On the March long weekend, I was lucky enough and privileged enough to attend a gathering of a fairly large group of people with whom I attended school, way back when. We’re the Ol’ 55s…born in1955 and turning 55 this year. We were even lucky enough to have our old headmaster, Arthur Richards, along for the weekend…he started at Albany Senior High School the same year we did, 1968, and he’s now an extremely hale and hearty 88 year old.  But you know what they say: 88 is the new 78, and he certainly doesn’t look 88.  Mind you, if that’s the case, then 55 must be the new 45 and I have to say, we all looked pretty damned good.

It was a wonderful reunion and a terrific weekend…there’s so much more I’d like to say about it but time and circumstances mean I just have to make this a rather large pictorial journey…

I got to make the welcoming speech and a friend suggested I put that up here as well…so I will.

So, here we go…

” I guess the first thing I need to do is to say a very big welcome to you all. It’s a welcome back for the brave souls who took the leap in 1992 and a special welcome to everyone who’s taken the step this time.

I’ve never been one for reunions…. I was asked years ago if I’d ever attend one if someone organized it and my answer was a resounding ‘NO’.  Why would I…I didn’t like school…I wasn’t very good at it and when I’m not good at something, I tend to avoid it like the plague.    So it really was somewhat ironic that I ended up organizing the first one in 1992…and that was thanks to our very own Shirley Parer.  It had been discussed, vaguely, as she has made one attempt to get one organised, but life, family, children etc, got in the way and it was put on the back burner. Would I be interested in picking up where she left off?  Not really…but before I could say no, she flung a rather large envelope at me and said ‘this is where I’ve got with the organising’…and promptly ran away…

I stared at it for many months, trying to muster a little interest and eventually, my curiousity won the day…..

And what an experience that turned out to be… a lot of memories were ignited.  I laughed when I remembered some of the funny times and felt a great sadness for those who hadn’t even made it as far as 36 years old….I started to realize just how lucky my life had been and it sparked something in me that made me very determined not to waste the rest of it and to stop saying ‘ I should…’ and ‘I wish I…’

The reunion was terrific but I never settled down after that and just 6 years later, I was living a new life in Scotland and seven years after that, another new life in Bulgaria.

As I was leaving Australia, I handed that same envelope, albeit a little larger, over the Ann Maria Ladergaard…she was always saying we should have another one, so I told her it was up to her as I wouldn’t be here….

I waited for the email to tell me that reunion mark 2 was happening… not a whisper.

I had to wait until I returned here to Australia ten years later….

and one day, there it was, the email I’d been waiting for informing me that the seed had been planted …all it needed was someone to nurture it and feed it, and reunion number 2 would happen….Oh, and by the way, was I interested in helping organize it…

As I was writing a book at the time and had already turned my thoughts back to returning home to Bulgaria, I politely declined, but thankfully, Shirley was not deterred. She took that seed of an idea and  watered it, fed it and tonight all the care she has given it, has come to fruition……the tree has blossomed…and here we are.  AND I asked if she could get it happening before I headed home, and she hasn’t disappointed me…..

A lot of water has gone under the bridge since school and since the last reunion…we’ve all had our share of joy and our share of sorrow. Some of us have buried partners, lovers, soul mates and some tragically have had to say goodbye to their children…more than one of us has woken up one day, looked at the person sleeping next to us and asked the question’ who is the person and why am I in bed with them?’ and for better or worse, got up out of that bed and walked away to a new life, perhaps new relationships or perhaps just some time alone…

And there are some of us here who are literally fighting for their lives….and some who can’t be here because they have lost that fight…

If there’s nothing else in the world that should inspire us to embrace our life with gusto and live it with passion, then this should be it… we’re all here, now… we have great hopes and optimism for the rest of our lives…let’s not waste it.

