Give it a try. Literally

Would you like to try ukrainian borscht, georgian khinkali or kazakh manty? Or do you have some other type of food that you have heard of, but never got a chance to try? There is no need to travel abroad to enjoy diverse foods. AUBG has an easy solution - International Taste Fest. The Fest is the closing event of the International week and is a celebration of the diversity related to dishes and meals.
This year the event attracted 19 participating countries and hundreds of curious and hungry students. The participants were the following: Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Netherlands, Ukraine, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Brazil, Mongolia, Azerbaijan, Albania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Serbia, Moldova, Belarus, USA, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan.

 

The format of the event followed its best traditions. One by one the countries gave a short description of the prepared dishes and invited the audience to their tables. After the happy students with full plates took their seats, the representatives of each of the participating countries performed a short national dance. However, this year's event had a twist - the presence of a chef-cook from Sofia. The cook took a look at the dishes prior to the beginning of the Fest and nominated the tables for certain categories, ranging from "desserts" to "decoration."

The event ended with dancing, singing and international conversations :)

The link to the event on Facebook

What Is Your Talent?

What can be more fascinating than discovering that your friends have a talent you had no idea about?

That is what happened at the Talent Show, held as a part of the International Week on 20 February. The event took place in the ABF Theatre and gathered the full hall of students and professors. Melody Gilbert and Mark Wollemann, two members of the AUBG faculty were the hosts of the two-hour show.

The event featured 18 individual and group performances. Students demonstrated all kinds of talents, from singing to cards magic. Some of the participants went further than just showing their skills and abilities and promoted their country in front of the fascinated audience. For example, the student from Azerbaijan Shamil Mustafayev sang a national song and danced a traditional dance. The participant was accompanied by his fellow student Tamerlan Hajizada, who carried the Azerbaijan flag onto the stage and waved it during the performance.

 

Photos by Ann Snesareva

In addition to the undiscovered talents, the show featured some prominent performers, such as the AUBG Dance Crew and the beat boxing team of Sergey Zhelezko and Nepes Nepesov. At the end of the show, every participant got a certificate and a round of applause.

The Talent Show is always an entertaining part of the International Week, and we are looking forward to the rest of the events!

The link to the event on Facebook

She Said:"Yes"

And so did he. 

Miracles do happen in everyday life, and college friends can discover they are the other halves of each other. That is what happened to Taisiya Merkulova and Yan Hristov, a couple from AUBG, who made an important step in their lives. On 14 February, 2014 the merry holiday of St. Valentine Taisiya (Tess) and Yan officially united their lives. The ceremony took place in Mladezhki Dom, where around 40 closest friends were present.

The just married have know each other for a long time, but realized they were more than just friends and started dating in November 2011. What led the two together was the participation in the musical "Grease," where Tess and Yan were dancers. As Tess recalled, their relationship developed at a fast pace. Only after two weeks the couple started living together and eventually rented an apartment. Mutual ideas and projects followed soon after. The couple started traveling together, got pets, became the administrators of the Musical. The decision to get married came naturally, because the couple had been living together for quite a long time. However, no matter how logical this step might seem, the phrase "Will you marry me?" can never be said or heard in a calm and relaxed way.

"It was all very natural. It doesn't mean I wasn't surprised when he asked me though. I don't feel different because we both decided that we always want to be together way way before", Tess says about her new status of a wife.

The two are happy together and are ready for new adventures and stages of their life. Both Tess and Yan are graduating this May and already have a plan on what to do after.

And we wish them endless love and luck in their future life. We do.

Photos by Oleh Stolyar

The Prophecy You Can Explore

     Whether you believe in supernatural powers or not, there is a number of people, who have been widely acknowledged and admired for their non-standard abilities. The so-called extra-sensual individuals or people with supernatural abilities have become an inseparable part of our lives, be those predictions from the deceased or modern TV shows. One of such people is Baba Vanga, the woman known for her prophesies and healing abilities.

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     Born in 1911, Vanga was an ordinary child, who liked playing doctor with her friends, by examining them and prescribing herbs that would heal the imaginary illnesses. However, the miracle happened, when the girl got lifted up by a tornado and was thrown in the field. After long and careful search, the girl was finally found. However, her eyes were severely damaged by the dust and sand and could no longer see clearly. It was after the accident that the woman acquired her extraordinary abilities. She said she was helped by invisible creatures, the origin of which she, however, could not explain.

     Why this topic is relevant to the blog is because the sacred place, where Baba Vanga lived is located much closer than I thought on my first visit to Bulgaria. As it turned out, Vanga's house is located in Petrich, a small town one hour away from Blagoevgrad. Visitors can not only come close to the house of the famous prophet, but even go inside, touch and explore the sacred place. The town even has Baba Vanga Museum, where tourists can get to know the life of the woman better, take a look at her belongings and dig deeper into the mysterious story.

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      And there is no need to have a car; a great number of busses can take you to the town seven days a week. So, if you are a curious visitor fond of mysterious legends and tales, take a backpack, buy a ticket and enjoy the ride on the way to the cradle of prophesies.

A Place to Go

"I am so bored! There is nothing to do in Blagoevrad!" The more time we spend in this little town, the more often we are likely to hear words like that. Same places, same people. Juliany, Underground, Piano Bar, some other clubs, cafes, bowling and a cinema. This might not be an exhaustive list, but it is relatively close to the full range of the free-time activities one can enjoy in Blagoevgrad. While it might be satisfactory for a first- or second-year student, it might get too "worn-out" for someone, who has been in the town for more years.

But there is always a way out! ;)

As has been mentioned in the introductory post, the main point of this blog is to counter the misconception that there are no fascinating things close to us. The same holds true for the entertainment. Here is the solution for those tired of the daily routine and same evening activities - Zayova Polyana, the highest point of Blagoevgrad. The place is known mostly for the giant cross symbolizing Christianity and erected to protect the citizens of the town. However, it is not only the cross itself that makes the place special. The meadow also gives an amazing overview of the entire town. Even though it is a long way on foot, a curious visitor can take a cab for a reasonable price and get to the cross within ten minutes. The best time to enjoy the view is the evening-night. Not only does Blagoevgrad shine with an array of colors and lights, but the cross gets lit up as well. Such a visit can become an unforgettable experience for a demanding visitor or simply someone tired of the daily hustle and bustle.

After all, it is the matter of time and desire to find an entertainment. Why not give a try to this idea, and who knows, maybe, it will become your daily time occupation?