Zhenski Pazar

It is spring.  Across the street the guys who are building an addition to their house had their shirts off and were playing music while working. The sky was clear. It hasn’t snowed in many days. It was a good way to wake up. I made a trip to the “Women’s Market”. It is an outdoor street market; it sells food and things and clothes.  It is not a market only for women. And women are not the only vendors. Historically it was, but now it is not.  I mention the Market in the introductory paragraph of my dissertation. Bulgarians, Gypsies, Muslims are all there, buying and selling. I talk about a “market culture” of inclusion and cooperation and how it is still alive and well at the Women’s Market.  It was time that I went and saw it in effect.  I wanted to buy some gifts for people back in the states. Ceramics, carpets, and rose oil products are the chief exports of Bulgaria. At least they are "very" Bulgarian and will be the majority of the gifts I bring back.  

At the market. I bought a plate from this man. All the Bulgarian ceramics are just great.

In the middle was a long stall but off to the side are little shops.  There is a sink, fishing material, and old sewing machine and tradition Bulgarian costumes- all for sale.

These pots go right in the oven like the Tagine. The kavarma can be made in these 

Outside my window: I have seen these guys go from roofless to 2 story in a week's time

They sell a variety of clothes for very cheap.

My Funny Valentine

I don't know if it is true everywhere, but here, February 14 is Archaeologists' Day. It has something to do with wine, sex, and the general revelry of the day. Dionysus and his inspired mania is somehow made equal to archaeologists and their work. Fine. I spent a considerable portion of my day at the National Archaeological Institute with Museum.  It was an introductory gala to put out last season's discoveries.  They dug at Pistiros and Apollonia Pontica and of course other places.  I wanted to make sure those who had promised to take me to various sites, kept their word or at least continued to acknowledge the promise once made. There was wine. I was happy for that.  I have posted some pictures below. Included are pictures I took on Sunday. Having forgiven the weather and desperate for fresh air, I went out with some people from ARCS. I didn't fall. It was a good day.

Alexander Levksi. The easiest marker to make your way to.

Russian Orthodox Church

Inside the Institute

Personification of the Nile, found at Istros

Some 7th-4th century artifacts from the emporion at Pistiros

No More Russian Around

What a week! ARCS is back in business and the weather could not be less accommodating. We have two new fellows, to replace Kathleen and Joe. On Sunday, we all went out to dinner. On Monday morning there was a brief meeting to discuss the upcoming term.  Tuesday’s lecturer was Prof. Gotzev who works at Pistiros. An inscription was discovered in Pistiros, which details the terms of a Thracian/Greek emporium.  Although Pistiros is not on the Black Sea coast, the inscription is treated in my dissertation.  I have not gone to the site, but now in May, I will go and take a look at the stone and the excavated site.  Wednesday there was also a lecture. This too was on Thracian religion. Now that I do not live in walking distance to ARCS, I really need these lectures to be good and informative/helpful: this week, they were. 

Tuesday night, coming back with some milk and a few other things, I literally slid into home.  My milk carton had a hole punctured into it. There is a nasty bruise on my leg. My head hit the step up to my building. No one saw, thank goodness; but in my mind I thought I heard someone yell "SAFE!" as I gathered up my soggy groceries and sadly walked in.   

Thursday was my last day of Russian, for now. I will return sometime in the spring, when there is no snow on the ground and I have finished my Toronto paper.  I told Borianka that when I return, I will be better or at least I will not have lost what she has taught. I am hoping this is absolutely true.  I have completely crossed over to the “Apple/Mac” side. I am always on iTunes and am hoping to get enough money in investing to buy the mac air. So I should make the iTunesU language help work for me as well as the books that I purchased and then left in the States and had to get my mother to send to me.  My teacher isn’t going to come back with me, so it is time I learn how to work independently. 

Speaking of iTunes, I wanted to leave a link to the winning video of Doug Benson’s Santa Size Me movie trailer contest.  The winners, father and son Tom and Jeff Levack are from Cincinnati. They show Cincinnati landmarks. This morning, while  having breakfast and cleaning, I listened to the latest Doug Loves Movies podcast episode. The Levacks were on and played the game very well. These guys are fun. How come I don’t know them? They weren’t hanging out with me when I was at Cincinnati.  But, with all the things I say about Cincy, I thought I would put this bit of positive feedback. You can listen to the podcast episode as well.

