Off I go...

With only two weeks left before my departure, I am headed off on my last European vacation (for awhile). This time, its destination Greece and Turkey. I am meeting my mom and sister in Athens were we will tour around the city, hopefully make it to an island, and relax in the roof top jacuzzi at our hotel. Then its off to Turkey. I have been once before and cannot wait to show my mom and sister the beautiful city and culture that is Istanbul. Off I go..

(Me at the Camp site in Serbia being incredibly cute...and silly.)

And like I said before, (which no one did,) write me comments!!! Please....so I know people are reading this thing and its not all for nothing!

BG in the news...

As my time here leads me back to Sofia for a few days, I cant help but remember this article my friend stumbled upon and shared with me. It is an article from the New York Times published July 1, 2007. Its a rare occurrence when Bulgaria makes the headlines. And even more surprising when they make the NYT for their clubbing scene. But, I must say, Maskata is one of my favorite clubs to go to when I make it out to the big capital city.

Partying Amid Cold-War Ruins:
OUT at Sofia’s southernmost edge, where new offices and condos are continuously in the works, Studentski Grad, or Student Town, still looks lifelessly rooted in its cold war-era skeleton. An academic zone of six universities built in the ’60s and ’70s, it’s a place where graffiti-covered housing blocks crumble, rusted fences line overgrown fields, and Soviet-made cars decay on cracked sidewalks. Crisp blue-and-gold European Union flags do little to sway the impression of a bleak wasteland. That is, until the sun sets.

At night, many of the area’s 25,000 students — including engineering and economics majors at the Technical University and the University of National and World Economy — hoof it to more than 30 strobe-lighted bars and discos, many hidden behind aged, Soviet-era dorms and publicized only by word of mouth.

Spurred by Bulgaria’s accession into the European Union this year, the capital city of Sofia is experiencing a night-life boom. And nowhere is this more apparent that in Studentski Grad, where cheap rents, lax zoning rules and young residents mean that clubs and bars are opening everywhere, from vacant lots to active dormitories.

“It’s like a resort of clubs,” said Ventsislav Dudolenski, 40, the district’s appointed mayor, who has a no-holds-barred approach to development. “Bulgarians like to go out every night.”

Some of the most popular clubs are clustered behind dorm blocks 13, 14 and 15, where bright lights and blaring DJs are the rule. Fans of chalga — a kind of Balkanized disco that sounds something like the Borat theme song — pour into Avenue (1A Atanas Manchev Street; 359-898-553-086; www.complexavenue.com), a well-lighted and mellow club where you’ll find friends dancing in groups, arms raised and hips shaking.

Alt-rocker types head to Stroeja (Block 23B; 359-2-962-5977; www.stroeja.com), a dive bar that resembles, as its Bulgarian name suggests, a construction site, with broken windows, scaffolding and sawhorse tables. The crowd comes to drink Zagorka beers (1.50 leva, or about $1 at 1.49 leva to the dollar), listen to post-Nirvana rock and play the Pamela Anderson pinball machine.

For live music , there’s Maskata (Block 19; 359-2-868-8079), a cavernous club on the ground floor of an active student dormitory. In one corner, portraits of Bulgaria’s former Communist leaders are cheekily on display. But the focus is on the stage, where rock bands jam most weekends, and fellow students sing Whitney Houston and Judas Priest tunes during the Monday karaoke nights that last till 5 a.m.

The restaurant scene in Studentski Grad is starting to show life, too. Until recently, the district had three choices: drab student cafeterias, pizzerias and kebab stands. Now there are a handful of decent sit-down restaurants like Borimechkata (Block 24; 352-888-222-124; www.borimechkata.com), a Greek taverna-style place with hanging vines, wine-filled barrels and an open grill for skewered meats, including lamb shish kebab (5.20 leva).

All this partying doesn’t exactly bode well for studying. “About 80 percent of the students go to university only to drink and drink,” said Aleksander Sirakov, 21, a student at Sofia University. “It’s fun, but it’s hard to learn anything when you’re hung over every morning.”

Goodbye Pool...

It was a sad day for me today. Today, my friends, was my last day at the pool. Yes, that is right. I will no longer be basking in the sun at Stara Zagora's hippest pool called Escape. Its a perfect name for the pool as most go there to "escape". Not such a clever name in fact, but eh.

(Christina and Grant...my occasional pool buddies.)

