Archive for the ‘Private Memoirs of Bimbus’ Category

After a Hard Year of Work in Bulgaria, Time to Head Back to Czech


2013
02.21

<<  Hi Liba, yah, it was quite crazy during Jens’s wedding, but I was glad to spend some time with him and hang out at his house. I keep forgetting to ask but I’d like to get a hold of some pictures as well. They do not have to be high quality, or all of them, but many of me and you guys, and then some goo ones. Hope you and your grandma remain healthy.

>>  That’s one of the reasons I keep inviting him to spend some time with me, to teach him how to be more independent thinking and to go after what he wants, once he discovers what that is, rather than waiting for his mommy to constantly blow his nose. I saw him when he was in Czech and couldn’t even recognise his deep voice on the phone, and was surprised how growed up he looked. But I guess it’s expected, since I didn’t seem him for so long. In any case he didn’t talk much as usual, and I might write pages of letters to him by email and he’d respond “dik” or something. I think his mother is poisoning his mind against me and she is winning a loser battle, and he is losing because of it as well. I haven’t mentioned this to him yet, and maybe never will, but I will certainly not turn into an emotional cripple if he never wants to see me again. As far as I am concerned he would be hurting himself much more than I. Anyway, I occasionally repeat my inviations to him, and if he always response so shortly he cannot expect too many letters from me. Perhaps you could email with him and it might make thing easier. Or maybe even give him partial lessons through email. He has internet and a computer at home (which I bought and set up for him), so he could study on his own time there. He needs to learn how to self-motivate himself, if he wants to accomplish anything. I’m really angry that Ilona sent the authorities after my mother. I didn’t even know they could do that. I told her she could send them after me. My mother has a different last name than me and it was entirely unnecessary. I was practically starving on the road, for one year I wasn’t even paying my own health insurance, just so I could cover alimony, and when I finally asked her and David to help me find work in the Czech Republic, they just dragged their asses, did nothing, and eventually I found out that they expected me to practically fall on my knees and beg for their help. This after so many years that I paid more than I had to, and gave them so much of my stuff before and when I left. So because they have this shit attitude they can rot. The Czech government will never get me. I even offered to hire David for a reasonable wage (more than 60 Kc per hour cash in hand), which they would have received secretly while I would still owe the Czech government for alimony. But he said he wouldn’t work until I first paid alimony. I assume they’re getting money from the government so this would only be bonus money for them. I can see how she’s feeding his mind with lazy ideas. So I have absolutely no remorse for their situation, and hopefully one day David will learn that such laziness and nothing will not get him very far in life. I think one summer of treeplanting with me will teach him some valuable lessons in life. Until then he’ll have to learn to raise a pinky finger to try and maintain some relationship with him. Otherwise I occasionally write to him and invite him again.

<< I’m in Bulgaria at the moment and plan to be about a year, since I signed a year’s contract for fast and cheap internet on my mobile. Looking forward to perusing the Black Sea once it warms up, and other parts of Bulgaria, as there are supposed to be many beautiful areas, and the country is super cheap everywhere. Now I’m staying in a pension for 5 Euro a day after I left a previous job (http://kenax.net/links/construction-chicks.html). After new year’s I should be going to the south eastern part of the country to stay with another friend and help him reconstruct his house. Started polishing my French and want to offer that instead of from Czech, cause the Czechs don’t pay much, and there isn’t really a lot of work in that language combination. But I’ve picked up some new clients, and until I feel confident enough with my French, I’ve managed to find a fair amount of work. I’m also developing some accounting software for one company, and it wants me to develop its website, so I’m getting cash from different sources and overall I find it rather interesting at the moment.

Yah, I write with K all the time, especially since I’m developing her online database for her. Once that is finished I want to make demo pages and hope that through that I’ll be able to find more customers. I find that type of work much more intelligent and interesting, and for a long time I’ve been trying to get away from translations, even though the pay can be quite good at times.

