Smile! Something beautiful will come your way :)
Wednesday 18 August 2010
Day of Varna
15 August is the day of Varna. This date which also matches the Christian feast Assumption.
But for most visitors and citizens of our city it's just a good occasion to enjoy the program organised by the Municipality and of course the fireworks in the evening sky.
For those who have seen them and for those who have missed them again:
If you'd like to see more I would recommend you to use the slide-show option and enjoy their beauty. Fireworks album
But for most visitors and citizens of our city it's just a good occasion to enjoy the program organised by the Municipality and of course the fireworks in the evening sky.
For those who have seen them and for those who have missed them again:
 |
| From Fireworks |
 |
| From Fireworks |
 |
| From Fireworks |
 |
| From Fireworks |
 |
| From Fireworks |
 |
| From Fireworks |
 |
| From Fireworks |
|
| From Fireworks |
 |
| From Fireworks |
 |
| From Fireworks |
 |
| From Fireworks |
If you'd like to see more I would recommend you to use the slide-show option and enjoy their beauty. Fireworks album
Friday 13 August 2010
Love or money
Maybe most of us have faced the dilemma at least once in their lives? Or maybe not? But what would you choose, if you have to? I asked myself these questions last night, listening to a conversation...
Two girls. Both in their mid twenties. Both students. Friends, and for some time now, flatmates.
One coming from a smaller town and a loving family. Came to the big city to study in the Secondary School. Living more or less on her own since then. Working since 18. Now - an university student. And working in a dry cleaning for the summer period for 200 euro/month.
Dates, but secretly in love. Though, optimist for the future.
The other one - born in the big city. Daughter of an university professor. Locked up at home to study, study, study... Few friends approved. Boyfriends banned. Till the day she's totally exhausted but her pride says Enough and Nevermore and she moves out of her parent's house.
She keeps studying (an University student atm), works here and there, but the economic situation does not allow her to earn enough to make a living.
Has a long term boyfriend, though their relationship is like the tide - coming and going. He yells at her sometimes, tries to beat her now and then, still, they love each other.
For seven years now...
But she met another guy two years ago. He's older, good looking, has class and style and money. A businessman. A married man. He's treating her well, always gentle and caring. He knows the story of her life and the fact that she's in love with another guy. He travels a lot because of his business and is back in the big city every summer and they keep on meeting...
Now she's fed up even more. With the lack of money. She doesn't want to pretend that 200 euro/month are enough. Exhausted with her everyday trials to make ends meet. With the struggle called 'her life'.
Craving to get some love, a place to to feel safe and loved, and cared of. So, she's made up her mind. She's leaving. Going with the businessman, who will give her more than her basic needs.
She knows that she'll be a mistress. The other woman. But she's ready to trade her attention for some money and a good lifestyle...
This is not the end of the story. Maybe I will learn some more of it in the future. Maybe not.
But the decision of this girl, this young woman really struck me. It made me think... about the parents and their wishes and unaccomplished ambitions, about the way they push their children to fulfil the elders' dreams. About the friends and boyfriends and the relationships we form with them.
About all the life choices we make. Every day.
So, what are you doing right now? What do you do for a living? Do you like it? Who chose it for you? Are you happy with it?
What about the person next to you? Is he/she the one?
What did you choose?
What will you choose? Love or money?
***
Edgar Allan Poe - The Raven
Two girls. Both in their mid twenties. Both students. Friends, and for some time now, flatmates.
One coming from a smaller town and a loving family. Came to the big city to study in the Secondary School. Living more or less on her own since then. Working since 18. Now - an university student. And working in a dry cleaning for the summer period for 200 euro/month.
Dates, but secretly in love. Though, optimist for the future.
The other one - born in the big city. Daughter of an university professor. Locked up at home to study, study, study... Few friends approved. Boyfriends banned. Till the day she's totally exhausted but her pride says Enough and Nevermore and she moves out of her parent's house.
She keeps studying (an University student atm), works here and there, but the economic situation does not allow her to earn enough to make a living.
Has a long term boyfriend, though their relationship is like the tide - coming and going. He yells at her sometimes, tries to beat her now and then, still, they love each other.
For seven years now...
But she met another guy two years ago. He's older, good looking, has class and style and money. A businessman. A married man. He's treating her well, always gentle and caring. He knows the story of her life and the fact that she's in love with another guy. He travels a lot because of his business and is back in the big city every summer and they keep on meeting...