All week, my days looked like this. I woke up, drank some juice, fooled around online for a bit, put on the swim suit, lathered up the sunscreen, packed my towel and book, and headed on out to the pool. All this by 11:30 am. I sat around reading, drinking iced coffees, cooled off by dipping in the pool, napped under the sun's rays, and just simply relaxed. And I would do it all over again the next day. Seriously, this week couldn't get any better.

(The pool. Please note the wheel chair. Not so surprising to see handicapped people at the pool as it is actually easier for them in the water, but surprising to see it in Bulgaria.)

That was until the lifeguard blew her whistle for the last time at 5:30 pm instructing us to get out of the pool. My friends were with me as we said goodbye and walked out. But enough of this complaining. I will be off to Greece in a few days, basking under those beautiful rays.

Bulgarian Nurses are saved!!!!

Since many of you have been asking me about the situation with the Bulgarian nurses, this is what I have for you. As you all know, Bulgaria has been making headlines all over the world. It is an important event in Bulgaria's recent history as a group of five Bulgarian nurses (and a Palestinian doctor) were set free from death row in Libya on Tuesday.

As I have mentioned in a previous blog entry...Eight and a half years ago, the five nurses who were living and working in Libya, were falsely accused of infecting nearly 500 children with HIV. An investigation concluded that the infections came from the wards where the Bulgarian nurses had been assigned. The nurses say they were tortured into confessing their guilt. But international experts concluded that the virus appeared before the nurses’ arrival and was probably spread by contaminated needles. But the country they needed a scapegoat and saw the nurses as their answer. The Bulgarians and the Palestinian doctor were a terribly sad case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. For more than eight years these people who went to work and help the Libyans were beaten, tortured, and jailed.

And then, in recent weeks, the situation rapidly changed. Following weeks of intense behind-the-scenes negotiations involving French president Nicolas Sarkozy, his spouse Cecilia and others, an agreement was finally agreed upon. In this case the families of the infected children dropped their push for the death penalty, each family received $1 million USD, and the nurses’ sentence was commuted to life in prison. Under a long-standing agreement between Libya and Bulgaria, citizens who are convicted while abroad are allowed to serve out their prison terms in their home country. So the medics were transferred to Bulgaria, where they were greeted by hundreds of people at the Sofia airport, whereby the Bulgarian president Georgi Parvanov pardons the medics just 45 minutes after they touched home soil.

And so after almost nine years, Bulgaria’s most pressing international saga has come to a happy conclusion.

I hope that answers most of your questions...

(*Please note: I stole the above picture and much of the information mentioned above from the New York Times and my friend Max's blog.)

Stara Zagora is on Fire!

Over the past week, Bulgaria has been hit with extreme heat as the temperatures have reached record breaking highs. With these high temperatures recorded to be as high as 42 Celsius degrees (106 Fahrenheit) in some parts also comes fires and death. As of Monday, 2 Bulgarians were reported dead after the heat wave. And to top it off, different regions around Bulgaria have been hit with wildfires.

(Fires in Ayazmoto park. Picture taken from the Sofia News Agency online.)

Bulgarian fire fighters contained 22 wildfires throughout the country overnight on Tuesday. And the Stara Zagora region (my region) remains the worst hit by the blazes. Dozens of additional fire fighters were dispatched to help contain the fires, some of which have been slowly expanding. People from the town and nearby villages have also joined the fierce battle with the flames, as country's resources are stretched thin after a week of this. Even the environmental NGO Green Balkans here in town has gone up to the park to help build a fire line with other city volunteers just trying to help.

(An empty pool.)

What does this all mean for me? Well, it has managed to cut my pool time short. I have been a daily visitor to the pool all week trying to soak up the sun before I head back to the real world. And today, I had to leave the pool early! I started to notice small black dust covering my body. But this wasn't dust; this was ash from the local fires blowing my way. When I went into the pool to wash myself off, I saw the pool too, was in bad shape. There was ash everywhere. Not to mention the air was filled with the smell of smoke. Upon my better judgment, I packed up and headed back home, to breath the fresh air of indoors. What a bust!

Tough week ahead...

Ah, from the looks of it, I might have a tough week ahead of me. Not only do I have to pack up my apartment and clean it, I also have to lounge out by the pool. Life after Peace Corps is rough, I tell you.

Over the past weekend, I have managed to keep myself busy. First, I joined friends at the park for a picnic.


Watched a little badminton. Maybe I would have played if we had a net...and it wasn't so fricken hot out.