Well, good to hear from you. Wrote dad about one project I’m working on now (http://africa-charity-project.org/) but not sure if he got it. Was looking for sponsors from the rich west. I’ve been trying to get involved in charity for so long, but the responses from NGOs are so lame that I finally decided I’m just going to start my own projects. I’m getting excited about this one and hope to head down to Africa once my year is up in Bulgaria. That would be truly exciting and juicy traveling! Adio

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Well, I sent out emails to everyone asking for a loan so I could go treeplanting for summer of last year. The only ones that could help me were Fernando and Jim. I paid F back right after the summer with 25% interest as promised and in time for his wedding, but Jim I couldnt cause the season was shorter than expected, health insurance was high and unexpected, my boss jipped me out of 2,000 bucks and other factors, and I needed some money to survive, so I instead invited him for a free vacation in Cyprus. So actually I still owe him and the world’s financial crisis goes around in circles, but business is slowly picking up for me and I’m slowly paying off my mountain of debt. So essentially he bribed his way back into my life and I felt I owed it to him. Horrible eh?

yesh, im sorry too because he owes me a lot of money. anyways, i thought you were done with your friendship with him. what hanged your mind?

I guess it’s just Jim being Jim. Usually when I am not sure if someone is getting my emails I send to them from several sources, but I’ve got many emails for my work. If he just ignores you or blocks your email I guess there’s not much you can do. Sorry that it turned out this way dude.

cant wait to hear about it!

funny, if jim thinks he was wronged, why is he ignoting my emails?

 will dig up the explanation and send it to ya at some point. Rather funny and personally gratifying for me. Jimbo visited me in Cyprus for a month and was talking about your financial disagreement. Not sure I remember his point of view but he seemed to believe he was done wrong, or in the right or somethin. Otherwise we do email occasionally and I actually owe him some cash.

sorry to hear about the cold. but at least youre not in edmonton where it’s even colder! yeah, bulgaria is pretty cheap. i loved sofia. so are you going to fill me in on why you got fired? and are you still in touch with jim? he owes me a ton of money… its cold here dude. i was going to drive to Sicily after I got fired but calculated that I dont have enough gascash. Besides, I think I can live more cheaply here even with the pension. 2.5L bottle of beer in the grocery store for 1.3 Euro, yum yum. Truck is okay but needs some work and another reason why Im glad Im here – labour beautifully cheap here. Hope to polish it up before I split in a year. nice cows! sounds like you’ve been keeping busy. how’s the truck going? how come you’re not sleeping in that? In Bulgaria shortly after I got fired from this joint http://kenax.net/links/construction-chicks.html Long story but the world need justice and the foreman a good crack in the face. Now Im in a neighbouring pension for 5 Euro a day waiting for a friend to get back from China so I can stay at his house for free, until it warms up. Plan to stay in this country for a year and looking forward to the BS coast. that and my quick reflexes! where are you now anyway? maybe youre so fast on the court cause your skinny white ass slices through the air like a razor blade! hey, my white ass may be skinny but once i grab a squash racket slice like ninja and cut like a razor blade! that would be radical. Already have one friend who wants to join me – although not sure how much safer I will feel crossing African borders with a 60 year old man and your skinny white ass, heh heh hmm, interesting; i like it. if things dont work out in oz in feb when i get there i’ll come join you… will speak to someone i know who is doing some business with solar pannels and maybe he can help… hey dudes,  did I say I’m crazy? I know I’m crazy. Anyway, crazy people have crazy ideas and I’ve started thinking about the following. After three years on the road, surviving through internet on my mobile phone, internet café, wifi from marinas and so on, and solar panels on my roof, I started to think that this could be a feasible concept for Africa. I like to call it “One Laptop Per Village”,

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responding to your last text message and email, as some things cannot be squeezed into a simple sms. After I wrote my explanation of how things happened and I received what seemed like a blatant insinuation that I’m a prima donna, I kept my mouth shut and hoped that things would somehow be resolved during a face to face meeting. You never responded to any of my emails etc., saw your vans parked occasionally around town but never invited for beers, so what was I supposed to think? I didn’t appreciate that you docked my agreed wages after working for you for a week. This issue of paying me less while I was in Bulgaria never came up for half a year while we discussed this and while I saved up the 1500 Euro cash to get to you, nor during the month that I worked in Bulgaria before I went to Czech. I drove your truck there, paid for the gas there and back, arranged the papers which your contacts were not capable of, and was shocked that you expected me to pay for them as well. And then you called me BS when I said I could have flown out for much cheaper and stayed with numerous friends. Sure, I enjoyed the drive there but, like I wrote, I slept in the van the whole time because I did not want anything to happen to it.

Anyway, I still intend to pay back my debt to you, with interest as I offered, and I’ll work on your pages according to how you respond to my emails.