I’ve got some toasting and thank yous to do, but before I move on to that there’s a little something else I’d like to say…

There used to be an old fella here in Albany called Harry Riggs…..Harry knew my father when he was alive and used to pop in and visit me at the ABC and have a bit of a yarn.  One day he asked me how old I was. I did that silly thing that we are all inclined to do and told him that women never discuss their age. He wagged his large farmer’s hands index finger at me and said ‘listen to me girlie…” and yes, he was the only man on the planet who got away with calling me girlie…’you should celebrate every day and every birthday like it’s your last…because one day it will be’ and that has become my life philosophy… perhaps there’s a little something in that for all of us. “

OK, let’s start with where the main reunion gathering was held. One of our old schoolies, Rob Lucas, and his very hard working wife Jo,  run Camp Quaranup in Albany and the decision was made to gather there….and what a place to gather:

Here are some of the folk I managed to photograph before I had too much wine

And then, as always after too much fun, there was the morning after.  Jo Lucas provided the perfect breakfast for a gang of old and bold after a big night out:

A few contemplative moments on the verandahs gazing across at Albany:

And then it was time to return to the real world…

It was interesting, it was extremely enjoyable , it was fabulous…and we must do it again before it’s all floral frocks, harry high pants and mobility scooters…

And so as I go about my day to day business here at Tallering Peak, I’m still astounded by some of the strange encounters that happen on the job.

Today the girls and I walked into one of the laundrys to clean it and look what we found…

Shit I laughed…he was a fine looking specimen and not the slightest bit perturbed by our arrival.  I’d already chased him off when he came to check us out when we were cleaning one of the rooms, but do you think we could get him out of the bloody laundry ??  not a chance in hell… so we let him be and went about our business. I think  he was just enjoying a little cool spot on a very hot day….43 degrees and rising today.

I really am enjoying it out here 

It’s been almost two years since I left Bulgaria to spend a couple of months in Australia regrouping and restoring my spirit, which had been knocked out of me somewhat. Thanks to the economic crash, I’m still here…but that’s all about to change.

When I realised I would have to stay longer than a few months, I decided to try and get work in the mines…Western Australia was going through a mining boom and I figured I must be able to get something. Sadly, the recession put paid to that idea.  I was offered a job with the National Broadcaster, so I spent 18 months as the manager and breakfast presenter at the ABC in Geraldton, but even though I had a terrific staff and enjoyed the Geraldton part of it, dealing with the idiots in Perth was just about more than I could stand.  I used to work for them before I left Australia in 1998 and should have known better than to go back.  It was worse than the first time and it was with great relief that I bolted out the door just before Christmas. And then the mining kicked off again here and I got that job that I’d wanted since arriving back in Australia in 2008..

I’m a cleaner in the camp of an iron ore mine at a place called Tallering Peak, about 157 Ks from Geraldton, or as a friend of mine described it, ‘the back of buggery’…… and here’s the road that gets you there…

The mining operation is basically taking the  back out of Tallering Peak…

here’s the front:

and here’s the back:

Apparently, it’s traditional aboriginal ground and the mining company isn’t permitted to flatten the mountain, so at the moment, it’s basically a ‘facade’…looks normal from the front and its being mined furiously around the back. !

It’s all very new to me and it’s been an experience getting around the place, seeing the sights and seeing a mine in operation ….and running into things like this:

These haulpacs are HUGE and one of those tyres will cost you $35,000…but the old timers tell me they ones at this site aren’t even that big compared to some other bigger mine sites……I’d love to drive one and a lot of women are, but I don’t have enough time before I leave Australia again.

And speaking of big..the ore trucks that carry to crushed ore to the rail siding are damned huge as well. 53.5 metres long and bloody scary when you have to pass them on the highway.

One turned over the other day and when I came across the accident scene, there were eight of them lined up waiting for the rolled truck to be righted and the ore cleared up off the road…even passing them when standing still was an experience…

It’s an interesting place to find myself and I guess like all mining camps, it’s a somewhat different way to live

though it almost looks romantic by night… 

I can hardly believe just how much I’m enjoying things out here…I ‘m absolutely thriving. OK, the first week the temperatures reached 56 degrees centigrade …in the shade…down in the camp…which is always about 5 degrees cooler than the minesite….and I did have a few moments when I thought I really might end up a large oily spot on the floor, but I’ve adjusted very quickly and am now thoroughly enjoying every day.

And yes, I’m tired, but it’s so nice to be tired for a reason and not just emotionally drained from dealing with bureaucratic twats.

