How You Know It's Winter in Bulgaria

You've started to live in one room because the others will never warm up to your liking. ***** The winter mold has returned and started to creep up your walls, forcing you to spray bleach and then leave your windows open all day...did I mention it's winter? ***** Vegetables start disappearing at the pazar and what's there just doesn't taste right. ***** You begin to notice all sorts of things you never realized were there - a symptom of naked trees. ***** You start sporting outdoor wear inside. It's not normal to wear gloves and hats indoors? ***** Your daydreams shift from lazy days on the beach or in a cafe to knitting and legwarmers. How could they possibly ever have gone out of style? ***** The cat population appears to diminish and you can't seem to find your favorites on the street anymore. ***** People start to string popcorn and dried fruit on tree branches. ***** The speakers by the municipality building are blaring "Woof Woof Woof" to the tune of Jingle Bells. ***** Wil gets asked to dress up as Santa...twice! ***** Work begins to slow (if it hasn't already halted) for a two week vacation for just about everyone. ***** Your clothes don't dry outdoors anymore; in fact they freeze on the line. Even indoors they take five days! ***** You come home reeking of cigarette smoke as people can no longer stand to smoke outside. ***** You think nothing of dropping 50 leva on baba socks. ***** Baking takes on a whole new dimension - it's for food AND house warmth. ***** You begin to reconsider showering - that streak from the bathroom to the warm room is just too painful. ***** You think nothing of wasting a day in bed watching movies or t.v. shows. ***** You oversleep everyday because waking up at 7 just doesn't feel right anymore. It can't be 7. It's still dark. ***** On the old buses there is precipitation INSIDE the bus, not just outdoors. ***** AND It's time to visit the host families again :)