FIRST CONTACT WITH ITALY – part 8 – A Night Under the Stars and Three Days on Camels

Night under the stars The last night came. My last day was not a working day, but I had to stay because the bus was leaving the next day. Iveto had left and I brought my suitcases back to Venera and company. Dora was genuinely worried about where I would sleep, they tried to remove the mattress from one of the beds to the ground, but there was no way ...

FIRST CONTACT WITH ITALY – part 7 – Expelled

Kicked out The money I left with ran out a long time ago. The small advance they gave me was also running out. According to the contract, I was supposed to receive my salary for July by mid-August. I called Iveto and asked her for a 50 euro loan. She was returning to Bulgaria with her boyfriend around the time I was going to leave. The days were …

FIRST CONTACT WITH ITALY – part 6 – The Sabotage

The Sabotage In Padua I had a second cousin. Iveto. Like me, she graduated from the Russian School in Varna with Italian, she studied here at the university and lived in a neighborhood in the city with her boyfriend, in a small, neat apartment. She worked part-time, in the summer she sold ice cream near my apartment. When I was walking during the day, I often stopped by to see her and eat...

FIRST CONTACT WITH ITALY – part 5 – I'm going to Padua

I'm going to Padova. Venera and Ani were at the apartment when Milena and I arrived. They helped me with my suitcases, but the atmosphere was somewhat tense. The apartment was in the historic center of the city, an 8-minute walk from the sites. And we would walk and come home together, even if it was still the middle of the night. What a blessing! The streets and buildings were …

FIRST CONTACT WITH ITALY – part 4 – Moroccan Honor

Moroccan honor In the evening I told my colleagues. Quite unexpectedly I received sympathy, one Anelia even called the Rat and insisted that I move in with them or give me a bike. He refused again. The boys were outraged, especially the Moroccan. That night the boys finished their homework half an hour earlier than us. Mohammed, that was the name of my Moroccan …

FIRST CONTACT WITH ITALY – part 3 – The Pursuit

The Pursuit The next two days went by normally. Sleeping until noon, eating enough to keep me from starving because I simply didn't feel like eating because of the heat, doing odd jobs, walking through the cemetery, showering and in bed. One day I went for a walk. I took a street behind the park and walked up the hill. The houses were nice, identical, colorful, with neat little yards...

FIRST CONTACT WITH ITALY – part 2 – I got lost

I got lost The next morning I got up in the late morning. The sticky, humid heat was still crushing me. I went out for a walk and to buy something to eat. And I found that the small shops were either closed in the afternoon or had a 2-3 hour lunch break. I bought some tomatoes, cheese, bread… but I didn’t feel like eating…

FIRST CONTACT WITH ITALY – part 1 – I'm going abroad

I'm going abroad In the summer of 2012, I was unemployed. I was giving Italian lessons to a woman via Skype. In the meantime, I found out that she had a company that was recruiting cleaning staff in Italy. I was tempted. After years behind a desk, I needed a break for my brain and work related to movement. I was lucky that …

Bulgarian folklore oracle

"Once upon a time - customs and worldview of the Bulgarians" This is a personal, author's Oracle, created on the basis of symbols, images, creatures and objects from Bulgarian folklore and mythology. There are 52 cards in total, divided into a total of 7 sections. I made it because we are filled with foreign mysticism (not bad), but in our country there is so much symbolism, …