You write me a text that you’re “coming down from the mountain”, but do you expect me to run around to this pub or that looking for where you might be or where you might end up? When I received that text I stopped my cooking and was waiting. You couldn’t knock on the door or simply call me or something? In short I feel rather disappointed how things turned out. Gavin likes to blame me, saying that if I had simply agreed to work more hours I would have received my full wages and it would have been all okay. But that is not what we have agreed upon, was it? Before you left on your cruise you yourself said I could happily prune away at the trees until you got back and stay out of Gavin’s hair. But this was not the issue, as I wrote. When I repeated this to him, in front of Steve and Jane, Gavin stormed off and said, “either I go or he does”. This is not an issue of working more hours. He pot shot me in the mouth without warning and I slammed him in the face afterwards, as he quite deserved. This is BS treatment and I’m not impressed at all. Seems like you’re just making a joke out of me. For some time already I felt like a bit of a dog working there, I did not say anything, but once Steve told me he thought I was a good hard worker but that I was verbally shit on by you on a few occasions, I decided that it must have been a little too obvious for my liking. After he got paid he said he didn’t even want to spend any more time on the hill because he felt the arrogance was rife.

Since things could not have been resolved over a pleasant beer I just wanted to get this off my chest. I certainly deeply resent being called a prima donna.

If You Care Enough People Can Have a Good Time


2012
05.25

From the Private Memoirs of Bimbus.

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 Hey, if you’re looking for Bimbus Programmer, just email me at [email protected].

Great, gald you are happy. Is that program NEVER be compatible???? Is that you hoped for 1,500?? anyway, good progress, .

If I can make it compatible then I could probably charge between 1500 and 2500 for the software and would probably get a lot of people interested. Perhaps my programmer will still succeed, but losing faith. In any case I’m glad that I will get at least 300 and that the 150 came now when I’m practically out of cash.

You said you will have lost of work. Did you mean lots of work.?

I guess lots.

Will Roger not take you back? What did he say anyway? just curious. If you go chasing girls with that brute it make not much sense to me.

As I expected Roger does not want to jeopardise his operations and that brute is a whining baby and just does not want me there. I don’t really want to be there no either. Roger invited me out for dinner and he was there. Didn’t really want to talk to him but boys are boys and its better to just be civil and ignore the unpleasantness.

Are you alone in that pension?

The woman who owns the house lives downstairs and I basically have the upstairs to myself.

is that the people who had to go toEnglandand you housesit?

The woman is still working on going to England but I think she found someone else to housesit for you. In any case I should be able to afford this pension for a couple of months, and then I’ll be at my friend’s in the east part of Bulgaria.

Oh, by the way, I’m excited to have arranged a contract for internet on my mobile, so it’s cheap and I can be online all the time. 18 Euro a month for 5 gigs of transfer. Should be enough. Now I can look forward to driving up the Black Sea coast in the summer and checking out Bulgaria, which is supposed to have many beautiful parts. And it is very cheap here, so I think it will be a fun year.

Keep having good time, good luck and lots of work. It started to rain here, Vlad is working on the yard like crazy, now pressurewashing the rocks, could use you here. I am not at all interested in this future garden since it is not going to be mine and I worked so hard on so many already, even projects I used to like,. But I left my heart at West Point Place garden and can not get enthusiastic about any now. But as far as the house is concerned it is really beautiful, I do not have enough furniture and decorarions, Vlad will not allow anything remotly “peasant” or “cute”. It is all packed in so many boxes downstairs. I need a country house. Well, keep on dreaming Vlasta. But with Christmas approaching I am ready to mess up Vlads design here and pull out all my junk, as K called it once “your insane amount of Christmas decoration” ha ha ha. As far as K is concerned she has a selected memory and twists it the way that she always come out as the injured one. She does not care about anybody else anyway. Last week when Vlad had brithday she did not even call him. And she said “he does not care anyway” Well I know that he is the one who care more than anybody else I know. It is fine for him to give here presents. Anyway I do not know what is she talking about that I made here scrub my floors and baseboards. The ONLY time she ever helped me was when I was moving from West Point Place (and that was a huge move) and she came and help to prepare it for new owner,. She did excellent job but she charged me for it hugely. I wanted to give her something anyway but this was a typed invoice for hundreds of dollars. But when she runned out of money and called, in tears, that Hydro is going to switch off the power that evening and her computer will not work …… and the bill for unpaid service was 800, I paid that within half an hour, got thank you telephone call and never even mention “hey mom you paid that stuff, there is something back. or can I help you with something………. ?Vlad does not know about this. Nobody does except Ciki when I was once very upset. Ciki could not believe what I was telling her. I normally am quiet about that because I do not want people to know and hold it against her. Enough what people see. Ach jo. And this is for your eyes only!.

