Exciting News :)

I wanted to leave this post until the very end of the project. The reason is that it is something I have a personal interest in. Dance Crew. Being a part of this team I cannot be completely unbiased, but there is some news worth sharing. During this academic year the Crew has performed at different events, ranging from the SG parties to talent shows. There have also been two workshops organized in Fall'13 semester. In addition to these activities, the Dance Crew with the help of a talented JMC student Igo Myakotin shot a video for the song "Can't Hold Us" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.

Here is the AUBG Dance Crew video

And here is the original video

Now is the news! The Crew is working on yet another video. Igo Myakotin kindly agreed to help the Crew once again. The project does not have a promotional purpose. Rather is it a short entertaining video clip, full of dancing, bright emotions, tragedy and plot twists. The Crew and Igo spent two days shooting the video and are actively working on the final cut. Here are some pictures

 Photo by Igo Myakotin

 Photos by Daria Kuznetsova

Are you interested? Wait a little bit. The final version is coming soon. And trust me, it is worth waiting ;)

Have a great summer!

What I have learned

It is almost the end of the project, and high time to draw some conclusions. As you remember, the name of the blog is "Fascinating Around Us." Searching for new ideas to blog about weekly, I came to learn several useful life lessons. The ideas I am going to list can be applicable not only to a specific area of interest, but to the entire way of life.
Here are the things to keep in mind:
1. Be curious. Surprising events and news will not come knocking on your door and saying:"We are here." It is you, who is in charge of how rich and bright your life is. So, get off your chair, leave the laptop aside and go looking for interesting ideas.
2. Don't give up. When it seems that nothing works out and there is no point in trying, do not give in to this thought. Albert Einstein once said:" Since childhood we are taught that this and that is impossible. But there is always an ignorant person, who does not know it. He is the one who makes a breakthrough." If something does not go the way you thought it would, stay positive. You are moving towards your goal. Maybe, it is just the road along which you are walking towards the goal that is different.

http://www.21st-century-christianity.com/images/never-give-up-11-5.jpg

3. Don't take things for granted. Very often we do not appreciate what we have until we lose it. Do not wait for such moment. Value every second, every event in your life. If it is good, congratulations! You are a happy person. But if something bad happens, do not let it get you down. Treat this event as a valuable life experience.

http://i2.wp.com/www.bizpenguin.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/be-grateful.png?resize=850%2C370

4. Finally, following the main idea of the blog, look around. There are so many wonderful things close to us. They are everywhere, and all we need is just to pay more attention, to listen more carefully, or maybe, just to discover that there is something nearby.

http://karryon.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/albert-einstein.png

Look around, and what you find might strike you in the most remarkable way ;)

Update on Talent

Remember Liuba and her amazing drawings? If you liked that story, here is some interesting info for you ;) An update on her works. Despite a very tense period of the semester, creativity and art know no limits. What can be better than spending your free time doing the things that you like? Here are some of her latest works with descriptions.

Kit Harington. The main actor in the "Pompeii" movie and one of the main characters in the "Game of Thrones."

Emma Watson. Do I even need to introduce her? :)

The Illuminati sign. The eye in the triangle was a symbol of a secret Bavarian society, which opposed superstitions, prejudices, advocated gender equality and supported women's education.

Do I even need to introduce him? Part 2 :)

Finally, my personal favorite - Ted. Ted is both the name of the movie and the main character, a stuffed bear. The toy belongs to a boy, and on his birthday the kid makes a wish that his favorite buddy be able to talk. As it happens in movies, the bear does come alive. He is friendly and caring, and loves the boy endlessly, but he can be a real "bad boy." What I like about this picture is that it looks incredibly real, as if not even drawn on a piece of paper.

This is a short update just to keep you entertained during the busy end of the semester. And if you are looking for more art and inspiration, stay tuned :) 

Have a great day!

Looking for a Job?

