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
and so we went from deep and crisp and even, to slimy, muddy, damp and downright yukky !!! And every day is now a battle against the black sticky mud that is the soil here when water is added…
The weather has actually been quite nice the last couple of days, but we had day after day after day of really heavy, wet fog last week…and it was really depressing. There just never seemed to be an end to it..then I awoke Friday morning and realised that I could see blue sky !! and a large, yellow ball in the sky, the name of which I had some difficulty remembering I was chatting to my downstairs guests and we realised that we have not seen the sky since well before Christmas…just greyness, that’s been it. No wonder everyone’s been feeling a little low…and what a difference blue sky and some sunshine is making. The temperatures are still low, but the sun has some warmth in it and I stood out in the backyard yesterday and soaked up the warmth like a lizard on a rock…god it was good !!
and the puppies !! Holy, moly, you should see how filthy they are ….in between still being the most gorgeous creatures on gods earth just now
I’m now letting them out of their compound every day so they can burn off a little of their endless energy, and now that all that lovely white snow has gone, they’ve discovered the place where I’ve been dumping the ashes from the fire…and Oh, what a lovely place it is for them to play. I took my eyes off them for about half an hour the other day and when I went out to check on them, I was greeted by two of the blackest, dirtiest, happiest puppies you’ve ever seen….. I put them back in the compound for the night and I don’t know whether it was them rolling around in the hay or whether Gina was a very busy mother, but the next morning they were back to being lovely and snowy white…..but not for long !!! no point trying to keep them clean…..and they are just having so much fun being puppies…..truly delightful.
And Gina ?? well, I suspect in her previous life, there wasn’t a lot of play, and she now seems to be learning how to play with her pups. The first few days she wasn’t doing very well and was way to rough with them, but now, she is just having so much fun with them…and they with her. This is what I wanted for her..the chance to actually enjoy her pups. I’ve found out that the first lot she had died and the second lot she ate because she was starving, which must have been so terrible for her. She’s been the most fantastic mother, and she really does love these pups. It’s been a joy to watch her.
I bundled them all into the car the other day and took them off to the vet for their shots. I asked a friend, Sue, to come with me because I kinda thought they would be a real handful, but they weren’t. They were lovely, though one of them did get a little car sick…and I give them porridge for breakfast…….so you can imagine what I had to clean up in the car
They were fine with the vet..a little whingy, but didn’t embarrass me at all. Now, keep in mind that these guys are 8 weeks old…..Rosa is weighing in at a hefty 15 kilos !! and Mia isn’t far behind at 13 kilos…..My fat bottomed girls indeed !!
We tried to get Gina on the scales, but she was too big, but Maria (vet) estimates she’s probably around the 40-45 kilo mark and in perfect condition….so I’m very pleased and happy. She’s come back from the brink of starvation and is now a happy, healthy girl..lovely
And when I haven’t been completely and utterly engrossed in the dogs ???
Well, this year we held Babin Den at my house. I asked Donna, Christina’s sister, if Babin Den was happening at the bar and I’m not quite sure why, but it wasn’t, so I offered my house. The local ladies sorted out the inviting for me and brought all the food and I just provided the house and lots of really good chocolate…they love a chocolate in this country…and my friend, Aisha, bought a large batch of scones, which really went down a treat. I love the fact that if you produce something different at these do’s, the folk here will always give it a go. If they like it, they descend upon it and it’s gone in seconds… if they don’t, it sits, a solitary, unpopular food item….Scones were a huge hit !! And so the local ladies arrived and we got down to the important business of eating and drinking…. god, you should see how much rakia I now have…could start my own bar with the booze they bought… and then, I put on my Bulgarian music and the dancing commenced !!
It was a really beaut day and I thoroughly enjoyed, as did everyone here….mind you, if I do it again next year, I might have to buy a bigger house ..or knock out some walls….or something.
Before the snow thawed, we had a bit of drama across the road. I was sitting here keeping warm the other day when I heard an almighty THUMP !! I then heard Teodora, the lady across the road, wailing. I ran out of the house and, bloody hell, the weight of the snow had bought down their outhouse..which was full of their sheep. Jesus, it was awful. Karlina from next door was already running over there and I joined them to see what we could do. It was freezing cold and there was no way we could lift the roof…obviously the priority was the get the sheep out and hope that none were dead. I ran back to my house and got Gerry to run up to the bar and get men to help and I also shanghaied a few blokes that were walking past to come and help. Another brit in the village stopped and helped and eventually all the sheep were rescued..intact. This was fantastic, because when I first looked under the wreckage I could see blood and was sure that there would be casualties….. Anyway, there we all stood afterwards and I realised that they had nowhere to put their sheep…so I offered my garage. An offer that was taken up, and a few hours and a few metres or wire later, half my garage became a temporary home to seven large, surprised looking sheep. They were only there for just over a week while Giorgie and friends sorted out the rubble of the outhouse, which then gave them access to their other outhouses, so the sheep could then be moved there, but it was rather nice to hear them out there when I was with the dogs..almost felt tempted to get some….NOT !!!
