strike.

Teachers here are on strike for a month already. They want better salaries and a “reform” in the educational system whatever a “reform” may be. They don’t teach, they protest in the streets, raise political slogans, led by syndicate leaders, and create havoc in the country. They demand a 100% increase, not a penny less. They threaten that the school year will be ruined if they do not receive the raise. Riding the strike, many “politicians” use these demands to initiate a vote for non-confidence for the government. The government responds with threats for high inflation and scary resolutions of the Monetary Fund.

In the same time school kids from different ages invade computer clubs, cafes and pubs. The Emergency Room of tone of  the big hospitals reported for 27 cases of alcohol poisoning of minors. The kids can’t write properly, they don’t know who Darwin was, they haven’t heard of John Atanassov, but are experts in the bloody computer games, they smoke and fight, they solve problems with brute force.

Being a counselor, I find myself somewhere in the middle – on one hand I support the demands of the teachers. Noone can live with the symbolic dole they get every month, they need to have their minds liberated from the grim thoughts how to make ends meet in order to focus on research, innovation in teaching, and pedagogical improvement. On the other hand, however, is that the example they should show to their students? Led by their anxiety to have better life they abandon the mission of their profession – to teach and enlighten the young souls that are in the class.

Hopefully, the government and the syndicates are near to the compromise and classes will resume soon. But how to tell who of the teachers deserved the raise and who didn’t?

I’m baaaaaaaaaaaack (is that the noise sheep make?)

Haven’t been here for a long time. Been busy. Life has decided to change the normal pace and went into a fast changing, speed lane. Was it necessary to reach *that* age to have at least a little sunshine on my side of the street? Maybe yes.

Noone can tell me. Strange, I am not that eager to get an answer.

The truth is that everything is suspiciously perfect – even my daugther managed to take her exams with excellent grades!

Anyway, I will simply enjoy the cards life had given me and smile at the world. One wee part of the world (but very important) smiles back. Who cares for more?

what I see now.

(the witch looks at her magic crystal ball and her soft lips whisper the words of the clairvoyance)

I see the viking breaking in the wind on his quest to the East. Many are the obstacles on his way and dark forces unite to stop him. Alas! All efforts are in vain … the force within guides his heart towards the known, yet always new experience along the ancient river of Strimon. On his way he’ll encounter challenges and temptations but his mind is set and his soul – determined to seek peace of mind and new horizons.

I see the glory of his arrival in the lands of old Slav and Thracians, saluted by two women – a black and a blond, and his travel down south to a small town with mountains around, I see two dogs waving their tales with joy

I see his tired, yet happy face….and I reach out to touch his beloved face….

the viking took the long way to me, and I am ready to trade my gift of telling the unseen to hold him close and feel how his heart beats in rhythm with mine.

Only 48 hours to go.

.

.

came across that song sometime ago, liked it, want to share it with those who take the boredom to read my jabber.

http://www.videocodezone.com/videos/j/josh_groban/you_are_loved.html

yes. i’m still here.

Because the Earth turns
Round the sun
Because the North wind
Blows north sometimes
Because the Pope is Catholic
And most Rabbis Jewish
Because winters flow into springs
And the air clears after a storm
Because only my love for you
Despite the charms of gravity
Keeps me from falling off this Earth
Into another dimension

you always make me smile.

St. Trifon – our “St. Valentine”

On the 14th day of February every year we celebrate a saint, an Orthodox one, not St. Valentine, no-no, something different and interesting. The Day of St, Trifon, the Pruner.

The one with the cut nose, with the red nose, with the sparks in his eyes and slightly waddling legs, the Christian equivalent of Dionissos. We celebrate the red wine, the ruby drink that makes us merry, healthy, talkative and warm.

This festivity coincides with the celebration of St. Valentine, and sometimes we make funny puns, combining the love and the enchantment of wine, calling the day – the Day of Valentine the Pruner:)

A nice combination of Orthodox and Catholic belief, and here the story about our “St. Valentine” goes:

The festivities  on the Day of Trifon Zarezan  mark  the dividing line between the ending winter and the nearing spring.  The transition between the two seasons stirs the most fierce conflict in the annual natural cycle – it is the transition between the dead winter season and the invigorating  powers of the following seasons.  That is why, namely in this  period, rituals are performed to strengthen and ensure a triumph of vitality and fruitfulness.  Through the rituals, man applies all means for encouraging nature.  Women knead special round loafs – a symbol of the fertile field, and generously hand them out to neighbours and relatives.  The men go to the fruit-trees which did not bear fruit in the winter and threaten them, ritually,  they will hew them off.  Then another participant in the ritual  promises that in the next spring  the trees will once again be fruitful and so, they should be spared.  During the  festivities,  the  man in the home picks up  3 live coals from the hearth. They symbolise  the invigorating power of the fire and the sun.  Looking at the coals, people try to foretell which crops will yield the most abundant harvest in the new season.

