Blizzrod's blog

Sicily

2008-08-13T11:12:00.013+01:00

In my top of the top locations for a vacation enters Sicily with a spectacular breakthrough. Here am I, back in Torino after 15 days on the beautiful island between Europe and Africa. Sicily is a spectacular place that needs to be seen and no photo or story can substitute the unique experience of seeing, touching and feeling the island, its nature, places and people. I consider myself lucky as I had the chance to see so many cities - Trapani, Agrigento, Palermo, Cefalu, Catania, Siracusa, Noto, Ragusa, Acireale, changed some spectacular beaches and most importantly got the know the people and try to understand (not sure I really did) their culture and life.

The story begins with me and 4 Italians moving around the island like decapitated chickens for 10 days and then I went to visit my flat mate Paolo in an area close to Catania. One of the first breath takers was a beach called La Scala dei Turchi(the Turkish staircase) which is a mountainous form made from snow-white rock that look down on a beautiful azure sea.

One of the most spectacular cities I have ever seen was Parlemo with its stylish Baroque architecture, lively streets and frantic open markets but also the striking poverty that you can see just one hand away from the central streets. Indeed it's a very diffent Italy - a world of contrasts, beauty, chaos, wealth and poverty.

The Palace of the Normans in Palermo is 1st class museum and it astonishes you with the beauty of the Byzantine chapel and the headquarters of the Sicilian parliament. I just stood there like an idiot and the WOWs kept coming out of my mouth for 3 hours.

Then I went to see the Greek-like Siracusa, the masterpiece of baroque art Noto and the charming Ragusa with its green gardens.

Never could I forget my trip to see Etna (it's a volcano, yes...) and although I didn't reach the top (where I am sure, some of you bastards would push me down...hehe) I still can’t get out of my head the images of the alien landscapes where the laves had passed. A special thanks to my roomy Paolo for taking me there.

But Sicily is not only places - Sicily is smells, tastes, views and noises that come all to you at once. Beautiful, striking, shocking, stylish and disgusting. All at the same time, no order, no warning. How can I explain that in Palermo you can take the amazing dessert canolo and you ghave to walk 15 minutes to find a place that doesn't stink so that you can eat it. BTW - the canolo is just great, a sweet orgasm of ricotta cheese and sugar.Or can I forget the granita that I took in Catania or Acireale. An icy creamy thing that is so thick that you think there's milk in it but there's none.

And of course the people - can I use words...how many? Friendly, generous, direct, rude, aggressive, warm, loyal, discreet, loud, unmovable, joyous, sad, angry, open and very conservative at the same time. Can I really use words?
My very humble attempt to re-create the atmosphere of the island with my photos. If anyone ever has the chance to visit Sicily, GO THERE, don't miss this unique place between two worlds.

P.S. If anyone is interested in the famous Sicilian mafia, I have only thing to say: I didn't see it, I didn't hear it, I didn't understand anything :)

Cinque Terre

2008-07-14T12:02:00.008+01:00

As this blog is mostly dedicated to my passion for travelling, I can't resist but to post the photos from my fabulous Sunday in Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre (translated as Five Lands) are actually 5 colorfull fishermen's villages in the Eastern Italian region of Liguria. Though not particularly famous for being terribly luxurious, posh or modern, they represent the real bright spirit of Italy (which I love so much). The place is famous all over the world for it's beauty and nature and experinced a real visual feast. A picture says more then a thousand words so just enjoy :)

Coffee Roots

2008-06-30T09:48:00.005+01:00

This Sunday I came across an amazing exhibition in the centre of Torino, an open display of photographs dedicated to the origins of coffee, and moments in life related to drinking coffee. The fascinating thing is that the pictures are taken in the Middle East and Africa - Senegal, Syria, Lebanon, Kenya, Egypt and Turkey and present a culture with which we Europeans associate a bit uneasily.

The amazing thing is coffee here is preseted not only as a hot drink but a way of life, a phylosophy and a set of values. Living more than a year in Italy, I really started to appreciate it...No big words are needed I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I do...

Fabrizio de Andrè

2008-06-23T14:03:00.003+01:00

Upon my return from Genova, I decided that I want to tell the story of my favourite Italian artist an singer - Fabrizio de Andrè( 1940-1999). Born in Genova but famous everywhere in Italy in my opinion he is a musician and a poet of enormous magnitude. His music ranges from medieval melodies, typical canzoni Italiane, jazz and ethno music. I more than passionately recommend his albums: Non al denaro, non all'amore né al cielo (Neither to gold, nor to love, nor to heaven), Volume 3 , and the compilation discs In direzione ostinata e contraria (volume 1 and 2).

He has a deep, low, mannish voice with a certain sort of sadness and no sign of fake or exaggerated emotions. But equal to his music are his powerful lyrics that talk about humanity, paradoxes and spirituality. Honestly, it's worth learning Italian just to be able to understand de Andrè.

Here is a song that I truly love Via del Campo and the translation in English below

GIRLS IN THE NARROW LANE (Via del Campo)

There's a girl in the narrow lane,
Her eyes, so big and green as leaves,
All the night long stands on the threshold,
Always off'ring you the same rose.

There's a beauty in the narrow lane,
Her lips, so pale as pale's a dewdrop,
Her eyes, so grey as grey's the pavement,.
Out of her steps, there come out flowers.

There's a whore in the narrow lane,
Her eyes, so big and green as leaves,
If you want her love, then you only
Have to gently take her by the hand.

You think you are going far away
She looks at you with a bright smile,
You won't believe that paradise
Is just upstairs at the first floor.

A fool goes to the narrow lane
To tell her, o, please, marry me!
To watch her going up the stairs
Till the balcony door is closed.

Laugh and love if love it does answer,
Cry aloud if it does not hear you,
Nothing grows out of precious diamonds,
Out of dung, the flowers do grow,

Nothing grows out of precious diamonds,
Out of dung, the flowers do grow.

Genova

2008-06-23T13:17:00.008+01:00

This weekend I decided to do a small trip to Genova which is one of the major Italian ports and it is located to the South of Torino. To be 100% honest I didn't expect much - 2 hours in the historical centre, some photos and that's it. Well, it turned out that Genova is a fascinating city that matches the beauty of my beloved Torino (though it is much more Mediterranean and sea-like). I made more than 300 photos and I regret not having time to visit all the museums.

Genova is a perfect city to represent Italy - it's very old but still glamorous and you have the sun, the sea and you see everywhere open and solar people. As for sub-Alpine Torino which is more restrained and aristocratic, much closer to the French tradition, Genova is more Italian but bearing its own unique history and culture. From the old glorious days of the Republic of Genoa to the new modern city swimming into the New Economy. Genova isfamous for its stingy and tight-fisted people, the magnificent pesto sauce, the narrow and romantic streets and BIG SURPRISE..the word jeans actually comes from the name of the city actually pronounced genoese.

The famous pesto:

The outcome is a great weekend and some magnificent photos where I look like a 1st class mafioso (it just comes naturally...)
The famous narrow and claustrophobic steets of Genova:

A cute pic of an Italian backyard in the less touristc part of the city:

The Royal Palace:

Let there be cheese....

