-27 23:45:41','2012-08-27 21:45:41','It\'s once again that time I am in transit. I\'m making the long trek back to Sofia.\r\n\r\nThe trip takes me more or less 24 hours. I fly from Walla Walla to Seattle. Seattle to Paris and Paris to Sofia. There\'s a lot of waiting, too much sitting and a decent amount of boredom.\r\n\r\nI\'ve loaded up my kindle. I\'ve bought a couple of magazines and I\'ve had a coffee (well really two).\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Two leaves by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874375762/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7106/7874375762_e3151919b6_z.jpg\" alt=\"Two leaves\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nMy MoM saw me off at the airport and my dAd hugged me in the kitchen before going back to bed. I said my other good-byes over the weekendd.\r\n\r\nNow I find myself torn. I\'m already missing Walla Walla and my family but looking forward to my upcoming adventures in Sofia and catching up with friends.\r\n\r\nThe in between is hard sometimes.\r\n\r\nBut that\'s okay.','In Transit ','','publish','open','open','','in-transit','','','2012-08-31 06:47:16','2012-08-31 04:47:16','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7095',0,'post','',2),(7096,1,'2012-08-27 20:25:43','2012-08-27 18:25:43','It\'s once again that time I am in transit. I\'m making the long trek back to Sofia. \n\nThe trip takes me more or less 24 hours. I fly from Walla Walla to Seattle. Seattle to Paris and Paris to Sofia. There\'s a lot of waiting, too much sitting and a decent amount of boredom. \n\nI\'ve loaded up my kindle. I\'ve bought a couple of magazines and I\'m about to buy an iced Americano. \n<!--more--><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874375762/\" title=\"Two leaves by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7106/7874375762_e3151919b6_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Two leaves\"></a>\nMy MoM saw me off at the airport and my dAd hugged me in the kitchen before going back to bed. I said my other good-byes over the weekendd.\n\nNow I find myself torn. I\'m already missing Walla Walla and my family but looking forward to my upcoming adventures in Sofia and catching up with friends. The in between is hard sometimes.\n \nBut that\'s okay. It doesn\'t last forever. ','In Transit ','','inherit','open','open','','7095-revision','','','2012-08-27 20:25:43','2012-08-27 18:25:43','',7095,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/27/7095-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7097,1,'2012-08-27 20:26:43','2012-08-27 18:26:43','It\'s once again that time I am in transit. I\'m making the long trek back to Sofia. \n\nThe trip takes me more or less 24 hours. I fly from Walla Walla to Seattle. Seattle to Paris and Paris to Sofia. There\'s a lot of waiting, too much sitting and a decent amount of boredom. \n\nI\'ve loaded up my kindle. I\'ve bought a couple of magazines and I\'m about to buy an iced Americano. \n<!--more--><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874375762/\" title=\"Two leaves by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7106/7874375762_e3151919b6_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Two leaves\"></a>\nMy MoM saw me off at the airport and my dAd hugged me in the kitchen before going back to bed. I said my other good-byes over the weekendd.\n\nNow I find myself torn. I\'m already missing Walla Walla and my family but looking forward to my upcoming adventures in Sofia and catching up with friends. \n\nThe in between is hard sometimes.\n \nBut that\'s okay. ','In Transit ','','inherit','open','open','','7095-revision-2','','','2012-08-27 20:26:43','2012-08-27 18:26:43','',7095,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/27/7095-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7098,1,'2012-08-29 15:35:18','2012-08-29 13:35:18','I\'ve been back in Sofia for about 24 hours. So far so good.\r\n\r\nMy fights were pretty uneventful. That\'s just the way I like it.\r\n\r\nI started and finished reading <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Book-1-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024035/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1346237902&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=divergetn\" target=\"_blank\">Divergent</a> on the plane and then I started <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Insurgent-Divergent-Book-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024043/ref=pd_sim_b_1\" target=\"_blank\">Insurgent</a>.Yep. There\'s nothing like some dystopian teen literature to pass the time. That or talking to a missionary with five kids and a husband on your flight from Paris to Sofia.\r\n\r\nThis conversation started with her saying to me: oh you read English. She\'s clearly been looking over my shoulder at my kindle and I am inordinately glad that I am not reading something smutty like <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Fifty-Shades-Grey-Book-Trilogy/dp/0345803485\" target=\"_blank\">50 Shade of Grey</a> which just for the record I have no plans to ever read. Me: I\'m American. Her: <em>Oh</em>. The flight ends with me turning down a book that she\'s just happened to finish reading about modern religion. She thinks I might like it because I teach literature. I think I wont like it and so I try to turn it down as politely as possible. The whole thing makes me feel badly and I spent a bunch time at baggage claim waiting for my suitcase and wondering if I should have just taken the book.\r\n\r\nThen I paid a little too much for a taxi ride home but I was too tired to complain. When the taxi driver asked for a tip, I just rolled my eyes and rolled my suitcases inside. <!--more-->\r\n\r\nI took a shower, changed my clothes and looked in my fridge. Just as I suspected. No food. Well aside from mustard, 9 or 10 green olives floating around in a jar and a bottle of white wine.\r\n\r\nSo I find my cloth grocery bags and head to Billa. This is when I realize that the road which cuts behind Billa is closed because the city is building a new bit of road to connect the Mladost 3 metro to the main road--Malinov. Ug this definitely doubles if not triples the length of my walk to Billa. At Billa I realize that I am both tired and that I don\'t have any change to use to \"check-out\" a shopping cart. I wonder if any of the coins I have in my purse will work. Answer: no. So I go for the basics: milk, yogurt, peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, a can of tuna fish and a bottle of sparking water.\r\n\r\nAt home I realize that I have no idea what to make with any of these things. (Just for the record, even today, I am not sure what I was thinking.)\r\n\r\nSo rather than eating, I decide that I should lie down on my couch and read a magazine that I bought in Seattle. That lasted about 30 seconds because about this point, I realized that the magazine was actually to heavy to hold and I\'d rather close my eyes.\r\n\r\nHello, four-hour nap.\r\n\r\nI woke up and it was dark. I brushed my teeth, drank a glass of water and put on my pjs. I tossed and turned and at 10pm a car alarm started going off. I tweeted about it. Then I read in bed and the car alarm kept going off. For anyone who\'s interested, it went off for at least 2.5 hours. About this point, I was convinced that I was never going to go back to sleep. I also began to wonder if I should google: how long does it take for a car alarm to drain a car battery? But somehow, against all odds I feel asleep.\r\n\r\nThis morning I rolled over and realized that it was 8am. Not bad. I got up and made some coffee. Well, I wanted to make some coffee. I filled up the pot with water and ground coffee and I turned it on. The only thing is, it turns out you also have to have your coffee pot plugged in to successfully make coffee. I wont tell you how long it took me to realize that I didn\'t have the coffee pot plugged in.\r\n\r\nI thought about going back to bed at this point. But I didn\'t.\r\n\r\nInstead, I set about the task of unpacking (and watching some back episodes of the Daily Show). All I have to say about this is, it never ceases to amaze me how long it actually takes to unpack a single suitcase and a large rolling carry-on. I\'m all but done now which is a good thing because I am beginning to start daydreaming of a nap. I know that I shouldn\'t nap as it\'s almost 5pm so I guess I\'ll message some friends and see what they are up to tonight.\r\n\r\nOh and  realized that today marks the beginning of year five in Bulgaria. Yep. Somehow I\'m still here after moving to Sofia <em>four</em> years ago.','(Re)adjusting ','','publish','open','open','','readjusting','','','2012-08-29 15:35:18','2012-08-29 13:35:18','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7098',0,'post','',7),(7099,1,'2012-08-29 15:34:24','2012-08-29 13:34:24','I\'ve been back in Sofia for about 24 hours. So far so good.\n\nMy fights were pretty uneventful. That\'s just the way I like it.\n\nI started and finished reading <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Book-1-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024035/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1346237902&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=divergetn\" target=\"_blank\">Divergent</a> on the plane and then I started <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Insurgent-Divergent-Book-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024043/ref=pd_sim_b_1\" target=\"_blank\">Insurgent</a>.Yep. There\'s nothing like some dystopian teen literature to pass the time. That or talking to a missionary with five kids and a husband on your flight from Paris to Sofia.\n\nThis conversation started with her saying to me: oh you read English. She\'s clearly been looking over my shoulder at my kindle and I am inordinately glad that I am not reading something smutty like <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Fifty-Shades-Grey-Book-Trilogy/dp/0345803485\" target=\"_blank\">50 Shade of Grey</a> which just for the record I have no plans to ever read. Me: I\'m American. Her: <em>Oh</em>. The flight ends with me turning down a book that she\'s just happened to finish reading about modern religion. She thinks I might like it because I teach literature. I think I wont like it and so I try to turn it down as politely as possible. The whole thing makes me feel badly and I spent a bunch time at baggage claim waiting for my suitcase and wondering if I should have just taken the book.\n\nThen I paid a little too much for a taxi ride home but I was too tired to complain. When the taxi driver asked for a tip, I just rolled my eyes and rolled my suitcases inside. <!--more-->\n\nI took a shower, changed my clothes and looked in my fridge. Just as I suspected. No food. Well aside from mustard, 9 or 10 green olives floating around in a jar and a bottle of white wine.\n\nSo I find my cloth grocery bags and head to Billa. This is when I realize that the road which cuts behind Billa is closed because the city is building a new bit of road to connect the Mladost 3 metro to the main road--Malinov. Ug this definitely doubles if not triples the length of my walk to Billa. At Billa I realize that I am both tired and that I don\'t have any change to use to \"check-out\" a shopping cart. I wonder if any of the coins I have in my purse will work. Answer: no. So I go for the basics: milk, yogurt, peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, a can of tuna fish and a bottle of sparking water.\n\nAt home I realize that I have no idea what to make with any of these things. (Just for the record, even today, I am not sure what I was thinking.)\n\nSo rather than eating, I decide that I should lie down on my couch and read a magazine that I bought in Seattle. That lasted about 30 seconds because about this point, I realized that the magazine was actually to heavy to hold and I\'d rather close my eyes.\n\nHello, four-hour nap.\n\nI woke up and it was dark. I brushed my teeth, drank a glass of water and put on my pjs. I tossed and turned and at 10pm a car alarm started going off. I tweeted about it. Then I read in bed and the car alarm kept going off. For anyone who\'s interested, it went off for at least 2.5 hours. About this point, I was convinced that I was never going to go back to sleep. I also began to wonder if I should google: how long does it take for a car alarm to drain a car battery? But somehow, against all odds I feel asleep.\n\nThis morning I rolled over and realized that it was 8am. Not bad. I got up and made some coffee. Well, I wanted to make some coffee. I filled up the pot with water and ground coffee and I turned it on. The only thing is, it turns out you also have to have your coffee pot plugged in to successfully make coffee. I wont tell you how long it took me to realize that I didn\'t have the coffee pot plugged in.\n\nI thought about going back to bed at this point. But I didn\'t.\n\nInstead, I set about the task of unpacking (and watching some back episodes of the Daily Show). All I have to say about this is, it never ceases to amaze me how long it actually takes to unpack a single suitcase and a large rolling carry-on. I\'m all but done now which is a good thing because I am beginning to start daydreaming of a nap. I know that I shouldn\'t nap as it\'s almost 5pm so I guess I\'ll message some friends and see what they are up to tonight.\n\nOh and  realized that today marks the beginning of year five in Bulgaria. Yep. Somehow I\'m still here after moving to Sofia four years ago.','Adjusting ','','inherit','open','open','','7098-revision','','','2012-08-29 15:34:24','2012-08-29 13:34:24','',7098,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/29/7098-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7100,1,'2012-08-29 15:36:23','2012-08-29 13:36:23','I\'ve been back in Sofia for about 24 hours. So far so good.\n\nMy fights were pretty uneventful. That\'s just the way I like it.\n\nI started and finished reading <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Divergent-Book-1-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024035/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1346237902&amp;sr=8-1&amp;keywords=divergetn\" target=\"_blank\">Divergent</a> on the plane and then I started <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Insurgent-Divergent-Book-Veronica-Roth/dp/0062024043/ref=pd_sim_b_1\" target=\"_blank\">Insurgent</a>.Yep. There\'s nothing like some dystopian teen literature to pass the time. That or talking to a missionary with five kids and a husband on your flight from Paris to Sofia.\n\nThis conversation started with her saying to me: oh you read English. She\'s clearly been looking over my shoulder at my kindle and I am inordinately glad that I am not reading something smutty like <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Fifty-Shades-Grey-Book-Trilogy/dp/0345803485\" target=\"_blank\">50 Shade of Grey</a> which just for the record I have no plans to ever read. Me: I\'m American. Her: <em>Oh</em>. The flight ends with me turning down a book that she\'s just happened to finish reading about modern religion. She thinks I might like it because I teach literature. I think I wont like it and so I try to turn it down as politely as possible. The whole thing makes me feel badly and I spent a bunch time at baggage claim waiting for my suitcase and wondering if I should have just taken the book.\n\nThen I paid a little too much for a taxi ride home but I was too tired to complain. When the taxi driver asked for a tip, I just rolled my eyes and rolled my suitcases inside. <!--more-->\n\nI took a shower, changed my clothes and looked in my fridge. Just as I suspected. No food. Well aside from mustard, 9 or 10 green olives floating around in a jar and a bottle of white wine.\n\nSo I find my cloth grocery bags and head to Billa. This is when I realize that the road which cuts behind Billa is closed because the city is building a new bit of road to connect the Mladost 3 metro to the main road--Malinov. Ug this definitely doubles if not triples the length of my walk to Billa. At Billa I realize that I am both tired and that I don\'t have any change to use to \"check-out\" a shopping cart. I wonder if any of the coins I have in my purse will work. Answer: no. So I go for the basics: milk, yogurt, peppers, zucchini, tomatoes, a can of tuna fish and a bottle of sparking water.\n\nAt home I realize that I have no idea what to make with any of these things. (Just for the record, even today, I am not sure what I was thinking.)\n\nSo rather than eating, I decide that I should lie down on my couch and read a magazine that I bought in Seattle. That lasted about 30 seconds because about this point, I realized that the magazine was actually to heavy to hold and I\'d rather close my eyes.\n\nHello, four-hour nap.\n\nI woke up and it was dark. I brushed my teeth, drank a glass of water and put on my pjs. I tossed and turned and at 10pm a car alarm started going off. I tweeted about it. Then I read in bed and the car alarm kept going off. For anyone who\'s interested, it went off for at least 2.5 hours. About this point, I was convinced that I was never going to go back to sleep. I also began to wonder if I should google: how long does it take for a car alarm to drain a car battery? But somehow, against all odds I feel asleep.\n\nThis morning I rolled over and realized that it was 8am. Not bad. I got up and made some coffee. Well, I wanted to make some coffee. I filled up the pot with water and ground coffee and I turned it on. The only thing is, it turns out you also have to have your coffee pot plugged in to successfully make coffee. I wont tell you how long it took me to realize that I didn\'t have the coffee pot plugged in.\n\nI thought about going back to bed at this point. But I didn\'t.\n\nInstead, I set about the task of unpacking (and watching some back episodes of the Daily Show). All I have to say about this is, it never ceases to amaze me how long it actually takes to unpack a single suitcase and a large rolling carry-on. I\'m all but done now which is a good thing because I am beginning to start daydreaming of a nap. I know that I shouldn\'t nap as it\'s almost 5pm so I guess I\'ll message some friends and see what they are up to tonight.\n\nOh and  realized that today marks the beginning of year five in Bulgaria. Yep. Somehow I\'m still here after moving to Sofia <em>four</em> years ago.','(Re)adjusting ','','inherit','open','open','','7098-autosave','','','2012-08-29 15:36:23','2012-08-29 13:36:23','',7098,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/29/7098-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(7129,1,'2012-09-10 06:17:16','2012-09-10 04:17:16','You know what\'s better than being featured in magazines or on Bulgarian tv?\n\nHomegrown tomatoes and peppers given to you by a friend.\n\nAnd even better than that? Helping pick said tomatoes and peppers in a garden. This I thought was just wonderful.\n\nContrary to popular belief, I<em> have</em> picked tomatoes before however picking peppers was a new thing for me. I went out into the garden with A.\'s mom and she told me in Bulgarian how to pick the tomatoes: only pick the red ones. Me: okay. Then she bends over picks a tomato and adds: oh and the pink ones that look like this. She holds up a tomato. Me: okay.\n\nThen she jokingly yells over to A.\'s dad: do you think she knows her colors? In my head: Yes. I know my colors but instead I just laughed.\n\nThe thing is, when it came to picking peppers which ones to pick wasn\'t so clear to me. A.\'s mom was picking red ones, green ones, and ones that were both red and green with abandon. On top of this, she gave me no direction on which ones were okay to pick but as it turns out, I don\'t have a garden vocabulary in Bulgarian so I smiled and picked a few peppers slowly hoping that I wasn\'t picking the wrong ones.\n\nOnce inside, A.\'s mom filled up a Billa bag of tomatoes and peppers for me. The bag was insanely full. I think that Bulgarian\'s have a different idea of how much one can actually consume in a week.\n\nDon\'t worry I gave it my best. I made a heavenly tomato pie and then sent some of my friends home with a few tomatoes and peppers each. I figured it\'s better to share the love than to have the veggies go bad.\n\n&nbsp;','Simple things like tomatoes and peppers ','','inherit','open','open','','7127-revision-2','','','2012-09-10 06:17:16','2012-09-10 04:17:16','',7127,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/10/7127-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7103,1,'2012-08-31 03:37:49','2012-08-31 01:37:49','It\'s 4:30 in the morning in Sofia and I\'m up. For the record, I\'d rather not be up but I am.\n\nI open my eyes for the first time this morning about 2:30am. By 3am it was clear that I needed a drink of water. From here it was a slippery slope. Back in bed I counted slowly trying to clear my mind. I read a book for a little bit. I practiced some calming yoga breathing. At 4 am when my stomach started rumbling and I couldn\'t think about anything else I began to contemplate getting out of bed.\n\nNow here I am. Drinking water, eating yogurt and listening to stray dogs bark in what is either the very early morning or the middle of the night. I think that this is one of those glass half-empty/glass half-full things and right now I am not sure which side I come down on.\n\nInterestingly it\'s pretty cool right now. The temperature on the pharmacy across the way reads 15 c. So I\'m wearing a sweatshirt and wondering how quickly fall is going to find us in Sofia. I hope not to quickly. I\'d like a couple of warm end of summer weeks before school really gets under way. I hope that\'s not wishful thinking.\n\nI\'d also like to fall back asleep so that I\'m not crazy-jet-lag girl tomorrow but at this point that does seem to be wishful thinking. Luckily, I\'ve got my kindle to keep me company.','Why, hello, jet lag! ','','inherit','open','open','','7102-revision','','','2012-08-31 03:37:49','2012-08-31 01:37:49','',7102,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/31/7102-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7104,1,'2012-08-31 03:38:19','2012-08-31 01:38:19','It\'s 4:30 in the morning in Sofia and I\'m up. For the record, I\'d rather not be up but I am.\r\n\r\nI open my eyes for the first time this morning about 2:30am. By 3am it was clear that I needed a drink of water. From here it was a slippery slope. Back in bed I counted slowly trying to clear my mind. I read a book for a little bit. I practiced some calming yoga breathing. At 4 am when my stomach started rumbling and I couldn\'t think about anything else I began to contemplate getting out of bed.\r\n\r\nNow here I am. Drinking water, eating yogurt and listening to stray dogs bark in what is either the very early morning or the middle of the night. I think that this is one of those glass half-empty/glass half-full things and right now I am not sure which side I come down on.\r\n\r\nInterestingly it\'s pretty cool right now. The temperature on the pharmacy across the way reads 15 c. So I\'m wearing a sweatshirt and wondering how quickly fall is going to find us in Sofia. I hope not to quickly. I\'d like a couple of warm end of summer weeks before school really gets under way. I hope that\'s not wishful thinking.\r\n\r\nI\'d also like to fall back asleep so that I\'m not crazy-jet-lag girl tomorrow but at this point that does seem to be wishful thinking. Luckily, I\'ve got my kindle to keep me company.','Why, hello, jet lag! ','','inherit','open','open','','7102-revision-2','','','2012-08-31 03:38:19','2012-08-31 01:38:19','',7102,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/31/7102-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7105,1,'2012-08-27 20:27:31','2012-08-27 18:27:31','It\'s once again that time I am in transit. I\'m making the long trek back to Sofia. \r\n\r\nThe trip takes me more or less 24 hours. I fly from Walla Walla to Seattle. Seattle to Paris and Paris to Sofia. There\'s a lot of waiting, too much sitting and a decent amount of boredom. \r\n\r\nI\'ve loaded up my kindle. I\'ve bought a couple of magazines and I\'ve had a coffee (well really two). \r\n<!--more--><a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874375762/\" title=\"Two leaves by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7106/7874375762_e3151919b6_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Two leaves\"></a>\r\nMy MoM saw me off at the airport and my dAd hugged me in the kitchen before going back to bed. I said my other good-byes over the weekendd.\r\n\r\nNow I find myself torn. I\'m already missing Walla Walla and my family but looking forward to my upcoming adventures in Sofia and catching up with friends. \r\n\r\nThe in between is hard sometimes.\r\n \r\nBut that\'s okay. ','In Transit ','','inherit','open','open','','7095-revision-3','','','2012-08-27 20:27:31','2012-08-27 18:27:31','',7095,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/27/7095-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7106,1,'2012-08-31 06:48:20','2012-08-31 04:48:20','It\'s once again that time I am in transit. I\'m making the long trek back to Sofia.\n\nThe trip takes me more or less 24 hours. I fly from Walla Walla to Seattle. Seattle to Paris and Paris to Sofia. There\'s a lot of waiting, too much sitting and a decent amount of boredom.\n\nI\'ve loaded up my kindle. I\'ve bought a couple of magazines and I\'ve had a coffee (well really two).\n\n<a title=\"Two leaves by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7874375762/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7106/7874375762_e3151919b6_z.jpg\" alt=\"Two leaves\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\nMy MoM saw me off at the airport and my dAd hugged me in the kitchen before going back to bed. I said my other good-byes over the weekendd.\n\nNow I find myself torn. I\'m already missing Walla Walla and my family but looking forward to my upcoming adventures in Sofia and catching up with friends.\n\nThe in between is hard sometimes.\n\nBut that\'s okay.','In Transit ','','inherit','open','open','','7095-autosave','','','2012-08-31 06:48:20','2012-08-31 04:48:20','',7095,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/08/31/7095-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(7107,1,'2012-09-01 13:21:02','2012-09-01 11:21:02','It\'s official. Sofia has two metro lines!!\r\n\r\nI don\'t think it\'s going to change my life much but still, we\'ve got two lines <em>and</em> the lines connect.\r\n\r\nYesterday, A. and I decided to go for a coffee. He met me in Mladost and we took the metro to Nadezhda--a stop on the newly opened line--for coffee.\r\n<a title=\"Me on the new Sofia Metro line by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7905414914/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8439/7905414914_5dc1482b69_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me on the new Sofia Metro line\" width=\"640\" height=\"488\" /></a>\r\nThe metro was hopping. I guess that\'s to be expected. It did<em> just</em> open. I\'ve actually never seen so many people on the platform or on the metro during non-rush hour times.\r\n\r\nIt was great fun to see. I especially liked the people standing by the train doors and popping their heads out at each stop to look at each stop. They were doing this of course because each stop is different. The colors of the tile work, the benches and the walls change depending on which stop you\'re at.\r\n\r\nRiding the metro in Washington DC was never this much fun.\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n\r\nThe new stops are, well, so shinny, clean and new.\r\n\r\nNot all off the trains are.\r\n<a title=\"The Sofia metro line two by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7905414106/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/7905414106_0e406f641f_z.jpg\" alt=\"The Sofia metro line two\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThe transfer point is Serdika. The first Serdika stop looks fairly shabby in comparison to Serdika II. I just didn\'t really think about it when I was in the metro yesterday so I failed to take a picture of the older stop to serve as a point of comparison. Sorry.\r\n\r\nMy one complaint has to do with signage--or it\'s lack there of. (This, however, seems to be one of my general complaints in this country.) Anyhow, there could be better signs on the platform to point passengers towards the transfer point for each line of the metro.\r\n<a title=\"Serdika II--the new line by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7905411988/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8456/7905411988_f1ea4db2f3_z.jpg\" alt=\"Serdika II--the new line\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nWhen got off the train at Serdika from Mladost, it wasn\'t obvious exactly where we should go to transfer to the second line. This meant that we stood on the platform looking around for signs while other riders who were not transferring sighed heavily because we were in the way.\r\n\r\nOn our way back from Nadezhda to Serdika it was less confusing because for us we just had to back the way we came. Still the only sign that I actually saw pointing towards the other line in Serdika II wasn\'t on the platform but up a set of stairs which wasn\'t all that obvious or easy to read from the platform where the train lets you off. Sure you have to take the stairs to transfer but I think this a kind of silly place for the sign and not exactly user friendly for people unfamiliar with the Sofia metro.\r\n\r\nOh well, I guess it\'s sort of like the fact that at the turnstiles to enter the metro if you\'re right handed you have to reach across your body to put your ticket in or swipe your card or else the turnstile arms one over from where you are standing will open.  The good news is that now I am used to taking the metro and I can always get into the metro (sometimes, it\'s the little things). I will say that I never find it any less annoying. It just doesn\'t make sense nor does it feel natural reach across my body to make the turnstile open.\r\n\r\nI\'m not sure how much I\'ll use this second line. It seems like the only reason I\'d use it is to go to the train station/bus station but I don\'t find myself traveling much through out Bulgaria by bus or train these days. Anyhow, now the second line is there and I <em>could</em> use it if I wanted to.\r\n\r\nAnyhow, after our coffee we took the metro back to Mladost and then went to the Mall. We did a little shopping and then we saw the newest Bourne movie. I thought the movie was good. It has some serious action scenes. This said, the series is clearly now set-up to spin out forever and ever. A. said that he liked it too but that he also liked watching me cringe during the action scenes. I think that\'s a sure sign of a good action movie--me cringing.\r\n\r\nThen we had sandwiches at Subway. You know, in honor of the metro opening today.','Sofia\'s second metro line','','publish','open','open','','sofias-second-metro-line','','','2012-09-01 13:21:02','2012-09-01 11:21:02','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7107',0,'post','',4);
INSERT INTO `wp_posts` VALUES (7108,1,'2012-09-01 13:14:41','2012-09-01 11:14:41','It\'s official. Sofia has two metro lines!!\n\nI don\'t think it\'s going to change my life much but still, we\'ve got two lines <em>and</em> the lines connect.\n\nYesterday, A. and I decided to go for a coffee. He met me in Mladost and we took the metro to Nadezhda--a stop on the newly opened line--for coffee.\n<a title=\"Me on the new Sofia Metro line by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7905414914/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8439/7905414914_5dc1482b69_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me on the new Sofia Metro line\" width=\"640\" height=\"488\" /></a>\nThe metro was hopping. I guess that\'s to be expected. It did<em> just</em> open. I\'ve actually never seen so many people on the platform or on the metro during non-rush hour times.\n\nIt was great fun to see. I especially liked the people standing by the train doors and popping their heads out at each stop to look at each stop. They were doing this of course because each stop is different. The colors of the tile work, the benches and the walls change depending on which stop you\'re at.\n\nRiding the metro in Washington DC was never this much fun.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nThe new stops are, well, so shinny, clean and new.\n\nNot all off the trains are.\n<a title=\"The Sofia metro line two by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7905414106/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/7905414106_0e406f641f_z.jpg\" alt=\"The Sofia metro line two\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nThe transfer point is Serdika. The first Serdika stop looks fairly shabby in comparison to Serdika II. I just didn\'t really think about it when I was in the metro yesterday so I failed to take a picture of the older stop to serve as a point of comparison. Sorry.\n\nMy one complaint has to do with signage--or it\'s lack there of. (This, however, seems to be one of my general complaints in this country.) Anyhow, there could be better signs on the platform to point passengers towards the transfer point for each line of the metro.\n<a title=\"Serdika II--the new line by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7905411988/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8456/7905411988_f1ea4db2f3_z.jpg\" alt=\"Serdika II--the new line\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nWhen got off the train at Serdika from Mladost, it wasn\'t obvious exactly where we should go to transfer to the second line. This meant that we stood on the platform looking around for signs while other riders who were not transferring sighed heavily because we were in the way.\n\nOn our way back from Nadezhda to Serdika it was less confusing because for us we just had to back the way we came. Still the only sign that I actually saw pointing towards the other line in Serdika II wasn\'t on the platform but up a set of stairs which wasn\'t all that obvious or easy to read from the platform where the train lets you off. Sure you have to take the stairs to transfer but I think this a kind of silly place for the sign and not exactly user friendly for people unfamiliar with the Sofia metro.\n\nOh well, I guess it\'s sort of like the fact that at the turnstiles to enter the metro if you\'re right handed you have to reach across your body to put your ticket in or swipe your card or else the turnstile arms one over from where you are standing will open.  The good news is that now I am used to taking the metro and I can always get into the metro (sometimes, it\'s the little things). I will say that I never find it any less annoying.It just doesn\'t make sense nor does it feel natural reach across my body to make the turnstile open.\n\nAfter our coffee, we went to the Mall. We did a little shopping and then we saw the newest Bourne movie. I thought the movie was good. It has some serious action scenes. This said, the series is clearly now set-up to spin out forever and ever. A. said that he liked it too but that he also liked watching me cringe during the action scenes.\n\nThen we had sandwiches at Subway. You know, in honor of the metro opening today.','Sofia\'s second metro line','','inherit','open','open','','7107-revision','','','2012-09-01 13:14:41','2012-09-01 11:14:41','',7107,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/01/7107-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7109,1,'2012-09-01 13:14:48','2012-09-01 11:14:48','It\'s official. Sofia has two metro lines!!\r\n\r\nI don\'t think it\'s going to change my life much but still, we\'ve got two lines <em>and</em> the lines connect.\r\n\r\nYesterday, A. and I decided to go for a coffee. He met me in Mladost and we took the metro to Nadezhda--a stop on the newly opened line--for coffee.\r\n<a title=\"Me on the new Sofia Metro line by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7905414914/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8439/7905414914_5dc1482b69_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me on the new Sofia Metro line\" width=\"640\" height=\"488\" /></a>\r\nThe metro was hopping. I guess that\'s to be expected. It did<em> just</em> open. I\'ve actually never seen so many people on the platform or on the metro during non-rush hour times.\r\n\r\nIt was great fun to see. I especially liked the people standing by the train doors and popping their heads out at each stop to look at each stop. They were doing this of course because each stop is different. The colors of the tile work, the benches and the walls change depending on which stop you\'re at.\r\n\r\nRiding the metro in Washington DC was never this much fun.\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n\r\nThe new stops are, well, so shinny, clean and new.\r\n\r\nNot all off the trains are.\r\n<a title=\"The Sofia metro line two by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7905414106/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/7905414106_0e406f641f_z.jpg\" alt=\"The Sofia metro line two\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThe transfer point is Serdika. The first Serdika stop looks fairly shabby in comparison to Serdika II. I just didn\'t really think about it when I was in the metro yesterday so I failed to take a picture of the older stop to serve as a point of comparison. Sorry.\r\n\r\nMy one complaint has to do with signage--or it\'s lack there of. (This, however, seems to be one of my general complaints in this country.) Anyhow, there could be better signs on the platform to point passengers towards the transfer point for each line of the metro.\r\n<a title=\"Serdika II--the new line by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7905411988/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8456/7905411988_f1ea4db2f3_z.jpg\" alt=\"Serdika II--the new line\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nWhen got off the train at Serdika from Mladost, it wasn\'t obvious exactly where we should go to transfer to the second line. This meant that we stood on the platform looking around for signs while other riders who were not transferring sighed heavily because we were in the way.\r\n\r\nOn our way back from Nadezhda to Serdika it was less confusing because for us we just had to back the way we came. Still the only sign that I actually saw pointing towards the other line in Serdika II wasn\'t on the platform but up a set of stairs which wasn\'t all that obvious or easy to read from the platform where the train lets you off. Sure you have to take the stairs to transfer but I think this a kind of silly place for the sign and not exactly user friendly for people unfamiliar with the Sofia metro.\r\n\r\nOh well, I guess it\'s sort of like the fact that at the turnstiles to enter the metro if you\'re right handed you have to reach across your body to put your ticket in or swipe your card or else the turnstile arms one over from where you are standing will open.  The good news is that now I am used to taking the metro and I can always get into the metro (sometimes, it\'s the little things). I will say that I never find it any less annoying.It just doesn\'t make sense nor does it feel natural reach across my body to make the turnstile open.\r\n\r\nAfter our coffee, we went to the Mall. We did a little shopping and then we saw the newest Bourne movie. I thought the movie was good. It has some serious action scenes. This said, the series is clearly now set-up to spin out forever and ever. A. said that he liked it too but that he also liked watching me cringe during the action scenes.\r\n\r\nThen we had sandwiches at Subway. You know, in honor of the metro opening today.','Sofia\'s second metro line','','inherit','open','open','','7107-revision-2','','','2012-09-01 13:14:48','2012-09-01 11:14:48','',7107,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/01/7107-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7110,1,'2012-09-01 13:20:52','2012-09-01 11:20:52','It\'s official. Sofia has two metro lines!!\n\nI don\'t think it\'s going to change my life much but still, we\'ve got two lines <em>and</em> the lines connect.\n\nYesterday, A. and I decided to go for a coffee. He met me in Mladost and we took the metro to Nadezhda--a stop on the newly opened line--for coffee.\n<a title=\"Me on the new Sofia Metro line by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7905414914/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8439/7905414914_5dc1482b69_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me on the new Sofia Metro line\" width=\"640\" height=\"488\" /></a>\nThe metro was hopping. I guess that\'s to be expected. It did<em> just</em> open. I\'ve actually never seen so many people on the platform or on the metro during non-rush hour times.\n\nIt was great fun to see. I especially liked the people standing by the train doors and popping their heads out at each stop to look at each stop. They were doing this of course because each stop is different. The colors of the tile work, the benches and the walls change depending on which stop you\'re at.\n\nRiding the metro in Washington DC was never this much fun.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nThe new stops are, well, so shinny, clean and new.\n\nNot all off the trains are.\n<a title=\"The Sofia metro line two by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7905414106/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/7905414106_0e406f641f_z.jpg\" alt=\"The Sofia metro line two\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nThe transfer point is Serdika. The first Serdika stop looks fairly shabby in comparison to Serdika II. I just didn\'t really think about it when I was in the metro yesterday so I failed to take a picture of the older stop to serve as a point of comparison. Sorry.\n\nMy one complaint has to do with signage--or it\'s lack there of. (This, however, seems to be one of my general complaints in this country.) Anyhow, there could be better signs on the platform to point passengers towards the transfer point for each line of the metro.\n<a title=\"Serdika II--the new line by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7905411988/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8456/7905411988_f1ea4db2f3_z.jpg\" alt=\"Serdika II--the new line\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nWhen got off the train at Serdika from Mladost, it wasn\'t obvious exactly where we should go to transfer to the second line. This meant that we stood on the platform looking around for signs while other riders who were not transferring sighed heavily because we were in the way.\n\nOn our way back from Nadezhda to Serdika it was less confusing because for us we just had to back the way we came. Still the only sign that I actually saw pointing towards the other line in Serdika II wasn\'t on the platform but up a set of stairs which wasn\'t all that obvious or easy to read from the platform where the train lets you off. Sure you have to take the stairs to transfer but I think this a kind of silly place for the sign and not exactly user friendly for people unfamiliar with the Sofia metro.\n\nOh well, I guess it\'s sort of like the fact that at the turnstiles to enter the metro if you\'re right handed you have to reach across your body to put your ticket in or swipe your card or else the turnstile arms one over from where you are standing will open.  The good news is that now I am used to taking the metro and I can always get into the metro (sometimes, it\'s the little things). I will say that I never find it any less annoying. It just doesn\'t make sense nor does it feel natural reach across my body to make the turnstile open.\n\nI\'m not sure how much I\'ll use this second line. It seems like the only reason I\'d use it is to go to the train station/bus station but I don\'t find myself traveling much through out Bulgaria by bus or train these days. Anyhow, now the second line is there and I <em>could</em> use it if I wanted to.\n\nAnyhow, after our coffee we took the metro back to Mladost and then went to the Mall. We did a little shopping and then we saw the newest Bourne movie. I thought the movie was good. It has some serious action scenes. This said, the series is clearly now set-up to spin out forever and ever. A. said that he liked it too but that he also liked watching me cringe during the action scenes. I think that\'s a sure sign of a good action movie--me cringing.\n\nThen we had sandwiches at Subway. You know, in honor of the metro opening today.','Sofia\'s second metro line','','inherit','open','open','','7107-revision-3','','','2012-09-01 13:20:52','2012-09-01 11:20:52','',7107,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/01/7107-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7111,1,'2012-09-01 13:22:06','2012-09-01 11:22:06','It\'s official. Sofia has two metro lines!!\n\nI don\'t think it\'s going to change my life much but still, we\'ve got two lines <em>and</em> the lines connect.\n\nYesterday, A. and I decided to go for a coffee. He met me in Mladost and we took the metro to Nadezhda--a stop on the newly opened line--for coffee.\n<a title=\"Me on the new Sofia Metro line by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7905414914/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8439/7905414914_5dc1482b69_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me on the new Sofia Metro line\" width=\"640\" height=\"488\" /></a>\nThe metro was hopping. I guess that\'s to be expected. It did<em> just</em> open. I\'ve actually never seen so many people on the platform or on the metro during non-rush hour times.\n\nIt was great fun to see. I especially liked the people standing by the train doors and popping their heads out at each stop to look at each stop. They were doing this of course because each stop is different. The colors of the tile work, the benches and the walls change depending on which stop you\'re at.\n\nRiding the metro in Washington DC was never this much fun.\n\n<!--more-->\n\nThe new stops are, well, so shinny, clean and new.\n\nNot all off the trains are.\n<a title=\"The Sofia metro line two by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7905414106/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/7905414106_0e406f641f_z.jpg\" alt=\"The Sofia metro line two\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nThe transfer point is Serdika. The first Serdika stop looks fairly shabby in comparison to Serdika II. I just didn\'t really think about it when I was in the metro yesterday so I failed to take a picture of the older stop to serve as a point of comparison. Sorry.\n\nMy one complaint has to do with signage--or it\'s lack there of. (This, however, seems to be one of my general complaints in this country.) Anyhow, there could be better signs on the platform to point passengers towards the transfer point for each line of the metro.\n<a title=\"Serdika II--the new line by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7905411988/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8456/7905411988_f1ea4db2f3_z.jpg\" alt=\"Serdika II--the new line\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nWhen got off the train at Serdika from Mladost, it wasn\'t obvious exactly where we should go to transfer to the second line. This meant that we stood on the platform looking around for signs while other riders who were not transferring sighed heavily because we were in the way.\n\nOn our way back from Nadezhda to Serdika it was less confusing because for us we just had to back the way we came. Still the only sign that I actually saw pointing towards the other line in Serdika II wasn\'t on the platform but up a set of stairs which wasn\'t all that obvious or easy to read from the platform where the train lets you off. Sure you have to take the stairs to transfer but I think this a kind of silly place for the sign and not exactly user friendly for people unfamiliar with the Sofia metro.\n\nOh well, I guess it\'s sort of like the fact that at the turnstiles to enter the metro if you\'re right handed you have to reach across your body to put your ticket in or swipe your card or else the turnstile arms one over from where you are standing will open.  The good news is that now I am used to taking the metro and I can always get into the metro (sometimes, it\'s the little things). I will say that I never find it any less annoying. It just doesn\'t make sense nor does it feel natural reach across my body to make the turnstile open.\n\nI\'m not sure how much I\'ll use this second line. It seems like the only reason I\'d use it is to go to the train station/bus station but I don\'t find myself traveling much through out Bulgaria by bus or train these days. Anyhow, now the second line is there and I <em>could</em> use it if I wanted to.\n\nAnyhow, after our coffee we took the metro back to Mladost and then went to the Mall. We did a little shopping and then we saw the newest Bourne movie. I thought the movie was good. It has some serious action scenes. This said, the series is clearly now set-up to spin out forever and ever. A. said that he liked it too but that he also liked watching me cringe during the action scenes. I think that\'s a sure sign of a good action movie--me cringing.\n\nThen we had sandwiches at Subway. You know, in honor of the metro opening today.','Sofia\'s second metro line','','inherit','open','open','','7107-autosave','','','2012-09-01 13:22:06','2012-09-01 11:22:06','',7107,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/01/7107-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(7112,1,'2012-09-01 17:24:25','2012-09-01 15:24:25','I\'ve spent a lot of time over the last four years championing Sofia on this blog. It\'s a place that I\'ve grown to like. It\'s a place that I\'ve explored and continue to explore. In my first year, I hit up all of the Lonely Planet to-dos first and then I branched out from there.\r\n\r\nOver the years, I\'ve heard a lot of people--Bulgarians and non--Bulgarians alike--say: Oh, one day is more than enough in Sofia. Do a day in Sofia and then move on.\r\n\r\nThis sentiment has always made me shake my head. There\'s a lot to do in this city. Sure it might not be as in your face as some place like Paris or London but I\'ve always thought that\'s what makes it special. Sofia isn\'t crawling with tourists.  It\'s a city that you have to be willing to give a chance.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Sofia in the New York Times by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7905994958/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8029/7905994958_726e0989f9_z.jpg\" alt=\"Sofia in the New York Times\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThe New York Times travel section seems to have done just this.\r\n\r\nEnter <a href=\"http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/09/02/travel/36-hours-in-sofia-bulgaria.html?_r=0\" target=\"_blank\">this New York Times piece on Sofia</a>. It\'s part of their 36-hours series. You know, what to do in a city if you only have 36 hours. The series usually gives one a good glimpse of the spirit of the city in what\'s basically a weekend. It\'s usually a fun down and dirty whirlwind tour of the city.\r\n\r\nI read the story and thought: Ah-ha. We\'ve arrived. Sofia in 36 hours in the NYT.\r\n\r\nThen I thought: Phew. I\'ve been to all of these places. I would <em>hate</em> it if the NYT was a step ahead of me.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nThis was followed by this: I\'ve written about all these spots but two on my blog. Then again I\'ve been in Sofia for 4 years. That\'s a lot of hours in Sofia. Something like 35063.24 hours in Sofia--give or take a few vacations. Take that NYT.\r\n\r\nMy one complaint was that many of the places in this piece seem to be straight out of a guide book. Take Hambara  for example. Sure it\'s cool enough but it\'s in <em>every</em> guidebook I\'ve ever read. They unashamedly serve cheep wine out of a box and they never seem to be able to make change for a 20 or they sigh heavily about it. There are plenty of places with better wine and service.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://eenk.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Bulgarian blogger elenko</a>\'s one complaint has to with the phrase \"Zagorka-swigging hipsters.\" I sort of liked the ring of it. He didn\'t. He wrote to the NYT about it. You can <a href=\"http://twitpic.com/aphmsw\" target=\"_blank\">read his email here</a>. He makes a good point. Luckily, I like the phrase \"Pirinsko-swigging\" as well.\r\n\r\nBut when I really think about it, I think that \"Pirinsko-swilling\" would be even better as swigging doesn\'t really capture the way Bulgarians drink beer.\r\n\r\nSwigging suggests to me that the drinker is in a hurry and drinking the beer quickly and taking large mouthfuls of beer with each drink. Swilling on the other hand suggests drinking steadily to excess. Of course, the result of the two is the same it\'s just manner that the beer is relayed to the mouth is different.\r\n\r\nAs such, I\'d go with the verb \"to swill\" as a better choice than \"to swig\" because it seems to capture the real finesse with which Bulgarians drink beer (or really anything for that matter).','NYT and Sofia: to swig or to swill','','publish','open','open','','nyt-and-sofia-to-swig-or-to-swill','','','2012-09-01 14:51:37','2012-09-01 12:51:37','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7112',0,'post','',2),(7113,1,'2012-09-01 14:23:51','2012-09-01 12:23:51','I\'ve spent a lot of time over the last four years championing Sofia on this blog. It\'s a place that I\'ve really grown to like. It\'s a place that I\'ve explored and continue to explore. I hit up all of the Lonely Planet to-dos first and branched out from there.\n\nI\'ve heard a lot of people say: Oh, one day is more than enough in Sofia. Do a day in Sofia and then move on.\n\nThis has always made me shake my head. There\'s a lot to do in this city. Sure it might not be as in your face as some place like Paris or London but I\'ve always thought that\'s what makes it special. Sofia isn\'t crawling with tourists.  It\'s a city that you have to be willing to give a chance.