What is Bulgaria

(part 1)

So, I have been here in Bulgaria for exactly 3 weeks now, most of the time in Sofia, the capital and the bigest and the only city that is entering the EU, at least from my point of view.

A personal preface:

I am writing when my mood is not the happiest... but there is more to Bulgaria than my personal issues.

Amazing eyes and face lines

No one has ever told me that I am not going to like my staying here, I am known to those who know me as one that copmlains about how he feels all the time. My feelings are always mixed, no matter where I go, and Bulgaria is an exeption.

I know for sure that I have more bad feelings about this place and I don't like it and I am ready to leave.

That was my little drain of the emotions cup for the readers and for myself.

Now back to what is Bulgaria ?

Bulgarian Folk Dnace Club

In a remote northern neighbourhood of Sofia, at the ground floor of a big gray appartments buliding I have found a little folk dance studio. During the day the place works as a creative motion center for kids and twice a week at evening time, a group of about 20 people gather to have a session of "dance therapy" as said Staliyna, a lawyer from Sofia, "here I can get the work stress out of the system and recharge myself with fresh positive energy."





The ages are mid 20's to mid 40's, all are working professionals, city people. Some come from towns around Sofia, some from near. Most of the dancers, like the rest of the Sofia people came to the city from villages and towns all over Bulgaria to attend the universities, and stayed to live here. Like the dancers, the traditional dances are also originated in different parts of Bulgaria, North, South, valley and mountain. The mountain dance is more of a "heavy footstep" dance and like the people of the mountain is heavier and slower than the vally dance that is more light and fast.





The club has no name, no logo and is not a bussines. There is a wooden soup bowl where each dancer puts 2 Lv (3$) at the end of each session and that is the budget of the club to rent the space and to buy things that they need. Maggy, the choriographer and instructor is volunteering her time. It feels like a big faimly.

Studenski Grad - The Bulgarian Time Machine

This post is still being edited and is not done yet...

Studenskigrad

Studenski Grad (student's city) is one of the most exciting and fast changing suburebs of Sofia as it has a huge young population, between 20000 and 50000 (nobody knows the exact number) stuendts who come from all over Bulgaria to attend one of the 13 colleges and universities of the capital city, and other youngs who choose to live there because of the cheap rent.

A coffe shop in Studenskigrad

The town of atudenski was built by the Bulgarian state during the cummunist era, and therefore it has 4 designs of residence buildings, most has two room appartments and are occupy by six students per appartment. The buildings are of 8 to 15 stories and has 24 appartments on each flour and they are surrounded by green parks for the use of the students.



New Recycle Bins. To mach the EU standards


Sofia is an eastern european city that want's to be western and have no time to waste, from 2005, when the EU has agreed to join Bulgaria in 2007, it's real estae market is booming with foriegn and local investors and businesses that are trying to satisfy the city' hunger for western commercial and cultural influances, and Studenski is maybe the best place to see the changes, the influances and the consequences of globalization.


The Athletics runway, sport is obligatory on first and second year at the university.

New bars and night clubs pop up like mushrooms after the first rain, new appartment buildings are being built on every empty lot.


New Architecture


Beginning January 1th, 2007 Bulgaria will carry the title the poorest counrty in the EU, it might be the poorest state but certinly not a poor country. The cummunist regim ended in 1989, and with it ended the state's investment in almost anything that's with in it's responability, it's visable everywhere you look in Sofia, the streets are broken and buildings are falling appart and the city will do only the minimal to keep it working. In Studenski time has stopped from moving 18 years ago and it seems that like there is no public interest in the place as most of it's habitants are not from sofia and has no right to vote for municipality.

for more photos www.ouriatadmor.com/new_projects/bulgaria/stu

Istanbul - Sofia

Istanbul's Otogar (cerntal bus termina)


The beginning of this trip is in Istanbul, or in the bus from Istanbul to Sofia, 8 hours ride.
Otogar is the central bus terminal of Istanbul, it is very big and one can take a bus to everywhere in Europ and Asia. You can take a bus from Berlin to Bagdad going through Istanbul.


The western suburbs of Instanbul



Most of the ride on the Turkish side was very smooth and fast on a very good 3 lane highway, and I slept through it...
The suburbs of Istanbul can be euro-style or asia-style at the same time, very high contrast between east and west in Turky and it is visable everywhere.


Edirne is the city near the border in Turkey, about 30km to the east. The lines of Semi-trucks waiting to cross the border to Bulgaria and to the rest of Europ is 6km long and it looks like the truckers spend more time waiting on this border than driving the truck. Local vendors come on their bicycle loaded with sandwiches and sweets for sale to the bored drivers who get out and warm by a little fire on the side of the road.



Crossing the border to Bulgaria seems like a sceane from Emir Kustoritza's film. On the Turkish side things are smooth and fast and then the bus stops at the duty free terminal and the passengers have ten minutes to go and buy fery cheap cigarretes and alcohol.


Entering Bulgaria is a bit differnt than leaving Turkey, the bus goes from one booth to another and the driver take some little gifts and the passports and papers, the last stop is the Bulgarian customs, "Haide" the driver shouts and all the passengers take their stuff and get off the bus and stand by the sides as the customs officer is checking the bus, a very "hafif" (light in Turkish) check, he got his little gift before...
"Haide" again and we get back on the bus, heading to Sofia. The road on the Bulgarian side does not mach the EU standarts for what a high way should be like, and shortly after the border there is a massive construction work of the last section of the A-1 highway that will connect Sofia and Istanbul, but as for today only half of this road is usable and the rest is a very bad narrow road but that does'nt change the way the bus driver is passing slow cars like it was a German aoutostrada.


In Bulgaria the landscape is more flat and wet, alot of bodies of water and wet fields with naked trees between them, the city Haskovo is a central place and gives services to the farmers in the area, it has the feel of an eastern town. It is gray and neglected and cold, it fits well with the sound of the words "cold war" and "communism".






That's it for the bus ride from Istanbul to Sofia.

For more photographs from Bulgaria: www.ouriatadmor.com/newprojects/bulgaria/index.html

-O