Пиянството на един народ

Японският министър на финансите си подаде оставката, след като беше обвинен, че се е появил пиян на пресконференция на Г-7 миналата седмица. От 1974 Япония не е била в такава сериозна икономическа криза, това е факт. Че кризата е станала повод за не едно и две тежки напивания от мъка и безпомощност, е без съмнение. Дали пък министърът е бил пиян, или само замаян от неразумно количество лекарство против настинка, както обясни по-късно, не се знае със сигурност. Не ми се вярва, въпреки убедителните кадри, които вървят по интернет. Те всъщност не са даже и смешни. Обаче светът говори, и човекът си подава оставката. Каквато и да е била истината, станал е обект на присмех и на подмятания, че има проблем с алкохола, става, извинява се и си отива.  

Нека сега си представим същата ситуация, но в България. Георги Първанов изпива една бутилка домашна ракия от родното си село и отива в Русия. Да говори за стария дълг на СССР към страната ни и да иска старите архиви. Прави мили очи на братушката си Медведев. Завалва думите и говори неразбираемо...ами аз пък например никога не го разбирам какво иска да каже. Това значи ли, че е винаги пиян? И по- важното- значи ли, че ще си подаде оставката? И което е още по-важно- ние ли сме пияните, че избираме такива политици, които нямат нито срам, нито съвест, нито достойнство и не си подадоха оставката след нито една от всички изцепки?

Май вместо да пилеем грешни пари по чалга дискотеки и за лъскави дрешки, по-добре да направим една разходка до Азия. Но не за да домъкнем дотук контейнер с евтина китайска стока, която да изтъргуваме в някое забутано магазинче. А за да се опитаме да разберем какво точно представляват понятия като чест, срам, достойноство, чувство за отговорност и имат ли те почва у нас. 

Anger Management in Ljubljana

Well, I'm back from Ljubljana...actually I missed the whole part of writing my impressions from my stay there, but it's OK, in the end it was not anything special...actually it was disappointing, madre Italia makes me feel better about myself. The only things I actually did in the Slovenian capital could be described in a short paragraph. They were:

- get angry at my flatmates, who never cleaned and left all their garbage, hairs, WW I- oxygen masks, pizza boxes, Q-tips, etc. anyhwere...and I mean anywhere;

-get angry at the organization of the whole "mobility" thing, courtesy of the lovely MIREES and the University of Bologna, as well as of the even lovelier University of Ljubljana...if you wanna learn how not to organize student exhchanges and how not to treat foreign students who have no clue of what courses they are allowed to register, please contact the abovementioned univesities and they'll tell you all about it;

-get angry with the rain...and yes, in Ljubljana it does rain a lot, and the sun practically stopped shining in November and never came back until I left the city on February 1st...sometimes rain would be replaced by snow, which was cool, but it never lasted for a long time. But yes, at least unfriendly weather was an excuse for bad mood and total unwillingness to socialize;

-get angry with myself for not doing anything and not having any desire to change that. There's nothing more depressing than reading on the lower bed of a bunk bed in poor light..totally impossible...but watching Sex and the City instead is just great;

-get angry with my owner, who never showed the utility bills that we needed to pay, and instead always asked us to pay 40 euros with the excuse that he forgot the receipts at home. Obviously he had also forgotten that you don't enter in people's rooms without knocking, even though t's his apartment...in the end by paying the rent I am allowed to have some privacy, am I not?;

-get angry at people complaining about anything. Well, yes, life sucks and then you die. But I cannot stand when people complain. What's wrong? Since when did people become obsessed with trying to prove that they're doing bad in life, that they feel uninspired, sick, their teeth hurt, their sex life sucks, their partner does not appreciate them enough, that they ate too much because of PMS and now they feel like balloons, that they are cold, unsatisfied with what they're doing, worried...and most of all- money is not enough? Well, if the whole complaining-thing is some kind of a contagious disease, I just hope not to get it...or is it too late yet?

Well, that's about it. That was my life sequence for the last four months of my life. In the end anger became so overwhelming that I even had difficulties breathing. Or maybe this was not anger's fault, or my own helplessness. In the end, what did I do to change the situation? Nothing, just escaped to Italy a few times. To spend time with my beloved ones. I am grateful for that though.

There were some good exceptions, of course. Sometimes Ljubljana did not seem so bad. But this was always through the prism of a Joe Pena's margerita. And I am thankful for that.

First Impressions from Ljubljana

At the end of my first week as an exchange student in Slovenia, I finally decided to devote a quarter of an hour of my most precious free time to share some impressions. Something old, something new, something borrowed, like in American weddings :)

Something old

In fact, several things. The first one is that Ljubljana seems to me as charming as it seemed to me in July this year, when I visited it for the first time. A pretty, ordered and clean city center without any pomposity, but with a certain touch of precision and some Central-European coolness, which makes you feel warm and cozy instead. With all due respect to a certain Mediterranean country, which I am simply in love with, for me Ljubljana personifies more the European spirit....but in the end all roads lead to Rome, you know ;)

Back to my microcosmos...living with three guys and sharing a bathroom...the toilet seat is always up when it needs not be...the hair of one of my flatmates is waay too long, which leaves the issue with the falling 50-cm- long hairs still unresolved. Anyways, I'll try to remain positive here.

