favorite things #6

I believe it's about time for another "things I love about Bulgaria" blog.  This blog was inspired by the weather.  This passed weekend lots of the snow melted and on Sunday it got in the 40s, or upper 30s.  It's the end of Feb and everyone is looking forward to making martinitzas, a symbol of spring.  The snow was melting and the weather was getting warmer, little by little. Then I wake up this morning and look outside and see...NEWLY FALLEN SNOW.  I  love how I can be 1/2 a world away from my home in the states and be reminded every day of Indiana (you all can read about other reminders of Indiana in other favorite things blogs).  I love that one of the babas I live with is so concerned about me that the broom that I bought to be used by everybody in our building and I keep downstairs, so everyone can use it, keeps ending up by my door because "someone might steal it!"   I love how, when I stop and really think about things I realize #1) people that had no idea what I was saying when I first got here understand me (this will never fail to impress me) and we can carry on a conversation about something as important as cooking (yes mom you read right) and #2)  people wave at me, say hi, and honk their horns at me when I'm walking down the street.  That didn't happen when I first got here in July 2010.  I love when I make people laugh here; across the language barrier!  Now of course it's probably because I said something VERY wrong and didn't know it or maybe they are laughing AT me and not WITH me, but what I don't know can't hurt me!  Like the other day I was having tutoring and was telling about the time when I missed my plane to the states after traveling with my sister and had to spend the night at Charles De Gauhl(?) airport in Paris.  It was New Years and I was watching all the celebrations around the world, alone in my bed in an airport away from any kind of family and not even in my country.  Then when I finally did catch the plane the next day it landed in Chicago 10 minutes after the last flight to Indianapolis, home,  took off!  After that everything closed because of a huge snow storm and I was stuck in Chicago for the weekend!  3-4, give or take, hours from home and I couldn't get there; my dad couldn't even come and get me because THE ROADS WERE CLOSED!!  Then there was a night I was in a shop here and made the lady behind the counter laugh hysterically.  She was weighing potatoes and had to get exactly 2 kilograms.  I went behind the counter and was providing commentary ("very close or “exactly 2 kgs”) and she was cracking up.  Now again, possibly some people are laughing at me but I don’t really care; I just like that I can make them laugh!  Of course the missing the flight wasn’t funny then but now I can laugh right along with people...well, kind of.  I think this is getting a little long and so I will close for now!  I just helped teach 3 high school boys how to schuffle; it was pretty aweesome!!  Love and hugs from me!!