Now she's fed up even more. With the lack of money. She doesn't want to pretend that 200 euro/month are enough. Exhausted with her everyday trials to make ends meet. With the struggle called 'her life'.
Craving to get some love, a place to to feel safe and loved, and cared of. So, she's made up her mind. She's leaving. Going with the businessman, who will give her more than her basic needs.
She knows that she'll be a mistress. The other woman. But she's ready to trade her attention for some money and a good lifestyle...
This is not the end of the story. Maybe I will learn some more of it in the future. Maybe not.
But the decision of this girl, this young woman really struck me. It made me think... about the parents and their wishes and unaccomplished ambitions, about the way they push their children to fulfil the elders' dreams. About the friends and boyfriends and the relationships we form with them.
About all the life choices we make. Every day.
So, what are you doing right now? What do you do for a living? Do you like it? Who chose it for you? Are you happy with it?
What about the person next to you? Is he/she the one?
What did you choose?
What will you choose? Love or money?
***
Edgar Allan Poe - The Raven
Did you watch them?
The maximum of the meteor shower called The Perseids was last night and the night before.
Each year it peaks around 11-13 August, born by the dust trail of the comet Swift-Tuttle.
So, did you watch them?
Being during the week, I did not have the time to go out of town to enjoy it. Yet, I took my mat and got out on the meadow behind my block of flats to get my share of the shooting stars show.
I hope you also did it. If not, don't miss it next year. They will be back. :)
In the meanwhile you can learn a bit more about the Perseids:
...or try your knowledge by taking the Quiz.
Each year it peaks around 11-13 August, born by the dust trail of the comet Swift-Tuttle.
So, did you watch them?
Being during the week, I did not have the time to go out of town to enjoy it. Yet, I took my mat and got out on the meadow behind my block of flats to get my share of the shooting stars show.
I hope you also did it. If not, don't miss it next year. They will be back. :)
In the meanwhile you can learn a bit more about the Perseids:
...or try your knowledge by taking the Quiz.
Saturday 7 August 2010
A trip less than ordinary
You want to travel round Bulgaria? Well, if you do so then you need a car. If you don't have a car then the usual 2 other options are trains or buses.
Locals do know that trains are slow and dirty. They are permanently late, despite the fact that they are just a bit cheaper than the inter city buses.
Thus, if you want to travel faster you get the bus.
So, I was off this weekend. Decided to visit a friend of mine who's staying in a village close to Veliko Tarnovo.
I picked the bus option as a means of transport. There are plenty of companies going through Tarnovo on the way to Sofia every day. I wanted to get there faster, so my first option was Biomet.
Biomet are known for their regularity, nice new good-looking buses and the fact that they don't stop in every little village to drop or collect more people, thus ensuring faster travel.
I went to their office and bought myself a ticket on Thursday.
I was thinking .... finish work at 6 p.m., and go straight to the bus station. Bus leaves at 7 p.m., so hopefully I'd be in Tarnovo around 10 p.m. So, I'd have enough time for dinner, chit-chat and a lovely Friday evening.
But as per Murphy's Laws destiny had other plans. Ten minutes before the departure time the speaker system at the bus station announced that bus won't perform the trip.
I rushed back to the office of the bus line. The explanation of the ladies there - the bus's been broken and they were expecting it to be fixed by 7 p.m., but it wasn't.
My options - to get a refund for the ticket or take the next bus which was planned leave an hour and a half later - at 8:30 p.m.
Despite the list of bus lines available it appeared that there were no other buses leaving round that time. The competition options were due to depart around 10-10:30 p.m.
...and all of this happened on a Friday evening - usually a very busy period of the week.
Having no other options, I agreed to travel with the later bus. I wanted to enjoy the weekend and meet the friend. I was also hoping for some sightseeing in the area, but I'll leave the sightseeing part for another post.
There was this girl at the second guichet. She also had a 7 p.m. ticket. And a plane to catch which was leaving at 5 a.m., considering the fact that the trip to Sofia takes 6.5 hours and that the trip between the bus station and the airport is 30 minutes itself. I'll leave the calculations to you...
So, stuck at the bus-station for an hour and a half. Not enough time to go home and no place to have a cup of coffee, as all the shops at the station close at 7 p.m.
