I may not be able to sing one, but I have seen some of the most spectacular rainbows since I’ve been back here

For some reason, the sight of them always fills my heart with hope..the sight of a double rainbow is even more inspiring to me…perhaps they are a harbinger of good things to come for me. And given that I saw these not long after I arrived back in Australia, and given the incredible upturn my life has taken, perhaps they are indeed my carriage of kismet, my pot of gold….

But I digress……

Some of the rainbow pictures came about because my friends, Sue & Gary, threw me into their car one day and announced I was being taken for a bit of a Sunday drive…Destination, New Norcia. This is an amazing little town about 90Ks north of Perth that was settled by Spanish monks a very long time ago. The buildings are spectacular and the Monastery is still in operation. The entire town belongs to the monks, which is probably the reason why developers have never been able to get in there and wreck the place, as developers do.

Anyway, the year after my dad died, 1969, my mother decided to take my sister Jillian and I on a bit of a trip up north of Western Australia. We stopped at New Norcia and spent the night at the hotel. When Sue And Gary said we were going there, I was quite excited and commented that the hotel had a beautiful staircase and that somewhere there is a photo of a 14 year old me standing on the stairs of the hotel.

When we arrived I wandered around to the front stairs, having a bit of a look around and seeing if I recognised anything. I certainly did and also realised that the name of the publican was the same as the name of a guy I used to work for back in the 80s, a fella called Rick Ryan. Rick was always very good to me and I was very fond of both him and his girlfriend, and later, wife, Jo. Could it be the same guy ?? My bloody oath it could. ! I went wandering through the hotel looking for someone to ask the question ‘ is this the same Rick Ryan that used to own the Premier hotel in Albany’ when I saw a very familiar visage coming towards me……not a lot different than 20 years ago, except he used to have dark hair…but then again, didn’t we all.

It was so good to see him after all those years. He called Jo down and we had a lovely afternoon having lunch and chatting to them and catching up on 20 years.

They are living in a very special place and it’s exactly where they deserve to be. They’ve worked so hard for many years and certainly had their good times and their bad. I was so happy to see them living in this wonderful environment running this fabulous hotel

The only thing I didn’t do was get pictures of some of the other buildings, which is a shame because some of them are very beautiful, but I don’t mind ‘cos I got distracted by something that’s very important to me….friends. And I can always get back to New Norcia for a day/weekend and get all the pictures I want. I do know from talking to other friends and family that a weekend in the New Norcia hotel is well worth doing….

And while on the subject of friends that I haven’t seen for a while, the last time I saw these two was in Scotland…

I got invited around to another friends place for a BBQ and Nige and Anna were over for Anna’s school reunion…perfect chance for a catch up…and we did.

Nige is a vet and he was over there helping through the foot and mouth epidemic and Anna joined him later and worked in the UK for about a year (I think). I had visits from them when I was Edinburgh, but then they returned to Australia, moved to the Clare Valley in South Australia, got married and had a family.

This is a lovely couple that I knew from Albany, saw in Scotland and then mostly lost touch with when I headed for Bulgaria and they headed for their new life in South Oz. I was so please to catch up with them …and one of their beautiful children

isn’t he just adorable

Just briefly on the subject of BBQs…why can’t I get one like this is Bulgaria. That’s not a BBQ, it’s an entire kitchen !! .
…the one thing we have got right in Australia !!

We had a fabulous night catching up on the last few years…good food, good wine and great company and I think young Ned and his dad summed up how we were all feeling by the end of the evening

Can’t think of a better way to finish this entry than with that beautiful face…..

caio, caio

So here I am in Australia, a very long way from Bulgaria.

One of the first social occasions I was invited to, was a night of traditional singing and dancing at the Perth Greek club. In fact, it was a birthday present from my sister and two of her friends, Steve and Anita, both of Greek heritage.

and here they are

Now, in case you didn’t know it, Greece and Bulgaria are neighbours and whether they are friendly neighbours or not, they cannot escape the similarites in their cultures. When the evening kicked off, I began to realise just how similar they are……

It all started with the food, as we sat down to plates of tomato,cucumber and feta cheese, a cheese not disimilar to the cirene cheese that is eaten in Bulgaria. This was followed by lamb cooked in the same way as the Bulgarians cook theirs.

And then things really hotted up with the entertainment. An absolutley fantastic Greek band from Melbourne and a group of traditional dancers hit the floor and it was wonderful.

The outfits might be different, but the dancing was so similar

Unfortunately, for the first time in years, I went out without my camera, and so all the pictures of this fabulous night were taken on my phone…not great quality, but at least I ended up with something.