Had a few farewell dinners, and one birthday dinner.


And made it to the pool once.



Now, I am determined to make it to the pool everyday this week. I have my sunscreen ready, and cold drink in hand. Its looking to be a good week.

Corruption at its finest...

Smoking in Bulgaria is something nearly everyone does here. It is everywhere and impossible to avoid. It is quite annoying to say the least. Bulgaria has simply accepted itself as a smoking culture.

While traveling back from Serbia, Link and I had quite an encounter. Not something you would expect to see everyday, but something that definitely goes on everyday.

(Coffee and smoke. One very important aspect of the BG culture.)

We were peacefully enjoying (please read: sweating our arses off) the ride to Sofia in a cabin all to ourselves. But with all good things they have to come to an end. We were woken from our tired, sweaty state as our cabin filled up with loud train goers just trying to get to Sofia themselves. Well, thats what I thought anyways. They on the other hand, had a different agenda. We were at the boarder town when the train seemed to fill up, not only with people, but with cartons and cartons of cigarettes. As soon as the group entered our cabin, they started stashing single boxes of cigarettes in their pockets and purses. Hmm, I thought, something fishy is about to go down.

Actually, things were not all that strange at first. The control inspector came by every cabin looking through the passenger's bags, checking how many cartons they were bringing over the boarder. They are allowed 10 to bring over 10 boxes. They didn't bother with me or Link seeing as we stand out as the innocent foreigners. We just simply watched with amusement. The controller left, the train started going, and that was that.

But it was far from over. As the train was going, another inspector came by. He picked out one guy in our cabin, stepped outside to chat, exchanged some money, and he came back in. Next thing we see is a woman come into our car talking to the guy who just bribed off the inspector. She was then handed wads and wads of money in all kinds of currency. There were Euros, Dinars (Serbian), and Leva (BG). She squatted down, took out her calculator, and added up the dough. They argued a bit, he gave her more money, and she was off. Think it's over? Think again. Maybe 20 minutes later she calls the guy into her cabin this time. He comes tramping back with bags and bags filled with cartons of cigs. Who knows how many cartons there were. This same exchange was going on between several other people in the train. We asked our friendly train mates what the deal is and this is what we understood.

They are hired by whoever, I assume some Mafia lord, to travel back and forth between Bulgaria and Serbia everyday to bring over their allotted 10 cartons of cigarettes. They make 40 leva a day doing this. And they dont seem to buy a train ticket. (They were without one when the ticket man came by. But what did they do...they paid him off with a few leva.) Then there is some person who pays off the control inspectors and they somehow manage to walk away with loads of cartons. I am not so much surprised that this goes on, but I am utterly shocked how open they are about it. There was no trying to hide any of the exchanges of money. It was like Link and I were old pals to them and this was just plain business. We found out that they are only making about 4 leva off each carton of cigarettes. It doesn't seem all that worth it in the end if they do this everyday.

But I guess in a country where everyone smokes, they are just meeting the demand.

Did you know that Bulgaria has the highest rate in the world of cigarettes smoked per capita. The highest rate in the WORLD! (Thanks for that fun fact Max and the Economist.)

Time to Exit the Exit Fest...

After 4 days of camping and rocking music, it was time to leave and go back to our normal lives. And I know we all had a blast. Lincoln got to see his favorite band, Beastie Boys, perform for the 3rd time. Megs and I got to meet Snoop Dog. Elena met many cute boys, including an Icelandic one. And Dan and Linda enjoyed their first getaway together.

(Me leaving the Exit Fest. All the particles on the picture just shows how much dust was flying around.)

And to top it all off, we even made it into the local paper...!!!! Not only did we make it into the paper, we are the largest picture in the center fold. We even remember a guy coming around and taking our picture. We cheersed the camera and thought, yeah right, that will never make it in. But it did!!!


How did we know we were in the paper....? Our security guard friends saw it and recognized us. They gave us a few copies when we saw them. Like I said before, it was nice having them on our side.


Ah, EXIT. So many good memories. Here we are, playing drinking Uno, with our new friend Mladen.

Snoop and more...

Night Three Lineup: Dubioza Kolektiv, Ms Lauryn Hill, Basement Jaxx, and Snoop Dogg.

As you can see from the picture below, we stuck to our plan and made it to the front row for a second night in a row. What does being in the front row mean?