I was so annoyed that I didn't even think to take some photos of the shabby outlook of the area there. The inter-city bus station is there for ages, but seems that no one has ever considered to do some renovation.
At least I had a book to read and entertain myself.
Finally the 8:30 bus was positioned and we got on board. I had the feeling that at least 30% of the people there were like me - waiting since 7 p.m.
We were on. Just when the bus got on the highway the stewardess switched on the video. It was time for another movie to help time pass. The movie was called 'Giallo'. We had only watched about 15 minutes of it and she stopped it. Disk change. New movie. 'Daybreakers'. This one was more interesting. We managed to watch an hour out of it. Then it was scrolled forward and stopped.
By that time we were at the suburbs of Shumen. And we stopped. To let some people get off and some more to get on. Five minute break.
New movie: Sand snakes ( or sth like that). New stop - at Targovishte. Movie only lasted like 10 minutes and was replaced by 4th one - 17 again.
Well, this one survived till Veliko Tarnovo.
Yay, I made it. with 90 minutes delay at the start and four movies (lol) I finally reached my destination point.
I do hope that your trip will be more pleasant than mine. I really didn't expect it.
Locals do know that trains are slow and dirty. They are permanently late, despite the fact that they are just a bit cheaper than the inter city buses.
Thus, if you want to travel faster you get the bus.
So, I was off this weekend. Decided to visit a friend of mine who's staying in a village close to Veliko Tarnovo.
I picked the bus option as a means of transport. There are plenty of companies going through Tarnovo on the way to Sofia every day. I wanted to get there faster, so my first option was Biomet.
Biomet are known for their regularity, nice new good-looking buses and the fact that they don't stop in every little village to drop or collect more people, thus ensuring faster travel.
I went to their office and bought myself a ticket on Thursday.
I was thinking .... finish work at 6 p.m., and go straight to the bus station. Bus leaves at 7 p.m., so hopefully I'd be in Tarnovo around 10 p.m. So, I'd have enough time for dinner, chit-chat and a lovely Friday evening.
But as per Murphy's Laws destiny had other plans. Ten minutes before the departure time the speaker system at the bus station announced that bus won't perform the trip.
I rushed back to the office of the bus line. The explanation of the ladies there - the bus's been broken and they were expecting it to be fixed by 7 p.m., but it wasn't.
My options - to get a refund for the ticket or take the next bus which was planned leave an hour and a half later - at 8:30 p.m.
Despite the list of bus lines available it appeared that there were no other buses leaving round that time. The competition options were due to depart around 10-10:30 p.m.
...and all of this happened on a Friday evening - usually a very busy period of the week.
Having no other options, I agreed to travel with the later bus. I wanted to enjoy the weekend and meet the friend. I was also hoping for some sightseeing in the area, but I'll leave the sightseeing part for another post.
There was this girl at the second guichet. She also had a 7 p.m. ticket. And a plane to catch which was leaving at 5 a.m., considering the fact that the trip to Sofia takes 6.5 hours and that the trip between the bus station and the airport is 30 minutes itself. I'll leave the calculations to you...
So, stuck at the bus-station for an hour and a half. Not enough time to go home and no place to have a cup of coffee, as all the shops at the station close at 7 p.m.
I was so annoyed that I didn't even think to take some photos of the shabby outlook of the area there. The inter-city bus station is there for ages, but seems that no one has ever considered to do some renovation.
At least I had a book to read and entertain myself.
Finally the 8:30 bus was positioned and we got on board. I had the feeling that at least 30% of the people there were like me - waiting since 7 p.m.
We were on. Just when the bus got on the highway the stewardess switched on the video. It was time for another movie to help time pass. The movie was called 'Giallo'. We had only watched about 15 minutes of it and she stopped it. Disk change. New movie. 'Daybreakers'. This one was more interesting. We managed to watch an hour out of it. Then it was scrolled forward and stopped.
By that time we were at the suburbs of Shumen. And we stopped. To let some people get off and some more to get on. Five minute break.
New movie: Sand snakes ( or sth like that). New stop - at Targovishte. Movie only lasted like 10 minutes and was replaced by 4th one - 17 again.
Well, this one survived till Veliko Tarnovo.
Yay, I made it. with 90 minutes delay at the start and four movies (lol) I finally reached my destination point.
I do hope that your trip will be more pleasant than mine. I really didn't expect it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)