Halloween: An American Tradition in Bulgaria

Last year we weren't very inspired to celebrate American holidays in Bulgaria. We made a couple of weak attempts, but this year invigorated by our trip home we decided to approach them with a renewed sense of earnest and interest. Halloween isn't a holiday typically celebrated in Bulgaria. People know about it for sure (mostly from American t.v shows and movies), but it isn't celebrated with nearly the same fervor that it is at home. At the high schools people will dress up (though we've been told mostly as policemen and prostitutes) and there are some parades and parties but no trick or treating. We came back from the States armed with a plastic pumpkin, cookie cutters, and about 400 pieces of candy. We were just going to stick to celebrating at our works with our co-workers (and in my case kids) but our friend (and my tutor) Kate suggested a Halloween party. So we dressed up as cats, made some Halloween cookies, and brought along the pumpkin and some food coloring (for tinting our drinks blood red and witch green). On the bus we did get a few strange looks. It's not often cats ride the buses in Bourgas. They usually confine themselves to the trash cans. At the party we encountered two witches, a fortune teller and other less festive looking creatures, saw a carved pumpkin that would put many American pumpkins to shame, ate lots of food and enjoyed the company of our Bulgarian friends while telling stupid Laffy Taffy jokes and explaining the real way to eat a Candy Corn. Our cabbie on the way home even got into the holiday spirit by meowing at us as we entered and left the car.

Luckily this year Halloween fell on a friday which is my day for classes. So again I donned my Gabrovian cat costume and dragged my bags of candy to school. If nothing else I like to think I brought a little cheer to school that day. The looks I got were pretty priceless and it offered me a nice opportunity to walk around offering Americanski bon bonis. In classes I was surprized to find out how much my kids already knew about the holiday, but we reviewed some key words like coffin and zombie with the help of some flashcards Wil made. The morning of Halloween a package arrived for us - some friends from back home had sent pencils and stickers which helped make the day that much more special - thanks Jessica and Stephen!

At night we went to find the parade we had heard would be happening downtown and happened upon a fire-dancing performance instead. It was pretty wild and they were able to do some pretty intricate moves with only a few drops of the flaming balls here and there. All in all it was a spectacular Halloween in Bulgaria.

КАФЕ ВСЕКИ ДЕН

Or rather, Coffee every day. Coffee is ubiquitous in Bulgaria. You can get espresso shots in little plastic cups from a variety of stores, machines, and cafes to sip while you wait for the bus or walk to work. It usually costs a little under half a lev, or roughly 40 cents. In the mornings while I waited for the bus that heads out to the protected area, I would either buy a mocha-flavored coffee from a machine on the street or a simple espresso from a little store near the bus-stop. This was before we got an espresso machine at the nature center. Now I wait until I arrive in the morning and make the espressos myself for myself and my coworkers - which we enjoy as we watch the fog rise off the reeds and wonder what species will be revealed by the morning sun. Ah, what joy to be awakened and invigorated by a drink universally enjoyed - whether in America or Bulgaria, you begin your day with the same beverage - a drink that crosses cultures and yet at the same time, allows differences of custom to influence its imbibing.

The most noticable difference between coffee in Bulgaria and America is that, in general, it will be very difficult to find a place that serves American-style coffee in a mug. By American-style, I mean that it is prepared by hot water dripping through ground beans through a filter into a large pot which is then poured into coffee mugs. It is possible to get what is known as 'long coffee' - this is an espresso left under the espresso machine a little longer, allowing more water to condense through the grounds. But the 'long coffee' is still not even half a mug. This also means that Bulgarians find American coffee very weak and watery. It is also not common to add all the different flavors to coffee that we do in the states. Jess and I have had to be a little creative when we have had cravings for Caramel Machiattos. Some cafes serve steamed milk with caramel. We simply order one along with an espresso and when they arrive at the table, mix them together. But it would be very rare to find a place that offered such a sweet concoction on their menu. Another noticable difference would be in the coffee culture of the two countries. It is much more acceptable to go a to coffee house alone in America and to spend hours there reading the paper or surfing the internet, all the while enjoying the solitary company of yourself. In Bulgaria, cafes are much more singularly meeting places to gather and enjoy conversation with others. It is unusual to see someone alone in a cafe in Bulgaria. This is probably simply evidence of our cultural preference of enjoying time to ourselves. In any case, Jess and I are conscious of behaving differently culturally when we go to a cafe to only read a book.

There are also several different options for coffee drinkers in Bulgaria. Besides the aforementioned espresso, it is common to find Nescafe served in restuarants and cafes. Jess and I enjoy 'Tri-vuv-edno' or 3in1 Nescafe at home. That's powdered coffee premixed with sugar and milk, so its like a sweet little pre-made latte once you add the hot water. Even at a nice restuarant, a cappucinno may be hot water added to a cappucinno packet instead of an espresso shot mixed with steamed milk. Another option available in most places is Turkish coffee. This is coffee made by putting the grounds (and sugar, if desired) in a special pot and heating it until the drink begins to foam. It is poured into a little cup and you have to wait to allow the grounds to settle at the bottom before you drink. Afterwards, the grounds can be knocked onto a saucer and read by a fortune teller. I have never had this done with my own future, but only because fortune tellers are much rarer than Turkish coffee.