\n\nEnter <a href=\"http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/09/02/travel/36-hours-in-sofia-bulgaria.html?_r=0\" target=\"_blank\">this New York Times piece on Sofia</a>. It\'s part of their 36-hours series. You know, what to do in a city if you only have 36 hours. The series usually gives one a good glimpse of the spirit of the city in what\'s basically a weekend. It\'s a fun down and dirty tour of the city.\n\nI read the story and thought: Ah-ha. We\'ve arrived. Sofia in 36 hours in the NYT.\n\nThen I thought: Phew. I\'ve been to all of these places. I would <em>hate</em> it if the NYT was a step ahead of me.\n\nThis was followed by this: I\'ve written about all these spots but two on my blog. Then again I\'ve been in Sofia for 4 years. That\'s a lot of hours in Sofia. Something like 35063.24 hours in Sofia--give or take a few vacations. Take that NYT.\n\nMy one complaint was that many of the places in this piece seem to be straight out of a guide book. Take Hambara  for example. Sure it\'s cool enough but it\'s in <em>every</em> guidebook I\'ve ever read. They unashamedly serve cheep wine out of a box and they never seem to be able to make change for a 20 or they sigh heavily about it. There are plenty of places with better wine and service.\n\nBlogger elenko\'s one complaint has to with the phrase \"Zagorka-swigging hipsters.\" I sort of liked the ring of it. He didn\'t. He wrote to the NYT about it. You can <a href=\"http://twitpic.com/aphmsw\" target=\"_blank\">read his email here</a>. He makes a good point. Luckily, I like the phrase \"Pirinsko-swigging\" as well but I think that Pirinsko-swilling would be even better as swigging doesn\'t really capture the way Bulgarians drink beer.\n\nSwigging suggests to me that the drinker is in a hurry and drinking the beer quickly and taking large mouthfuls of beer with tea','NYT and Sofia ','','inherit','open','open','','7112-revision','','','2012-09-01 14:23:51','2012-09-01 12:23:51','',7112,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/01/7112-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7114,1,'2012-09-01 14:32:28','2012-09-01 12:32:28','I\'ve spent a lot of time over the last four years championing Sofia on this blog. It\'s a place that I\'ve really grown to like. It\'s a place that I\'ve explored and continue to explore. I hit up all of the Lonely Planet to-dos first and branched out from there.\n\nI\'ve heard a lot of people say: Oh, one day is more than enough in Sofia. Do a day in Sofia and then move on.\n\nThis has always made me shake my head. There\'s a lot to do in this city. Sure it might not be as in your face as some place like Paris or London but I\'ve always thought that\'s what makes it special. Sofia isn\'t crawling with tourists.  It\'s a city that you have to be willing to give a chance.\n\nEnter <a href=\"http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/09/02/travel/36-hours-in-sofia-bulgaria.html?_r=0\" target=\"_blank\">this New York Times piece on Sofia</a>. It\'s part of their 36-hours series. You know, what to do in a city if you only have 36 hours. The series usually gives one a good glimpse of the spirit of the city in what\'s basically a weekend. It\'s a fun down and dirty tour of the city.\n\nI read the story and thought: Ah-ha. We\'ve arrived. Sofia in 36 hours in the NYT.\n\nThen I thought: Phew. I\'ve been to all of these places. I would <em>hate</em> it if the NYT was a step ahead of me.\n\nThis was followed by this: I\'ve written about all these spots but two on my blog. Then again I\'ve been in Sofia for 4 years. That\'s a lot of hours in Sofia. Something like 35063.24 hours in Sofia--give or take a few vacations. Take that NYT.\n\nMy one complaint was that many of the places in this piece seem to be straight out of a guide book. Take Hambara  for example. Sure it\'s cool enough but it\'s in <em>every</em> guidebook I\'ve ever read. They unashamedly serve cheep wine out of a box and they never seem to be able to make change for a 20 or they sigh heavily about it. There are plenty of places with better wine and service.\n\nBlogger elenko\'s one complaint has to with the phrase \"Zagorka-swigging hipsters.\" I sort of liked the ring of it. He didn\'t. He wrote to the NYT about it. You can <a href=\"http://twitpic.com/aphmsw\" target=\"_blank\">read his email here</a>. He makes a good point. Luckily, I like the phrase \"Pirinsko-swigging\" as well but I think that Pirinsko-swilling would be even better as swigging doesn\'t really capture the way Bulgarians drink beer.\n\nSwigging suggests to me that the drinker is in a hurry and drinking the beer quickly and taking large mouthfuls of beer with each drink. Swilling on the other hand suggests drinking steadily to excess. Of course, the result of the two is the same it\'s just manner that the beer is relayed to the mouth is different.\n\nAs such, I\'d go with the verb \"to swill\" as a better choice than \"to swig\" because it seems to capture the real finesse with which Bulgarians drink beer (or really anything for that matter).','NYT and Sofia ','','inherit','open','open','','7112-revision-2','','','2012-09-01 14:32:28','2012-09-01 12:32:28','',7112,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/01/7112-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7115,1,'2012-09-01 14:32:40','2012-09-01 12:32:40','I\'ve spent a lot of time over the last four years championing Sofia on this blog. It\'s a place that I\'ve really grown to like. It\'s a place that I\'ve explored and continue to explore. I hit up all of the Lonely Planet to-dos first and branched out from there.\r\n\r\nI\'ve heard a lot of people say: Oh, one day is more than enough in Sofia. Do a day in Sofia and then move on.\r\n\r\nThis has always made me shake my head. There\'s a lot to do in this city. Sure it might not be as in your face as some place like Paris or London but I\'ve always thought that\'s what makes it special. Sofia isn\'t crawling with tourists.  It\'s a city that you have to be willing to give a chance.\r\n\r\nEnter <a href=\"http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/09/02/travel/36-hours-in-sofia-bulgaria.html?_r=0\" target=\"_blank\">this New York Times piece on Sofia</a>. It\'s part of their 36-hours series. You know, what to do in a city if you only have 36 hours. The series usually gives one a good glimpse of the spirit of the city in what\'s basically a weekend. It\'s a fun down and dirty tour of the city.\r\n\r\nI read the story and thought: Ah-ha. We\'ve arrived. Sofia in 36 hours in the NYT.\r\n\r\nThen I thought: Phew. I\'ve been to all of these places. I would <em>hate</em> it if the NYT was a step ahead of me.\r\n\r\nThis was followed by this: I\'ve written about all these spots but two on my blog. Then again I\'ve been in Sofia for 4 years. That\'s a lot of hours in Sofia. Something like 35063.24 hours in Sofia--give or take a few vacations. Take that NYT.\r\n\r\nMy one complaint was that many of the places in this piece seem to be straight out of a guide book. Take Hambara  for example. Sure it\'s cool enough but it\'s in <em>every</em> guidebook I\'ve ever read. They unashamedly serve cheep wine out of a box and they never seem to be able to make change for a 20 or they sigh heavily about it. There are plenty of places with better wine and service.\r\n\r\nBlogger elenko\'s one complaint has to with the phrase \"Zagorka-swigging hipsters.\" I sort of liked the ring of it. He didn\'t. He wrote to the NYT about it. You can <a href=\"http://twitpic.com/aphmsw\" target=\"_blank\">read his email here</a>. He makes a good point. Luckily, I like the phrase \"Pirinsko-swigging\" as well but I think that Pirinsko-swilling would be even better as swigging doesn\'t really capture the way Bulgarians drink beer.\r\n\r\nSwigging suggests to me that the drinker is in a hurry and drinking the beer quickly and taking large mouthfuls of beer with each drink. Swilling on the other hand suggests drinking steadily to excess. Of course, the result of the two is the same it\'s just manner that the beer is relayed to the mouth is different.\r\n\r\nAs such, I\'d go with the verb \"to swill\" as a better choice than \"to swig\" because it seems to capture the real finesse with which Bulgarians drink beer (or really anything for that matter).','NYT and Sofia ','','inherit','open','open','','7112-revision-3','','','2012-09-01 14:32:40','2012-09-01 12:32:40','',7112,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/01/7112-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7116,1,'2012-09-01 14:42:21','2012-09-01 12:42:21','I\'ve spent a lot of time over the last four years championing Sofia on this blog. It\'s a place that I\'ve grown to like. It\'s a place that I\'ve explored and continue to explore. In my first year, I hit up all of the Lonely Planet to-dos first and then I branched out from there.\r\n\r\nOver the years, I\'ve heard a lot of people--Bulgarians and non--Bulgarians alike--say: Oh, one day is more than enough in Sofia. Do a day in Sofia and then move on.\r\n\r\nThis sentiment has always made me shake my head. There\'s a lot to do in this city. Sure it might not be as in your face as some place like Paris or London but I\'ve always thought that\'s what makes it special. Sofia isn\'t crawling with tourists.  It\'s a city that you have to be willing to give a chance.\r\n\r\nThe New York Times travel section seems to have done just this.\r\n\r\nEnter <a href=\"http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/09/02/travel/36-hours-in-sofia-bulgaria.html?_r=0\" target=\"_blank\">this New York Times piece on Sofia</a>. It\'s part of their 36-hours series. You know, what to do in a city if you only have 36 hours. The series usually gives one a good glimpse of the spirit of the city in what\'s basically a weekend. It\'s usually a fun down and dirty whirlwind tour of the city.\r\n\r\nI read the story and thought: Ah-ha. We\'ve arrived. Sofia in 36 hours in the NYT.\r\n\r\nThen I thought: Phew. I\'ve been to all of these places. I would <em>hate</em> it if the NYT was a step ahead of me.\r\n\r\nThis was followed by this: I\'ve written about all these spots but two on my blog. Then again I\'ve been in Sofia for 4 years. That\'s a lot of hours in Sofia. Something like 35063.24 hours in Sofia--give or take a few vacations. Take that NYT.\r\n\r\nMy one complaint was that many of the places in this piece seem to be straight out of a guide book. Take Hambara  for example. Sure it\'s cool enough but it\'s in <em>every</em> guidebook I\'ve ever read. They unashamedly serve cheep wine out of a box and they never seem to be able to make change for a 20 or they sigh heavily about it. There are plenty of places with better wine and service.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://eenk.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Bulgarian blogger elenko</a>\'s one complaint has to with the phrase \"Zagorka-swigging hipsters.\" I sort of liked the ring of it. He didn\'t. He wrote to the NYT about it. You can <a href=\"http://twitpic.com/aphmsw\" target=\"_blank\">read his email here</a>. He makes a good point. Luckily, I like the phrase \"Pirinsko-swigging\" as well.\r\n\r\nBut when I really think about it, I think that \"Pirinsko-swilling\" would be even better as swigging doesn\'t really capture the way Bulgarians drink beer.\r\n\r\nSwigging suggests to me that the drinker is in a hurry and drinking the beer quickly and taking large mouthfuls of beer with each drink. Swilling on the other hand suggests drinking steadily to excess. Of course, the result of the two is the same it\'s just manner that the beer is relayed to the mouth is different.\r\n\r\nAs such, I\'d go with the verb \"to swill\" as a better choice than \"to swig\" because it seems to capture the real finesse with which Bulgarians drink beer (or really anything for that matter).','NYT and Sofia: to swig or to swill','','inherit','open','open','','7112-revision-4','','','2012-09-01 14:42:21','2012-09-01 12:42:21','',7112,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/01/7112-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(7117,1,'2012-09-01 14:52:03','2012-09-01 12:52:03','I\'ve spent a lot of time over the last four years championing Sofia on this blog. It\'s a place that I\'ve grown to like. It\'s a place that I\'ve explored and continue to explore. In my first year, I hit up all of the Lonely Planet to-dos first and then I branched out from there.\r\n\r\nOver the years, I\'ve heard a lot of people--Bulgarians and non--Bulgarians alike--say: Oh, one day is more than enough in Sofia. Do a day in Sofia and then move on.\r\n\r\nThis sentiment has always made me shake my head. There\'s a lot to do in this city. Sure it might not be as in your face as some place like Paris or London but I\'ve always thought that\'s what makes it special. Sofia isn\'t crawling with tourists.  It\'s a city that you have to be willing to give a chance.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Sofia in the New York Times by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7905994958/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8029/7905994958_726e0989f9_z.jpg\" alt=\"Sofia in the New York Times\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThe New York Times travel section seems to have done just this.\r\n\r\nEnter <a href=\"http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/09/02/travel/36-hours-in-sofia-bulgaria.html?_r=0\" target=\"_blank\">this New York Times piece on Sofia</a>. It\'s part of their 36-hours series. You know, what to do in a city if you only have 36 hours. The series usually gives one a good glimpse of the spirit of the city in what\'s basically a weekend. It\'s usually a fun down and dirty whirlwind tour of the city.\r\n\r\nI read the story and thought: Ah-ha. We\'ve arrived. Sofia in 36 hours in the NYT.\r\n\r\nThen I thought: Phew. I\'ve been to all of these places. I would <em>hate</em> it if the NYT was a step ahead of me.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nThis was followed by this: I\'ve written about all these spots but two on my blog. Then again I\'ve been in Sofia for 4 years. That\'s a lot of hours in Sofia. Something like 35063.24 hours in Sofia--give or take a few vacations. Take that NYT.\r\n\r\nMy one complaint was that many of the places in this piece seem to be straight out of a guide book. Take Hambara  for example. Sure it\'s cool enough but it\'s in <em>every</em> guidebook I\'ve ever read. They unashamedly serve cheep wine out of a box and they never seem to be able to make change for a 20 or they sigh heavily about it. There are plenty of places with better wine and service.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://eenk.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Bulgarian blogger elenko</a>\'s one complaint has to with the phrase \"Zagorka-swigging hipsters.\" I sort of liked the ring of it. He didn\'t. He wrote to the NYT about it. You can <a href=\"http://twitpic.com/aphmsw\" target=\"_blank\">read his email here</a>. He makes a good point. Luckily, I like the phrase \"Pirinsko-swigging\" as well.\r\n\r\nBut when I really think about it, I think that \"Pirinsko-swilling\" would be even better as swigging doesn\'t really capture the way Bulgarians drink beer.\r\n\r\nSwigging suggests to me that the drinker is in a hurry and drinking the beer quickly and taking large mouthfuls of beer with each drink. Swilling on the other hand suggests drinking steadily to excess. Of course, the result of the two is the same it\'s just manner that the beer is relayed to the mouth is different.\r\n\r\nAs such, I\'d go with the verb \"to swill\" as a better choice than \"to swig\" because it seems to capture the real finesse with which Bulgarians drink beer (or really anything for that matter).','NYT and Sofia: to swig or to swill','','inherit','open','open','','7112-autosave','','','2012-09-01 14:52:03','2012-09-01 12:52:03','',7112,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/01/7112-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(7118,1,'2012-09-02 11:01:36','2012-09-02 09:01:36','<em>Once a month or so, I\'m going to run a series on my blog called Reruns. It\'s going to be a retrospective of sorts of my time in Bulgaria. There\'s a theme to the post which I\'ll have identified by sorting through old blog posts. You can then link back through to these posts and read a little current commentary. Enjoy!</em>\r\n\r\nFor almost as long as I can remember I\'ve charted the passage of time with the arrival of each new school year. At the end of August, you know that it\'s coming--night comes a little sooner and the air has a edge of cool in it. And you wonder: is the last best night of summer?\r\n\r\nIt\'s a bittersweet moment. The end of summer and the beginning of the school year. I\'m not sure if Mladost in late summer helps or hurts the matter. Maybe it just is.\r\n<a title=\"my Mladost fall 2012 by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7912006496/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8314/7912006496_7f7e20b1a5_z.jpg\" alt=\"my Mladost fall 2012\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThe thing is, as a student, the thought of new school supplies and a few new outfits for school made me giddy. In college, I looked forward to reading news books, discussing big ideas and catching up with my friends. When I worked at Georgetown, the beginning of the school year meant that campus was infused with the energy and enthusiasm that comes with the return of 18-22 year olds--this I think offers extroverts like me a natural high.\r\n\r\nAnd now as a high school teacher, it\'s no different. I\'d still like to buy school supplies and new clothes. I love catching up with my teacher friends and hearing about all of their adventures. I\'m looking forward to planning out my school year and blocking out my lesson plans and the books we\'ll be reading.\r\n\r\nThese new beginnings haven\'t always been easy.\r\n\r\nWhen I moved to Bulgaria four years ago, I had no idea what to expect. In subsequent years it\'s gotten better but living in a new country, starting a new job and learning all of your students\' names is never easy. <!--more-->\r\n\r\n<strong>Year one</strong> (2008-09): <em>The Fulbright Year</em>. I was just trying to figure out which way was up and the ins and outs of my apartment, my life in Sofia and my job at the First English Language High School. I <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/08/09/a-few-of-my-favorite-things/\" target=\"_blank\">bought a new pillow</a> and I still have it today. I started <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/08/26/settling-into-sofia/\" target=\"_blank\">taking Bulgarian lessons and I had a crash course in taking city buses</a>. I started adjusting <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/09/01/cash-money/\" target=\"_blank\">to paying for everything--big or small--in cash</a>. Then I <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/09/09/final-test-bulgarian-language-class/\" target=\"_blank\">passed my Bulgarian course</a>. <em>Kind of</em>. All of this before <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/09/15/first-day-of-school/\" target=\"_blank\">my first day of school in Bulgaria</a>. A day where I expected to meet students not smoke and drink in the Teachers\' Room.\r\n\r\n<strong>Year two</strong> (2009-10): <em>My Freshman Year at ACS</em>. <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/09/03/living-in-mladost/\" target=\"_blank\">I moved to Mladost</a> from the city center.The beginning of this school year was a busy one. I didn\'t write much about it. In some ways, starting at ACS felt like starting all over again--new systems to learn, new people to meet and lots more work.  This was also <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/09/13/my-first-lesson/\" target=\"_blank\">my first year with my Bulgarian tutor I</a>. It\'s funny it feels like we\'ve just always known each other but it was only three years ago that I found myself making <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/09/10/bulgarian-words/\" target=\"_blank\">this list of Bulgarian words</a> trying to figure out how much I knew. For the record I know a lot more now.\r\n\r\n<strong>Year three</strong> (2010-11): <em>Figuring out the ropes</em>. My <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/09/04/year-three/\" target=\"_blank\">celebration of the beginning of year three</a> makes it clear that I am still getting the hang of things. Still I remain haunted by the fact that <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/09/11/books-on-my-bedside-table/\" target=\"_blank\">I haven\'t yet read Under the Yoke</a>. (Um, I still haven\'t. I\'ve thought about it though if that counts for anything.) But my <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/09/07/fresh-figs-an-obsession/\" target=\"_blank\">love affair with figs</a> outweighs any guilt I feel about not reading <em>Under the Yoke</em>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Year four</strong> (2011-12): <em>I\'ve been here and done this</em>. Things get easier and easier. I make a <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/09/09/a-sight-seeing-scavenger-hunt-in-sofia/\" target=\"_blank\">sight-seeing scavenger hunt</a> for some of the new teachers. I know what to <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/09/18/another-first-day-of-school/\" target=\"_blank\">expect on the first day of school</a> and who to ask for photocopies. However this was also the year, that for about a week--give or take--every time I left my apartment <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/09/20/getting-back-in-the-swing-of-things/\" target=\"_blank\">I couldn\'t remember if I turned of the [fill in the blank]</a>...coffee pot, oven, hair straightener or even the lights. Interestingly, everything was always off. I just didn\'t remember turning it off.\r\n\r\n<strong>Year five</strong> (2012-13):  I wish that I could get this Bulgarian head-shaking/head-nodding thing down. At Subway on Friday night, my total was 11.43 or something like this. I paid with a 50. I know, I know. That\'s annoying but I have to make someone break this big bill. The boy behind the counter asks me in Bulgarian, if I have 2 leva. Nope. I shake my head no. He stares at me. I stare off into the distance waiting for my change and my sandwiches. He\'s waiting for me to produce 2 leva but I\'m not ever going to. I don\'t have it.  A. steps in and says in Bulgarian, she doesn\'t have 2 leva. Then to me: you shook your head yes in Bulgarian that you had 2 leva and then didn\'t give it to him. Well, you know the Bulgarian \"yes\" is the American \"no\" so it\'s easy enough to see how this happened. Maybe one day I\'ll get the head nod under control. Then again, maybe I wont it\'s already been four years.','Reruns: New Beginnings','','publish','open','open','','reruns-new-beginnings','','','2012-09-02 11:01:36','2012-09-02 09:01:36','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7118',0,'post','',3),(7119,1,'2012-09-02 10:58:03','2012-09-02 08:58:03','<em>Once a month or so, I\'m going to run a series on my blog called Reruns. It\'s going to be a retrospective of sorts of my time in Bulgaria. There\'s a theme to the post which I\'ll have identified by sorting through old blog posts. You can then link back through to these posts and read a little current commentary. Enjoy!</em>\n\nFor almost as long as I can remember I\'ve charted the passage of time with the arrival of each new school year. At the end of August, you know that it\'s coming--night comes a little sooner and the air has a edge of cool in it. And you wonder: is the last best night of summer?\n\nIt\'s a bittersweet moment. The end of summer and the beginning of the school year.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7912006496/\" title=\"my Mladost fall 2012 by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8314/7912006496_7f7e20b1a5_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"my Mladost fall 2012\"></a>\nThe thing is, as a student, the thought of new school supplies and a few new outfits for school made me giddy. In college, I looked forward to reading news books, discussing big ideas and catching up with my friends. When I worked at Georgetown, the beginning of the school year meant that campus was infused with the energy and enthusiasm that comes with the return of 18-22 year olds--this I think offers extroverts like me a natural high.\n\nAnd now as a high school teacher, it\'s no different. I\'d still like to buy school supplies and new clothes. I love catching up with my teacher friends and hearing about all of their adventures. I\'m looking forward to planning out my school year and blocking out my lesson plans and the books we\'ll be reading.\n\nThese new beginnings haven\'t always been easy.\n\nWhen I moved to Bulgaria four years ago, I had no idea what to expect. In subsequent years it\'s gotten better but living in a new country, starting a new job and learning all of your students\' names is never easy. <!--more-->\n\n<strong>Year one</strong> (2008-09): <em>The Fulbright Year</em>. I was just trying to figure out which way was up and the ins and outs of my apartment, my life in Sofia and my job at the First English Language High School. I <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/08/09/a-few-of-my-favorite-things/\" target=\"_blank\">bought a new pillow</a> and I still have it today. I started <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/08/26/settling-into-sofia/\" target=\"_blank\">taking Bulgarian lessons and I had a crash course in taking city buses</a>. I started adjusting <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/09/01/cash-money/\" target=\"_blank\">to paying for everything--big or small--in cash</a>. Then I <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/09/09/final-test-bulgarian-language-class/\" target=\"_blank\">passed my Bulgarian course</a>. <em>Kind of</em>. All of this before <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/09/15/first-day-of-school/\" target=\"_blank\">my first day of school in Bulgaria</a>. A day where I expected to meet students not smoke and drink in the Teachers\' Room.\n\n<strong>Year two</strong> (2009-10): <em>My Freshman Year at ACS</em>. <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/09/03/living-in-mladost/\" target=\"_blank\">I moved to Mladost</a> from the city center.The beginning of this school year was a busy one. I didn\'t write much about it. In some ways, starting at ACS felt like starting all over again--new systems to learn, new people to meet and lots more work.  This was also <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/09/13/my-first-lesson/\" target=\"_blank\">my first year with my Bulgarian tutor I</a>. It\'s funny it feels like we\'ve just always known each other but it was only three years ago that I found myself making <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/09/10/bulgarian-words/\" target=\"_blank\">this list of Bulgarian words</a> trying to figure out how much I knew. For the record I know a lot more now.\n\n<strong>Year three</strong> (2010-11): <em>Figuring out the ropes</em>. My <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/09/04/year-three/\" target=\"_blank\">celebration of the beginning of year three</a> makes it clear that I am still getting the hang of things. Still I remain haunted by the fact that <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/09/11/books-on-my-bedside-table/\" target=\"_blank\">I haven\'t yet read Under the Yoke</a>. (Um, I still haven\'t. I\'ve thought about it though if that counts for anything.) But my <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/09/07/fresh-figs-an-obsession/\" target=\"_blank\">love affair with figs</a> outweighs any guilt I feel about not reading <em>Under the Yoke</em>.\n\n<strong>Year four</strong> (2011-12): <em>I\'ve been here and done this</em>. Things get easier and easier. I make a <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/09/09/a-sight-seeing-scavenger-hunt-in-sofia/\" target=\"_blank\">sight-seeing scavenger hunt</a> for some of the new teachers. I know what to <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/09/18/another-first-day-of-school/\" target=\"_blank\">expect on the first day of school</a> and who to ask for photocopies. However this was also the year, that for about a week--give or take--every time I left my apartment <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/09/20/getting-back-in-the-swing-of-things/\" target=\"_blank\">I couldn\'t remember if I turned of the [fill in the blank]</a>...coffee pot, oven, hair straightener or even the lights. Interestingly, everything was always off. I just didn\'t remember turning it off.\n\n<strong>Year five</strong> (2012-13):  I wish that I could get this Bulgarian head-shaking/head-nodding thing down. At Subway on Friday night, my total was 11.43 or something like this. I paid with a 50. I know, I know. That\'s annoying but I have to make someone break this big bill. The boy behind the counter asks me in Bulgarian, if I have 2 leva. Nope. I shake my head no. He stares at me. I stare off into the distance waiting for my change and my sandwiches. He\'s waiting for me to produce 2 leva but I\'m not ever going to. I don\'t have it.  A. steps in and says in Bulgarian, she doesn\'t have 2 leva. Then to me: you shook your head yes in Bulgarian that you had 2 leva and then didn\'t give it to him. Well, you know the Bulgarian \"yes\" is the American \"no\" so it\'s easy enough to see how this happened. Maybe one day I\'ll get the head nod under control. Then again, maybe I wont it\'s already been four years.','Reruns: New Beginnings','','inherit','open','open','','7118-revision','','','2012-09-02 10:58:03','2012-09-02 08:58:03','',7118,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/02/7118-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7120,1,'2012-09-02 10:58:05','2012-09-02 08:58:05','<em>Once a month or so, I\'m going to run a series on my blog called Reruns. It\'s going to be a retrospective of sorts of my time in Bulgaria. There\'s a theme to the post which I\'ll have identified by sorting through old blog posts. You can then link back through to these posts and read a little current commentary. Enjoy!</em>\r\n\r\nFor almost as long as I can remember I\'ve charted the passage of time with the arrival of each new school year. At the end of August, you know that it\'s coming--night comes a little sooner and the air has a edge of cool in it. And you wonder: is the last best night of summer?\r\n\r\nIt\'s a bittersweet moment. The end of summer and the beginning of the school year.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7912006496/\" title=\"my Mladost fall 2012 by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8314/7912006496_7f7e20b1a5_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"my Mladost fall 2012\"></a>\r\nThe thing is, as a student, the thought of new school supplies and a few new outfits for school made me giddy. In college, I looked forward to reading news books, discussing big ideas and catching up with my friends. When I worked at Georgetown, the beginning of the school year meant that campus was infused with the energy and enthusiasm that comes with the return of 18-22 year olds--this I think offers extroverts like me a natural high.\r\n\r\nAnd now as a high school teacher, it\'s no different. I\'d still like to buy school supplies and new clothes. I love catching up with my teacher friends and hearing about all of their adventures. I\'m looking forward to planning out my school year and blocking out my lesson plans and the books we\'ll be reading.\r\n\r\nThese new beginnings haven\'t always been easy.\r\n\r\nWhen I moved to Bulgaria four years ago, I had no idea what to expect. In subsequent years it\'s gotten better but living in a new country, starting a new job and learning all of your students\' names is never easy. <!--more-->\r\n\r\n<strong>Year one</strong> (2008-09): <em>The Fulbright Year</em>. I was just trying to figure out which way was up and the ins and outs of my apartment, my life in Sofia and my job at the First English Language High School. I <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/08/09/a-few-of-my-favorite-things/\" target=\"_blank\">bought a new pillow</a> and I still have it today. I started <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/08/26/settling-into-sofia/\" target=\"_blank\">taking Bulgarian lessons and I had a crash course in taking city buses</a>. I started adjusting <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/09/01/cash-money/\" target=\"_blank\">to paying for everything--big or small--in cash</a>. Then I <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/09/09/final-test-bulgarian-language-class/\" target=\"_blank\">passed my Bulgarian course</a>. <em>Kind of</em>. All of this before <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/09/15/first-day-of-school/\" target=\"_blank\">my first day of school in Bulgaria</a>. A day where I expected to meet students not smoke and drink in the Teachers\' Room.\r\n\r\n<strong>Year two</strong> (2009-10): <em>My Freshman Year at ACS</em>. <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/09/03/living-in-mladost/\" target=\"_blank\">I moved to Mladost</a> from the city center.The beginning of this school year was a busy one. I didn\'t write much about it. In some ways, starting at ACS felt like starting all over again--new systems to learn, new people to meet and lots more work.  This was also <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/09/13/my-first-lesson/\" target=\"_blank\">my first year with my Bulgarian tutor I</a>. It\'s funny it feels like we\'ve just always known each other but it was only three years ago that I found myself making <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/09/10/bulgarian-words/\" target=\"_blank\">this list of Bulgarian words</a> trying to figure out how much I knew. For the record I know a lot more now.\r\n\r\n<strong>Year three</strong> (2010-11): <em>Figuring out the ropes</em>. My <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/09/04/year-three/\" target=\"_blank\">celebration of the beginning of year three</a> makes it clear that I am still getting the hang of things. Still I remain haunted by the fact that <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/09/11/books-on-my-bedside-table/\" target=\"_blank\">I haven\'t yet read Under the Yoke</a>. (Um, I still haven\'t. I\'ve thought about it though if that counts for anything.) But my <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/09/07/fresh-figs-an-obsession/\" target=\"_blank\">love affair with figs</a> outweighs any guilt I feel about not reading <em>Under the Yoke</em>.\r\n\r\n<strong>Year four</strong> (2011-12): <em>I\'ve been here and done this</em>. Things get easier and easier. I make a <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/09/09/a-sight-seeing-scavenger-hunt-in-sofia/\" target=\"_blank\">sight-seeing scavenger hunt</a> for some of the new teachers. I know what to <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/09/18/another-first-day-of-school/\" target=\"_blank\">expect on the first day of school</a> and who to ask for photocopies. However this was also the year, that for about a week--give or take--every time I left my apartment <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/09/20/getting-back-in-the-swing-of-things/\" target=\"_blank\">I couldn\'t remember if I turned of the [fill in the blank]</a>...coffee pot, oven, hair straightener or even the lights. Interestingly, everything was always off. I just didn\'t remember turning it off.\r\n\r\n<strong>Year five</strong> (2012-13):  I wish that I could get this Bulgarian head-shaking/head-nodding thing down. At Subway on Friday night, my total was 11.43 or something like this. I paid with a 50. I know, I know. That\'s annoying but I have to make someone break this big bill. The boy behind the counter asks me in Bulgarian, if I have 2 leva. Nope. I shake my head no. He stares at me. I stare off into the distance waiting for my change and my sandwiches. He\'s waiting for me to produce 2 leva but I\'m not ever going to. I don\'t have it.  A. steps in and says in Bulgarian, she doesn\'t have 2 leva. Then to me: you shook your head yes in Bulgarian that you had 2 leva and then didn\'t give it to him. Well, you know the Bulgarian \"yes\" is the American \"no\" so it\'s easy enough to see how this happened. Maybe one day I\'ll get the head nod under control. Then again, maybe I wont it\'s already been four years.','Reruns: New Beginnings','','inherit','open','open','','7118-revision-2','','','2012-09-02 10:58:05','2012-09-02 08:58:05','',7118,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/02/7118-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7121,1,'2012-09-02 11:02:41','2012-09-02 09:02:41','<em>Once a month or so, I\'m going to run a series on my blog called Reruns. It\'s going to be a retrospective of sorts of my time in Bulgaria. There\'s a theme to the post which I\'ll have identified by sorting through old blog posts. You can then link back through to these posts and read a little current commentary. Enjoy!</em>\n\nFor almost as long as I can remember I\'ve charted the passage of time with the arrival of each new school year. At the end of August, you know that it\'s coming--night comes a little sooner and the air has a edge of cool in it. And you wonder: is the last best night of summer?\n\nIt\'s a bittersweet moment. The end of summer and the beginning of the school year. I\'m not sure if Mladost in late summer helps or hurts the matter. Maybe it just is.\n<a title=\"my Mladost fall 2012 by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7912006496/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8314/7912006496_7f7e20b1a5_z.jpg\" alt=\"my Mladost fall 2012\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nThe thing is, as a student, the thought of new school supplies and a few new outfits for school made me giddy. In college, I looked forward to reading news books, discussing big ideas and catching up with my friends. When I worked at Georgetown, the beginning of the school year meant that campus was infused with the energy and enthusiasm that comes with the return of 18-22 year olds--this I think offers extroverts like me a natural high.\n\nAnd now as a high school teacher, it\'s no different. I\'d still like to buy school supplies and new clothes. I love catching up with my teacher friends and hearing about all of their adventures. I\'m looking forward to planning out my school year and blocking out my lesson plans and the books we\'ll be reading.\n\nThese new beginnings haven\'t always been easy.\n\nWhen I moved to Bulgaria four years ago, I had no idea what to expect. In subsequent years it\'s gotten better but living in a new country, starting a new job and learning all of your students\' names is never easy. <!--more-->\n\n<strong>Year one</strong> (2008-09): <em>The Fulbright Year</em>. I was just trying to figure out which way was up and the ins and outs of my apartment, my life in Sofia and my job at the First English Language High School. I <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/08/09/a-few-of-my-favorite-things/\" target=\"_blank\">bought a new pillow</a> and I still have it today. I started <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/08/26/settling-into-sofia/\" target=\"_blank\">taking Bulgarian lessons and I had a crash course in taking city buses</a>. I started adjusting <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/09/01/cash-money/\" target=\"_blank\">to paying for everything--big or small--in cash</a>. Then I <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/09/09/final-test-bulgarian-language-class/\" target=\"_blank\">passed my Bulgarian course</a>. <em>Kind of</em>. All of this before <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2008/09/15/first-day-of-school/\" target=\"_blank\">my first day of school in Bulgaria</a>. A day where I expected to meet students not smoke and drink in the Teachers\' Room.\n\n<strong>Year two</strong> (2009-10): <em>My Freshman Year at ACS</em>. <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/09/03/living-in-mladost/\" target=\"_blank\">I moved to Mladost</a> from the city center.The beginning of this school year was a busy one. I didn\'t write much about it. In some ways, starting at ACS felt like starting all over again--new systems to learn, new people to meet and lots more work.  This was also <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/09/13/my-first-lesson/\" target=\"_blank\">my first year with my Bulgarian tutor I</a>. It\'s funny it feels like we\'ve just always known each other but it was only three years ago that I found myself making <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/09/10/bulgarian-words/\" target=\"_blank\">this list of Bulgarian words</a> trying to figure out how much I knew. For the record I know a lot more now.\n\n<strong>Year three</strong> (2010-11): <em>Figuring out the ropes</em>. My <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/09/04/year-three/\" target=\"_blank\">celebration of the beginning of year three</a> makes it clear that I am still getting the hang of things. Still I remain haunted by the fact that <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/09/11/books-on-my-bedside-table/\" target=\"_blank\">I haven\'t yet read Under the Yoke</a>. (Um, I still haven\'t. I\'ve thought about it though if that counts for anything.) But my <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/09/07/fresh-figs-an-obsession/\" target=\"_blank\">love affair with figs</a> outweighs any guilt I feel about not reading <em>Under the Yoke</em>.\n\n<strong>Year four</strong> (2011-12): <em>I\'ve been here and done this</em>. Things get easier and easier. I make a <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/09/09/a-sight-seeing-scavenger-hunt-in-sofia/\" target=\"_blank\">sight-seeing scavenger hunt</a> for some of the new teachers. I know what to <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/09/18/another-first-day-of-school/\" target=\"_blank\">expect on the first day of school</a> and who to ask for photocopies. However this was also the year, that for about a week--give or take--every time I left my apartment <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/09/20/getting-back-in-the-swing-of-things/\" target=\"_blank\">I couldn\'t remember if I turned of the [fill in the blank]</a>...coffee pot, oven, hair straightener or even the lights. Interestingly, everything was always off. I just didn\'t remember turning it off.\n\n<strong>Year five</strong> (2012-13):  I wish that I could get this Bulgarian head-shaking/head-nodding thing down. At Subway on Friday night, my total was 11.43 or something like this. I paid with a 50. I know, I know. That\'s annoying but I have to make someone break this big bill. The boy behind the counter asks me in Bulgarian, if I have 2 leva. Nope. I shake my head no. He stares at me. I stare off into the distance waiting for my change and my sandwiches. He\'s waiting for me to produce 2 leva but I\'m not ever going to. I don\'t have it.  A. steps in and says in Bulgarian, she doesn\'t have 2 leva. Then to me: you shook your head yes in Bulgarian that you had 2 leva and then didn\'t give it to him. Well, you know the Bulgarian \"yes\" is the American \"no\" so it\'s easy enough to see how this happened. Maybe one day I\'ll get the head nod under control. Then again, maybe I wont it\'s already been four years.','Reruns: New Beginnings','','inherit','open','open','','7118-autosave','','','2012-09-02 11:02:41','2012-09-02 09:02:41','',7118,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/02/7118-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(7123,1,'2012-09-02 21:12:45','2012-09-02 19:12:45','Today is my first day back at school.\n\n<em>Hello</em>, ACS!\n\nI\'ve been looking forward to getting back into my classroom, making some plans and getting organized, catching up with my colleagues and writing letters of recommendation for some of my favorite students.\n\nSo I\'m sad to say that I find myself kind of bummed out. The fact is, I just read this article about <a href=\"http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=142863\" target=\"_blank\">the fact that Bulgaria  is threatened by a shortage of teachers</a>.\n\nI\'ve know for a long time about the poor state of education in Bulgaria but here\'s the breakdown in numbers:\n<ul>\n	<li>The average age of teachers in Bulgaria is 50.</li>\n	<li>The (maybe) average salary is 650 leva (or 325 Euro) a month but the average salary is very likely less than this.</li>\n	<li>There is a shortage of teachers in the sciences.</li>\n	<li>There are practically no male teachers.</li>\n</ul>\nPhew. That\'s depressing.\n\nThen I wondered if my school ACS is included in this survey. It\'s interesting because in the English department we\'ve got 50/50 split male and female teachers and I would guess our average age is probably 35-37. Then thinking about our school as a whole, are certainly more female teachers than male teachers but overwhelmingly so.  If our numbers are included in this, what would the numbers look like without us?\n\nI didn\'t spend too much time thinking about this because there are clearly bigger issues to worry about and it boils down to this: the Ministry of Education doesn\'t get it.\n\nThe part that\'s the most alarming is how dismissive the Ministry of Education is about the shortage of teachers. The article explains the Ministry has \"no reasons for alarm over the number of teachers in the country on grounds the number of students is also going down.\"\n\nOh, it\'s <em>almost</em> laughable. The only thing is, I pretty sure they are serious and this makes me sad. It also makes me wonder this big, hard question: <em>how can anyone get an education in a country like this?</em>\n\nI\'m afraid that they can\'t. So here I am. I\'m left doing the only thing I can do.I shake my head and go to school. I find myself glad that I\'m working at the American College of Sofia and sad for everyone else. And for the record, I hate this feeling.','The Education Divide','','inherit','open','open','','7122-revision','','','2012-09-02 21:12:45','2012-09-02 19:12:45','',7122,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/02/7122-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7124,1,'2012-09-02 21:12:57','2012-09-02 19:12:57','Today is my first day back at school.\r\n\r\n<em>Hello</em>, ACS!\r\n\r\nI\'ve been looking forward to getting back into my classroom, making some plans and getting organized, catching up with my colleagues and writing letters of recommendation for some of my favorite students.\r\n\r\nSo I\'m sad to say that I find myself kind of bummed out. The fact is, I just read this article about <a href=\"http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=142863\" target=\"_blank\">the fact that Bulgaria  is threatened by a shortage of teachers</a>.\r\n\r\nI\'ve know for a long time about the poor state of education in Bulgaria but here\'s the breakdown in numbers:\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li>The average age of teachers in Bulgaria is 50.</li>\r\n	<li>The (maybe) average salary is 650 leva (or 325 Euro) a month but the average salary is very likely less than this.</li>\r\n	<li>There is a shortage of teachers in the sciences.</li>\r\n	<li>There are practically no male teachers.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nPhew. That\'s depressing.\r\n\r\nThen I wondered if my school ACS is included in this survey. It\'s interesting because in the English department we\'ve got 50/50 split male and female teachers and I would guess our average age is probably 35-37. Then thinking about our school as a whole, are certainly more female teachers than male teachers but overwhelmingly so.  If our numbers are included in this, what would the numbers look like without us?\r\n\r\nI didn\'t spend too much time thinking about this because there are clearly bigger issues to worry about and it boils down to this: the Ministry of Education doesn\'t get it.\r\n\r\nThe part that\'s the most alarming is how dismissive the Ministry of Education is about the shortage of teachers. The article explains the Ministry has \"no reasons for alarm over the number of teachers in the country on grounds the number of students is also going down.\"\r\n\r\nOh, it\'s <em>almost</em> laughable. The only thing is, I pretty sure they are serious and this makes me sad. It also makes me wonder this big, hard question: <em>how can anyone get an education in a country like this?</em>\r\n\r\nI\'m afraid that they can\'t. So here I am. I\'m left doing the only thing I can do.I shake my head and go to school. I find myself glad that I\'m working at the American College of Sofia and sad for everyone else. And for the record, I hate this feeling.','The Education Divide','','inherit','open','open','','7122-revision-2','','','2012-09-02 21:12:57','2012-09-02 19:12:57','',7122,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/02/7122-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7133,1,'2012-09-11 06:00:23','2012-09-11 04:00:23','I went to Thasos for the long weekend we just celebrated in Bulgaria. We had four days off to celebrate the 6th of September. I went to Greece along with what seemed like every other Bulgarian in the country.\r\n\r\nOkay I am being a little dramatic but really, there was tons of Bulgarian being spoken on the ferry from the mainland to the island, everyone seemed to be speaking Bulgarian on the beach, in cafes and at restaurants--waiters included. Even at our hotel moms were yelling at their kids in Bulgarian.\r\n<a title=\"Me at the beach in Thasos by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7975397577/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8321/7975397577_952ee69798_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me at the beach in Thasos\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nSo Thasos was my beach vacation with Bulgarians.\r\n\r\nAnd it was great fun.<!--more-->\r\n<a title=\"At the seashore by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7975400091/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8301/7975400091_694e7573b3_z.jpg\" alt=\"At the seashore\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Beach chairs in Thasos by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7975396630/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8310/7975396630_b2b17c26ca_z.jpg\" alt=\"Beach chairs in Thasos\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThe best part about a beach vacation are the beach chairs. Beach chairs make relaxing a breeze, napping is almost mandatory in a beach chair, as is drinking an afternoon beer and reading a book. I\'m happy to report that I did all of these things and never even got a sun burn. I think that\'s probably because lounge chairs also come with an umbrella and because I was diligent with my application and use of sunscreen.\r\n<a title=\"Reading at the beach by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7975398329/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8462/7975398329_89c951e466_z.jpg\" alt=\"Reading at the beach\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Beer and Fanta in Thasos by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7975394961/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8456/7975394961_f7f8019d7c_z.jpg\" alt=\"Beer and Fanta in Thasos\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThe truth is a beach vacation encourages lazying around and as such, I took very few photos. I was content to swim and sun myself, to eat salads and seafood, and to nap and day dream while soaking the last little bit of summer.\r\n<a title=\"Salad in Thasos by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7975400939/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8039/7975400939_d54171a178_z.jpg\" alt=\"Salad in Thasos\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"At the beach by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7975399866/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8459/7975399866_9798474e49_z.jpg\" alt=\"At the beach\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThese were, of course, the last best days of summer. Sure, I expect some more nice days before autumn but already I\'ve noticed that the mornings have a cool edge to them and that the days aren\'t as hot. I guess it\'s a good thing that I got my beach time in already.\r\n<a title=\"End of the day on the beach in Thasos by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7975397748/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8437/7975397748_219ebd09ef_z.jpg\" alt=\"End of the day on the beach in Thasos\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>','A long weekend in Thasos','','publish','open','open','','a-long-weekend-in-thasos','','','2012-09-11 07:53:18','2012-09-11 05:53:18','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7133',0,'post','',1),(7126,1,'2012-09-03 06:32:03','2012-09-03 04:32:03','Today is my first day back at school.\n\n<em>Hello</em>, ACS!\n\nI\'ve been looking forward to getting back into my classroom, making some plans and getting organized, catching up with my colleagues and writing letters of recommendation for some of my favorite students (and I am going to be busy with 18+ letters to write. That\'s slightly more than half of the 11th graders I taught last year).\n\nSo I\'m sad to say that I find myself kind of bummed out about school in general. The fact is, I just read this article about <a href=\"http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=142863\" target=\"_blank\">the fact that Bulgaria  is threatened by a shortage of teachers</a>.\n\nI\'ve know for a long time about the poor state of education in Bulgaria but here\'s the breakdown in numbers according to the article (and my commentary in parenthetical asides):\n<ul>\n	<li>The average age of teachers in Bulgaria is 50. (That means that these teachers are 30+ years older than their students.)