On the ‘Bugger !!!’ list…..I sometimes make mention on here, after a hard days work, that I have a Nana back….gets sore, few twinges here and there, makes strange cracking noises sometimes when I stand up, usual stuff. Well, before Christmas the problem seemed to escalate and I’ve had some really serious problems..a few days where I’ve been pretty much crippled with the pain. Once again, the Bulgaria medical system has picked up something that should have been found years ago either in Australia or Scotland, both places where I’ve had XRays and MRI scans….
My mother had a curvature of the spine and it appears that I have inherited it from her. When they told me here that I had it, I asked the question ‘how could that happen’ to which the doctor responded, ‘it didn’t just happen, you would have been born with it’ Anyway, it’s obviously been there forever and has caused a little problem here and there over the years. Now, I’ve done something…the doctor suggests perhaps lifting heavy things that I shouldn’t be lifting…and one of the vertebrae on the curvature has herniated and is pushing up against a nerve…Shit, Shit, Shit !!! And boy, am I experiencing some pain…and no, I’m not having an operation. At the moment I’m having a course of injections, which Aisha, a friend in the village, who’s a nurse, is administering. Poor woman, has to face my bum everyday…… I’m also taking some pretty good drugs and this is keeping things under control..sort of. Next Sunday I’m off to see some guy in a village near Sliven who is, apparently, a bit of a miracle worker with dodgy backs. My doctor is taking me there, so he must be OK….I hope I told my doctor that I don’t care if this guy’s a witch doctor and wants to smear me with pigs blood, as long as he fixes the problem…I want my life back and just now, this is really slowing me down…..
and just a small aside….Poor old Aisha rang me today to tell me that one of the village ladies turned up on her doorstep this afternoon, injection in hand, asking her to please administer it to her….and she’s coming back for the next one in five days !!!! So not only does she have to face my backside everyday, but now she’s got the villagers coming to her as well and presenting theirs….
God I love this country..there’s always something slightly bizarre that brings a smile to my face everyday
And last, but not least, today is Australia Day, and I was asked to do an interview for the Sofia Echo, an English language newspaper that’s produced in Sofia. They wanted an Australia perspective on living in Bulgaria..apparently. Anyway, it’s done, and I’m waiting to see what it’s like. I have no idea, but they’ve promised me a copy for me and some for my family…..so lets hope I haven’t made an idiot of myself ….
I think that’s it….If the puppies ever stop running around like whirling dervishes, I’ll get some more pics and post them, but for now, ciao, ciao
And so, it was with great trepidation I returned to Bulgaria.
The closer I got, the less courageous I felt about coming back. I was lucky to be able to spend a couple of days with good friends,Kate & Bill, in London, where they showed me great hospitality and gave me great encouragement about getting back here and getting on with things….assuring me that I shouldn’t worry about the ’swine’ here that had caused me so much pain, because like swine do, they would eventually end up devouring each other.
Gary & Louisa picked me up from Sofia and a few hours later I walked back into my wonderful home….I had missed it very much and I know it may sound silly, but the first sight of it as I came into Miladinovtsi filled my heart with excitement and gladness…it was good to be home.
Ths second thing that greeted me was the sound of hell breaking loose in my backyard. The slavering beast that Ivan had put here to protect the house, was still in residence….
and, apparently, not happy that someone was getting into the house. Jesus, the performance made my blood run cold…and bought all the neighbours out……
And I know he looks like a great, big cuddly bear of a thing there, but he can be really fearsome……trained as a ‘bodyguard’, according to Ivan.
I tentatively stepped out onto the balcony to be ‘welcomed’ by a growling, foaming giant of a dog that appeared to be trying to pull the garage down….but more about him later….needless to say, he’s still here
I so enjoyed the feeling of being back in the ‘big hoose’, sleeping in my own bed, waking up to the the village sounds that I’ve grown so fond of, seeing the shepherd come through every evening, the sound of the sheeps bells, enjoying the peace and quiet and almost no vehicle noise…….gee, it was quiet, but fantastic as well.
It was so good to see Christina and Volcho again, Maria and Tanyo, and Dimitor, the Mayor and Sanka,his wife, Donna, Maria at the store, Michael at the bar…….and what a warm and loving welcome back I received from everyone…with the Mayor telling me that I had ‘mnogo dobre preatyli’ in the village ( many good friends)…and I know I do. These are good people, who are my friends and for that I am truly thankful….it’s them that make my life in this country good.
As I had made the decision to return, I figured that meant I would be staying, at least for a while, so I got in touch with Krasimir, the man I now work with.
Kras saw the state I was in before I went to Australia, and I think he didn’t expect to see me back here again….and I had said to him I thought that returning was very unlikely.