2008-06-19T09:53:00.018+01:00

Boys and girls, I have been in Italy for 1 year and 2 months and I have never actually mentioned anything about cheese. In Italy there are more than 400 (the number is correct) types of cheese - issue is, concerning Italy's image and what people imagine cheese is squeezed between coffee, Mafia, wine and fashion and not so many people pay attention to it. And what a mistake it is...Italian cheeses are ....how should I put it more softly..they are AWESOME!!!

Starting with the hard, granular Parmigiano that can make the taste of your pasta Divine when you scrape some on the meal...

and continuing with Gorgonzola which the Queen of blue cheeses with it's intensive scent and salty taste that can make any breakfast a religious experience.

And of course Mozzarella. Yes, mozzarella, the same one for which kingdoms fell, heroes died and wars started..ehehe...a bit exaggerated but a fresh ball of mozzarella can make your day be it in a tomato salad or a pizza.

The world would not be the same without Ricotta. A tasty milky cloud of freshness that leaves you staggered upon tasting. Get a warm loaf of ciabatta and some ricotta and lock the door of your room so that no one can disturb you...and see you next year :)

Some other messengers of divinity are the numerous types of the cheeses Toma and Pecorino.They give a new meaning to the word sandwich.

That is it for now, I am going to lunch...Amin

Back from Paris

2008-06-03T11:34:00.003+01:00

Ola la, here is my glorious return from the French capital. There I was - Boris (the "s" is silent) in Paris(another silent "s") for a kick-ass 4 days vacation in the city of love, lights, luxury, fashion, style,great-looking women, snobs, bitchy people, garlic, Champs-Élysées, Eiffel tower, Arc de Triomphe, Sacré-Cœur, Louvre, Moulin Rouge, Montmartre and....Paris Hilton(dear Lord, NO!!!)First of all - I'd like to thank all my friends who made my stay in Paris such a wonderful experience ...so thank you Christophe, Vyara, Ergen, Florent, Anna, Bjòrn, Ylva, Alex and of course you Mr Sarkozy (real pleasure talking to you and Carla) :)

So, let's start... How can someone describe Paris. For starters: IT'S BIG!!! Huge avenues, parks, buildings, which shelter the small romantic streets of the Latin Quarter and Montmartre. Paris is a city full of everything - culture, business, romantics, fashion, history. monuments....so much that it's scary. Someone once said "If you are tired of Paris, you are tired of life". I was tired all right, after 3 days of walking my feet hurt like hell but hey, I am still quite fond of living. Apart from playing the stupid tourist, running around taking pictures and then eventually reflecting upon what I saw, I spent a good deal of time meeting people and visiting places - some clubs, restaurants and night locales. So yes, I got a small glimpse of what Paris life is like and how Parisians live (or whatever they do)Of course I wouldn't be Boris if I don't bitch about it so there are some things that stuck me as unpleasant:
- Paris is not cheap, actually it's quite costy, prices are not low...I mean IT'S EXPENSIVE. Starting from transport, supermarkets, restaurants and the sky-rocketing housing rents. Not a really good place to be if you are poor.
- Apart from some nice elderly ladies that God sent to me to give me directions, I found most of Parisians a bit rude. They push each other in the metro, tend not to say "hello" (or bonjour in their case) and I spotted several people pissing in public places...and I thought that a specialty for Brussels (duh!). Anyway, that excludes my friends I met, just some random observation looking at the people on the streets.- It's quite claustrophobic and full of people - maybe I got too much used to quiet and stlylish Torino but crowds can be quite stressful. Honestly I don't have the impression it's an easy to live in city. And most night clubs don't have air-conditioning. HELLO, ANYONE, heard about the 21st century?
As usual pictures available HERE. There are few photos from me cause I believe if someone takes a picture of you, he is stealing your soul...right...I was mostly alone on my sightseeing.

The profound effect of classical music on cats

2008-05-20T11:51:00.001+01:00

One cat is doing Wagner, guess which one? :)

Pics from Madrid

2008-05-13T11:33:00.001+01:00

Apologies for the delay- finally my pictures from Madrid.

Movie time

2008-05-06T15:17:00.006+01:00

Besides going climbing (initially thought as walking) in the Alps, I had a a long weekend where I enjoyed the sinful pleasures of staying home and being lazy. Sue me, I am an information worker, I need my time off. Not to make it sound so bad I cleaned and watched some movies that made an impression.
The 1st one is a an old black and white Italian classics called "Il Sorpasso"("The Easy Life") starring the famous Italian actor Vittorio Gassman . The plot of the movies centres around the two main characters - the assertive, talkative and adventurous Bruno(Gassman) and the shy and insecure law student Roberto(Jean-Louis Trintignant). In a rather comic and suspicious way they meet and they start a journey with a Lancia Aurelia convertible (a funky thing at the time) throughout Italy inspired by the pushy Bruno. If you check the film in Wikipedia it says "It is poignant portrait of Italy in the early 60s when the economic miracle" was starting to transform the country from a traditionally family-centered society into an individualistic, consumeristic and shallower one". What it struck me with was the fact that Italy in 1962 is not so different from the one I know 46 years later. With risks of insulting my Italian friends, there is a contradiction that lives in the Italian spirit - the desire to be famous, interesting, successful in the eyes of others and at the same time the inability to overcome your background, the problems you have created in life and deep-rooted prejudices. I warmly recommend this movie to all Bulgarians as well because this is something that happened to us in the last years...

The other two movies I saw are in the "sick, pervert and kinky" section and you if are pregnant, conservative or a lost soul that came across my blog, you can stop reading NOW...
"Savage grace" is a film about a spoiled, rich American family that tries to hide its problems by travelling in fancy vacation places in Europe. The Mom (Julianne Moore), the son and the dad indulge themselves in all kinds of sexual practices including bisexuality, incest, adultery and partner swaps. Besides being strikingly aesthetic, the movie is actually sad and depressing making you think about the importance and priorities of life - that often behind glamour, success and beauty there is loneliness, cruelty and alienation. And actually the sickest of the sick is the film called "The Piano Teacher" . The mid-age piano professor Erika spends her life between her students that she secretly detests and her obsessive and dominant mother with whom she sill lives with. She is unable to express emotions and demonstrates her formidable intelligence through the music of Schubert and Schumann. But behind her cold mask there is a deeply sexually disturbed and confused woman that has an obs session with being beaten and humiliated. The movie reaches some high extremes when her student Walter falls in love with her and tries to win her love. At first Erika intimidates him with her sick fantasies but then she falls in the web that she has created becoming both a physical and an emotional victim. A rarely disturbing film that aims to show you that being too smart, often means you are the one with the biggest delusions.

P.S. I am getting my movie critics degree soon so vote for me :)

The Piano

2008-04-28T13:10:00.008+01:00

My unhealthy musical obsession goes on and this Friday I was able to fulfill another musical dream of mine and see the noted Portuguese pianist Maria João Pires. She performed the wonderful 9th Mozart piano concert (FYI, Mozart is a kinky classical composer with a frantic laughter). As things go my stay in Torino proves to be a successful musical investment as the city is full of culture and events.