Yah, I guess she can be selfish and self concerned. Its one thing that rather massively annoyed me while she was staying with me in Cyprus. She would chew me out that I was supposed to come back to the island earlier so I could make things more comfortable for her, etc. etc. etc. It just seems fairly obvious that she’s self concerned, and I can see how she would twist things in her head. We’d have discussions about things and her perspective seemed quite perverted and twisted often. In any case I’m glad I have a good relationship with her now.

What is the weather? Can not believe you wanted to escape Praha’s winter and now you are in the mountains. Do you have enough warm stuff?

Didn’t plan it myself, but simply didn’t have enough gas money to make it to Sicily or somewhere warm. Where it would probably be more expensive to live, even though I wouldn’t be paying for this pension. And my battery seems to be dying. So, now that I’m here, I think it will be cool to spend a winter in fluffy snow, as long as I’m toasty warm. Better than staying in stinky Prague. I was really growing sick of that place, although its nice to be there once in a while and party with my friends. But after a while I start to get tired of that. Happier to be more productive and kinder on my body (I simply drink too much in Prague).

and I want your telephone so I can call. I have now about 6 numbers and do not know what to use. And do you have postal address? Good luck with your machines, with your work and with your life.,

Yes, now that I got a new sim card for internet data, I cannot receive or make phone calls anymore – only text message and internet. Which rather defeats the purpose of buying a fancy phone.

In any case, if you really want to call me, I can put my older sim card in my other phone and keep that on me. Will have to dig it out of the truck and charge it up.

Nice to be able to respond right away! Toodloo

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look at the stuff I’m starting to download. Too bad we couldn’t pretend practice on the Turkish beach eh? Wondering if I can learn such stuff from a video. Generally interested in it. http://avaxhome.ws/video/systema_hand_to_hand.html

karel – got an additional email sense.  will respond on that one later.  very interesting.  i hope you never challenge someone who has these skills!!  generally people that can do this are quite passive and only if your being a total ass do you get it.  obviously the brit did not have these skills.  i believe your getting older and there is a time to get aggressive and there is a time to be a diplomat.  i learned my lesson to drunk in mala strana, first time i didn’t come out on the right side of the stick.  playing around on the beach in cyprus is different from being in a situation where its time to fuck somebody up.  take care and go easy.  cau jim

cau dude, yah, I realise a lot of that. Think I’ve been quite diplomatic most of my life, but lately I’ve grown tired of idiots. My primary reason for wanting to learn martial arts is because I enjoy it. Reminds me of gymnastics and I like the sense of body and balance. But it can also come in handy. Not that I am looking for trouble, but sometimes trouble comes, and sometimes people need a hard lesson, so I’d rather have the skills. Or I might need to help a girl from being raped by a gang or something. Otherwise I can usually size up a situation well and know if I should step back, or sometimes I need to step forward and defend someone. Anyway, I enjoy the martial arts thing.

For you, I noticed in Cyprus that whenever you had your fourth beer of the evening you started to get very cynical and negative, and the more you drank the more aggressive you got. I don’t find I have that problem and you might consider reflecting on it as a potential problem. Alcohol is a poison and I find it increases aggression. The next day after drinking a lot I often find I am full of anger. Maybe one of the reasons I like to smoke dope, which tends to pacify instead. Dope smokers in general are much more passive, and I believe tend to think more against the establishment and for themselves, where active drinkers just want to forget about whatever problems they have.

But the beach invitation was a follow up on your initial one, and primarily that I cant imagine learning from a video alone.

Anyway, have a good one.

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Bulgaria sounds like a good haven for you. Slowly, you are establishing a lifestyle that fits your wandering ways. Never boring, always something…keep the faith

I studied Jung extensively in grad school. He reaffirmed the power of dreams, symbols and altered states to explore the wilderness within. That is why I use the exploration of personal symbols in the therapy I do. Besides it feels good to do this creatively, often way more powerful than words. My clients say they get a lot out of this method.

