Getting Into the Daily Grind & First Impressions

So I think it's safe to say that I've managed to settle in and overcome my jetlag. I'm currently house/pet sitting for one of the Embassy employees and have gotten the chance to do some exploring of the mountain that my street winds through, as I have taken out the dog for some long walks/runs in the past couple of days.

Sofia is quite a large and growing city. Cranes fill the skyline when you are driving or walking in the center of the city and they stick up among the communist-era communal living spaces and the new and expensive private modern apartments, as if to point out "PROGRESS!" Ever since the Bulgarians entered the EU, they have wanted to prove to the rest of Europe that they aren't some fringe country that is content with its inability to shake off the corruption and power grabbing politics that emerged post-communism. But this city, planned out so many years ago by the urban planners using the communist handbook on city building, is bursting at capacity. Increases in income and standard of living, not to mention the allure of loans, have led to an explosion of extravagance among the mafiosos and top tier wealthy and huge congestion problems as more and more Bulgarians want the Western lifestyle they were promised close to twenty years ago - a nice place to live, a stable job with benefits, one or more cars.

I'm grateful I didn't bring a car because the congestion and traffic, on top of roads with pot holes and drainage problems that make me appreciate Michigan during construction season, are horrendous. Five minute drives take over thirty minutes. And public transportation from my neighborhood to the Embassy gets stuck in all the traffic, and rides straight through the holes, giving you the momentary experience of weightlessness. I'm lucky there are several Americans in my area that are happy to come by and pick me up, otherwise I'd have a really long commute.

What I like so far about Bulgaria, and specifically Sofia, is that the weather is finally nice - warm sun with passing fluffy clouds. A great view of the mountains, with parts still covered in snow. Large parks close to the Embassy where I can take a break from fluorescent lights and enjoy sun and live music or children screaming in laughter. Cheap food - really. The exchange rate is not as good as it once was (according to those who have been here more than a year), but it is more merciful on my tight budget, allowing me to get many fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as meat at half the price of what it cost me to eat in Moscow. My main course, which I make for myself for lunch and dinner, is Shapka's salad - diced tomatoes, cucumbers, white bulgarian cheese (sirinay), a little bit of salt, pepper, olive oil and lemon juice. I cut off some fresh bread and dig in. I want to go to a few Bulgarian restaurants and get an idea of what is the traditional fare of Bulgarians - however, the best place would be to eat in someone's home, because there is nothing like a home cooked, traditional meal. If it's one thing I miss that I feel "study abroad" and "peace corp" students get is that "authentic" lifestyle - meals cooked or prepared by Bulgarians, language immersion, and living spaces that are filled with Bulgarian-ness. If there is one complaint I have about working for the government abroad is that you tend to live in an American bubble. But I think that is the only complaint that I have...

:)

~Monica