Meanwhile I managed to see an old film that I remember vaguely from my childhood - The Piano. It talks of a mute woman pianist who arrives with her little daughter to New Zealand to get married for a local landowner. She is unable to say a word and expresses herself only through sign language and....her piano. She undergoes hardship and humiliation to keep the instrument close to her - starring is Holly Hunter who manages to portray excellently the pain and determination of her heroine. I find the movie quite enchanting because it shows us how people different from us have a deep and often misunderstood sensuality. The movie is set in a 19th century conservative society but if I look closely at my own country of Bulgaria, maybe not so much has changed in terms of tolerance and acceptance.

Madrid

2008-04-24T14:49:00.008+01:00

It's difficult to describe a journey - here I am back from Madrid and the only word I can think of is "WOW". I spent 3 awesome days in the Spanish capital(I am talking about Madrid now, don't embarrass yourself). Bearing in mind I was on a business trip and I couldn't just leave the conference to go sightseeing, I didn't see a great part of the city and the few pictures I took were on the run. That BTW is not necessarily a bad thing as with time I realized I have developed the Japanese syndrome which means making 500 photos abroad and actually seeing where you have been when you get back home and see the photos.
Madrid is a beautiful city - big, classical, metropolitan and full of day and nightlife. People tend to wake up later in the day, go have fun outside and go to sleep (if they ever go to sleep) in the small hours. I can't really say which is better - Madrid or Barcelona but Spain is an incredible country. People are really outgoing, open and crazy (and that coming from a guy who lives in Italy...) and they don't miss any opportunity to have one.
A special section of this post I dedicate to my hotel Puerta America which a 5 star, 13 floor architectural miracle and any floor is different and unique. I was on the 4-th PLASMA floor which seemed a way too alien to me. I spent 2 hours sightseeing the hotel and made some awesome pictures.

The return of the jester

2008-04-16T10:44:00.010+01:00

Trying set myself apart from the "I bring disasters" attitude, I can't help but comment the latest news from Italy. The return to power of Silvio Berlusconi, Italy's richest man and media-empire mogul. For anyone not interested in Italian politics, Berlusconi has won a stable majority in the Italian parliament and is going to become a prime-minister for the 3rd time. He has also been the only prime-minister after WW2 that managed to complete his full mandate (that I will not comment as it is beyond my power of comprehension). He is noted for his controversial humour, big smile, plastic surgery, media monopoly and disastrous economic policies...a hell of a character, eh? Being non-Italian(so they say) and non-socialist you might find it rather surprising my harsh-toned criticism for him. Point is, I am not here to judge and pronounce sentences upon Italy's internal affairs ...just express my personal view.

I find it hard to believe how second-rate PR techniques, media brain-washing and ridiculous statements can convince the people of one the biggest economies in the world, a country with centuries of culture and history to vote for a man who turns politics into a TV show. What I find truly absurd is that they did that for the 3rd time after he brought nothing to Italy except international humiliation, a struggling economy and evaded reforms.

Unfortunately this is becoming a precedent in other parts of Europe as well. Poland had the Kaczynski brothers, France is ruled by the "I love Carla and promise you the stars" Sarkozy and the all mighty Boyko Borisov will probably rule in Bulgaria soon. All brilliant examples of that if people are disappointed, they tend to vote with their feet. Some time from now Italians might wake up with a terrible hangover...

P.S.
-Some of Berlusconi's most notable sayings:
I have little hair because my brain is so big it pushes (the hair) out.
-I am sorry for having said communists eat babies. But I can organise a conference in which I will prove communists have really eaten babies.
-(after the Twin Towers attack): WE should be conscious of the superiority of our civilisation, which has given people widespread prosperity in those countries ...
-He said to a German European deputy that he should take a film role as a Nazi concentration camp leader.
-Berlusconi advised a young woman, who complained that she could not find a job, to get married, since she was cute, “maybe to one of my sons, they are all rich”

Martha Argerich in Torino

2008-03-28T11:02:00.005+01:00

Sometimes I can't really believe my luck...Most of you know about my (who said unhealthy) relationship with classical music and especially the music for piano. With sweet tenderness I recall the day when I got myself a Beethoven cassette for a tape recorder when I was 7 years old or when my mom took me to watch the Amadeus movie and I stood in the cinema saloon with a mouth wide open in dismay.
I know most of you don't give a shit a about it and think this music is dead and annoying but I find it profoundly deep and powerful. In the recent years I have developed a fondness for an Argentine pianist called Martha Argerich who I consider to be one of the most influential pianist of our time and a powerful music communicator. And last night in the RAI Auditorium here in Torino, there she was giving an outstanding performance on Prokofiev's 3rd piano concert. Prokofiev is a Russian composer (actually quite a modern one) who some describe as an enfant terrible (terrible child) and others have no issues calling him a sick fuck. A hell of a genius of you ask me, direct, sometimes brutal, with a hellish sense of humour and sarcasm. The thing about his 3rd piano concert it is incredibly difficult from the technical point of view and smashingly impressive as a musical impact.

So there was Martha, a woman of almost 70 years with grey hair and an ageing outlook. The moment her hands touched the keyboard of the piano she transformed into a powerful natural force and I could hardly believe what she was doing and if it physically and musically possible. By the end of the performance I had chills up and down my spine (as well as body parts of which existence I wasn't fully aware of) and I clapped and applauded her till exhaustion.

A BIG THANK YOU to my friends Laura and Lorenzo who shared this unique experience with me. Though they were not devoted admirers of classical music they were staggered by the perform ace. If you have managed to come to the end of this post, I can't offer you any financial reward but you can see an example of Martha Argerich strenght when playing HERE, HERE and HERE

Back from Barcelona

2008-03-25T11:18:00.013+01:00

Yuhuuu, here am I back in Italy after a 5 day stay in Barcelona. I truly find it a geat city and having in mind that 1 picture says more than 1 000 words, you can view my photos here.
There are some things that made an impression on me:
- it's almost incredible how much Italy and Spain are alike in terms of mentality and lifestyle - Mediterranean all the way, I truly love it.
- yet I guess, Spain is more modern and international as Italy is more classical and stuck to its hitorical roots
- Barcelona is the city of Gaudi (the kinky genius Catalan architect) as Torino is one of the baroque capitals of Europe
- Nightlife in Barcelona is AWESOME but Italian food, coffee and wine blow the Spaniards away
- I am in love with the "manana" attitude that Spain has... this is why it took me so long to post this on the blog - have been delaying it for at least a week.
- the city is full of English and American tourists and even they can't spoil the unique colourfull spirit
- as much as I liked it, you can't really ignore the whores and drug dealers that you find almost anywhere in city centre
- I was able to speak Italian (yeah, OK, sort of...) with some Catalan people because the two lingos are very much alike. I was sorta disappointed that Spanish is not excatly like Italian with an "s" at the end of each word. But close anyway...just never say "buonos giornos", they will give you some very srange looks.

Graduation....no shit?