But I was back and the first thing I had to ascertain was whether or not he was still interested in making a serious go of Real Estate with me……he is, and so we are underway. If you want to contact us now about matters real estate, you can do it through this very website……or email me, aussiebulg@gmail.com
We’ve got some great houses, from the very cheapest to mid price range up to and including a couple of damned fine (and quite expensive) houses. Mind you, I say expensive, but if you’re after swimming pools and stables, I guess the price is always going to be that little bit more.
and this is the man himself, young Krassie…
He’s a lovely young bloke and has a blunt honesty that I really like….the same sort of blunt honesty that I have and prefer in my friends. He works very hard and hopefully, I can live up to his expectations. He’s also quite easy on the eye…so very pleasant to work with all round
So, to everyone who tells me that they’ll assist in any way they can to enable me to stay in this fabulous country, here’s your chance……talk about us, recommend us, whatever. We’re keen, we’re honest and we’ll do our damndest for any customers that come. And Hey, don’t forget, I’ve got accomodation available as well…..which brings me smoothly to the next topic for this entry…..the house !!
Ivan appeared soon after I arrived back and conversation soon turned to the roof and other bits and bobs. As the weather was still quite cold when I returned from Oz, the first thing he did was to rectify the useless fireplace that I paid my old agents contractors vast sums of money for way back when. I now have a fireplace that not only works properly…it heats the entire kitchen/living room which is over 10 metres long, even with the draughty windows (the other thing I was ripped off over…window repairs) but it now looks truly fantastic
Ivan basically tore the whole top of the fireplace apart and rebuilt it. He installed the missing damper (which the previous contractor told me the fire didn’t need) and did me some lovely stonework up the wall behind the fireplace. It looks gorgeous, uses about a quarter as much wood over an evening as it used to and gets the room as hot as a bastard….. what more can a woman ask for
As soon as the weather warmed slightly, the boys moved back onto the property and got to work. Starting with smaller jobs like painting all the parapets, the metal framework that the grapes grow over and any metal fences and gates around the place, it didn’t take long for the place to start looking better. These little jobs are always irksome and somehow usually get done last…….now it’s all been sanded down and painted, it’s just made everything in the yard and the house that much neater.
Before I could say ‘Jack Robinson’ the sound of tiles being ripped off the roof started…….and heavens, they’ve moved quickly. Already another section of the roof is complete. This year, Ivan has purchased proper scaffolding…..a relief to me, as I was never happy with the standard Bulgarian wooden scaffolding. He erected it around the part of the house where they were working on the roof…he then announced that he was going to render the building while the scaffolding was up, as he didn’t want to have to re-erect it in six or twelve months time when I was ready for the rendering to be done.
So……..From day one, I’ve had a picture in my head of what I thought the house would eventually look like…..suddenly,my house is starting to look like that picture. I’ve even had times when I’ve thought that rendering it might not be such a good idea because the brick look was pretty good as well….but not now.
Yes….it’s pink !!! Ivan was aghast when I told him my choice of colour and I got a big Ivan ‘No Sue’ from him, but I think now that it’s starting to take shape, he’s not quite so horrified. And I’m just thrilled to bits. It’s just how I imagined it could be….. I can’t stop wandering outside and looking at it, imagining what it will look like when the whole house is done.
OK, I may have to sell it to settle my debt, but what a house I’ll have to sell
Which is a segue ’almost’ as smooth as the house one……
‘Cos, how could I possibly sell up and leave when I have this to take care of…
Ah, Yes..Ivan’s skills of persuasion have finally paid off….I’d like to introduce Pirat (Bulgarian for pirate…something to do with the eye patch) the latest addition to my life, my not so little bundle of joy. But let me backtrack a little….. let’s return to the slavering beast in my backyard…..his names Byal (white) and can you guess what his relationship is to Pirat ?
Oh yes, I not only have the son, but his father as well. Byal is supposed to return to Yambol, but everytime I ask Ivan when, he just says ‘tomorrow Susanka’ and we all know about tomorrow…it never comes !! So it looks like I may have the big fella for the long run.
The little guy came to me about 8 weeks ago looking like this
and very soon, became Mr mischief..
There are no easy tasks any more…he chases the broom, wrestles the mop, his discovering my ’soft bits’ and nips them with his razor sharp little teeth and just generally creates havoc around the place…but shit, he makes me laugh. He’s a funny little bloke and is already bringing me endless entertainment.
He and his father get on like a house on fire and play for hours every day
which is great for me because it wears the little bastard out….god, he’s got so much energy, and I’m not as young as I used to be. Though, now that I’ve been smoke free for thirteen months, I can actually take him for….wait for it……runs.!! Yep, I’ve been doing a wee bit of running with him and I feel great….well, felt great. Yesterday I twisted my knee and just now can hardly walk……but I’m sure I’ll be good as new in no time.
