Moiata Kvartira

A little window into my living situation. :)

Rangers Vs Pearls.

Result: Rangers: coolest. Pearls: poorest

Background: About two weeks ago, some of the volunteers from Smolyan region in Southern Bulgaria congregated for their inaugural meeting. As this idea's been floating in my head for sometime now, I went ahead and put it in on the table - a "clandestine" society of cherry-picked volunteers masqueraded as wizards of various sorts. It garnered a great deal for response from the prospective members. 

Thus forward a covert op assembled, dubbed The Rhodope Rangers. Each ranger has a color, followed by an element of his/ her will. Seeing an idea birth like a magnificent rose, another set of volunteers from near-about went forth with their version of the rangers (calling themselves Pirin Pearls). Subsequently, pervasive and perfunctory claims emerged on rival group's enclave (facebook group) about the Rhodope Rangers. Understand that in Southern Bulgaria, there are two major mountain ranges - Pirin and Rhodope. Each may be highly regarded for its beauty, history and culture. 

Now, given that apples cannot be reasoned to oranges, the "pearls" arrogantly insists on Pirin mountain's superiority over the Rhodope. Sure one is taller; the other - wider. One can boast it's Macedonian lineage, while the other may fire-at-will dialect derived from northern Greece. Tourists may enjoy one's wine unique to the region, only to mesmerize at the other's ancient caves and natural bridges. There may be beautiful lakes in one, but cooler ski-slopes in another. And cynics may surely discover the sheer awesomeness of the two. But this isn't a game of one-up is it? No, it sure ain't. But the pearls will never hesitate to not gain that wisdom.

the South is better than the North...

Until now, I didn't appreciate the North-South dichotomy. I still don't, however, geographically from where I stand at the moment, the grass seems greener on my side. Critics agree. So I moved to my site last week. I know some of you have some lingering questions about my business in Bulgaria. So without further ado, I will make an attempt to answer them.

Q. What do you do in Bulgaria?
A. I am a Community Development volunteer, which means I will do anything and everything to accommodate the community. Currently I work for a non-governmental organization (NGO) called Bio-B-Eko. It's chief mission is to alleviate corruption, raise environmental awareness, improve quality of life in the community and develop rural and Eco-tourism. But I am not restrained by organizational boundary.

Q. Where do you live?
A. I live in the Rhodope Mountain in southern Bulgaria in a small village of 3000 people.

Q. How do you communicate with people?
A. My Bulgarian is at intermediate-mid level right now. But needless to say that I make blunders occasionally, such as I may have asked "to cook someone" rather than "to speak with someone".

Q. Do you live alone?
A. Yes. I have my own fully-furnished apartment with a wood-burning radiator, a soviet-era stove and a small fridge. I have a ready-supply of logs to keep me toasty through the winter. And there are animals around me all the time to keep me company.

Q. Hows the weather?
A. Right now it's around 45 F all the time. Winter is fast approaching. Since I live in the mountains, winter should be quite cold.

Q. And the ladies?
A. Hehe, good-looking.

Q. Hows the cuisine?
A. Delicious. However, a bit salty and oily for my taste.

Q. What will you eat during winter?
A. Potatoes.

Q. Hows your social life?
A. Non-existent right now. But most likely it will involve hanging out with the "babas". They are the grandmothers of my village, the backbone of Bulgaria's social enterprise.

Q. Would like your friends and family to send you presents?
A. Yes, please.

Q. Do you have Skype?
A. Yes - shah.khan84