</li>\n	<li>The (maybe) average salary is 650 leva (or 325 Euro) a month but the average salary is very likely less than this. (How can anyone afford to live on this?! Answer: you can\'t. So Bulgarian teachers take a second job. How can you be a good teacher with 2+ jobs? Answer: I think it\'s difficult at best. )</li>\n	<li>There is a shortage of teachers in the sciences. (Um, <em>oh no</em>!)</li>\n	<li>There are practically no male teachers. (This means there are basically no male role models for young men and women.)</li>\n</ul>\nPhew. That\'s depressing.\n\nThen I wondered if my school ACS is included in this survey. It\'s interesting because in the English department at ACS we\'ve got a 50/50 split male and female teachers and I would guess our average age is probably 35-37 and this is the oldest average it\'s been in a while. Then thinking about our school as a whole, there are certainly more female teachers than male teachers but not overwhelmingly so.  If our numbers are included in this, what would the numbers look like without us?\n\nOnly I didn\'t spend too much time thinking about this because there are clearly bigger issues to worry about and it boils down to this: the Ministry of Education doesn\'t get it. What are they doing?!?\n\nI think this becomes especially clear when the Ministry of Education dismisses out of hand the problem regarding the shortage of teachers. The article explains the Ministry believes that they have \"no reasons for alarm over the number of teachers in the country on grounds the number of students is also going down.\"\n\nOh, it\'s <em>almost</em> laughable.\n\nThe only thing is, I pretty sure they are serious and this makes me sad. It also makes me wonder this big, hard question: <em>how can anyone get an education in a country like this?</em>\n\nI\'m afraid that they can\'t.\n\nSo here I am. I\'m left doing the only thing I can do.I shake my head and go to school. I find myself glad that I\'m working at the American College of Sofia and sad for everyone else. And for the record, I hate this feeling.','The Education Divide','','inherit','open','open','','7122-revision-3','','','2012-09-03 06:32:03','2012-09-03 04:32:03','',7122,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/03/7122-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7127,1,'2012-09-10 06:21:55','2012-09-10 04:21:55','You know what\'s better than being featured in magazines or on Bulgarian tv?\r\n\r\nHomegrown tomatoes and peppers given to you by a friend.\r\n\r\nAnd even better than that? Helping pick said tomatoes and peppers in a garden. This I thought was just wonderful.\r\n<a title=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7927502746/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8040/7927502746_198e5b1a10_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nContrary to popular belief, I<em> have</em> picked tomatoes before however picking peppers was a new thing for me. I went out into the garden with A.\'s mom and she told me in Bulgarian how to pick the tomatoes: only pick the red ones. Me: okay. Then she bends over picks a tomato and adds: oh and the pink ones that look like this. She holds up a tomato. Me:<em> okay</em>.<!--more-->\r\n<a title=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7927503274/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8174/7927503274_7a7ebf9dbf_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThen she jokingly yells over to A.\'s dad: do you think she knows her colors? In my head: Yes. I know my colors but instead I just laughed.\r\n<a title=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7927501770/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/7927501770_a293a7dc5f_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThe thing is, when it came to picking peppers which ones to pick wasn\'t so clear to me. A.\'s mom was picking red ones, green ones, and ones that were both red and green with abandon. On top of this, she gave me no direction on which ones were okay to pick but as it turns out, I don\'t have a garden vocabulary in Bulgarian so I smiled and picked a few peppers slowly hoping that I wasn\'t picking the wrong ones.\r\n<a title=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7927503834/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8300/7927503834_707329bf9f_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nOnce inside, A.\'s mom filled up a Billa bag of tomatoes and peppers for me. The bag was insanely full. I think that Bulgarian\'s have a different idea of how much one can actually consume in a week.\r\n<a title=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7927500994/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8449/7927500994_63579a8b72_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nDon\'t worry I gave it my best. I made <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/08/26/an-american-in-bulgarias-take-on-heavenly-tomato-pie/\" target=\"_blank\">a heavenly tomato pie</a> and then sent some of my friends home with a few tomatoes and peppers each. I figured it\'s better to share the love than to have the veggies go bad.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Simple things like tomatoes and peppers ','','publish','open','open','','simple-things-like-tomatoes-and-peppers','','','2012-09-10 06:21:55','2012-09-10 04:21:55','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7127',0,'post','',1),(7128,1,'2012-09-04 06:41:53','2012-09-04 04:41:53','You know what\'s better than being featured in magazines or on Bulgarian tv?\n\nHomegrown tomatoes and peppers given to you by a friend.\n\nAnd even better than that?\n\nHelping pick said tomatoes and peppers in a garden. And contrary to popular belief, I<em> have</em> picked tomatoes before but, this said, picking peppers was a new thing for me.\n\nI went out into the garden with A.\'s mom and she told me in Bulgarian how to pick the tomatoes: only pick the red ones. Me: okay. Then bends over picks a tomato and adds: oh and the pink ones that look like this. She holds up a tomato. Me: okay. Then she yells over to A.\'s dad: do you think she knows her colors? Me, in my head: Um, yes.\n\nThe thing is, when it came to picking peppers which ones to pick wasn\'t so clear to me. A.\'s mom was picking red ones, green ones and ones that were both red and green with abandon. On top of this, she gave me no direction on which ones were oka\n\nIn Walla Walla, we joke that at the grocery store you know who doesn\'t have friends because they have to buy their own zucchini.','Simple things like tomatoes and peppers ','','inherit','open','open','','7127-revision','','','2012-09-04 06:41:53','2012-09-04 04:41:53','',7127,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/04/7127-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7130,1,'2012-09-10 06:19:41','2012-09-10 04:19:41','You know what\'s better than being featured in magazines or on Bulgarian tv?\n\nHomegrown tomatoes and peppers given to you by a friend.\n\nAnd even better than that? Helping pick said tomatoes and peppers in a garden. This I thought was just wonderful.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7927502746/\" title=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8040/7927502746_198e5b1a10_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria\"></a>\nContrary to popular belief, I<em> have</em> picked tomatoes before however picking peppers was a new thing for me. I went out into the garden with A.\'s mom and she told me in Bulgarian how to pick the tomatoes: only pick the red ones. Me: okay. Then she bends over picks a tomato and adds: oh and the pink ones that look like this. She holds up a tomato. Me: okay.\n\nThen she jokingly yells over to A.\'s dad: do you think she knows her colors? In my head: Yes. I know my colors but instead I just laughed.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7927501770/\" title=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/7927501770_a293a7dc5f_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria\"></a>\nThe thing is, when it came to picking peppers which ones to pick wasn\'t so clear to me. A.\'s mom was picking red ones, green ones, and ones that were both red and green with abandon. On top of this, she gave me no direction on which ones were okay to pick but as it turns out, I don\'t have a garden vocabulary in Bulgarian so I smiled and picked a few peppers slowly hoping that I wasn\'t picking the wrong ones.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7927503834/\" title=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8300/7927503834_707329bf9f_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria\"></a>\nOnce inside, A.\'s mom filled up a Billa bag of tomatoes and peppers for me. The bag was insanely full. I think that Bulgarian\'s have a different idea of how much one can actually consume in a week.\n\nDon\'t worry I gave it my best. I made <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/08/26/an-american-in-bulgarias-take-on-heavenly-tomato-pie/\" target=\"_blank\">a heavenly tomato pie</a> and then sent some of my friends home with a few tomatoes and peppers each. I figured it\'s better to share the love than to have the veggies go bad.\n\n&nbsp;','Simple things like tomatoes and peppers ','','inherit','open','open','','7127-revision-3','','','2012-09-10 06:19:41','2012-09-10 04:19:41','',7127,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/10/7127-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7131,1,'2012-09-10 06:20:14','2012-09-10 04:20:14','You know what\'s better than being featured in magazines or on Bulgarian tv?\r\n\r\nHomegrown tomatoes and peppers given to you by a friend.\r\n\r\nAnd even better than that? Helping pick said tomatoes and peppers in a garden. This I thought was just wonderful.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7927502746/\" title=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8040/7927502746_198e5b1a10_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria\"></a>\r\nContrary to popular belief, I<em> have</em> picked tomatoes before however picking peppers was a new thing for me. I went out into the garden with A.\'s mom and she told me in Bulgarian how to pick the tomatoes: only pick the red ones. Me: okay. Then she bends over picks a tomato and adds: oh and the pink ones that look like this. She holds up a tomato. Me: okay.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7927503274/\" title=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8174/7927503274_7a7ebf9dbf_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria\"></a>\r\nThen she jokingly yells over to A.\'s dad: do you think she knows her colors? In my head: Yes. I know my colors but instead I just laughed.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7927501770/\" title=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/7927501770_a293a7dc5f_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria\"></a>\r\nThe thing is, when it came to picking peppers which ones to pick wasn\'t so clear to me. A.\'s mom was picking red ones, green ones, and ones that were both red and green with abandon. On top of this, she gave me no direction on which ones were okay to pick but as it turns out, I don\'t have a garden vocabulary in Bulgarian so I smiled and picked a few peppers slowly hoping that I wasn\'t picking the wrong ones.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7927503834/\" title=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8300/7927503834_707329bf9f_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria\"></a>\r\nOnce inside, A.\'s mom filled up a Billa bag of tomatoes and peppers for me. The bag was insanely full. I think that Bulgarian\'s have a different idea of how much one can actually consume in a week.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7927500994/\" title=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8449/7927500994_63579a8b72_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" alt=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria\"></a>\r\nDon\'t worry I gave it my best. I made <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/08/26/an-american-in-bulgarias-take-on-heavenly-tomato-pie/\" target=\"_blank\">a heavenly tomato pie</a> and then sent some of my friends home with a few tomatoes and peppers each. I figured it\'s better to share the love than to have the veggies go bad.\r\n\r\n&nbsp;','Simple things like tomatoes and peppers ','','inherit','open','open','','7127-revision-4','','','2012-09-10 06:20:14','2012-09-10 04:20:14','',7127,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/10/7127-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(7132,1,'2012-09-10 06:21:17','2012-09-10 04:21:17','You know what\'s better than being featured in magazines or on Bulgarian tv?\n\nHomegrown tomatoes and peppers given to you by a friend.\n\nAnd even better than that? Helping pick said tomatoes and peppers in a garden. This I thought was just wonderful.\n<a title=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7927502746/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8040/7927502746_198e5b1a10_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\nContrary to popular belief, I<em> have</em> picked tomatoes before however picking peppers was a new thing for me. I went out into the garden with A.\'s mom and she told me in Bulgarian how to pick the tomatoes: only pick the red ones. Me: okay. Then she bends over picks a tomato and adds: oh and the pink ones that look like this. She holds up a tomato. Me:<em> okay</em>.<!--more-->\n<a title=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7927503274/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8174/7927503274_7a7ebf9dbf_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\nThen she jokingly yells over to A.\'s dad: do you think she knows her colors? In my head: Yes. I know my colors but instead I just laughed.\n<a title=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7927501770/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/7927501770_a293a7dc5f_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\nThe thing is, when it came to picking peppers which ones to pick wasn\'t so clear to me. A.\'s mom was picking red ones, green ones, and ones that were both red and green with abandon. On top of this, she gave me no direction on which ones were okay to pick but as it turns out, I don\'t have a garden vocabulary in Bulgarian so I smiled and picked a few peppers slowly hoping that I wasn\'t picking the wrong ones.\n<a title=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7927503834/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8300/7927503834_707329bf9f_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\nOnce inside, A.\'s mom filled up a Billa bag of tomatoes and peppers for me. The bag was insanely full. I think that Bulgarian\'s have a different idea of how much one can actually consume in a week.\n<a title=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7927500994/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8449/7927500994_63579a8b72_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tomatoes and Peppers Home grown in Bulgaria\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\nDon\'t worry I gave it my best. I made <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/08/26/an-american-in-bulgarias-take-on-heavenly-tomato-pie/\" target=\"_blank\">a heavenly tomato pie</a> and then sent some of my friends home with a few tomatoes and peppers each. I figured it\'s better to share the love than to have the veggies go bad.\n\n&nbsp;','Simple things like tomatoes and peppers ','','inherit','open','open','','7127-revision-5','','','2012-09-10 06:21:17','2012-09-10 04:21:17','',7127,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/10/7127-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(7135,1,'2012-09-11 07:36:55','2012-09-11 05:36:55','I went to Thasos for the long weekend we just celebrated in Bulgaria. We had four days off to celebrate the 6th of September. I went to Greece along with what seemed like every other Bulgarian in the country.\n\nOkay I am being a little dramatic but really, there was tons of Bulgarian being spoken on the ferry from the mainland to the island, everyone seemed to be speaking Bulgarian on the beach, in cafes and at restaurants--waiters included. Even at our hotel moms were yelling at their kids in Bulgarian.\n\nSo Thasos was my beach vacation with Bulgarians.\n\nStill it was great fun.\n\nThe best part about a beach vacation are the beach chairs. Beach chairs make relaxing a breeze, napping is almost mandatory in a beach chair, as is drinking an afternoon beer and reading a book. I\'m happy to report that I did all of these things and never even got a sun burn. I think that\'s probably because lounge chairs also come with an umbrella and because I was diligent with my application and use of sunscreen.\n\nThe truth is a beach vacation encourages lazying around and as such, I took very few photos. I was content to swim and sun myself, to eat salads and seafood, and to nap and day dream while soaking the last little bit of summer.\n\nThese were, of course, the last best days of summer. Sure, I expect some more nice days before autumn but already I\'ve noticed that the mornings have a cool edge to them and that the days aren\'t as hot. I guess it\'s a good thing that I got my beach time in already.','Thasos ','','inherit','open','open','','7133-revision','','','2012-09-11 07:36:55','2012-09-11 05:36:55','',7133,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/11/7133-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7136,1,'2012-09-11 07:52:22','2012-09-11 05:52:22','I went to Thasos for the long weekend we just celebrated in Bulgaria. We had four days off to celebrate the 6th of September. I went to Greece along with what seemed like every other Bulgarian in the country.\n\nOkay I am being a little dramatic but really, there was tons of Bulgarian being spoken on the ferry from the mainland to the island, everyone seemed to be speaking Bulgarian on the beach, in cafes and at restaurants--waiters included. Even at our hotel moms were yelling at their kids in Bulgarian.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7975397577/\" title=\"Me at the beach in Thasos by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8321/7975397577_952ee69798_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Me at the beach in Thasos\"></a>\nSo Thasos was my beach vacation with Bulgarians.\n\nStill it was great fun.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7975400091/\" title=\"At the seashore by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8301/7975400091_694e7573b3_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"At the seashore\"></a>\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7975396630/\" title=\"Beach chairs in Thasos by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8310/7975396630_b2b17c26ca_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Beach chairs in Thasos\"></a>\nThe best part about a beach vacation are the beach chairs. Beach chairs make relaxing a breeze, napping is almost mandatory in a beach chair, as is drinking an afternoon beer and reading a book. I\'m happy to report that I did all of these things and never even got a sun burn. I think that\'s probably because lounge chairs also come with an umbrella and because I was diligent with my application and use of sunscreen.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7975398329/\" title=\"Reading at the beach by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8462/7975398329_89c951e466_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Reading at the beach\"></a>\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7975394961/\" title=\"Beer and Fanta in Thasos by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8456/7975394961_f7f8019d7c_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Beer and Fanta in Thasos\"></a>\nThe truth is a beach vacation encourages lazying around and as such, I took very few photos. I was content to swim and sun myself, to eat salads and seafood, and to nap and day dream while soaking the last little bit of summer.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7975400939/\" title=\"Salad in Thasos by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8039/7975400939_d54171a178_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Salad in Thasos\"></a>\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7975399866/\" title=\"At the beach by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8459/7975399866_9798474e49_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"At the beach\"></a>\nThese were, of course, the last best days of summer. Sure, I expect some more nice days before autumn but already I\'ve noticed that the mornings have a cool edge to them and that the days aren\'t as hot. I guess it\'s a good thing that I got my beach time in already.','A long weekend in Thasos','','inherit','open','open','','7133-revision-2','','','2012-09-11 07:52:22','2012-09-11 05:52:22','',7133,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/11/7133-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7190,1,'2012-09-27 19:06:05','2012-09-27 17:06:05','Apparently I was a little bit hasty with <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/26/my-crosswalk-in-mladost/\" target=\"_blank\">my post yesterday</a>. That or somebody important in Mladost is reading my blog.\r\n\r\nEither way, look at what I found this morning:\r\n<a title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8030158250/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8179/8030158250_f0791d32d5_z.jpg\" alt=\"Untitled\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\n\r\nYep, the gap in the crosswalk has been fixed. I never-ever thought such a thing was possible. In fact, this morning I did a double take.\r\n\r\n<em>Why?</em>\r\n\r\nWell, very little in my life in Sofia suggests that someone might come back to finish painting the crosswalk. Nope, I fully expected to walk by the truck shaped hole in the crosswalk for the next nine months of the school year or until the crosswalk faded away.\r\n\r\nBut now look, my cross walk has been fixed. Or maybe it\'s better to say finished.','My crosswalk is fixed!','','publish','open','open','','my-crosswalk-is-fixed','','','2012-09-27 19:06:05','2012-09-27 17:06:05','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7190',0,'post','',1),(7138,1,'2012-09-12 16:36:04','2012-09-12 14:36:04','Question: has anyone made this cheese at home?\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7978687271/\" title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8446/7978687271_63328fae21_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Untitled\"></a>\r\nI bought this cheese kit at Hit last week. I picked up the kit and looked at it. I put it down. I thought: I don\'t need to make cheese at home. I walked away. Then I thought: why not? So I went back and bought it.\r\n\r\nLuckily making cheese at home doesn\'t seem to cost a lot--well aside from the cost of milk and the time you invest in it.\r\n\r\nI made mozzerella with my MoM when I was at home this summer and I thought that was great fun. So now I\'ve got this cheese kit in my fridge and I am a little afraid to give it a go. In part this is because my Bulgarian isn\'t that great but luckily I can read the pictures and because I really hate it when I put the time in to make something and then it doesn\'t turn out.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7978690744/\" title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8321/7978690744_6352d7659a_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Untitled\"></a>\r\nThus my question: has anyone actually made cheese using this kit? How\'d it go? Was it very difficult? Were you happy with the final product?','Homemade Cheese? ','','publish','open','open','','homemade-cheese','','','2012-09-12 16:36:04','2012-09-12 14:36:04','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7138',0,'post','',8),(7139,1,'2012-09-12 16:34:56','2012-09-12 14:34:56','Question: has anyone made this cheese at home?\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7978687271/\" title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8446/7978687271_63328fae21_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Untitled\"></a>\nI bought this cheese kit at Hit last week. I picked up the kit and looked at it. I put it down. I thought: I don\'t need to make cheese at home. I walked away. Then I thought: why not? So I went back and bought it.\n\nLuckily making cheese at home doesn\'t seem to cost a lot--well aside from the cost of milk and the time you invest in it.\n\nI made mozzerella with my MoM when I was at home this summer and I thought that was great fun. So now I\'ve got this cheese kit in my fridge and I am a little afraid to give it a go. In part this is because my Bulgarian isn\'t that great but luckily I can read the pictures and because I really hate it when I put the time in to make something and then it doesn\'t turn out.\n\nThus my question: has anyone actually made cheese using this kit? How\'d it go? Was it very difficult? Were you happy with the final product?','Homemade Cheese? ','','inherit','open','open','','7138-revision','','','2012-09-12 16:34:56','2012-09-12 14:34:56','',7138,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/12/7138-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7140,1,'2012-09-12 16:35:20','2012-09-12 14:35:20','Question: has anyone made this cheese at home?\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7978687271/\" title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8446/7978687271_63328fae21_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Untitled\"></a>\r\nI bought this cheese kit at Hit last week. I picked up the kit and looked at it. I put it down. I thought: I don\'t need to make cheese at home. I walked away. Then I thought: why not? So I went back and bought it.\r\n\r\nLuckily making cheese at home doesn\'t seem to cost a lot--well aside from the cost of milk and the time you invest in it.\r\n\r\nI made mozzerella with my MoM when I was at home this summer and I thought that was great fun. So now I\'ve got this cheese kit in my fridge and I am a little afraid to give it a go. In part this is because my Bulgarian isn\'t that great but luckily I can read the pictures and because I really hate it when I put the time in to make something and then it doesn\'t turn out.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7978690744/\" title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8321/7978690744_6352d7659a_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Untitled\"></a>\r\nThus my question: has anyone actually made cheese using this kit? How\'d it go? Was it very difficult? Were you happy with the final product?','Homemade Cheese? ','','inherit','open','open','','7138-revision-2','','','2012-09-12 16:35:20','2012-09-12 14:35:20','',7138,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/12/7138-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7141,1,'2012-09-12 16:35:35','2012-09-12 14:35:35','Question: has anyone made this cheese at home?\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7978687271/\" title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8446/7978687271_63328fae21_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Untitled\"></a>\r\nI bought this cheese kit at Hit last week. I picked up the kit and looked at it. I put it down. I thought: I don\'t need to make cheese at home. I walked away. Then I thought: why not? So I went back and bought it.\r\n\r\nLuckily making cheese at home doesn\'t seem to cost a lot--well aside from the cost of milk and the time you invest in it.\r\n\r\nI made mozzerella with my MoM when I was at home this summer and I thought that was great fun. So now I\'ve got this cheese kit in my fridge and I am a little afraid to give it a go. In part this is because my Bulgarian isn\'t that great but luckily I can read the pictures and because I really hate it when I put the time in to make something and then it doesn\'t turn out.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7978690744/\" title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8321/7978690744_6352d7659a_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Untitled\"></a>\r\nThus my question: has anyone actually made cheese using this kit? How\'d it go? Was it very difficult? Were you happy with the final product?','Homemade Cheese? ','','inherit','open','open','','7138-revision-3','','','2012-09-12 16:35:35','2012-09-12 14:35:35','',7138,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/12/7138-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7159,1,'2012-09-21 19:49:47','2012-09-21 17:49:47','Monday afternoon at the sladkarnitsa was pretty quiet. That\'s okay with me. It gave me plenty of room to inspect the cakes in the display case before making my selection.\r\n\r\nNow most of the time, I like to pick a cake that has already been sliced so that I can see not only what the frosting looks like but also what the actual cake looks like. This time, however, I was drawn to the honey cake. It has such a nice name and was frosted in white frosting with coconut flakes on the outer edge and a lattice network of honey and chopped walnuts on top. Only later did I notice that there were also raisins on top.  The cake was just so simple and pretty.\r\n<a title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8003373929/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8299/8003373929_bc82c371fe_z.jpg\" alt=\"Untitled\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nOnce I decided which slice of cake I wanted, I was surprised to see a flyer on the table announcing the one year anniversary of my cake shop. It turns out that our<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/10/27/my-neighborhood-sladkarnitsa/\" target=\"_blank\"> neighborhood cake shop</a> has been in Mladost 1A now for a year. My-oh-my, how time flies. I can\'t believe it was last S<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/09/21/mladsot-1a-an-new-sweet-shop/\" target=\"_blank\">eptember that I noticed this shop</a> but I am glad that it did. <!--more-->\r\n<a title=\"Cake from Domashnata Sladkarnitsa in Mladost 1A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8003376837/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8316/8003376837_9a25b765f6_z.jpg\" alt=\"Cake from Domashnata Sladkarnitsa in Mladost 1A\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThis week I went for the honey cake. It turned out to be a delicious autumn inspired cake. The label said that it was a honey cake but I would say it was a spice cake with rasins, walnuts and a not too sweet frosting. I guess that the cake could have honey in it as a sweetener but I didn\'t taste it. This doesn\'t really matter to me. Frankly I was just happy to not be at school frantically planning my first week of classes. And I have to say honey or not, this cake was just perfect with a cup of tea in the late afternoon.\r\n\r\nA. had a slice of this beautiful cake. It was kind of an eclair based cake. I thought it was tasty but a little bit sweet for me. I was really happy with my cake.\r\n<a title=\"Cake from Domashnata Sladkarnitsa in Mladost 1A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8003377706/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8314/8003377706_5da8aeb645_z.jpg\" alt=\"Cake from Domashnata Sladkarnitsa in Mladost 1A\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThe thing is, A. was really happy with his cake and ate the whole thing more or less without pause. I guess this just goes to show that the Domashnata Sladkarnitsa in Mladost 1A has a cake for everyone no matter what your preferences are.','Sweets in Mladost 1A','','publish','open','open','','sweets-in-mladost-1a','','','2012-09-21 19:49:47','2012-09-21 17:49:47','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7159',0,'post','',1),(7143,1,'2012-09-14 18:30:55','2012-09-14 16:30:55','My week flew by.\r\n\r\nI got back from a four-day weekend in Thasos and jumped into a five-day work week. Okay I know a lot of people work five days a week but I haven\'t worked a five-day work week since the end of June so it takes a little adjustment and a decent dose of determination to get back on the working everyday routine.\r\n\r\nThis week has had plenty of meetings, lots of deadlines and the standard back to school frustrations. However, I\'ve also had a chance to meet some really great new colleagues, go back to yoga after a yoga-less summer and I\'ve still managed to find some time to read.\r\n\r\nI started reading and can\'t put down: PD James\' book <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Death-Comes-Pemberley-P-D-James/dp/0307959856\" target=\"_blank\">Death Comes to Pemberly</a>. Seriously, who knew that a book which is basically Pride and Prejudice fan-fiction could be so good?! Not me. Although in hindsight I probably should have bought the book after listening to <a href=\"http://www.npr.org/2011/12/08/143276773/in-pemberley-james-picks-up-where-austen-left-off\" target=\"_blank\">this great NPR interview with PD James</a> a year ago.\r\n\r\nOther books I am excited and looking forward to on my \"to read list\" are <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/The-Racing-Rain-Garth-Stein/dp/0061537934\">The Art of Racing the Rain</a> (I can\'t remember where I heard about this book but it looks really good),<a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Woman-Caitlin-Moran/dp/0062124293/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1347639538&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=how+to+be+a+woman\"> How to be a Woman</a> (a book that lots of people seem to be talking about on the internets), <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Innocents-Francesca-Segal/dp/1401341810/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1347639577&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=The+Innocents\">The Innocents</a> (a book that seems like a nice like distraction), <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Shopping-Better-Country-Josip-Novakovich/dp/1936873060/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1347639616&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=Shopping+for+a+Better+Country\">Shopping for a Better Country</a> (which I promptly bought as soon as I read about it on <a href=\"http://www.themigrantbookclub.com/2012/08/josip-novakovich-saga-of-being.html\">The Migrant Bookclub</a>) and <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Age-Miracles-Karen-Thompson-Walker/dp/0812992970/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1347639653&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=The+Age+of+Miracles\">The Age of Miracles</a> (one of my upcoming book club books). I\'m not sure if I\'ll be able to keep up my current pace reading given the fact that school starts on Monday but I am sure going to try.\r\n\r\nYep, the first day of school is September 17th. I\'m really looking forward to it because frankly, planning was starting to get old. Today for example I submitted photocopy requests for the next 2+ weeks of school. Sure it\'s great to be organized but I\'m ready for the energy that our students bring with them.\r\n\r\nI am also looking forward to starting up my Bulgarian lessons again. And maybe, just maybe, I\'ll be a better student this year than I was last year.','This Week, a recap','','publish','open','open','','this-week-a-recap','','','2012-09-14 18:30:55','2012-09-14 16:30:55','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7143',0,'post','',4),(7144,1,'2012-09-14 18:30:18','2012-09-14 16:30:18','My week flew by.\n\nI got back from a four-day weekend in Thasos and jumped into a five-day work week. Okay I know a lot of people work five days a week but I haven\'t worked a five-day work week since the end of June so it takes a little adjustment and a decent dose of determination to get back on the working everyday routine.\n\nThis week has had plenty of meetings, lots of deadlines and the standard back to school frustrations. However, I\'ve also had a chance to meet some really great new colleagues, go back to yoga after a yoga-less summer and I\'ve still managed to find some time to read.\n\nI started reading and can\'t put down: PD James\' book <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Death-Comes-Pemberley-P-D-James/dp/0307959856\" target=\"_blank\">Death Comes to Pemberly</a>. Seriously, who knew that a book which is basically Pride and Prejudice fan-fiction could be so good?! Not me. Although in hindsight I probably should have bought the book after listening to this great NPR interview with PD James a year ago.\n\nOther books I am excited and looking forward to on my \"to read list\" are <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/The-Racing-Rain-Garth-Stein/dp/0061537934\">The Art of Racing the Rain</a> (I can\'t remember where I heard about this book but it looks really good),<a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Woman-Caitlin-Moran/dp/0062124293/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1347639538&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=how+to+be+a+woman\"> How to be a Woman</a> (a book that lots of people seem to be talking about on the internets), <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Innocents-Francesca-Segal/dp/1401341810/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1347639577&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=The+Innocents\">The Innocents</a> (a book that seems like a nice like distraction), <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Shopping-Better-Country-Josip-Novakovich/dp/1936873060/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1347639616&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=Shopping+for+a+Better+Country\">Shopping for a Better Country</a> (which I promptly bought as soon as I read about it on <a href=\"http://www.themigrantbookclub.com/2012/08/josip-novakovich-saga-of-being.html\">The Migrant Bookclub</a>) and <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Age-Miracles-Karen-Thompson-Walker/dp/0812992970/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1347639653&amp;sr=1-1&amp;keywords=The+Age+of+Miracles\">The Age of Miracles</a> (one of my upcoming book club books). I\'m not sure if I\'ll be able to keep up my current pace reading given the fact that school starts on Monday but I am sure going to try.\n\nYep, the first day of school is September 17th. I\'m really looking forward to it because frankly, planning was starting to get old. Today for example I submitted photocopy requests for the next 2+ weeks of school. Sure it\'s great to be organized but I\'m ready for the energy that our students bring with them.\n\nI am also looking forward to starting up my Bulgarian lessons again. And maybe, just maybe, I\'ll be a better student this year than I was last year.','This Week, a recap','','inherit','open','open','','7143-revision','','','2012-09-14 18:30:18','2012-09-14 16:30:18','',7143,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/14/7143-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7145,1,'2012-09-15 09:04:17','2012-09-15 07:04:17','Yesterday I bought some school supplies. It seemed like a good thing to do seeing as school starts on Monday.\r\n\r\nI bought two note books, three red pens and 5 boxes of staples. <em>Yes.</em> Five boxes of staples. You wouldn\'t believe how quickly teachers run out of staples.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7987596828/\" title=\"my life as a teacher by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8308/7987596828_b91d528525_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"my life as a teacher\"></a>\r\nWe get a small teacher budget to buy supplies at school but it doesn\'t cover very much and I prefer to buy pens that I can hold and see ahead of time and this is difficult to do with a catalogue. The staples? Well, had I remembered that I needed them when I was buying supplies I\'d have added them in. Only they slipped my mind on the second day back to work when I placed my order.\r\n\r\nLuckily, staples are easy to find.\r\n\r\nLess easy to find? <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Card_stock\">Cardstock</a>. Anyone have an idea where I can find this slightly heavier paper in Sofia? I haven\'t looked very hard but I am also not sure what this heavier paper would be called in Bulgarian.','My Life as a Teacher ','','publish','open','open','','my-life-as-a-teacher','','','2012-09-15 09:04:17','2012-09-15 07:04:17','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7145',0,'post','',4),(7146,1,'2012-09-15 09:02:02','2012-09-15 07:02:02','Yesterday I bought some school supplies. It seemed like a good thing to do seeing as school starts on Monday.\n\nI bought two note books, three red pens and 5 boxes of staples. <em>Yes.</em> Five boxes of staples. You wouldn\'t believe how quickly teachers run out of staples.\n\nWe get a small teacher budget to buy supplies at school but it doesn\'t cover very much and I prefer to buy pens that I can hold and see ahead of time and this is difficult to do with a catalogue. The staples? Well, had I remembered that I needed them when I was buying supplies I\'d have added them in. Only they slipped my mind on the second day back to work when I placed my order.\n\nLuckily, staples are easy to find.\n\nLess easy to find? <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Card_stock\">Cardstock</a>. Anyone have an idea where I can find this slightly heavier paper in Sofia? I haven\'t looked very hard but I am also not sure what this heavier paper would be called in Bulgarian.','My Life as a Teacher ','','inherit','open','open','','7145-revision','','','2012-09-15 09:02:02','2012-09-15 07:02:02','',7145,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/15/7145-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7147,1,'2012-09-15 09:03:02','2012-09-15 07:03:02','Yesterday I bought some school supplies. It seemed like a good thing to do seeing as school starts on Monday.\n\nI bought two note books, three red pens and 5 boxes of staples. <em>Yes.</em> Five boxes of staples. You wouldn\'t believe how quickly teachers run out of staples.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7987596828/\" title=\"my life as a teacher by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8308/7987596828_b91d528525_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"my life as a teacher\"></a>\nWe get a small teacher budget to buy supplies at school but it doesn\'t cover very much and I prefer to buy pens that I can hold and see ahead of time and this is difficult to do with a catalogue. The staples? Well, had I remembered that I needed them when I was buying supplies I\'d have added them in. Only they slipped my mind on the second day back to work when I placed my order.\n\nLuckily, staples are easy to find.\n\nLess easy to find? <a href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Card_stock\">Cardstock</a>. Anyone have an idea where I can find this slightly heavier paper in Sofia? I haven\'t looked very hard but I am also not sure what this heavier paper would be called in Bulgarian.','My Life as a Teacher ','','inherit','open','open','','7145-revision-2','','','2012-09-15 09:03:02','2012-09-15 07:03:02','',7145,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/15/7145-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7148,1,'2012-09-16 10:31:29','2012-09-16 08:31:29','Until yesterday boza and I had a hate-hate relationship.\r\n\r\nI hated it and I was convinced that it hated me too. The thing was, I wanted to like it. So I gave it a number of different chances in my first couple of years but I just didn\'t like it.\r\n\r\nThe texture was strangely thick. The sugar levels were cloyingly sweet while also tasting incredibly artificial. Oh, and here was an odd after taste. In a word, it was not good. So I gave up on it.\r\n\r\nThis all changed yesterday.\r\n<a title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7991099660/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8173/7991099660_db1d1990cb_z.jpg\" alt=\"Untitled\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nYesterday was the day I tasted <a href=\"http://harmonica.bg/produkti/boza/\" target=\"_blank\">Harmonica boza</a>. In fact I nearly had an angels singing clouds parting moment. Only the day remind rainy and overcast and the closest I came to angels singing was convincing A. that we should stop at <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/10/08/cupcakes-in-sofia/\" target=\"_blank\">Take a Cake for cupcakes</a> where I had mint chocolate chip cupcake (but just for the record, cupcakes and boza are only a so-so combination).<!--more-->\r\n\r\nNow I\'d all but given up on boza but A. and I were downtown checking out a music/beer festival and Harmonica happened to have a stand set up there. The music/beer festival was a bust--I don\'t think this was for a lack of planning or effort. Nope. It was pretty clearly the rainy weather which impacted the event--but the Harmonica table made my day.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Harmonica Boza by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7991100118/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8295/7991100118_71c75e74b0_z.jpg\" alt=\"Harmonica Boza\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nAnyhow, back to the boza. A. bought the boza which I then very tentitively tried. I first smelled it. It smelled like bread. Then I took a little sip. One doesn\'t want to take a big drink of something she knows that she doesn\'t like. Here\'s the thing, I didn\'t hate it. In fact, I wanted to have another drink. This has <em>never</em> happened to me before when trying boza.\r\n\r\nIt was this second sip which made me think that I might actually <em>like</em> this boza. So I had another.\r\n<a title=\"Me and Harmonica boza by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7991089465/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/7991089465_74167d407c_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me and Harmonica boza\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nHere\'s what makes this boza different than others I\'ve tried. There are actually little pieces of rye suspended in the drink. It gives the drink some texture as opposed to just being thick. I think it also give the drink more flavor. The rye is the first flavor you get and it tastes bread-y. The next flavor is sweet. But it\'s not too sweet and there\'s nothing chemical-y about the sweetness of this boza.\r\n\r\nSure this is is neither a texture or a flavor that I\'m used to but this boza made me curious about the combination rather than turned off by the drink which is what had happened in the past. Okay I don\'t know that I am a boza convert and that I\'ll be drinking it for breakfast every morning now but I was very pleasantly surprised by my boza experience.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Ingredients in Harmonica boza by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7991096746/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8443/7991096746_719a34481a_z.jpg\" alt=\"Ingredients in Harmonica boza\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nI think part of what makes the Harmonica boza different from the others that I\'ve tried is that it\'s bio which is basically the same category as organic in the States.  The boza has three ingredients rye, sugar and water. That\'s it. Three ingredients. So, I\'m not someone who seeks out bio/organic products at the store but this experience has made me wonder if I should reconsider. Especially after I realized that Harmonica also makes <a href=\"http://harmonica.bg/produkti/\" target=\"_blank\">bio yogurt and ayran among a pretty wide selection of bio items</a>.\r\n\r\nAfter my good experience with the boza, I\'d like to try some of these other items as well. The only thing is, I can\'t remember if I\'ve seen this brand at Billa or at Hit.\r\n\r\nDear readers, have you seen this brand in Sofia grocery stores and do you like their other products? Do you buy other Bulgarian made bio/organic products and if so which ones?\r\n\r\nOh and as a footnote, I am in no way, shape or form receiving any compensation for this blog post (or for any blog post that I write for that matter). I just was just really surprised by how much I liked the boza that I tasted yesterday compared to <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/03/10/drinking-boza/\" target=\"_blank\">the time I made/encouraged my cousin B. to try boza</a>.','Me & Boza','','publish','open','open','','me-boza','','','2012-09-16 10:31:29','2012-09-16 08:31:29','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7148',0,'post','',15),(7149,1,'2012-09-16 10:01:56','2012-09-16 08:01:56','Until yesterday boza and I had a hate-hate relationship.\n\nI hated it and I was convinced that it hated me too. The thing was, I wanted to like it. So I gave it a number of different chances in my first couple of years but I just didn\'t like it.\n\nThe texture was strangely thick. The sugar levels were cloyingly sweet while also tasting incredibly artificial. Oh, and here was an odd after taste. In a word, it was not good. So I gave up on it.\n\nThis all changed yesterday.\n\nYesterday was the day I tasted <a href=\"http://harmonica.bg/produkti/boza/\" target=\"_blank\">Harmonica boza</a>. I\'d all but given up on boza but A. and I were downtown checking out a music/beer festival and Harmonica happened to have a stand set up there. The music/beer festival was a bust--I don\'t think this was for a lack of planning or effort. Nope. It was pretty clearly the rainy weather which impacted the event.\n\nAnyhow, back to the boza. A. bought the boza which I then very tentitively tried. I first smelled it. It smelled like bread. Then I took a little sip. One doesn\'t want to take a big drink of something she knows that she doesn\'t like. Here\'s the thing, I didn\'t hate it. In fact, I wanted to have another drink. This has <em>never</em> happened to me before when trying boza.\n\nIt was this second sip which made me think that I might actually <em>like</em> this boza. So I had another.\n\nHere\'s what makes this boza different than others I\'ve tried. There are actually little pieces of rye suspended in the drink. It gives the drink some texture as opposed to just being thick. I think it also give the drink more flavor. The rye is the first flavor you get and it tastes bread-y. The next flavor is sweet. But it\'s not too sweet and there\'s nothing chemical-y about the sweetness of this boza.\n\nSure this is is neither a texture or a flavor that I\'m used to but this boza made me curious about the combination rather than turned off by the drink which is what had happened in the past. Okay I don\'t know that I am a boza convert and that I\'ll be drinking it for breakfast every morning now but I was very pleasantly surprised by my boza experience.\n\nI think part of what makes the Harmonica boza different from the others that I\'ve tried is that it\'s bio which is basically the same category as organic in the States.  The boza has three ingredients rye, sugar and water. That\'s it. Three ingredients. So, I\'m not someone who seeks out bio/organic products at the store but this experience has made me wonder if I should reconsider. Especially after I realized that Harmonica also makes <a href=\"http://harmonica.bg/produkti/\" target=\"_blank\">bio yogurt and ayran among a pretty wide selection of bio items</a>.\n\nAfter my good experience with the boza, I\'d like to try some of these other items as well. The only thing is, I can\'t remember if I\'ve seen this brand at Billa or at Hit.\n\nDear readers, have you seen this brand in Sofia grocery stores? Do you buy other','Me & Boza','','inherit','open','open','','7148-revision','','','2012-09-16 10:01:56','2012-09-16 08:01:56','',7148,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/16/7148-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7150,1,'2012-09-16 10:20:46','2012-09-16 08:20:46','Until yesterday boza and I had a hate-hate relationship.\n\nI hated it and I was convinced that it hated me too. The thing was, I wanted to like it. So I gave it a number of different chances in my first couple of years but I just didn\'t like it.\n\nThe texture was strangely thick. The sugar levels were cloyingly sweet while also tasting incredibly artificial. Oh, and here was an odd after taste. In a word, it was not good. So I gave up on it.\n\nThis all changed yesterday.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7991099660/\" title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8173/7991099660_db1d1990cb_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Untitled\"></a>\nYesterday was the day I tasted <a href=\"http://harmonica.bg/produkti/boza/\" target=\"_blank\">Harmonica boza</a>. \nI\'d all but given up on boza but A. and I were downtown checking out a music/beer festival and Harmonica happened to have a stand set up there. The music/beer festival was a bust--I don\'t think this was for a lack of planning or effort. Nope. It was pretty clearly the rainy weather which impacted the event--but the Harmonica table made my day.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7991100118/\" title=\"Harmonica Boza by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8295/7991100118_71c75e74b0_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Harmonica Boza\"></a>\nAnyhow, back to the boza. A. bought the boza which I then very tentitively tried. I first smelled it. It smelled like bread. Then I took a little sip. One doesn\'t want to take a big drink of something she knows that she doesn\'t like. Here\'s the thing, I didn\'t hate it. In fact, I wanted to have another drink. This has <em>never</em> happened to me before when trying boza.\n\nIt was this second sip which made me think that I might actually <em>like</em> this boza. So I had another.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7991089465/\" title=\"Me and Harmonica boza by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/7991089465_74167d407c_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Me and Harmonica boza\"></a>\nHere\'s what makes this boza different than others I\'ve tried. There are actually little pieces of rye suspended in the drink. It gives the drink some texture as opposed to just being thick. I think it also give the drink more flavor. The rye is the first flavor you get and it tastes bread-y. The next flavor is sweet. But it\'s not too sweet and there\'s nothing chemical-y about the sweetness of this boza.