Pirat is bringing me so much pleasure and also bringing me some things I really don’t want. I’ve talked before about the birds nesting in my roof and walls. Now, there’s always been a certain amount of mortality amongst the baby birds and I’ve always had to pick up the dead ones that have fallen from the nests and dispose of them. Now Pirat is finding them and bringing them to me as little ‘gifts’…it’s God awful and when I try to take them, he eats them….yech !!! then he wants to put his face near mine…double yech !
And Byal ?? well, after his initial fierceness towards me, he’s starting to trust me and even allows me to pat him now…..apparently, I’m the only person who gets to do that. Even Ivan doesn’t get too close to him. Maybe one day he’ll rip my head off. he certainly gets close enough to do that. When I bend down to put food in his dish, he’s started giving me a huge lick on my face, which scared the bejeezus out of me the first time he did it and sees me very close to his enormous teeth and huge doggy breath, but for the moment, we’re becoming the best of friends…..and he does love a good ear scratch
and, lets be honest here, no matter how savage a beast he his, ( and make no mistake, he is) it’s hard to take him completely seriously when he sleeps like this
Must be a Karakachan thing, cos his son assumes the same position often
and yes, he does have a funny little black and white spotted tummy..in fact,his whole body is like that. the first time I bathed him his hair went into ringlets and under the ringlets I could see this cute little spotted body….maybe inside every Karakachan is a Dalmnation trying to get out…..
And so, I restart my life in Bulgaria in just about every way……..the people I’m surrounding myself with, the constantly changing house in which I reside, the getting of a dog…well, two actually, my new and hopefully successful career with Krassie and just about everything else that’s happening now….., I have much more to talk about but it’s late and I need my bed…much to do tomorrow.
in fact, I will just add one more thing……something I’ve wanted since coming here was a garden of heavily scented roses. …a garden where everytime I walked out of the house or pulled up out the front in the car, I would smell the beautiful heady,pefume of roses. I planted many last year and this year they are everything I want……they look stunning and the smell is just amazing….overwhelming…beautiful
On that note, I’ll say Leka Nosht – Good night
until next time
I’ve had a fabulous festive season, hence getting even further behind here.
Christmas Day was spent here in the Big House, which really was a picture in all it’s decorations. I increased the outside lighting by about 500 % and the place was lit up like a country dunny every night. Finding decent outside fairy lights here has just proved to be almost impossible, so I decided to go for the coloured strip lightinging that you see around towns and cities, often framing buildings. I was in an electrical supplier when I saw them strung up around the shop and made the decision that this what just what a house like mine needed. This stuff is so cheap here so I opted for 15 metres of lighting in the colours of the Bulgarian flag, white, green and red, and they looked fantastic when I put them up. Jesus, these things are so bright, you can see them for miles.
I strung them across the front balcony of the house and this bought all my neighbours out for a look. Were they impressed ?? Seemed to be…I received a round of applause and a few ‘Bravos’ when I flicked the switch on. I also found out through Christina’s sister, Donna, that she had gone to Yambol to get some for her house, but was unable to find any. As you know I’m always looking for things that I can do to thank Christina and Volcho for all the things they do for me. This was a perfect excuse to give them something, so back to Yambol I went.
Damn and Blast !! obviously half of Yambol had decided on strip lighting in the colours of the Bulgaria Flag. With help from Ivan, who took me to every lighting and electrical supplier he knew in Yambol (and there’s plenty) I eventually found three metres of Green and three metres of red…but not a scrap of white to be found. My Taurean mind kicked into action and a solution was forthcoming. I had so many metres strung across my house that, without my display losing any of its impact, I just cut half the white off mine and attached it to Christinas….Voila !!!
I had Bo staying with me, so dragged her over the road to give them to Christina. She looked slightly stunned when I appeared with them but looked very happy indeed when we plugged them in and she had her very own display of festive lights in the colours of her country…and I noted them on every night over the festive season.
I also received an invitation from the Mayor to attend the lighting of the village Christmas tree. Miladinovtsi boasts a national politician and he donates various stuff to the village…this year it was some computers for the community centre and lights for the village Christmas tree. I had seen the Christmas tree when I went to pay my phone bill at the post office and had decided myself that it looked a wee bit sparse and could do with a few more deckies. I invested in rather a lot of decorations for very little money at the One Lev shop and donated them to the village as well. So with the extra decorations and the fabulous new lights, both coloured and white, the tree looked very festive indeed this year. I reckon it would have taken out the award for the best Christmas tree in a small village, if such an award existed
I was honoured to be invited to the lighting up of the tree as well. When Bo and I arrived at the Mayors office, we discovered that besides the Mayor, his wife and the staff involved with his office, we were the only outsiders there. We were made comfortable and once again a couple of substantial Rakias were squeezed into my hands and once again, some time later, I tottered out of his office and back down the hill to my home. I can only hope Rakia is good for me ‘cos if it isn’t, I’m probably killing myself with the stuff.