2008-03-11T11:49:00.014+01:00

How did I forget to mention. I went to Bulgaria, I saw the family, I saw some friends, I saw the dog (I love you Uma)....and yes ....I also took my final exam with the highest possible score....

I am still trying to combat the humiliation of being a straight A student (if you know me enough never been fond of getting good marks at school) and furthermore I consider the education and the diploma of my university profoundly irrelevant. Anyway, I am just happy this hell is over for me.

On the two pictures above, pls find the differences and mail them to me. The winner gets a trip to Italy (on his own expenses)

The whispering chorus

2008-03-11T11:22:00.004+01:00

I forgot to write about this but several weeks ago I went to see a movie called "The whispering chorus". Nothing so weird about it except for the fact that the movie was a 1918 black and white mute film. What is even more amazing about it that the projection of the film was accompanied by a jazz quintet that gave an amazing performence of jazz music directly coresponding to the mood and scenes of the film.

Honestly, that was very impressive. Never ever have I seen such a particular art form, nor have I imagined that you can enrich an old classical movie with music. The whole experience takes you to another world - 90 years in an era where ideas where born and new inventions change people's lives - the telephone, the train, the cinema. Another fact is that Torino is so much full of cultural events that remain hidden and you have to discover them yourself. Pretty much that is the spirit of the city - a pearl on the map of Italy with many hidden treasures that remain unseen for the observer at first glance.

...and again

2008-02-27T14:50:00.009+01:00

Ok, guys, you have to admit it I am damn good (maybe more damn than good). How about EU fines Microsoft record $1.4bn .

So a short summary of my humble activities so far:
1. In 2004 I join Coca Cola Bulgaria. Soon after I leave the production plant is closed.
2. In 2006 I join the International Fair Plovdiv and soon after it is privatised and takes a negative business and management direction.
3. I join Microsoft in 2007 and soon after the EU commission charges the company with 500 million $
4. It takes some time that I arrive in Italy and the country is plunged into severe political crisis. The World Bank ranks Italy as the only Eurozone country that can have a recession.
5. Half a billion isn't enough so the EU charges Microsofr again but with 1.4 billion.

Honestly, I am not doing anything. I am feeling quite well - relaxed, enjoying life. Just stay away...and stay tuned :)

P.S.
6. Ten days before going to Spain, the Financial Times dedicates an article to the fact the Spanish economy is going to slow dramatically with a rise of uneployment and contraction in manufacturing.

My comment: CAZZO!!!

Oops, I did it again

2008-02-05T11:42:00.000+01:00

After a long time without writing anything in my blog, here am I again in my full glory. The last month I spent a good deal of time watching Wong Kar-wai's movies, shifting to jazz music, drinking and eating with friends (or just drinking and eating), letting my hair run wild (scary picture on the left)and I creating a posh version of myself on the My Posh Twin website (below the scary picture). So this is the chance to see me as both Dr Jekil and Mr Hide

Another thing that deeply distubed me is the current political crisis in Italy. I might have pointed it out to some of you already but very often wherever I go I am usually followed by havoc and chaos (don't worry friends, I am fine just things around me collapse...). Maybe I should quit the effort to work in international business and get a nice 9 to 5 desk job as a messenger of Apocalypse or something (eventually EMEA Apocalypse coordinator...) Another post on Italian politics soon to follow. Let me know if you think it's all my fault (but look at the pic below first

Traveler IQ challenge

2008-01-12T12:16:00.000+01:00

I hope you guys don't get as sick and addicted as I am playing this thing. I am a total mess for African and Latin American geography but I kick as in Europe and Asia

PLAY IT HERE

New year in Tuscany

2008-01-07T14:15:00.000+01:00

After the long, uncertain, ambiguous and painful process of deciding where to celebrate the coming of 2008, I finally dragged my sexy Slavic ass to Tuscany to meet my dear Bulgarian friends Mimka and Vanya. So nope, not Paris, not Germany, not Turin, not Sicily but one of the most beautiful regions in Italy - Tuscany. It was a lovely experience seeing my friends, seeing the fucking leaning tower in Pisa (yes, again, it's stil there) and of course the magnificent city of Florence by night.
Just in case I have missed anybody - happy new year to you all. 2007 was both terrific and amazing and at the same time hard and somehow sad. Last year I made a wish that I want to change things in my life and it really happened. Maybe in 2008 I can start changing myself. Not so bad - keeping the best parts of course ;)

P.S. Pictures from the whole journey as usual HERE

"In the mood for love"

2007-12-17T15:58:00.000+01:00

Oh my God, what a beautiful movie I have seen... "In the mood for love" by Hong-Kong director Wong Kar-wai. Anybody who knows me enough would confirm that love movies are not on my top priority list and Chinese ones don't enjoy a better reputation either. However the case with this one is different even to the point that I got so excited about it that I needed to post something on my blog (I mean if you have decided I am getting too swanky with all those travels in Europe, now is the time we dig culture)

The plot is quite simple - a man and a woman live next door and soon they discover that each of their spouses is cheating on them with their neighbour's spouse. At some point they try to recreate how their spouses' love affair started but they slowly begin to fall in love and seek excuses to spend time together. The fascinating thing about "In the mood for love" is that it is a love story that lacks the cheesy, sentimental element that you find in that sort of films. I would much more define this movie as simplistic and poetic - from colours, acting, camera angles and music. Almost everything is highly stylized and profound. I sincerely recommend this movie to anyone who has the nerve, time and brains to watch it.

Back from Switzerland

2007-12-10T20:22:00.000+01:00

And here I come again...back from my awesome weekend in Switzerland which I spent indulging myself with the earthly pleasures of the flesh. Nope, it's not what you think - not a sex-tourism trip but a 2-day total relax weekend in the SPA resort in Leukerbad (don't make me say that). It was probably the single most relaxing experience in my life and I managed to chill out completely. Starting from sauna and Turkish bath to thermal baths and swimming in an open pool of hot water seeing the snowy Alps above you and the snow gently falling.

I went with my flatmate Paolo and his friends and I need to say a big THANK YOU to all of them. Your usual portion of pictures (semi-naked ones again) you can find here.

For some things Switzerland was quite stingy (say restaurants) but for some not really expensive. Not more than Italy and what is worse, not more than BULGARIA. Not bad for a country which is one of he most advanced economies in the world. The comments I leave to you.

2007-11-12T16:28:00.000+01:00

Not that I am showing off (actually it's kinda shameful cause it took me so muh time to get and actually choose one) but finally I got myself a brand new lapdance....sorry....LAPTOP

It's a very nice funky machine - ACER 5610z and so far I have not managed to damage or misuse it (there is always time). It works well and even intercepts free wireless internet out of nowhere(OH, MIRACLE). Pls, if you find that same laptop with a very high price, let me know immediately. It will make me feel so much better!

Party with AIESEC Torino

2007-11-07T10:06:00.000+01:00

This weekend I went to Ivrea with AIESEC Torino for their Regional Induction Seminar for new members. I write this post now on Wednesday because I have almost managed to recover from my hangover(s). We had two wild parties and after one of them I woke up with marker tattoos and messeges all over my body some of them like "You make me so horny" and "Fai schifo"(YOU SUCK in Italian). But from what I remember I am totally pleased and I had a great time.