\n\nSure this is is neither a texture or a flavor that I\'m used to but this boza made me curious about the combination rather than turned off by the drink which is what had happened in the past. Okay I don\'t know that I am a boza convert and that I\'ll be drinking it for breakfast every morning now but I was very pleasantly surprised by my boza experience.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7991096746/\" title=\"Ingredients in Harmonica boza by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8443/7991096746_719a34481a_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Ingredients in Harmonica boza\"></a> I\n think part of what makes the Harmonica boza different from the others that I\'ve tried is that it\'s bio which is basically the same category as organic in the States.  The boza has three ingredients rye, sugar and water. That\'s it. Three ingredients. So, I\'m not someone who seeks out bio/organic products at the store but this experience has made me wonder if I should reconsider. Especially after I realized that Harmonica also makes <a href=\"http://harmonica.bg/produkti/\" target=\"_blank\">bio yogurt and ayran among a pretty wide selection of bio items</a>.\n\nAfter my good experience with the boza, I\'d like to try some of these other items as well. The only thing is, I can\'t remember if I\'ve seen this brand at Billa or at Hit.\n\nDear readers, have you seen this brand in Sofia grocery stores and do you like it? Do you buy other Bulgarian made bio/organic products?','Me & Boza','','inherit','open','open','','7148-revision-2','','','2012-09-16 10:20:46','2012-09-16 08:20:46','',7148,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/16/7148-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7151,1,'2012-09-16 10:21:46','2012-09-16 08:21:46','Until yesterday boza and I had a hate-hate relationship.\n\nI hated it and I was convinced that it hated me too. The thing was, I wanted to like it. So I gave it a number of different chances in my first couple of years but I just didn\'t like it.\n\nThe texture was strangely thick. The sugar levels were cloyingly sweet while also tasting incredibly artificial. Oh, and here was an odd after taste. In a word, it was not good. So I gave up on it.\n\nThis all changed yesterday.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7991099660/\" title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8173/7991099660_db1d1990cb_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Untitled\"></a>\nYesterday was the day I tasted <a href=\"http://harmonica.bg/produkti/boza/\" target=\"_blank\">Harmonica boza</a>. \nI\'d all but given up on boza but A. and I were downtown checking out a music/beer festival and Harmonica happened to have a stand set up there. The music/beer festival was a bust--I don\'t think this was for a lack of planning or effort. Nope. It was pretty clearly the rainy weather which impacted the event--but the Harmonica table made my day.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7991100118/\" title=\"Harmonica Boza by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8295/7991100118_71c75e74b0_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Harmonica Boza\"></a>\nAnyhow, back to the boza. A. bought the boza which I then very tentitively tried. I first smelled it. It smelled like bread. Then I took a little sip. One doesn\'t want to take a big drink of something she knows that she doesn\'t like. Here\'s the thing, I didn\'t hate it. In fact, I wanted to have another drink. This has <em>never</em> happened to me before when trying boza.\n\nIt was this second sip which made me think that I might actually <em>like</em> this boza. So I had another.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7991089465/\" title=\"Me and Harmonica boza by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/7991089465_74167d407c_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Me and Harmonica boza\"></a>\nHere\'s what makes this boza different than others I\'ve tried. There are actually little pieces of rye suspended in the drink. It gives the drink some texture as opposed to just being thick. I think it also give the drink more flavor. The rye is the first flavor you get and it tastes bread-y. The next flavor is sweet. But it\'s not too sweet and there\'s nothing chemical-y about the sweetness of this boza.\n\nSure this is is neither a texture or a flavor that I\'m used to but this boza made me curious about the combination rather than turned off by the drink which is what had happened in the past. Okay I don\'t know that I am a boza convert and that I\'ll be drinking it for breakfast every morning now but I was very pleasantly surprised by my boza experience.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7991096746/\" title=\"Ingredients in Harmonica boza by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8443/7991096746_719a34481a_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Ingredients in Harmonica boza\"></a> \nI think part of what makes the Harmonica boza different from the others that I\'ve tried is that it\'s bio which is basically the same category as organic in the States.  The boza has three ingredients rye, sugar and water. That\'s it. Three ingredients. So, I\'m not someone who seeks out bio/organic products at the store but this experience has made me wonder if I should reconsider. Especially after I realized that Harmonica also makes <a href=\"http://harmonica.bg/produkti/\" target=\"_blank\">bio yogurt and ayran among a pretty wide selection of bio items</a>.\n\nAfter my good experience with the boza, I\'d like to try some of these other items as well. The only thing is, I can\'t remember if I\'ve seen this brand at Billa or at Hit.\n\nDear readers, have you seen this brand in Sofia grocery stores and do you like it? Do you buy other Bulgarian made bio/organic products?','Me & Boza','','inherit','open','open','','7148-revision-3','','','2012-09-16 10:21:46','2012-09-16 08:21:46','',7148,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/16/7148-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7152,1,'2012-09-16 10:32:33','2012-09-16 08:32:33','Until yesterday boza and I had a hate-hate relationship.\n\nI hated it and I was convinced that it hated me too. The thing was, I wanted to like it. So I gave it a number of different chances in my first couple of years but I just didn\'t like it.\n\nThe texture was strangely thick. The sugar levels were cloyingly sweet while also tasting incredibly artificial. Oh, and here was an odd after taste. In a word, it was not good. So I gave up on it.\n\nThis all changed yesterday.\n<a title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7991099660/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8173/7991099660_db1d1990cb_z.jpg\" alt=\"Untitled\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nYesterday was the day I tasted <a href=\"http://harmonica.bg/produkti/boza/\" target=\"_blank\">Harmonica boza</a>. In fact I nearly had an angels singing clouds parting moment. Only the day remind rainy and overcast and the closest I came to angels singing was convincing A. that we should stop at <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/10/08/cupcakes-in-sofia/\" target=\"_blank\">Take a Cake for cupcakes</a> where I had mint chocolate chip cupcake (but just for the record, cupcakes and boza are only a so-so combination).<!--more-->\n\nNow I\'d all but given up on boza but A. and I were downtown checking out a music/beer festival and Harmonica happened to have a stand set up there. The music/beer festival was a bust--I don\'t think this was for a lack of planning or effort. Nope. It was pretty clearly the rainy weather which impacted the event--but the Harmonica table made my day.\n\n<a title=\"Harmonica Boza by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7991100118/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8295/7991100118_71c75e74b0_z.jpg\" alt=\"Harmonica Boza\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nAnyhow, back to the boza. A. bought the boza which I then very tentitively tried. I first smelled it. It smelled like bread. Then I took a little sip. One doesn\'t want to take a big drink of something she knows that she doesn\'t like. Here\'s the thing, I didn\'t hate it. In fact, I wanted to have another drink. This has <em>never</em> happened to me before when trying boza.\n\nIt was this second sip which made me think that I might actually <em>like</em> this boza. So I had another.\n<a title=\"Me and Harmonica boza by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7991089465/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/7991089465_74167d407c_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me and Harmonica boza\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nHere\'s what makes this boza different than others I\'ve tried. There are actually little pieces of rye suspended in the drink. It gives the drink some texture as opposed to just being thick. I think it also give the drink more flavor. The rye is the first flavor you get and it tastes bread-y. The next flavor is sweet. But it\'s not too sweet and there\'s nothing chemical-y about the sweetness of this boza.\n\nSure this is is neither a texture or a flavor that I\'m used to but this boza made me curious about the combination rather than turned off by the drink which is what had happened in the past. Okay I don\'t know that I am a boza convert and that I\'ll be drinking it for breakfast every morning now but I was very pleasantly surprised by my boza experience.\n\n<a title=\"Ingredients in Harmonica boza by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7991096746/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8443/7991096746_719a34481a_z.jpg\" alt=\"Ingredients in Harmonica boza\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nI think part of what makes the Harmonica boza different from the others that I\'ve tried is that it\'s bio which is basically the same category as organic in the States.  The boza has three ingredients rye, sugar and water. That\'s it. Three ingredients. So, I\'m not someone who seeks out bio/organic products at the store but this experience has made me wonder if I should reconsider. Especially after I realized that Harmonica also makes <a href=\"http://harmonica.bg/produkti/\" target=\"_blank\">bio yogurt and ayran among a pretty wide selection of bio items</a>.\n\nAfter my good experience with the boza, I\'d like to try some of these other items as well. The only thing is, I can\'t remember if I\'ve seen this brand at Billa or at Hit.\n\nDear readers, have you seen this brand in Sofia grocery stores and do you like their other products? Do you buy other Bulgarian made bio/organic products and if so which ones?\n\nOh and as a footnote, I am in no way, shape or form receiving any compensation for this blog post (or for any blog post that I write for that matter). I just was just really surprised by how much I liked the boza that I tasted yesterday compared to <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/03/10/drinking-boza/\" target=\"_blank\">the time I made/encouraged my cousin B. to try boza</a>.','Me & Boza','','inherit','open','open','','7148-autosave','','','2012-09-16 10:32:33','2012-09-16 08:32:33','',7148,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/16/7148-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(7153,1,'2012-09-17 20:06:06','2012-09-17 18:06:06','Today was our first day of school!\r\n\r\nFirst days of school in Bulgaria are a celebration rather than actual school. As such, I am super happy that we didn\'t have any rain today. This is because ather than meeting my new students and teaching class as we would at school in the States, we met our advisees, welcomed the newest class of 8th graders (or preps as we like to call them), took a whole school picture, played some games, talked about the new school year and then had an awards ceremony.\r\n<a title=\"All school picture by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7996623879/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8462/7996623879_227afc2126_z.jpg\" alt=\"All school picture\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nIt was an exciting day. I joined a new block at school. Good-bye Golden Lions, hello Flaming Tigers. I\'m sad to leave Golden Lions but we\'ve done some re-shuffling to make the advising program at school more successful and more focused so I\'m in a new block and I\'m an 11th grade advisor now and I get to wear a bright orange tshirt rather than a bright yellow one and I have to say our block looks pretty sharp in orange.\r\n<a title=\"My new block: Flaming Tigers by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7996634072/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8042/7996634072_ee0f96a741_z.jpg\" alt=\"My new block: Flaming Tigers\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThere\'s nothing quite like the enthusiasm of 700+ teenagers to get you excited about school.\r\n\r\nThe day ended at 12 noon when students got to see the class lists. Some students hung around for lunch but most headed home. I ate lunch slowly and then got my handouts and things together for classes tomorrow.\r\n\r\nTomorrow we actually have class--at 8:15am.\r\n\r\nAnd, wow. That seems early. Especially early given the fact that I\'ve had two whole months of summer vacation and my sleep cycle adjusted accordingly.\r\n\r\nThis said, I\'m looking forward to meeting my students and getting the school year started.\r\n<a title=\"Me at school on the first day by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7996635182/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8030/7996635182_ee6873baa5_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me at school on the first day\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nI\'ll close with this, here I am sitting next to the sign which marks the beginning of our campus: The American College of Sofia. I\'m next to the E in college. Normally I have someone else take my picture on the first day of school by the sign but I forgot until I was walking out this afternoon at 4pm so I did a quick self-portrait.\r\n\r\nTraditions are traditions after all.','Another first day of school at ACS','','publish','open','open','','another-first-day-of-school-at-acs','','','2012-09-17 20:06:06','2012-09-17 18:06:06','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7153',0,'post','',6),(7154,1,'2012-09-17 19:31:44','2012-09-17 17:31:44','','Auto Draft','','inherit','open','open','','7153-revision','','','2012-09-17 19:31:44','2012-09-17 17:31:44','',7153,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/17/7153-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7155,1,'2012-09-17 20:01:36','2012-09-17 18:01:36','Today was our first day of school!\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7996623879/\" title=\"All school picture by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8462/7996623879_227afc2126_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"All school picture\"></a>\nFirst days of school in Bulgaria are a celebration rather than actual school. As such, I am super happy that we didn\'t have any rain to day. This is because ather than meeting my new students and teaching class as we would at school in the States, we met our advisees, welcomed the newest class of 8th graders (or preps as we like to call them), took a whole school picture, played some games, talked about the new school year and then had an awards ceremony. \n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7996634072/\" title=\"My new block: Flaming Tigers by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8042/7996634072_ee0f96a741_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"My new block: Flaming Tigers\"></a>\nIt was an exciting day. I joined a new block at school. Good-bye Golden Lions, hello Flaming Tigers. I\'m sad to leave Golden Lions but we\'ve done some re-shuffling to make the advising program at school more successful and more focused so I\'m in a new block and I\'m an 11th grade advisor now and I get to wear a bright orange tshirt rather than a bright yellow one and I have to say our block looks pretty sharp in orange.  \n\nThe day ended at 12 noon when students got to see the class lists. Some students hung around for lunch but most headed home. I ate lunch slowly and then got my handouts and things together for classes tomorrow. \n\nTomorrow we actually have class--at 8:15am. \n\nAnd, wow. That seems early. Especially early given the fact that I\'ve had two whole months of summer vacation and my sleep cycle adjusted accordingly. \n\nThis said, I\'m looking forward to meeting my students and getting the school year started.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7996635182/\" title=\"Me at school on the first day by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8030/7996635182_ee6873baa5_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Me at school on the first day\"></a>\nHere I am sitting next to the sign: The American College of Sofia. I\'m next to the E in college. Normally I have someone else take my picture on the first day by the sign but I forgot until I was walking out this afternoon at 4pm so I did a quick self-portrait.','Another first day of school ','','inherit','open','open','','7153-revision-2','','','2012-09-17 20:01:36','2012-09-17 18:01:36','',7153,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/17/7153-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7156,1,'2012-09-17 20:01:38','2012-09-17 18:01:38','Today was our first day of school!\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7996623879/\" title=\"All school picture by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8462/7996623879_227afc2126_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"All school picture\"></a>\r\nFirst days of school in Bulgaria are a celebration rather than actual school. As such, I am super happy that we didn\'t have any rain to day. This is because ather than meeting my new students and teaching class as we would at school in the States, we met our advisees, welcomed the newest class of 8th graders (or preps as we like to call them), took a whole school picture, played some games, talked about the new school year and then had an awards ceremony. \r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7996634072/\" title=\"My new block: Flaming Tigers by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8042/7996634072_ee0f96a741_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"My new block: Flaming Tigers\"></a>\r\nIt was an exciting day. I joined a new block at school. Good-bye Golden Lions, hello Flaming Tigers. I\'m sad to leave Golden Lions but we\'ve done some re-shuffling to make the advising program at school more successful and more focused so I\'m in a new block and I\'m an 11th grade advisor now and I get to wear a bright orange tshirt rather than a bright yellow one and I have to say our block looks pretty sharp in orange.  \r\n\r\nThe day ended at 12 noon when students got to see the class lists. Some students hung around for lunch but most headed home. I ate lunch slowly and then got my handouts and things together for classes tomorrow. \r\n\r\nTomorrow we actually have class--at 8:15am. \r\n\r\nAnd, wow. That seems early. Especially early given the fact that I\'ve had two whole months of summer vacation and my sleep cycle adjusted accordingly. \r\n\r\nThis said, I\'m looking forward to meeting my students and getting the school year started.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7996635182/\" title=\"Me at school on the first day by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8030/7996635182_ee6873baa5_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Me at school on the first day\"></a>\r\nHere I am sitting next to the sign: The American College of Sofia. I\'m next to the E in college. Normally I have someone else take my picture on the first day by the sign but I forgot until I was walking out this afternoon at 4pm so I did a quick self-portrait.','Another first day of school ','','inherit','open','open','','7153-revision-3','','','2012-09-17 20:01:38','2012-09-17 18:01:38','',7153,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/17/7153-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7157,1,'2012-09-17 20:05:54','2012-09-17 18:05:54','Today was our first day of school!\n\nFirst days of school in Bulgaria are a celebration rather than actual school. As such, I am super happy that we didn\'t have any rain today. This is because ather than meeting my new students and teaching class as we would at school in the States, we met our advisees, welcomed the newest class of 8th graders (or preps as we like to call them), took a whole school picture, played some games, talked about the new school year and then had an awards ceremony.\n\nIt was an exciting day. I joined a new block at school. Good-bye Golden Lions, hello Flaming Tigers. I\'m sad to leave Golden Lions but we\'ve done some re-shuffling to make the advising program at school more successful and more focused so I\'m in a new block and I\'m an 11th grade advisor now and I get to wear a bright orange tshirt rather than a bright yellow one and I have to say our block looks pretty sharp in orange.\n<a title=\"My new block: Flaming Tigers by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7996634072/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8042/7996634072_ee0f96a741_z.jpg\" alt=\"My new block: Flaming Tigers\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nThere\'s nothing quite like the enthusiasm of 700+ teenagers to get you excited about school.\n\nThe day ended at 12 noon when students got to see the class lists. Some students hung around for lunch but most headed home. I ate lunch slowly and then got my handouts and things together for classes tomorrow.\n\nTomorrow we actually have class--at 8:15am.\n\nAnd, wow. That seems early. Especially early given the fact that I\'ve had two whole months of summer vacation and my sleep cycle adjusted accordingly.\n\nThis said, I\'m looking forward to meeting my students and getting the school year started.\n<a title=\"Me at school on the first day by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7996635182/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8030/7996635182_ee6873baa5_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me at school on the first day\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nI\'ll close with this, here I am sitting next to the sign which marks the beginning of our campus: The American College of Sofia. I\'m next to the E in college. Normally I have someone else take my picture on the first day of school by the sign but I forgot until I was walking out this afternoon at 4pm so I did a quick self-portrait.\n\nTraditions are traditions after all.','Another first day of school at ACS','','inherit','open','open','','7153-revision-4','','','2012-09-17 20:05:54','2012-09-17 18:05:54','',7153,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/17/7153-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(7160,1,'2012-09-21 19:27:11','2012-09-21 17:27:11','Our<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/10/27/my-neighborhood-sladkarnitsa/\" target=\"_blank\"> neighborhood cake shop</a> has been in Mladost 1A now for a year. My-oh-my, how time flies. I can\'t believe it was last S<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/09/21/mladsot-1a-an-new-sweet-shop/\" target=\"_blank\">eptember that I noticed this shop</a>.\n\nThis week I went for the delicious autumn inspired cake--it was the honey cake and was a spice cake with rasins, walnuts and a not too sweet frosting.\n\nA. got this cake. It was kind of an eclair based cake. I thought it was tasty but a little bit sweet.','Sweets in Mladost 1A','','inherit','open','open','','7159-revision','','','2012-09-21 19:27:11','2012-09-21 17:27:11','',7159,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/21/7159-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7161,1,'2012-09-21 19:27:12','2012-09-21 17:27:12','Our<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/10/27/my-neighborhood-sladkarnitsa/\" target=\"_blank\"> neighborhood cake shop</a> has been in Mladost 1A now for a year. My-oh-my, how time flies. I can\'t believe it was last S<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/09/21/mladsot-1a-an-new-sweet-shop/\" target=\"_blank\">eptember that I noticed this shop</a>.\r\n\r\nThis week I went for the delicious autumn inspired cake--it was the honey cake and was a spice cake with rasins, walnuts and a not too sweet frosting.\r\n\r\nA. got this cake. It was kind of an eclair based cake. I thought it was tasty but a little bit sweet.','Sweets in Mladost 1A','','inherit','open','open','','7159-revision-2','','','2012-09-21 19:27:12','2012-09-21 17:27:12','',7159,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/21/7159-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7162,1,'2012-09-21 19:50:53','2012-09-21 17:50:53','Monday afternoon at the sladkarnitsa was pretty quiet. That\'s okay with me. It gave me plenty of room to inspect the cakes in the display case before making my selection.\n\nNow most of the time, I like to pick a cake that has already been sliced so that I can see not only what the frosting looks like but also what the actual cake looks like. This time, however, I was drawn to the honey cake. It has such a nice name and was frosted in white frosting with coconut flakes on the outer edge and a lattice network of honey and chopped walnuts on top. Only later did I notice that there were also raisins on top.  The cake was just so simple and pretty.\n<a title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8003373929/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8299/8003373929_bc82c371fe_z.jpg\" alt=\"Untitled\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nOnce I decided which slice of cake I wanted, I was surprised to see a flyer on the table announcing the one year anniversary of my cake shop. It turns out that our<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/10/27/my-neighborhood-sladkarnitsa/\" target=\"_blank\"> neighborhood cake shop</a> has been in Mladost 1A now for a year. My-oh-my, how time flies. I can\'t believe it was last S<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/09/21/mladsot-1a-an-new-sweet-shop/\" target=\"_blank\">eptember that I noticed this shop</a> but I am glad that it did. <!--more-->\n<a title=\"Cake from Domashnata Sladkarnitsa in Mladost 1A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8003376837/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8316/8003376837_9a25b765f6_z.jpg\" alt=\"Cake from Domashnata Sladkarnitsa in Mladost 1A\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nThis week I went for the honey cake. It turned out to be a delicious autumn inspired cake. The label said that it was a honey cake but I would say it was a spice cake with rasins, walnuts and a not too sweet frosting. I guess that the cake could have honey in it as a sweetener but I didn\'t taste it. This doesn\'t really matter to me. Frankly I was just happy to not be at school frantically planning my first week of classes. And I have to say honey or not, this cake was just perfect with a cup of tea in the late afternoon.\n\nA. had a slice of this beautiful cake. It was kind of an eclair based cake. I thought it was tasty but a little bit sweet for me. I was really happy with my cake.\n<a title=\"Cake from Domashnata Sladkarnitsa in Mladost 1A by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8003377706/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8314/8003377706_5da8aeb645_z.jpg\" alt=\"Cake from Domashnata Sladkarnitsa in Mladost 1A\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nThe thing is, A. was really happy with his cake and ate the whole thing more or less without pause. I guess this just goes to show that the Domashnata Sladkarnitsa in Mladost 1A has a cake for everyone no matter what your preferences are.','Sweets in Mladost 1A','','inherit','open','open','','7159-autosave','','','2012-09-21 19:50:53','2012-09-21 17:50:53','',7159,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/21/7159-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(7163,1,'2012-09-22 08:15:56','2012-09-22 06:15:56','We\'ve had some work going on recently in our neighborhood. The basics: we got a new metro stop in the spring and now the city is extending a road to go the new metro stop.\r\n\r\nOne would think this new road would be a quick project but its proved to be anything but.\r\n\r\nThis has been annoying. It\'s cut off the short-cut between my apartment and school. Ug. That is until I became slightly more Bulgarian and started cutting through the construction zone like everyone else in my neighborhood.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8011220427/\" title=\"Construction in Mladost by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8035/8011220427_4ed2245a37_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Construction in Mladost\"></a>\r\nMy favorite part of this whole thing? One morning this week when these pieces for the new curbs were turned over making it much much easier for me to cross in a skirt and my new fall boots.\r\n\r\nI\'m not going to lie though. The rule following, safety loving part of me cringes every time I cut through the construction--even at 7:15am when no one is working or at 5:30pm when the work is clearly finishing up for the day.\r\n\r\nA. tells me that they are supposed to be finished with this project by the end of the month. While I love fall, I don\'t think I really mean this, October can\'t come soon enough if you ask me. I am ready for the road to be completed.','Construction in Mladost 1A ','','publish','open','open','','construction-in-mladost-1a','','','2012-09-22 08:15:56','2012-09-22 06:15:56','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7163',0,'post','',0),(7164,1,'2012-09-22 08:15:54','2012-09-22 06:15:54','We\'ve had some work going on recently in our neighborhood. The basics: we got a new metro stop in the spring and now the city is extending a road to go the new metro stop.\n\nOne would think this new road would be a quick project but its proved to be anything but.\n\nThis has been annoying. It\'s cut off the short-cut between my apartment and school. Ug. That is until I became slightly more Bulgarian and started cutting through the construction zone like everyone else in my neighborhood.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8011220427/\" title=\"Construction in Mladost by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8035/8011220427_4ed2245a37_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Construction in Mladost\"></a>\nMy favorite part of this whole thing? One morning this week when these pieces for the new curbs were turned over making it much much easier for me to cross in a skirt and my new fall boots.\n\nI\'m not going to lie though. The rule following, safety loving part of me cringes every time I cut through the construction--even at 7:15am when no one is working or at 5:30pm when the work is clearly finishing up for the day.\n\nA. tells me that they are supposed to be finished with this project by the end of the month. While I love fall, I don\'t think I really mean this, October can\'t come soon enough if you ask me. I am ready for the road to be completed.','Construction in Mladost 1A ','','inherit','open','open','','7163-revision','','','2012-09-22 08:15:54','2012-09-22 06:15:54','',7163,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/22/7163-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7165,1,'2012-09-23 07:27:36','2012-09-23 05:27:36','Interested in Bulgaria? Moving to the country? Like to read?\n\n<em>Funny</em>, me too.\n\nYou can see what <a href=\"http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/157178-carolyn\" target=\"_blank\">I\'ve read (and what I\'d like to have the time to read) on goodreads</a>. Friend me if you want! I\'ve also <a href=\"http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/157178?shelf=bulgaria-and-the-balkans\" target=\"_blank\">started a bookshelf for books that are Bulgarian and/or Balkan in scope</a> on goodreads check it out. This said, I am always looking for the next great book on Bulgaria, written by a Bulgaria or set in Bulgaria so let me know. The same goes for the Balkans.\n\nHow did this interest in Bulgaria start? Well, I currently live in the country and I like to read.\n\nWhen I moved to Bulgaria in August 2008, I didn\'t know much of anything about the country. I read as much as I could on the internet (thanks wikipedia) and got my hands on a couple of general books including the <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Bulgaria-Country-Guide/dp/174104474X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301122289&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Lonely Planet Bulgaria</a> travel guide. Since then, I\'ve read much, much more about the country, the culture and the region.\n\nSure it\'s been a little bit haphazard. But that\'s just how my life has been since I moved to Bulgaria.\n\nSo here\'s a rundown of things I\'ve read, have been reading and have been intending to read.\n<ul>\n	<li><a title=\"Balkan Ghosts\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Balkan-Ghosts-Journey-Through-History/dp/0312424930/ref=pd_sim_b_1\" target=\"_blank\">Balkan Ghosts: a Journey through History</a> by Robert D. Kaplan. In a word, this is required reading if you\'re moving to the Balkans. Even better there\'s an excellent chapter on Bulgaria. Kaplan lived here as a young journalist and he paints a good picture of his life here. Oh and as an aside, the Bulgarian-journalist-mentor Kaplan finds upon moving to Sofia and references regularly throughout the book attended the American College of Sofia (where I currently work) before WWII.</li>\n	<li><a title=\"Street without a Name\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Street-Without-Name-Childhood-Misadventures/dp/1602396450/ref=pd_sim_b_1\" target=\"_blank\">Street without a Name: Childhood and other Misadventures in Bulgaria</a> by Kapka Kassabova. This is a memoir that I love and I think is also required reading for anyone moving to Sofia. It\'s a look at life in the 1980\'s under communism for a teenage girl and then the act of return as a grown-up and a tourist to the country that she grew up in. It\'s bittersweet and I think it encompasses the complexities of change and national identity.</li>\n	<li><a title=\"Black Lamb and Grey Falcon\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Black-Lamb-Falcon-Penguin-Classics/dp/014310490X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1301077926&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Black Lamb and Grey Falcon: a Journey in Yugoslavia</a> by Rebeca West. I know, I know. This a book about Yugoslavia and a tome of a book to boot but she\'s a story teller--an excellent one. And you can\'t (or you shouldn\'t) live in Bulgaria and not wander to Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Slovenia, Macedonia and Kosovo. Which is why you should read <em>Black Lamb and Grey Falcon</em>.</li>\n	<li><a title=\"Cold Snap\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Snap-Cynthia-Morrison-Phoel/dp/0870745611/ref=pd_sim_b_1\" target=\"_blank\">Cold Snap: Bulgaria Stories</a> by Cynthia Morrison Phoel. Is a collection of short stories written by a former Peace Corps volunteer in Bulgaria. It\'s set in an imagined village so you wont read these stories for a sense of place. Rather you\'ll read these short stories for a sense of the people in post-communist Bulgaria.</li>\n	<li><a title=\"Under the Yoke\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Under-Yoke-Bulgarian-Liberty-Introduction/dp/0543691780/ref=pd_sim_b_5\" target=\"_blank\">Under the Yoke</a> by Ivan Vasov. This is often considered <em>the </em>Bulgarian novel written by one of <em>the</em> Bulgarian authors. I\'ve read and re-read the first 75 pages a few time but I\'m afraid that I\'ve had a hard time getting into it. Basically, it\'s a look at life in Bulgaria under the Ottoman Empire with a dash of adventure, rebellion, life and love. The basic problem at the center of the novel is that Bulgarians have been living under foreign domination for 500 year and want to be free but have been unable to achieve this dream.</li>\n	<li><a title=\"The Historian\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Historian-Elizabeth-Kostova/dp/B004E3XIAI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1301078281&amp;sr=8-1\" target=\"_blank\">The Historian</a> by Elizabeth Kostova. Kostova\'s novel <em>The Historian</em> is a book that you should read for the pure pleasure of it. It\'s a mystery, thriller set broadly in the Balkans. Characters find themselves in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Turkey, Greece and a number of other Balkan-ish countries as part of the adventure. While the story requires a decent dose of imagination, Kostova does a great job playing with the sense of mystery Westerners impose on Eastern Europe/the Balkans and an even better job capturing the physical place paper.</li>\n	<li><a title=\"How I Survived Communism and Even Laughed\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/How-Survived-Communism-Even-Laughed/dp/0060975407/ref=pd_sim_b_6\" target=\"_blank\">How I Survived Communism &amp; Even Laughed</a> by Slavenka Drakulic.  This is another not-exactly-Bulgaria book but it\'s still worth reading. This memoir is written by a Croatian woman and spans the end of communism in the former Yugoslavia and the lead up to the war. Her look at women\'s lives during communism reads as both honest and thoughtful and the book gave me a better sense of life in the Balkans in the late 1970, \'80s and early 1990s.</li>\n	<li><a title=\"Baba Yaga\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Baba-Yaga-Laid-Dubravka-Ugresic/dp/0802145205/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301078345&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Baba Yaga Laid an Egg</a> by Dubravka Ugresic. This is a strange and wonderful novel that plays with the Baba Yaga myth and cris-crosses Eastern Europe from Croatia to Bulgaria (Sofia and Varna) to the Czech Republic. The women in the novel are wonderful and the parts of the novel set in Varna are heart-wrenching.</li>\n	<li><a title=\"Bury me Standing\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bury-Me-Standing-Gypsies-Journey/dp/067973743X/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1301132017&amp;sr=1-11\" target=\"_blank\">Bury Me Standing: The Gypsies and their Journey</a> by Isabel Fonseca. The author decides to live with Roma across Eastern Europe in order to research this book--from Albania to Bulgaria to Poland and Romania and a number of countries in between. She identifies the kinds of problems that Roma minorities in Europe face from poverty, language to discrimination. It seems like a pretty honest straightforward look at life for this minority. At times though the structure of the book lacks purpose and direction. Each chapter is a country and Fonseca basically tells some version of the same story for the Roma people in whichever country is currently writing about. This narrative technique isn\'t very engaging but the content is.</li>\n	<li><a title=\"Zift\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Zift-Noir-Novel-Vladislav-Todorov/dp/1589880595/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1301079542&amp;sr=1-1-catcorr\" target=\"_blank\">Zift</a> by Vladislav Todorov. This isn\'t normally my kind of a book. I don\'t generally do pulp fiction or crime noir but when it comes to current novels set in Sofia I\'ll make an exception. Good thing I did. I really liked this fast paced, gritty but still funny novel.  I recognized glimpses and snatches of Sofia today in the piece but at the same time I often felt like this was a city I\'d never been to and I\'ve lived here for nearly three years.</li>\n	<li><a title=\"East of the West\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/East-West-Country-Miroslav-Penkov/dp/0374117330/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&amp;coliid=I2AHK2OU0NIWWT&amp;colid=6TXOV5ELE9GB\" target=\"_blank\">East of the West: A Country in Stories</a> by Miroslav Penkov. I devoured this book in an evening. The short stories are engaging, moving and at times incredibly sad. The only thing I felt meh about was the fact that Penkov seems to have a compulsion to work in every possible type of person found in Bulgaria into his short stories including the foreigner, gypsy, the Turkish Muslim minority and even the Bulgarian who has lived abroad and now returns to live in a village. This hit-list of characters felt a little forced but the individual stories are beautiful.</li>\n	<li><a title=\"The Tiger\'s Wife\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Tigers-Wife-Novel-ebook/dp/B004EPZ6CE/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&amp;coliid=I1PY0IYFZAVBT0&amp;colid=6TXOV5ELE9GB\" target=\"_blank\">The Tiger\'s Wife</a> by Tea Obreht. Is a novel that has been garnering a lot of attention and why not the author is young, beautiful and she has written a incredible story.  It\'s set in the former Yugoslavia and I couldn\'t get enough. I thought that the main character was wonderfully written and that the setting of the story matched my experiences in Serbia, Croatia and Macedonia. What I found most interesting was the way folk-tale and fairy-tale like elements were woven into this otherwise very realistic novel.</li>\n	<li><a title=\"Solo\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Solo-ebook/dp/B004IPPIMI/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&amp;coliid=I2WC8PGSCA630D&amp;colid=6TXOV5ELE9GB\" target=\"_blank\">Solo</a> by Rana Dasgupta.  There has been a lot of chatter about this book. I don\'t know what Dasgupta\'s actual relationship is with Bulgaria but by in large he gets the parts set in Bulgaria right from the people to the place and the atmosphere. The novel crosses more than a century and a number of different countries including Bulgaria and at the end the United States. At moments the novel is funny and at times incredibly sad. I\'m still not sure what to make of the ending and I am not sure that I loved the ending but I whole-heartedly recommend this book.</li>\n</ul>\nThe Fulbright recommended these  books to me when I won my Fulbright (but most of them are close to 20 years old at this point):\n<ul>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bulgaria-Pictures-Visual-Geography-Second/dp/0822518902/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1301122068&amp;sr=1-3\" target=\"_blank\">Bulgaria in Pictures</a></li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Concise-History-Bulgaria-Cambridge-Histories/dp/0521616379/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301121985&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">A Concise History of Bulgaria</a> (on Kindle and I book that I should probably read)</li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bulgaria-at-Crossroads-Jacques-Coenen-Huther/dp/156072305X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301121891&amp;sr=1-2\" target=\"_blank\">Bulgaria at the Crossroads</a></li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bulgarian-Economy-Transition-Studies-Communism/dp/1852789948/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1301121836&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">The Bulgarian Economy in Transition</a></li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Balkans-Laughter-Tears-Communism/dp/1565490363/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301121777&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Summer in the Balkans: Laughter and Tears after Communism</a></li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bulgarian-Contributions-European-Civilization-Bozhkov/dp/B000BLS16I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301121587&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Bulgarian Contributions to European Civilization</a></li>\n	<li>A History of Bulgaria. An Outline (only available from the St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, 1998. Yep. A Bulgarian press)</li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Imagining-Balkans-Maria-Todorova/dp/0195387864/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301121377&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Imagining the Balkans</a> (on Kindle)</li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bulgarians-Civilizers-Slavs-Bojidar-Dimitrov/dp/9545000333/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301121310&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Bulgarians: Civilizers of the Slavs</a></li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Gold-Thracians-Ivan-Marazov/dp/0810919923/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301121202&amp;sr=1-1-spell\" target=\"_blank\">Ancient Gold: The Wealth of the Tracians</a></li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Poets-Bulgaria-William-Meredith/dp/0948259396/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301122434&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Poets of Bulgaria</a></li>\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Young-Poets-New-Bulgaria-Anthology/dp/094825971X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301122580&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Young Poets of a New Bulgaria: An Anthology </a></li>\n</ul>\nOnly I never read a single one of them. Most of them are history books that are currently out of print. Some are available on Amazon.com. Most are out of stock and start at about $50 and seem to cost up to $120. And as much as I love books, even a $120 is too much for me. If you\'re in the States though, you might be able to grab some of them through inter-library loan.\n\n<em>Any other books that I should be reading? </em>','Works Cited ','','inherit','open','open','','4641-autosave','','','2012-09-23 07:27:36','2012-09-23 05:27:36','',4641,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/23/4641-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(7166,1,'2011-03-26 11:49:13','2011-03-26 09:49:13','Interested in Bulgaria? Moving to the country? Like to read?\r\n\r\n<em>Funny</em>, me too.\r\n\r\nI am interested in Bulgaria. I like to read and I currently live in the country.\r\n\r\nWhen I moved to Bulgaria in August 2008, I didn\'t know much of anything about the country. I read as much as I could on the internet (thanks wikipedia) and got my hands on a couple of general books including the <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Bulgaria-Country-Guide/dp/174104474X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301122289&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Lonely Planet Bulgaria</a> travel guide. Since then, I\'ve read much, much more about the country, the culture and the region.\r\n\r\nSure it\'s been a little bit haphazard. But that\'s just how my life has been since I moved to Bulgaria.\r\n\r\nSo here\'s a rundown of things I\'ve read, have been reading and have been intending to read.\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><a title=\"Balkan Ghosts\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Balkan-Ghosts-Journey-Through-History/dp/0312424930/ref=pd_sim_b_1\" target=\"_blank\">Balkan Ghosts: a Journey through History</a> by Robert D. Kaplan. In a word, this is required reading if you\'re moving to the Balkans. Even better there\'s an excellent chapter on Bulgaria. Kaplan lived here as a young journalist and he paints a good picture of his life here. Oh and as an aside, the Bulgarian-journalist-mentor Kaplan finds upon moving to Sofia and references regularly throughout the book attended the American College of Sofia (where I currently work) before WWII.</li>\r\n	<li><a title=\"Street without a Name\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Street-Without-Name-Childhood-Misadventures/dp/1602396450/ref=pd_sim_b_1\" target=\"_blank\">Street without a Name: Childhood and other Misadventures in Bulgaria</a> by Kapka Kassabova. This is a memoir that I love and I think is also  required reading for anyone moving to Sofia. It\'s a look at life in the  1980\'s under communism for a teenage girl and then the act of return as a  grown-up and a tourist to the country that she grew up in. It\'s bittersweet and I think it encompasses the complexities of change and national identity.</li>\r\n	<li><a title=\"Black Lamb and Grey Falcon\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Black-Lamb-Falcon-Penguin-Classics/dp/014310490X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1301077926&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Black Lamb and Grey Falcon: a Journey in Yugoslavia</a> by Rebeca West. I know, I know. This a book about Yugoslavia and a tome of a book to boot but she\'s a story teller--an excellent one. And you can\'t (or you shouldn\'t) live in Bulgaria and not wander to Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Slovenia, Macedonia and Kosovo. Which is why you should read <em>Black Lamb and Grey Falcon</em>.</li>\r\n	<li><a title=\"Cold Snap\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Snap-Cynthia-Morrison-Phoel/dp/0870745611/ref=pd_sim_b_1\" target=\"_blank\">Cold Snap: Bulgaria Stories</a> by Cynthia Morrison Phoel. Is a collection of short stories written by a former Peace Corps volunteer in Bulgaria. It\'s set in an imagined village so you wont read these stories for a sense of place. Rather you\'ll read these short stories for a sense of the people in post-communist Bulgaria.</li>\r\n	<li><a title=\"Under the Yoke\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Under-Yoke-Bulgarian-Liberty-Introduction/dp/0543691780/ref=pd_sim_b_5\" target=\"_blank\">Under the Yoke</a> by Ivan Vasov. This is often considered <em>the </em>Bulgarian novel written by one of <em>the</em> Bulgarian authors. I\'ve read and re-read the first 75 pages a few time but I\'m afraid that I\'ve had a hard time getting into it. Basically, it\'s a look at life in Bulgaria under the Ottoman Empire with a dash of adventure, rebellion, life and love. The basic problem at the center of the novel is that Bulgarians have been living under foreign domination for 500 year and want to be free but have been unable to achieve this dream.</li>\r\n	<li><a title=\"The Historian\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Historian-Elizabeth-Kostova/dp/B004E3XIAI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1301078281&amp;sr=8-1\" target=\"_blank\">The Historian</a> by Elizabeth Kostova. Kostova\'s novel <em>The Historian</em> is a book that you should read for the pure pleasure of it. It\'s a mystery, thriller set broadly in the Balkans. Characters find themselves in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Turkey, Greece and a number of other Balkan-ish countries as part of the adventure. While the story requires a decent dose of imagination, Kostova does a great job playing with the sense of mystery Westerners impose on Eastern Europe/the Balkans and an even better job capturing the physical place paper.</li>\r\n	<li><a title=\"How I Survived Communism and Even Laughed\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/How-Survived-Communism-Even-Laughed/dp/0060975407/ref=pd_sim_b_6\" target=\"_blank\">How I Survived Communism &amp; Even Laughed</a> by Slavenka Drakulic.  This is another not-exactly-Bulgaria book but it\'s still worth reading. This memoir is written by a Croatian woman and spans the end of communism in the former Yugoslavia and the lead up to the war. Her look at women\'s lives during communism reads as both honest and thoughtful and the book gave me a better sense of life in the Balkans in the late 1970, \'80s and early 1990s.</li>\r\n	<li><a title=\"Baba Yaga\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Baba-Yaga-Laid-Dubravka-Ugresic/dp/0802145205/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301078345&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Baba Yaga Laid an Egg</a> by Dubravka Ugresic. This is a strange and wonderful novel that plays with the Baba Yaga myth and cris-crosses Eastern Europe from Croatia to Bulgaria (Sofia and Varna) to the Czech Republic. The women in the novel are wonderful and the parts of the novel set in Varna are heart-wrenching.</li>\r\n	<li><a title=\"Bury me Standing\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bury-Me-Standing-Gypsies-Journey/dp/067973743X/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1301132017&amp;sr=1-11\" target=\"_blank\">Bury Me Standing: The Gypsies and their Journey</a> by Isabel  Fonseca. The author decides to live with Roma across Eastern Europe in order to research this book--from Albania to Bulgaria to Poland and Romania and a number of countries in between. She identifies the kinds of problems that Roma minorities in Europe face from poverty, language to discrimination. It seems like a pretty honest straightforward look at life for this minority. At times though the structure of the book lacks purpose and direction. Each chapter is a country and Fonseca basically tells some version of the same story for the Roma people in whichever country is currently writing about. This narrative technique isn\'t very engaging but the content is.</li>\r\n	<li><a title=\"Zift\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Zift-Noir-Novel-Vladislav-Todorov/dp/1589880595/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1301079542&amp;sr=1-1-catcorr\" target=\"_blank\">Zift</a> by Vladislav Todorov. This isn\'t normally my kind of a book. I don\'t generally do pulp fiction or crime noir but when it comes to current novels set in Sofia I\'ll make an exception. Good thing I did. I really liked this fast paced, gritty but still funny novel.  I recognized glimpses and snatches of Sofia today in the piece but at the same time I often felt like this was a city I\'d never been to and I\'ve lived here for nearly three years.