(Link, Me, Megs, Dennis, and Elena)

It means ....you get to meet Snoop Dogg!!! Oh yeah, that's right. Megs and I were some of the cute girls picked from the front row to go back stage and meet Snoop and his crew. We hopped on stage, had our IDs checked (must be 18), and met the band mates. Snoop was not actually hanging out as he was in his private room, but we did chat it up with the others. But to be honest, the back stage party was totally lame. I would have pictured all kinds of booze and partying, but there was simply water and fruit plate. Maybe that is why they even invited us back to their hotel rooms where the real party was at. But can you say SKETCH. No way were we going back with them..but it was cool meeting them. Finally, just was we were leaving Snoop came out and I asked if we could take a picture with him. He just kind of grunted and that was that. But hey, how many PCVs can say they met Snoop?

(Megs, Snoop, and Me)

Night Four Lineup: Mala Vita, Van Gogh, Audio Bullys Live, Wu-Tang Clan, and Pendulum DJ set & MC Verse.

The final night. Another night of fun. We weren't really pumped about any of the bands playing, but thought it best to get our money's worth. Van Gogh turned out to be a pretty good group and had an amazing turnout. They are the most popular Serbian rock band out there right now so that could explain it. Audio Bullys was aweful. All the music sounded the same and it was this one guy singing almost monotone like. He had no energy and nearly put the crowd to sleep. He was the only guy who was booed at the whole festival from what I heard.

(Megs, Me and Link, front row of course.)

Then it was Wu Tang Clan. They sing very violent rap and we were expecting the worst from the crowd. We were pushed and shoved, hit on the head and had to fight back a little more than other shows. The show was quick but good. They were very into the crowd spaying champagne all over and just saying how great it was to be in Serbia. Well you know what, it was great being in Serbia. The show wrapped up with a DJ who had amazing energy for 4 in the morning. If I didn't have a 5 am train to catch I may have just stayed.

Exit continues...

A little history about Exit. The first EXIT was held in 2000, in opposition to the regime of then Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. The event quickly outgrew Serbia, and today, it is one of the top music festivals in Europe. Since its inception, EXIT has been about more than music. This year campaigns were established to promote tolerance and anti-discrimination.For the second year in a row, EXIT also sent a strong message to the EU, asking for the visa regime to be relaxed for residents of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia.

(the festival grounds)

This year was the 8th EXIT festival featuring about 150,000 music fans, 28 stages, and four wild nights in Novi Sad, a city 80km north of Belgrade. Festival officials say this year's EXIT drew a record-breaking crowd from outside the country. As many as 40% were foreigners, the gang of us being part of that percentage.

(Megs and I having a few beers on the way.)

Back to the show... The next day turned out to be much better. We sat around the camp site making friends, drinking beer and playing cards. In order to avoid the crazy mob, we gathered our things and headed out to the fortress early. By early, I mean the grounds were empty of any fans, just workers getting ready for the night. But it made it nice for us. We made friends with the camera guys, the security guys and even the food vendors. We now had connections all over the grounds.

(Darko, one of our new Serbian friends we met)

Night Two Lineup: Overflow, the Pipettes, CSS, and Beastie Boys.

Getting there early allowed us to stake out the best seats in the house...front row. Mind you we were hours early, but hey, there was beer and good company, same things we would have over at the camp.

(Beastie Boys)

Not recognizing most of the bands in the lineup, the show turned out to be awesome. Beastie Boys was of course the highlight. After the show we headed back to the camp already deciding to get there early the next day as well. There is nothing like being that close to the action.

Serbia...

...the scene of hip hop and electronic dance music, thousands of hippies, and a few good friends along for the ride. This past weekend I took an adventure of a different kind out of Bulgaria and into the neighboring country of Serbia. It was not a time for sightseeing and city exploration but rather a time to get down (boogie) and dirty (camp) as we enjoyed the festivities of the 8th annual Exit Festival in Novi Sad.

(Link and I on the train)

A few friends and I headed out on the night train, with beer and burgers in hand, and arrived in the early morning in Belgrade. From there we hoped on another train to Novi Sad where we waited for the fest to begin.

(Base Camp)

Upon arriving to the camp site we staked out some good ground and pitched our tents. I was bunking with Link who broke all the rules when it came to sharing a tent. He took up all the space and made our 2 person tent unbearably smelly with all his tooting. But in the end it didn't really matter much as we did very little sleeping in the tent. It was more of a baking oven with the sun beating down on it in the early hours of the morning.

