Bulgaria-Sweden

This past Saturday I attended the Bulgaria-Sweden World Cup Qualifier match here in Sofia at the national stadium (same one I played in for the pictures below!). It was a big match because a win would almost guarantee that Bulgaria would be going to the World Cup in Germany in 2006.
I managed to score tickets (about 5 bucks each) and as it turned out, I was pretty lucky because no other volunteers were able to do so. I wasn't sure what to expect for the game but I donned by Bulgarian football jersey and headed out with Eric. Half of Sofia was shut down for the game and we found ourselves in a mob of people rushing to get into the stadium. Our tickets were the cheapest available so we knew that we would be pretty far up... but as it turned out we were actually in the very last row! As we made our way up (translation pushed, shoved and elbowed)to our seats I was confonted by a policeman all equiped in riot gear... helmet with retractable plasic cover included.

"Excuse me, but where do you think you are going?" he barked at Eric and I.

"Well... our seats, we have tickets for this last...."

"Sorry, no more seats."

"What?" I not very surprisingly asked him.

"There are no more seats... sorry, you have to stand here (in the stairwell)... those D#$@ Swedish fans took... mumble mumble... seats... mumble mumble... sorry, nothing I can do about it, I'm just a security guard." Sure, that explanation made sense...

Great. I displayed my displeasure to show him that not only did I speak Bulgarian but I can display Bulgarian expressions of anger and disgust as well. It was a pretty good act I guess, because minutes later... suddenly... out of the blue... 3 empty seats opened up. We jumped at the opportunity and although we found ourselves in the last row, we were able to stand on our seats and had a great view of the "pitch".

There was still an hour till the match but we were all standing, pumping our fists in the air, screaming at... well, just screaming... maybe for our team, maybe against the opponents. I wasn't too sure. The crowd was scattered with Bulgarian flags (Red, white and green)... some the size of pools, all of them glistening and wavering like multi-colored waves crashing down on crowds of ants. The chants began... "You nat-si, bul-gar-i!" "You nat-si, bul-gar-i!" which I was relieved to learn had nothing to do with Nazis... but apparently, according to our well knowledgable neighbor at the game, during the World Cup 1994 in the states... Americans thought it was about Nazis (huge controversy, according to him). Actually, the original cheer is "Vie Nat-si, Bul-gar-i" (Vie = You) which means "You Heros, Bulgarians!" -- but they decided to change the "vie" to english. Makes sense? Nah, not for me either...

But, this was my first taste of international and European soccer and it met all my expectations... fiesty fanatical fans, stoic riot police, smell of stale alcohol, chanting that sounds more like religious humming than any coherent words (the whole time was like "uhhh-ohhh-ummm, oooo-daaa-gooo!"), peanuts, oh.. and lots of national pride... and if that doesn't work... curse the other country for being uneducated animals...

We lost 3-0. D#$@ Swedes.... come on, lets go drink this one off and find us some Swedish fans to beat up.

Advice if you plan on coming to Bulgaria

I am totally plagerizing again but I thought this was pretty funny. This was some advice on what new volunteers can do to prepare for Bulgaria:

Try peeing into a solo cup while wearing heels, nice pants, a winter jacket, long scarf, a purse AND holding your own TP at the same time (something at which I was no expert in before I got here) all on a floor covered in murky water. Then make sure to throw the TP in the trash can when you are done

Practice patience. Let at least 10 people get in front of you when you arrive first to the counter at your local 7-11 (which is the size of most "grocery stores" here).

Walk a lot! (it's fun!) Only buy what you need for one day and repeat for two years.

Want to feel like a goldfish for a day? Try wearing some of the latest Bulgarian fashion NOW: dress from head to toe in pinks and mauves, or for spring, neon green or orange and watch the stares. That is what you will probably look like to the locals here when you walk down the street in your American threads and sporting hiking boots and Chacos.

Check out a website in a foreign language you only know a few words in (preferably in non-Latin script). Try to read and understand it!

