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> Ahoj Karle!

Hey baby,

How are you where yre you? Still in Bulgaria? I am in CR at this moment. Went to visit my friend in Cyprus two weeks ago, it was great as usual but i missed you there. how was the cruise ? and how was Amsterdam? And how is your garden?

Yup, still in Bulgaria, for almost two more months and then we escape down to Greece. Getting into the work groove and slowly paying back all my debts. Feels good. Didn't get on the cruise cause got there too late but was nice to hang with the relatives and get some good tannage in Croatia. Wasn't very impressed with Amsterdaam, except for their big promotion of bikes. While in Czech I put my little garden outside so the rain could water it but it apparently died, boohoo. In any case I'm not staying in my caravan truck anymore so it will have to wait until I move back in sometime in the future. Send me pics of yours, and make sure you're in it!

I still owe you pics of my garden. Just now finishing the winter garden at my parents house. that will be cool. how is everything with you? I am in the Czech Republic now being a bit ill. my kidneys got naughty again, hopefully will get better soon. ok, gotty go to bed as i feel the fever coming again, just wanted to say qiuck ahoj and see how you are doing as i havent heard from you for some time, although i know it was my turn to email...

You seem sick often. Make sure you eat healthy. Drink teas which strengthen your immunity, etc. etc. Don't eat too much meat. If you are having problems now they'll only get worse once you're older, so better to start analysing things now so you can figure out a good routine and strengthen your body now for later in life.

Love ya too baby!

> take care and stay in touch, love ya,k

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hey dude, not sure if I mentioned my new gig:

construction chicks

but it's in the Rudotin mountains or something. I'm kinda an important foreman guy/cook/clown etc. and set up the entertainment for the other dudes, including mp3 player blasting through the valley while everyone works, and while we sit around during the evenings I proudly boast that I also have some Bulgarian music (from you), and one guy said: "hey, that's local Bulgarian music, and that band is just a hundred metres from my house!" Just thought I'd mention it!

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:o) I envy you the Greece trip! I dont know what it is with me and the greek culture and evrything. anyway, it is great to hear from you again. it makes my day! i am better but yu are right i am down with my kidneys more then it is healthy...this is a czech expression converted into english. and yes i am actually thinking about some diet. i would appeciate if you have any suggestion...:o)

What is wrong with you then? Do you know which organ you are having trouble with? I fast every spring and do a liver cleanse etc. The liver is the body's filtration system and if it is not working so well you will constantly be sick. You don't have to do a full on fast but can do a juice fast instead, for example. More details at

Health fasting

I hope to be back in Romania soon as it is Juans birthday ans i dont want him to be htere alone. it is too much stress on him lately. Anyway, i think you shouls established a new mini garden once you are back in Greece. I think is is a nice thing to have and take care of. maybe we could come to visit you somewhere in Bulgaria on J. bday but i cant speak for him it is his day so i want to do whatever he wants to do with him. :o) are you there alone or you have some friends? i hope and guess you do from your "we escape down to Greece" :o)

I'm working on Roger's cabins in Bulgaria with other workers

http://kenax.net/links/construction-chicks.html

although I'm having friction with the head foreman. He likes to get drunk and aggressive occasionally, I don't tolerate his behaviour, and several times we've been rolling around wrestling. I was always nice and sacrificed my knees to pin him down, but last time he punched me in the mouth so I gave him a good knock in the nose. Kinda humorous actually, except for the fact that I may be fired. Will have to see. If so I'm thinking of driving to Arch in the eastern part of Bulgaria. I think he is working on his house too, so perhaps I could help him in exchange for food. Recently I paid more debts and have very little cash, so have to figure out something until I find more translation work.

dayz here are mostly cloudy and cold. i miss sun so much but i guess that will have to wait till next spring or a sunny day in the muntains, too bad Juan doesnt sky.

It's still nice and sunny here, most of the time, but getting cold at night. If I had enough cash I would just drive down to Sicily and spend the winter there. Working hard to find new translation customers, even though I don't want to translate anymore, but it pays the bills well until I find something more interesting.