I also realized how much AIESEC did for me for the last 3-4 years - hundreds of friends, networks across the world and career opportunities. However ...it all came with the sad realization that I have grown up, things like this are in my student past and I am in the harsh, merciless reality on the heading for the future stage (blah - good morning as it goes in Bulgarian). I am curious to know what other AIESECers reading my blog think about it. How is life after AIESEC and was the whole shit really worth it. For me yes but in a way I feel I have no place there anymore...

And you guys think I am sick?

2007-10-31T16:22:00.000+01:00

Back from Belgium

2007-10-26T14:47:00.000+01:00

And here am I - again in Italy from my 5 day vacation in Belgium. I can write really a lot but here are the main things that impressed me for my short stay:
- awesome chocolate
- even more awesome beer
- a country devided in 2 by language - Dutch and French
- a country devided in 2 by mentality - Dutch and French
- a rather disappointing capital (Brussels) and some fantastic towns in the country - Antwerpen, Bruges, Gent
- biggest concentration of EU officials in the world
- I expected something big, major and Nordic but it was more like sweet, small and Mediterranean

Once again a huge thanks to Milenka who was my lovely host and managed to endure me for 5 days. Feel free to take a look at my pictures (sorry, no naked ones this time) and I hope you can capture the atmosphere of this lovely and unique country

STRESSED!!!

2007-10-10T10:32:00.000+01:00

Even an adrenaline-driven chap like me can get stressed out - when I arrived in Torino I had 540 mails in my inbox (and they weren't spam), my boss was away leaving me in the deep shit, I had to move to a new apartment and I am still trying to recover from my "vacation" in Bulgaria. In other words, REJOICE ENEMIES - I am feeling alone, overworked, underslept, insecure and unlucky.

But THAT WAS until yesterday until a couple of good Italian friends took me to do some swimming and to sauna and hydro-massage. Today I feel like a totally new person taking it easy and feeling chilled-out enough to do some blogging. What I have learned is that if you don't take care of your well-being your bad-being is going to take care of you. Hope I keep it like that long enough. Mimka is coming to Torino this weekend and hopefully we'll have some fun around town. More to come...

Pics from my vacation

2007-10-05T10:45:00.001+01:00

Hey guys, I have put in My pictures folder the photos from my vacation in Greece....NAKED ONES INCLUDED!!! If you are interested ... :)

Dolce vita and why I hate Alitalia

2007-10-03T15:10:00.000+01:00

And here I come again...in the magical land of Michelangelo, Fellini, Vivaldi and....ALITALIA!!! Bloody bastards did it again (I am talking about Alitalia now, not Michelangelo, Fellini and Vivaldi ) - after my unfortunate experience with me returning to Bulgaria when their shuttle-bus didn't arrive, they have managed to delay both my flights to Italy and what is EVEN more, they have lost my luggage. Of course they could not have suspected that I am one of the meanest customers in Europe, because I run on mad chase for calling them and filling complaints. Finally it all went well, I am in Torino in once piece and I have my bag. A little request to all my friends, if U see me using that company again....shoot me!!! Thanks for the cooperation!

Happy birthday...to me

2007-09-24T18:56:00.000+01:00

There I go, today, 24th of September I turn 24. Kinda symbolic come to think of it. I actually I didn't celebrate at all because I hold a long tradition of spedning my birthday alone contemplating about life and existential stuff. I have 364 other days where I can get drunk and party so it's not much of a deal. I went to church (don't laugh, please) and have been accepting wishes from friends most of the day. One yeat passed,another one to go. Let's see what life brings ....

Some news on the run

2007-09-13T08:53:00.000+01:00

Story goes like this - I have been in Bulgaria for 12 days (6 of which I was in Greece). It was really "lovely" that several friends expressed their view that Greece sucks but anyway I had a really great time on the island of Tassos and the beaches of Keramoti (pictures soon). The only problem came not from the Greek side but quite logically from the Bulgarian tour operator and the other Bulgarian toursits. Sometimes I think there is something wrong with us as a nation that we have to fight over everything, we can't organize even e 30 minutes trip and we behave unsocially and weird with new people. At this point I really miss friendly, easygoing Italy.

Also, I have been meeting people like hell - I am already fed up with telling everybody the same story and I am giving serious thought to adding new details to make it sound different. So fat I have managed to meet about 80% of people and tonight is my AIESEC welcome party.

Meanwhile I have managed to visit a great jazz festival here in Plovdiv,planning a Beethoven piano concerto this Friday and a trip to Koprivshtitsa during the weekened. More to come....

Back in Bulgaria

2007-09-03T06:07:00.000+01:00

So I am back...After some rough experience (remind me never to use Alitalia again) I have spent 3 really great days meeting friends, seeing my loving family and going out. Let's see how long I can keep myself happy here. I am going to spend one month in Bulgaria(actually planning a holiday in Greece) and I will be back in Torino in October. I would be happy to meet all my friends here so, mates,call me when available.

The old man and the sea

2007-08-20T16:09:00.001+01:00

It's total shame for me but I had the chance to read Hemingway's world famous novella "The old man and the sea" just now in Italy. Perhaps I expected so much from it that it came rather as a disappointment. I believe when something is widely regarded as genius you expect it to contain all other genious achievments that you have witnessed but rather it is something separate and individual. Though I liked the work, it didn't really strike me for there were too many fishing terminology(not really a fan) and a way too much symbolism. I also realized how much has been stolen from it for the writng of another more recent book: "The life of Pi". Let's just say that immitation is the highest form of admiration.

By the way - if you firmly believe that I am terrible snob and you are asking yourslef the question "Why exactly is he my friend?" let me show you something amusing. A promo campaign in the Czeck Republic for reading liturature classics. The poster depicts a Bay Watch scene with the title "The old man and the sea - read the story before Hollywood gets to it" :)

Moda ecclesiastica....

2007-08-20T09:46:00.000+01:00

Sometimes there are no words to describe genius...

Federico Fellini - "Roma"

The Israeli exhibition

2007-08-15T11:01:00.000+01:00

I had a rather strange surpise this Tuesday for I went with a friend to see a Michelangelo exhibition in one of the major galleries in Torino and it turned out that there are just a few drawings from Michelangelo and the rest is an exhibition of Israeli contemporary art...not many things appear to be what they are in Italy. Dispite my initial disappointment I found that the Israeli exhibit is very impressive. I especially liked the works of a jewish painter and sculptor called Kadishman (I am posting some of his works here). He is particulary famous for depiction of war-peace motives as well as portraits of ....sheep head....

Desperate house-Boris?

2007-08-13T14:13:00.000+01:00

The new and improved...???

My job these days turns out to be quite stressful for everybody from Norway to South Africa decide that they want something from me and I receive requests every 15 minutes. What is even more I got so piled up with extra house-work this weekend that I actually went to work with the idea of getting some rest.