Third, a great remnant from good old Italy. I thought that since this is a capital of a Balkan (or OK, Central European country), every single shop and restaurant must be open at least 24/7. Surprise, surprise- they work less that Italians- they remain closed also on Saturday, or work only till 1! 

Something new

First and foremost, talking about new-the apartment I live in. Somehow, by pure luck, I am living in one of the most VIP quarters of the city, just five minutes far from all the key places in the center. The building was built in 2004, I have 3 different keys and I need to unlock four different dours, in order to enter my apartment. Good beginning of a long friendship with this city (Just for comparison- in Italy I live in centro storico, for those who don't know what this means- anything that's at least 100 years old :))

Maybe the next thing is new just for me, but Ljubljana is the cleanest city I've been to so far. Cleanliness struck my blurred Bulgarian eyes, who are used to hearing that WE ARE REALLY TRYING HARD BUT SEEMS THAT THERE'S NO PLACE TO HOST SOFIA'S GARBAGE...and believe me, there's a lot of trash in Sofia. I guess we should ask the people in Ljubljana where they put theirs...or wait a second, I guess I know- in the containers for separate trash disposal which can be found anywhere. Slovenians really do recycle! And if they don't throw garbage separately, they at least throw it in the containers, not around the containers!

Now my personal best- the importance of living in a welfare state. Great news for all international students coming to Ljubljana. Guys, know that against your student card and a one-hour line in the student organization office you can buy meal coupons priced 0.50- 4 euro, to eat a full-course meal in a great number of good restaurants around the city. I just really love that, I am going to lose all my cooking habits! Still gathering info about which the best restaurants are, but already have a personal favorite- La Cantina Mexicana in the center. I don't know if it's genuinely Mexican, but it really IS delicious!(OK, I know I care too much about food, but blame it on the Italians, I wasn't like that before, or maybe I was, but in Italy I learned it's not wrong, just the opposite- it's a matter of good taste:)))

And my recent discovery- public transport. Yesterday me and Svetlana were trying to enter the number 11 but they didn't allow us because it seems that here you only can get on from the front door, next to the driver! And obviously nobody even tries to get on from any other door...now try this in Sofia! 

Something borrowed

Not a lot really. OK, I wouldn't agree that "burek" is a national dish, but let's call it Balkan. Ajvar?mmm...isn't that lyutenica?...and I talk about food again...I'd better stop here.

Or OK, not yet. Slovenians did borrow Austrian order in the way they organize their cities. But in terms of the organization of their university faculties, they couldn't get any closer to Italy. So until they let me know how I am to organize and schedule my courses here, and how to get permission to enroll in postgraduate courses even though I am a postgraduate student, I am just going to enjoy cheap and good food and breathe clean air from the balcony of my room...I've seen worse than that after all.

More impressions to follow as they come along. 

Hvala najlepjsha!

Celebrity Skin

If somebody wondered today why today in the afternoon the central street of Varna around the University of Economics was blocked by the police and two men were sitting on the pavement in front of two identical black jeep cars with handcuffs, here is why! Great things happened also today- the police managed to catch a criminal group, connected to an illegal prostitution canal. The boss is the second-mandate member of the City Council of Varna Vesselin Danov, son of the famous lawyer and former chief of the Constitutional Court Hristo Danov(!?), and last but not least- a participant in the second Bulgarian VIP Brother. So, as from today, he is also an inhabitant of Varna's jail, at least for the next couple of hours. Let's see for how long. Not easy to be a celebrity at all...

For those who read Bulgarian, here's the info: http://btv.bg/news/news_details.pcgi?cont_id=118233

летно-есенни настроения

През последните 2-3 седмици чета книгата на Ноам Чомски, "Провалени Държави", и си мисля няколко неща...не много, защото чета само вечер, преди да заспя, затова и имам малко време за мислене в периода между изгасянето на лампата и пренасянето в страната на сънищата.

Засега всъщност единственият пример за провалена държава, която той дава, са САЩ, или добре, заедно с държавите, които САЩ са успели да провалят в желанието си да покорят света и да станат абсолютната супер мощ. Да, всички сме гледали филмите на Майкъл Мур и сме се смели на лепенките по американските коли "We support our troops", смели сме се на Буш-измите и на американците, които си избраха такъв президент, че и два пъти. И злорадстваме "Е, заслужиха си го американците 9/11З! Така им се падаше, да видят те!"

Всъщност за книгата няма да правя коментар, случаите не са съпоставими, просто ми хареса заглавието, стори ми се подходящо.

Да, много е лесно да се смееш на другите и да не погледнеш себе си. Ние пък с какво право се смеем тук в България? Остана ли за какво да се смеем, освен на собствената си трагедия? Даже Слави Трифонов и "Комиците" вече се изтъркаха.

