Zoya was celebrating (if that is an occasion for rejoicing) her transfer from the working teachers’ society to the army of old-age pensioners. In the photo I am dancing very enthusiastically with out hostess at a wonderful night in a good restaurant.

Sometime in November, Violeta, her two colleagues Zhivka and Galya, and I went to see the funny-sad play in the Satirical Theater Quartet. It was the story of four old opera singers settled in an old-men home. Their parts were brilliantly performed by our famous actors Stoyanka Mutafova, Emilia Radeva, Georgi Kaloyanchev, and Dimiter Manchev. We were all thrilled by the performance.

Another memento of Dyrmantsi is this photo with little Paloma in front of our good old Hyunday, in front of our hosts’ house as well. Her name was particularly popular at that time since one of our reality shows, VIP (!) Brother, featured a Venezuela-Bulgarian girl by the same name.

At the end of November, Violeta and I went to Dyrmantsi, a small village near the city of Mezdra. She had some relatives there, unknown to me until then. I had never been to Mezdra, and I did not go this time as well since Dyrmantsi is situated somewhat 1-2 km apart. What is more, there is nothing in the village to manifest it is now a suburb of a relatively big and well-known Bulgarian town. Maybe the firewood I am standing in front of illustrates that best as one cannot find such commodities in present-day cities, even towns. Whatever wood it is, it goes to rich men’s fireplaces and you do not see it anywhere for sale.

In October 2006 we went to the first night of the new American movie The Black Dahlia which was shot in Bulgaria. A couple of period cars used in the movie were lined up in front of the City Center Sofia where the premiere took place. I posed in front of one of them. Incidentally Russian Zils and Zims, and later Chaika, were made after the same fashion.
 

With the period cars again.
 

Something interesting. I grew up with this picture of my Aunt (once removed) Mika, Maria Vladimirova. It was recently sold to Svetlin Rusev, and so it has been hung in his new gallery at 11 Vrabcha St. This is not bad since more people would enjoy the nice painting in this masterfully arranged exhibition. How amazed I was to see that the sign bellow it said Portrait of Penka Kasabova who of course was my other aunt, Mika�s sister. Of course, Violeta and I notified the gallery guard and also told my mother who promised she would call Svetlin Rusev about that.
 

In the company of two charming Chinese Americans on a Fulbright in Bulgaria. 

Plovdiv Conference on (Inter)cultural Communication (Nov 3-5, 2006) was hosted by Paisii Hilendarski University. Three students-volunteers helped the organizers and wore proudly the conference T-shirt.

I was reminded of hot Arizona even on our way to Blagoevgrad on Easter Day, April 23, 2006.

Knocking Easter eggs with Petarcho in the Bulgarian tradition.

With Pepa's grandfather's mandoline.

Easter 2006 - with my two dear linguistics friends, Tsanko and Petarcho, from Blagoevgrad.

After the modest ceremony at which my friend Randall Baker was granted the honorary title of Professor of Honor of the New Bulgarian University (November 18, 2005), I ended up with HIS bunch of flowers in front of the poster announcing HIS honorary occasion. Life CAN be like that.

Here I am with Randall, from Wales, and Roger, from England, enjoying their company and the rare nowadays chance to talk freely with a British accent. We are standing at the Wall of Doctors of Honor of NBU (http://www.nbu.bg).

It was Violeta's idea of a joke, maybe a little sick, to have my photo taken in front of the mural of old men who founded the Bulgarian Social-Democratic Party in 1891.