Usually there is a very nice Peruvian lady who cleans the house ....however she seems to be on vacation in August and I had to do the job myself. Real tough thing I tell you - being single in Italy is not an easy job. I cleaned the floor, the furniture, the bathroom, the kitchen.... Then I had to deal with the laundry - white clothes, colour clothes, sheets, towels, then I had to iron them. I told myself "BE STRONG" and I did the job like a real macho (you know what I mean). I played on some Prokofiev and Debussy (hey, I am a snob, remember) and cleaned the whole place up and down. The result - the tired leftovers of my body. Next time the lady comes back I am going to be real nice with her and say something good in Italian or Peruvian (haha)

Please, feel free to leave mocking comments.

Boris

Torino or the art of black magic....

2007-08-08T16:21:00.000+01:00

August seems to be rather dull in Piemonte and I besides working in the office I try to go out a bit, meet new people (whoever is left in Torino) and learn Italian. In other words - looking for new ways of entertaining myself. Could it be that I am a little bored but I was amazed to find out that according to legends Torino has been the centre for magical energy and occultism in Europe (should you wish to read more, you can do it here).

This finally convinced me that there are no coincidence and I should finally embrace my supernatural side (nobody said so far: "Boris, come, join the darkside!", I am just being metaphorical). Torino is a lovely baroque city with a very aesthetic architecture but unless you make some research you don't really think about the gargoyles, the demonic heads on the steet portals or the statues. The Savoy dynasty were quite fond of occultism (as any normal royal family, when they got terribly bored, they had to do something kinky) and invested heavily in Egyptian antiques supposed to have supernatural powers - I believe the stock market would have been a better idea considering how they eneded up.

Not to mention the statue on the beautifull piazza Statuto which some believe to represent he fallen angel Lucifer (quite popular as Satan). Not that I have started believing in those things, though knowing myself, maybe I should, but this does add a very romantic and mysterious charm to the story of Torino. In Italy every village, town and region have different legends and culture and sometimes even Italians are surprised to discover new thing about their country.

As I have said, I am waiting for friends and guests in Torino. You mates are all welcome - mail me, pack you stuff and I will be waiting fo you after September. And don't forget to take the crucifixes and the holy water.

Amin!

FREEDOM AT LAST!!!

2007-07-24T15:29:00.001+01:00

Today the Bulgarian medics that spent 8 years in a Lybyan prison were finally realeased and came back safely to Bulgaria.

For me this is a huge relief because it puts an end to this human, physical, political, ethnic, national and personal mess and tragedy. The 5 women were tortured and treated most awlfully in the Lybyan prison for whole 8 years and no mater what opinion people have, I am just glad that this is over.

A friend of mine today suggested that she is fed up with all this media attention because she thinks it's too much and she also believes that the medics, though not responsible for infecting Lybyan children with HIV, have other crimes. Whatever the case I just think no human being should ever abuse, torture, humilate and inflict pain upon another human being. The rest is just empty political chit-chat of people with no real problems.

Under the sun of Piemonte

2007-07-20T13:42:00.000+01:00

Well, there I go - 3 months in Italy already. I don't know whether I've shared this but I never really felt the cultural shock. First option is I have been so well prepared for it that it never really happened or....something else- here in Italy there are so many of the good things in Bulgaria and so few of the bad ones so it's not so hard to get used to it. Don't get me wrong - Italy is quite far from perfect - in my opinion this country is so much about tourism that many Italians think they are on vacation for life :) But still - the Dolce Vita is a fact. Another thing is that I really like the region I live in - Piemonte is a mix of Italian, French and Swiss culture and it has a unique cuisine and charm.

The last two weeks it's been so hot that I almost want to jump out in the window - even in the office where the air-conditioning is working it's very hot. I try to study Italian and do sports in the evening but it's not so easy when your brain is boiled.

As my plans go I will spend August here working (alone :( but somebody's got to support the European team) and will come back to Bulgaria for the whole month of September. So YES, start preparing people- I AM COMING!!! Everybody here tells me that I have started to act and look like an Italian - I hope it's a compliment - but let's see what happens when I come back home.

I got life

2007-07-13T15:28:00.000+01:00

This morning when I was going to work with the bus I listened to my favourite song on my mp3 player - "I got life" by Nina Simone. Nina is diffenitely my "best of all time singers" an she has the most spectacular voice ever. Listening to this song reminds me how little is needed to be happy:

"Ain't got no home, ain't got no shoes
Ain't got no money, ain't got no class
Ain't got no skirts, ain't got no sweater
Ain't got no perfume, ain't got no beer
Ain't got no mother, ain't got no culture
Ain't got no friends, ain't got no schooling
Ain't got no love, ain't got no name
Ain't got no ticket, ain't got no token
Ain't got no God

What about God?
Why am I alive anyway?
Yeah, what about God?
Nobody can take away

I got my hair, I got my head
I got my brains, I got my ears
I got my eyes, I got my nose
I got my mouth, I got my smile
I got my tongue, I got my chin
I got my neck, I got my booty
I got my heart, I got my soul
I got my back, I got my sex
I got my arms, I got my hands
I got my fingers, Got my legs
I got my feet, I got my toes
I got my liver, Got my blood

I've got life , I've got my freedom
I've got the life
And I'm gonna keep it
I've got the life
And nobody's gonna take it away
I've got the life "

the Video HERE

Ivrea

2007-07-08T11:23:00.000+01:00

Once you start having good weekends out of town - you don't see the end coming. Saturday was devoted to camping and enjoying a barbecue at the lower parts of the Alps in Piemonte - in the surroundings of the twon Ivrea (which is one hour away from Torino). Of course a BIG THANK YOU to LC Torino for the great time and fun.After that we went for a while at the house of the LCP Samantha where I met the infamous rabbit Osvaldo:
We spend the evening at the really lovely and romantic town of Ivrea which was incredibly crowded because it was the annual festival and celebration of the town. When I saw the small cafes and all the Italians conversing and having fun in the streets it just felt that I am watching again "Roma" from Fellini. See a postcard attached for I have a series of too crappy pictures.
I had the most fantastic pizza ever - with proschuto and gorgonzola cheese (please, don't hate me!) and then a good cup of Italian coffee. I don't know how to put it in simple words but Italy is a country of sensual ravishment and series of culinary orgasms. I am beginning to understand what Dolce Vita really means!

Prisoners of love....

2007-07-06T09:18:00.001+01:00

Find out for yourself- latest fashion in Torino(maybe Italy too) is when a couple is in love they put a padlock on the rail of a bridge. Eventually this is seen by another couple and they add another padlock. The whole spectacle goes on until the rail is overburdened with padlocks or until a guy like me decides it is something worth taking picture of!

Generally not fond of this type of romantic shit (it's pure waste of time and resources) but I have to admit it is a thoughtful symbol and it makes one hell of an artsy picture.

My brand new....

2007-07-03T16:18:00.000+01:00

If there is one brand of sunglesses I love, it is RayBan. Come to daddy!!! Now they are mine :)

WOW - had a fantastic weekend!