Anyway, as I watched and listened I realised just how similar the music was and even more so, the dancing. When the official entertainment was over, just about everyone in the room got up and the real dancing got underway. You may remember from some of my earlier diary entries that I have been attempting to learn some of the traditional Bulgarian dances so that I could take more of a part in village social occasions. As I watched the Greek community of Perth dancing around the room, I realised that I actually recognised some of the dances and knew how to do some of them…..

I was still having a little trouble with my back at this time, so couldn’t get up and strut my stuff, which was a shame. I suspect I might have been quite at home.

I still had a cracking night with friends and my sister

but left feeling quite melancholy about Bulgaria and its neighbourhood….

But a lot has happened since that beaut night out and I’ll have more in the coming days/weeks…..including a lovely trip back to Bulgaria. Oh, and the good news is, my back is back, so to speak and I’m again able to exercise, though there will be no more lifting things that weigh more than me…..so things are looking up even more….I can’t complain about how things are going in pretty much every aspect of my life…..I’m happy

Greetings to all that are still checking this site for updates……. I’m still alive and still in Australia and things are moving along at a cracking and interesting pace.

I’m having a great time, but wont deny that I’m missing Bulgaria….a lot. In fact, I’ve just returned from there. I headed over in early August for a short visit to see the dogs and check the house. Gee Whizz, both were an enormous tug on my heart and I think I now know where I belong, but still have to make up my mind if it’s the right place to be for my soul.

I really miss my dogs and, though I knew they would be big girls when they grew up, I’m kinda staggered at how much they have grown in the short time I’ve been gone. They are only 8 months old and are built like brick shithouses….and they’ve still got a years growing to go. So who knows how large they will end up…..

But lets take a step back………

After arriving here in April and with the help of a great friend of mine, Gary, I got work with the state police. It’s was good for me to be back in some kind of routine and to have some structure in my life. Interesting work, as you can imagine, and I certainly saw some sights, both funny and sometimes very sad. I made new friends, good friends, while there, and that’s always good for the spirit….

The whole time I was working for the coppers though I was looking for something that would pay me really, really good money and so had turned my attention to the mining companies. There’s a resources boom on in Western Australia at the moment and there’s more work than you can poke a stick at AND it’s paying fabulous dosh ! One company contacted me and I started down the induction path, feeling pretty pleased that I might have found something that would fill my bank account and give me financial flexibility if I decided to return to Bulgaria.

As always, sods law came into play and half way through the process I got a call from my old employer, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the ABC, asking if I was interested in some work with them again. Thinking they were going to offer me a bit of casual work to fill in a few days, I responded that I might be interested ..’ What was on offer ?’ I asked….’how would you like the be the Manager of our Geraldton Station ?’ they replied !!! Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather….and, of course, the first thing that went through my head was COMMITMENT !! Did I really want something that would nail my feet to the ground. The money on offer was really good, as were the conditions, but I still had a resisitance to getting nailed down. The mines seemed so much more flexible, and when I got the call offering me a job there, I was really tied up in knots of indecision…..

So I did what any self respecting, undecided, don’t know what to do when I grow up woman would do…..I made a life changing job decision with the toss of a coin !!

So there I was……I squeezed into my red shoes….I clicked my heels together over and over and said ‘there’s no place like home, there’s no place like home’ and, bugger me, I landed in Geraldton. The last place on earth I would call home, but here I am none the less….

For those who don’t know, it’s a town on the west coast of Western Australia http://www.geraldtontourist.com.au/

So, say hello to the new Manager of the ABC Radio Station in Geraldton, Western Australia.

I have only signed up for six months, as I don’t know what I want to do when I grow up, and the call of Bulgaria is still very strong.

Mind you, the money is good and the conditions are very good…I can’t complain. Once again the gods have smiled on me and my life is looking great…….

I’ve already done some proper work… I headed off to a place called Dowerin last week for the Dowerin Field days, http://www.dowerinfielddays.com/history.htm where we broadcasted from..When I say ‘we broadcasted’ I mean one of my colleagues, Grady, did all the hard work while I watched on and wondered if radio really was such a good idea again.. I’m straight back into it…..at the deep end, and I’m still very nervous indeed.

Anyway, I have a lovely house to live in and Geraldton looks OK to me, so far. The guys in the office all seem really nice and I get to go back on air next Monday morning. I’ll be the breakfast presenter for the duration and I’m kinda looking forward to that. I always did enjoy being on air……though the 5am wake ups are already taking their toll on me……bit old for this really.