> Take care and keep me updated. love,k

You have a good one too banana! k

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I'm at the Coffee Beanery in South Nicosia. Last night I was in the old city at Starbucks. After they closed down, I stayed there working off the outlet outside not far from the snoring security guard. I remember one time the security guard there didn't let us play chess there. Anyway, I worked for about four hours there, beautiful, peaceful.

Sounds like you found a good scam. Can't remember someone telling us we can't play at Starbucks.

Glad you getting some online games goin. I don't get enough internet for that, but I do play games with people by email (several games at a time so that it is more fun).

There ARE chicks in bg, and they're pretty cool and laid back, but haven't scored anything yet. Not sure how long I'll be here now since I gave the head foreman a bloody nose, heh heh. But stuff like that just keep my topsy turvy lifestyle on the edge.

Have a good one, k

So my South side is going again. I've got insurance, but need road tax by the 14th, but I don't thing driving around on the South Side with expired road tax is going to pose big problems. Look forward to hearing what's new in Bulgaria. Any nice looking girls in the area? I'm on gameknot playing blitz chess. I have my ups and downs, but I'm getting back to where I was in June. Lot's of tutorials on Youtube, the Candian jrobi is the best teacher there as far as what I've seen, at least for intermediate players. Kasparov is on there too.

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Just tried to call you but no go. Guess you're not in bg? Roger's foreman is an aggressive alcoholic and we'd end up scruffing occasionally. He'd always start it and I'd end it by pinning him down. But got tired of that, and last time since he just took a pot shot at my face, I grabbed his arm and slugged him right in the nose. He got the worst of it, and because he's indignant, he just fired me. Even though he claims to likes me. Long story but it has been a power struggle from the beginning, even though Roger labelled me as a wildcat freelancer who could help out here and there, while I can work on my computer stuff in between. But this dude generally has a problem with that, Roger is gone and now I'm screwed, because this happened a day after the last payday, when I paid back a bunch of debts and left myself with 200 lev till the next payday (usually every Friday or two). But you can imagine that without a job the 200 lev is going to dry up pretty quickly. Already aggressively I've been looking for new work, but it takes time to nurture new customers, then to get some work, and then get paid. I'll keep trying, but in the meantime... Not sure of what you're situation is, but were you working on your house in any way? I've had a bunch of construction experience in the past, and have added to that recently with Roger's gig, so perhaps I could be useful in some way. Would just need my food covered, and during the days I could hopefully find some local internet cafe and keep looking for new customers. Recently approached 6000 translation agencies, about one hundred have responded, and I have been busy filling in their translator application forms. I can cook good too and I have a bunch of tools in my truck for the construction, if you are working on that. Anyway, hope to hear from you soon. What an annoying situation I'm in. laterbud

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Heydo, well, here I sit in the internet café restaurant with 180 lev in my pocket, Archy didn't pick up his phone so perhaps he's still in China and I'm at a bit of a loss with what to do. I've been paying debts diligently and did not expect this to happen, and hence I don't have much cash at the moment. Things were running smoothly, but once again Gav got wasted on Rakie or whatever and turned into an aggressive monster. Started spewing insults at me as usual, and as usual I wouldn't put up with it. So he got totally pissed off, screeched the van to a halt and punched me in the mouth without a warning. We started struggling like retards in the front seat, kept flailing his arms out of the way as I usually end up doing, but just got tired of such retarded behaviour, held one of his arms and knocked him in the face with my fist. He obviously got the worst of it, got indignant and fired me – again. Drove your van at lightning and dangerous speed back to your place, in the process smashed into all sorts of poles, ripped up the gutt along the bumpy road, and I guess you'll hear of the full damages from Jane and Steve. Once before we were driving back from town and he decided to drive past the blue trucks to show me the top of some hill where you and him once walked. Tore up your truck as usual and then slid the arse half off the road. The five of us had to walk about 6km the next morning and spend about an hour trying to get it back on the road. Obviously he's got problems with alcohol and I believe you yourself have witnessed some of his glory.