On Monday, I engaged in a bit of “na gosti” which is the Bulgarian tradition of visiting another person or family at their home.  The tradition usually involves an elaborate meal with lots of peppers and goes on for hours.  It was a lovely meal, no peppers, and lasted for about 2 ½ hours. I met a woman named Vili, whose son works with my mother back in the States.  Vili doesn’t live very far from my new place in a sweet little neighborhood, even closer to Vitosha.  I had had the ARCS meeting and then Russian all in the snow and cold, so I was exhausted by 5pm. But it was great to meet Vili. She is super kind and had made her own banitzas.  It’s good to get the perspective of Bulgarians while here. Each encounter is always so different; I should never make generalizations. 

This is Villi.

Vili’s children had finished their last 2 years in high school in the States. It was an exchange program. They lived with American families and did American things.  I was really impressed. It’s brave of a mom to let her 16 year old daughter leave the country for two years. I was really jealous. Her daughter was in Tallahassee.  She now speaks Spanish, German, Italian and English and of course Bulgarian; she lives with her Italian husband in the Canary Islands with their two little girls. When I’m on the bus or trolley or whatever and I see how alike everyone looks, I miss the States. There are millions of things wrong with the U.S. but the fact of diversity (not the accompanying problems with it) isn’t one of them. Being different when few people are different sucks sometimes. But knowing that Villi herself and her late husband ventured outside of Sofia and sent their children outside makes me give a bad day a second chance. It also puts things into greater perspective.  When dealing in academia, success is very specific, so there is lot of room to feel like a failure. It’s nice to encounter other, arguably  better types of success.

Past the church is where Villi lives. The mountain is left.

That's Vitosha. Today it is not snowing but still cold.

Well, I cleaned this morning, so I though I should take a picture. I love this little apartment.

Gyspy Ghetto

I live on Konstantine Velichkov, in a mezzinate. That means it has an upstairs. I have one bedroom but two bathrooms and the one downstairs has a tub. The staircase is winding and I am quite sure that I could break something very important, so I don't use it until I am fully alert and hands free.  The apartment building is new but not finished. This means there are apartments that have no windows or doors but the elevator needs a fancy magnetic card to take someone up or down. It is right across the street from the gypsy ghetto.  Metodi, my realtor, kept that part a secret. Had I been from Sofia, he couldn't have gotten away with that. 


I couldn't care less. It's a very mixed up building with a weird little apartment that gets loads of sunlight and in a urban neighborhood. I think it is just what need to freely continue my work.     In the great scheme of things, weighing gypsy vs. "proper bulgarian" in terms of harm or rudeness or any other slight, gypsies always win. I can't say that I have ever had a horrible experience in dealing with one.  I just don't have that history.  It might change once the weather improves and no one is so worried with just getting home, getting warm, and not slipping, falling on the ice. For now, I am super happy.

In my effort to make this blog worthy of reading, I will relay a quick story. I went to the local grocery store for the first time when I arrived.  It is no Fantastico but this also means the prices aren't fantastic! This is good.  I ran into this woman who had these obviously bi-racial children.  She was so happy to see me and told me that her husband is Cuban and famous and runs a dance studio.  She was glad that I had moved into the neighborhood and wanted me to come to the dance studio.  She gave me his card with website address. PLEASE go to the site.  The picture alone is hilarious.  I would never be involved in something this cool/cheesy. I am so lame.  But just by virtue of being me... I am so cool. Of course, I am going to this studio and signing up for dance classes.  At the very least, I will have a good story to tell. And I am saying yes to any opportunities here.  Because well, I often say no.

Also... a paper of mine was accepted for a conference on alterity in the ancient world.  I am writing on the perception of Euxine merchants and emporia in general in Athens. In April, I get to go to Canada.  It's good news but at this moment, I am sick of airports and packing and flights with recycled air.  I will get into the proper spirit in enough time. 

The pictures below and my general upbeat attitude reveal that I must have my computer back by now! The customs was exactly the same. Same picture of sweet puppy with a red slash over his face and the image of the ice cream cone also with slash. Ahh Bulgaria!

View from balcony of ghetto. No roof but wait...

The one day it didn't snow, they made a roof. It was awesome!

A new Orthodox Church. I am going when it gets warmer.

Down the street is the Mall of Sofia.

This is an awful picture of the livingroom. But I wanted to include something of the place