</li>\r\n	<li><a title=\"East of the West\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/East-West-Country-Miroslav-Penkov/dp/0374117330/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&amp;coliid=I2AHK2OU0NIWWT&amp;colid=6TXOV5ELE9GB\" target=\"_blank\">East of the West: A Country in Stories</a> by Miroslav Penkov. Okay this book hasn\'t been released yet so I haven\'t read it. <em>Yet</em>. Yet is the key word. I will be reading it.</li>\r\n	<li><a title=\"The Tiger\'s Wife\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Tigers-Wife-Novel-ebook/dp/B004EPZ6CE/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&amp;coliid=I1PY0IYFZAVBT0&amp;colid=6TXOV5ELE9GB\" target=\"_blank\">The Tiger\'s Wife</a> by Tea Obreht. Is a novel that has been garnering a lot of attention and why not the author is young, beautiful and apparently has written a incredible story.  It\'s set in the former Yugoslavia but who cares I\'ll be reading it over the next few weeks.</li>\r\n	<li><a title=\"Solo\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Solo-ebook/dp/B004IPPIMI/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&amp;coliid=I2WC8PGSCA630D&amp;colid=6TXOV5ELE9GB\" target=\"_blank\">Solo</a> by Rana Dasgupta.  There has been a lot of chatter about this book. I don\'t know what Dasgupta\'s actual relationship is with Bulgaria but given the range of reviews it\'s gotten, I can\'t not read this novel set in Bulgaria.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nThe Fulbright recommended these  books to me when I won my Fulbright (but most of them are close to 20 years old at this point):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bulgaria-Pictures-Visual-Geography-Second/dp/0822518902/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1301122068&amp;sr=1-3\" target=\"_blank\">Bulgaria in Pictures</a></li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Concise-History-Bulgaria-Cambridge-Histories/dp/0521616379/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301121985&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">A Concise History of Bulgaria</a> (on Kindle and I book that I should probably read)</li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bulgaria-at-Crossroads-Jacques-Coenen-Huther/dp/156072305X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301121891&amp;sr=1-2\" target=\"_blank\">Bulgaria at the Crossroads</a></li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bulgarian-Economy-Transition-Studies-Communism/dp/1852789948/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1301121836&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">The Bulgarian Economy in Transition</a></li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Balkans-Laughter-Tears-Communism/dp/1565490363/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301121777&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Summer in the Balkans: Laughter and Tears after Communism</a></li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bulgarian-Contributions-European-Civilization-Bozhkov/dp/B000BLS16I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301121587&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Bulgarian Contributions to European Civilization</a></li>\r\n	<li>A History of Bulgaria. An Outline (only available from the St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, 1998. Yep. A Bulgarian press)</li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Imagining-Balkans-Maria-Todorova/dp/0195387864/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301121377&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Imagining the Balkans</a> (on Kindle)</li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bulgarians-Civilizers-Slavs-Bojidar-Dimitrov/dp/9545000333/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301121310&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Bulgarians: Civilizers of the Slavs</a></li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Gold-Thracians-Ivan-Marazov/dp/0810919923/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301121202&amp;sr=1-1-spell\" target=\"_blank\">Ancient Gold: The Wealth of the Tracians</a></li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Poets-Bulgaria-William-Meredith/dp/0948259396/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301122434&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Poets of Bulgaria</a></li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Young-Poets-New-Bulgaria-Anthology/dp/094825971X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301122580&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Young Poets of a New Bulgaria: An Anthology </a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\nOnly I never read a single one of them. Most of them are history books that are currently out of print. Some are available on Amazon.com. Most are out of stock and start at about $50 and seem to cost up to $120. And as much as I love books, even a $120 is too much for me. If you\'re in the States though, you might be able to grab some of them through inter-library loan.\r\n\r\n<em>Any other books that I should be reading? </em>','Works Cited ','','inherit','open','open','','4641-revision-12','','','2011-03-26 11:49:13','2011-03-26 09:49:13','',4641,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/03/26/4641-revision-12/',0,'revision','',0),(7167,1,'2012-09-23 07:05:12','2012-09-23 05:05:12','Interested in Bulgaria? Moving to the country? Like to read?\r\n\r\n<em>Funny</em>, me too. You can see what <a href=\"http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/157178-carolyn\" target=\"_blank\">I\'ve read (and what I\'d like to have the time to read) on goodreads</a>. Friend me if you want! I\'ve also <a href=\"http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/157178?shelf=bulgaria-and-the-balkans\" target=\"_blank\">started a bookshelf for books that are Bulgarian and/or Balkan in scope</a> on goodreads check it out. This said, I am always looking for the next great book on Bulgaria, written by a Bulgaria or set in Bulgaria so let me know. The same goes for the Balkans.\r\n\r\nHow did this interest in Bulgaria start? Well, I currently live in the country and I like to read.\r\n\r\nWhen I moved to Bulgaria in August 2008, I didn\'t know much of anything about the country. I read as much as I could on the internet (thanks wikipedia) and got my hands on a couple of general books including the <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Lonely-Planet-Bulgaria-Country-Guide/dp/174104474X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301122289&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Lonely Planet Bulgaria</a> travel guide. Since then, I\'ve read much, much more about the country, the culture and the region.\r\n\r\nSure it\'s been a little bit haphazard. But that\'s just how my life has been since I moved to Bulgaria.\r\n\r\nSo here\'s a rundown of things I\'ve read, have been reading and have been intending to read.\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><a title=\"Balkan Ghosts\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Balkan-Ghosts-Journey-Through-History/dp/0312424930/ref=pd_sim_b_1\" target=\"_blank\">Balkan Ghosts: a Journey through History</a> by Robert D. Kaplan. In a word, this is required reading if you\'re moving to the Balkans. Even better there\'s an excellent chapter on Bulgaria. Kaplan lived here as a young journalist and he paints a good picture of his life here. Oh and as an aside, the Bulgarian-journalist-mentor Kaplan finds upon moving to Sofia and references regularly throughout the book attended the American College of Sofia (where I currently work) before WWII.</li>\r\n	<li><a title=\"Street without a Name\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Street-Without-Name-Childhood-Misadventures/dp/1602396450/ref=pd_sim_b_1\" target=\"_blank\">Street without a Name: Childhood and other Misadventures in Bulgaria</a> by Kapka Kassabova. This is a memoir that I love and I think is also required reading for anyone moving to Sofia. It\'s a look at life in the 1980\'s under communism for a teenage girl and then the act of return as a grown-up and a tourist to the country that she grew up in. It\'s bittersweet and I think it encompasses the complexities of change and national identity.</li>\r\n	<li><a title=\"Black Lamb and Grey Falcon\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Black-Lamb-Falcon-Penguin-Classics/dp/014310490X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1301077926&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Black Lamb and Grey Falcon: a Journey in Yugoslavia</a> by Rebeca West. I know, I know. This a book about Yugoslavia and a tome of a book to boot but she\'s a story teller--an excellent one. And you can\'t (or you shouldn\'t) live in Bulgaria and not wander to Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Slovenia, Macedonia and Kosovo. Which is why you should read <em>Black Lamb and Grey Falcon</em>.</li>\r\n	<li><a title=\"Cold Snap\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Snap-Cynthia-Morrison-Phoel/dp/0870745611/ref=pd_sim_b_1\" target=\"_blank\">Cold Snap: Bulgaria Stories</a> by Cynthia Morrison Phoel. Is a collection of short stories written by a former Peace Corps volunteer in Bulgaria. It\'s set in an imagined village so you wont read these stories for a sense of place. Rather you\'ll read these short stories for a sense of the people in post-communist Bulgaria.</li>\r\n	<li><a title=\"Under the Yoke\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Under-Yoke-Bulgarian-Liberty-Introduction/dp/0543691780/ref=pd_sim_b_5\" target=\"_blank\">Under the Yoke</a> by Ivan Vasov. This is often considered <em>the </em>Bulgarian novel written by one of <em>the</em> Bulgarian authors. I\'ve read and re-read the first 75 pages a few time but I\'m afraid that I\'ve had a hard time getting into it. Basically, it\'s a look at life in Bulgaria under the Ottoman Empire with a dash of adventure, rebellion, life and love. The basic problem at the center of the novel is that Bulgarians have been living under foreign domination for 500 year and want to be free but have been unable to achieve this dream.</li>\r\n	<li><a title=\"The Historian\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Historian-Elizabeth-Kostova/dp/B004E3XIAI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1301078281&amp;sr=8-1\" target=\"_blank\">The Historian</a> by Elizabeth Kostova. Kostova\'s novel <em>The Historian</em> is a book that you should read for the pure pleasure of it. It\'s a mystery, thriller set broadly in the Balkans. Characters find themselves in Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Turkey, Greece and a number of other Balkan-ish countries as part of the adventure. While the story requires a decent dose of imagination, Kostova does a great job playing with the sense of mystery Westerners impose on Eastern Europe/the Balkans and an even better job capturing the physical place paper.</li>\r\n	<li><a title=\"How I Survived Communism and Even Laughed\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/How-Survived-Communism-Even-Laughed/dp/0060975407/ref=pd_sim_b_6\" target=\"_blank\">How I Survived Communism &amp; Even Laughed</a> by Slavenka Drakulic.  This is another not-exactly-Bulgaria book but it\'s still worth reading. This memoir is written by a Croatian woman and spans the end of communism in the former Yugoslavia and the lead up to the war. Her look at women\'s lives during communism reads as both honest and thoughtful and the book gave me a better sense of life in the Balkans in the late 1970, \'80s and early 1990s.</li>\r\n	<li><a title=\"Baba Yaga\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Baba-Yaga-Laid-Dubravka-Ugresic/dp/0802145205/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301078345&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Baba Yaga Laid an Egg</a> by Dubravka Ugresic. This is a strange and wonderful novel that plays with the Baba Yaga myth and cris-crosses Eastern Europe from Croatia to Bulgaria (Sofia and Varna) to the Czech Republic. The women in the novel are wonderful and the parts of the novel set in Varna are heart-wrenching.</li>\r\n	<li><a title=\"Bury me Standing\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bury-Me-Standing-Gypsies-Journey/dp/067973743X/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1301132017&amp;sr=1-11\" target=\"_blank\">Bury Me Standing: The Gypsies and their Journey</a> by Isabel Fonseca. The author decides to live with Roma across Eastern Europe in order to research this book--from Albania to Bulgaria to Poland and Romania and a number of countries in between. She identifies the kinds of problems that Roma minorities in Europe face from poverty, language to discrimination. It seems like a pretty honest straightforward look at life for this minority. At times though the structure of the book lacks purpose and direction. Each chapter is a country and Fonseca basically tells some version of the same story for the Roma people in whichever country is currently writing about. This narrative technique isn\'t very engaging but the content is.</li>\r\n	<li><a title=\"Zift\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Zift-Noir-Novel-Vladislav-Todorov/dp/1589880595/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1301079542&amp;sr=1-1-catcorr\" target=\"_blank\">Zift</a> by Vladislav Todorov. This isn\'t normally my kind of a book. I don\'t generally do pulp fiction or crime noir but when it comes to current novels set in Sofia I\'ll make an exception. Good thing I did. I really liked this fast paced, gritty but still funny novel.  I recognized glimpses and snatches of Sofia today in the piece but at the same time I often felt like this was a city I\'d never been to and I\'ve lived here for nearly three years.</li>\r\n	<li><a title=\"East of the West\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/East-West-Country-Miroslav-Penkov/dp/0374117330/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&amp;coliid=I2AHK2OU0NIWWT&amp;colid=6TXOV5ELE9GB\" target=\"_blank\">East of the West: A Country in Stories</a> by Miroslav Penkov. Okay this book hasn\'t been released yet so I haven\'t read it. <em>Yet</em>. Yet is the key word. I will be reading it.</li>\r\n	<li><a title=\"The Tiger\'s Wife\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Tigers-Wife-Novel-ebook/dp/B004EPZ6CE/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&amp;coliid=I1PY0IYFZAVBT0&amp;colid=6TXOV5ELE9GB\" target=\"_blank\">The Tiger\'s Wife</a> by Tea Obreht. Is a novel that has been garnering a lot of attention and why not the author is young, beautiful and apparently has written a incredible story.  It\'s set in the former Yugoslavia but who cares I\'ll be reading it over the next few weeks.</li>\r\n	<li><a title=\"Solo\" href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Solo-ebook/dp/B004IPPIMI/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&amp;coliid=I2WC8PGSCA630D&amp;colid=6TXOV5ELE9GB\" target=\"_blank\">Solo</a> by Rana Dasgupta.  There has been a lot of chatter about this book. I don\'t know what Dasgupta\'s actual relationship is with Bulgaria but given the range of reviews it\'s gotten, I can\'t not read this novel set in Bulgaria.</li>\r\n</ul>\r\nThe Fulbright recommended these  books to me when I won my Fulbright (but most of them are close to 20 years old at this point):\r\n<ul>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bulgaria-Pictures-Visual-Geography-Second/dp/0822518902/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1301122068&amp;sr=1-3\" target=\"_blank\">Bulgaria in Pictures</a></li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Concise-History-Bulgaria-Cambridge-Histories/dp/0521616379/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301121985&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">A Concise History of Bulgaria</a> (on Kindle and I book that I should probably read)</li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bulgaria-at-Crossroads-Jacques-Coenen-Huther/dp/156072305X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301121891&amp;sr=1-2\" target=\"_blank\">Bulgaria at the Crossroads</a></li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bulgarian-Economy-Transition-Studies-Communism/dp/1852789948/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&amp;ie=UTF8&amp;qid=1301121836&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">The Bulgarian Economy in Transition</a></li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Summer-Balkans-Laughter-Tears-Communism/dp/1565490363/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301121777&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Summer in the Balkans: Laughter and Tears after Communism</a></li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bulgarian-Contributions-European-Civilization-Bozhkov/dp/B000BLS16I/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301121587&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Bulgarian Contributions to European Civilization</a></li>\r\n	<li>A History of Bulgaria. An Outline (only available from the St. Kliment Ohridski University Press, 1998. Yep. A Bulgarian press)</li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Imagining-Balkans-Maria-Todorova/dp/0195387864/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301121377&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Imagining the Balkans</a> (on Kindle)</li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Bulgarians-Civilizers-Slavs-Bojidar-Dimitrov/dp/9545000333/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301121310&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Bulgarians: Civilizers of the Slavs</a></li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Gold-Thracians-Ivan-Marazov/dp/0810919923/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301121202&amp;sr=1-1-spell\" target=\"_blank\">Ancient Gold: The Wealth of the Tracians</a></li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Poets-Bulgaria-William-Meredith/dp/0948259396/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301122434&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Poets of Bulgaria</a></li>\r\n	<li><a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/Young-Poets-New-Bulgaria-Anthology/dp/094825971X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&amp;s=books&amp;qid=1301122580&amp;sr=1-1\" target=\"_blank\">Young Poets of a New Bulgaria: An Anthology </a></li>\r\n</ul>\r\nOnly I never read a single one of them. Most of them are history books that are currently out of print. Some are available on Amazon.com. Most are out of stock and start at about $50 and seem to cost up to $120. And as much as I love books, even a $120 is too much for me. If you\'re in the States though, you might be able to grab some of them through inter-library loan.\r\n\r\n<em>Any other books that I should be reading? </em>','Works Cited ','','inherit','open','open','','4641-revision-13','','','2012-09-23 07:05:12','2012-09-23 05:05:12','',4641,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/23/4641-revision-13/',0,'revision','',0),(7168,1,'2012-09-23 08:24:01','2012-09-23 06:24:01','I took a taxi with friends to NDK (the National Place of Culture) and Vitosha recently. The plan was to go to Memento for a drink before dinner.\r\n\r\nAnyhow, I was shocked and amazed to see the southern end of Vitosha. So much so that I took some pictures of the sidewalk.\r\n<a title=\"Vitosha Street in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014466544/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8451/8014466544_61bbdbc102_z.jpg\" alt=\"Vitosha Street in Sofia\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nAs I was taking pictures I kept thinking: it\'s like we live in Europe.\r\n\r\nThen I made my friend A. take pictures of me and the pedestrian zone sidewalk. She just laughed and laughed at me but she\'s a good friend so she took a picture. I look a little crazy but that\'s what a rainy day and a week of teaching does to a girl.\r\n<a title=\"Me on Vitosha Street in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014465887/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8317/8014465887_9d0f950d16_z.jpg\" alt=\"Me on Vitosha Street in Sofia\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nNow Vitosha has been closed to car traffic as long as I\'ve lived in Sofia. For anyone counting that\'s 4 years. But in practice, Vitosha was anything but a pedestrian zone. There were tram lines running down the street and lots of people in expensive black cars would drive on the street even through they weren\'t supposed to. This meant that for better or worse, you had to keep an eye out for traffic and it was never super pleasant to stroll along Vitosha or to sit outside at a cafe and have a coffee.\r\n\r\nBut now it seems as if things are changing. The southern block (or maybe two) of Vitosha has been beautifully paved and landscaped. I hope this is a hint of what\'s to come for all of Vitosha now that the tram no longer runs along Vitosha thanks to the newest metro line.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nAfter our little sidewalk photoshoot--where I actually took photos of the sidewalk--we walked up the street to Memento. I\'ve had a fond spot in my heart for Memento before it was even Memento. Yep, for about a year there was a coffee shop Colours and Flavours owned and run by the same guy who envisioned and created Memento. Colours and Flavours is no more but now we\'ve got two Momento\'s in the city.\r\n<a title=\"At Memento by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014467245/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8308/8014467245_2b42246cc1_z.jpg\" alt=\"At Memento\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThe first opened at the corner of Rakovski and Gurko and the second on Vitosha.  These days the smaller, more intimate Memento on Vitosha is my favorite.\r\n\r\nThis said, I haven\'t been there in a while. Maybe the last time I was there was in July for an afternoon coffee. Memento is a great spot for a coffee. I think that they make some of the consistently best coffee in town. I am more of a coffee person than a tea person still I feel obliged to mention the fact that they also have an excellent selection of tea.\r\n<a title=\"Drinks at Memento by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014469910/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8460/8014469910_53f7becb91_z.jpg\" alt=\"Drinks at Memento\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nWe ended up at Memento about 6:30pm and got seats at the bar. A. and I have been to Memento together before but M. one of the new teachers at school at never been. We spent some time studying the menu. Both A. and M. had identified a drink from the menu that they wanted to try but the ever-friendly bar tenders suggested different drinks and A. an M. both changed their minds. For the record, this was clearly the right thing to do.\r\n<a title=\"Tea at Memento by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014470554/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8445/8014470554_d110defd72_z.jpg\" alt=\"Tea at Memento\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nOver the next hour or so, Memento transitioned from day to night--turning the lights down slowly, increasing the volume of the music slightly and putting out tea lights. It was beautifully done and the perfect place to sip a cocktail at the end of a very rainy day.','Vitosha Street & Memento ','','publish','open','open','','vitosha-street-memento','','','2012-09-23 08:24:01','2012-09-23 06:24:01','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7168',0,'post','',4),(7169,1,'2012-09-23 08:23:16','2012-09-23 06:23:16','I took a taxi with friends to NDK (the National Place of Culture) and Vitosha recently. The plan was to go to Memento for a drink before dinner.\n\nAnyhow, I was shocked and amazed to see the southern end of Vitosha. So much so that I took some pictures of the sidewalk.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014466544/\" title=\"Vitosha Street in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8451/8014466544_61bbdbc102_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Vitosha Street in Sofia\"></a>\nAs I was taking pictures I kept thinking: it\'s like we live in Europe.\n\nThen I made my friend A. take pictures of me and the pedestrian zone sidewalk. She just laughed and laughed at me but she\'s a good friend so she took a picture. I look a little crazy but that\'s what a rainy day and a week of teaching does to a girl.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014465887/\" title=\"Me on Vitosha Street in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8317/8014465887_9d0f950d16_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Me on Vitosha Street in Sofia\"></a>\nNow Vitosha has been closed to car traffic as long as I\'ve lived in Sofia. For anyone counting that\'s 4 years. But in practice, Vitosha was anything but a pedestrian zone. There were tram lines running down the street and lots of people in expensive black cars would drive on the street even through they weren\'t supposed to. This meant that for better or worse, you had to keep an eye out for traffic and it was never super pleasant to stroll along Vitosha or to sit outside at a cafe and have a coffee.\n\nBut now it seems as if things are changing. The southern block (or maybe two) of Vitosha has been beautifully paved and landscaped. I hope this is a hint of what\'s to come for all of Vitosha now that the tram no longer runs along Vitosha thanks to the newest metro line.\n\nAfter our little sidewalk photoshoot--where I actually took photos of the sidewalk--we walked up the street to Memento. I\'ve had a fond spot in my heart for Memento before it was even Memento. Yep, for about a year there was a coffee shop Colours and Flavours owned and run by the same guy who envisioned and created Memento. Colours and Flavours is no more but now we\'ve got two Momento\'s in the city.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014467245/\" title=\"At Memento by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8308/8014467245_2b42246cc1_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"At Memento\"></a>\nThe first opened at the corner of Rakovski and Gurko and the second on Vitosha.  These days the smaller, more intimate Memento on Vitosha is my favorite.\n\nThis said, I haven\'t been there in a while. Maybe the last time I was there was in July for an afternoon coffee. Memento is a great spot for a coffee. I think that they make some of the consistently best coffee in town. I am more of a coffee person than a tea person still I feel obliged to mention the fact that they also have an excellent selection of tea.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014469910/\" title=\"Drinks at Memento by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8460/8014469910_53f7becb91_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Drinks at Memento\"></a>\nWe ended up at Memento about 6:30pm and got seats at the bar. A. and I have been to Memento together before but M. one of the new teachers at school at never been. We spent some time studying the menu. Both A. and M. had identified a drink from the menu that they wanted to try but the ever-friendly bar tenders suggested different drinks and A. an M. both changed their minds. For the record, this was clearly the right thing to do.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014470554/\" title=\"Tea at Memento by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8445/8014470554_d110defd72_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Tea at Memento\"></a>\nOver the next hour or so, Memento transitioned from day to night--turning the lights down slowly, increasing the volume of the music slightly and putting out tea lights. It was beautifully done and the perfect place to sip a cocktail at the end of a very rainy day.','Vitosha Street & Memento ','','inherit','open','open','','7168-revision','','','2012-09-23 08:23:16','2012-09-23 06:23:16','',7168,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/23/7168-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7170,1,'2012-09-23 08:23:22','2012-09-23 06:23:22','I took a taxi with friends to NDK (the National Place of Culture) and Vitosha recently. The plan was to go to Memento for a drink before dinner.\r\n\r\nAnyhow, I was shocked and amazed to see the southern end of Vitosha. So much so that I took some pictures of the sidewalk.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014466544/\" title=\"Vitosha Street in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8451/8014466544_61bbdbc102_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Vitosha Street in Sofia\"></a>\r\nAs I was taking pictures I kept thinking: it\'s like we live in Europe.\r\n\r\nThen I made my friend A. take pictures of me and the pedestrian zone sidewalk. She just laughed and laughed at me but she\'s a good friend so she took a picture. I look a little crazy but that\'s what a rainy day and a week of teaching does to a girl.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014465887/\" title=\"Me on Vitosha Street in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8317/8014465887_9d0f950d16_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Me on Vitosha Street in Sofia\"></a>\r\nNow Vitosha has been closed to car traffic as long as I\'ve lived in Sofia. For anyone counting that\'s 4 years. But in practice, Vitosha was anything but a pedestrian zone. There were tram lines running down the street and lots of people in expensive black cars would drive on the street even through they weren\'t supposed to. This meant that for better or worse, you had to keep an eye out for traffic and it was never super pleasant to stroll along Vitosha or to sit outside at a cafe and have a coffee.\r\n\r\nBut now it seems as if things are changing. The southern block (or maybe two) of Vitosha has been beautifully paved and landscaped. I hope this is a hint of what\'s to come for all of Vitosha now that the tram no longer runs along Vitosha thanks to the newest metro line.\r\n\r\nAfter our little sidewalk photoshoot--where I actually took photos of the sidewalk--we walked up the street to Memento. I\'ve had a fond spot in my heart for Memento before it was even Memento. Yep, for about a year there was a coffee shop Colours and Flavours owned and run by the same guy who envisioned and created Memento. Colours and Flavours is no more but now we\'ve got two Momento\'s in the city.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014467245/\" title=\"At Memento by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8308/8014467245_2b42246cc1_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"At Memento\"></a>\r\nThe first opened at the corner of Rakovski and Gurko and the second on Vitosha.  These days the smaller, more intimate Memento on Vitosha is my favorite.\r\n\r\nThis said, I haven\'t been there in a while. Maybe the last time I was there was in July for an afternoon coffee. Memento is a great spot for a coffee. I think that they make some of the consistently best coffee in town. I am more of a coffee person than a tea person still I feel obliged to mention the fact that they also have an excellent selection of tea.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014469910/\" title=\"Drinks at Memento by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8460/8014469910_53f7becb91_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Drinks at Memento\"></a>\r\nWe ended up at Memento about 6:30pm and got seats at the bar. A. and I have been to Memento together before but M. one of the new teachers at school at never been. We spent some time studying the menu. Both A. and M. had identified a drink from the menu that they wanted to try but the ever-friendly bar tenders suggested different drinks and A. an M. both changed their minds. For the record, this was clearly the right thing to do.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014470554/\" title=\"Tea at Memento by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8445/8014470554_d110defd72_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Tea at Memento\"></a>\r\nOver the next hour or so, Memento transitioned from day to night--turning the lights down slowly, increasing the volume of the music slightly and putting out tea lights. It was beautifully done and the perfect place to sip a cocktail at the end of a very rainy day.','Vitosha Street & Memento ','','inherit','open','open','','7168-revision-2','','','2012-09-23 08:23:22','2012-09-23 06:23:22','',7168,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/23/7168-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7171,1,'2012-09-23 08:23:22','2012-09-23 06:23:22','I took a taxi with friends to NDK (the National Place of Culture) and Vitosha recently. The plan was to go to Memento for a drink before dinner.\r\n\r\nAnyhow, I was shocked and amazed to see the southern end of Vitosha. So much so that I took some pictures of the sidewalk.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014466544/\" title=\"Vitosha Street in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8451/8014466544_61bbdbc102_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Vitosha Street in Sofia\"></a>\r\nAs I was taking pictures I kept thinking: it\'s like we live in Europe.\r\n\r\nThen I made my friend A. take pictures of me and the pedestrian zone sidewalk. She just laughed and laughed at me but she\'s a good friend so she took a picture. I look a little crazy but that\'s what a rainy day and a week of teaching does to a girl.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014465887/\" title=\"Me on Vitosha Street in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8317/8014465887_9d0f950d16_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Me on Vitosha Street in Sofia\"></a>\r\nNow Vitosha has been closed to car traffic as long as I\'ve lived in Sofia. For anyone counting that\'s 4 years. But in practice, Vitosha was anything but a pedestrian zone. There were tram lines running down the street and lots of people in expensive black cars would drive on the street even through they weren\'t supposed to. This meant that for better or worse, you had to keep an eye out for traffic and it was never super pleasant to stroll along Vitosha or to sit outside at a cafe and have a coffee.\r\n\r\nBut now it seems as if things are changing. The southern block (or maybe two) of Vitosha has been beautifully paved and landscaped. I hope this is a hint of what\'s to come for all of Vitosha now that the tram no longer runs along Vitosha thanks to the newest metro line.\r\n\r\nAfter our little sidewalk photoshoot--where I actually took photos of the sidewalk--we walked up the street to Memento. I\'ve had a fond spot in my heart for Memento before it was even Memento. Yep, for about a year there was a coffee shop Colours and Flavours owned and run by the same guy who envisioned and created Memento. Colours and Flavours is no more but now we\'ve got two Momento\'s in the city.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014467245/\" title=\"At Memento by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8308/8014467245_2b42246cc1_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"At Memento\"></a>\r\nThe first opened at the corner of Rakovski and Gurko and the second on Vitosha.  These days the smaller, more intimate Memento on Vitosha is my favorite.\r\n\r\nThis said, I haven\'t been there in a while. Maybe the last time I was there was in July for an afternoon coffee. Memento is a great spot for a coffee. I think that they make some of the consistently best coffee in town. I am more of a coffee person than a tea person still I feel obliged to mention the fact that they also have an excellent selection of tea.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014469910/\" title=\"Drinks at Memento by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8460/8014469910_53f7becb91_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Drinks at Memento\"></a>\r\nWe ended up at Memento about 6:30pm and got seats at the bar. A. and I have been to Memento together before but M. one of the new teachers at school at never been. We spent some time studying the menu. Both A. and M. had identified a drink from the menu that they wanted to try but the ever-friendly bar tenders suggested different drinks and A. an M. both changed their minds. For the record, this was clearly the right thing to do.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014470554/\" title=\"Tea at Memento by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8445/8014470554_d110defd72_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Tea at Memento\"></a>\r\nOver the next hour or so, Memento transitioned from day to night--turning the lights down slowly, increasing the volume of the music slightly and putting out tea lights. It was beautifully done and the perfect place to sip a cocktail at the end of a very rainy day.','Vitosha Street & Memento ','','inherit','open','open','','7168-revision-3','','','2012-09-23 08:23:22','2012-09-23 06:23:22','',7168,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/23/7168-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7172,1,'2012-09-25 06:14:41','2012-09-25 04:14:41','I\'ve walked by this restaurant a number of times. Every time I\'ve done so, I think: I should go there. Don\'t forget.\r\n<a title=\"Made in Home interior by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014556810/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8175/8014556810_1c3b81d266_z.jpg\" alt=\"Made in Home interior\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThen I\'d forget.\r\n\r\nOr I\'d walk by in the middle of the afternoon having already eaten lunch and it would be too early for dinner.\r\n<a title=\"Made in Home Menu by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014556172/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8447/8014556172_af6280c6e5_z.jpg\" alt=\"Made in Home Menu\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nOr I could remember seeing the restaurant but I couldn\'t remember the name. Another time I could remember the name but didn\'t know exactly where it was. Then there was the time I was going out with big group of friends and didn\'t want to suggest a restaurant I\'d never been to before.\r\n\r\nAnyhow, this visit has been a long time coming. In fact, I am glad that I have friends who like to try out restaurants and drag me along with them or I might not have ever made it to Made in Home.<!--more-->\r\n<a title=\"Made in Home Menu by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014555664/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8452/8014555664_5d77088b5e_z.jpg\" alt=\"Made in Home Menu\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nAs soon as read the menu, I was kicking myself for not having visited sooner and while I was reading the menu I was picking out two different orders--one for eating that night as well as what I\'d order the next time I came. That\'s what a nut I am.\r\n<a title=\"Inside Made in Home in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014557432/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/8014557432_2cc19458aa_z.jpg\" alt=\"Inside Made in Home in Sofia\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThe interior of the restaurant is a hodge-podge of mis-match tables and chairs. It\'s sort of an antique shabby-chic look. My first impression was that everything goes together but I wasn\'t sure exactly how. We sat a table that was made from an old front door. The table top had been made level and smooth with the application of a clear  lacquer. The latch was still attached to the table. Very cool.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Table: Made in Home Menu by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014557942/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8318/8014557942_98d9c49594_z.jpg\" alt=\"Table: Made in Home Menu\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThe menus were hand written in notebooks. We ended up with two English language menus to share between three people. This was just fine with us. I probably could have ordered from the Bulgarian menu but there were lots of \"exotic\" foods for Bulgaria so I am not sure I\'d have know all of the names in Bulgarian. Oh and then there\'s the added challenge of trying to read Bulgarian handwriting.\r\n\r\nWe ended up ordering a quinoa, blue cheese and avocado salad and tomato bruschetta to share. Then I did the mix and match homemade pasta and sauce. I picked the spinach pasta and paired it with the walnut sauce. This was a match made in heaven. The pasta was smooth with a good bite and the sauce was thick with walnuts. The dish was topped off with a more than generous amount of shredded parmesan cheese.\r\n<a title=\"Pasta at Made in Home by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014558854/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8172/8014558854_e54fbd5826_z.jpg\" alt=\"Pasta at Made in Home\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nA. ordered a hot bulgur wheat dish with mushrooms and onions. It was hearty and filling. It was also served steaming hot. There are very few times in Bulgaria where I\'ve seen a dish served this hot. Bravo, Made in Home, bravo! And M. ordered one of the daily specials which was pork loin served in a sauce with mushrooms. This dish was also tasty and felt perfect for the onset of autumn.\r\n\r\nThe portion sizes are generous. A. ate half of her meal and took the other half home. I probably should have done the same but I didn\'t think that my pasta would re-heat nicely nor did I want to eat it cold for lunch at school the next day.So I ate what I could and then encouraged my friends to eat what was left.\r\n\r\nAt the end of the night when we got our bill, I was surprised to see that our waitress had written in the names of the dishes in English above each of the items on the bill. I\'ve never seen this done before and it\'s a really nice touch. Sure I can read Bulgarian but she didn\'t know that and so I have to say: what a nice (and thoughtful) thing to do.\r\n\r\nWant to go? You can find <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/pages/MADE-IN-HOME/351358010611\" target=\"_blank\">Made in Home</a> at 30A Angel Kunchev (about a block away from Patriarh Evtimiy).','Made in Home ','','publish','open','open','','made-in-home','','','2012-09-23 09:22:00','2012-09-23 07:22:00','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7172',0,'post','',3),(7173,1,'2012-09-23 09:13:52','2012-09-23 07:13:52','I\'ve walked by this restaurant a number of times. Every time I\'ve done so, I think: I should go there. Don\'t forget.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014556810/\" title=\"Made in Home interior by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8175/8014556810_1c3b81d266_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Made in Home interior\"></a>\nThen I forget.\n\nOr I\'d walk by in the middle of the afternoon having already eaten lunch and it would be too early for dinner.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014556172/\" title=\"Made in Home Menu by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8447/8014556172_af6280c6e5_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Made in Home Menu\"></a>\nOr I could remember seeing the restaurant but I couldn\'t remember the name. Another time I could remember the name but didn\'t know exactly where it was. Then there was the time I was going out with big group of friends and didn\'t want to suggest a restaurant I\'d never been to before.\n\nAnyhow, this visit has been a long time coming. In fact, I am glad that I have friends who like to try out restaurants and drag me along with them or I might not have ever made it to Made in Home.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014555664/\" title=\"Made in Home Menu by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8452/8014555664_5d77088b5e_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Made in Home Menu\"></a>\nAs soon as read the menu, I was kicking myself for not having visited sooner and while I was reading the menu I was picking out two different orders--one for eating that night as well as what I\'d order the next time I came. That\'s what a nut I am.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014557432/\" title=\"Inside Made in Home in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/8014557432_2cc19458aa_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Inside Made in Home in Sofia\"></a>\nThe interior of the restaurant is a hodge-podge of mis-match tables and chairs. It\'s sort of an antique shabby-chic look. My first impression was that everything goes together but I wasn\'t sure exactly how. We sat a table that was made from an old front door. The table top had been made level and smooth with the application of a clear  lacquer. The latch was still attached to the table. Very cool.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014557942/\" title=\"Table: Made in Home Menu by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8318/8014557942_98d9c49594_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Table: Made in Home Menu\"></a>\nThe menus were hand written in notebooks. We ended up with two English language menus to share between three people. This was just fine with us. I probably could have ordered from the Bulgarian menu but there were lots of \"exotic\" foods for Bulgaria so I am not sure I\'d have know all of the names in Bulgarian. Oh and then there\'s the added challenge of trying to read Bulgarian handwriting.\n\nWe ended up ordering a quinoa, blue cheese and avocado salad and tomato bruschetta to share. Then I did the mix and match homemade pasta and sauce. I picked the spinach pasta and paired it with the walnut sauce. This was a match made in heaven. The pasta was smooth with a good bite and the sauce was thick with walnuts. The dish was topped off with a more than generous amount of shredded parmesan cheese.\n\nA. ordered a hot bulgur wheat dish with mushrooms and onions. It was hearty and filling. It was also served steaming hot. There are very few times in Bulgaria where I\'ve seen a dish served this hot. Bravo, Made in Home, bravo! And M. ordered one of the daily specials which was pork loin served in a sauce with mushrooms. This dish was also tasty and felt perfect for the onset of autumn.\n\nThe portion sizes are generous. A. ate half of her meal and took the other half home. I probably should have done the same but I didn\'t think that my pasta would re-heat nicely nor did I want to eat it cold for lunch at school the next day.So I ate what I could and then encouraged my friends to eat what was left.\n\nAt the end of the night when we got our bill, I was surprised to see that our waitress had written in the names of the dishes in English above each of the items on the bill. I\'ve never seen this done before and it\'s a really nice touch. Sure I can read Bulgarian but she didn\'t know that and so I have to say: what a nice (and thoughtful) thing to do.','Made in Home ','','inherit','open','open','','7172-revision','','','2012-09-23 09:13:52','2012-09-23 07:13:52','',7172,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/23/7172-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7174,1,'2012-09-23 09:14:40','2012-09-23 07:14:40','I\'ve walked by this restaurant a number of times. Every time I\'ve done so, I think: I should go there. Don\'t forget.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014556810/\" title=\"Made in Home interior by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8175/8014556810_1c3b81d266_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Made in Home interior\"></a>\r\nThen I forget.\r\n\r\nOr I\'d walk by in the middle of the afternoon having already eaten lunch and it would be too early for dinner.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014556172/\" title=\"Made in Home Menu by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8447/8014556172_af6280c6e5_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Made in Home Menu\"></a>\r\nOr I could remember seeing the restaurant but I couldn\'t remember the name. Another time I could remember the name but didn\'t know exactly where it was. Then there was the time I was going out with big group of friends and didn\'t want to suggest a restaurant I\'d never been to before.\r\n\r\nAnyhow, this visit has been a long time coming. In fact, I am glad that I have friends who like to try out restaurants and drag me along with them or I might not have ever made it to Made in Home.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014555664/\" title=\"Made in Home Menu by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8452/8014555664_5d77088b5e_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Made in Home Menu\"></a>\r\nAs soon as read the menu, I was kicking myself for not having visited sooner and while I was reading the menu I was picking out two different orders--one for eating that night as well as what I\'d order the next time I came. That\'s what a nut I am.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014557432/\" title=\"Inside Made in Home in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/8014557432_2cc19458aa_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Inside Made in Home in Sofia\"></a>\r\nThe interior of the restaurant is a hodge-podge of mis-match tables and chairs. It\'s sort of an antique shabby-chic look. My first impression was that everything goes together but I wasn\'t sure exactly how. We sat a table that was made from an old front door. The table top had been made level and smooth with the application of a clear  lacquer. The latch was still attached to the table. Very cool.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014557942/\" title=\"Table: Made in Home Menu by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8318/8014557942_98d9c49594_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Table: Made in Home Menu\"></a>\r\nThe menus were hand written in notebooks. We ended up with two English language menus to share between three people. This was just fine with us. I probably could have ordered from the Bulgarian menu but there were lots of \"exotic\" foods for Bulgaria so I am not sure I\'d have know all of the names in Bulgarian. Oh and then there\'s the added challenge of trying to read Bulgarian handwriting.\r\n\r\nWe ended up ordering a quinoa, blue cheese and avocado salad and tomato bruschetta to share. Then I did the mix and match homemade pasta and sauce. I picked the spinach pasta and paired it with the walnut sauce. This was a match made in heaven. The pasta was smooth with a good bite and the sauce was thick with walnuts. The dish was topped off with a more than generous amount of shredded parmesan cheese.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014558854/\" title=\"Pasta at Made in Home by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8172/8014558854_e54fbd5826_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Pasta at Made in Home\"></a>\r\nA. ordered a hot bulgur wheat dish with mushrooms and onions. It was hearty and filling. It was also served steaming hot. There are very few times in Bulgaria where I\'ve seen a dish served this hot. Bravo, Made in Home, bravo! And M. ordered one of the daily specials which was pork loin served in a sauce with mushrooms. This dish was also tasty and felt perfect for the onset of autumn.\r\n\r\nThe portion sizes are generous. A. ate half of her meal and took the other half home. I probably should have done the same but I didn\'t think that my pasta would re-heat nicely nor did I want to eat it cold for lunch at school the next day.So I ate what I could and then encouraged my friends to eat what was left.\r\n\r\nAt the end of the night when we got our bill, I was surprised to see that our waitress had written in the names of the dishes in English above each of the items on the bill. I\'ve never seen this done before and it\'s a really nice touch. Sure I can read Bulgarian but she didn\'t know that and so I have to say: what a nice (and thoughtful) thing to do.','Made in Home ','','inherit','open','open','','7172-revision-2','','','2012-09-23 09:14:40','2012-09-23 07:14:40','',7172,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/23/7172-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7175,1,'2012-09-23 09:14:54','2012-09-23 07:14:54','I\'ve walked by this restaurant a number of times. Every time I\'ve done so, I think: I should go there. Don\'t forget.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014556810/\" title=\"Made in Home interior by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8175/8014556810_1c3b81d266_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Made in Home interior\"></a>\r\nThen I forget.\r\n\r\nOr I\'d walk by in the middle of the afternoon having already eaten lunch and it would be too early for dinner.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014556172/\" title=\"Made in Home Menu by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8447/8014556172_af6280c6e5_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Made in Home Menu\"></a>\r\nOr I could remember seeing the restaurant but I couldn\'t remember the name. Another time I could remember the name but didn\'t know exactly where it was. Then there was the time I was going out with big group of friends and didn\'t want to suggest a restaurant I\'d never been to before.\r\n\r\nAnyhow, this visit has been a long time coming. In fact, I am glad that I have friends who like to try out restaurants and drag me along with them or I might not have ever made it to Made in Home.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014555664/\" title=\"Made in Home Menu by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8452/8014555664_5d77088b5e_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Made in Home Menu\"></a>\r\nAs soon as read the menu, I was kicking myself for not having visited sooner and while I was reading the menu I was picking out two different orders--one for eating that night as well as what I\'d order the next time I came. That\'s what a nut I am.