And the best thing is, I only work Monday to Friday, so I still have my weekends off.  It has to be said though, I go back to Geraldton on Friday night, have a few wines and sleep the night away. I relax Saturday and Sunday and then head back out to the camp on Sunday evening..so not the most exciting life but at least I have purpose now.  I’ve made the decision (finally) to return to Bulgaria….more about that later.

For now, I’m working with three great girls and we’re all on a mission to fill our bank accounts and then do something…travel, buy a house, or in my case go back to Bulgaria..whatever..but it is nice to work with people with purpose and focus.

We have a lot of fun and certainly meet some interesting characters on the verandahs….and that’s just the humans !!  the wildlife is even more exciting.

These lizards (Bungarras) are all over the camp and as soon as the sun gets a little warmth in it, they emerge from under the donga’s, where they live, and start wandering around, catching a few rays and, if they’re lucky, find a rubbish bin to raid. When you get too close to them, they stand their ground and flick their very long, very dark blue tongue at you…just reminding you to keep your distance. And you have to watch out when they start running.  They move like lightening and will, apparently, run straight up the first tallish thing they see standing still…and that could be you !!

And it does make me laugh when I open my donga door in the morning to be greeted by a family of goats !!

Like the lizards, goats are everywhere out here.They try to keep them out of the mining area with fences etc, but they roam around in great numbers and it’s obviously a good paddock for them.  They’re very healthy and plump…..a good feed I reckon.

I’m not earning hundreds of thousands of dollars but I’m earning enough, and what have I got to spend my money on ?….nothing. All my accommodation, food, even flyspray and sunscreen is free.  I stood in the supermarket one day with my housemate in Geraldton and I said to her ‘ there must be SOMETHING I need to buy’, and there was….some deodorant….oh, and a little wine, but basically what I earn goes into the bank.  Just how it should be 

Even though I am working very hard indeed and the work does make me tired, my energy levels are through the roof…if that makes sense. My old lady aches and pains have all but disappeared.  I work hard for nine hours a day, five days a week and I feel terrific..AND I’m starting to shed all that sedentary job weight that I’ve put on… the clanging sounds I hear as I work is the sound of the kilograms falling off me.

Clearly I’m a labourer at heart and posh, clean jobs just aren’t me scene.

So, this is where I am for the moment.  My plan is to return to Bulgaria in the next few months and get my house up and running again and get my dogs back where they belong….with me,  at St. Pirin 16, Miladinovtsi.

The guy who has employed me here is a terrific bloke and he’s been very good to me … I owe him some loyalty, and so will stay for a few months.  I’ll work hard, I’ll top up my savings and then it’s back home to Bulgaria for me.

I’ve had so much interest in Bulgaria from many people I’ve met here, that I’m going to crank up the Accommodation business again in my fantastic house and give it another go.  and in case you’ve forgotten what the house looks like, here’s a little reminder:

in summer –

and in winter –

enjoy the other pics…. they’re just a small slice of a very interesting life out at a minesite in a fascinating and interesting corner of Western Australia..and here’s a couple more for good measure…

To my Bulgarian friends…I’ll see you soon.

It's so good to be home

And that’s just Mia’s opinion…how happy do you reckon I am just now ??   

Now, where was I ?..Ah, that’s right…in Bulgaria.

Once I had put all my reservations about returning the Bulgaria to bed, I just had a terrific time with my sister and everyone else that I had time to catch up with.

When I arrived back in the village, clearly the news of my return had spread. I was welcomed back by my neighbours, the Mayor, his wife and my Bulgarian friends. I felt like a long lost daughter….I was truly moved by the experience. I knew I had friends there but was concerned that my friendships were being damaged by malicious gossip. I was right that there had been plenty of gossip. This was bought to my attention by a friend who speaks english, but it hadn’t affected the real friendships I made in Miladinovtsi, the friendships that count.

Also, I was once very good friends with a woman called Stefka…we were great friends, but a couple of issues got in the way and we ended up estranged. When I knew I was going back, and after hearing that she had had a bad run with some of the people that adversly affected my life, I decided it was time to re-establish the friendship. I contacted her from here before I left and arranged to catch up once I got settled…..

