putting others first

This follows along a little with yesterdays blog about the friendliness I have experienced here.  Another difference I've noticed here has to do with going out of one's way to help one person despite 25.  I know I didn't say that right, those of you who know me better know sometimes I have a way with words, but I'll explain.  When I was coming back from a conference for the corps the bus I was going to take said , on the internet schedule, it was going to stop in a certain town and I planned to get on there and travel the rest of the way back home.  Only come to find out it didn't stop at the bus station, it stopped at the hospital.  So I missed it.  However I was with my host father, he had a meeting and was going to drop me off, who was NOT going to let me miss the bus!  We ended up chasing the bus with his car!  He called the driver WHO PULLED OVER  TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD to let me on.  Now, the bus was full of people but yet he stopped just  for me.  Somehow I don't see this happening in the states.  I have another experience with this kind of situation.  I've said before and I'll say again, I would not have made it to Italy had it not been for several strangers who helped me.  I also don't think I would have made it had I been going from the states.  Time was running out and I had to get to the airport.  The bus I was traveling in, thanks Leo!, pulled over at a gas station when we had just entered Sofia AND got me a taxi to the airport!  Again, bus full of people but yet they did me a HUGE favor!  They took time out of the trip just for me.  On both of these occasions all I could do was say a quick "thank you very much" and be on my way which, again for those of you who know me better know I struggle with, is hard for me to do.  I've written blogs about how the words "thank you, blagodaria, and merci" just don't seem to get the job done.   Again all this may be subject to where a person is, small town or big city.  Now that I think about it maybe it has something to do with the "pochievka, or break" mentality of the B people.  B is more laid-back, more relaxed than I've experienced in the states.   Everyday when I leave work my collegues tell me to "go take a break" or they assume that's what I'm going home to do.  Of course that's not the case but the mentality is such that after a long day of work, or around the hours of 1-3 give or take, a person takes a break, for sleep or what have you.   In addition to "pochievka" being a popular expression there's also "ima vreme!"  That means "there's (still) time!  Things aren't done as hurried as in the states.  If they don't get done kinda when they should be done..."ima vreme!"  (of course this can also be the answer to the question "are you married" or"have you met a Bulgarian yet?  No!  Ima vreme!" I have gotten that before too! : ) : )  Love and hugs and happy early birthday dad!!!  Mom, you can get up off the floor and stop laughing now!