Missing: Natalee Holloway

last Sunday, my family and I watched the movie "Natalee Holloway", presented by LMN. It was about the story of young american girl (Natalee Holloway), who vanished on May 30, 2005 during a high scool graduation to Aruba. According to the advertisment all parents should watch the film.Very true.I was totaly moved by the tragedy of Natalee and the grief of her parents.How shouldn't I? I have a teenager daughter, too.It could happen to anybody at anytime.

Natalee was last seen leaving a bar with Joran Van der Sloot,a Dutch teenager. He was arrested ,but released pretty soon,because there was not enough evidence to keep him in jail.The main suspect of the case turned to be a pathological liar. Van der Sloot's testimonials varied from leaving the victim helpless on the beach to dumping her in the pond.Still,maybe he is the only one, who knows the truth...
Almost a week after I have seen the movie I can't prevent thinking of this tragedy,that caused the loss of a young life,full of promises for the future. I have such sympathetic feelings for the parents who are totaly devastated but tireless in their efforts to find out the truth and fight for justice.This very touching story has been watched by an average of 3.2 million viewers and I hope it would enhance people's awarness of such dangers

A Tribute to the Heroes

With today's post I would like to show my immense respect and admiration toward all the people who participated in the mission to free from captivity Captain Richard Phillips, as well as the captain himself. Phillips, captain of a U.S. cargo ship which was attacked by Somalian pirates last week, showed great bravery dealing with this situation by letting himself be captured in order to save his crew. A very smart and a courageous man, and a true professional, Captain Richards put himself in imminent danger and proved that he is fully capable of protecting his sailors. The sailors themselves say that, "he is a true hero" who saved their lives. At the same time, he is very modest, saying that the U.S. military are the real heroes.

Furthermore, the Navy Seals carried out an amazing operation. They eliminated the three pirates keeping captain Richards captive using only three bullets and he was freed within minutes. They say that the training, which costs $500,000, is worth every penny when it comes to saving a human life.

Last, but certainly not least, I also admire President Obama for his commitment to end the scourge of the Somali pirates and his adequate action in a time of crisis. Without dramatizing the case more than needed or calling press conferences, Obama gave the Navy Seals a green light to perform the operation, and in this way, he and his administration passed the first test of national security.

Bulgarian Traditions III: Nestinarstvo

Finally, it seems as thought spring is just around the corner, and as the birds chirp and the grass begins to turn green I can't help, but think about St. Constantin and Helen, a Bulgarian holiday celebrated during this time of year (May 21st). Although, this holiday is significant to me for many reasons, one of which includes my niece being born on that day, perhaps the most memorable aspect of it is Nestinarsto. This tradition of walking on smoldering embers barefoot is one which I remember watching and being amazed at as a little girl.

Nestinarstvo is a tradition the origins of which can be traced both to the Eastern Orthodox Church and to other pagan traditions. There are only a few people who possess the talent to walk on such embers and not get burnt. In fact, those who can are considered masters and perform every year, until they are no longer able, at which point their duties are often passed on to their children. They are able to not only walk, but also dance on the embers as though they were doing so on the regular ground. The embers are usually arranged in a circle and the nestinari are joined by numerous spectators as they dance their way into the night.

Bulgarian Traditions II : Orthodox Easter

Today I will present another bulgarian tradition - Orthodox Easter.This year this holliday is on April,19.As an orthodox christian I am pretty familiar with the details of this celebration, called"Velikden" in Bulgaria.This holliday commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead three days after his crusifixion on Good Friday.According to the tradition, on Sunday people go to the official church service.At midnight, when the ceremony is finished, everybody is supposed to carry home a candle while it is still burning.Colored eggs are cracked after the service and during the next days.The person with the strongest egg will be the healthiest and the luckiest one during the year.The Easter breads are another orthodox tradition.These have specific name "kozunak" and can be big or small, but allways decorated.Eggs and Easter breads are given as a gift to relatives,friends,neighbors etc.The Orthodox Paschal greeting is "Christ is Risen!" The traditional answer is"Indeed He is Risen."
Although the Easter eggs are dyed in diffrent colors, the red one is a symbol of the holliday.The tradition of the red eggs is connected to a specific legend:Mary Magdalene went all over to spread the news that Jesus had risen.When she reached Rome,she took an egg to Tiberius' palace as a gift and handed it to the Emperor with the greeting:Christ has risen from the dead!"The Emperor answered:"How could anyone ever rise from the dead! It is as impossible as that white egg to turn red right now!"While Tiberius was talking, the egg in Mary Magdalene's hand changed color until it finally became bright red.Ever since this greeting has remained to express the belief of orthodox christians in the resurrection.