Turn off your heating in your homes now to grow accustomed to the inside temps. Practice sitting in rooms filled with cigarette smoke and maintaining a smile.

Hang out in a Cafe for hours!

Spend time with friends over long dinners and fun(5 hours min.) on weeknights!

Eat the freshest veggies ever during respective seasons. Marvel in the ability to get Kiwis and Bananas in the dead of winter, but not green peppers.

Practice congratulating your friends on any new purchase and reminding them it is their duty to treat you to some coffee or candy

Take four hour bus rides through beautiful landscapes

Watch the guy with Horse and Cart cut off the tinted windowed Mercedes during the middle of the local rush hour (a personal favorite)

Eat macaroni with sugar for breakfast

Eat pancakes and omlettes in the evening

Have a friend drop you off in the middle of nowhere, and try to get home using only the words please, what, and "umm".

Go to bed a few nights in a row wearing wool hat, scarf and socks, a fleece lined track suit and gloves. Sleep well.

Practice immunity to bad breath. Hang around abandoned truck stop bathrooms until you can stand the smell and keep smiling.

Ladies! To be truly acculturated, seek out hair dye that will give you just the right shade of cotton-candy blue, or "balkan red".

Stop using spices and flavorings now, that way it will be less of a shock to your tongue when you arrive.But on the other hand......prepare to be humbled, by the sight of a people trying their best in a world that won't slow down and thinks their language is "obsolete".

Learn the little joys of everyday, the vegetable lady who gives you extra heads of elephant garlic with a wink and calls you sweetheart, the children who call out to you from across the street as you walk, and the colleagues who fold your jacket perfectly when your not looking so that it doesn't drag on the floor.

Understand the true meaning of satisfaction, understanding, peace, contentment. What you truly need in life and what you are (shockingly) able to do without.

Oh, and learn to love the black lace thong with tight white pants.

A clean slide tackle.... 

The team shot...  

I almost look professional here... 

The team with Balukov - next to me 

Quote

"Traveling is a fool's paradise... I pack my trunk, embrace my friends, embark on the sea and at last wake up in Naples, and there beside me is the stern fact, the sad self, unrelenting, identical, that I fled from." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Birthday Bash

Frustration! Just fell victim to the "I just wrote a huge post and lost it because I didn't save it!"

So again:

This past weekend I celebrated my last birthday in the 20's. Even though the years are piling on I really am feeling younger every year. I am not sure why that is except that I feel I am taking life by the horns... and I feel great. I am not gloating... on the contrary... Physically, it has a lot to do with putting as many years between the present and the last time I destroyed my body in the pool, becoming a vegatarian and learning to listen to my body (as well as the time to be able to listen to it)

I recently had an email exchange with a friend of mine and I told him that things were going well and felt like I was in the prime of my life... half joking, half not... mostly just to say things are great. Of course, like any good friend... he shot me down... but I am serious.

So this past weekend I went to the heart of the Rhodopy Mountains which borders Greece. The Rhodopies are "lost in time" and I think because of this I have a special place in my heart for them. The mix of old Turkish culture and the village life of Bulgaria mixes (with a sprinkle of Greek culture) into this potent and intoxicating aroma of smells and sounds, such as the call to prayer that on a clear day can be heard echoing from one valley to the next, the pristine forests or the clak-ity-clack of a horse pulling a load of hay.

We celebrated the famous "Kookeri" festival in the small village of Shiroka Luka (Wide Valley). The Kookeri festival is very similiar to the Mummers parade that every Philadelphite knows quite well. Based on the same concept, the Kookeri is an ancient pagan tradition of "scaring" the evil spirits of winter away and to usher in the coming spring. We of course ushered in the spring with 6 inches of snow.

Although it is not clear from the pictures below, local villagers dress up in these crazy outfits and dance around with masks and large bells in a ritual dance... they are usually very drunk, firing guns into the air and then the craziest group jumps into the icy cold river (as well as one volunteer). Hundreds of people descend on this tiny town (pop.500) to witness and partake in the festivities. After the formal rituals are done... 4 or 5 hours of dancing begin.