Christmas Eve, Gary and Louisa arrived from their village with Carlos the fantastic. Bo went over to see Christina to get some pickled cabbage to make Saarmi and invited her and Volcho over for a drink. They duly arrived with some saarmi that Christina had whipped up and we all settled in for a large glass of wine and a faltering chat. I was so chuffed that they had come over. I’m a bit shy about asking the villagers over because i’m not sure if they will want to eat any of the food I make or if they’ll want to spend extended time with someone with as little Bulgarian as I have. They stayed for a good couple of hours during which time we were visited by the Koleda singers
And this year I got them right in the house, singing as loudly as possible in the hope that 2007 will be a better year for me thatn 2006 was…..Christ, I could do with some good luck.
Had a really enjoyable evening and tottered off to bed full of expectation about what Christmas day would bring.
Christmas day dawned…wintery, but not a flake of snow to bless ourselves with. Gary, Louisa, Bo and, of course, Carlos were all staying here, so it was a merry little household that surfaced on Christmas morning. Once we’d breakfasted, got the fires started and got ourselves cleaned up, it was present time and food preparation time. Christina had presented me with the Christmas bird the day before…..it is a strange feeling to be handed a deadun knowing that earlier that day it was running around the streets of Miladinovtsi having a damned fine time. Christina’s turkeys often sit on my front fence and as Gary amusingly observed ’that christmas bird had probably sat out there wondering what it was like inside my house….and well, now he/she knew.’
Anyway, he/she tasted fantastic
Our very late lunch was damned good. We had our very organic turkey, the fantastic Christmas ham, which I’d got in Sofia and all the trimmings possible squeezed onto the plates….well, except for the brussel sprouts. Not inclined to have anything that tastes and smells like dirty socks on my plate. :)
Then there was Puddin’ time. I don’t know if you remember me making ‘drunken berries’ earlier this year ? They were unbelievabley good. I had a good Christmas pudding, I’d made Christmas icecream and we had an extra boozy topping of drunken berries on top….Holy Moly !! Throw in some cream and you’re talking ‘Heart Attack on a Plate’
We were a small party this year, and I have to confess it was great. Since about 1987 I’ve been holding ‘ophans Christmases’ for all my friends who either had nowhere to go for Christmas or didn’t want to spend it with their families, and numbers have ranged from as few as eight to as many as 35 people that I’ve cooked lunch for. My Christmases (sic) have actually been quite hard work and I’ve usually ended the day exhausted. This year, I was soooo relaxed. Cooking for four was a walk in the park and I finished my day in great shape and with enough energy left to consume vast quantities of champagne and wine…..
Boxing day was a standard sit around the house chatting, eating even more Christmas fare and a few early wines….Hey, we had breakfast first and then did things like light fires, but it wasn’t exactly late in the day when we all fell by the wayside and were tempted by the demon drink. A most enjoyable and totally relaxing day and night…just what I needed.
The 27th saw an invitation from the Mayor to attend a village function in the community centre. It was an all singing, all dancing and all eating affair with contributions from the young and the old.
and I also seem to be turning into a bit of a Pied Piper with the local children and often find myself surrounded by them…or is it because they just love having their photos taken
and I’ve just included this little fella because I think he has the most beautiful face and he’s a really sweet little guy…..very quiet, very sweet…well, with me he is. Probably the devil incarnate with everyone else
and if the singing & dancing of the 27th wasn’t enough, December 29th bought the village ‘banquet’. This was the occasion that my sister Jillian got to experience last year, and this year certainly didn’t disappoint. What I didn’t realise last Christmas was that I was already becoming very ill with that damned disease I had and I was always feeling a tad below par. This year it was a completely different story and I was firing on all twelve cylinders. Not only did I get up voluntarily for the dancing, but I also help serve the food……much to the amusement of the locals
The villagers can’t quite figure me because of things I do, like painting the house, lifting heavy things & all the housework in the house and now I’ve added waitressing to the list of things they don’t quite get about me. They keep telling me I must let someone else do these things for me….and I just say ‘why ?’ I’m big enough and ugly enough to do anything. One day I won’t be and then I’ll certainly ask for help.
Anyway, they allowed me to help and then we all settled in for a grand evening
and this year it was lovely to see plenty of the village young people there as well
and, as always, attended to by the lovely bloke that runs the bar, Michael
This friendly smiling face is fairly typical of him all the time.
He runs the local cafe bar with his partner Dida and his son and they’re really pleasant, friendly people and I do enjoy spending the odd moment in their company. I don’t actually go the the bar that often, but when I do I’m always very welcomed and it’s always a pleasure to spend a bit of time there.
I guess that’s December done and dusted….the last few days of the month I spent fairly quietly, thinking about what I might do in 2007, where I might be in 2007, what might be around the corner.
2006 has been an interestnig year for me. It’s been a really tough year and certainly not what I expected. It’s been successful in that I’m still alive, but I’ve been let down by people I trusted, and this has tarnished what otherwise might have been a great year.
After I recovered from my illness, I faced the rest of the year full of hope and joy…that hope and joy seems to have got lost somewhere along the way and right now, I’m feeling somewhat disheartened…I have big decisions to make, and may very possibly be making them from Australia.