Bulgarian Traditions I: Martenitzi

Today, through this blog entry I would like to present to you a Bulgarian tradition with is specific to the month of March. It consists of wearing red and white decorations. They are usually made out of yarn, but many also include wood, plastic, beads, etc. Some are plain, while others are detailed and intricate. Martenitzi can take on the form of bracelets, pins, necklaces, and some are even designed so that they can be hung up around your house. The most common and easiest to make are ones which are made of a red and a white thread twisted together. However, some are much more complex and I believe that they are true pieces of art.

This tradition originated hundreds of years ago, dating back to pagan times. It is widely believed that the red in the martenitzi stands for sunshine, fertility, and good health. Simultaneously, the white is said to stand for the outgoing snow and to symbolize virtue, purity, and wisdom. For this reason, as well as to welcome spring, people exchange martenitzi with their friends and relatives on March 1st each year. They are worn until the first day of spring or until the first stork is seen. Then, they are either hung up on a tree, thrown in a river, or put under a stone for good luck and prosperity.

If you ever find yourself in Bulgaria in the middle of March, don't be surprised if you find yourself in the midst of a whole lot of red and white. Join in the fun as Bulgarians wish you good health, luck, and happiness.

Here are a few examples of martenitzi:

Am I addicted to Pepsi?

Am I addicted to Pepsi? I don't know, but I could be. For many years Pepsi has been my favorite soft drink. I don't even remember the last time when I refused to have regular Pepsi. I would say that I like any kind of juices and soft drinks, but somehow I always end up picking Pepsi Cola. I might be addicted to the caffeine and it seems like a reasonable explanation. But why Pepsi? Many other products contain caffeine and I don't have cravings for them. It could be the taste or some secret ingredient, but it is a fact that I can't resist a glass of Pepsi. Lately, I have noticed that my kids love the taste of Pepsi, too. Of course, they don't drink it on a regular basis, but sometimes my daughter would pour some into a porcelain cup so it is not visible and my son would sneak and have a sip without my permission.

It was interesting for me to find out that a lot of people consider themselves addicted to Pepsi Cola and struggle to find ways to get rid of this habit. Different people give original advice on how to fight this Pepsi addiction. Starting tomorrow I will refer to my favorite drink as to a brown toxic liquid laced with tons of sugar chemicals and addictive drugs...maybe...

Thoughts about Tattoos

In these current times tattoos are very popular and 'stylish' for both men and women. There are bad aspects and perhaps a few benefits (which I seriously doubt) about these tattoos. Today, I am going to discuss some of the things one should consider about before getting a tattoo. Personally, I would never get one, so therefore I shouldn't be at all concerned about this, right? Wrong. I have two kids who have yet to fully develop their opinions on various topics such as this and I can't help, but constantly think about it. I am not trying to impose my views on anyone, but I would like to share the following list of possible consequences which tattoos can bring about:

- Risk of infections, diseases, excessive bleeding

- The inks and dyes used to produce the tattoo could cause redness, allergic reactions, psoriasis, etc.
- Tattoos could prevent one from getting certain jobs
- Tattoos are permanent. What if we decide we no longer like/want them at some point in our life?
- "Removal" requires a surgical procedure which is painful, costly, carries its own risk of complications, and isn't always effective.

I once heard that "Having one [a tattoo] doesn't make you a criminal, but all criminals have one" and I agree. I know that a lot of people like them and would be willing argue with me on this opinion and maybe even create a longer list of 'benefits' that tattoos offer. Although I respect their opinion, I am thinking of young people (my daughter's age) who often make the rash decision to get a tattoo just because their friends did. They might consider it cool, fancy, or just a way of expressing themselves. However, they should think twice before going through with something of this sort, as they may regret it later in life.

DID YOU KNOW?

Some people who have tattoos cannot have MRI tests because of the metal fibers contained in some inks used for tattoos.