(View of the fortress where it all happened.)

Night One Lineup: Tanya Stephens, Robert Plant & Strange Sensations, The Prodigy, and Groove Armada.

There were some serious logistical problems the first night and getting in was a long, slow process. We were in a mob of people not going anywhere. They had to check everyone's E-tickets one by one which caused a huge delay. Finally at one point, because the crowd was starting to get a bit too rowdy, they just let everyone in without even checking tickets. We missed Robert Plant, former singer for Led Zeppelin, and none us were fans of the Prodigy. We decided to avoid the huge crowds and watch the show from a distance. It was a dissapointing night and not a great way to start. Calling it a night early, we headed back to camp, anxiously waiting for the following day's lineup.

Noroc!

That's cheers in Romanian (although I didn't know it at the time), where I was recently enjoying a cold one...and the good life. Now I am off to the Serbia Music Fest. More updates upon my return!


Write me comments!!! They make me feel important!!

Socialites of Sofia....

"Happy and Beautiful People." Oh yeah, that's me.


As a Peace Corps Volunteer my work here has been written up in the local newspapers, covered on the radio, and I even had a feature in one of Sofia's weekly magazines. This time, I went a different route. I went for the socialite party scene coverage. Yup, I was featured in the June edition of "Sofia Clubbing" magazine. Well, I guess I am not "featured" so much as a wee tiny picture was published. During a late night out in Sofia with a group of friends, my friend Max and I were approached by a photographer. They took our picture but it was hard to understand what it would be used for, or where it would be published (if even published). Weeks later we found out. A friend of Max's was flipping through the magazine to discover a couple of familiar faces. If you look closely you will find the small picture of Max and I in the lower right hand corner. It says Макс и Джесика. Cool, huh?


As Max said, "It's probably not exactly the media source the Peace Corps wants its volunteers to be featured in, but hey, it was all in good fun. And I fully expect Bulgarian People or US Weekly to be sending the paparazzi after me soon." I am not so sure about that, but one can have his dream :) And please, call me Miss Hollywood from now on.

To be honest, discos are not really my scene of choice. I would much rather head down to the local dive bar for a cold one. But sometimes, it is fun to get out there and boogie till the sun comes up.

I guess after all that dancing, it finally paid off.

Finally, after only 11 years..

Borislav and Nelly have finally tied the knot. They have been dating for 11 years and have finally done it. They are now married. Congrats to them.

I even remember, when I first met Borislav back in training, he told me he had a girlfriend of 9 years. Nine years!!! Since then, I have continually asked, "So, when are you guys getting married?" His answer was always just "soon". Well, soon came 2 years later.

(The wedding party: Borislav and Nelly, and the best man and his wife.)

This was my first Bulgarian wedding. They have been great friends to me here and I was so excited to be sharing their special day with them. A Bulgarian wedding! Wow, I have been waiting for this for 2 years, them even longer. Although, I must say, it was not all that different than an American one. They still have many of the same traditions, but with a slightly different twist.

The day first starts out at city hall. Here they have the official ceremony where all the papers are signed, rings exchanged, and documents stamped. From there, we headed off to the church. This is the more traditional aspect of the wedding. There is a priest who seemed to chant the whole thing. Don't worry, I didn't understand a thing. They held lit candles, wore old golden crowns and walked around the table a few times. They drank wine and took communion. One of the guests even leaned over and jokingly said, the priest is going to be drunk by the end of the day after his 15th wedding. And wouldn't you know it, as soon as we left the church, another wedding party was coming in. It is all a lot less formal too. The church is not closed to the public. Anyone can come in and watch, pray, light their candles, and it is no big deal.

(In the dark and smoky church.)

After the church ceremony, all the guests headed out to the reception, held at a nice restaurant in town. The reception appeared to be like most Bulgarian parties with the Shopska salad and Rakia already waiting for the guests on the tables. The breaking of the glasses initiated the start of the party as well as the start of the dancing. Oh the dancing. No Bulgarian party is the same without the endless dancing. The first dance was had and silly promises made to each other. The bride even throws the bouquet. Only difference, a few men seemed to join the lot of the single girls. A man even caught it, strange.

(My handsome date)

If you thought the party ended there, you are mistaken my friend. Following the reception was the after party for those that could hang after all the bottles of Rakia, beer and wine that were served. A bunch of us went out to another bar...and then another bar...and then another bar...before we headed to the disco. It was a long night of partying and good times.

