Bulgaria

30.03.2014

• Arrived in Plovdiv, Bulgaria at 3:30 am - well, I thought it was 3:30 am until I realized that daylight savings time happens later here than it does in the United States - metal music in cab - I had arrived at my hotel and was cozy in bed by 5 am, happy to be settled in one place and close to a restroom 
• Slept a bit late - talked to my new roommates in the morning - Ivan and P____ - took time getting ready - still upset tummy - feeling a bit weak - 
• the three of us when downtown for a bit of lunch at the Happy Sushi Bar & Grill - Brasilian bread - small lunch - 
• met up with the Free Plovdiv Tour at Post Office - Adi our guide - couple from Slovakia working for IBM in Sofia, the Bulgarian capital - great tour - stories of local people - buried coloseum - ancient city - ancietnt theater - orthodox churches - Constantine and Helena - up to the hill with view - 7 hills now 6
• walk back to hostel and rest for a while - long nap - woke in time and was feeling well enough to join Ivan and P_ for dinner - walk through town and under a major road alongside ancient ruins - Diana's - soup and rice - lovely atmosphere - really great guys - P___ student in Germany from Taiwan - Ivan a Londoner currently in the process of buying a house
• walk home and spent some time on the computer before bed - talk with family - talk with Kevin

31.03.2014

• woke up with more energy - said goodbye to the boys - took my time getting ready - enjoyed a small breakfast in the hostel - beautiful space - 150 year old building - like a home - ancient ruins in the breakfast room - 
• Art gallery - great building - simple chronological curation - info about artists and some context for artistic movements and influence - some social representations, not very political - curious about that - very pastoral and folk 
• antique stores - great items - bought small souveniers 
• home for a bit - met new roommate, J_____ - Dr from Korea who lived in the USA twice, once in NY and once in MI - we both relaxed awhile and then went to explore - ethnographic museum closed - City Galler temp exhebition space closed - ended up sending my postcards and then grabbing lunch at the grill - sushi! body feeling ok for it
• Walk back through town - looked for other museums but now getting late too - decided to go up to the hill in Old Town for the view - stopped at weaving place - got to use the loom - bought a small table runner (sorry, Kevin, but your home is going to be so beautifully and internationally decorated!) - up to the hill to watch the sunset - lots of young folks and couples and a girl with a ferret 
• back home to rest again - still getting my energy back as my body absorbs the small amounts of calories I have been giving it
• eventually went out for food - first, took a walk through town - over the bridge, over the river - lovely and relaxed city at night - people connecting with friends, family, lovers -  

01.04.2014

• I've decided to accept the job in Istanbul - I called them back and scheduled a start date for late May - I have enrolled in the University of Istanbul to take classes in Turkish language and art history to follow a latent life's passion curating post-colonial cultural exhibits
• April Fools
• breakfast - group in for an international fencing tournament - 
• walk up to ethnographic museum - ok - not as informative as I prefer and only a brief window on modern history and culture - preservation of a very specific set of cultural images and people and experiences without much focus on historical context or underrepresented narratives 
• Brief look in more antique stores and stopped in at the Icons Gallery - 
• back to chat with hostel owner and staff - cab to bus - bus to Sofia - kevin songs
• arrived in town - walked into town - lunch at the hotel - beautiful buildings in town 
• walked to churches - museum - great art - political - almost started crying - shut down the place
• walked to national theater - nothing playing - walked to another church or two - hagia sofia - national church
• photos in the park - walked to have a drink - smile bar - bulgarian rose tea and lemon cake - people watching - asked for a recommendation for theater
• walked around the corner - show was in progress - sat me for free - conflict situations
• walked through the streets with beautifully lit buildings - groceries - bus station to read and wait - boarded bus at 00:30, just after midnight - Canadian, Rob