Lily and lex gone now to Cali. She has a short term job until dec in a brewery, bought a truck and she and jeff are renting a house in sonoma that needs a lot of landscaping. He will be in peru and Costa Rica until mid january. She joins him in Costa Rica for a month (her 30th birthday) and Brigid and I will go down there Jan 9-24th. Plenty new horizons for all of us in 2010 I think.

Prague is cold, grey and my time here will only last another year I think. Glad you wrote and I will pass on the news to miss lily. She is happy, creating a new life, but still is not and may never be a communicator…..Oh well

hey Belle,

it was interesting reading Jung and about what fine nuances he must have been arguing about with Freud. Must admit that its a new area for me but recently I’ve been getting more into psychology, I guess primarily because I was annoyed how some people seemed to perceive me as a dumdum or something like that. But your healing thing sounds cool, although I can’t really imagine it so well. Psychology and mind stuff is an entire area I never took seriously and it certainly makes for interesting reading.

I hear you on getting a bit old with Prague weather. And I guess with  Lili gone there’s that much less holding you there. I like the place during the summer and for about two months at a time, otherwise I definitely appreciate changes in my life now and looks like we’re all livin the interesting, which is cool.

Take care, say hi to the folks and pocket some ball for me! C

People are good I think, time is money.


2012
05.25

From the Private Memoirs of Bimbus.

great to see how excited you are. hope all will be good. I have to think how to respond so I would not sound overworried which I am. Far too many drunks and shady characters around you, punching, fighting, drinking, so I have to let it sit in my mind for a day or so and then have my comments. Stay safe and healthy and stay in touch. xxxxxxxoooooooomamamama

don’t forget that potentially I’m the town’s third alcoholic!!! But I’ve managed to control myself. Although it is true that I did have an “adjustment period” with the local home brewed Rakia (will kill ya). Will put it up on the web later. Now I know just to sip, and generally stay away from the stuff. Workin hard. k

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One morning one. 🙂 If U R so desperate visit www.amateri.cz … lots of pretty amateur Czech chicks … my favourite site. :-)))

yuck, just checked it out. Have a friend who’s been on there for a while, got his wife to join him in threesomes and everything, but that was not enough for him and she eventually caught him screwing some chick by himself, so the show was over. I’m not into porno but looking for a nice and wholesome relationship chick. So far only satisfied with lide, although the responses are pretty meagre. Figure i need to earn enough cash to hire a girl to move in with me. Otherwise can’t see how it would work.

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I am more than happy in your reply for in my mail, how is your day today i hope all is well and fine with you including your health and job. My name is Miss Rosy Dorin kassala and i am 24 years, single and never been married, i am from PostSudan,Sudanin Africa and presently residing in the missionary here inSenegalwhere i ran for refuge due to the political civil war in my country. I am in sufferings and pains here in this missionary and i really need help from a man by encouraging me and good advice in life and to help me to come out from this situation, and again to help me get my money, because my late father deposited some amount of money for me in the Bank and he used my name as the next of kin. My late father Dr. David Ellison Kassala, who was CEO of (E T I C PLC), inPort SudaninSudan. During the war, the rebel loyal to one of the greedy business associate of my late father attacked our house one early morning and killed my mother and father in a cold blood. It is only me that is alive now and i managed to make my way to this country Senegal by the help of UN army where i am living now in the missionary, headed by a Reverend Father, i used his office computer to send you this email and i only enter his office when he is less busy in his office I would like to know more about you, your likes dislikes and your hobbies and what you are doing presently, i like to meet understanding, loyal, sincere, truthfully, kindly and friendly and more to that, a man of vision and truth. I will tell you more about myself in my next mail. Attached here is my picture, i will be hoping to hear from you again. I remain yours Rosy

Hi Rosy,

I once bought a book for a hundred bucks for this organisation which is supporting the people of Darfur and Sudan, written by some guy who escaped from slavery by a family in the north. Was a horrible story and generally what is going on in Africa is sad. I am trying to help in my small way by starting a certain project which I thought could be useful:

http://africa-charity-project.org/

From that page you can go to my travel pages and learn more about me if you like.

I’ve also written a lot on my christ.kenax.cz pages.