In closing, I just want to thank Borislav and Nelly for a great party. Truly, an unforgettable experience. I wish them a lifetime of love and happiness. Here is to them, the happy couple!

Wedding Season...

In the past week, I have managed to make it to two weddings here in Bulgaria. And I haven't even been to that many weddings in the states. It is the beginning of the summer and love is in the air. That must be what explains it. Last Saturday, I went out to Shumen to be celebrate in the joining of 2 Peace Corps Volunteers, Jon and Tia.

(The Methodist Church)

Jon and Tia were both Peace Corps volunteers in my group. Jon was even in my training group! They were perfect strangers before they came, met, bickered, and fell in love. Now they are happily married ready to start the next chapter in their life. And I wish them all the best. Congrats!

(Trust me, they are a happy couple despite the half smile. Unfortunately, my camera failed me and these are the best pictures I got. Bust!)

Why get married in Bulgaria? Why not? Actually, they are both moving to England together after Bulgaria, so maybe that is their excuse. I could only begin to imagine how hard it must be to plan a wedding in Bulgaria with the ever difficult language, the sometimes frustrating people, and the small things that might be hard to find, well, and the big things like the dress. From what I have seen in shops, Bulgarian dresses are not the most becoming with too many frills and whatsits covering the thing.

(The bride and groom enjoying some time old traditions.)

But somehow, Tia and Jon managed to pull it off. The dresses were amazing, the ceremony beautiful. Family and friends alike made it out and enjoyed the party. It was a great success!

Highlights of the ugliest city ever...

A few good points from the trip (trying to stay positive here)...

The friendly people. Seriously, everyone seemed so nice. They would go out of their way to help us by calling the hostel for directions, personally taking us to find the bus, and just plain smiling. It was a nice change.

(The Ruin Bar. Thats what the guidebook says, but it looks a bit too ruined and unsafe to really be a working club anymore. Who knows.)

The good food. Although at times it proved difficult to find decent places to eat, once they were found, the food was amazing. We enjoyed many interesting tapas, delicious salads that did not consist only of tomatoes, cucumbers and cheese, sandwiches, and of course a few beers.

The historic, bohemian quarter. This was a livelier place with some very funky and fun cafes. Instead of giving ourselves heat stroke, we decided to pub hop and make an evening out of it. The area turned into being a bit dodgy as the sun set, but interesting nonetheless.

(Max: more of a tour guide than the tour guide. The palace tour was all too unimpressive.)

The House of the People. Also known as the Palace of the Parliament building. This was the former dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu's big idea. It is a very Stalinist structure making it the second largest building in the world after the Pentagon. (I must figure out what the 3rd one is seeing as I have now been to both top two.) The building began construction in 1984, and was unfinished when the dictator was overthrown and executed. It is constructed entirely of materials of Romanian origin, being said that it used up the entire Romanian supply of marble. Due to its immense size of the building, it essentially demolished about a fifth of the historic district razing entire neighborhoods and forcing people to relocate. This just shows how his policies were chaotic and megalomaniac.

(View from the palace. The balcony where Michael Jackson came and made the mistake of saying hello Budapest, instead of Bucharest. As you can see, even the grounds are poorly kept.)

All in all, Bucharest is not a city I would recommend to the avid traveler. I am certain it has it must have its good parts and hidden treasures. You probably just need to know where to look. And we just didn't seem to know.

A Quick Jaunt up North...

As you know, I am now free from work and Peace Corps. Most people would say unemployed, but I prefer the term free spirit. And what a better way to celebrate this freedom, and the Fourth of July, than with a quick, unplanned jaunt out of the country and up to Romania.


I knew little about my destination to the capital city before I ventured there other than what I read in the trusty guidebook. (Although actually, the guidebook used was a few years old, and was not all that trusty at all.) My friend Max and I took the quick bus ride from the Danube city of Ruse in Bulgaria, crossed the only bridge linking Bulgaria and Romania, and were dropped off in a parking lot in the middle of town. After finding the hostel we were ready to hit the town.

Well, we tried anyways. We avoided the overcrowded and hot city buses and took to the even hotter streets by foot. It must have been at least 100 degrees out. We walked and walked and walked. And then walked some more before we could even find a corner shop selling water. Our first impressions were not good, but I was willing to give Bucharest a fighting chance. Alas, Bucharest put up a lousy fight.


