коледа в българия (Christmas in Bulgaria)

This year I stayed in Sofia for the winter holidays. We have two weeks off from school (yay!) and, lucky for me, I got to spend Christmas with my Bulgarian family. Kiril's folks are absolutely amazing and have welcomed me into their lives in every way.

For Christmas Eve (Budni Vecher in Bulgarian) we arrived early to help his mother, Mimi, prepare the meal. This mostly entailed making two large banitsas (homemade layered pastry filled with cheese and eggs) with fortunes wrapped in foil inside. These fortunes are a very special part of the tradition, as they tell you what kind of luck you will have in the coming tear. Kiril and I also made desserts ahead of time, which was my American contribution to the meal. We made one of my holiday favorites, peanut brittle, and toffee-nut blondies, which were a big hit.

In the Bulgarian Orthodox tradition, very much like the Catholic one I grew up with, Christmas Eve is the bigger event and is always spent with the family. Unlike the Christmases I know from my childhood, however, in Bulgaria the meal is always vegetarian. There must also be an odd number of dishes on the table, and at least 7. I think we had 11 dishes total (more dishes are supposed to bring more good luck). Usually, the dishes are fairly simple with a few traditional meatless favorites making an appearance. We ate stuffed peppers with sultanas, lutenitsa (roasted red pepper spread), fresh sheep and goat cheese, banitsa, pickled vegetables, dried fruits and nuts, and a special bread called pogacha which Kiril's brother Kalin prepared. The bread also had fortunes inside, as well as a hidden coin. When the meal begins, the oldest member of the household breaks the bread and gives it to the youngest member. And of course, the meal wouldn't be complete without a glass of delicious homemade wine.

From left to right: Kiril, me, Mimi and Kalin

On Christmas day we went over to Kiril's father's apartment for lunch. He had prepared a very hearty dish called kapama, which is made in a big clay pot and slow-cooked for at least 8 hours. Inside of the pot were layers of sauerkraut, pork, beef, chicken, two kinds of sausage, red wine, bay leaves and other seasonings. We ate this with another big pogacha, more cheese and a dried sausage called lukanka. I was the person to find the coin in the bread that time, so I should be very lucky this year. After two days of eating so much delicious food (and drinking spectacular homemade wine), I was exhausted! The rest of the week was rather a blur, and I'm happy to report that I've caught up on some very much-needed rest and relaxation. 

Photos I found online of the food- this is pogacha (bread)

And kapama, cooked in a clay pot

Back in Bulgaria... and post-holiday blues

My three weeks in Seattle ended up being a whirlwind of social activities, which is actually how most of my trips back home tend to go. I visited three other cities (Bellingham, Portland and Tacoma) to see family and friends, went to an awesome flash-mob style dance party, spent New Year's Eve with some of the best people I know, met one of my stepbrothers for the first time ever and spent lots of quality time with my (large) extended family. The 8th of January definitely sneaked up on me, and I was exhausted by the end of the trip just trying to fit everything in. I never manage to accomplish everything I want to in such a short period but I did cover most of my bases, catching up with old friends and visiting far-away relatives. Now that I'm back in Sofia it's sort of a bittersweet mixture of being excited about the new school term (and seeing my students) and getting together with friends here, but also feeling homesick and pretty sad that I won't get a chance to see my family again for a long time. And the weather outside doesn't help much. Yesterday I was feeling this way more than usual, probably because I stayed at home by myself most of the day. Meeting friends in the evening made a huge difference. So I'm still getting used to the time difference, going to bed earlier and picking up my routine again... Tough life, right? Here are some photos from home that are making me smile.

In Seattle for the Holidays...

Greetings from Seattle! After a long plane ride (made all the more pleasant by my travel buddy L.) and two nearly-missed connections in Amsterdam and Minneapolis I finally met my dad and brother at the airport. The first thing we did was meet my stepmom at the Greenlake Grill where I ordered my first real cheeseburger in over 6 months. It was glorious! I told my mom the other day that while I'm happy to see everyone back home, one of the most exciting reasons for me to visit was the food. I'm half-joking, maybe. So far I haven't seen too many of my friends but I have been catching up a lot with my mom and brother, which is good. Yesterday my mom and I drove two hours north to see her sister in Bellingham, a familiar road trip that brought back a lot of memories. Sometimes coming home can be hard because of how people and places change in ways that are beyond our control, but I'm staying positive and just enjoying the time I have here as much as I can. It's weird to think that tomorrow night is Christmas Eve already. So many people to see! I hope that everyone reading has a fun, safe holiday spent with loved ones. Merry Christmas! 