2007-07-01T17:40:00.000+01:00

Title says it all - this weekend I went with AIESEC Torino to (and near) Asti, which is a lovely small town near Torino. The occasition was to celebrate the new EB team mandate(the so called New Year's Eve). We stayed at the house of a funny AIESEC guy called Fabio - a big nice house with a view at the Alps. But before that we had dinner with some great sea food and Piemonte wine at an open space restaurant. Later there was some disco and then we moved to Fabio's house for drinking games. See results in the morning :)
Somewhere between the second bottle of wine and the beer I met the sweet and cuddly dog Asha(see pic) - again got myslef thinking of Uma....really miss herThe Sunday was dedicated to the swimming pool in Asti - had a lovely day getting tanned, swimming and playing beach volleyball - hardly I am damn good at it, just the Italians don't make much of sport monsters ( I tend to forgive them). Had really a great laugh and spend my weekend really well.

Now I am tired as hell(slept only 4 hours), my bones ache, my head is spinning and I can't spell my name right but I am happy :)

The Egyptian museum

2007-06-27T09:33:00.000+01:00

Believe it or not Torino has the 2nd largest museum of Egypt history and artifacts in the world. From what I know the Savoy dynasty have been quite fond of Egyptian culture and collected all sorts of artifacts and manuscripts during the colonial days of Italy. I was quite surprised when a friend told me that for a very long time Torino has been a centre of ocult sciences and dark magic - come to think of it, it doesn't really look like a coincidence me coming here :)

The museum was truly enjoyable - quite amazing to know that people had such an advanced civilization 4 000 years ago - anciant Egyptians were terrific at such things as architecture, building monument and pyramids, agriculture, cosmectics and ripping your intestines while you are still alive as well as many other wonders of modern civilization. AMAZING!
Feel free to look at the pictures

The Macchiaioli

2007-06-27T09:10:00.000+01:00

One of the most important galleries and exhibition spaces in Torino is Palazzo Bricherazio where I went to see an exhibition of the Macchiaioli. The Macchiaioli are the Italian impressionists (not as famous as their French colleauges). If you truly want to educate yourself about them, feel free to do it here. I myself have never been fond of Impressionistic style - I find it too light and too sentimental (for some reason I am fond of dark, intellectual art - but hey, that's me :P ) but I have to admit some of those painting catch an eye.

I was quite surpised to find out that the Macchiaioli precede the French Impressionists (probably it's the overwhelming French desire to be the first in everything) and that their art stretches from natural landscapes and rural scenes (I hope you are fond of cows) to urban places and exploration of social issues.

When I left the exhibitions I realized how much history of art likes to repeart itself - an artist starts his life full of ideals and visions in opposition of the existing academic standards and ends up disappointed and disillusioned of life and people. In a a way we are all so lucky because if so many artists hadn't fucked up their lives(some quite successfully - thank you Vincent!) we wouldn't be able to admire so many great masterprieces.

Back again

2007-06-27T08:57:00.000+01:00

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that there are actually living people that read my blog - thanks guys, I really appreciate it and I am especially happy when you leave comments. Apologies for not posting anything for such a long time but I have really been busy working for global capitalism.
For the last several weeks I have enjoyed cultural events mostly ( lots of them in Torino) - above you will find 2 of the exhibitions I visited - you can also see the pictures here.

C'est moi :)

2007-06-14T12:34:00.000+01:00

LOST on an island

2007-06-14T09:09:00.000+01:00

Well, I honestly love this joke. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do:

"There is a beautiful deserted island in the middle of nowhere and the following people are stranded:
2 men and 1 woman for each of the following nations: Italy, France, Germany, Greece, England, Poland, Japan, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Russia.

The first Italian man has killed the other Italian man for the woman.
The two French men and the French woman are living happily together in a "menage a trois".
The two German men have a strict weekly schedule of when they alternatewith the German woman.
The two Greek men are sleeping with each other and the Greek woman is cooking and cleaning for them.
The two Englishmen are waiting for someone to introduce them to the English woman.
The Polish men took a long look at the endless ocean, one look at the Polish woman, and started swimming.
The two Japanese men have faxed Tokyo and are waiting for instructions.
The two American men are contemplating the virtues of suicide, whilethe American woman keeps on bitching about her body being her own, the true nature of feminism, how she can do everything that they can do,about the necessity of fulfilment, the equal division of householdchores, how her last boyfriend respected her opinion and treated hermuch nicer and how her relationship with her mother is improving. But at least the taxes here are low and it is not raining.
The two Australian men beat each other senseless fighting over theAustralian woman, who is checking out all the other men, after calling them both "bloody wankers".
Both New Zealand men are searching the island for sheep.
The two Irishmen began by dividing their island Northside-Southside andsetting up a distillery. They don't remember if sex is in the picture because it gets sort of foggy after the first few litres of coconut-whiskey, but at least they know the English aren't getting any.
The first Russian man married the Russian woman and divorced her. He is the best customer of the Irish distillery.
The other Russian man made money by killing the Italian and arranging exit visas for the Poles. With that money he acquired a controlling 33.4% stake in the Irish distillery including the worldwide distribution rights to the English and he hired the Greeks as salesagents. He employs both Germans as bodyguards (for himself and his Russian girlfriend) and has promised the Polish woman that she canbecome the maid of their first child. He regularly sees the American woman "to learn English".
In the meantime, the French still think they're alone on the island."

A dog's life!

2007-06-04T08:25:00.000+01:00

A little apology about the previous post - the Sunday was quite sunny and I actually managed to spend a good day outside. I went to the Torino exhibition centre Lingotto to see a canine exhibition (most of you are aware of my passionate fondness for dogs). Believe it or not the International Fair in Plovdiv looks better than Lingotto. The exhibition was really fantastic but I got a bit sad because I realized how much I miss my beloved Uma (about Uma, some other time...) Anyway, I am posting some photos of some of the sweetest, funniest and most impressive dogs. Enjoy!!!

Raining in Italy

2007-06-02T08:53:00.000+01:00

This weekend seems to raining again which probably means that my 2 days-off are going to be screwed again (for it rained the previous weekend too). This whole thing brought up the environemental issue which seems to be a big media hit for the last year. I have always been a concerned environmentalist (though not a fanatic) and at least I am happy to see when something is being done. It seems that the European Union is the only world power concerned with global warming right now. I don't want to turn my blog into a pro-EU propaganda machine (lots of things about the EU I don't like) but point is someone should really try to kick the ass of USA, China and India (which seem to be the biggest pollutors today). This planet is in big trouble and at least fucked up weekends can wake up the civil sosiety and make change happen.
What is left for me is to use less electricty, to print less paper in the office and keep hoping that I can spend my weekend at least reading in the park near the Olympic stadium in Torino( see picture below).

P.S. Go Angela, go! Don't let that asshole surprise you from behind!