Nice talking to you, but hope your motivation for writing to me is not associated with one of those Nigerian etc. scams which talks about 25 million dollars in some fund etc etc and need help getting that money. I get those emails all the time. Presently I’m in a financially poor situation, but when I have money I have a shelter for children in Nairobi where I like to send a little bit of money, when I have it. Take care, Karel

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hey babyflower, so I’m proud to say I finally set up my google calendar and quite happy with it. Just part of my process of putting everything online, since I just don’t trust electronics anymore (used to save such data on my mobile phone). So if you would like to be my first personal entry, just tell me when is your exact birthday! Another fun project I’m working on is completing certain webpages such that I can approach and write an email to certain translators online only, in case for some reason a project comes in and I cannot gain access to my laptop etc. That will be a fun project and something I’ve been meditating on for almost a decade. latergateronie

Well, it is an honor to be the first one in you calendar! Ok, my birthday is on January 26th and if you must know I will be reaching the Christ age next year, as they say.

I like that year, cause I like to say that is when we all have our ressurection and start from zero. Hence you will be newly born and I am only 11 years old!

> How are you and where are you now?

Still in bg, near to where I was working with Roger. In a pension with warm wood fire stove paying 5 Euro a night until Archie gets back from China shortly after the new year. Then I guess I go there and hang out for a while, and cruise up the Black Sea coast once it’s warm enough. Today I just bought a year’s contract for internet through my mobile, so I plan to stay here I guess until fall next year. If going up the bg coast will be getting close to you, so maybe we could hookup! Roger taking me out to dinner tomorrow night. Hope we can resolve everything.

WE went for a short hike in Sinaia last weekend and it was just superb. Except that it got really cold and we were not very well equipped. Plus all these poor stray animals everywhere. And train was 2 hours delayed, yep. The hike was great thought and people are nice. Tomorrow i am going to a charity mixer so i hope i will find some contacts there… i’ d like to volunteer in animals welfare somehow here. You wouldnt believe this, i was trying to contact few of them via email and even calling them but no response…i am not sure what i do wrong.. well, i shall see tomorrow.

You might find better success at the charity mixer and let me. For years I practically killed myself trying to offer my charity volunteer services but there just isn’t a culture for that in eastern Europe, which is a shame. Must have wrote to a hundred people and perhaps only one responded, and then they made me jump through hoops and loops and go to interviews, get police records, and by the time that was all done it was almost time to move into my truck, so it was too late!

> Good luck with your project and keep me updated! have a great day.

> kisses,

> kveta

u2 flowerpower!

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Too bad Marketa is so difficult. I guess it is just a woman’s thing. Don’t want to put you two in Ilona’s ballpark, but I came to the conclusion that women are often very envious creatures. Guys beat the shit out of each other, go for a beer and then are friends again, but girls hold venomous anger within them forever, and its rather silly. I told Keta several times that she will regret it one day when you are gone (heaven forbid), but she keeps going on and on about how you made her scrape the baseboards with a toothbrush and clean up the house like a slave. We’ve talked about it extensively and she said I must have lived out my childhood in a dream state. Sure, there were some negative things, but with the help of Jesus I’ve learned to overcome all that. Like the bible says: forgiveness heals. It is a simple concept, and wise, but many people do not see it. If you do not forgive you keep the chip on your shoulder and you walk around for the rest of your life with hangups. It holds you back. Anyway, it seems evident to me that Keta wants to hold onto these silly childhood hangups and simply not forgive you and make you suffer for all the “horrible” cleaning you made her do when a little baby. So, after years of talking with her about this, I suggest you simply fit into her schedule and be pleasant with her. I cannot think of anything else. Except perhaps try not to be “irritating”. She complains a lot about that. I personally have no problems with you but I think that, considering her sensitivity and not wanting to forgive you and want to punish you and make you suffer, she is more irritated by little things. I agree that it is rather childish, but I guess just a woman thing. So I guess the best you can do is just be nice and not try to irritate her. For example by telling her what to do and keep getting into her hair or something like that. I know you like to meddle, but I’ve learned to deal with it. You’ve also toned down substantially over the years. I was surprised that I was able to live with you and Vlad for an entire month inPrague. But I’ve also learned to exercise my tolerance, and you guys have toned down substantially from the past. But I guess Keta is just holding onto these hangups and remains sensitive. I think she is hurting herself and will feel great regret when you’re gone (heaven forbid – just sent a big round of postcards to Jana, by the way), but I guess that will just have to be her problem, unfortunately.