I wanted to take Jillian to all the lovely places that I had been privileged to see in Bulgaria. I planned to head for Jeravna and Sozolpol for starters and as Stefka was also on holidays, I arranged for her to come with us.

We had a fabulous time and I even managed to drag my neighbour, Christina along for at least one day out….I figured she probably deserved a day off. We squeezed into my trusty car, and after dropping a couple of village ladies in Yambol, I picked up Stefka and we headed down to beautiful Sozopol. The weather was gorgeous…not to hot…and the old town, where we were, wasn’t too busy.

We had a wonderful day…we did all the touristy things. We walked the length and breadth of the old town, we shopped, we lunched ( as ladies do), we ate icecream, we chatted …we just generally had a really nice day. And it was good to spend a little time with Christina when she wasn’t working, and it was great to get back to the good friendship that I had with Stefka.

I didn’t have nearly enough time back in BG and I knew that I wouldn’t have time to catch up with everyone I wanted to, even in the village, so I decided to throw a barbie..not the doll, the classic aussie summer feed…..

It was a cracking night !! I made the mistake though of thinking that if I invited 20 people, only ten would turn up…silly me. Everyone I asked arrived, both from within the village and from Yambol and Slavyantsi (sic) It was chaos……Jillian, Louisa, Anne, Jeremy and Gary spent half the night in the kitchen making more and more Shropska salad. I ran out of meat and had to borrow some…my poor pathetic little BBQ could hardly cope with the demand…. never worked so hard in its little life…
Thank god we didn’t run out of booze
Thank god the neighbours and various visitors from around the village had crammed my fridge full of fresh veges, cirene cheese and rakia….I had the capacity to feed the thousands…well, with veges, cirene and rakia anyway.

When we arrived in Miladinovtsi, we’d hardly had a chance to get settled before people started to arrive to welcome me back…all armed with food. As my huge fridge got more and more full, Jillian was saying ‘Susie, we’re only here for eight days..you have to tell them to stop bringing food..we’ll never get through it’ My response was that if she wanted to try and stop them, to go ahead…I wished her every success

Mind you, given the mob that turned up for the BBQ, it was a good thing that I had all that food……it certainly came in handy.

My time back in BG was starting to run out and the night after the BBQ, Christina invited Jillian and I over for an evening with her family. She had two of her sisters and her daughters there, with their partners.

Christina laid on the full feast of lamb, lamb drop sarma, shropska salad, rakia and wine….jesus, no wonder I put on weight while I was back in the country. We had a terrific night with them all. Christinas daughters live away, one in London and the other spends time working in Norway. When I left Bulgaria, both her daughters left around the same time and poor Christina was devastated that we were all disappearing at the same time to different corners of the world. It just happened that they were back in Bulgaria while I was there and it was very flattering to be included in their family gathering.

All too soon my time in Bulgaria was drawing to a close. I needed to spend time with Ivan, and in between him working with his sheep and house renovations and me running around catching up with everyone, we managed to get together…we also needed to sort a few things out because, again, wagging tongues had made difficulties between us….all sorted now though and our friendship is back where it belongs, on solid ground.

I wanted to spend time with his uncle Ivan and wife, Gospodina, which I did. I had a lovely few hours with them and though I’d only called in to say a proper goodbye, I ended up being fed and indulging in just the wee-ist of rakias. These are such good, welcoming people and I hated having to say goodbye to them again. In fact, I hated saying goodbye to any of them….I so wanted to stay there and get on with my life surrounded by these beaut folk……

Possibly the hardest goodbye was yet to come though, and that was saying goodbye to my dogs….again.

Jillian returned to Turkey on the Tuesday, as she was on her way to France to visit our friend Deb Westerberg and then onto Italy to spend time with our sister Helen. This gave me a day to tidy up some loose ends. I organised friends to mothball the house and car for me, but this doesn’t mean the house isn’t available if someone wants to rent it for a holiday. Just email me: aussiebulg@gmail.com if you think you might like a holiday in a very nice little corner of Bulgaria in a particularly special house.

