Добър ден! (Good day!) What a week it has been! I wish I could share absolutely everything that has happened over the last seven days, but my memory is failing me. Everyday (in fact- many times a day) I learn or experience something new. I've decided that I will start writing down notes of my daily adventures before bed, so I can really share with you each week what this lifestyle change is like. But for now - here are 5 key differences between Bulgaria 🇧🇬 and the US of A 🇺🇸:
1️⃣ Yes is No & No is Yes: I have learned how to ask if someone speaks English (Говориш ли английски?) But I have been fooled again and again by their response. Now you may have heard that verbal communication makes up a small percentage of actual human communication. Body Language say a LOT more than what you are actually saying. Imagine asking a stranger a "Yes/No" question, and they nod their head yes but verbally say no. You try to do that right now. (Stop reading and actually try it) It's difficult! Each time someone tells me no, they are nodding their heads. Today, I bought our monthly metro passes to gain access to the subway system and asked the attendant if they allow pets on the train. She says, "да" but shakes her head no. I was entirely confused and had to ask a second time to ensure I got the correct answer 'cause I ain't trying to pay the equivalent of a Bulgarian parking ticket.
2️⃣ Zero American Conveniences: I didn't realize how American I really was until I had a challenging day and really wanted a simple pan of Betty Crocker Double Fudge Brownies. You know the kind - open the box, add an egg, half a cup of oil, and some water. I know these brownies really well! They bake up in 30 mins, and you have warm gooey heaven if you eat right out of the oven. Well guess what?! They don't have instant brownies! I know I can make my own, but that means I have to go figure out how to buy flour, cocoa, and all the other ingredients rather than having exactly what I need in a convenient little red box. I also searched the store for shredded cheese. Nope. Shred your own damn cheese. Good luck finding cilantro in the store, btw. I happen to score some after searching three grocery stores and then a little farmer stand on National Guacamole Day. Google Translate helped me out, and that's when I learned Cilantro is Кориандър (Coriander). I've been cooking for YEARS and did not know that. Check out my "deconstructed" guac. The avocados were a tad too firm to smash.
3️⃣ Internet Costs Are CHEAP!: How much do you pay for your broadband internet? Or even your cell phones with mobile internet? Our Verizon bill was never less than $150 for 3 phones on the 4GLTE Network, and that doesn't include our $65/month broadband with Cox Cable. Insane! I signed up for Vivacom phone service for two and broadband internet today. Total = 72 BGN which equals $40/month and the internet speeds are 100Mbps! I was paying SIXTY-FIVE friggin' dollars for 12Mbps and rarely got 6Mbps. The Vivacom rep couldn't understand why I was so shocked when he said I could add home internet for 12BGN/month.🤣 Sign me up, mister!
4️⃣ Clothing Sizes for Polly Pocket: Matt's company celebrated a Day of Giving Back to the Community and we had quite the experience working with a team of Bulgarians to build animal feeders at the Sofia Zoo. We were given little instructions, spoke different languages, and had to build a feeder for the llama and miniature ponies. If you've ever built a piece of furniture from IKEA (a big piece - mind you) and then teamed up with several other "leaders" to get the job done, you can see how the conflict is inevitable. But we played very well all in all! At the end of the day, there was a cocktail party hosted by the company to celebrate the hard work and success of the event. Back up to the day before, I needed a dress for this cocktail party! I've been living on two weeks worth of clothing since June when our house was packed up and stored - ready to be shipped overseas. This includes all of my cute cocktail dresses. I stopped into the first shop where I saw some colorful, fun, sparkly dresses. The shop assistant was very kind to me and helped me find my size. In the US, my dress size is 6 which is basically a medium. (Of course, that depends on brand because nothing is easy when shopping for women's clothes.) As I am trying on the dress she gave me, I realize that I am WAYYY too big for this knee-high, thin-waisted, black lacey dress. She tries to zip it up for me, aaaannnnnnd she makes it happen. But I couldn't breathe! So she brings me the next size up - XL! I STILL couldn't fit that dress. I was damn near close to tears as my 13-year old is saying, "Dang mom. What are you going to do now?" I asked the young assistant if they had other sizes, and she nodded her head to say no and continued organizing the dresses on the rack as if to say she was done with me, the American Ogre. Fast forward a full day, I did find a dress after many efforts and have decided to wear it on a romantic date night coming soon! I'll post pics.
5️⃣ Just Keep Walking: You want to go to the grocery store? Walk. You want to find a vet for your dogs? Walk. You want take your son to school? Walk. We walk everywhere. If I had to make an educated guess based on our steps tracker, we've walked over 30 miles during this last week. Living without a car has slowed down our lifestyle a bit. We're still busy with lots to do every single day, but now we walk there. I've enjoyed the flowers and fruit trees in the parks or alongside the roads as I am walking my errands. Today, I met up with Matt on his walk to work, and we had a small breakfast and hot cocoa together. Everybody walks here. It's so much a part of their culture that women even wear tennis shoes with dresses! I've been walking around in Keds, so my feet hurt a bit. While I feel sore at the end of the day, I do end my day with some feeling of accomplishment because I know I walked my calories right off my thighs! Maybe next time I dress shop, I'll fit into that XL! 😉