The city was, to be honest, probably one of the worst cities I have ever visited. It was ugly with ornate fountains ruined by dyed water (look at the picture above). The public transport was lacking as the buses were overcrowded and few and far between. The streets were super sized with an immense traffic problem. Not to mention the city was hot, noisy and dusty at all times. There was no real center to the city and it definitely did not cater to tourists at all. We couldn't even buy a cheesy souvenir. Postcards were even hard to come by. And finally, we were almost shocked at how expensive things seemed to be. I know it is a European capital city, but I guess I expected something different.

Homemade Brew...

Rakia. A staple in the Bulgarian life and a centuries old tradition learned by generation after generation. A sharp, strong homemade brandy is distilled from grapes or plums grown in their backyards. Rakia distilling is not considered so much as a business but as part of a tradition. A tradition that some consider to be the last stronghold in the traditional way of life. Almost every home makes their own special brew and stores them in ordinary plastic bottles, usually with an old coke label on it. Some say the homemade stuff is better than the store bought stuff. But I would have to disagree. For me, the home brew tastes more like paint thinner than brandy.

This same drink is now causing a big stir in Bulgaria and the rest of the EU. With their recent entrance into the EU, they are now forced to pay a tax, a tax which has Bulgarians outraged. The tax increases the price of making 40 liters of rakia from about €10, in distillery costs — for those who use a public still — to nearly €100.

Protests have erupted in grape- and plum-growing regions and Bulgarians are pouring their home brew on the streets to take a stand. Many residents hurried to distill their grapes before the tax took effect on Jan. 1 while others have avoided the distilleries out of fear.

The new tax is mandated by a 1992 EU directive setting the minimum excise at €550 for 100 liters, or 26 gallons, of pure alcohol. The tax has been applied since then in other EU countries where farmers traditionally distill local brandies. In Bulgaria, because rakia usually contains 40 percent alcohol, this works out to €2.20 a liter.

In its EU accession agreement, Bulgaria obtained a 50 percent reduction of the tax for those who grow their own fruit and use a still producing more than 1,000 liters a year. They will pay €1.10 a liter for up to 30 liters produced for personal consumption. But if they have more than 30 liters distilled, the entire quantity will be taxed at the higher rate.

For rural Bulgarians, even the reduced tax — the first attempt to regulate rakia in the post-Communist era — is an enormous expense. Few political issues in recent years have created such broad and deep public indignation.

This tax would hit local residents' way of life. Most own vineyards and almost every house has its own small still. Under the new law, every unregistered still will be illegal, punishable by a fine of 500 to 3,000 lev, or €250 to €1,500.

Although many wonder how it will actually be enforced. And as it is in Bulgarians nature, when there is a will there is a way. I am sure they will still keep on keepin on with their rakia.

Bulgaria in a nut shell...

Bulgaria may just be driving me crazy. But I cant help but loving it even more. Here is a really funny video that was made by some Bulgarian students. It is oh so funny, and yet very, very true.

Click the following to link to see the video... "Bulgaria - a country of unlimited... impossibilities."

Here might be some of the most important things you need to know about Bulgaria, things I have come to know well over the past 2+ years. No exaggeration.

(Me going crazy.... But really, just caught in a candid moment laughing on a beautiful Bulgarian hillside.)

Cultural Differences: The head nod. Bulgarians shake and nod their heads opposite of the rest of the world. Yes means No. And No means Yes. What do I mean? A back and forth head shake and the the side-to-side head bobble means yes. Whereas the up and down nod means no as well as the quick head jerk down. There is no place else in the world that does this. This is made even more confusing when Bulgarians realize you’re a foreigner, and they decide to "help" you by switching to what the rest of the world does. So really, you never can be sure what is going on.

Architecture: The good old communist concrete block. Some may call them socialist geniuses. I don't know who, but they might. People came, started to build, and then just vanished. Throughout Bulgaria you can see the abandoned buildings that never quite got off the ground. I think a lot of this has to do with the fall of communism and people pulling out of a current project to take the money instead.

Sightseeing: Right when you are about to take a picture, something is going to get in your way. Bulgarians seem to have this way about stepping right in front of your photo. Its crazy really. They either just simply dont care, or really dont see you. But come on, how can they not see you when you are standing there pointing your camera at that beautiful church, or whatever you are shooting.