8 1/2

2007-05-27T11:38:00.001+01:00

I have never tried to hide it (just the opposite) but I am a huge admirer of the art of Federico Fellini. Frankly I consider him to be the greatest film director that ever lived. I have watched more than 15 of his movies (several times) and the more I watch them, the more enchanted I become with them.One of my favourite movies is 8 1/2 (Otto e mezzo) and although it is considered deeply intellectual it impresses mostly with its powerful imagery and vision. There are 2 moments that I really love in this movie and I have watched them over and over again.The first is when the main character Guido (starring Marcello Mastroianni) is a little boy and he goes with his friends from school to see a gypsy prostiture called Saraghina dancing the Rumba on the seashore. The dance of Saraghina is truly amazing - she is an unattractive but a lustful and demonic woman but what you see on her face is the pure passion to dance, to feel free and to be admired. She manages to capture the imgination of the boys and later a priest tells Guido: "Don't you know that Saraghina is the devil"

The other scene is when Guido starts imagining that he lives in a big house with all the women he met in his life - his wife, his mistress, his sister-in-law, his aunt, a stewardess he met on a flight to Coppenhagen and many more. He is the master of the house and all women love him and obey him. This is a story about an insecure intellectual who puts himself in the centre of the world but the imagery of the movies is brilliant. My favourite scene is when his women give him as a present a sexy black girl who starts dancing the Rumba for him (the same dance as Saraghina). Truly this is one of the most famous scenes in film history. It is not about men dominating over women - this is about the admiration and adorating that Fellini has for all women -the wat they enchant him and inspire him.... I recommend this movie to anyone who believes that cinema is not just a 2 hour kill-time entertainment but real art. In the future I plan to continue writing in brief about Fallini - I just hope that someone will take interest.

Just milk?

2007-05-24T09:24:00.000+01:00

Here in Italy I have discovered something truly interesting. This week when I was shopping in the supermarket, I was about to buy some milk and I looked at its expiration date by chance. The label said that the milk would go bad in 3 days. The first thing I though was "I have to drink it all just for 3 days". Then I started looking for other kinds of milk and I found another package which was supposed to be milk with extended expiration date which was....6 days. And then the bell rang in my head- I recalled that back in Bulgaria I had been buying milk with more than 3 or 4 MONTHS expiration period. If you are a real Bulgarian patriot you might think: "This is because our milk is stronger than lame Western milk". I wish I were all that optimistic... It horrified me what exactly Bulgarian milk producers put in the milk to make it last for so long. I mean... you don't really expect that organic food would survive in the fridge for more then 10 days. And then all other bells started ringing in my head (really noisy, I tell you) - I remember when Bulgaria joined the EU, there were those huge protests and complaints that the EU does not allow Bulgarian farmers to export milk to the internal market. Bulgarian producers were shown as victims of the greedy, cruel, imperialistic EU. How about Bulgarian consumers ....

This whole experience disgusted me to the point that everytime I buy something I read the label in details. Luckily, in the EU there is a law that forces producers to provide information about their products... Luckily!!!

Pasta über alles!

2007-05-22T08:44:00.000+01:00

One of the few successful events of my Italian existence - a nicely cooked, hot, delicious pasta! Usually my cooking is beyond terrible put this time I managed to make a simple recipe -just boil the pasta and put butter and tuna fish. I did enjoy it. After some time you start loving the pasta - Italians eat it all the time and I wonder how they don't get fat. On the other hand I have been trying to understand for 23 years why I don't get fat but all in vain. All guess it will all remain one of the big mysteries of our time - UFOs, pyramids, who killed Kennedy and I why the hell I don't put on any weight.
Anyway, who cares

The camera-man

2007-05-21T08:22:00.000+01:00

The moment of truth has come... No, I am not adopted, I just have a new camera :) It's an Olympus FE 210 and I am damn happy with it. I spend this weekend walking around town taking pictures of anything that catches my eye. You know what this means, from now on I can post any pictures I want - from porn to art, from sighseeing to my unsuccessful cooking efforts (actually that happens to often, so I guess it would be best to post when I manage to cook something right).
I am posting some of the pictures that I did in Torino yesterday - one of the train-station Porta Nuova and one of the Palazzo Reale in the city centre where the Savoy dynasty used to live (before they kicked them out).

All my pictures available can be accessed easily by clicking this link HERE. I promise I will be updating them as often as I can. Check them out and tell me what you think!

Journey to Budapest

2007-05-17T08:07:00.000+01:00

If you work for an international company, you kind of suspect that you might have to travel abroad. But even I was surprised when I had to go to Budapest (the capital of Hungary if you are still wondering) to attend an international IT conference with people from all over Europe. It was really great (despite for the fact that I got a bit sick) but the whole event was very educational and not to mention that Budapest is a beautiful city (don’t tell anyone but I like Prague more). Anyway, I just hope that you enjoy the pictures – one of the them is from the Hungarian parliament on the Danube river and the other one is an impressive monument on the hill across the river.

And by the way – if you miss the good old Boris, you might get happy to see some pictures. This is me, a bit unfocused but still with that charming, pervert, jolly smile – trying to look as professional as I can. The other one is me and my Italian manager Marisa – she is totally great and I am not saying that because she reads my blog. She is totally hilarious, great personality and an amazing professional - a 150% effective working machine.

To be continued….
A dopo, ragazzi!

Life in Italy

2007-05-15T16:25:00.000+01:00

Well, it is kind of ironic, you try to go on an internship in a Nordic country and you end up on the other side of Europe in the most Mediterranean country. Anyway, who says I don't enjoy it :).

There are things about Italy that I really love:

1. Art - really, there is no other country with such a deep history in art, culture and having so many masterpieces on a square kilometer :). And everybody knows that France sucks anyway...

2. Food - the famous PASTA is just macaroni that people eat for dinner (not with jam though) however the Italians have the most fantastic types of cheese in the world (I told you I didn't like the French, so don't even mention it). And let's not forget the great wine and the amazing coffee that can kill an elephant or wake up a dead man (it is not known how the dead man will drink the coffee and what will do after he wakes up, it's just an expression, you know). Damn Italians drink it for less them a minute and I have it for 10 minutes in order not have a heart attack (it is VERY, VERY, VERY strong).

3. Friendly people – Italians are one of the few European nations that are not overly nationalistic or suffer from cultural elitism. I am constantly amazed how incredibly friendly, hospitable, easy-going they are. In a certain way I think they are pretty much like Bulgarians but lacking the typical Balkan rudeness or malice.

There are things about Italy that I don’t really love:

Well…..who says life is perfect. I don’t want to bitch about it, as I told you, I really like it in Italy but some things are hard to swallow (or easy since I am Bulgarian). Watch that movie which makes a comparison with Italians and other Europeans and tell me, does it remind of something.

Italians VS Europeans

P.S. Some of these are actually true. Hell is a place organized by Italians, as you might have heard.

Boris on the run

2007-05-15T15:32:00.000+01:00

Well, this is me (BORIS), right now in Torino, Italy. Probably I want to say a lot things ot maybe I have nothing to say but i intend to use this blog to express my thoughts and give some info on what is going on with me.

I'd be happy if people feel free to post comments (if they don't feel free, it's their problem and mainly psychological) and keep me up-to-date with what is going on with them.

Just in case anybody is wondering, this is one of the most famous buidlings in Torino - La Mole Antonelliana