Well, it’s Saturday and I plan to stay in all day today. Kind of tired of the internet café scene. Every day going there and the village interbreeding morons looking at my shorts in this cold. I switched to pants for survival, because my local English speaking representative and fellow alcoholic kept badgering me about it. Village people can be real nice, but many of them are just conservative morons. Long discussion and requires many pages. So I retire to my room like a hermit and live in my internet world. I have a few friends here and get out once in a while. Lots of pretty girls here too causeBulgaria’s biggest music school is in this village. Have been trying to round up some musicians and organize a jam session in the local restaurant, so perhaps through those means I will meet a pretty girl. I think the best solution is to make enough money to be able to offer some bohemian chick a job, so I can sustain her. I will probably never be interested in supporting a girl who is happy to loaf around on her growing fat ass and do nothing, and whine that she is bored and wants to go for another long walk with me. That was the only candidate I could find before I leftPrague, and it would irritate me too much to support a lazy person like this. Once I am earning enough I can put out advertisements and “interview” candidates. Without that it’s practically impossible to hook up with someone. Obviously it will require a lot of interviewing to find a girl that I like, meets my standards, is bohemian and adventurous like me, doesn’t have great aspirations to settle down in some stupid house somewhere forever (which I’m sure I’ll never want to do, although I’ve already thought it could be interesting and possible to start a family in a truck – possibly a larger one), AND be good on the computer. A very tall order to fill. Until then though I don’t feel desperate without a female. I enjoy my work and my lifestyle, but I do realize that having a girl around will make things more interesting, and enable me to interact better with locals. My social scene has always improved substantially when I was with a girl, but my “social scene” is not my priority. My greater aspiration is to accomplish something good while on this planet, so having a girl around is just an added benefit, not a necessity.

Anyway, guess I’ve blabbed on enough. Will skim over your email again once downloaded if I’ve missed anything. Heard a big hurricane was headed your way! toodloo

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> Great to talk to you again! I love it!o)

Heh heh, me too. Can I assume you are unemployed or something? So perhaps you are like me and end up sitting in front of the computer a lot, and writing letters and stuff. In any case, you are one of my top penpals! (next to my mom, sister, and occasionally Misha – otherwise most people just can be bothered it seems).

Hey, we are hearing more and more that Romanian coast is not worth it a least bit. On the contrary the Bulgarian is supposed to be much nicer and cheaper. I still would like to go to check it out anyway, probably not staying there at the sea side resort but i would like to visit Constansa which happens to be at the coast. Anyway, meeting at the Black sea inBulgariasounds very good. And I know it is a pain to travel here as the road infrastructure is pretty bad but there are trains here as well…i am basically trying to invite you to Bucharest:o) You will see, it would be fun!

Right now my plan is to survive the next week or something, after which money should start rolling in from work I’ve done at the end of last month. Losing Roger’s job because of that arsehole foreman was a shock for me because it was immediately after payday and when I paid a bunch of debts, so I didn’t have much cash in my pocket and had to scramble for new work etc. But within a week or two I should be getting about 700 Euro from various sources, and then I should be good to survive several months in this wonderfully cheap country.

Then around the beginning of the month go to Archie, then once it warms up start cruising up the Bulgarian coast. A visit to you will certainly be possible, otherwise if you guys visit me that would be cool. You can either “rough” it and crash in the truck, perhaps I could be a great gentleman and sleep in my tent and give you the palace to yourselve, or I could find some perfect little place and a cheap pension for ya. Pick you up from the train station or whatever and drive you to your perfect retreat. That might be the best option, as I assume Juan is making gzillions and you two would prefer the comfort. You could set a price range and comfort zone, I could send pics of the place, or you could just trust me. I’m really looking forward to the Black Sea (BS) in the summer and cruising freely around Bulgaria with my new internet contract. Heard there are a lot of nice places to see and looking forward to discovering bg.

The mixer! I have a very good feeling about it. I met a really nice Canadian lady who actually “export” stray pups toAustriaandGermanyfor adoption. The dogs travels straight to their new homes. Local people do not really give a damn about them. It is sad. and i cant fully process that such nice people here can be so careless. It is not that they would be careless but they have completely wrong approach/attitude to this issue, well from my point of view.