Are you a graduating senior and feel at a loss about what to do after? Or a cautious junior and starting to think about your future in advance? Or, maybe, you are a curious freshman\sophomore looking for communication and eager to touch on the real life professional world and talk to the field experts. In any case, the Job Fair could satisfy your needs. The annual event took place on 2 April in the ABF Sports Hall. The Fair started at 8 a.m. and attracted more employers than ever before. Among the participants were such well-known companies as Coca-Cola, Deloitte, Nestle, KPMG and many others.

Photo by American University in Bulgaria

The students could talk to the representatives, submit their resumes and apply for job interviews. At the end of the event the companies scheduled conversations with some candidates to check the students' suitability for the positions. For those not so interested in finding the job, the companies provided their promotional materials and samples of the products, such as chocolates, pens, notebooks and stickers.
The Fair ended at 5 p.m., but will take place again in the following academic year. In case you missed the opportunity this time, stay tuned and good luck next Spring.

More information about the event can be found here 

All Shook Up

AUBG community had a chance to enjoy yet another masterpiece of students' creativity and hard work. Musical "All Shook Up," selected by the student community at the beginning of the academic year, joined the list of AUBG productions along with the famous "Moulin Rouge" and "Memphis." 

The story tells about a young mechanic Natalie, who lives in a small town and dreams of a love of her life. The girl has the best friend Dennis, who is secretly in love with her, but is too shy to reveal his feelings. One day the town is shaken up by the visit of a handsome roustabout Chad, who immediately becomes the apple of Natalie's eye. The story is full of love triangles and funny actions of the desperate characters.

ABF theatre opened its doors for the premiere on 31 March and fascinated the audience with its decorations, music and talent of the participants. The main characters are played by Tsetsi Dimitrova, an AUBG freshman from Blagoevgrad, and an AUBG alumni Eftim Eftimov. The crew had one more alumni Georgi Jan Petrov, and the rest of the cast were regular full-time students. 

Photo by Darya Yanitskaya

The theatre held the performance for three more days: 1,2, and 3 April, after what the crew set off on a tour around Bulgaria. We wish them successful performances and a great time!

You can find additional information about this and other AUBG Musicals here

Celebration of Art

Are you tired of constant studying and preparing for midterms and projects? Do you feel overwhelmed by numbers, formulas, and equations? Or, maybe, your eyes are red from endless pages and tiny letters that you have to read in order to write a paper? It is high time you took a break and changed the activity, and the AUBG community is there to help you. Starting from 29 March, the University entered a Spring Artfest period, which will last for a month and will end on 29 April. Throughout the month the students will be able to celebrate art and creativity at multiple events held on campus and in the Main Building.

March 30 was the second day of this Spring Festival and offered students an opportunity to attend a music concert at the Main Building. Shetereva-Simeonova piano duo performed for an hour in front of the fascinated public. The duo played 21 pieces, each of which was characterized by exceptional level of complexity. In addition to their concert activity, Dessislava Shtereva and Evgeniya Simeonova also teach at the National Music Academy of Sofia.

 If you missed the concert of this virtuous duo, there is still an opportunity for you to enjoy an art event. The next crucial date to put on the schedule is 5 April, when the student swill be able to attend the AUBG Voice Recital.  

Help the World

If you have a desperate need to help make the world a better place, but do not know how to contribute, do not worry. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has already thought about it for you. The organization has introduced the so-called Earth Hour, a 60-minute long time period during which the world population has to turn off the lights in support of Mother Nature. The first Earth Hour was first implemented in 2007 in Sydney and lasted from 8:30 p.m. till 9:30 p.m. This time slot has become widely accepted, and today, nature-conscious people all over the world turn off the lights at this time on the last Saturday of March.
In its best traditions, AUBG followed the trend and took part in the worldwide movement. However, the University community did it their own way by holding an Earth Hour Concert. The concert is a closing event of the environmental week annually organized on campus. This year, the concert took place on 29 March and gathered students between the Balkanski Academic Center and the ABF. Before the beginning, the members of the audience received candles to light up when the Earth Hour started. The concert featured many AUBG students as well as people unrelated to the University. In particular, the kids from the local orphanage got a chance to perform on stage.

 The event was an inspiring ending of the Environmental week and however small, but a contribution to the movement for nature support.

More information on Earth Hour can be found here