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014557432/\" title=\"Inside Made in Home in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/8014557432_2cc19458aa_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Inside Made in Home in Sofia\"></a>\r\nThe interior of the restaurant is a hodge-podge of mis-match tables and chairs. It\'s sort of an antique shabby-chic look. My first impression was that everything goes together but I wasn\'t sure exactly how. We sat a table that was made from an old front door. The table top had been made level and smooth with the application of a clear  lacquer. The latch was still attached to the table. Very cool.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014557942/\" title=\"Table: Made in Home Menu by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8318/8014557942_98d9c49594_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Table: Made in Home Menu\"></a>\r\nThe menus were hand written in notebooks. We ended up with two English language menus to share between three people. This was just fine with us. I probably could have ordered from the Bulgarian menu but there were lots of \"exotic\" foods for Bulgaria so I am not sure I\'d have know all of the names in Bulgarian. Oh and then there\'s the added challenge of trying to read Bulgarian handwriting.\r\n\r\nWe ended up ordering a quinoa, blue cheese and avocado salad and tomato bruschetta to share. Then I did the mix and match homemade pasta and sauce. I picked the spinach pasta and paired it with the walnut sauce. This was a match made in heaven. The pasta was smooth with a good bite and the sauce was thick with walnuts. The dish was topped off with a more than generous amount of shredded parmesan cheese.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014558854/\" title=\"Pasta at Made in Home by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8172/8014558854_e54fbd5826_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Pasta at Made in Home\"></a>\r\nA. ordered a hot bulgur wheat dish with mushrooms and onions. It was hearty and filling. It was also served steaming hot. There are very few times in Bulgaria where I\'ve seen a dish served this hot. Bravo, Made in Home, bravo! And M. ordered one of the daily specials which was pork loin served in a sauce with mushrooms. This dish was also tasty and felt perfect for the onset of autumn.\r\n\r\nThe portion sizes are generous. A. ate half of her meal and took the other half home. I probably should have done the same but I didn\'t think that my pasta would re-heat nicely nor did I want to eat it cold for lunch at school the next day.So I ate what I could and then encouraged my friends to eat what was left.\r\n\r\nAt the end of the night when we got our bill, I was surprised to see that our waitress had written in the names of the dishes in English above each of the items on the bill. I\'ve never seen this done before and it\'s a really nice touch. Sure I can read Bulgarian but she didn\'t know that and so I have to say: what a nice (and thoughtful) thing to do.','Made in Home ','','inherit','open','open','','7172-revision-3','','','2012-09-23 09:14:54','2012-09-23 07:14:54','',7172,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/23/7172-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7176,1,'2012-09-23 09:21:37','2012-09-23 07:21:37','I\'ve walked by this restaurant a number of times. Every time I\'ve done so, I think: I should go there. Don\'t forget.\r\n<a title=\"Made in Home interior by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014556810/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8175/8014556810_1c3b81d266_z.jpg\" alt=\"Made in Home interior\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThen I\'d forget.\r\n\r\nOr I\'d walk by in the middle of the afternoon having already eaten lunch and it would be too early for dinner.\r\n<a title=\"Made in Home Menu by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014556172/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8447/8014556172_af6280c6e5_z.jpg\" alt=\"Made in Home Menu\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nOr I could remember seeing the restaurant but I couldn\'t remember the name. Another time I could remember the name but didn\'t know exactly where it was. Then there was the time I was going out with big group of friends and didn\'t want to suggest a restaurant I\'d never been to before.\r\n\r\nAnyhow, this visit has been a long time coming. In fact, I am glad that I have friends who like to try out restaurants and drag me along with them or I might not have ever made it to Made in Home.<!--more-->\r\n<a title=\"Made in Home Menu by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014555664/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8452/8014555664_5d77088b5e_z.jpg\" alt=\"Made in Home Menu\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nAs soon as read the menu, I was kicking myself for not having visited sooner and while I was reading the menu I was picking out two different orders--one for eating that night as well as what I\'d order the next time I came. That\'s what a nut I am.\r\n<a title=\"Inside Made in Home in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014557432/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8304/8014557432_2cc19458aa_z.jpg\" alt=\"Inside Made in Home in Sofia\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThe interior of the restaurant is a hodge-podge of mis-match tables and chairs. It\'s sort of an antique shabby-chic look. My first impression was that everything goes together but I wasn\'t sure exactly how. We sat a table that was made from an old front door. The table top had been made level and smooth with the application of a clear  lacquer. The latch was still attached to the table. Very cool.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Table: Made in Home Menu by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014557942/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8318/8014557942_98d9c49594_z.jpg\" alt=\"Table: Made in Home Menu\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThe menus were hand written in notebooks. We ended up with two English language menus to share between three people. This was just fine with us. I probably could have ordered from the Bulgarian menu but there were lots of \"exotic\" foods for Bulgaria so I am not sure I\'d have know all of the names in Bulgarian. Oh and then there\'s the added challenge of trying to read Bulgarian handwriting.\r\n\r\nWe ended up ordering a quinoa, blue cheese and avocado salad and tomato bruschetta to share. Then I did the mix and match homemade pasta and sauce. I picked the spinach pasta and paired it with the walnut sauce. This was a match made in heaven. The pasta was smooth with a good bite and the sauce was thick with walnuts. The dish was topped off with a more than generous amount of shredded parmesan cheese.\r\n<a title=\"Pasta at Made in Home by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8014558854/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8172/8014558854_e54fbd5826_z.jpg\" alt=\"Pasta at Made in Home\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nA. ordered a hot bulgur wheat dish with mushrooms and onions. It was hearty and filling. It was also served steaming hot. There are very few times in Bulgaria where I\'ve seen a dish served this hot. Bravo, Made in Home, bravo! And M. ordered one of the daily specials which was pork loin served in a sauce with mushrooms. This dish was also tasty and felt perfect for the onset of autumn.\r\n\r\nThe portion sizes are generous. A. ate half of her meal and took the other half home. I probably should have done the same but I didn\'t think that my pasta would re-heat nicely nor did I want to eat it cold for lunch at school the next day.So I ate what I could and then encouraged my friends to eat what was left.\r\n\r\nAt the end of the night when we got our bill, I was surprised to see that our waitress had written in the names of the dishes in English above each of the items on the bill. I\'ve never seen this done before and it\'s a really nice touch. Sure I can read Bulgarian but she didn\'t know that and so I have to say: what a nice (and thoughtful) thing to do.\r\n\r\nWant to go? You can find <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/pages/MADE-IN-HOME/351358010611\" target=\"_blank\">Made in Home</a> at 30A Angel Kunchev (about a block away from Patriarh Evtimiy).','Made in Home ','','inherit','open','open','','7172-revision-4','','','2012-09-23 09:21:37','2012-09-23 07:21:37','',7172,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/23/7172-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(7177,1,'2012-09-24 05:40:02','2012-09-24 03:40:02','On Saturday morning, I met my Bulgarian tutor I. and her husband J. to go to Borisova Gradina to pick up garbage. It was a beautiful day for picking up garbage.\r\n<a title=\"I. and the Garbage bags in Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018382500/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8454/8018382500_77da2376d2_z.jpg\" alt=\"I. and the Garbage bags in Borisova Gradina\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThe sun was out but the air was cool. I wore my thicker coat which was perfect in the shade but a little too much for the sunny spots. We were given plastic garbage bags, gloves and some vague directions as to where we should go to pick up garbage. Basically the wooded areas are in most need because what little park staff there is only picks up garbage along the actual paths. So off we went.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Garbage bags in Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018381484/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8440/8018381484_b3875a7eb1_z.jpg\" alt=\"Garbage bags in Borisova Gradina\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThere was lots of garbage to pick up. I picked up lots of beer bottles and plastic water bottles. At one point while picking up empty cigarette boxes, I realized that I couldn\'t really see I. &amp; J. any more. That\'s when I thought: I\'ll be damned if I find a dead body in the park all by myself. If I am going to find a dead body I\'d rather find it with I. &amp; J.\r\n\r\nSo I caught back up with them. They laughed when I told them why I caught back up with them. The thing is they laughed that kind of uncomfortable laugh. The one where you know it actually <em>could</em> happen and you hope that it doesn\'t happen to you.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nThen I picked up more condom wrappers than I\'ve ever wanted to with a sharp stick (oh and for the record, I\'ve never-ever wanted to do this). <em>Ug</em>. Come on people. This isn\'t my idea of a great way to spend my Saturday. Anyhow, I figured because I was volunteering,  I didn\'t have to look very hard for the condoms. This was the one time I was really glad that there was already good leaf cover on the ground. Otherwise, the leaves did a pretty good job of covering plastic bottles and plastic bags.\r\n<a title=\"Meche.bg in Garbage bags in Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018384924/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8299/8018384924_388d9f1482_z.jpg\" alt=\"Meche.bg in Garbage bags in Borisova Gradina\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nBetween the three of us, we collected 6 large bags of garbage. It was very satisfying to have done so and I felt like I\'ve done a little more than I have to in order to keep Sofia clean. The only problem is that I spent the rest of the day noticing garbage <em>EVERYWHERE. </em> And I mean everywhere.\r\n\r\nI was torn between picking it up and yelling:\r\n\r\n<em>Hey</em>, Sofia, throw your garbage away, not on the ground!\r\n\r\nThanks, me.\r\n<a title=\"Fountain in Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018381929/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8174/8018381929_e4613ecc94_z.jpg\" alt=\"Fountain in Borisova Gradina\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"The park, Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018386197/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8181/8018386197_126fdd328f_z.jpg\" alt=\"The park, Borisova Gradina\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nAnyhow, after 90 minutes of collecting garbage, we headed off to find a coffee and sit in the sun. This was great fun. Everyone was having such a great time in the park and we were too. We talked about the national holiday and Bulgarian history, our summers, our families and the like.\r\n<a title=\"The park, Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018383271/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8452/8018383271_f1eeaa3f2a_z.jpg\" alt=\"The park, Borisova Gradina\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"The park, Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018388942/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8305/8018388942_2fce3b22ee_z.jpg\" alt=\"The park, Borisova Gradina\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nJ. had to go to work (on a national holiday, poor guy). Being a journalist is hard work. I think it rivals being a teacher--long hours and not a lot of respect. This said I don\'t thin that J. has any homework to grade as a journalist.\r\n<a title=\"Gastronome by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018394434/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8295/8018394434_b05415e891_z.jpg\" alt=\"Gastronome\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThe day was so beautiful that neither I. nor I wanted to go home so instead, she suggested that we go and check out a new French shop near the little five corners. It was really cute. Look for a whole post on it later this week. Then we walked down the street to Ma Baker for a rather late lunch. It was a wonderful way to spend the day in Sofia and the kind of day that made me nostalgic for my old apartment in the city center.<a title=\"Ma Baker in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018388961/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8176/8018388961_b17f6cd11a_z.jpg\" alt=\"Ma Baker in Sofia\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Lunch at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018391816/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8037/8018391816_aae8f58644_z.jpg\" alt=\"Lunch at Ma Baker\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>','Picking up garbage and enjoying fall ','','publish','open','open','','picking-up-garbage-and-enjoying-fall','','','2012-09-24 18:24:30','2012-09-24 16:24:30','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7177',0,'post','',2),(7178,1,'2012-09-23 17:01:35','2012-09-23 15:01:35','On Saturday morning, I met my Bulgarian tutor I. and her husband J. to go to Borisova Gradina to pick up garbage. It was a beautiful day for picking up garbage. The sun was out but the air was cool. I wore my thicker coat which was perfect in the shade but a little too much for the sunny spots.\n\nWe were given plastic garbage bags, gloves and some vague directions as to where we should go to pick up garbage. Basically the wooded areas are in most need because what little park staff there is only picks up garbage along the actual paths. So off we went.\n\nThere was lots of garbage to pick up. I picked up lots of beer bottles and plastic water bottles. At one point while picking up empty cigarette boxes, I realized that I couldn\'t really see I. &amp; J. any more. That\'s when I thought: I\'ll be damned if I find a dead body in the park all by myself. If I am going to find a dead body I\'d rather find it with I. &amp; J. So I caught back up with them. Then I picked up more condom wrappers than I\'ve ever wanted to with a sharp stick. I purposefully didn\'t look very hard for the condoms. For the record this was the one time I was really glad that there was already good leaf cover on the ground.\n\nBetween the three of us, we collected 6 large bags of garbage. It was very satisfying to have done so. The only problem is that I spent the rest of the day noticing garbage <em>EVERYWHERE.</em>\n\nAfter 90 minutes of collecting garbage, we headed off to find a coffee and sit in the sun. This was great fun. Everyone was having such a great time in the park and we were too.\n\nJ. had to go to work (on a national holiday). Being a journalist is hard work.\n\nI. and I went to check out a new French shop and then we went to Ma Baker for a rather late lunch. It was a wonderful way to spend the day in Sofia.','Picking up garbage and enjoying fall ','','inherit','open','open','','7177-revision','','','2012-09-23 17:01:35','2012-09-23 15:01:35','',7177,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/23/7177-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7179,1,'2012-09-23 17:02:42','2012-09-23 15:02:42','On Saturday morning, I met my Bulgarian tutor I. and her husband J. to go to Borisova Gradina to pick up garbage. It was a beautiful day for picking up garbage. The sun was out but the air was cool. I wore my thicker coat which was perfect in the shade but a little too much for the sunny spots.\n\nWe were given plastic garbage bags, gloves and some vague directions as to where we should go to pick up garbage. Basically the wooded areas are in most need because what little park staff there is only picks up garbage along the actual paths. So off we went.\n\nThere was lots of garbage to pick up. I picked up lots of beer bottles and plastic water bottles. At one point while picking up empty cigarette boxes, I realized that I couldn\'t really see I. &amp; J. any more. That\'s when I thought: I\'ll be damned if I find a dead body in the park all by myself. If I am going to find a dead body I\'d rather find it with I. &amp; J. So I caught back up with them. Then I picked up more condom wrappers than I\'ve ever wanted to with a sharp stick. I purposefully didn\'t look very hard for the condoms. For the record this was the one time I was really glad that there was already good leaf cover on the ground.\n\nBetween the three of us, we collected 6 large bags of garbage. It was very satisfying to have done so. The only problem is that I spent the rest of the day noticing garbage <em>EVERYWHERE.</em>\n\nAfter 90 minutes of collecting garbage, we headed off to find a coffee and sit in the sun. This was great fun. Everyone was having such a great time in the park and we were too.\n\nJ. had to go to work (on a national holiday). Being a journalist is hard work.\n\nI. and I went to check out a new French shop and then we went to Ma Baker for a rather late lunch. It was a wonderful way to spend the day in Sofia.','Picking up garbage and enjoying fall ','','inherit','open','open','','7177-revision-2','','','2012-09-23 17:02:42','2012-09-23 15:02:42','',7177,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/23/7177-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7180,1,'2012-09-23 17:14:28','2012-09-23 15:14:28','On Saturday morning, I met my Bulgarian tutor I. and her husband J. to go to Borisova Gradina to pick up garbage. It was a beautiful day for picking up garbage. The sun was out but the air was cool. I wore my thicker coat which was perfect in the shade but a little too much for the sunny spots.\n\nWe were given plastic garbage bags, gloves and some vague directions as to where we should go to pick up garbage. Basically the wooded areas are in most need because what little park staff there is only picks up garbage along the actual paths. So off we went.\n\nThere was lots of garbage to pick up. I picked up lots of beer bottles and plastic water bottles. At one point while picking up empty cigarette boxes, I realized that I couldn\'t really see I. &amp; J. any more. That\'s when I thought: I\'ll be damned if I find a dead body in the park all by myself. If I am going to find a dead body I\'d rather find it with I. &amp; J. So I caught back up with them. Then I picked up more condom wrappers than I\'ve ever wanted to with a sharp stick. I purposefully didn\'t look very hard for the condoms. For the record this was the one time I was really glad that there was already good leaf cover on the ground.\n\nBetween the three of us, we collected 6 large bags of garbage. It was very satisfying to have done so. The only problem is that I spent the rest of the day noticing garbage <em>EVERYWHERE.</em>\n\nAfter 90 minutes of collecting garbage, we headed off to find a coffee and sit in the sun. This was great fun. Everyone was having such a great time in the park and we were too.\n\nJ. had to go to work (on a national holiday). Being a journalist is hard work.\n\nI. and I went to check out a new French shop and then we went to Ma Baker for a rather late lunch. It was a wonderful way to spend the day in Sofia.','Picking up garbage and enjoying fall ','','inherit','open','open','','7177-revision-3','','','2012-09-23 17:14:28','2012-09-23 15:14:28','',7177,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/23/7177-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7181,1,'2012-09-24 05:59:36','2012-09-24 03:59:36','On Saturday morning, I met my Bulgarian tutor I. and her husband J. to go to Borisova Gradina to pick up garbage. It was a beautiful day for picking up garbage.\n\nThe sun was out but the air was cool. I wore my thicker coat which was perfect in the shade but a little too much for the sunny spots. We were given plastic garbage bags, gloves and some vague directions as to where we should go to pick up garbage. Basically the wooded areas are in most need because what little park staff there is only picks up garbage along the actual paths. So off we went.\n\nThere was lots of garbage to pick up. I picked up lots of beer bottles and plastic water bottles. At one point while picking up empty cigarette boxes, I realized that I couldn\'t really see I. &amp; J. any more. That\'s when I thought: I\'ll be damned if I find a dead body in the park all by myself. If I am going to find a dead body I\'d rather find it with I. &amp; J. So I caught back up with them. They laughed when I told them why I caught back up with them--that kind of uncomfortable laugh, where it actually could happen and you hope that it doesn\'t happen to you.\n\nThen I picked up more condom wrappers than I\'ve ever wanted to with a sharp stick. Ug. Come on people. This isn\'t my idea of a great way to spend my Saturday. I figured because I was volunteering,  I didn\'t have to look very hard for the condoms. For the record this was the one time I was really glad that there was already good leaf cover on the ground otherwise, the leaves did a pretty good job of covering plastic bottles and plastic bags.\n\nBetween the three of us, we collected 6 large bags of garbage. It was very satisfying to have done so and I felt like I\'ve done a little more than I have to in order to keep Sofia clean. The only problem is that I spent the rest of the day noticing garbage <em>EVERYWHERE. </em> And I mean everywhere.\n\nI was torn between picking it up and yelling:\n\n<em>Hey</em>, Sofia, throw your garbage away, not on the ground!\n\nThanks, me.\n\nAnyhow, after 90 minutes of collecting garbage, we headed off to find a coffee and sit in the sun. This was great fun. Everyone was having such a great time in the park and we were too. We talked about the national holiday and Bulgarian history, our summers, our families and the like.\n\nJ. had to go to work (on a national holiday, poor guy). Being a journalist is hard work. I think it rivals being a teacher--long hours and not a lot of respect. This said I don\'t thin that J. has any homework to grade as a journalist.\n\nThe day was so beautiful that neither I. nor I wanted to go home so instead, she suggested that we go and check out a new French shop near the little five corners. It was really cute. Look for a whole post on it later this week. Then we walked down the street to Ma Baker for a rather late lunch. It was a wonderful way to spend the day in Sofia and the kind of day that made me nostalgic for my old apartment in the city center.','Picking up garbage and enjoying fall ','','inherit','open','open','','7177-revision-4','','','2012-09-24 05:59:36','2012-09-24 03:59:36','',7177,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/24/7177-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(7182,1,'2012-09-24 06:09:59','2012-09-24 04:09:59','On Saturday morning, I met my Bulgarian tutor I. and her husband J. to go to Borisova Gradina to pick up garbage. It was a beautiful day for picking up garbage.\n\nThe sun was out but the air was cool. I wore my thicker coat which was perfect in the shade but a little too much for the sunny spots. We were given plastic garbage bags, gloves and some vague directions as to where we should go to pick up garbage. Basically the wooded areas are in most need because what little park staff there is only picks up garbage along the actual paths. So off we went.\n\nThere was lots of garbage to pick up. I picked up lots of beer bottles and plastic water bottles. At one point while picking up empty cigarette boxes, I realized that I couldn\'t really see I. &amp; J. any more. That\'s when I thought: I\'ll be damned if I find a dead body in the park all by myself. If I am going to find a dead body I\'d rather find it with I. &amp; J. So I caught back up with them. They laughed when I told them why I caught back up with them--that kind of uncomfortable laugh, where it actually could happen and you hope that it doesn\'t happen to you.\n\nThen I picked up more condom wrappers than I\'ve ever wanted to with a sharp stick. Ug. Come on people. This isn\'t my idea of a great way to spend my Saturday. I figured because I was volunteering,  I didn\'t have to look very hard for the condoms. For the record this was the one time I was really glad that there was already good leaf cover on the ground otherwise, the leaves did a pretty good job of covering plastic bottles and plastic bags.\n\nBetween the three of us, we collected 6 large bags of garbage. It was very satisfying to have done so and I felt like I\'ve done a little more than I have to in order to keep Sofia clean. The only problem is that I spent the rest of the day noticing garbage <em>EVERYWHERE. </em> And I mean everywhere.\n\nI was torn between picking it up and yelling:\n\n<em>Hey</em>, Sofia, throw your garbage away, not on the ground!\n\nThanks, me.\n\nAnyhow, after 90 minutes of collecting garbage, we headed off to find a coffee and sit in the sun. This was great fun. Everyone was having such a great time in the park and we were too. We talked about the national holiday and Bulgarian history, our summers, our families and the like.\n\nJ. had to go to work (on a national holiday, poor guy). Being a journalist is hard work. I think it rivals being a teacher--long hours and not a lot of respect. This said I don\'t thin that J. has any homework to grade as a journalist.\n\nThe day was so beautiful that neither I. nor I wanted to go home so instead, she suggested that we go and check out a new French shop near the little five corners. It was really cute. Look for a whole post on it later this week. Then we walked down the street to Ma Baker for a rather late lunch. It was a wonderful way to spend the day in Sofia and the kind of day that made me nostalgic for my old apartment in the city center.','Picking up garbage and enjoying fall ','','inherit','open','open','','7177-revision-5','','','2012-09-24 06:09:59','2012-09-24 04:09:59','',7177,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/24/7177-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(7183,1,'2012-09-24 18:19:16','2012-09-24 16:19:16','On Saturday morning, I met my Bulgarian tutor I. and her husband J. to go to Borisova Gradina to pick up garbage. It was a beautiful day for picking up garbage.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018382500/\" title=\"I. and the Garbage bags in Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8454/8018382500_77da2376d2_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"I. and the Garbage bags in Borisova Gradina\"></a>\nThe sun was out but the air was cool. I wore my thicker coat which was perfect in the shade but a little too much for the sunny spots. We were given plastic garbage bags, gloves and some vague directions as to where we should go to pick up garbage. Basically the wooded areas are in most need because what little park staff there is only picks up garbage along the actual paths. So off we went.\n\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018381484/\" title=\"Garbage bags in Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8440/8018381484_b3875a7eb1_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Garbage bags in Borisova Gradina\"></a>\nThere was lots of garbage to pick up. I picked up lots of beer bottles and plastic water bottles. At one point while picking up empty cigarette boxes, I realized that I couldn\'t really see I. &amp; J. any more. That\'s when I thought: I\'ll be damned if I find a dead body in the park all by myself. If I am going to find a dead body I\'d rather find it with I. &amp; J. So I caught back up with them. They laughed when I told them why I caught back up with them--that kind of uncomfortable laugh, where it actually could happen and you hope that it doesn\'t happen to you.\n\nThen I picked up more condom wrappers than I\'ve ever wanted to with a sharp stick. Ug. Come on people. This isn\'t my idea of a great way to spend my Saturday. I figured because I was volunteering,  I didn\'t have to look very hard for the condoms. For the record this was the one time I was really glad that there was already good leaf cover on the ground otherwise, the leaves did a pretty good job of covering plastic bottles and plastic bags.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018384924/\" title=\"Meche.bg in Garbage bags in Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8299/8018384924_388d9f1482_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Meche.bg in Garbage bags in Borisova Gradina\"></a>\nBetween the three of us, we collected 6 large bags of garbage. It was very satisfying to have done so and I felt like I\'ve done a little more than I have to in order to keep Sofia clean. The only problem is that I spent the rest of the day noticing garbage <em>EVERYWHERE. </em> And I mean everywhere.\n\nI was torn between picking it up and yelling:\n\n<em>Hey</em>, Sofia, throw your garbage away, not on the ground!\n\nThanks, me.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018381929/\" title=\"Fountain in Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8174/8018381929_e4613ecc94_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Fountain in Borisova Gradina\"></a>\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018386197/\" title=\"The park, Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8181/8018386197_126fdd328f_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"The park, Borisova Gradina\"></a>\nAnyhow, after 90 minutes of collecting garbage, we headed off to find a coffee and sit in the sun. This was great fun. Everyone was having such a great time in the park and we were too. We talked about the national holiday and Bulgarian history, our summers, our families and the like.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018383271/\" title=\"The park, Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8452/8018383271_f1eeaa3f2a_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"The park, Borisova Gradina\"></a>\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018388942/\" title=\"The park, Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8305/8018388942_2fce3b22ee_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"The park, Borisova Gradina\"></a>\nJ. had to go to work (on a national holiday, poor guy). Being a journalist is hard work. I think it rivals being a teacher--long hours and not a lot of respect. This said I don\'t thin that J. has any homework to grade as a journalist.\n\nThe day was so beautiful that neither I. nor I wanted to go home so instead, she suggested that we go and check out a new French shop near the little five corners. It was really cute. Look for a whole post on it later this week. Then we walked down the street to Ma Baker for a rather late lunch. It was a wonderful way to spend the day in Sofia and the kind of day that made me nostalgic for my old apartment in the city center.<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018388961/\" title=\"Ma Baker in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8176/8018388961_b17f6cd11a_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Ma Baker in Sofia\"></a>\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018391816/\" title=\"Lunch at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8037/8018391816_aae8f58644_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Lunch at Ma Baker\"></a>','Picking up garbage and enjoying fall ','','inherit','open','open','','7177-revision-6','','','2012-09-24 18:19:16','2012-09-24 16:19:16','',7177,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/24/7177-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(7184,1,'2012-09-24 18:19:42','2012-09-24 16:19:42','On Saturday morning, I met my Bulgarian tutor I. and her husband J. to go to Borisova Gradina to pick up garbage. It was a beautiful day for picking up garbage.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018382500/\" title=\"I. and the Garbage bags in Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8454/8018382500_77da2376d2_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"I. and the Garbage bags in Borisova Gradina\"></a>\r\nThe sun was out but the air was cool. I wore my thicker coat which was perfect in the shade but a little too much for the sunny spots. We were given plastic garbage bags, gloves and some vague directions as to where we should go to pick up garbage. Basically the wooded areas are in most need because what little park staff there is only picks up garbage along the actual paths. So off we went.\r\n\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018381484/\" title=\"Garbage bags in Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8440/8018381484_b3875a7eb1_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Garbage bags in Borisova Gradina\"></a>\r\nThere was lots of garbage to pick up. I picked up lots of beer bottles and plastic water bottles. At one point while picking up empty cigarette boxes, I realized that I couldn\'t really see I. &amp; J. any more. That\'s when I thought: I\'ll be damned if I find a dead body in the park all by myself. If I am going to find a dead body I\'d rather find it with I. &amp; J. So I caught back up with them. They laughed when I told them why I caught back up with them--that kind of uncomfortable laugh, where it actually could happen and you hope that it doesn\'t happen to you.\r\n\r\nThen I picked up more condom wrappers than I\'ve ever wanted to with a sharp stick. Ug. Come on people. This isn\'t my idea of a great way to spend my Saturday. I figured because I was volunteering,  I didn\'t have to look very hard for the condoms. For the record this was the one time I was really glad that there was already good leaf cover on the ground otherwise, the leaves did a pretty good job of covering plastic bottles and plastic bags.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018384924/\" title=\"Meche.bg in Garbage bags in Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8299/8018384924_388d9f1482_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Meche.bg in Garbage bags in Borisova Gradina\"></a>\r\nBetween the three of us, we collected 6 large bags of garbage. It was very satisfying to have done so and I felt like I\'ve done a little more than I have to in order to keep Sofia clean. The only problem is that I spent the rest of the day noticing garbage <em>EVERYWHERE. </em> And I mean everywhere.\r\n\r\nI was torn between picking it up and yelling:\r\n\r\n<em>Hey</em>, Sofia, throw your garbage away, not on the ground!\r\n\r\nThanks, me.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018381929/\" title=\"Fountain in Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8174/8018381929_e4613ecc94_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Fountain in Borisova Gradina\"></a>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018386197/\" title=\"The park, Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8181/8018386197_126fdd328f_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"The park, Borisova Gradina\"></a>\r\nAnyhow, after 90 minutes of collecting garbage, we headed off to find a coffee and sit in the sun. This was great fun. Everyone was having such a great time in the park and we were too. We talked about the national holiday and Bulgarian history, our summers, our families and the like.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018383271/\" title=\"The park, Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8452/8018383271_f1eeaa3f2a_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"The park, Borisova Gradina\"></a>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018388942/\" title=\"The park, Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8305/8018388942_2fce3b22ee_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"The park, Borisova Gradina\"></a>\r\nJ. had to go to work (on a national holiday, poor guy). Being a journalist is hard work. I think it rivals being a teacher--long hours and not a lot of respect. This said I don\'t thin that J. has any homework to grade as a journalist.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018394434/\" title=\"Gastronome by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8295/8018394434_b05415e891_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Gastronome\"></a>\r\nThe day was so beautiful that neither I. nor I wanted to go home so instead, she suggested that we go and check out a new French shop near the little five corners. It was really cute. Look for a whole post on it later this week. Then we walked down the street to Ma Baker for a rather late lunch. It was a wonderful way to spend the day in Sofia and the kind of day that made me nostalgic for my old apartment in the city center.<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018388961/\" title=\"Ma Baker in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8176/8018388961_b17f6cd11a_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Ma Baker in Sofia\"></a>\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018391816/\" title=\"Lunch at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8037/8018391816_aae8f58644_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Lunch at Ma Baker\"></a>','Picking up garbage and enjoying fall ','','inherit','open','open','','7177-revision-7','','','2012-09-24 18:19:42','2012-09-24 16:19:42','',7177,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/24/7177-revision-7/',0,'revision','',0),(7185,1,'2012-09-24 18:23:45','2012-09-24 16:23:45','On Saturday morning, I met my Bulgarian tutor I. and her husband J. to go to Borisova Gradina to pick up garbage. It was a beautiful day for picking up garbage.\n<a title=\"I. and the Garbage bags in Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018382500/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8454/8018382500_77da2376d2_z.jpg\" alt=\"I. and the Garbage bags in Borisova Gradina\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nThe sun was out but the air was cool. I wore my thicker coat which was perfect in the shade but a little too much for the sunny spots. We were given plastic garbage bags, gloves and some vague directions as to where we should go to pick up garbage. Basically the wooded areas are in most need because what little park staff there is only picks up garbage along the actual paths. So off we went.\n\n<a title=\"Garbage bags in Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018381484/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8440/8018381484_b3875a7eb1_z.jpg\" alt=\"Garbage bags in Borisova Gradina\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nThere was lots of garbage to pick up. I picked up lots of beer bottles and plastic water bottles. At one point while picking up empty cigarette boxes, I realized that I couldn\'t really see I. &amp; J. any more. That\'s when I thought: I\'ll be damned if I find a dead body in the park all by myself. If I am going to find a dead body I\'d rather find it with I. &amp; J.\n\nSo I caught back up with them. They laughed when I told them why I caught back up with them. The thing is they laughed that kind of uncomfortable laugh. The one where you know it actually <em>could</em> happen and you hope that it doesn\'t happen to you.<!--more-->\n\nThen I picked up more condom wrappers than I\'ve ever wanted to with a sharp stick (oh and for the record, I\'ve never-ever wanted to do this). <em>Ug</em>. Come on people. This isn\'t my idea of a great way to spend my Saturday. Anyhow, I figured because I was volunteering,  I didn\'t have to look very hard for the condoms. This was the one time I was really glad that there was already good leaf cover on the groundotherwise, the leaves did a pretty good job of covering plastic bottles and plastic bags.\n<a title=\"Meche.bg in Garbage bags in Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018384924/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8299/8018384924_388d9f1482_z.jpg\" alt=\"Meche.bg in Garbage bags in Borisova Gradina\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nBetween the three of us, we collected 6 large bags of garbage. It was very satisfying to have done so and I felt like I\'ve done a little more than I have to in order to keep Sofia clean. The only problem is that I spent the rest of the day noticing garbage <em>EVERYWHERE. </em> And I mean everywhere.\n\nI was torn between picking it up and yelling:\n\n<em>Hey</em>, Sofia, throw your garbage away, not on the ground!\n\nThanks, me.\n<a title=\"Fountain in Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018381929/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8174/8018381929_e4613ecc94_z.jpg\" alt=\"Fountain in Borisova Gradina\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\n<a title=\"The park, Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018386197/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8181/8018386197_126fdd328f_z.jpg\" alt=\"The park, Borisova Gradina\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nAnyhow, after 90 minutes of collecting garbage, we headed off to find a coffee and sit in the sun. This was great fun. Everyone was having such a great time in the park and we were too. We talked about the national holiday and Bulgarian history, our summers, our families and the like.\n<a title=\"The park, Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018383271/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8452/8018383271_f1eeaa3f2a_z.jpg\" alt=\"The park, Borisova Gradina\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\n<a title=\"The park, Borisova Gradina by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018388942/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8305/8018388942_2fce3b22ee_z.jpg\" alt=\"The park, Borisova Gradina\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nJ. had to go to work (on a national holiday, poor guy). Being a journalist is hard work. I think it rivals being a teacher--long hours and not a lot of respect. This said I don\'t thin that J. has any homework to grade as a journalist.\n<a title=\"Gastronome by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018394434/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8295/8018394434_b05415e891_z.jpg\" alt=\"Gastronome\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nThe day was so beautiful that neither I. nor I wanted to go home so instead, she suggested that we go and check out a new French shop near the little five corners. It was really cute. Look for a whole post on it later this week. Then we walked down the street to Ma Baker for a rather late lunch. It was a wonderful way to spend the day in Sofia and the kind of day that made me nostalgic for my old apartment in the city center.<a title=\"Ma Baker in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018388961/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8176/8018388961_b17f6cd11a_z.jpg\" alt=\"Ma Baker in Sofia\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\n<a title=\"Lunch at Ma Baker by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018391816/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8037/8018391816_aae8f58644_z.jpg\" alt=\"Lunch at Ma Baker\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>','Picking up garbage and enjoying fall ','','inherit','open','open','','7177-revision-8','','','2012-09-24 18:23:45','2012-09-24 16:23:45','',7177,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/24/7177-revision-8/',0,'revision','',0),(7186,1,'2012-09-26 06:11:12','2012-09-26 04:11:12','Every morning I either walk to school or I walk to the bus stop and take the bus 4 stops and then I get off the bus and walk the rest of the way to campus. There\'s a big crosswalk that was painted a couple of years ago near-ish to the entrance to school after the school\'s safety committee started pushing for it.\r\n\r\nCrosswalks are important. They are a visual reminder that people are walking and in fact crossing the street. Crosswalks say to drivers: hey, watch out for pedestrians.\r\n\r\nRecently my crosswalk was repainted. Here\'s what happened.\r\n<a title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8025476616/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8311/8025476616_5a9dc6e795_z.jpg\" alt=\"Untitled\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8025476509/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8310/8025476509_b800623c6a_z.jpg\" alt=\"Untitled\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nAwesome. (<em>Kind of</em>.)\r\n\r\nThis leads me to wonder two things: who parked there? and who decided to paint this?','My Crosswalk in Mladost ','','publish','open','open','','my-crosswalk-in-mladost','','','2012-09-26 06:11:12','2012-09-26 04:11:12','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7186',0,'post','',2),(7187,1,'2012-09-26 06:08:50','2012-09-26 04:08:50','Every morning I either walk to school or I walk to the bus stop and take the bus 4 stops and then I get off the bus and walk the rest of the way to campus. There\'s a big crosswalk that was painted a couple of years ago near-ish to the entrance to school after the school\'s safety committee started pushing for it.\n\nCrosswalks are important. They are a visual reminder that people are walking and in fact crossing the street. Crosswalks say to drivers: hey, watch out for pedestrians.\n\nRecently the crosswalk was repainted.\n<a title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8025476616/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8311/8025476616_5a9dc6e795_z.jpg\" alt=\"Untitled\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\n<a title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8025476509/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8310/8025476509_b800623c6a_z.jpg\" alt=\"Untitled\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nHere\'s what happened.\n\nAwesome. (<em>Kind of</em>.)','My Crosswalk in Mladost ','','inherit','open','open','','7186-revision','','','2012-09-26 06:08:50','2012-09-26 04:08:50','',7186,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/26/7186-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7188,1,'2012-09-26 06:09:00','2012-09-26 04:09:00','Every morning I either walk to school or I walk to the bus stop and take the bus 4 stops and then I get off the bus and walk the rest of the way to campus. There\'s a big crosswalk that was painted a couple of years ago near-ish to the entrance to school after the school\'s safety committee started pushing for it.\r\n\r\nCrosswalks are important. They are a visual reminder that people are walking and in fact crossing the street. Crosswalks say to drivers: hey, watch out for pedestrians.\r\n\r\nRecently the crosswalk was repainted.\r\n<a title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8025476616/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8311/8025476616_5a9dc6e795_z.jpg\" alt=\"Untitled\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\n<a title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8025476509/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8310/8025476509_b800623c6a_z.jpg\" alt=\"Untitled\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nHere\'s what happened.\r\n\r\nAwesome. (<em>Kind of</em>.)','My Crosswalk in Mladost ','','inherit','open','open','','7186-revision-2','','','2012-09-26 06:09:00','2012-09-26 04:09:00','',7186,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/26/7186-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7189,1,'2012-09-26 06:11:08','2012-09-26 04:11:08','Every morning I either walk to school or I walk to the bus stop and take the bus 4 stops and then I get off the bus and walk the rest of the way to campus. There\'s a big crosswalk that was painted a couple of years ago near-ish to the entrance to school after the school\'s safety committee started pushing for it.\n\nCrosswalks are important. They are a visual reminder that people are walking and in fact crossing the street. Crosswalks say to drivers: hey, watch out for pedestrians.\n\nRecently my crosswalk was repainted. Here\'s what happened.\n<a title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8025476616/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8311/8025476616_5a9dc6e795_z.jpg\" alt=\"Untitled\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\n<a title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8025476509/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8310/8025476509_b800623c6a_z.jpg\" alt=\"Untitled\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nAwesome. (<em>Kind of</em>.)\n\nThis leads me to wonder two things: who parked there? and who decided to paint this?','My Crosswalk in Mladost ','','inherit','open','open','','7186-revision-3','','','2012-09-26 06:11:08','2012-09-26 04:11:08','',7186,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/26/7186-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7191,1,'2012-09-27 19:06:01','2012-09-27 17:06:01','Apparently I was a little bit hasty with <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/26/my-crosswalk-in-mladost/\" target=\"_blank\">my post yesterday</a>. That or somebody important in Mladost is reading my blog.\n\nEither way, look at what I found this morning:\n<a title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8030158250/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8179/8030158250_f0791d32d5_z.jpg\" alt=\"Untitled\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\n\nYep, the gap in the crosswalk has been fixed. I never-ever thought such a thing was possible. In fact, this morning I did a double take.\n\n<em>Why?</em>\n\nWell, very little in my life in Sofia suggests that someone might come back to finish painting the crosswalk. Nope, I fully expected to walk by the truck shaped hole in the crosswalk for the next nine months of the school year or until the crosswalk faded away.\n\nBut now look, my cross walk has been fixed. Or maybe it\'s better to say finished','My crosswalk is fixed!','','inherit','open','open','','7190-revision','','','2012-09-27 19:06:01','2012-09-27 17:06:01','',7190,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/27/7190-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7192,1,'2012-09-27 19:07:09','2012-09-27 17:07:09','Apparently I was a little bit hasty with <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/26/my-crosswalk-in-mladost/\" target=\"_blank\">my post yesterday</a>. That or somebody important in Mladost is reading my blog.\n\nEither way, look at what I found this morning:\n<a title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8030158250/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8179/8030158250_f0791d32d5_z.jpg\" alt=\"Untitled\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\n\nYep, the gap in the crosswalk has been fixed. I never-ever thought such a thing was possible. In fact, this morning I did a double take.\n\n<em>Why?</em>\n\nWell, very little in my life in Sofia suggests that someone might come back to finish painting the crosswalk. Nope, I fully expected to walk by the truck shaped hole in the crosswalk for the next nine months of the school year or until the crosswalk faded away.\n\nBut now look, my cross walk has been fixed. Or maybe it\'s better to say finished.','My crosswalk is fixed!','','inherit','open','open','','7190-autosave','','','2012-09-27 19:07:09','2012-09-27 17:07:09','',7190,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/27/7190-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(7193,1,'2012-09-28 06:05:04','2012-09-28 04:05:04','Each fall I find myself thinking about my life in Bulgaria. The whole thing often strikes me as wonderful, wholly unlikely and a little magical--even four years into this adventure. I never imagined when I moved to Sofia on a Fulbright that I\'d still be here let alone that I\'d be teaching English, learning Bulgarian and traveling as much as I have.\r\n<a title=\"Heart by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6970314530/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/6970314530_1eb0dd5d58_z.jpg\" alt=\"Heart\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThe thing is Bulgarian hasn\'t been easy. When I moved here, I didn\'t know the Cyrillic alphabet. Well I knew the basics but I wasn\'t any good at it. So I took an intensive course and at the end of this course thought for the first time: maybe I\'ll be able to do this after all. Since then I\'ve taken regular private lessons but Bulgarian is a difficult language and the fact of the matter is I should probably commit more time to  it than I do.\r\n\r\nOften people ask me why I even bother. Many Bulgarians see very little value in a foreigner learning their language and more practical Americans say wonder if I\'d be better served learning Spanish. You know, something <em>useful</em>.\r\n\r\nThe thing is learning Bulgarian is useful.