Well, in the west they have organisation which put them into kennles or put them to sleep (basically kill them). Basically just get them off the street. Castrate them etc and find homes for them. This costs money and these countries simply do not have it. In Turkish Cyprus there were dogs everywhere, but in Greek Cyprus it was cats. In Greece dogs were everywhere, here too, and I guess the people just consider them like wild animals, a part of nature, and who have to fend for themselves. In this village I hear a poor dog howling in pain. It must be hungry, and it howles as it gets cold. What can I do? I certainly do not want to invite it into my room. Anyway, when I was in Cyprus, even though I was dirt poor I would still scrape some cash and feed a couple of dogs. Actually turned out to be good security, although it was irritating when the little yapper would bark while I was working inside. Tried to train it, but it was cute how the two dogs would faithfully walk with me every day while I jogged along the beach to the grocery store for my daily food and two beers. But most of the locals find the dogs a nuicance. I think they set traps for them and maybe ate them. Not sure, but heard the dogs barking and howling a few times and saw some being dragged off in a cage. So I understand their mentality that the dogs or cats are just wild, eat out of the garbage bins, and they throw rocks and sticks at them. Other people are compassionate like us and give them some food, or shelter. I found an old rug on the beach and put it under my truck, so “my” dogs had a nice little shelter. I just had to be careful when driving away every day!!

There is another American and Dutch lady who are also in their free time helping so I think/hope I will get involved soon. … It is interesting how people criticize American or the Westeners a lot of times for what they do or not do but they barely realize how much in charity work they do in countries like this and they wouldnt have to care, yet they do… do i make sense to you?! I am having hard time to express myself sometimes.

That was an interesting stream of thought and funny English. I do the same often, but I understand you. I think people in America can be very charitable, with their Christian beliefs too, but the government and that arsehole Bush has done so much damage that I understand why many in the world can be hostile against Americans or people in the west. But it’s cool what you are doing and I have been trying to get involved myself for years. Did I tell you about my latest project?

http://africa-charity-project.org/

Perhaps during your networking you could find some contacts or something. I think its a great idea and I’d love to develop it. I already have a contact in Nairobi Kenya where I try to send money once in a while – a shelter for children. Have a dream of ferrying my truck around Somalia etc. on day and the driving around Kenya setting up villages, eventually to spread out to other countries once things and sponsors etc. pick up. Dreams are what make life juicy, and I love watching them unravel, even though it may take time.

Anyway, it looks like a beautiful day today so I will go to check out some markets. I like these little bity shops with local production…i.e. fruits and vegetables. It is a pity that country with such a agricultural potential doesnt produce their own BIO stuff. So i buy cranberry juice fromSwitzerland(ok, cranberry is not a good example, they do not grow everywhere but come on I grow them in my garden!!!), milk from Germany(!), jam or cereal fromAustria… Really pity.

Yah, these things are generally expensive and the people are too poor to afford such a market. But as in Prague and Czech I think things will improve. Just look at all the health food shops which have practically exploded over time. It takes time for people to start making western money, then to be educated at the various possibilities. It will happen over time. Under communisim there certainly was no “market” for such things. By you being able to afford it and buy it, technically you could be proud that you are helping the situation, because the more you buy, the more the shops will replace the empty shelf, the more others will see it, and the more it will help to drive down the prices and increase supply. Good going you missionary!

Hey, I have now my own little herb garden on my kitchen window sill … so far only rosemary, thyme, parsley, sage and chives. I cant find mint nor basil or oregano here… maybe i’ll grow from seeds. I just am not patient enough for that;o/

Hmm, maybe I’ll try something at Arch’s, although I’ll probably split for the coast as soon as it gets warm enough. Maybe by then I’ll get some more flower pots and try my garden again, and could have something interesting by the time we hook up!

Last weekend Juan and I went for a short hike to Sinaia and it was wonderful, it was cold especially when we reached cote 2000m but it was worth it. Hey, enjoy your time inBulgariaand say hi to Roger from me when you talk to him. I need to send him an email as well, want to ask him something about Paxos.

Drank with him last night, said hi from you, and he was happy to hear it.

Oh, also Juan and I are thinking about promoting one of the local shelters here we got in touch with but there is a language barrier so Juan is

Think I already responded to this, right? Sure, love getting involved with various charities.

> Ok, have a good day and take care. hi to Roger.

>

> love,k

luvyababy!