Traditional Bulgarian dancing is a line dance called the "Horo". From Ukraine to Greece the "horo" is very similiar. Even at my buddy's wedding (a greek), I found many of the dances exactly the same. If you have ever seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding then you know what I am talking about. The dancing at the Kookeri involves hundreds of people and just continues non-stop for 4 hours... it is quite amazing. I danced for about 3 hours with small breaks for beer and water... but then I collapsed from exhaustion!

Part of trip down to the Rhodopies was to visit my friend Eric and his cozy village of Smiliyan (famous for Smiliyanski Bob - Smiliyan style Beans). My favorite food in Bulgaria, unfortuantely for Eric, I ate lots of beans when I was down there. The village life is quite different from my life in Sofia and I really enjoyed the time to relax.

Note: The pictures that I am posting above are from about a year ago. We had a benefit soccer match with some famous Bulgarian soccer players... Buluchkov and Lechkov. Buluchkov is featured above. Both of them were on the 1994 World Cup team that took 4th. They are legends. Buluchkov was receiving an award from the International Organization of Migration, a partner that I and other volunteers work with on a anti-sexual slavery project. I guess they thought it would be funny to have an American team to laugh at and beat up on... but... we actually played quite well (although we lost to the Ministry of Sport and Youth) and were big hits because we had Trisha, the only girl to play.

A volunteer braves the elements with the locals in the traditional "jump in the river because we are crazy and drunk" 

An inviting sign for the festival greets us as we hitchhike into the village of Shiroka Luka... 

Kookeri guys from Slovakia...  

No related to the Kookeri but when I was leaving Sofia I saw this... it is a 5 foot pothole... and to make sure no one drives in it, they stuck a branch in it... quite a road sign! 

The Kookeri Festival!!! A pagan holiday to scare away the evil spirits before spring... 

Eric and I in the local "Kruchma" in Smiliyan 

Hanging out on my birthday... no messing with the pigtails (Me and Eric) 

The beautiful village of Smiliyan where my buddy Eric lives - population 3,000? 

nice moustache, right? 

My Cat Paz! 

My first trip to the Bulgarian Theatre

The other day I was invited by a colleague of mine to the theatre. I didn’t know her that well but as I was walking out of a meeting we had together she asked if I was interested in going with her and some friends. I was excited for the main reason that it is not always easy to meet good people. People assume in Sofia, because it is a big city, that you already have a circle of friends and never invite you out or for a “nagosti” (over for dinner). For example, this girl who invited me is from another organization that I am working with on an anti-human trafficking project but from my own organization, CEGA, I have never once been invited anywhere! Although that is another story….

So, to play it cool, I told her that I was snowboarding all day on Saturday(which I was) but that I would “try” to make it back for the theatre. I had her GSM and would drop her a line when I knew… or at least I thought I had her GSM. I called a friend of mine, an American blok named Matt, and told him I needed some support on my trip to the theatre. Matt, always up for an adventure, agreed… So, on Saturday, I dropped my colleague, Antoanet, a line telling her that I and a friend were coming. No response. A few hours passed and I gave her a call but no answer… hmmm… I know where the theatre is and what time the show is starting… haide! Let’s go there anyway.

So Matt and I met at the theatre around 7:30 but my friend and her friends were not to be found. Well, we did come a little late so we thought maybe they were already inside. Matt and I bought our tickets and heading in. I couldn’t see my colleague and friends but Matt pointed out to me that there seemed to be a lot of girls at the theatre… and good looking ones at that. Yea, who would have thought the theatre would be a great place to meet women? We took our seats and awaited the show….

3 ladies took the stage… an older one, a very butch looking one, and a pretty one….

The Old Lady began.

“My Vagina is like a flower…” (in Bulgarian)

Matt shot me a quick look (he is part croatian and has been in bulgaria for 3 years so he understands as well as I do)… “no way man.” … but he was right… not only did we not meet up with my colleague (who was not there) but we were now committed to a 2 hour show of …

The Vagina Monologues in Bulgarian…