Before that happens, I have the start of 2007 to talk about….
until then
dovishdane
mercer
I guess the first thing I should mention in this entry is my visit to Dr Drinkoff. So many of you have very kindly and in some cases, very cautiously, asked how the checkup went and you’ll be pleased to know that everything appears to be in good shape. He’s happy with the appearance of my vocal chords and has assured me that the pain I’m experiencing is just part and parcel of the healing process. I’m not completely off the hook yet…I still have to go back in December and hopefully, this time, it will be the last visit. As much as I love to gaze into the soft, compassionate eyes of Ivan Drinkoff, the last visit hopefully means that I’m OK for the foreseeable future. And if everything continues on track, then I guess that’s the best Christmas present I could ever ask for….
And so to guests…..Jan & Harleys stay with me was coming to an end when Ivan asked me if I could accomodate six builders, men coming up from Bourgas to work in the area. Just the one night, and No, none of them spoke English….
I figured that I had to at least give it a try and see how I coped, though confess to feeling somewhat overwhelmed that night when six burly bits of Bulgarian rough invaded the house and Ivan jumped in his truck and disappeared home to Yambol….
I didn’t have to worry about an evening meal for them, as they had already decided that kebache and rakia at Micheals Bar was their preferred evening option…but they did want breakfast….at 6am !!! And what does an Australian, with limited Bulgarian cooking skills,feed to hungry Bulgarian men first thing in the morning ? Well, a great slab of freshly baked, warm banistas, that’s what. I cranked up the coffee machine, put tubs of yoghurt out and an enormous tray of banistas…..there was a brief pause as they all eyed them off and, for a moment, I thought that they were all going to decline. Perhaps they didn’t look like the ones their wives and mothers made, but then Dimitor the boss made the first move. He ate, he didn’t keel over and that was it. They got stuck in with great gusto and demolished everything on the tray….Phew, you have no idea how relieved I was.
I have often wondered how I would cope if non english speakers fronted at the house and though it was just the one night with these guys, I now know that I can deal with a houseful of non english speaking people and give them good service. Apparently, they were all very happy with the accomodation and the food and didn’t even mind that they had to go out onto the balconies to smoke…….
Jan, Harley and of course, the lovely Sally, were able to move into their own house last week and in true Sue Mercer style, I went from as busy as a bastard to crook as a dog. The moment I stopped running, the cold germs muscled in and laid me very low indeed for a couple of days. Mind you, a few days in my bed were very good for body and soul.
It was a very strange feeling though to have the house to myself again……Jan and Harley were with me for over five weeks and it was a very busy and enjoyable time. It’s a nice feeling to have someone to look after..and an even nicer feeling to get paid for doing it. But, suddenly, it stopped, and I felt quite lost for a few days…well, at least until the cold slapped me on the back of the head and saw me to my bed.
I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this, but every now and again Ivan, for no explainable reason, chucks me in his truck and takes me on what I call his ‘Magical Mystery Tours of Miladinovtsi’. Keep in mind that he grew up here and spent his childhood roaming the district, so he knows the place inside out. He’s taken me all over the place and shown me beautiful forests and interesting areas and has lots of tales to tell.
The other day I got the ‘Sue, come, come come…’ and off we went again. Just a brief aside here….the ‘Sue, come, come, come ..’ thing amuses me no end. It’s always done with Ivan heading off calling ‘Sue, come, come, come…’and is accompanied by him beckoning me towards him with his hand……little hard to describe, but maybe you get the picture. Now, I’m a woman who rarely does as she’s told and will rarely stop what I’m doing for anyone or anything. I can yell back ‘Ivan, I’m busy !!’. Does it make an iota of difference…does it f***. He just looks slightly perplexed that anything is more important than what he wants, he becomes more insistent, I drop what I’m doing and follow, like a small child……what’s happening to me ???!!!
Anyway…..I digress. Now, behind the village is the Manastirski Vazvishenia, and this is where we headed. At the large gate we disembarked from the vehicle and started walking up the hill. Suddenly I found myself standing in front of an enormous, though now derilict, building and Ivan then explained to me that this was the Hotel/Restuarant that served the village in it’s heyday. It was the place where all the village celebrations like weddings, christenings, birthdays etc, were held. The restuarant area must have seated hundreds and there was also a large floor of hotel rooms. This place was really big and the sight of it bought home the sad realisation of what the end of communism and the brave new democratic world was doing to these villages…….they are dying off one by one and probably in ten or twenty years time, some of them wont exist at all. The young have all left, the old are leaving or dying, and so the smaller villages must face probable extinction….it’s really very sad indeed. Ivan was also saying that at it’s peak the school had between 400 – 500 students…now there aren’t even that many people in the village.