Besides the terrace of the nature center, coffee can be enjoyed almost everywhere in Bulgaria. I already mentioned the many automated machines that sell instant coffee - they can be found on the streets and in the bus and train stations. It is common to serve coffee in your home when people visit for 'na gosti.' In every town, there is usually a pedestrian street lined with outdoor cafes where people gather. Some cafes are simple with plastic chairs and tables, some can be very fancy with plush cushions and hanging beaded cutains. In most it is possible to keep current with the latest international pop hits. There are small convenience stores in every neighborhood, sometimes just a basement window near a busy intersection, from which you can buy coffee to go. I personally believe Jess and I are the luckiest of all the coffee-drinking Peace Corps volunteers, since we are able to enjoy our coffee on the beach in one of the many beach cafes. I should also probably mention that I have been happily reading the press releases announcing the eminent arrival of Starbucks coffee in Sofia.

On the Catwalk

I love cats and in Bourgas there are a LOT. In fact I took a little catwalk today to show you the cats in our neighborhood. There is a lady who lives in a house around the corner from us (or at least I assume it's a lady - cat lady sounds much more reasonable that cat man) and she has at least 17 cats. It's hard to keep track since they keep having babies and dying. Actually, it gets a little difficult to see it day after day. On any given night you can hear cat fights and cat love and the screeching really stresses me out. So do the one eyed cats and the cats so thin you can see their little bones. It doesn't take long for a newly born kitten to get an eye infection or loose it's tail and to me nothing is more depressing than a depressed kitten.

We have had our favorites in the year since we've been here. And we even thought about kidnapping one off the street but didn't want to have to return her when we left. Out of all the cats - Маймуна (monkey in Bulgarian) was the best. She lived in the center by a bunch of cafes with about nine other cats and we happened upon her one winter night and fell in love. She was so friendly - she let us pet her (which is unusual for these feral cats) and even climbed up my jacket and sat on my shoulders (hence the name Маймуна). Every couple of days we would go back to the center and feed her and her friends bags of cat food and when I had extra food I wanted to get rid of I always went straight to her. So we decided she would be better off living with us than on the streets. In preparation for our new cat we went and bought kitty food, litter and a toy, talked to our landlords to make sure it was okay, found a vet and then went to Wil's work to get a bird cage to take her home in. However, when we got there she seemed more interested in eating trash than coming home with us and when we finally got her in the carrier she flipped out so intensely that I felt bad and we had to let her out. After that she wouldn't come near us again. And then one day we went to feed her and she and her little kitty friends had disappeared. The city had killed them all.

We have since realized that friendly kitties are actually just in heat and interested in "sexy time" (as the man on the street warned us when we were getting attached). We've reconciled ourselves to just feeding them and petting them when we have hand-sanitizer nearby. But each day as I take my morning or afternoon catwalk I dream of a Bourgas where the cats are healthy and thriving with two eyes and sleek coats.

Hiking Around Sandanski

Before we attended our mid-service conference, Jess and I traveled to the southwestern region of Bulgaria for some hiking. We met up with some other Peace Corps volunteers in the Sandanski region, in the heart of the Pirin Mountains. We had quite an adventure. The first day we chartered a private bus (there were 17 of us or so) and went up to Rozhen Monastery. It dates from the middle ages (with some remodeling in the 18th century). It was very pretty and of course had incredibly detailed , colorful frescoes. I enjoy visiting Orthodox churches and admiring the frescoes. Sometimes the scenes are historical or of tales with which I am not familiar, but usually there is a depiction of stories I recognize from Sunday school. Bulgaria has many beautiful monasteries. During the Ottoman occupation, many served to preserve the culture and national identity of the Bulgarian people. Unfortunately, I don't have the language skills to understand the religious thoughts of most Bulgarians, but in general, regardless of one's feelings towards religious devotion, the monasteries are viewed as part of an important cultural heritage. Adding to this monastery's charm was a courtyard overhung with green grapes. I grabbed a few and after a taste wished I had grabbed a bunch! From Rozhen we hiked down a trail with amazing views of the unique sandstone pyramid landscapes to the town of Melnik. Melnik is famous for two things. One, it is the smallest village in Bulgaria; and two, it makes great wine. Every Bulgarian whom we told we were going to Melnik responded with, 'Drink the red wine!' So we enjoyed a lunch with a lot of red Melnik wine and traditional Bulgarian food. I even bought a bottle to bring back to my work.

The next day we went hiking in the Pirin mountains and slept in a hija. A 'hija' is a mountain hostel. Usually they have dorm style rooms and serve food and drinks. Bulgaria has several mountain ranges and a network of trails with 'hijas' scattered throughout for lodging and rest. Despite our hija being unheated, we enjoyed a very warm night's rest and hot soup and stuffed peppers in their dining room. The hike was incredibly beautiful. I had smoked sausage and pistachios in my pocket that I snacked on as we walked through a gorgeous valley. The weather was perfect with a mixture of clouds, sun, and refreshing chill. My new knowledge of avifauna let me recognize a few kestrels hunting near a mountain lake. Kestrels can hover in mid-air, so if you see a raptor hovering, it's probably a kestrel. Our trail followed a romantic flowing stream up the mountain and led to a pleasantly peaceful mountain lake below a ring of jagged peaks. On the way, we paused to rest beside waterfalls, climbed treacherous boulder-strewn ways, passed through pine shrubs, and meadows peppered with lamb's ear. There was good conversation and occasionally a history lesson or two from our Bulgarian guide. Before hiking, we had purchased hiking insurance for 2 leva, which we were told is required to hike in the Pirin Mountains; and good sense since if you need to be rescued or helicoptered out - the insurance will cover you, but you could get charged over 700 leva if you had a problem without getting the insurance!

Something A Little Silly

No it's not winter time yet - just in the freezer.