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. 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.

There 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.

Then 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.

Between 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.

I was torn between picking it up and yelling:

<em>Hey</em>, Sofia, throw your garbage away, not on the ground!

Thanks, me.

Anyhow, 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.

J. 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.

The 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.