Changes

We enter the winter again at this time of year. The autumn is now cold and grey. Today is sunny, but the wind carries a gnawing chill and heavier clothing is required to keep from shivering. It snowed while I was in Greece, but hasn't since. Leaves are in the midst of falling; the wind blows them in low cyclones across the park and around the main street. Everthing about the the parks at this time of year reminds me of Yuri and Lara walking in the center of Yuriatin in Doctor Zhivago. The city statues, architecture, fur clothing, hard faces, the color of leaves, varying strength of the wind, rosy cheeks and they way people walk all make me think of that movie and that scene. Although this climate is much more temperate, pieces of the Soviet-era style and culture remain alive and/or evident here in Bulgaria.

Though there were serious problems with government and society in the Soviet sphere at that time and though people living under the systems suffered in many ways, I respect some principles of that ideology: common effort, value of intellect, repect for courage, thrift, respect for culture and society. Living in the aftermath of that system of government, however, I see major pitfalls to the ideology, too: seeming efficiency at the expense of originality, quantity at the expense of quality, less attention paid to detail, poor vertical management, little attention given to individuality and resistance to change. Bulgaria seems to be pulling away from the stagnant influence of life under that system, but (as many Bulgarians tell me) Bulgaria needs time and more independant political development to realize its potential as a nation.

Most of the work I'm doing now concerns the development of local NGOs. In one project, I am helping establish a 24-hour hotline for troubled and at-risk youth. I'm cooperating with a youth psychologist who has established a volunteer committee of 4 certified psychologists to be on-call 24-hours a day. A central, toll-free number will dispatch to 4 available GSMs, each manned by the on-call psychologists. We will also create announcements and informational stickers about the hotline and post them throughout the city of Stara Zagora.

On the anneversary of my apartment troubles, I have new ones. I have to move suddenly - my landlord needed to sell the apartment and I have a few days to pack up and vacate. The only problem is cost of the new place and neighborhood. Fortunately, I have people helping me and leads on new places. I may not get what I want, but at least I have a support network to help me through the transition. We'll see what happens.

I'm settling down into small runs in the aftermath of the marathon. My big toe (which was literally capped and ringed by a huge blister) has healed nicely, though my second toe on the right foot has a very colorful nail. No more running-related aches and pains, and my shoes are also fine (they didn't fall apart as I thought they might). I want to keep running but the light has faded by the time I get home and my new digs might be in a bad part of town. I'll find a way to stay fit, regardless.

Well, off to look at the last few apartments before I have to make a final decision. Ciao i priaten den vsichki!