The most triumphant for the natural forces ritual  is called Trifon Zarezan because all vine-growers perform the first pruning  of the vineyards.  In this, the men are accompanied by the women, the young and the kids.  They all go together to their piece of land  to show their respect to it and inspire it for a new life with the first agricultural ritual during the new year, with festive songs and dances, with a ritual table laid among the vineyards.  The first pruned vine sticks will be wreathed into a crown for the best vine-grower in the village.  He will be proclaimed the “Vine King” of the year. The men carry the vine king on their hands or are harnessed in the cart and drive him around.  Everyone wants to be blessed by him and treat him with their wine.  The more wine is poured on that day, the more generous the next harvest will be.

There is an interesting story about St. Trifon, the patron of the 3-day holiday cycle.  He, just like the villagers, once had a vineyard and would prune it. One day, Virgin Mary passed by.  Trifon laughed at her and so she condemned him to cut his nose with the pruning shears.  What she said came true and from then on people would call Trifon the Snub-nosed.  He is also nicknamed Trifon the Drunkard – he probably loved his vineyards and the wine they produced.  He is most popular as Trifon Zarezan or Trifon the Pruner because it is on his day that the pruning starts and it is one of the most important jobs to do.  Even the icons present St. Zarezan a pruning shear in hand showing that he is honoured as a patron of vine-yards and they are one of the main symbols of fertility in the Bulgarian folklore culture.

***

***

yes yes

when God created love He didn’t help most
when God created dogs He didn’t help dogs
when God created plants that was average
when God created me He created me
when God created the monkey He was asleep
when God created the giraffe He was drunk
when God created narcotics He was high
when God created suicide He was low

when God created you lying in bed
He knew what He was doing
He was drunk and He was high
and He created the mountains and the sea and fire at the same time

He made some mistakes
but when He created you lying in bed
He came all over his Blessed Universe.

happy.

I took a month off. didn’t write. took my time, have been happy. ran back home every day after work. laughed a lot. had breakfast every single day, got used to have zillion cups of tea, had been teased a lot. slept on beloved shoulder. travelled a little.

my month of nirvana. the first of many to come.

(my heart jumps around and sings “I feel good” and , damnit, I do!!!)

Santa vs. Father Frost?

I overheard today a funny conversations on the street. a kid was asking his mother: mum, Santa brought me presents, what about Father Frost? when is he coming?

that brought some memories, of the time when we were so much under soviet influence that we were not supposed to celebrate Christmas, but only New Year, and the nice white-bearded old man, who was bringing presents to the children who were good during the year was Father Frost. he was depicted almost in the same manner – white beard, a fur coat  and boots, a huge sack of presents, followed by a girl. he used to bring the presents on the new year’s eve and putting them under the “new year”s tree, so kids could find them in the morning. that was the time when all kids were eager to see the month of december slipping away.

now things had changed, we don’t expect new year so impatiently, we hurry for chrismas, we had become part of the big shopping rush before the birth of the baby Christ, se we could make our loved ones happy and content.

traditions changed, old values not valued anymore, replacement of events… what exactly will happen to us when we step back in the “Europe United” in three days. should we change our beliefs again, is that going to be the new “era” reversal?

many questions pop up in my head now – what the new beginning will be, how it will affect MY life, is it going to be better or worse? who knows?

maybe I should just wait patiently to see. and I’ll update everyone;)

…

…

Today…I wish everyone a day of ordinary miracles:

A fresh pot of coffee you didn’t have to make yourself;
An unexpected phone call from an old friend;
Green stoplights on your way to work or shop;
I wish you a day of little things to rejoice in;
The fastest line at the grocery store;
A good sing along song on the radio;
Your keys right where you look;
I wish you a day of happiness and perfection-little bite-size pieces of perfection that give you the funny feeling that the Lord is smiling on you, holding you so gently because you are someone special and rare.

I wish You a day of Peace, Happiness and Joy.