Then it was time to say bye bye to my dogs. Jesus, I was a miserable cow…pretty sad old time for my last day in the country…..I did spend some very nice, though fairly miserable, time with my Gina in the house with me, and then it was time to return them all to the kennels for a few more months until they move to Bourgas. I think I actually heard and felt my heart break as I drove away, leaving them again.

And then it was time to say bye bye to Bulgaria. I’m so glad I went back, albeit for far too little time. I came away feeling exonerated, comfortable in the knowledge that I’m not the problem, it’s certain individuals around me. I’ve sorted out so much ’stuff’ and restored very important friendships and seen the important people in my Bulgarian life.

So, with very mixed emotions I returned to Australia to start another life with the ABC in Geraldton…..and that’s turning into a whole other story…..

Before I finish my tale of my visit to Bulgaria I want to talk about a part of my time in Australia that I’ve failed to mention and that was possibly one of the most pleasant periods I’ve had here so far.

I was working for the Police and was technically homeless, and my brother,Tony and his wife, Enid were heading off for a month in Prague with their daughter Elizabath and her husband Gerry, and their two gorgeous grandchildren, Cianna and Kynan..and then a month in Canada salmon fishing with some friends of theirs. My being there was kinda convenient as it meant the house would be looked after and Carlo, the somewhat on the plump side, but most endearing cat would be fed and loved while they were absent for two months…and the added bonus to all of this ?? ….the view from Tony’s balcony

and the terrific beach just a few hundred metres down the road…

though only in Australia would you see a sign like this

just a few hundred metres from a five star hotel

Should keep the tourists on their toes

and let’s not forget the quintessential Aussie dog..the Blue Heeler

This little bloke was just standing there quietly while his owner relaxed on the beach reading the Sunday papers….

It was a fabulous couple of months. I had plenty of family staying with me. My brother David and Virginia, his wife, spent a few weekends with me as they had had a house fire in Albany and a few shopping trips to Perth were called for to replace their things. I got to have a couple of really nice weekends with them and their kids, who sort of cruised in and out at their leisure…

I also had a couple of gatherings with friends…Hey, I had a great house with amazing views….you gotta share these things with others…would be selfish not to !

Here’s the girls….

And here’s the boys…..

Could they be any more laid back

I really had a terrific couple of months there….Hey, I even got into bread baking while there

but then it was time to go to Bulgaria and sort out that life and then return to Australia and start to prepare myself for the move to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the move to Geraldton to live for while in another completely different place…. but that’s another story….

So, here I was in Australia, working, catching up with great friends and my fab family.

The work situation was sorted…I had tossed that fateful coin and the decision to take the radio job was made. I had a start date, but I knew there was one thing I needed to do before I started the new job.

I knew in my heart I needed to return to Bulgaria to see my good friends there…to see my gorgeous dogs and to decide what I should do with my house…….and to see how I felt about the country after the rather rotten time I had before I returned to Australia.

My sister Jillian had already planned to visit me in BG and so I decided to return while she was there so I could show her a little more of the country than she saw on her first visit. It was the depths of winter when she visited in 2005 and, though she saw more snow than she could poke a stick at and some lovely winter wonderland scenes, she didn’t really see Bulgaria in all it’s glory…

So. plans were made, tickets were booked and on August third I flew into Istanbul on my way home….or is it ??

Jillian had flown in a few hours before me, so once I arrived and refreshed myself a little, we headed out to experience a little of Istanbul.

With the help of a friend here in Oz, I had got us into a really beaut little hotel slap bang in the middle of the old part of the city, the Sultanamet area. It was a great spot to be and it’s a very beautiful part of the city…..

Look at this for a breakfast view…..

And the mosques and buildings were really very beautiful

And I loved the three and four storey weatherboard buildings that dotted the area

Jillian wanted to do a wee bit of shopping, so I took a photo stroll around and got a few pics of some of those lovely bits of Sultanamet….. and of my sister, of course

The next morning we were up early for the bus to Erdine. We were to be picked up there by the lovely Dimitor and transported through to Miladinovtsi. We had a bit of a wait at Erdine and decided to have a coffee. Wandering around our feet were these two little cuties…though I suspect they were for the pot once they had gained a little more weight

We boarded the bus at lunch time and then hit the road. Gee, I felt so nervous…I guess I knew there were expats in Miladinovtsi who had caused me so much distress before I left, and according to some, were still indulging in malicious gossip while I was away, and the thought of seeing any of them made me feel a little sick, to be quite honest. I was filled with trepidation…..