\r\n\r\nHow can you live in a country and not try to learn the language?\r\n\r\nYou\'ll miss out on so much if you choose to live in an insular expat community speaking only English while living abroad. And practically speaking, of course, a night out is much easier if you can read the menu, order the food you want, pay the bill when you want and take a taxi home.\r\n\r\nI think that you learn a language for yourself but it makes the rest of your life abroad that much less frustrating.\r\n<a title=\"In 10: Learning Bulgarian by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7032222419/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7231/7032222419_34b3234532_z.jpg\" alt=\"In 10: Learning Bulgarian\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI don\'t want to miss out on anything--although I am sure that I have. Enter: <em>jokes</em>.\r\n\r\nMastering Bulgarian is not easy or it hasn\'t been easy for me.  I spend a lot of time, putting a smile on my face and doing the best that I can with the Bulgarian that I have. I\'ve bumbled my way through a lot of conversations. Very little about Bulgarian seems graceful to me. Often I feel like I am tripping over verbs and playing eni-mini-miny-moe when I\'m grasping for a preposition but you know what, I know a lot of nouns and I can speak in first person, present tense pretty flawlessly these days.\r\n\r\nHowever, I wouldn\'t have it any other way--learning Bulgarian has challenged me to think in new ways, learning Bulgarian has forced me let down my guard and open myself up to making mistakes, learning Bulgarian has made me laugh and it\'s made me cry, and learning Bulgarian has introduced me to people I would have otherwise never met.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Mladost by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/5089470277/\"><img src=\"http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4151/5089470277_64e62a4493_z.jpg\" alt=\"Mladost\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n\r\nAs strange and foreign Bulgaria and Bulgarian seem sometimes, this place has become home and a huge part of this is due to my willingness to take risks and my commitment to learning Bulgarian.\r\n\r\nThere you have it. Sofia is beginning to feel like home and I am developing my own loyalties. I know which brands I like at the grocery store and I believe that my Mladost (младост), Mladost 1A is the best of the Mladost neighborhoods.There are a total of five: Mladost 1, Mladost 1A, Mladost 2, Mladost 3 and Mladost 4 but mine is clearly the best of the Mladosts. All of the neighborhoods are filled with huge crumbling block buildings, ground level shops and restaurants, dilapidated bus stops, poorly paved unnamed streets and a smattering of fruit and vegetable stands.\r\n\r\nAn outsider wouldn\'t know where Mladost 1 stops and Mladost 1A starts they all look the same, but I do. In Mladost 1A, I have my shops and women who smile at me and greet me when I pop in.\r\n\r\nIt hasn\'t always been like this.\r\n\r\nI am tall and blond and as such don\'t blend into the general population. In the beginning, these women would give me at best a weary smile suspecting that I didn\'t speak Bulgarian and knowing that they didn\'t speak English and at worst they\'d sigh heavily and grudgingly put down their plastic cups of espresso to help me.\r\n\r\nThey weren\'t looking forward to waiting on my and I hated this. Okay, to be fair, they weren\'t looking forward to helping anyone but this was especially true for me. Bulgarian was the game changer. As soon as I spoke some Bulgarian (and in the beginning this was very, very bad Bulgarian), their drawn faces would loosen a little and over time, these women have become almost friendly.\r\n\r\nAnd you know what, I\'ll take it.\r\n<a title=\"my Mladost fall 2012 by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7912006496/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8314/7912006496_7f7e20b1a5_z.jpg\" alt=\"my Mladost fall 2012\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nRecently I stopped by a shop to buy sparking water. I glanced in the case, nothing. I asked her in Bulgarian: Do you have any sparking water? She told me: No, not right now. There will be more later this afternoon. I said: Okay, thanks. Have a nice day. Her response: You too.\r\n\r\n<em>You too! </em>Ha. She spoke to me, I understood and her speech was polite verging on friendly.\r\n\r\nI walked home sparkling water-less but happy. I had a normal exchange in Bulgarian. The kind of exchange that I could just as easily have had at home in the States. I couldn\'t help but smile.\r\n\r\nIn this moment, I also couldn\'t help but wonder if I smoked cigarettes and popped in more regularly if she\'d like me more and if she\'d have warmed up to me sooner but I pretty clearly never know the answer to this question and that\'s okay because I had a complete exchange with a normally sour shop keeper in Bulgarian\r\n\r\nThese days what I do know is that speaking the language makes you feel more confident and more at home in a place that\'s completely unlike anywhere else you\'ve ever lived.\r\n<a title=\"Bus Station by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/5146270929/\"><img src=\"http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4037/5146270929_2692074244_z.jpg\" alt=\"Bus Station\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n\r\nFour years in, I\'m not as good at Bulgarian as I\'d like to be. I work at an English language high school and spend my whole day teaching Bulgarian teenagers English literature. My colleagues speak excellent English and as a result I speak minimal amounts of Bulgarian. Still I\'ve made a point of studying, keeping up with my homework and practicing my Bulgarian when I can.\r\n\r\nNow I guess is the time to recommit to <a href=\"http://daybyeday.tumblr.com/\" target=\"_blank\">my Bulgarian language blog</a>. There\'s nothing quite as humbling as opening yourself up to criticism on the internet in a language that is not your first, in a language that you don\'t really know the ins and outs of and where you have basically no control over the nuances but how else can you learn?\r\n\r\n----\r\nI\'ve written this post as part of a language competition being hosted by Kaplan (once the competition is live--tomorrow--I\'ll encourage you to vote for my post). They\'ve put together this pretty eye-opening graphic. So if my post isn\'t inspiring enough to make you want to move abroad and study another language maybe this will do it: \r\n<a href=\"http://kaplaninternational.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/KAPLAN_BENEFITS_INFOGRAPHIC.jpg\"><img src=\"http://kaplaninternational.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/KAPLAN_BENEFITS_INFOGRAPHIC.jpg\" alt=\"inspire language learning\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.kaplaninternational.com/index.aspx\">Learn English with Kaplan</a>','Learning, studying and bumbling my way through Bulgarian ','','publish','open','open','','learning-studying-and-bumbling-my-way-through-bulgarian','','','2012-09-28 12:24:46','2012-09-28 10:24:46','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7193',0,'post','',7),(7194,1,'2012-09-27 20:35:57','2012-09-27 18:35:57','Each fall I find myself thinking about my life in Bulgaria. The whole thing often strikes me as wonderful, wholly unlikely and a little magical--even four years into this adventure. I never imagined when I moved to Sofia on a Fulbright that I\'d still be here let alone that I\'d be teaching English, learning Bulgarian and traveling as much as I have.\n<a title=\"Heart by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6970314530/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/6970314530_1eb0dd5d58_z.jpg\" alt=\"Heart\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\nThe thing is Bulgarian hasn\'t been easy. When I moved here, I didn\'t know the Cyrillic alphabet. Well I knew the basics but I wasn\'t any good at it. So I took an intensive course and at the end of this course thought for the first time: maybe I\'ll be able to do this after all. Since then I\'ve taken regular private lessons but Bulgarian is a difficult language.\n\nOften people ask me why I even bother. Many Bulgarians see very little value in a foreigner learning their language.\n\nBut how can you live in a country and not try to learn the language?\n\nYou miss out on so much if you choose to live in an insular expat community speaking only English while living abroad.\n<a title=\"In 10: Learning Bulgarian by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7032222419/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7231/7032222419_34b3234532_z.jpg\" alt=\"In 10: Learning Bulgarian\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\nStill it\'s not easy. Or it hasn\'t been easy for me but I wouldn\'t have it any other way--learning Bulgarian has challenged me to think in new ways, learning Bulgarian has forced me let down my guard and open myself up to making mistakes, learning Bulgarian has made me laugh and it\'s made me cry, and learning Bulgarian has introduced me to people I would have otherwise never met.\n\n<a title=\"Mladost by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/5089470277/\"><img src=\"http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4151/5089470277_64e62a4493_z.jpg\" alt=\"Mladost\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n\nAs strange and foreign Bulgaria and Bulgarian seem sometimes, this place has become home. I believe that my Mladost, Mladost 1A is the best of the Mladost neighborhoods. I have my shops and women who smile at me when I pop in.\n\nRecently I stopped by a shop to buy sparking water. I glanced in the case, nothing. I asked her in Bulgarian: do you have any sparking water? She told me: no, not right now. There will be more later this afternoon. I said: okay, thanks. Have a nice day. Her response: you too.\n\nI walked home sparkling water-less but happy. I had a normal exchange in Bulgarian. The kind of exchange that I could just as likely have had at home in the States. I couldn\'t help but smile. Speaking the language makes you feel more confident and more at home in a place that\'s completely unlike anywhere else you\'ve ever lived.\n<a title=\"Bus Station by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/5146270929/\"><img src=\"http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4037/5146270929_2692074244_z.jpg\" alt=\"Bus Station\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n\nFour years in, I\'m not as good at Bulgarian as I\'d like to be. I work at an English language high school and spend my whole day teaching Bulgarian teenagers English literature. My colleagues speak excellent English and as a result I speak minimal amounts of Bulgarian. Still I\'ve made a point of studying, keeping up with my homework and practicing my Bulgarian when I can. ','Learning, studying and bumbling my way through Bulgarian ','','inherit','open','open','','7193-revision','','','2012-09-27 20:35:57','2012-09-27 18:35:57','',7193,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/27/7193-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7195,1,'2012-09-27 20:52:05','2012-09-27 18:52:05','Each fall I find myself thinking about my life in Bulgaria. The whole thing often strikes me as wonderful, wholly unlikely and a little magical--even four years into this adventure. I never imagined when I moved to Sofia on a Fulbright that I\'d still be here let alone that I\'d be teaching English, learning Bulgarian and traveling as much as I have.\n<a title=\"Heart by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6970314530/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/6970314530_1eb0dd5d58_z.jpg\" alt=\"Heart\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\nThe thing is Bulgarian hasn\'t been easy. When I moved here, I didn\'t know the Cyrillic alphabet. Well I knew the basics but I wasn\'t any good at it. So I took an intensive course and at the end of this course thought for the first time: maybe I\'ll be able to do this after all. Since then I\'ve taken regular private lessons but Bulgarian is a difficult language.\n\nOften people ask me why I even bother. Many Bulgarians see very little value in a foreigner learning their language.\n\nBut how can you live in a country and not try to learn the language?\n\nYou miss out on so much if you choose to live in an insular expat community speaking only English while living abroad.\n<a title=\"In 10: Learning Bulgarian by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7032222419/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7231/7032222419_34b3234532_z.jpg\" alt=\"In 10: Learning Bulgarian\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\nStill it\'s not easy. Or it hasn\'t been easy for me but I wouldn\'t have it any other way--learning Bulgarian has challenged me to think in new ways, learning Bulgarian has forced me let down my guard and open myself up to making mistakes, learning Bulgarian has made me laugh and it\'s made me cry, and learning Bulgarian has introduced me to people I would have otherwise never met.\n\n<a title=\"Mladost by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/5089470277/\"><img src=\"http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4151/5089470277_64e62a4493_z.jpg\" alt=\"Mladost\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n\nAs strange and foreign Bulgaria and Bulgarian seem sometimes, this place has become home. I believe that my Mladost (младост), Mladost 1A is the best of the Mladost neighborhoods.There are a total of five Mladost 1, Mladost 1A, Mladost 2, Mladost 3 and Mladost 4. The neighborhoods are filled with huge crumbling block buildings, ground level shops and restaurants, bus stops and a smattering of fruit and vegetable stands.\n\nIn Mladost 1A, I have my shops and women who smile at me and greet me when I pop in. It hasn\'t always been like this. I am tall and blond and as such don\'t blend into the general population. In the beginning, these women would give me at best a weary smile suspecting that I didn\'t speak Bulgarian and knowing that they didn\'t speak English and at worst they\'d sigh heavily and put down their plastic cup of espresso to help me.\n\nThey weren\'t looking forward to waiting on my and I hated the way they\'d look at me. However, as soon as I spoke some Bulgarian (and in the beginning this was very, very bad Bulgarian) their drawn faces would loosen a little and over time, these women have become almost friendly. And you know what, I\'ll take it.\n\nRecently I stopped by a shop to buy sparking water. I glanced in the case, nothing. I asked her in Bulgarian: Do you have any sparking water? She told me: No, not right now. There will be more later this afternoon. I said: Okay, thanks. Have a nice day. Her response: You too.\n\n<em>You too! </em>Ha. She spoke to me and was polite verging on friendly.\n\nI walked home sparkling water-less but happy. I had a normal exchange in Bulgarian. The kind of exchange that I could just as likely have had at home in the States. I couldn\'t help but smile. I also couldn\'t help but wonder if I smoked cigarettes and popped in more regularly if she\'d like me more and if she\'d have warmed up to me sooner. Oh wel\n\nSpeaking the language makes you feel more confident and more at home in a place that\'s completely unlike anywhere else you\'ve ever lived.\n<a title=\"Bus Station by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/5146270929/\"><img src=\"http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4037/5146270929_2692074244_z.jpg\" alt=\"Bus Station\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n\nFour years in, I\'m not as good at Bulgarian as I\'d like to be. I work at an English language high school and spend my whole day teaching Bulgarian teenagers English literature. My colleagues speak excellent English and as a result I speak minimal amounts of Bulgarian. Still I\'ve made a point of studying, keeping up with my homework and practicing my Bulgarian when I can.','Learning, studying and bumbling my way through Bulgarian ','','inherit','open','open','','7193-revision-2','','','2012-09-27 20:52:05','2012-09-27 18:52:05','',7193,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/27/7193-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7196,1,'2012-09-27 20:52:58','2012-09-27 18:52:58','Each fall I find myself thinking about my life in Bulgaria. The whole thing often strikes me as wonderful, wholly unlikely and a little magical--even four years into this adventure. I never imagined when I moved to Sofia on a Fulbright that I\'d still be here let alone that I\'d be teaching English, learning Bulgarian and traveling as much as I have.\r\n<a title=\"Heart by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6970314530/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/6970314530_1eb0dd5d58_z.jpg\" alt=\"Heart\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThe thing is Bulgarian hasn\'t been easy. When I moved here, I didn\'t know the Cyrillic alphabet. Well I knew the basics but I wasn\'t any good at it. So I took an intensive course and at the end of this course thought for the first time: maybe I\'ll be able to do this after all. Since then I\'ve taken regular private lessons but Bulgarian is a difficult language.\r\n\r\nOften people ask me why I even bother. Many Bulgarians see very little value in a foreigner learning their language.\r\n\r\nBut how can you live in a country and not try to learn the language?\r\n\r\nYou miss out on so much if you choose to live in an insular expat community speaking only English while living abroad.\r\n<a title=\"In 10: Learning Bulgarian by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7032222419/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7231/7032222419_34b3234532_z.jpg\" alt=\"In 10: Learning Bulgarian\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nStill it\'s not easy. Or it hasn\'t been easy for me but I wouldn\'t have it any other way--learning Bulgarian has challenged me to think in new ways, learning Bulgarian has forced me let down my guard and open myself up to making mistakes, learning Bulgarian has made me laugh and it\'s made me cry, and learning Bulgarian has introduced me to people I would have otherwise never met.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Mladost by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/5089470277/\"><img src=\"http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4151/5089470277_64e62a4493_z.jpg\" alt=\"Mladost\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n\r\nAs strange and foreign Bulgaria and Bulgarian seem sometimes, this place has become home. I believe that my Mladost (младост), Mladost 1A is the best of the Mladost neighborhoods.There are a total of five Mladost 1, Mladost 1A, Mladost 2, Mladost 3 and Mladost 4. The neighborhoods are filled with huge crumbling block buildings, ground level shops and restaurants, bus stops and a smattering of fruit and vegetable stands.\r\n\r\nIn Mladost 1A, I have my shops and women who smile at me and greet me when I pop in. It hasn\'t always been like this. I am tall and blond and as such don\'t blend into the general population. In the beginning, these women would give me at best a weary smile suspecting that I didn\'t speak Bulgarian and knowing that they didn\'t speak English and at worst they\'d sigh heavily and put down their plastic cup of espresso to help me.\r\n\r\nThey weren\'t looking forward to waiting on my and I hated the way they\'d look at me. However, as soon as I spoke some Bulgarian (and in the beginning this was very, very bad Bulgarian) their drawn faces would loosen a little and over time, these women have become almost friendly. And you know what, I\'ll take it.\r\n\r\nRecently I stopped by a shop to buy sparking water. I glanced in the case, nothing. I asked her in Bulgarian: Do you have any sparking water? She told me: No, not right now. There will be more later this afternoon. I said: Okay, thanks. Have a nice day. Her response: You too.\r\n\r\n<em>You too! </em>Ha. She spoke to me and was polite verging on friendly.\r\n\r\nI walked home sparkling water-less but happy. I had a normal exchange in Bulgarian. The kind of exchange that I could just as likely have had at home in the States. I couldn\'t help but smile. I also couldn\'t help but wonder if I smoked cigarettes and popped in more regularly if she\'d like me more and if she\'d have warmed up to me sooner. I guess I\'ll never know.\r\n\r\nWhat I do know is that speaking the language makes you feel more confident and more at home in a place that\'s completely unlike anywhere else you\'ve ever lived.\r\n<a title=\"Bus Station by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/5146270929/\"><img src=\"http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4037/5146270929_2692074244_z.jpg\" alt=\"Bus Station\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n\r\nFour years in, I\'m not as good at Bulgarian as I\'d like to be. I work at an English language high school and spend my whole day teaching Bulgarian teenagers English literature. My colleagues speak excellent English and as a result I speak minimal amounts of Bulgarian. Still I\'ve made a point of studying, keeping up with my homework and practicing my Bulgarian when I can.','Learning, studying and bumbling my way through Bulgarian ','','inherit','open','open','','7193-revision-3','','','2012-09-27 20:52:58','2012-09-27 18:52:58','',7193,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/27/7193-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7197,1,'2012-09-27 20:53:13','2012-09-27 18:53:13','Each fall I find myself thinking about my life in Bulgaria. The whole thing often strikes me as wonderful, wholly unlikely and a little magical--even four years into this adventure. I never imagined when I moved to Sofia on a Fulbright that I\'d still be here let alone that I\'d be teaching English, learning Bulgarian and traveling as much as I have.\r\n<a title=\"Heart by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6970314530/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/6970314530_1eb0dd5d58_z.jpg\" alt=\"Heart\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThe thing is Bulgarian hasn\'t been easy. When I moved here, I didn\'t know the Cyrillic alphabet. Well I knew the basics but I wasn\'t any good at it. So I took an intensive course and at the end of this course thought for the first time: maybe I\'ll be able to do this after all. Since then I\'ve taken regular private lessons but Bulgarian is a difficult language.\r\n\r\nOften people ask me why I even bother. Many Bulgarians see very little value in a foreigner learning their language.\r\n\r\nBut how can you live in a country and not try to learn the language?\r\n\r\nYou miss out on so much if you choose to live in an insular expat community speaking only English while living abroad.\r\n<a title=\"In 10: Learning Bulgarian by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7032222419/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7231/7032222419_34b3234532_z.jpg\" alt=\"In 10: Learning Bulgarian\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nStill it\'s not easy. Or it hasn\'t been easy for me but I wouldn\'t have it any other way--learning Bulgarian has challenged me to think in new ways, learning Bulgarian has forced me let down my guard and open myself up to making mistakes, learning Bulgarian has made me laugh and it\'s made me cry, and learning Bulgarian has introduced me to people I would have otherwise never met.\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Mladost by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/5089470277/\"><img src=\"http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4151/5089470277_64e62a4493_z.jpg\" alt=\"Mladost\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n\r\nAs strange and foreign Bulgaria and Bulgarian seem sometimes, this place has become home. I believe that my Mladost (младост), Mladost 1A is the best of the Mladost neighborhoods.There are a total of five Mladost 1, Mladost 1A, Mladost 2, Mladost 3 and Mladost 4. The neighborhoods are filled with huge crumbling block buildings, ground level shops and restaurants, bus stops and a smattering of fruit and vegetable stands.\r\n\r\nIn Mladost 1A, I have my shops and women who smile at me and greet me when I pop in. It hasn\'t always been like this. I am tall and blond and as such don\'t blend into the general population. In the beginning, these women would give me at best a weary smile suspecting that I didn\'t speak Bulgarian and knowing that they didn\'t speak English and at worst they\'d sigh heavily and put down their plastic cup of espresso to help me.\r\n\r\nThey weren\'t looking forward to waiting on my and I hated the way they\'d look at me. However, as soon as I spoke some Bulgarian (and in the beginning this was very, very bad Bulgarian) their drawn faces would loosen a little and over time, these women have become almost friendly. And you know what, I\'ll take it.\r\n\r\nRecently I stopped by a shop to buy sparking water. I glanced in the case, nothing. I asked her in Bulgarian: Do you have any sparking water? She told me: No, not right now. There will be more later this afternoon. I said: Okay, thanks. Have a nice day. Her response: You too.\r\n\r\n<em>You too! </em>Ha. She spoke to me and was polite verging on friendly.\r\n\r\nI walked home sparkling water-less but happy. I had a normal exchange in Bulgarian. The kind of exchange that I could just as likely have had at home in the States. I couldn\'t help but smile. I also couldn\'t help but wonder if I smoked cigarettes and popped in more regularly if she\'d like me more and if she\'d have warmed up to me sooner. I guess I\'ll never know.\r\n\r\nWhat I do know is that speaking the language makes you feel more confident and more at home in a place that\'s completely unlike anywhere else you\'ve ever lived.\r\n<a title=\"Bus Station by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/5146270929/\"><img src=\"http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4037/5146270929_2692074244_z.jpg\" alt=\"Bus Station\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n\r\nFour years in, I\'m not as good at Bulgarian as I\'d like to be. I work at an English language high school and spend my whole day teaching Bulgarian teenagers English literature. My colleagues speak excellent English and as a result I speak minimal amounts of Bulgarian. Still I\'ve made a point of studying, keeping up with my homework and practicing my Bulgarian when I can.','Learning, studying and bumbling my way through Bulgarian ','','inherit','open','open','','7193-revision-4','','','2012-09-27 20:53:13','2012-09-27 18:53:13','',7193,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/27/7193-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(7198,1,'2012-09-28 06:04:44','2012-09-28 04:04:44','Each fall I find myself thinking about my life in Bulgaria. The whole thing often strikes me as wonderful, wholly unlikely and a little magical--even four years into this adventure. I never imagined when I moved to Sofia on a Fulbright that I\'d still be here let alone that I\'d be teaching English, learning Bulgarian and traveling as much as I have.\n<a title=\"Heart by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6970314530/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/6970314530_1eb0dd5d58_z.jpg\" alt=\"Heart\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\nThe thing is Bulgarian hasn\'t been easy. When I moved here, I didn\'t know the Cyrillic alphabet. Well I knew the basics but I wasn\'t any good at it. So I took an intensive course and at the end of this course thought for the first time: maybe I\'ll be able to do this after all. Since then I\'ve taken regular private lessons but Bulgarian is a difficult language and the fact of the matter is I should probably commit more time to  it than I do.\n\nOften people ask me why I even bother. Many Bulgarians see very little value in a foreigner learning their language and more practical Americans say wonder if I\'d be better served learning Spanish. You know, something <em>useful</em>.\n\nThe thing is learning Bulgarian is useful.\n\nHow can you live in a country and not try to learn the language?\n\nYou\'ll miss out on so much if you choose to live in an insular expat community speaking only English while living abroad. And practically speaking, of course, a night out is much easier if you can read the menu, order the food you want, pay the bill when you want and take a taxi home.\n\nI think that you learn a language for yourself but it makes the rest of your life abroad that much less frustrating.\n<a title=\"In 10: Learning Bulgarian by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7032222419/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7231/7032222419_34b3234532_z.jpg\" alt=\"In 10: Learning Bulgarian\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n\nI don\'t want to miss out on anything--although I am sure that I have. Enter: <em>jokes</em>.\n\nMastering Bulgarian is not easy or it hasn\'t been easy for me.  I spend a lot of time, putting a smile on my face and doing the best that I can with the Bulgarian that I have. I\'ve bumbled my way through a lot of conversations. Very little about Bulgarian seems graceful to me. Often I feel like I am tripping over verbs and playing eni-mini-miny-moe when I\'m grasping for a preposition but you know what, I know a lot of nouns and I can speak in first person, present tense pretty flawlessly these days.\n\nHowever, I wouldn\'t have it any other way--learning Bulgarian has challenged me to think in new ways, learning Bulgarian has forced me let down my guard and open myself up to making mistakes, learning Bulgarian has made me laugh and it\'s made me cry, and learning Bulgarian has introduced me to people I would have otherwise never met.<!--more-->\n\n<a title=\"Mladost by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/5089470277/\"><img src=\"http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4151/5089470277_64e62a4493_z.jpg\" alt=\"Mladost\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n\nAs strange and foreign Bulgaria and Bulgarian seem sometimes, this place has become home and a huge part of this is due to my willingness to take risks and my commitment to learning Bulgarian.\n\nThere you have it. Sofia is beginning to feel like home and I am developing my own loyalties. I know which brands I like at the grocery store and I believe that my Mladost (младост), Mladost 1A is the best of the Mladost neighborhoods.There are a total of five: Mladost 1, Mladost 1A, Mladost 2, Mladost 3 and Mladost 4 but mine is clearly the best of the Mladosts. All of the neighborhoods are filled with huge crumbling block buildings, ground level shops and restaurants, dilapidated bus stops, poorly paved unnamed streets and a smattering of fruit and vegetable stands.\n\nAn outsider wouldn\'t know where Mladost 1 stops and Mladost 1A starts they all look the same, but I do. In Mladost 1A, I have my shops and women who smile at me and greet me when I pop in.\n\nIt hasn\'t always been like this.\n\nI am tall and blond and as such don\'t blend into the general population. In the beginning, these women would give me at best a weary smile suspecting that I didn\'t speak Bulgarian and knowing that they didn\'t speak English and at worst they\'d sigh heavily and grudgingly put down their plastic cups of espresso to help me.\n\nThey weren\'t looking forward to waiting on my and I hated this. Okay, to be fair, they weren\'t looking forward to helping anyone but this was especially true for me. Bulgarian was the game changer. As soon as I spoke some Bulgarian (and in the beginning this was very, very bad Bulgarian), their drawn faces would loosen a little and over time, these women have become almost friendly.\n\nAnd you know what, I\'ll take it.\n<a title=\"my Mladost fall 2012 by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7912006496/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8314/7912006496_7f7e20b1a5_z.jpg\" alt=\"my Mladost fall 2012\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nRecently I stopped by a shop to buy sparking water. I glanced in the case, nothing. I asked her in Bulgarian: Do you have any sparking water? She told me: No, not right now. There will be more later this afternoon. I said: Okay, thanks. Have a nice day. Her response: You too.\n\n<em>You too! </em>Ha. She spoke to me, I understood and her speech was polite verging on friendly.\n\nI walked home sparkling water-less but happy. I had a normal exchange in Bulgarian. The kind of exchange that I could just as easily have had at home in the States. I couldn\'t help but smile.\n\nIn this moment, I also couldn\'t help but wonder if I smoked cigarettes and popped in more regularly if she\'d like me more and if she\'d have warmed up to me sooner but I pretty clearly never know the answer to this question and that\'s okay because I had a complete exchange with a normally sour shop keeper in Bulgarian\n\nThese days what I do know is that speaking the language makes you feel more confident and more at home in a place that\'s completely unlike anywhere else you\'ve ever lived.\n<a title=\"Bus Station by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/5146270929/\"><img src=\"http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4037/5146270929_2692074244_z.jpg\" alt=\"Bus Station\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\n\nFour years in, I\'m not as good at Bulgarian as I\'d like to be. I work at an English language high school and spend my whole day teaching Bulgarian teenagers English literature. My colleagues speak excellent English and as a result I speak minimal amounts of Bulgarian. Still I\'ve made a point of studying, keeping up with my homework and practicing my Bulgarian when I can.\n\nNow I guess is the time to recommit to <a href=\"http://daybyeday.tumblr.com/\" target=\"_blank\">my Bulgarian language blog</a>. There\'s nothing quite as humbling as opening yourself up to criticism on the internet in a language that is not your first, in a language that you don\'t really know the ins and outs of and where you have basically no control over the nuances but how else can you learn?','Learning, studying and bumbling my way through Bulgarian ','','inherit','open','open','','7193-revision-5','','','2012-09-28 06:04:44','2012-09-28 04:04:44','',7193,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/28/7193-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(7199,1,'2012-09-28 12:22:26','2012-09-28 10:22:26','Each fall I find myself thinking about my life in Bulgaria. The whole thing often strikes me as wonderful, wholly unlikely and a little magical--even four years into this adventure. I never imagined when I moved to Sofia on a Fulbright that I\'d still be here let alone that I\'d be teaching English, learning Bulgarian and traveling as much as I have.\r\n<a title=\"Heart by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6970314530/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/6970314530_1eb0dd5d58_z.jpg\" alt=\"Heart\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThe thing is Bulgarian hasn\'t been easy. When I moved here, I didn\'t know the Cyrillic alphabet. Well I knew the basics but I wasn\'t any good at it. So I took an intensive course and at the end of this course thought for the first time: maybe I\'ll be able to do this after all. Since then I\'ve taken regular private lessons but Bulgarian is a difficult language and the fact of the matter is I should probably commit more time to  it than I do.\r\n\r\nOften people ask me why I even bother. Many Bulgarians see very little value in a foreigner learning their language and more practical Americans say wonder if I\'d be better served learning Spanish. You know, something <em>useful</em>.\r\n\r\nThe thing is learning Bulgarian is useful.\r\n\r\nHow can you live in a country and not try to learn the language?\r\n\r\nYou\'ll miss out on so much if you choose to live in an insular expat community speaking only English while living abroad. And practically speaking, of course, a night out is much easier if you can read the menu, order the food you want, pay the bill when you want and take a taxi home.\r\n\r\nI think that you learn a language for yourself but it makes the rest of your life abroad that much less frustrating.\r\n<a title=\"In 10: Learning Bulgarian by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7032222419/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7231/7032222419_34b3234532_z.jpg\" alt=\"In 10: Learning Bulgarian\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI don\'t want to miss out on anything--although I am sure that I have. Enter: <em>jokes</em>.\r\n\r\nMastering Bulgarian is not easy or it hasn\'t been easy for me.  I spend a lot of time, putting a smile on my face and doing the best that I can with the Bulgarian that I have. I\'ve bumbled my way through a lot of conversations. Very little about Bulgarian seems graceful to me. Often I feel like I am tripping over verbs and playing eni-mini-miny-moe when I\'m grasping for a preposition but you know what, I know a lot of nouns and I can speak in first person, present tense pretty flawlessly these days.\r\n\r\nHowever, I wouldn\'t have it any other way--learning Bulgarian has challenged me to think in new ways, learning Bulgarian has forced me let down my guard and open myself up to making mistakes, learning Bulgarian has made me laugh and it\'s made me cry, and learning Bulgarian has introduced me to people I would have otherwise never met.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Mladost by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/5089470277/\"><img src=\"http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4151/5089470277_64e62a4493_z.jpg\" alt=\"Mladost\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n\r\nAs strange and foreign Bulgaria and Bulgarian seem sometimes, this place has become home and a huge part of this is due to my willingness to take risks and my commitment to learning Bulgarian.\r\n\r\nThere you have it. Sofia is beginning to feel like home and I am developing my own loyalties. I know which brands I like at the grocery store and I believe that my Mladost (младост), Mladost 1A is the best of the Mladost neighborhoods.There are a total of five: Mladost 1, Mladost 1A, Mladost 2, Mladost 3 and Mladost 4 but mine is clearly the best of the Mladosts. All of the neighborhoods are filled with huge crumbling block buildings, ground level shops and restaurants, dilapidated bus stops, poorly paved unnamed streets and a smattering of fruit and vegetable stands.\r\n\r\nAn outsider wouldn\'t know where Mladost 1 stops and Mladost 1A starts they all look the same, but I do. In Mladost 1A, I have my shops and women who smile at me and greet me when I pop in.\r\n\r\nIt hasn\'t always been like this.\r\n\r\nI am tall and blond and as such don\'t blend into the general population. In the beginning, these women would give me at best a weary smile suspecting that I didn\'t speak Bulgarian and knowing that they didn\'t speak English and at worst they\'d sigh heavily and grudgingly put down their plastic cups of espresso to help me.\r\n\r\nThey weren\'t looking forward to waiting on my and I hated this. Okay, to be fair, they weren\'t looking forward to helping anyone but this was especially true for me. Bulgarian was the game changer. As soon as I spoke some Bulgarian (and in the beginning this was very, very bad Bulgarian), their drawn faces would loosen a little and over time, these women have become almost friendly.\r\n\r\nAnd you know what, I\'ll take it.\r\n<a title=\"my Mladost fall 2012 by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7912006496/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8314/7912006496_7f7e20b1a5_z.jpg\" alt=\"my Mladost fall 2012\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nRecently I stopped by a shop to buy sparking water. I glanced in the case, nothing. I asked her in Bulgarian: Do you have any sparking water? She told me: No, not right now. There will be more later this afternoon. I said: Okay, thanks. Have a nice day. Her response: You too.\r\n\r\n<em>You too! </em>Ha. She spoke to me, I understood and her speech was polite verging on friendly.\r\n\r\nI walked home sparkling water-less but happy. I had a normal exchange in Bulgarian. The kind of exchange that I could just as easily have had at home in the States. I couldn\'t help but smile.\r\n\r\nIn this moment, I also couldn\'t help but wonder if I smoked cigarettes and popped in more regularly if she\'d like me more and if she\'d have warmed up to me sooner but I pretty clearly never know the answer to this question and that\'s okay because I had a complete exchange with a normally sour shop keeper in Bulgarian\r\n\r\nThese days what I do know is that speaking the language makes you feel more confident and more at home in a place that\'s completely unlike anywhere else you\'ve ever lived.\r\n<a title=\"Bus Station by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/5146270929/\"><img src=\"http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4037/5146270929_2692074244_z.jpg\" alt=\"Bus Station\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n\r\nFour years in, I\'m not as good at Bulgarian as I\'d like to be. I work at an English language high school and spend my whole day teaching Bulgarian teenagers English literature. My colleagues speak excellent English and as a result I speak minimal amounts of Bulgarian. Still I\'ve made a point of studying, keeping up with my homework and practicing my Bulgarian when I can.\r\n\r\nNow I guess is the time to recommit to <a href=\"http://daybyeday.tumblr.com/\" target=\"_blank\">my Bulgarian language blog</a>. There\'s nothing quite as humbling as opening yourself up to criticism on the internet in a language that is not your first, in a language that you don\'t really know the ins and outs of and where you have basically no control over the nuances but how else can you learn?\r\n\r\n----\r\nI\'ve written this post as part of a language competition being hosted by Kaplan. They\'ve put together this pretty amazing graphic. So if my post isn\'t inspiring enough to make you want to move abroad and study another language maybe this will do it: \r\n<a href=\"http://kaplaninternational.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/KAPLAN_BENEFITS_INFOGRAPHIC.jpg\"><img src=\"http://kaplaninternational.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/KAPLAN_BENEFITS_INFOGRAPHIC.jpg\" alt=\"inspire language learning\" /></a><a href=\"http://www.kaplaninternational.com/index.aspx\">Learn English with Kaplan</a>','Learning, studying and bumbling my way through Bulgarian ','','inherit','open','open','','7193-autosave','','','2012-09-28 12:22:26','2012-09-28 10:22:26','',7193,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/28/7193-autosave/',0,'revision','',0),(7239,1,'2012-10-15 06:17:49','2012-10-15 04:17:49','<a title=\"Alexander Nevski Cathedral by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/2902964946/\"><img class=\"alignleft\" src=\"http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3184/2902964946_c7bae36e3c.jpg\" alt=\"Alexander Nevski Cathedral\" width=\"375\" height=\"500\" /></a>One of the reasons I like Sofia is because it\'s not an outwardly beautiful city. It\'s no Buda and Pest. There\'s no Eiffel Tower. We don\'t do past and wine or curry dogs and the Berlin wall. People don\'t come here to bike al-la Amsterdam and Copenhagen. In fact I think that bike riding in Sofa is down right scary.\r\n\r\nNope. We\'ve got Shopska salad and banitsa to keep us happy.  There\'s Nevsky Cathedral which looks pretty good when the sky is bright blue or lit up at night and we\'ve got a couple of museums in old historic buildings. We\'ve got a walk-able downtown and a metro with two lines!\r\n\r\nThis said, in my mind, what makes Sofia special are the little shops, the holes in the wall cafes and the unexpected treasures that line Sofia\'s side streets.\r\n\r\nSo if you\'re visiting Sofia, what\'s a girl to do? to see? to eat?\r\n\r\nHere\'s what I would do. I\'d start things off with a visit to <a href=\"http://www.freesofiatour.com/\" target=\"_blank\">Free Sofia Tours</a>. They do a really great walking tour.  I love the intersection of history, architecture and attitude on the tour. <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/04/23/sofia-and-easter-weekend/\" target=\"_blank\">I\'ve been on it twice</a> and I\'d go again. The tour is really the best of Sofia and it would give you a good sense of what you want to return to and visit further.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n<strong>Things to Eat</strong>\r\n\r\nFrom the tour, I\'d then decide what I wanted to eat. Some of my favorite options include<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/03/07/new-sofia-restaurant-tavite-or-%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%82%D0%B5/\" target=\"_blank\"> Tavite</a> a restaurant that makes traditional Bulgarian food with a modern twist. The food is well made and  the service is great.\r\n\r\nOr maybe you\'re looking for something easier and faster like soup and a sandwich. There are a number of new soup places but my favorite remains <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/04/18/new-find-supastar/\" target=\"_blank\">SupaStar on Shishman</a>. I\'ve never been disappointed by the soup or by a sandwich and that\'s saying something.\r\n\r\nThis said you can\'t really go wrong with Sofia-classics like Ugo, Divaka or Don Domat. I\'m not the biggest Happy fan but lots of people really like the food.\r\n\r\nRecently I also went to <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/25/made-in-home/\" target=\"_blank\">Make in Home</a> and loved it. Other restaurants that I like are Sun and Moon a vegetarian place and <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/06/15/boom-burger-in-sofia/\" target=\"_blank\">Boom Burger</a> a hamburger place but really if you\'re just visiting there are other places I\'d go first.\r\n\r\n<strong>Things to Do </strong>\r\n\r\nAfter some food, I\'d probably want to check out a museum or maybe two. There\'s a little bit something for everyone in downtown Sofia.\r\n\r\nYou <em>must</em> go to see Nevsky. After this feel free to do any or all of the following.\r\n\r\nIn the city center depending on what you like I\'d recommend the <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/07/29/the-national-art-gallery-and-vladimir-dimitrov-the-master/\" target=\"_blank\">National Art Gallery</a> in a beautiful old building, the <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/04/22/sofia-city-art-gallery/\" target=\"_blank\">Sofia City Art Gallery</a> is free everyday but the exhibits are always rotating and/or <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/05/20/night-at-the-museums-in-sofia/\" target=\"_blank\">the National Archaeological Museum</a> which is in a old mosque and has an interesting collection of things. Oh and there\'s the icon museum in the basement of Nevsky Cathedral  I\'ve never seen another collection like that before but you have to have some interest in icons to hit this one up.\r\n\r\nIf you\'re up for a little adventure, I\'d also recommend Boyana Church and the National History Museum in Boyana. Take a taxi and you shouldn\'t have a problem getting to either of these places.\r\n\r\nAfter a museum and an art gallery, I\'d consider some shopping.\r\n\r\nMy two favorite Bulgarian shops are <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/04/17/friday-finds-paradise-garage/\" target=\"_blank\">Paradise Garage</a> and <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/12/14/zona-urbana/\" target=\"_blank\">Zona Urbana</a>. Zona Urbana is the place to go if you\'re looking for a unique souvenir as they make all sorts of bags and purses out of old communist newspapers. You really have to see this shop to believe it. This shop is a go to for me when it comes to giving gifts.\r\n\r\nThis said in the underpass by the National Archaeology Museum there are some cheesy-but-great Bulgarian souvenir shops. If you\'re looking fo<a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/03/12/a-stroll-through-sofia/\" target=\"_blank\">r art or old artifacts, there\'s a daily flea market</a> nearby Nevsky. I\'ve shied away from the flea market but mostly because much of the art is really great and the prices are relatively low.\r\n\r\n<strong>Where to Drink</strong>\r\n\r\nThis is the easiest and the hardest category. It\'s impossible to walk down the street and not pass a cafe or a bar in downtown Sofia so if you\'re not picky you can just go anywhere.\r\n\r\nFor coffee and cocktails my favorites include <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/23/vitosha-street-memento/\" target=\"_blank\">Memento</a>, <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/07/31/lime-cafe-and-friends/\" target=\"_blank\">Lime</a>, <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2010/03/30/one-more-bar-shishman/\" target=\"_blank\">One More Bar </a> and <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2009/06/29/museum-kind-of-day/\" target=\"_blank\">Toba &amp; Co</a>. Sure there\'s also Starbucks, Onda and Costa but why buy from a chain if you can go local?\r\n\r\nIf you\'re nearby Shishman, you could stop by Bilkova for a cold beer (or something stronger)--often in the fall before it gets cold people sit outside and drink on the patio. Another crowd pleaser is <a href=\"http://www.spottedbylocals.com/sofia/hambara/\" target=\"_blank\">Hambara</a> a bar that is lit by candles but shows up in <em>every</em> guidebook. <a href=\"http://www.spottedbylocals.com/sofia/butchers-bar/\" target=\"_blank\">Butchers</a> is another unexpected but wonderfully fun bar not far from Sofia University.\r\n\r\nA place I cannot recommend enough is <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/10/16/tova-coffee-the-arts-and-a-decent-dose-of-cool/\" target=\"_blank\">+Tova</a>. It\'s a coffee shop/bar/art space. The space is open and airy and all of the art on the walls is for sale. It\'s just enough off the normal tourist paths that you\'ll feel like you\'ve found something really special. And really if you make it to +Tovva you\'d better stop by <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/10/08/cupcakes-in-sofia/\" target=\"_blank\">Take a Cake</a> for a cupcake.\r\n\r\nIf this isn\'t enough a while ago, I wrote these two posts: <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/09/09/a-sight-seeing-scavenger-hunt-in-sofia/\" target=\"_blank\">A Sofia savager hunt</a> and <a href=\"http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2011/04/26/sofia-for-a-day/\" target=\"_blank\">a day in Sofia</a>.','My Sofia: What to do and see','','publish','open','open','','my-sofia-what-to-do-and-see','','','2012-10-15 06:17:49','2012-10-15 04:17:49','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7239',0,'post','',3),(7223,1,'2012-10-07 14:56:55','2012-10-07 12:56:55','I think that my cold is finally passing (and/or maybe it\'s passed). Here\'s what I know: the itchy throat is gone and the nagging tickle is gone.  I no longer feel the need to sneeze or sleep. My nose is drip free and my eyes are no longer watery.\r\n\r\nI couldn\'t be happier.\r\n\r\nI drank a lot of tea and orange juice trying to kick the cold. Just to clarify, I didn\'t drink them together.\r\n\r\nWhen the cold first reared it\'s head last weekend I was determined to beat it. I would not let it take hold. I tried to drown it.\r\n\r\nThis did not work.\r\n\r\nThere was no magic mixture of tea, tv, oj and a good book that was going to combat this cold. Nope, it just took time.  I had to let it run it\'s course. I\'d rather have spent my last week doing something way more awesome than teaching and nursing a cold but these things happen sometimes.\r\n\r\nSo that\'s that. My first cold of the school year.','A little cold ','','publish','open','open','','a-little-cold','','','2012-10-07 14:56:55','2012-10-07 12:56:55','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7223',0,'post','',2),(7201,1,'2012-09-28 06:05:04','2012-09-28 04:05:04','Each fall I find myself thinking about my life in Bulgaria. The whole thing often strikes me as wonderful, wholly unlikely and a little magical--even four years into this adventure. I never imagined when I moved to Sofia on a Fulbright that I\'d still be here let alone that I\'d be teaching English, learning Bulgarian and traveling as much as I have.\r\n<a title=\"Heart by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/6970314530/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/6970314530_1eb0dd5d58_z.jpg\" alt=\"Heart\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\nThe thing is Bulgarian hasn\'t been easy. When I moved here, I didn\'t know the Cyrillic alphabet. Well I knew the basics but I wasn\'t any good at it. So I took an intensive course and at the end of this course thought for the first time: maybe I\'ll be able to do this after all. Since then I\'ve taken regular private lessons but Bulgarian is a difficult language and the fact of the matter is I should probably commit more time to  it than I do.\r\n\r\nOften people ask me why I even bother. Many Bulgarians see very little value in a foreigner learning their language and more practical Americans say wonder if I\'d be better served learning Spanish. You know, something <em>useful</em>.\r\n\r\nThe thing is learning Bulgarian is useful.\r\n\r\nHow can you live in a country and not try to learn the language?\r\n\r\nYou\'ll miss out on so much if you choose to live in an insular expat community speaking only English while living abroad. And practically speaking, of course, a night out is much easier if you can read the menu, order the food you want, pay the bill when you want and take a taxi home.\r\n\r\nI think that you learn a language for yourself but it makes the rest of your life abroad that much less frustrating.\r\n<a title=\"In 10: Learning Bulgarian by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7032222419/\"><img src=\"http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7231/7032222419_34b3234532_z.jpg\" alt=\"In 10: Learning Bulgarian\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n\r\nI don\'t want to miss out on anything--although I am sure that I have. Enter: <em>jokes</em>.