Лешникотрошачката

Last night I went with some friends to see The Nutcracker at the Sofia Opera House. We got the idea to go a couple of weeks ago but I didn't actually buy the tickets until Thursday, when they were nearly sold out. Luckily I was able to find three seats together (last row to the left on the first balcony) and the tickets were only 12 leva, or about 8 dollars each. It was raining pretty hard outside and we were running late because I can never seem to go anywhere on time, but we found our seats in time for the opening scene. I hadn't seen The Nutcracker since I was a little girl when my grandma used to take me every year at the Pacific Northwest Ballet. My favorite part about that production was always the visual aspect. Their costumes and sets are designed by Maurice Sendak, one of my favorite authors as a child. So in my memory of the ballet, there was a specific artistic direction and style because of how unique that production was. It was interesting to compare the two. I think that the one in Sofia was more traditional in the sense that the costumes were simpler and the focus was more on the dancing and orchestra (both of which were excellent). I really enjoyed hearing the songs that remind me so much of my childhood and seeing the beautiful interior of the Opera House.

After the ballet we went for a pizza at my new favorite restaurant, Leo's. It's authentic Rome-style pizza, cooked in a wood fire oven, and the prices are reasonable. I've already been there at least three times. Later on we went out for drinks and dancing at a club in the center. I don't usually go out to clubs in Sofia but it was a lot of fun. They played all "retro hits," mostly from the early 90's, and a bunch of other friends came out to say goodbye before Laura and I head back to the States for a couple of weeks. I'll miss my Sofia friends but I'm definitely excited see the family and just take some time to relax in Seattle. I'm going to try to meet up with as many friends as I can, too. It's hard to say when we'll see each other next because everyone is doing so many different things and we're never all in the same place. Right now I've got less than twelve hours before my flight leaves and I'm only halfway packed, so I'd better go finish that...

Happy First Day of Snow!

Well, almost the first day of snow. If you recall, it did snow for about an hour way back in October, but this afternoon it started snowing in earnest, enough to actually cover the ground, so I am declaring this the official first day of snow in Sofia.

Today brings back sometimes funny but mostly embarrassing memories from last year when I fell down on my butt not once, not twice, but three times in the snow. This year I feel more prepared: I've got my ugly snow boots for very cold days, nice sturdy knee-high leather boots and a new pair of "authentic Bulgarian leather" booties with a warm fuzzy lining. I also picked up a long winter coat from a charity second-hand shop (for five dollars!) and a puffy marshmallow coat with a fake fur collar. Although I can't say I really enjoy trudging slowly across wet pavements in winter for fear that I'll injure myself, I do like dressing up in winter clothes (hats, mittens, scarves, thick socks... I even bought a pair of leg-warmers!). I also like staying in bed with the radiator on, drinking lots and lots of tea and watching the snow fall outside my window.

Another reason to look forward to winter: I'm going back to Seattle for the holidays in about ten days. I am very, very excited to see my family and friends for a little while. After missing out last year, I am feeling a lot of nostalgia for the Christmases of my childhood. I'm even listening to Christmas music voluntarily! When I worked at Starbucks I used to start hating it after the first week or two of non-stop Christmas tunes. But today in my classes I did a lesson on holiday songs that ended in the whole class enthusiastically singing the chorus to "Jingle Bells." So I am definitely getting into the holiday spirit. I hope that you are, too! 

German Christmas Market!

Today was the official opening of the new German Christmas Market in Sofia. It's a traditional wooden-hut affair, with lots of stalls selling bratwurst, pretzels, goulash, mulled wine, punch and all kinds of sweets. There are also Christmas decorations and other souvenirs for sale, such as hand-carved wooden nutcrackers. I went with a few friends in the afternoon and we stayed, keeping ourselves warm with glasses of mulled wine, until our feet had frozen and it was time to go. A friend of ours who works for a German company was helping to organize the event, and they did a spectacular job. Every day from now until December 22 it will be open, and there will be live music, puppet shows for children, and even special appearances made by Santa Claus. I think the market looks great in the evening, too, with all of the Christmas lights decorating the place. It's located in the square across from Sofia University and, as you can see in the photo, it's right behind Alexander Nevsky Cathedral as well. If you're in Sofia, you should definitely check it out!

