So for the record, Plovdiv is pronounced with a long "e" sound, Plohv-DEEV, but I was struggling with a clever post title. So here we are.
I've mostly settled in here. I'm starting to figure out how to feed myself well, I've learned my way around for a few essentials, and I've even gone on a little walk to see some of the Maritsa River, which runs sort of through the middle of Plovdiv. I saw this little path and started going down it, but turned around fairly soon because my GOODNESS were there a lot of bugs. Flies, dragonflies, and other things I couldn't identify easily. I'm such a marshmallow in so many ways. So I got a quick picture and went back up to the street level, which still got me a few nice shots of the river.
Not quite as well settled is my secondary monitor which apparently didn't survive all the traveling I've done to this point. I'm finding that I work and live well enough with just my laptop, so I probably won't replace the monitor any time soon. Still a bummer, though.
I'm adapting to prices here, which are lower than the US but not shockingly so like they were in China. One thing that strikes me is how expensive candy is. For reference, that's about a 5oz bag. A "sharing size" is 3 oz. And the conversion puts that, at time of writing, at just over $3. Really most things with sugar (cookies, candy, ice cream) tend to run high here.
There's something else I've noticed about Plovdiv, at least my region of it, and it's growing into a kind of fascination: the men here are really homogeneous. I don't say that to dunk on the culture or be ethnocentric or anything, as I'm sure it's just a surface-level observation with more depth and reason behind it than I can see. But in terms of style, build, a lot of things. There are far fewer overweight people in Bulgaria (and pretty much across Europe as a whole) than in the US, but the men are even less so, particularly the younger men. And I think I've only seen one or two I'd say looked like the stereotypical 'nerd' (namely, like me). I don't really have any particular point here, because it's purely speculative and perceptual. But it is certainly interesting to me.
In closing, please enjoy this friend I found walking home from pole dance class the other day. And race car beds, eat your heart out!
Nice to have flowing water of the river. Seems less bugs and stink. The snail is adorable. Are you getting a terarium (whatever those things are called and going to make a snail to be a "pet"? Maybe candy being expensive isn't a bad thing and Ouch!! Email is still causing challenges - have I mentioned my general feelings regarding dumb computers and dumber user? Glad the single laptop is working. Hopefully business will pick up - I know when we talked you spoke of the difficulty of one monitor. Do you think a 2nd monitor will be a priority as business picks up? I guess until the money is flowing well...Seeing Ben and family tomorrow. Its been about a month or a bit more. Looking forward to that time. Goal for my upcoming week...get to the bottom layer of my desk and figure a "system" to keep it clearer. Amy has been in the hospital in Rochester for over a month - keeps "throwing blood clots" and whatever (she had heart surgery many years ago). She has had something like 4 surgeries. Cheri has been there most of that time.
ReplyDeleteOvercast these couple days and often haven't been able to see the mountains. Lots of elk and saw 3 bull elk munching the willows late day yesterday. With timed entry being separate for Bear Lake Road and lasting until 6 or 8, we don't get up there much. Love and miss you! Thanks for the updates and pictures!!
I want to know more about the pole dancing.
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