And, should anyone feel like a trip to Geraldton, I have a three bedroom, fully furnished house and, of course, a BBQ for all those balmy Geraldton nights……..I’d love to see you up here

Even though I’m not in Bulgaria, a lot of my webpage readers are asking for Aussie updates, so I will be doing the odd diary entry again every now and again.

And, in fact, next week I’ll bring you tales and pictures of great nights out at the Greek club in Perth, a wonderful visit to Bulgaria, my lovely fat bottomed girls and days out in the Australian countryside surrounded by farmers, machinery and all things rural. There’s certainly no shortage of things happening in my life just now )

Until next time

caio for now

mercer

I guess the time has come for me to talk to all my loyal readers and friends. The emails asking me what’s going on are coming in thick and fast so rather than try an answer you all, here’s the latest update on my life…..

One day I was here

and now I’m here

one day I was driving here

and now I’m driving here

One day I was looking out my windows at this

and now I’m looking out the windows at this

and the more observant of you may notice that this is clearly NOT Bulgaria

Most of you know that I have had some issues in BG, particularly with unpleasant people. Added to that was the long and agonising time I had with my back, and very, very cold winter and to top everything off, a few more digs from nasty, odious individuals.

So, I woke up one morning and asked myself one very, very important question: why was I putting myself through this ? There are much better places I could be with much nicer people around me……. and even my beautiful fat bottomed girls weren’t enough to make me want to stay in the country.

Of course, I do have truly wonderful friends in BG…Sue and Aisha, Gary and Louise, Jeremy and Anne and my fabulous neighbours, Christina and Volcho and other magnificent Bulgarian friends in the village, Ivan and Gospodina, Maria, lots of people, my very lovely colleague Krassie and my vet (and good friend) Maria…..the people who have stood by me and supported me. I am truly grateful to these folk and was devastated to leave them. But sometimes a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do, and I just needed some normality in my life, even for a little while.

So, here I am…back in Australia. And it’s probably the best decision I could have made for the times. My family and friends have done what family and friends do..supported me, no questions asked. I feel loved and safe again.

I have a job !!!!..I’m working for the state police. I get up in the morning and I go to work and am loving being in a normal environment, albeit just for a little while….or maybe longer. Who knows? I certainly don’t.

And Bulgaria ??? again, who knows.

The house is there being cared for by friends and is still operating as a Bed and Breakfast, so if you want a holiday in Bulgaria, there’s still room at the Inn and you’ll find some very nice folk there to take care of you.

And my girls are safe and well. One of the hardest things about leaving Bulgaria, was leaving them behind, but I still hope to be with them again, whether there or somewhere else.

I took pictures of them before I left

and have had more pictures sent to me since I left. Clearly, three weeks is a long time in Karakachan land..they have grown a huge amount

Yep, that’s my lovely Gina on the left of the picture and as you can see, the puppies (for want of a better word) are as tall as she is and they’re still only 5 months old !!
No matter where I end up Gina and one of the pups wil be coming with me. If I return to Europe, the dogs can come with me anywhere in the EU and if I decide to remain in Australia, then they’re in for a very long plane trip and a whole new life in what will be a very strange place for them…..

And me ? well, I don’t know what, where, when, how, why…I’m just keeping all my options wide open until I get some sort of perspective on my life. but for now, I’m really enjoying catching up with people and getting myself grounded.

Will I continue to update the diary ?? not really sure about that either. I’m not An Aussie in Bulgaria any more. For the moment I’m An Aussie in Australia, along with 18 million others. But maybe one day I will be back in BG.

For now, things are kinda ‘normal’, though strangley, I dont feel a sense of belonging here. I am, however, enjoying doing kinda ‘normal’ things and my friends and family are a huge part of that.

I’ve just had Stewart,an old friend from Scotland,
who now lives on the other side of Australia, over here and I got to play tourists as I showed him around and tried to remember where things are in Perth. I’m getting to go and look at and enjoy places like this again…

Just so ‘normal’…so simple, so what I used to enjoy. But still no sense of belonging here….I wonder where I do belong ?

And completely off topic….As an aside, I just have to mention something I saw while in Kings Park yesterday, where the last two pictures were taken…As we drove through, Stewart and I noticed a number of women dressed in Purple frocks and red hats. Had to ask the question, so as soon as I got close to some of them I asked….’what in the world are you all doing dressed in the same colours with large red hats ?’

and was informed that they were members of the Ladies Red Hat Club ….