And I also knew that this was crunch time…I was either going to hate being back in Bulgaria or love it.

Well, as we came over the hill into the village and I saw my house, a lot of my apprehension vanished, and when we pulled up out the front and Jillian stepped up and opened the front door…and I saw just how beautiful the place was, what a fantastic job Ivan had made of turning my ideas into a reality, I knew that Miladinovtsi and the Big House was where I belong.

Sue and Aisha had left the place in good shape and when I headed out to my vehicle, I found they had also left that sparkling….and I thank them for doing that for me and for looking after the house while I was away.

Jillian had only seen the house pre Ivan and there was a lot of Oooo-ing and Ahhh-ing ringing out around the place as she took a tour. Her reaction was important to me and I reckoned if she thought it was a good job, then it was a good job…as far as I was concerned, her positive response was a vote towards me returning to BG.

I had become so despondent before I left BG, that I think I had lost sight of just how amazing the house is and what a huge difference the work I’ve had done has made. Walking back into it was a very good experience for me….very positive.

Anyway…the next most important task was my fat bottomed girls.

I rang Maria (my vet) and organised a time to meet a the kennels. I was sooooo excited about seeing them again…you have no idea.

It was so good to see Maria again and it was so, so good to see the dogs…..and look at the size of them !!! these girls are just eight months old and still have a fair bit of growing to go.

And look at my lovely Gina…doesn’t she look fantastic.

She was vaguely suspicious about my sudden appearance and all of them were a little reluctant to leave the kennels and get into the car. Who can blame them…I’d left them for four months, and the kennels and the people who had looked after them there, including Maria and her family, had become the important people in the dogs lives.

Even though Maria is now the owner of Rosa, she decided the dogs should all be together as a family for the few days I was in town, which was very kind of her, and I think time with her mother and sister was really exciting for her…they were like a bunch of kids, even Gina.

We got them all in the car eventually and talk about a car FULL of dogs…..jesus !! There wasn’t much space left once they were all settled in, but they were all on board and off to Miladinovtsi we headed…

Again, on arrival they were a little wary…not sure what was going on, but again, once they got back amongst familiar smells and sights, they proceeded to play….and play…and play…and play. Not only are they huge for their age, but they seem to have endless energy…..

I had such a wonderful time with them. After a few days, Gina reclaimed her position in the house and got very settled indeed..and this is where my heart got broken again. When it came time for me to leave, she knew. She started following me around the house and hanging around my suitcase, checking the contents and giving me whithering looks as I put more bits and pieces in it. She just looked hangdog for the last 24 hours or so and I could hardly stop crying….

I love Mia, but I adore Gina…she’s my mate and best girl and I still feel an overwhelming sense of guilt when I think about deserting her….I just couldn’t bring myself to give them up completely, but maybe this is something I have to face in the near future. I can’t seem to make up my mind where I want to be, and that’s not fair on the dogs.

And their future ??? well, Rosa’s is in place. She has the best owner she could have in Maria and for now, the other two are being looked after by a friend of Maria’s. It’s the best possible arrangement, because if I return to Bulgaria I can have Gina and Mia back, on the condition that the guy can put his male Karakachan over her next year and he keeps the pups, and if I don’t return, I will either ship them out here to Australia….or wherever I decide to settle….or he can keep both dogs for himself. I’m bloody lucky, aren’t I ….things just seem to be falling into place for me, not matter which way I turn.

I have loads more to tell about my visit. We crammed an awful lot into eight days… Jillian and I had a beaut time and I have so much to tell about the village, the villagers, Ivan, days out with Christina and an old friend that I had lost contact with, Stefka, Stefka’s daughter and her amazing art.. Take a look at this www.inatrifonova.com

there’s stories, there’s pictures and I’ll be back with all that and more another day….

Right now, I have to make marmlade…and that’s ANOTHER story

bye for now

Mercer xxx