Street Traffic: Bulgarians are known for their fierce driving. They will never stop for a pedestrian, and I mean never. (Remember the blog about me almost getting my foot run over.) And the sidewalks are even worse. In Bulgaria, I think sidewalk is a synonym for parking lot. You can hardly find a proper sidewalk that is not overtaken by parked cars. And then there is the city transport. I tend to take the public buses or trams, but if you are up for it maybe you can hitch a ride with the horse and cart driving by. You never know, they may just give you a lift.

Tradition: Hospitality. I think Bulgarians might just be the most hospitable people ever. You can go over to a friends house for hours uninvited and they will still serve you a feast. First you will start with rakia(home made brandy) and Shopska (cucumber, tomato and cheese) Salad. Then you will have more rakia. Then of course meatballs and sausages. Served with more rakia. For dessert, rakia. And more rakia. You will drink rakia into the early hours until you can hardly manage to walk.

The WC: Also known as the water closet. Don't get me started on that.

Culture: There is a cultural legacy here. And it is called Chalga, or Pop Folk music. And for me, it is like nails on a chalkboard. There is no real talent needed to be a Chalga star. You simply need to be a really ugly guy with long hair and bad clothes, or a female with too much makeup, huge boobs, and wearing nearly nothing. There is a joke here... Most people like to just watch chalga with the volume turned low.

Shopping: I just don't bother here. But the second hand shops seem to be a big hit. Although, a friend told me once that when he tried to take his old clothing to the second had store, the store wouldnt take it. He was giving them 2 large bags of free second hand clothes....for the SECOND HAND store. What were the shopkeepers not understanding. So he decided to take it to the "other" second hand store, the side of the dumpster where someone was sure to rifle though the bags.

People: The greatest resource for Bulgaria. Although, there seems to be some population limitation program that keeps the population growth from growing. It is actually decreasing. And it is sad sight to see the old pensioners or retired people sifting through dumpsters to find something of value, maybe even something to eat. The government ought to give them more.

Nightlife: You can either go out with friends, have party in your apartment, or go for a night stroll. But beware, you may get mugged, beaten and flashed. Well, it doesnt have to be in the night to get flashed. You can simply walk through your local park and surely a man in a trench coat will show all. Trust me, its happened to me.

Of course, these are just some of the highlights of Bulgaria. Some of the fascinating and simultaneously frustrating parts about life here. Some of the things that, as much as I cant stand at times, will ultimately miss when I leave. Ah, Bulgaria. A land of magic and beauty.

Goodbye Peace Corps...

Monday, July 2nd. Today, is my last day as a Peace Corps Volunteer.

A lot of my friends I started this adventure with have already gone home, are traveling around for a bit, or are getting ready to leave shortly. It is all very sad. Sad to say goodbye to the people that were in it together with you. But this second year has been, in most respects, much better than the first. I've found how to live in Bulgaria, a very foreign country (it took awhile, despite all that training in the beginning) and I have found how not to be lonely when my American friends are not around. I have gained so much from this experience. I have gained many insights into Bulgaria, the people and the culture that makes this place truly Bulgaria, a one of a kind place.

I've reached the end of my Peace Corps journey. Two years ago I headed out not having any idea what I was getting myself into but trusting the fact that plenty of people had done it before me and I would be fine. I can't say these two years went by quickly. I was 22 when I stepped off that plane, and now I am 24, nearly 25. I guess in the whole scheme of things, that is not that long. Only two years in the span of a lifetime ahead. I know when I look back on my service it will seem but a small moment in time.

It takes a special type of person to be a Peace Corps volunteer and finish service. We are tight knit group and together we've done what most would fail at or even attempt. I have finished my Peace Corps service. I feel like I have made a difference at my school and with some of my students. I know I did not reach all my students, but as they say, if you have reached one person and made a difference in their life, than you have succeeded. I feel like I have succeeded. I have accomplished all my goals I set myself, however difficult it may have been at times.

As one of my friends said, "I am a better person because of this experience. I have been humbled by these experiences and my eyes have been opened to an entirely new way of looking at other cultures and people. I have looked at my own country from the perspective of an ocean away. I've experienced another country in a way that no tourist ever could." I couldn't agree more. A long time ago I made a decision and I stood by it. I joined the Peace Corps. It has been my dream since the beginning of college when I first discovered what the Peace Corps was exactly. I have fulfilled this dream, and fulfilled it proudly. Now, I must find a new dream. I have a world of opportunities awaiting me. So off I go, goodbye Peace Corps, and thanks for the memories.