It's spring!

Sakura

There is a bulgarian tradition on March 1st, where 'martenitsi' are exchanged with friends and family. Martenitsi are bracelets or ornaments made of white and red string, and are a symbol of health and happiness. They have to be worn until spring comes, or until you come across a stork or blooming tree. In the latter case, you have to tie your martenitsa to the tree. Here are my martenitsi tied to perhaps a cherry blossom (sakura) tree or maybe a plum tree....in any case, a blossoming tree :) It's spring in the UK!

More info on this tradition here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martenitsa

My collection of 3 martenitsi tied together

London Love

Umbrellas at Picadilly Circus

There's something about London...it makes me happy. The city has soul. Behind the old buildings and rainy weather, life is vibrant.
Everything seems to be moving at a frantic pace: people walk fast, taxis and double deckers pass you by in lightning speed. In the middle of all this chaos, there's even room for mounted police (with their own traffic lights depicting horses).
There are people everywhere. Lots of people and all kinds of people. From pretty yuppie boys to punks, the city has it all covered.
There is always something happening, wherever you look: while waiting to cross the street, a rollerblader 'flash mob' passes you by in a flash second (some even brought their dogs with them!). Walk by Trafalgar Square, and more than likely, there'll be a gathering or manifestation of some sort (sometimes it's hard to tell what it is for, as everyone seems to be supporting different causes). With so much going on, and so much to see, I don't think I could ever be bored in this city.

Double deckers rushing by

Big Ben and the London Eye

Fashion victims?

When I arrived in England, the temperature was about 0C. I was wearing a winter coat, a hat, and mittens. But when a guy on the street asked me if I was cold, I soon realized that I was overdressed compared to the locals. I arrived on a Saturday, when everyone was going out. The 'going-out outfit' consists of: a short dress, sandals, and no coat. Why not wear a coat in the winter? Is it  because of fashion, because they're resistent to the cold weather, or because they do not want to forget/lose their coat at the bar? (there are coat checks in clubs, and they're fairly unexpensive- and empty).

While I thought it might be an 'England' thing, there was recently an article written in a UK publication about the phenomenon. So I guess not everyone agrees with this type of attire! Click on the link below to read the article and see the pictures of freezing girls (at the bottom right corner of each picture, it is indicated where the pic was taken, and what was the temperature at the time). P.S. I really hope someone helped the girl sleeping in the snow after the picture was taken...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1242198/Youre-going-dressed-like-Snow-joke-did-.html

Out and About in Sofia

Here is a list of my favorite places in Sofia...

*Update! I just updated this list, and added more cool places. Check them out here after!*

The Appartment
This is a really cozy café to hang out with friends. It has different (living) rooms, where you can lounge around. It feels as though you really are in someone's appartment...more intimate than a regular café. Try the kiwi juice and the Himalayan tea!
Address: 68 Neofit Rilski st

The Appartment

Supa Star
A soup place! Everyday they have different soups you can try, and sandwiches. My favorite is the Oriental Lentil soup...yummy!
Address: 8 Shishman st

Lime
A nice modern snackbar/café where you can pick up a sandwich or salad on-the-go, or sit down and eat. The food is really fresh!
www.lime.bg
Address: 40 Graf Ignatiev st

Lime

Kohinoor
Delicious! This is the word that comes to mind when I think of this Indian restaurant. Everything on the menu is absolutely delicious.
www.kohinoor.bg
Address: 3 Han Asparuh st


Hambara
A well hidden but worth finding bar, entirely lit by candles. It feels as though you are in the 17th century, secretly planning a revolution in a dark corner of the bar. Sometimes they'll have (improvised?) live music, which adds to the experience.
Address: 22 6ti Septemvri st

Hambara
(http://night-songs.info/images/gallery/1/hambara2.jpg)

Alkohol
Party guaranteed! There are two rooms: one is a shisha room, and the other is more like a club. The shisha room is very exotic, with separate sections with drapes and couches, where you can smoke the shisha. The 'club' room is nothing special per se, but the music and the variety of music is really good. Try the Tequila gold shots with oranges and cinnamon!
*Update: this place has moved, and sadly, no longer has a shisha room. Check out their Facebook page for more info: http://www.facebook.com/ClubALCOHOL

Cabby chats

Two characteristics seem to define cabs in Sofia: they're yellow, and their drivers are very chatty.

Some will wait for you to say something- anything- and use it as an excuse to strike up a conversation. For example, an innocent "wow there's a lot of traffic today" on your part, can turn into a political debate.

Other, more proactive drivers, won't wait for you to say something first but will take the initiative by asking you questions (some less delicate than others: eg. why is your face so red?), or simply by telling you about themselves (Oh my dear, I haven't slept well in 4 days), or by sharing their political views (a favorite).
I've seen friends who, by the time they walked out of that taxi, had become best friends with the driver. They would have started talking about sports (football), and then, in a matter of minutes, had already moved on to discuss ex-girlfriends and current girlfriends. Never underestimate a Sofia cab driver's conversational skills!

"Come talk to me!"

What's for dessert?

I tried a vegetarian restaurant tonight. Before I even knew what I wanted as a main dish, I had already decided what I wanted for dessert: chocolate mousse. Then I read the list of ingredients more closely: chocolate, coconut, avocado...wait, avocado?? I decided to try it anyway. At first, it is strange...you can definetly taste the avocado more than the chocolate. After a few bites, you get over the fact that it's avocado. Not sure if I would order it again, but definetly interesting...and clever to use avocado to achieve that kind of texture,  while remaining vegetarian. If you are curious and want to try it, here's the info:  http://www.dreamhouse-bg.com/. The staff was really nice!

Sumo

Sumo match summed up in less than 3 minutes.