\r\n\r\nMastering Bulgarian is not easy or it hasn\'t been easy for me.  I spend a lot of time, putting a smile on my face and doing the best that I can with the Bulgarian that I have. I\'ve bumbled my way through a lot of conversations. Very little about Bulgarian seems graceful to me. Often I feel like I am tripping over verbs and playing eni-mini-miny-moe when I\'m grasping for a preposition but you know what, I know a lot of nouns and I can speak in first person, present tense pretty flawlessly these days.\r\n\r\nHowever, I wouldn\'t have it any other way--learning Bulgarian has challenged me to think in new ways, learning Bulgarian has forced me let down my guard and open myself up to making mistakes, learning Bulgarian has made me laugh and it\'s made me cry, and learning Bulgarian has introduced me to people I would have otherwise never met.<!--more-->\r\n\r\n<a title=\"Mladost by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/5089470277/\"><img src=\"http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4151/5089470277_64e62a4493_z.jpg\" alt=\"Mladost\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n\r\nAs strange and foreign Bulgaria and Bulgarian seem sometimes, this place has become home and a huge part of this is due to my willingness to take risks and my commitment to learning Bulgarian.\r\n\r\nThere you have it. Sofia is beginning to feel like home and I am developing my own loyalties. I know which brands I like at the grocery store and I believe that my Mladost (младост), Mladost 1A is the best of the Mladost neighborhoods.There are a total of five: Mladost 1, Mladost 1A, Mladost 2, Mladost 3 and Mladost 4 but mine is clearly the best of the Mladosts. All of the neighborhoods are filled with huge crumbling block buildings, ground level shops and restaurants, dilapidated bus stops, poorly paved unnamed streets and a smattering of fruit and vegetable stands.\r\n\r\nAn outsider wouldn\'t know where Mladost 1 stops and Mladost 1A starts they all look the same, but I do. In Mladost 1A, I have my shops and women who smile at me and greet me when I pop in.\r\n\r\nIt hasn\'t always been like this.\r\n\r\nI am tall and blond and as such don\'t blend into the general population. In the beginning, these women would give me at best a weary smile suspecting that I didn\'t speak Bulgarian and knowing that they didn\'t speak English and at worst they\'d sigh heavily and grudgingly put down their plastic cups of espresso to help me.\r\n\r\nThey weren\'t looking forward to waiting on my and I hated this. Okay, to be fair, they weren\'t looking forward to helping anyone but this was especially true for me. Bulgarian was the game changer. As soon as I spoke some Bulgarian (and in the beginning this was very, very bad Bulgarian), their drawn faces would loosen a little and over time, these women have become almost friendly.\r\n\r\nAnd you know what, I\'ll take it.\r\n<a title=\"my Mladost fall 2012 by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/7912006496/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8314/7912006496_7f7e20b1a5_z.jpg\" alt=\"my Mladost fall 2012\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nRecently I stopped by a shop to buy sparking water. I glanced in the case, nothing. I asked her in Bulgarian: Do you have any sparking water? She told me: No, not right now. There will be more later this afternoon. I said: Okay, thanks. Have a nice day. Her response: You too.\r\n\r\n<em>You too! </em>Ha. She spoke to me, I understood and her speech was polite verging on friendly.\r\n\r\nI walked home sparkling water-less but happy. I had a normal exchange in Bulgarian. The kind of exchange that I could just as easily have had at home in the States. I couldn\'t help but smile.\r\n\r\nIn this moment, I also couldn\'t help but wonder if I smoked cigarettes and popped in more regularly if she\'d like me more and if she\'d have warmed up to me sooner but I pretty clearly never know the answer to this question and that\'s okay because I had a complete exchange with a normally sour shop keeper in Bulgarian\r\n\r\nThese days what I do know is that speaking the language makes you feel more confident and more at home in a place that\'s completely unlike anywhere else you\'ve ever lived.\r\n<a title=\"Bus Station by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/5146270929/\"><img src=\"http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4037/5146270929_2692074244_z.jpg\" alt=\"Bus Station\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" /></a>\r\n\r\nFour years in, I\'m not as good at Bulgarian as I\'d like to be. I work at an English language high school and spend my whole day teaching Bulgarian teenagers English literature. My colleagues speak excellent English and as a result I speak minimal amounts of Bulgarian. Still I\'ve made a point of studying, keeping up with my homework and practicing my Bulgarian when I can.\r\n\r\nNow I guess is the time to recommit to <a href=\"http://daybyeday.tumblr.com/\" target=\"_blank\">my Bulgarian language blog</a>. There\'s nothing quite as humbling as opening yourself up to criticism on the internet in a language that is not your first, in a language that you don\'t really know the ins and outs of and where you have basically no control over the nuances but how else can you learn?','Learning, studying and bumbling my way through Bulgarian ','','inherit','open','open','','7193-revision-6','','','2012-09-28 06:05:04','2012-09-28 04:05:04','',7193,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/28/7193-revision-6/',0,'revision','',0),(7226,1,'2012-10-10 18:31:27','2012-10-10 16:31:27','And it was delicious.\r\n<a title=\"breakfast by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8072957118/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8462/8072957118_5afc623d8c_z.jpg\" alt=\"breakfast\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nA. brought over some homemade yogurt on Monday night. Tuesday morning I forgot that I had it until I grabbed my lunch out of the fridge. When I realized this I was really angry with myself.\r\n\r\nI love homemade yogurt.\r\n\r\nDon\'t worry, this morning I ate yogurt. It was thick and tangy and hit the spot.\r\n\r\nThe coffee was also pretty great. It was hard to wake up this morning. I think it\'s because I had to work on Saturday for Open House day at school. As such, I only had a one day weekend. Just for the record, one day weekends are lame.\r\n\r\nOh well, the good news is that it\'s almost the weekend again.','I had this for breakfast ','','publish','open','open','','i-had-this-for-breakfast','','','2012-10-10 18:31:27','2012-10-10 16:31:27','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7226',0,'post','',2),(7204,1,'2012-09-30 19:03:45','2012-09-30 17:03:45','What a great weekend. The weather was sunny and warm and I didn\'t have much that I <em>had</em> to do.\r\n<a title=\"Sofia at night: the university and the metro. by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8039886508/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8322/8039886508_f69eea6cd6_z.jpg\" alt=\"Sofia at night: the university and the metro.\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nOn Friday night I made dinner/nachos for my friends P. and H. It almost didn\'t happen because of technology. I emailed the invitation out at lunch time. I heard from P. but not from H. After school I thought: I\'d call her to follow up but when I did her phone was dead/turned off. After work when I got home, my email/internet was down (ug). So I left a note on P.\'s door asking her to call/contact H. if she had internet. P. was successful and H. got the message.\r\n\r\nOh the magic of a good old fashioned note! And the lure of nachos and beer on a Friday night!!<!--more-->\r\n\r\nWe ate nachos and talked the whole night. There\'d been some discussion of playing the board game Settlers of Catan but this didn\'t happen. It didn\'t happen mostly because we had so much to talk about and we and we had to tease H. The communication issue that we had had was due to the fact that H. (is awesome and) still uses her yahoo email address. Somehow she didn\'t get my original email. P. and I teased her about this and suggested that a switch to gmail might be in order. H. just smiled at this suggestion and said she couldn\'t abandon yahoo because she\'s had this email address for 14 years.\r\n\r\nAnyhow, in the end everything worked out and we had a great time.\r\n\r\nSaturday I had a lazy morning.\r\n\r\nI made forest fruit yogurt muffins that turned out great and then in the afternoon I met a new friend L. for a drink downtown at Memento and then we went to Sun and Moon for dinner--the new branch at the little five corners. L. has just moved to Sofia for work. It was really nice to meet her and to introduce her to a couple of my favorite places.\r\n\r\nOn Sunday I woke up with the trappings of a cold. But I\'m determined not to get my first cold of the year at the end of September so I drank a lot of orange juice, water and tea and I\'m willing the cold away.\r\n\r\nFeeling a little sick, I spent my morning curled up on my couch where I read a book--well, really the whole book from cover to cover. It was a quick read and most importantly it was funny but also thoughtful and insightful. It was not great literature but that\'s okay. I liked <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Woman-Caitlin-Moran/dp/0062124293\" target=\"_blank\">How to Be a Woman</a> by Caitlin Moran. Oh and because the author is British there\'s some really great British slang.\r\n\r\nThen on Sunday afternoon I got busy. I cleaned my apartment (and wondered why the girl who lives here couldn\'t be a little tidier). I did a load of laundry. I took out the garbage and watered my house plants. I went grocery shopping. I whipped up a quinoa salad for dinner and to take to school for lunch this next week.\r\n\r\nI decided to make a batch of granola (because who doesn\'t love homemade granola?!).  While the granola was cooking, I got myself organized for the week and when the granola finally came out of the oven, I spoke to my parents on skype for an hour.\r\n\r\nNow I am writing this blog post.\r\n\r\nWhat a wonderful weekend. I almost don\'t want Monday to arrive.','Weekend Recap ','','publish','open','open','','weekend-recap','','','2012-09-30 19:03:45','2012-09-30 17:03:45','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7204',0,'post','',2),(7205,1,'2012-09-30 18:44:28','2012-09-30 16:44:28','What a great weekend. The weather was sunny and warm and I didn\'t have much that I <em>had</em> to do.\n\nOn Friday night I made dinner/nachos for my friends P. and H. It almost didn\'t happen because of technology. I emailed the invitation out at lunch time. I heard from P. but not from H. After school I thought: I\'d call her to follow up but when I did her phone was dead/turned off. After work when I got home, my email/internet was down (ug). So I left a note on P.\'s door asking her to call/contact H. if she had internet. P. was successful and H. got the message. The bigger issue is that H. still uses her yahoo email address and she didn\'t get my original email. P. and I teased her about this and suggested that a switch to gmail might be in order. H. just smiled at this suggestion and said she couldn\'t abandon yahoo because she\'s had this email address for 14 years. Anyhow, luckily everything worked out and she made it to dinner. Ther\n\nSaturday I had a lazy morning. I made forest fruit yogurt muffins that turned out great and then in the afternoon I met a new friend L. for a drink downtown at Memento and then we went to Sun and Moon for dinner--the new branch at the little five corners. L. has just moved to Sofia for work. It was really nice to meet her and to introduce her to a couple of my favorite places.\n\nOn part of Saturday and Sunday morning, I read a book. The whole book from cover to cover. It was a quick read and most importantly it was funny but also thoughtful and insightful. It was not great literature but that\'s okay. I still liked <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Woman-Caitlin-Moran/dp/0062124293\" target=\"_blank\">How to Be a Woman</a> by Caitlin Moran. Oh and because the author is British there\'s some really great British slang.\n\nThen I got busy. I cleaned my apartment (and wondered why the girl who lives here couldn\'t be a little tidier). I did a load of laundry. I took out the garbage and watered my house plants. I went grocery shopping. I whipped up a quinoa salad for dinner and to take to school for lunch this next week. Then, I decided to make a batch of granola (because who doesn\'t love homemade granola?!).  While the granola was cooking, I got myself organized for the week and when the granola finally came out of the oven, I spoke to my parents on skype for an hour.\n\nWhat a wonderful weekend.','Weekend Recap ','','inherit','open','open','','7204-revision','','','2012-09-30 18:44:28','2012-09-30 16:44:28','',7204,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/30/7204-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7206,1,'2012-09-30 18:45:28','2012-09-30 16:45:28','What a great weekend. The weather was sunny and warm and I didn\'t have much that I <em>had</em> to do.\n\nOn Friday night I made dinner/nachos for my friends P. and H. It almost didn\'t happen because of technology. I emailed the invitation out at lunch time. I heard from P. but not from H. After school I thought: I\'d call her to follow up but when I did her phone was dead/turned off. After work when I got home, my email/internet was down (ug). So I left a note on P.\'s door asking her to call/contact H. if she had internet. P. was successful and H. got the message. The bigger issue is that H. still uses her yahoo email address and she didn\'t get my original email. P. and I teased her about this and suggested that a switch to gmail might be in order. H. just smiled at this suggestion and said she couldn\'t abandon yahoo because she\'s had this email address for 14 years. Anyhow, luckily everything worked out and she made it to dinner. There were a lot of nachos to eat.\n\nSaturday I had a lazy morning. I made forest fruit yogurt muffins that turned out great and then in the afternoon I met a new friend L. for a drink downtown at Memento and then we went to Sun and Moon for dinner--the new branch at the little five corners. L. has just moved to Sofia for work. It was really nice to meet her and to introduce her to a couple of my favorite places.\n\nOn part of Saturday and Sunday morning, I read a book. The whole book from cover to cover. It was a quick read and most importantly it was funny but also thoughtful and insightful. It was not great literature but that\'s okay. I still liked <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Woman-Caitlin-Moran/dp/0062124293\" target=\"_blank\">How to Be a Woman</a> by Caitlin Moran. Oh and because the author is British there\'s some really great British slang.\n\nThen I got busy. I cleaned my apartment (and wondered why the girl who lives here couldn\'t be a little tidier). I did a load of laundry. I took out the garbage and watered my house plants. I went grocery shopping. I whipped up a quinoa salad for dinner and to take to school for lunch this next week. Then, I decided to make a batch of granola (because who doesn\'t love homemade granola?!).  While the granola was cooking, I got myself organized for the week and when the granola finally came out of the oven, I spoke to my parents on skype for an hour.\n\nWhat a wonderful weekend.','Weekend Recap ','','inherit','open','open','','7204-revision-2','','','2012-09-30 18:45:28','2012-09-30 16:45:28','',7204,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/30/7204-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7207,1,'2012-09-30 19:02:56','2012-09-30 17:02:56','What a great weekend. The weather was sunny and warm and I didn\'t have much that I <em>had</em> to do.\n<a title=\"Sofia at night: the university and the metro. by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8039886508/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8322/8039886508_f69eea6cd6_z.jpg\" alt=\"Sofia at night: the university and the metro.\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nOn Friday night I made dinner/nachos for my friends P. and H. It almost didn\'t happen because of technology. I emailed the invitation out at lunch time. I heard from P. but not from H. After school I thought: I\'d call her to follow up but when I did her phone was dead/turned off. After work when I got home, my email/internet was down (ug). So I left a note on P.\'s door asking her to call/contact H. if she had internet. P. was successful and H. got the message.\n\nOh the magic of a good old fashioned note! And the lure of nachos and beer on a Friday night!!<!--more-->\n\nWe ate nachos and talked the whole night. There\'d been some discussion of playing the board game Settlers of Catan but this didn\'t happen. It didn\'t happen mostly because we had so much to talk about and we and we had to tease H. The communication issue that we had had was due to the fact that H. (is awesome and) still uses her yahoo email address. Somehow she didn\'t get my original email. P. and I teased her about this and suggested that a switch to gmail might be in order. H. just smiled at this suggestion and said she couldn\'t abandon yahoo because she\'s had this email address for 14 years.\n\nAnyhow, in the end everything worked out and we had a great time.\n\nSaturday I had a lazy morning.\n\nI made forest fruit yogurt muffins that turned out great and then in the afternoon I met a new friend L. for a drink downtown at Memento and then we went to Sun and Moon for dinner--the new branch at the little five corners. L. has just moved to Sofia for work. It was really nice to meet her and to introduce her to a couple of my favorite places.\n\nOn Sunday I woke up with the trappings of a cold. But I\'m determined not to get my first cold of the year at the end of September so I drank a lot of orange juice, water and tea and I\'m willing the cold away.\n\nFeeling a little sick, I spent my morning curled up on my couch where I read a book. The whole book from cover to cover. It was a quick read and most importantly it was funny but also thoughtful and insightful. It was not great literature but that\'s okay. I liked <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/How-Be-Woman-Caitlin-Moran/dp/0062124293\" target=\"_blank\">How to Be a Woman</a> by Caitlin Moran. Oh and because the author is British there\'s some really great British slang.\n\nThen on Sunday afternoon I got busy. I cleaned my apartment (and wondered why the girl who lives here couldn\'t be a little tidier). I did a load of laundry. I took out the garbage and watered my house plants. I went grocery shopping. I whipped up a quinoa salad for dinner and to take to school for lunch this next week.\n\nI decided to make a batch of granola (because who doesn\'t love homemade granola?!).  While the granola was cooking, I got myself organized for the week and when the granola finally came out of the oven, I spoke to my parents on skype for an hour.\n\nNow I am writing this blog post.\n\nWhat a wonderful weekend. I almost don\'t want Monday to arrive.','Weekend Recap ','','inherit','open','open','','7204-revision-3','','','2012-09-30 19:02:56','2012-09-30 17:02:56','',7204,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/30/7204-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7208,1,'2012-10-01 06:10:11','2012-10-01 04:10:11','I went to the new French food and wine shop (or maybe it\'s better to say new-ish seeing as I think the shop has actually been on Rilski for the last year) with my friend and Bulgarian tutor I. last weekend. The shop is named: <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/FRENCH.GASTRONOME\" target=\"_blank\">GastronoMe</a> and it\'s really cute.\r\n<a title=\"Gastronome by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018394434/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8295/8018394434_b05415e891_z.jpg\" alt=\"Gastronome\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nI didn\'t really know what to expect but what I found was a small selection of a lot of different French foods. I didn\'t really <em>need</em> anything but that didn\'t stop me from buying things anyway.\r\n\r\nIt\'s important to support small businesses.\r\n\r\nAnd I like food.\r\n\r\n<!--more-->\r\n<a title=\"Inside GastronoMe in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8040136762/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8462/8040136762_cc92b038bd_z.jpg\" alt=\"Inside GastronoMe in Sofia\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nI looked at everything in the shop and came away with, among other things,, a tin of crab meat. So now I have vague plans to either make a cream soup with crab, a crab salad or maybe even a couple of crab cakes. I\'ve just got to find the perfect recipe to make one of these dishes.\r\n<a title=\"Food from GastronoMe in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8040142443/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8451/8040142443_9c9c02d414_z.jpg\" alt=\"Food from GastronoMe in Sofia\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nThe other things I bought were either impulse buys like a bar of Bulgarian made chocolate and a package of fig-filled cookies or they were just interesting items that caught my eye and I thought I\'d like to buy them and try them out like a can of chestnut paste (or maybe chestnut sauce) and a bottle of balsamic vinegar.\r\n<a title=\"Inside GastronoMe in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8040144874/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8320/8040144874_f4ef164f14_z.jpg\" alt=\"Inside GastronoMe in Sofia\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nSo far, I\'ve been really happy with everything I purchased at GastronoMe.\r\n\r\nThe one thing I\'d have like to see more of was French cheese. The cooler was pretty empty when I was there and the cheese that were in the cooler were all cheeses that I\'d seen at either Billa or Hit before. I assume this means that they were just running low on cheese when I visited because it seems silly that they would just carry the same cheeses that can be found in other large chain grocery stores around the city.\r\n\r\nThis said, the shop\'s selection of French wine appeared to be pretty good. There were lots of bottles out on display at a wide range of price points. I didn\'t buy a bottle this time but mostly that was because I didn\'t want to carry it around with me all afternoon.\r\n<a title=\"The lighting in GastronoMe Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8040139482/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/8040139482_8b8febb0aa_z.jpg\" alt=\"The lighting in GastronoMe Sofia\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nI. also looked at everything and then picked a couple of different bottles of French beer. She said, that other things interested her but it was hard to buy one or two new items when you aren\'t familiar with them and when you don\'t know or a have a recipe to use them in.\r\n\r\nI agree. That\'s why the chestnut paste (sauce?) is sitting on my self unopened and unused. I want to use it. It\'s just that I have  to do some research before I can and I haven\'t had the time or energy to do this yet.\r\n<a title=\"I. Inside GastronoMe in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8040141974/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8457/8040141974_5f256dc68f_z.jpg\" alt=\"I. Inside GastronoMe in Sofia\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nAnyhow, if you\'re interested in food and wine, I\'d definitely recommend this shop. You can find it right off the little five corners at 63 Neofit Rilski. It\'s right around the corner from my first apartment in Sofia. Too bad the shop wasn\'t there when I was.\r\n\r\nThe shop also has a <a href=\"http://www.frenchgastronome.com/\" target=\"_blank\">website/blog in Bulgarian</a>. Oh and I. tells me that the owner writes a <a href=\"http://www.lamartinia.com/\" target=\"_blank\">beautiful lifestyle blog in Bulgarian</a>. I should probably start reading it. That would be good for me.','GastronoMe: a French shop in Sofia ','','publish','open','open','','gastronome-a-french-shop-in-sofia','','','2012-09-30 20:12:19','2012-09-30 18:12:19','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7208',0,'post','',5),(7209,1,'2012-09-30 19:51:42','2012-09-30 17:51:42','I went to the new French food and wine shop (or maybe it\'s better to say new-ish seeing as I think the shop has actually been on Rilski for the last year) with my friend and Bulgarian tutor I. last weekend. The shop is named: <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/FRENCH.GASTRONOME\" target=\"_blank\">GastronoMe</a> and it\'s really cute.\n\nI didn\'t really know what to expect but what I found was a small selection of a lot of different French foods. I didn\'t really <em>need</em> anything but that didn\'t stop me from buying things anyway.\n\nI looked at everything in the shop and came away with, among other things,, a tin of crab meat. So now I have vague plans to either make a cream soup with crab, a crab salad or maybe even a couple of crab cakes. I\'ve just got to find the perfect recipe to make one of these dishes.\n\nThe other things I bought were either impulse buys like a bar of Bulgarian made chocolate and a package of fig-filled cookies or they were just interesting items that caught my eye and I thought I\'d like to buy them and try them out like a can of chestnut paste (or maybe chestnut sauce) and a bottle of balsamic vinegar.\n\nSo far, I\'ve been really happy with everything I purchased at GastronoMe.\n\nThe one thing I\'d have like to see more of was French cheese. The cooler was pretty empty when I was there and the cheese that were in the cooler were all cheeses that I\'d seen at either Billa or Hit before. I assume this means that they were just running low on cheese when I visited because it seems silly that they would just carry the same cheeses that can be found in other large chain grocery stores around the city.\n\nThis said, the shop\'s selection of French wine appeared to be pretty good. There were lots of bottles out on display at a wide range of price points. I didn\'t buy a bottle this time but mostly that was because I didn\'t want to carry it around with me all afternoon.\n\nI. also looked at everything and then picked a couple of different bottles of French beer. She said, that other things interested her but it was hard to buy one or two new items when you aren\'t familiar with them and when you don\'t know or a have a recipe to use them in.\n\nI agree. That\'s why the chestnut paste (sauce?) is sitting on my self unopened and unused. I want to use it. It\'s just that I have  to do some research before I can and I haven\'t had the time or energy to do this yet.\n\nAnyhow, if you\'re interested in food and wine, I\'d definitely recommend this shop. You can find it right off the little five corners at 63 Neofit Rilski. It\'s right around the corner from my first apartment in Sofia. Too bad the shop wasn\'t there when I was.\n\nThe shop also has a <a href=\"http://www.frenchgastronome.com/\" target=\"_blank\">website/blog in Bulgarian</a>. Oh and I. tells me that the owner writes a beautiful lifestyle blog in Bulgarian. I should','','','inherit','open','open','','7208-revision','','','2012-09-30 19:51:42','2012-09-30 17:51:42','',7208,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/30/7208-revision/',0,'revision','',0),(7210,1,'2012-09-30 20:09:36','2012-09-30 18:09:36','I went to the new French food and wine shop (or maybe it\'s better to say new-ish seeing as I think the shop has actually been on Rilski for the last year) with my friend and Bulgarian tutor I. last weekend. The shop is named: <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/FRENCH.GASTRONOME\" target=\"_blank\">GastronoMe</a> and it\'s really cute.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018394434/\" title=\"Gastronome by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8295/8018394434_b05415e891_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Gastronome\"></a>\nI didn\'t really know what to expect but what I found was a small selection of a lot of different French foods. I didn\'t really <em>need</em> anything but that didn\'t stop me from buying things anyway.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8040136762/\" title=\"Inside GastronoMe in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8462/8040136762_cc92b038bd_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Inside GastronoMe in Sofia\"></a>\nI looked at everything in the shop and came away with, among other things,, a tin of crab meat. So now I have vague plans to either make a cream soup with crab, a crab salad or maybe even a couple of crab cakes. I\'ve just got to find the perfect recipe to make one of these dishes.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8040142443/\" title=\"Food from GastronoMe in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8451/8040142443_9c9c02d414_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Food from GastronoMe in Sofia\"></a>\nThe other things I bought were either impulse buys like a bar of Bulgarian made chocolate and a package of fig-filled cookies or they were just interesting items that caught my eye and I thought I\'d like to buy them and try them out like a can of chestnut paste (or maybe chestnut sauce) and a bottle of balsamic vinegar.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8040144874/\" title=\"Inside GastronoMe in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8320/8040144874_f4ef164f14_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Inside GastronoMe in Sofia\"></a>\nSo far, I\'ve been really happy with everything I purchased at GastronoMe.\n\nThe one thing I\'d have like to see more of was French cheese. The cooler was pretty empty when I was there and the cheese that were in the cooler were all cheeses that I\'d seen at either Billa or Hit before. I assume this means that they were just running low on cheese when I visited because it seems silly that they would just carry the same cheeses that can be found in other large chain grocery stores around the city.\n\nThis said, the shop\'s selection of French wine appeared to be pretty good. There were lots of bottles out on display at a wide range of price points. I didn\'t buy a bottle this time but mostly that was because I didn\'t want to carry it around with me all afternoon.\n\nI. also looked at everything and then picked a couple of different bottles of French beer. She said, that other things interested her but it was hard to buy one or two new items when you aren\'t familiar with them and when you don\'t know or a have a recipe to use them in.\n\nI agree. That\'s why the chestnut paste (sauce?) is sitting on my self unopened and unused. I want to use it. It\'s just that I have  to do some research before I can and I haven\'t had the time or energy to do this yet.\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8040141974/\" title=\"I. Inside GastronoMe in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8457/8040141974_5f256dc68f_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"I. Inside GastronoMe in Sofia\"></a>\nAnyhow, if you\'re interested in food and wine, I\'d definitely recommend this shop. You can find it right off the little five corners at 63 Neofit Rilski. It\'s right around the corner from my first apartment in Sofia. Too bad the shop wasn\'t there when I was.\n\nThe shop also has a <a href=\"http://www.frenchgastronome.com/\" target=\"_blank\">website/blog in Bulgarian</a>. Oh and I. tells me that the owner writes a <a href=\"http://www.lamartinia.com/\" target=\"_blank\">beautiful lifestyle blog in Bulgarian</a>. I should probably start reading it. That would be good for me.','GastronoMe: a French shop in Sofia ','','inherit','open','open','','7208-revision-2','','','2012-09-30 20:09:36','2012-09-30 18:09:36','',7208,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/30/7208-revision-2/',0,'revision','',0),(7211,1,'2012-09-30 20:09:44','2012-09-30 18:09:44','I went to the new French food and wine shop (or maybe it\'s better to say new-ish seeing as I think the shop has actually been on Rilski for the last year) with my friend and Bulgarian tutor I. last weekend. The shop is named: <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/FRENCH.GASTRONOME\" target=\"_blank\">GastronoMe</a> and it\'s really cute.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018394434/\" title=\"Gastronome by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8295/8018394434_b05415e891_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Gastronome\"></a>\r\nI didn\'t really know what to expect but what I found was a small selection of a lot of different French foods. I didn\'t really <em>need</em> anything but that didn\'t stop me from buying things anyway.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8040136762/\" title=\"Inside GastronoMe in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8462/8040136762_cc92b038bd_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Inside GastronoMe in Sofia\"></a>\r\nI looked at everything in the shop and came away with, among other things,, a tin of crab meat. So now I have vague plans to either make a cream soup with crab, a crab salad or maybe even a couple of crab cakes. I\'ve just got to find the perfect recipe to make one of these dishes.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8040142443/\" title=\"Food from GastronoMe in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8451/8040142443_9c9c02d414_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Food from GastronoMe in Sofia\"></a>\r\nThe other things I bought were either impulse buys like a bar of Bulgarian made chocolate and a package of fig-filled cookies or they were just interesting items that caught my eye and I thought I\'d like to buy them and try them out like a can of chestnut paste (or maybe chestnut sauce) and a bottle of balsamic vinegar.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8040144874/\" title=\"Inside GastronoMe in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8320/8040144874_f4ef164f14_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Inside GastronoMe in Sofia\"></a>\r\nSo far, I\'ve been really happy with everything I purchased at GastronoMe.\r\n\r\nThe one thing I\'d have like to see more of was French cheese. The cooler was pretty empty when I was there and the cheese that were in the cooler were all cheeses that I\'d seen at either Billa or Hit before. I assume this means that they were just running low on cheese when I visited because it seems silly that they would just carry the same cheeses that can be found in other large chain grocery stores around the city.\r\n\r\nThis said, the shop\'s selection of French wine appeared to be pretty good. There were lots of bottles out on display at a wide range of price points. I didn\'t buy a bottle this time but mostly that was because I didn\'t want to carry it around with me all afternoon.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8040139482/\" title=\"The lighting in GastronoMe Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/8040139482_8b8febb0aa_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"The lighting in GastronoMe Sofia\"></a>\r\nI. also looked at everything and then picked a couple of different bottles of French beer. She said, that other things interested her but it was hard to buy one or two new items when you aren\'t familiar with them and when you don\'t know or a have a recipe to use them in.\r\n\r\nI agree. That\'s why the chestnut paste (sauce?) is sitting on my self unopened and unused. I want to use it. It\'s just that I have  to do some research before I can and I haven\'t had the time or energy to do this yet.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8040141974/\" title=\"I. Inside GastronoMe in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8457/8040141974_5f256dc68f_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"I. Inside GastronoMe in Sofia\"></a>\r\nAnyhow, if you\'re interested in food and wine, I\'d definitely recommend this shop. You can find it right off the little five corners at 63 Neofit Rilski. It\'s right around the corner from my first apartment in Sofia. Too bad the shop wasn\'t there when I was.\r\n\r\nThe shop also has a <a href=\"http://www.frenchgastronome.com/\" target=\"_blank\">website/blog in Bulgarian</a>. Oh and I. tells me that the owner writes a <a href=\"http://www.lamartinia.com/\" target=\"_blank\">beautiful lifestyle blog in Bulgarian</a>. I should probably start reading it. That would be good for me.','GastronoMe: a French shop in Sofia ','','inherit','open','open','','7208-revision-3','','','2012-09-30 20:09:44','2012-09-30 18:09:44','',7208,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/30/7208-revision-3/',0,'revision','',0),(7212,1,'2012-09-30 20:09:44','2012-09-30 18:09:44','I went to the new French food and wine shop (or maybe it\'s better to say new-ish seeing as I think the shop has actually been on Rilski for the last year) with my friend and Bulgarian tutor I. last weekend. The shop is named: <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/FRENCH.GASTRONOME\" target=\"_blank\">GastronoMe</a> and it\'s really cute.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018394434/\" title=\"Gastronome by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8295/8018394434_b05415e891_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Gastronome\"></a>\r\nI didn\'t really know what to expect but what I found was a small selection of a lot of different French foods. I didn\'t really <em>need</em> anything but that didn\'t stop me from buying things anyway.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8040136762/\" title=\"Inside GastronoMe in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8462/8040136762_cc92b038bd_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Inside GastronoMe in Sofia\"></a>\r\nI looked at everything in the shop and came away with, among other things,, a tin of crab meat. So now I have vague plans to either make a cream soup with crab, a crab salad or maybe even a couple of crab cakes. I\'ve just got to find the perfect recipe to make one of these dishes.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8040142443/\" title=\"Food from GastronoMe in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8451/8040142443_9c9c02d414_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Food from GastronoMe in Sofia\"></a>\r\nThe other things I bought were either impulse buys like a bar of Bulgarian made chocolate and a package of fig-filled cookies or they were just interesting items that caught my eye and I thought I\'d like to buy them and try them out like a can of chestnut paste (or maybe chestnut sauce) and a bottle of balsamic vinegar.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8040144874/\" title=\"Inside GastronoMe in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8320/8040144874_f4ef164f14_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"Inside GastronoMe in Sofia\"></a>\r\nSo far, I\'ve been really happy with everything I purchased at GastronoMe.\r\n\r\nThe one thing I\'d have like to see more of was French cheese. The cooler was pretty empty when I was there and the cheese that were in the cooler were all cheeses that I\'d seen at either Billa or Hit before. I assume this means that they were just running low on cheese when I visited because it seems silly that they would just carry the same cheeses that can be found in other large chain grocery stores around the city.\r\n\r\nThis said, the shop\'s selection of French wine appeared to be pretty good. There were lots of bottles out on display at a wide range of price points. I didn\'t buy a bottle this time but mostly that was because I didn\'t want to carry it around with me all afternoon.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8040139482/\" title=\"The lighting in GastronoMe Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/8040139482_8b8febb0aa_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"The lighting in GastronoMe Sofia\"></a>\r\nI. also looked at everything and then picked a couple of different bottles of French beer. She said, that other things interested her but it was hard to buy one or two new items when you aren\'t familiar with them and when you don\'t know or a have a recipe to use them in.\r\n\r\nI agree. That\'s why the chestnut paste (sauce?) is sitting on my self unopened and unused. I want to use it. It\'s just that I have  to do some research before I can and I haven\'t had the time or energy to do this yet.\r\n<a href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8040141974/\" title=\"I. Inside GastronoMe in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8457/8040141974_5f256dc68f_z.jpg\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" alt=\"I. Inside GastronoMe in Sofia\"></a>\r\nAnyhow, if you\'re interested in food and wine, I\'d definitely recommend this shop. You can find it right off the little five corners at 63 Neofit Rilski. It\'s right around the corner from my first apartment in Sofia. Too bad the shop wasn\'t there when I was.\r\n\r\nThe shop also has a <a href=\"http://www.frenchgastronome.com/\" target=\"_blank\">website/blog in Bulgarian</a>. Oh and I. tells me that the owner writes a <a href=\"http://www.lamartinia.com/\" target=\"_blank\">beautiful lifestyle blog in Bulgarian</a>. I should probably start reading it. That would be good for me.','GastronoMe: a French shop in Sofia ','','inherit','open','open','','7208-revision-4','','','2012-09-30 20:09:44','2012-09-30 18:09:44','',7208,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/30/7208-revision-4/',0,'revision','',0),(7213,1,'2012-09-30 20:12:14','2012-09-30 18:12:14','I went to the new French food and wine shop (or maybe it\'s better to say new-ish seeing as I think the shop has actually been on Rilski for the last year) with my friend and Bulgarian tutor I. last weekend. The shop is named: <a href=\"https://www.facebook.com/FRENCH.GASTRONOME\" target=\"_blank\">GastronoMe</a> and it\'s really cute.\n<a title=\"Gastronome by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8018394434/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8295/8018394434_b05415e891_z.jpg\" alt=\"Gastronome\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nI didn\'t really know what to expect but what I found was a small selection of a lot of different French foods. I didn\'t really <em>need</em> anything but that didn\'t stop me from buying things anyway.\n\nIt\'s important to support small businesses.\n\nAnd I like food.\n\n<!--more-->\n<a title=\"Inside GastronoMe in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8040136762/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8462/8040136762_cc92b038bd_z.jpg\" alt=\"Inside GastronoMe in Sofia\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nI looked at everything in the shop and came away with, among other things,, a tin of crab meat. So now I have vague plans to either make a cream soup with crab, a crab salad or maybe even a couple of crab cakes. I\'ve just got to find the perfect recipe to make one of these dishes.\n<a title=\"Food from GastronoMe in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8040142443/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8451/8040142443_9c9c02d414_z.jpg\" alt=\"Food from GastronoMe in Sofia\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nThe other things I bought were either impulse buys like a bar of Bulgarian made chocolate and a package of fig-filled cookies or they were just interesting items that caught my eye and I thought I\'d like to buy them and try them out like a can of chestnut paste (or maybe chestnut sauce) and a bottle of balsamic vinegar.\n<a title=\"Inside GastronoMe in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8040144874/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8320/8040144874_f4ef164f14_z.jpg\" alt=\"Inside GastronoMe in Sofia\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nSo far, I\'ve been really happy with everything I purchased at GastronoMe.\n\nThe one thing I\'d have like to see more of was French cheese. The cooler was pretty empty when I was there and the cheese that were in the cooler were all cheeses that I\'d seen at either Billa or Hit before. I assume this means that they were just running low on cheese when I visited because it seems silly that they would just carry the same cheeses that can be found in other large chain grocery stores around the city.\n\nThis said, the shop\'s selection of French wine appeared to be pretty good. There were lots of bottles out on display at a wide range of price points. I didn\'t buy a bottle this time but mostly that was because I didn\'t want to carry it around with me all afternoon.\n<a title=\"The lighting in GastronoMe Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8040139482/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8313/8040139482_8b8febb0aa_z.jpg\" alt=\"The lighting in GastronoMe Sofia\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nI. also looked at everything and then picked a couple of different bottles of French beer. She said, that other things interested her but it was hard to buy one or two new items when you aren\'t familiar with them and when you don\'t know or a have a recipe to use them in.\n\nI agree. That\'s why the chestnut paste (sauce?) is sitting on my self unopened and unused. I want to use it. It\'s just that I have  to do some research before I can and I haven\'t had the time or energy to do this yet.\n<a title=\"I. Inside GastronoMe in Sofia by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8040141974/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8457/8040141974_5f256dc68f_z.jpg\" alt=\"I. Inside GastronoMe in Sofia\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\nAnyhow, if you\'re interested in food and wine, I\'d definitely recommend this shop. You can find it right off the little five corners at 63 Neofit Rilski. It\'s right around the corner from my first apartment in Sofia. Too bad the shop wasn\'t there when I was.\n\nThe shop also has a <a href=\"http://www.frenchgastronome.com/\" target=\"_blank\">website/blog in Bulgarian</a>. Oh and I. tells me that the owner writes a <a href=\"http://www.lamartinia.com/\" target=\"_blank\">beautiful lifestyle blog in Bulgarian</a>. I should probably start reading it. That would be good for me.','GastronoMe: a French shop in Sofia ','','inherit','open','open','','7208-revision-5','','','2012-09-30 20:12:14','2012-09-30 18:12:14','',7208,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/09/30/7208-revision-5/',0,'revision','',0),(7214,1,'2012-10-02 06:04:52','2012-10-02 04:04:52','This past weekend I was a busy cook. I made nachos on Friday night.  Saturday morning I realized that I needed muffins to go with my coffee. On Sunday afternoon I made quinoa salad and on Sunday evening I made granola. I also did a lot of dishes this past weekend. Go figure.\r\n<a title=\"Untitled by karolinka.sofia, on Flickr\" href=\"http://www.flickr.com/photos/29050866@N06/8045971849/\"><img src=\"http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8452/8045971849_66ab814eec_z.jpg\" alt=\"Untitled\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" /></a>\r\nI\'ve had a lot of different people ask for the various recipes because of this cooking. Now, most of the time I am not a recipe person so I am generally not the best person to ask for a recipe. That and you don\'t really need a recipe to make a tomato and veggie sauce to pour over noodles nor do you need a recipe to stir fry veggies to eat with rice. These dishes just require fresh produce and a little chopping time.\r\n\r\nThis said, I can cook and bake and follow a recipe. These days I don\'t own a cookbook. I don\'t really see the point living abroad. Half of the time I just whip up whatever is fresh, the other have of the time I eat leftovers or go out to dinner. In whatever time that\'s left remaining, sometimes I\'ll decide to actually cook.\r\n\r\nWhen I decide to cook my go to blog is <a href=\"macheesmo.com\" target=\"_blank\">Macheesmo.com</a>. I read it religiously whether or not I am actually planning on cooking. I adore Macheesmo and Nick the brains behind this blog is one of my best friends from the years I lived in Washington DC.<!--more-->\r\n\r\nWe shared a kitchen in a group house for a number of years. For the most part, I ate what he cooked and teased him when he used more than his fair share of the burners on the stove. Cooking is never easy when you have four other roommates and one stove. So  sometimes you just make a salad rather than wait for your turn to cook.\r\n\r\nAnyhow, as a result of the years we lived together, I trust Nick implicitly and I assume that if Nick cooked it so can I.  These days I can basically find anything that I want to make on Nick\'s blog.\r\n\r\nThe nachos are a work in progresses--I\'m trying to make the perfect batch. So, those came from a combination of two (or maybe three different recipes). I went for ground beef with <a href=\"http://www.macheesmo.com/2012/04/homemade-taco-seasoning/\" target=\"_blank\">this taco/nacho seasoning mix</a>. I made<a href=\"http://www.macheesmo.com/2011/10/sunday-night-nachos/\" target=\"_blank\"> this cheese sauce</a> and I topped the whole thing off with <a href=\"http://www.macheesmo.com/2012/05/the-homemade-trials-salsa/\" target=\"_blank\">homemade salsa</a>.\r\n\r\nThe muffins? Well I wanted to make a wild berry muffin but he didn\'t have a recipe exactly for this so I took <a href=\"http://www.macheesmo.com/2011/01/lemon-yogurt-muffins/\" target=\"_blank\">the lemon yogurt recipe and adjusted it</a>. Basically, I left out the lemon and stirred in some frozen fruit. Luckily muffins are a pretty forgiving baked good.\r\n\r\nAnd the granola, I took <a href=\"http://www.macheesmo.com/2011/03/kitchen-sink-granola/\" target=\"_blank\">the kitchen sink granola</a> and halved the recipe. It was a good thing I did too or I would have had to cook the granola in two different batches and then I\'d be eating granola on and with everything. As it is my half batch created a pretty significant amount.\r\n\r\nThe only thing I didn\'t use Nick\'s blog for was the quinoa salad and that\'s mostly just because a college friend sent me a different one which I read and then totally changed because I didn\'t have any of the ingredients. These things happen.\r\n\r\nI can\'t help but wonder if I feel like cooking because fall is sneaking in. Others? Are you cooking more with the arrival of fall?','Recipes from my weekend','','publish','open','open','','recipes-from-my-weekend','','','2012-10-02 06:04:52','2012-10-02 04:04:52','',0,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?p=7214',0,'post','',2),(7215,1,'2012-10-01 21:00:35','2012-10-01 19:00:35','This past weekend I was a busy cook. I made nachos on Friday night.  Saturday morning I realized that I needed muffins to go with my coffee. On Sunday afternoon I made quinoa salad and on Sunday evening I made granola. I also did a lot of dishes this past weekend. Go figure.\n\nI\'ve had a lot of different people ask for the various recipes because of this cooking.\n\nNow, most of the time I am not a recipe person so I am generally not the best person to ask for a recipe. That and you don\'t really need a recipe to make a tomato and veggie sauce to pour over noodles nor do you need a recipe to stir fry veggies to eat with rice. These dishes just require fresh produce and a little chopping time.\n\nThis said, I can cook and bake and follow a recipe. These days I don\'t own a cookbook. I don\'t really see the point living abroad. Half of the time I just whip up whatever is fresh, the other have of the time I eat leftovers or go out to dinner. In whatever time that\'s remaining, sometimes I\'ll decide to actually cook.\n\nWhen I decide to cook my go to blog is <a href=\"macheesmo.com\" target=\"_blank\">Macheesmo.com</a>. I adore Macheesmo and Nick the brains behind this blog is one of my best friends from the years I lived in Washington DC. We shared a kitchen in a group house for a number of years. For the most part, I ate what he cooked and teased him when he used more than his fair share of the burners on the stove when we tried to make two different dinners in our kitchen at the same time. These things happen when you have four other roommates and one stove. That and sometimes you just make a salad rather than wait for your turn to cook.\n\nAnyhow, these days I can basically find anything that I want to make on Nick\'s blog. The nachos? Well, those came from a combination of two (or maybe three different recipes). I went for ground beef with <a href=\"http://www.macheesmo.com/2012/04/homemade-taco-seasoning/\" target=\"_blank\">this taco/nacho seasoning mix</a>. I made<a href=\"http://www.macheesmo.com/2011/10/sunday-night-nachos/\" target=\"_blank\"> this cheese sauce</a> and I topped the whole thing off with homemade salsa. The muffins? Well I wanted to make a wild berry muffin but he didn\'t have a recipe exactly for this so I took <a href=\"http://www.macheesmo.com/2011/01/lemon-yogurt-muffins/\" target=\"_blank\">the lemon yogurt recipe and adjusted it</a>--well I left out the lemon and stirred in some frozen fruit. And the granola, I took <a href=\"http://www.macheesmo.com/2011/03/kitchen-sink-granola/\" target=\"_blank\">the kitchen sink granola</a> and halved the recipe. It was a good thing I did too or I would have had to cook the granola in two different batches.\n\nThe only thing I didn\'t use Nick\'s blog for was the quinoa salad and that\'s mostly just because a college friend sent me a different one which I read and then totally changed because I didn\'t have any of the ingredients.','Cooking and cookbooks ','','inherit','open','open','','7214-revision','','','2012-10-01 21:00:35','2012-10-01 19:00:35','',7214,'http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/2012/10/01/7214-revision/',0,'revision','',0),