This was apparently started some years ago and is a world wide phenomonan..it’s all about ladies growing old disgracefully !! http://www.annabella.net/redhat/index.html and this is the poem that started it all

Warning

When I am an old woman I shall wear purple
With a red hat which doesn’t go, and doesn’t suit me.
And I shall spend my pension on brandy and summer gloves
And satin sandals, and say we’ve no money for butter.
I shall sit down on the pavement when I’m tired
And gobble up samples in shops and press alarm bells
And run my stick along the public railings
And make up for the sobriety of my youth.
I shall go out in my slippers in the rain
And pick flowers in other people’s gardens
And learn to spit.

You can wear terrible shirts and grow more fat
And eat three pounds of sausages at a go
Or only bread and pickle for a week
And hoard pens and pencils and beermats and things in boxes.

But now we must have clothes that keep us dry
And pay our rent and not swear in the street
And set a good example for the children.
We must have friends to dinner and read the papers.

But maybe I ought to practice a little now?
So people who know me are not too shocked and surprised
When suddenly I am old, and start to wear purple.

Jenny Joseph

Stew and I went for a walk around the park and when we returned to the car, this is the sight that greeted us

Clearly, while we walked, they were multiplying….250 of them to celebrate their tenth anniversary and they looked like a gang of women who were going to have a really good time Perhaps, instead of running away to strange and exotic countries, I should join something like this group.

And on that note, I shall say Dovishdane for the time being. If I think things are interesting enough here, I may update now and again, but for the moment, I think I’ve said all that needs to be said.

caio for now

mercer

and so, after one week of some of the most bitterly cold weather I’ve ever experienced, it got warm !!! It’s truly bizarre…..one day freezing, next day standing out in the yard soaking up the warmth like a lizard…..God, it’s great…

And though I dont remember planting hundreds of bulbs, I must have, because right now my garden is a mass of little green points….the first peepings of numerous bulbs. It’s going to be fantastic if they all flower.

There’s a lot going on just now, and getting my back sorted out has been a big part of it. After months of injections and codiene, which was giving me nosebleeds, I eventually found the amazing Dr Dobre…Yep, Dr Good is his name….and he is. He’s made a huge difference to me and I am almost able to walk properly, which is nice. Added to this is the discovery of Bobby, the blind masseuse…..only in Bulgaria !!..but again, this guy is remarkable and is also helping me incredibley. I’ve gone from drug riddled cripple to much happier, walking nearly properly, able to stand for long periods, able to walk a fair distance…and almost getting a nights sleep..and this has happened in about three weeks…… I’ll be dancing next …NOT !!

And ..then there are my favourite girls…ever growing, ever gorgeous..and getting naughtier by the day

And still spending their days playing in the ash from the fire that I’ve dumped in the backyard….

Look at my lovely white puppies !!!!!

And, as always, when the camera appears, Gina looks on with a jaundiced eye

Apparently, these dogs are elligible to be registered with the Bulgarian National Karakachan Breeders Association..they are perdigree and come from a strong line of dogs, so I may do this in case I ever decide to breed them.

Regardless, I still love ‘em to death and just like the fact that they are great dogs…..their breeding line is actually the least of my interests.

For now, it’s time for some rest…..now my back is getting sorted, I’m having much better sleep and have a lot of catching up to do….

There’s lots happening and all will be revealed in the coming weeks…..

for now
ciao

This is not so much a posting as an information broadcast…

My Yahoo account has crashed and Yahoo have shown themselves to be a complete bunch of bastards who are not prepared to admit their mistake and do something about it….. customer Service, MY ARSE !! they are about as useful as a one legged man in an arse kicking competition !!!

This had become my main account, having been in use for ten years, and, rather stupidly, I have not backed up things like….addresses !!

And Yes, all my personal and business addresses were in there……So, to everyone who’se been trying to contact me for both business and personal reasons, this is why you have not been getting any response from me….

I’ve set up a new account with Google, having been assured that they are a much better and far more reliable company to deal with…I guess time will tell. Anyway, my new address is: aussiebulg@gmail.com

I’ve also had the wonderful Tim, who got this site up and running for me, to alter all the contact email addresses on this site, so you can also contact me through this site again……I know a few people have tried in the last few days, but your emails are automatically being forwarded to the now, defunct Yahoo address….bugger !!!

Please contact me now, if you have been trying to. I’ve tested the gmail address with my sister and it’s certainly working……

once I’ve sorted out this unhholy mess, I will get a proper posting up…..especally as my fat bottomed girls are even more beautiful and entertaining

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