To vaguely happier thoughts…. or maybe not. I’ve been really suffering from ‘family sickness’, as opposed to homesickness, just now. I don’t really know where ‘home’ is any more, but I sure as hell know where my family are and I’m missing them very badly at the moment. And I’m not really sure what to do about it. I’m supposed to be returning to Australia in February for my nephews wedding and am really struggling with feelings that if I do, I wont return here….
I dont think I want to live in Australia though, so where does that leave me ?
I’m seeing some behaviour patterns in a lot of non-Bulgarians in this country that are, quite frankly, leaving me flabbergasted and I’m wondering if I want to be surrounded by people like this. I’ve made some really lovely friends and if i go, I know I’ll miss them terribley. But I think I said once before, there are times in your life when we all have friends that need losing, and there are certainly some in this country that I could quite easily walk away from.
And, of course, while I’m struggling with this confusion of thoughts, I realise that things like the Real Estate business are starting to show promise and if I walk away, I’d be walking away from that….just when it looks promising. The Guest House is also starting to show signs of possibility. Do I walk away from that as well. ?
Is this lifes great irony ?….just when things are getting good for me, I want to walk away from it all.
OK, this time I’ll turn to happier thoughts….proper ones.
Christmas…….Ah yes, when all else fails, bring on Christmas so that I, the Queen of Christmas can be in my element…just for a wee while. I’ve already started the process of getting lights strung around the place, checking globes in the ones my sister put up for me last Christmas (god Jillian, I’m going to miss you this year) and making Christmas decorations for friends. I make these rather large and lavish door decorations, which I am currently bestowing upon friends here in the district. Another aside…..not sure if it’s a good thing or a bad, but the Chrstmas decorations in the shops this year are much bigger, bolder, brassier…good for me and my decoration making, because I can create ball bursting door garlands that are positively blinding…..
I’ve ordered the Christmas turkey from Christina….how much easier was it this year than last ?? You have no idea. Last year I phaffed around trying to buy one and ending up finding someone that spoke English to help me. This year I just asked Christina (in Bulgarian) if I could buy one of hers….no head, no guts, no feathers…just the meaty bits…and she understood me…Hooray !!!! And it’s cheaper than last years was ….Double Hooray !!!
I had a mob for dinner the other night and decided to give the fruit mince a practice run to see if it was edible. I made a kind of strudel thing and, Holy goodnight….it’s fantastic ( even if I say so myself). Laden with Whisky, it smells divine and tastes damned fine. Time to make the mince pies I think.
The Christmas cake has had it’s third and final drink of black rum and whisky and is now back under wraps until Christmas Eve.
The drunken berries are looking positively plastered and I’ve gathered most of the ingredients for the Christmas icecream.
And Yes, I have advised my Christmas guests that no one is to drive home, even if they don’t have a single drink, because the food will tip them over the limit anyway.
I’m heading off to Sofia next week to get another Christmas ham just like the one I had last year. Again, I’m searching the district for a good one but even the bigger supermarkets like Billa & Kaufland just don’t have what I want. I haven’t been in Sofia since February and I could really do with a day or two out of this place, so Louisa and I are jumping on the bus and off we’re going, ham hunting….
Is it too early to put up the Christmas decorations ???? must check my diary and see when they went up last year….
I reckon that’s it for November…time to turn my thoughts to December…..I wonder what it has in store for me ??
ciao, ciao
OK, these are the pics I had hoped to get at Christinas on Saturday, but missed out because I got there too late. But, never fear, it’s that time of the year, so there’s plenty of killing going on around me. Yesterday I wandered outside to get some pics of the roof work. As I walked up the road, there was Tonyo (sic), Maria, Christina, Volcho and various other folk busy cutting up Babe…..A giant Babe, mind you.
Maria collared me and kept saying the words she was saying to me over and over the day before…..which I’ve now figured out were an invite to yet another butchering….this one. Maria talks really, really fast and though a lot of the other villagers have slowed down for the Oztralika (Australian woman), Maria has not, so a lot of what she says, I just don’t get. Anyway, I was feeling a little off colour and had a tonne of things to do around the house so I begged off full pig day attendance with the excuse that I was ‘malko bolna ( little sick)….not the best excuse in a country that uses Rakia for every litle thing….no sooner had I mentioned the word ‘bolna’, than the offers of Rakia started…… Hell’s Bells…I had to really backpedal then. The last thing I felt like at 10am, when slightly off colour, was a bucket of Rakia. I managed to appease them all with promises of pictures….and here they are….if you’re of a slightly delicate disposition, prepare yourself
Just how happy do those guys look as they go about the business of dissecting a pig…they’ll be dead excited about the feast laced with Rakia that follows the hard work they’re doing.
And this is just the start of the pig demise season……..
