The bus police caught thislady ( the one leaning on the window) on the bus without a ticket and they tried to get her off to write a her a fine/ ticket, but she refused to move so they finally gave up.  They got off the bus and she rode a couple more stops and then got off.  I guess she does not fear the Bulgarian police the way we do....of course, these were just bus police !! I ALWAYS buy a ticket...taking no chances !!!!



This is the road in front of the New Bulgarian University.  I wanted to show the horse cart but didn 't want them to see me taking the photo.  These folks are  called Roma...I think they are who we thought of as the gypsies.  Anyhow, they are clearly the underclass and live separately and very poorly.

This and the next photo were taken at a concert at the New Bulgarian University.  They set up and played in this gallery where these old painting are displayed.  I was told they are owned by a minister of some part of the current government and he is also on the board of trustees of the University.  I chatted with the bass player at the intermission and she gave me two tickets to another concert in Sofia the following night.  She is very charming and a great bass player.

This is Stanka,  the art therapist at the clinic where I am working .  She is doing a puppet show with  the kids and these are the puppets.  She made them...she is holding the owl, below is the turtle and at the bottom is the frog  She used leather and chunks of interesting wood burls, etc and painted on the eyes etc.  She is quite good with  the kids...they love when she comes.

Clearly this is a different experience than Nicaragua, but good, in very different ways.  I have been here a month already...time does fly.  We got snow last night so it is beautiful here now.  I have learned to say, " samo angliski" which means "only english."  Several people have come up to me to ask questions in Bulgarian and I have to say this...I always follow up with " isvinete" which means "sorry."  I think they understand and everyone has been really nice.