Nova Godina- New Year Recap

Since my last post I have done a little bit of traveling, celebrated my first Christmas overseas and saw my very first kukeri festival in Bulgaria!

Snowy Pleven

Christmas in Bulgaria is a very traditional affair and people spend the holiday with their families. Under socialism people weren't allowed to celebrate Christmas, but I've been told that the old traditions were preserved for cultural more than religious reasons. One interesting fact is that Christmas Eve dinner must consist of an odd number of dishes (usually 7, 9 or more) and after the meal the leftover food is to be left on the table overnight. Traditionally this meal is meat-free but many people disregard this particular custom.

Conor and me

In the weeks leading up to Christmas I got to talk to my students about some American holiday traditions (I am especially proud to have introduced them to "The Hanukkah Song" by Adam Sandler). I also learned about which Christmas movies are most popular here. The all-time favorite is, surprisingly enough, Home Alone! Apparently it gets shown over and over again on TV here every year. We watched a few clips from It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story, which are my favorite classics.

Picturesque Medieval gate in Brasov

After spending Christmas with Conor here in Pleven I went to Ruse, the largest Bulgarian town on the Danube river, and then to Bucharest and Brasov in Romania. I noticed quite a few similarities between here and Romania, mostly the food and some of the more typical socialist-era structures, but many differences as well. The biggest one, of course, is the language! Romanian sounds a little like Italian but with some Slavic sounds mixed in. And Transylvania is home to a sizable Hungarian minority so there was evidence of that influence, too (I was very excited that they had kolacs, a delicious sweet bread cooked on an open hearth).
Brasov is a gorgeous town and the hotel we stayed in was the highlight of the trip. Upon arrival we were welcome to have a drink and dinner at the owner's home, and even got an invitation to jump in the outdoor pool after warming up in their sauna. We ended up walking around the Old Town and hanging out at a jazz bar instead but that definitely would have been an exhilarating experience.

Brasov

Bucharest was surprisingly cool and has a much more well-developed public transportation system than Sofia (especially the metro!). The trendiest neighborhood is called Lipscani and it is also one of the oldest. There were some beautiful churches and at least one mosque there. We went to a pretty touristy restaurant with some amusingly translated dishes. We also visited a beer hall with impressively decorated ceilings and delicious house-made brews. Like Sofia, Bucharest lacks many prewar buildings that add a lot of charm in other European cities. Most of the old center was destroyed in the construction of Ceaucescu's monstrosity, the People's Palace. It's the world's second largest building. We took an hour and a half tour of the inside and at the end of it were told that we had only seen 2% of the rooms!

The Palace of Parliament, Bucharest

My favorite part of the trip was Peles Castle. No, we didn't visit "Dracula's Castle" (aka Bran) but this one is much prettier. Inside there are marble walls, wood-carved ceilings, intricate carpets, an impressive armory, exciting themed rooms (the Turkish room has an antique hookah) and a library that looks like it came out of Disney's Beauty and the Beast. When we visited the People's Palace our guide said that Ceaucescu wanted to buy the castle and turn it into his own private residence- fearing his reconstruction plans the people in charge of the grounds lied and told him that there were termites in the walls and it wasn't safe to live there. Lucky for us they did that!

Peles Castle

So we returned from Romania just in time for New Year's Eve here in Pleven. People sure do love their fireworks. It seemed like all of my neighbors were shooting them off from their balconies that night (and into the next morning). You could say that 2011 really started off with a bang here...

Kukeri costumes- these men are dressed as grandmothers

One week after the New Year and I was in Blagoevgrad, where there was a kukeri festival taking place. Kukeri, also known as mummers, are people who dress in elaborate costumes in the winter months to chase away evil spirits. The tradition goes back to pagan days- it's sort of a carnival meets Halloween kind of thing. I saw a similar event in 2009 in southern Hungary (there it's called busojoras) but the costumes here were much more inventive and diverse. I later found out that Blagoevgrad's festival is a competition for most creative costumes and different neighborhoods compete for prizes. So that's why there were so many crazy costumes on display.

Kukeri are a part of Bulgarian folkloric traditions, and you can find their masks and sheepskin costumes in ethnographic museums across the country. On the last weekend in January there is a big kukeri festival called the "Surva Games" in Pernik. A big group of Fulbrighters is planning to go so hopefully I will make it and post more pictures of surva/kukeri really soon!