Защо някой тук не вземе да каже, че и ние сме си една провалена държава? Хайде стига предизборен оптимизъм, софийски боклук, Бате Бойко и приятелско потупване по рамото от някой западноевропейски лидер!

Провалихме се във всичко- вътрешна и външна политика, членство в Европейския Съюз, изгонихме малкото млади и талантливи хора да си търсят щастието и реална оценка за таланта си навън, а тук останаха малко свестни и много чалгаджии. И майките и бащите ни да ни чакат да се приберем за по 2 седмици. То всъщност и много от чалгаджиите избягаха, но си занесоха домашната ракийка и дисковете с чалгичка и в чужбина, плюят тъпите американци/германци, отвращават се от дебелите им жени и си викат "Ех, какъв кеф е в България, там е животът"...ами върнете се, де! Ама не се връщат...

Това са размислите ми в края на лятото...не съм първата, която казва тези неща, няма и да съм последната, която и на края на септември ще си стегне куфарчето и ще замине в Италия. Този път и сестра ми идва с мен и смята дълго да стои. Аз също. И се надявам да е и по-дълго, отколкото го мисля. И ми е мъчно. И не искам да се опитвам да превърна живота си в чужбина в български микрокосмос, а да се нагодя аз. Така е по-лесно. Не е казано, че всичко винаги трябва да става по трудния начин. Затова и гледам да не размишлявам много много, че иначе ми става криво- въпреки всичко.

"Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"

Nothing tastes sweeter than an afternoon spent at home with your family and director Tim Burton’s remake of Roald Dahl’s story, “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.” And this is not only because of the chocolate surroundings and the mountains of candies, which raise the viewer’s endorphin levels as high as the living-room ceiling. Johnny Depp’s character- the chocolate magnate Willy Wonka, who is coaching five kids in the world of his chocolate kingdom, with his creepy smile, unnaturally white teeth, impeccably polished black shoes, and eccentric behavior, delivers a performance that just needs to be seen.

The day spent at Wonka’s factory includes a boat trip along a chocolate river, a visit to the whipped cream department, where we actually see cows being whipped; a nut department, where hundreds of trained squirrels crash nuts better than any machine; and an elevator which moves not only up and down, but also left and right. During this day four unbearable kids, who very much remind us of our own offsprings, get punished for their annoying behavior. In the end of the day, the chocolate journey will make you start sympathizing with Depp’s character, who, even though the owner of the most successful chocolate factory in the world and the friendly help of the small Oompa-Loompa creatures, is terribly lonesome. In fact Wonka is one big kid himself - which probably explains his weirdness and his alien-like posture.

In terms of the moral content, do not expect this movie to go beyond the superficial. Even though the plot accentuates some family values, they get lost in the huge candy piles, Oompa-Loompa’s uncoordinated dances and the vivid colors of the factory. The movie, above anything else, provides a powerful visual delight, and this, apart from Johnny Depp’s acting, is its other strongest asset. The soundtrack fits perfectly in this picture, making the viewers beat the time with their feet and head for more than hour and a half- and in a little childish way.

And before making yourself comfortable in your armchair, do not forget to take something sweet with you- the chance to experience chocolate or candy craving while watching is pretty high. If you still happen not to like chocolate after seeing the movie, you probably took Wonka’s dentist father definition of lollipops, “cavities on a stick,” too seriously. My advice- don’t- life is as sweet as you allow it to be.

A Job Not Well Done

If I were in the shoes of the Bulgarian Interior Minister, Mr. Rumen Petkov, before trying to show off about anything, I’d think twice. His actions do not have a good record of being applauded anyways, and reasonably so. However, on Thursday, when he announced the report, which Sofia had to present to the EU Commission about Bulgaria’s progress in the ‘Justice and Home Affairs” sector, he quoted some figures, which made not only Brussels, but also me, raise my eyebrow skeptically.

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http://evropa.dnevnik.bg/show/?storyid=324273

297 trials for corruption, which resulted in a sentence. 1,706 concluded pre-trials on corruption cases. 599 prosecution acts against 705 people. And all those achievements for just six months. So far, so good. What’s wrong then? How about some other figures? Did the Minister name any public figures, who were convicted of corruption? No! Like there is no high-level corruption in Bulgaria! Mystery… Was the full text of the report publicized and made available to the Bulgarian citizens? Another negative answer, and another mystery. In this respect ,the Romanians should serve as an example, which we could use- they had the audacity, despite the heavy political crisis they are going through right now, to upload it on the ministry’s website. Somehow I’m starting to think the Minister is hiding something. And then comes the most important question- is the Commission satisfied? Of course not!

Mr. Petkov, you think you can fool the Bulgarian citizens, in front of whom you are responsible above anything else, and maybe you are right. After all, you’re still a minister in this rotten government, although you act as if you are afraid even of your own shadow. However, your attitude towards Brussels is quite arrogant. Do not try to throw dust in their eyes too, cause they see further than that. I don’t think they will embrace your report after the big political compromise they did to accept the country into the Union. Do not expect a friendly pat on your shoulder for a job well done. Instead, please do save your arrogance for the criminals, which you constantly want to try and never manage to catch.