Time for my bed now. I’ve been battling very, very bad homesickness today and I’m completely exhausted. Jan & Harley’s furniture arrives very early tomorrow morning so I’ve got a 6am breakfast call…..and Ivan has also just popped in to ask if I have accomodation for 6 bits of Bulgarian rough tomorrow night…so it’s up early and getting rooms ready for the best part of the day.
leka nosht
and so my second invite to a pig killing was forthcoming, this time much closer to home. Christina and I were having a chat out in the street the other day and she invited me to join her,the family and friends for their first killing for the season. I decided this time to make sure I was there from the very beginning…well, after the pig was dead, but during the bristle scorching and the cutting up. I wanted to get some pics for here, so you could all share the experience but as always, life got in the way.
Had my day planned….first mistake I guess. Breakfast for the guests, clean their room and the lounge/ dining area, make my living area look less like a pig sty and more like a home. Well, I didn’t want anyone seeing the state of my living area and lining me up for slaughter as well and then prepare myself for the big day out.
One of my relatives, Kerry, rang and though we promised each other a quick chat, it soon grew to a long chin wag and while I was talking to her, my business colleague walked in the door…unplanned, unannounced….
I curtailed the call and was then informed that I ‘Must’ accompany him to see some properties…and given the state of my finances, I figured that work had to come before pleasure, so off we went. I could see the pig killing day out fading into the distance….bugger !!!
Eventually got back to the house to be greeted by Christina wondering where the hell I was…..keep in mind that I still hadn’t cleaned the guests rooms and I looked like the wreck of the Hesperes, unshowered, dishevelled and somewhat less than presentable. I apologised and begged 30 mins, promising to be back at her’s in that time. I didn’t realise I could move that fast….rooms got cleaned, I got cleaned and tidied and dressed, and armed with a bottle of rakia, bolted over the road. I was quickly bundled into the house where I found the gang having a damned fine time….
The food was plenty and the rakia was out……even though I always ask for malko rakia (small), I was once again presented with a small bucket of it. Christ, when I eventually shuffle off this mortal coil, I want to be cremated…if I keep drinking this stuff, they’ll never be able to put the bloody fire out.
Christina was working herself to the bone while everyone sat around eating and drinking…
I’ll never get used to this, and again, offered to help, and again, got rebuffed and told to get back to my seat and eat and drink…..So I did, and damn that pork and cabbage is soooo good, as was Volcho’s Rakia. I’m definitely going to get Christina to teach me how to make it…the pork dish, not the Rakia ( Ivans already taught me how to make that). I have to admit I’m not big on the ‘cherin drob’…that’s the liver guys !! and I have to admit I’m not big on the skin, which they eat. Now, if it was me, I’d be chucking the skin into the oven and turning it into crackling, but the Bulgarians don’t do that..they eat it soft and salty…..just too fatty for this old girl I’m afraid.
And here’s a thing…how much Bulgarian do I know ??? A damned sight more than I think I do. I remember the first time I was invited into a villagers home. It was last Christmas when my sister Jillian was here, and I remember sitting at the table in Tonyo (sic) and Marias house and not understanding a single word that was being said. This time, with only the merest assistance from my dictionary, I was involved in conversations with the people at the table. It was great !! And, OK, we’re talking fairly simple conversation here, but at least I was able to participate a little. It’s such a good feeling.
I tottered back home to take care of my guests, having had an all round, very satisfying day…..Good food, Good rakia and Good company….what more could you ask for.
The next day turned out to be far more dramatic and busy than I could have imagined. I went downstairs to see what Jan & Harley wanted for breakfast, only to find Harley in very bad shape. He’d had a dreadful night and was obviously in distress. I rang Ivan and said we needed a Doctor, so he rang the ambulance service, which was a very wise move. They duly arrived and swung into action making him comfortable and medicating him to settle his symptons.
The sight and sound of the ambulance…they arrived in Miladinovtsi with sirens blaring, bought half the village out to see what was happening. Everyone thought it was me again and were surprised to see me standing out the front talking to the ambulance driver… And there was a thing. The driver was the same one that bought the doctor out to me the first time and took me to hospital two nights later. He didn’t recognise me and it took a bit to convince him that I was the same woman that he saw here just a few months ago. Jesus, I really must have looked like shit back then….. he kept looking at me and saying that I looked ‘mnogo dobre’
The doctor, who fortunately spoke English, made the decision to admit Harley to hospital, so I piled Jan into my car and following the ambulance, off we went to the Yambol Bolnitsa……He’s still in there and I think that it’s probably the best place for him just now. the weather has taken a turn for the worse and he’s getting taken care of in a warm hospital.
In fairly typical circumstances though, their furniture is arriving on Thursday, Harley’s due out of hospital on Thursday and I’ve got an appointment with Dr Drinkoff in Stara Zagora…so I’m no use to them at all. Perhaps a touch of rescheduling is called for here.
Not sure I’m looking forward to my visit to Dr Drinkoff to be perfectly honest. My voice is sounding pretty rough just now and I’m experiencing pain for no reason in my throat. Could just be the cold of course and I guess I’ll know more by the end of this week.
Anyway, I’ve been running around like a chook with it’s head cut off…..time to assume crash position on the couch for a few hours before I hit the sack in preparation for another busy, busy day