The next day some reconciliation seemed possible and he approached me about it in the presence of Steve. I mentioned that I do not like to be subjected to such treatment and he should consider putting a cap on his hard alcohol consumption. But it got back to his usual drone how it soooo irritates him that I am not his little lap dog and dedicating all my time to the construction and whatever he wants. That is the point of indignance that apparently really irritates him and surfaces every time he gets drunk. I was cooking good meals for the boys (because Lanta was not providing enough), they were very happy with it and liked it much better than her cooking, I was playing movies for them in the evenings, music during the day, helping out here and there… Gav said he would only trust me with his chainsaw, he could give me quick instructions and I would translate with my Czech/Bulgarian and waving of arms while he was doing errands, and I did a lot of useful things there. But this is apparently not enough. He kept going on and on about his agenda of pushing up the game, but now he set himself back significantly because he just lost what I would like to believe is a useful employee. It's all his pride, indignance and ultimatums. He even said he regrets it and that he likes me, but I cannot accept someone as a friend who throws me out onto the street like this with a small pot to piss in and is too indignant and proud to admit he has a problem with alcohol. Perhaps some of you will be blessed to witness what I've had to go through several times.

In any case, just wanted to vent some steam with this letter and give you my point of view, in case Gav twists things too much. I'm not taking this personally against you and everything we have been working on remains. Except for the debt repayment in the interim, cause I need to get some cash coming in first. Translations can be pretty sporadic, and I guess even more so now after the financial crisis and collapse of a lot of global trading. In any case I have approached those 6,000 translation agencies I mentioned, about a hundred have responded back and now I am busy filling in their application forms etc. But it takes time to nurture a new translation customer, perform some translation tests, finally get some work, and often they pay about 45 days after the job is done. In any case I hope to tap into a larger market since I have now added Slovak and, in particular, French to English to my usual Czech to English translations.

Anyway, just wanted to give you a heads up, or at least my perspective, and hope you had nice journeys on the Mediterranean. poop

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Hey dude, just wrote a goofball article I wanna throw up on the net and wondering if you had any input, insight or corrections. It's a first draft but please do not post it anywhere, as all content that I put up on my web helps me with my rankings and hopefully eventually leads to some work.

You in France now I guess? Just got fired a few days ago for punching the foreman in the face. He totally deserved it and I have to laugh every time I think about it. Perhaps they'll hire me back but I'm back in the shithole again, boohoo.

Still always thinking of my debt to you and still planning on the 1.5% interest a month thing. Sorry I'm such a screw up. This Roger's gig was going good, but the foreman gets really aggressive when excessively drunk. He punched me first and I'm sick of such behaviour. Unfortunately he's too indignant to acknowledge that he started it, that he has a problem with alcohol and that this is unacceptable behaviour. Others are trying to patch things up but I feel he's too proud and indignant to admit it or put a cap on his drinking. latergator

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So now my plan is to try to hook up with one friend I was planning on visiting in the east end of Bulgaria, nearish the Turkish border. He isn't picking up his phone so I think he's still in China, but he said he would be back in October, in which case I'll hang out in Shiroka Laka until then, since several people know me here and there are two internet cafes I can use. The "Big Man", as Ken calls him, who should be the owner of the fish pond restaurant, seems like a bit of a dick to me and I'd rather steer clear of him - if he's the contact you were trying to line me up with. Ken and Lanta don't like him either, and perhaps the only reason he was nice to you was because he saw a business potential.

If my contact in the east of Bulgaria works out I may hang at his place until Christmas, until when he said he'd be there, perhaps stay there until spring, perhaps get fast internet through my mobile using his address, perhaps roam along the Black Sea once it warms up, work on his house while there... Lots of options and need to sort them out with him once he gets back. If all that fails I hope to make enough cash soon to drive down to Sicily and get out of this cold, in which case I'll look into your Italian contact, but I lost it cause I'm not used to communicating so much through Facebook. I'll ask you again if I start heading south. You were mentioning some other contacts? Getting pretty cold here and glad I picked up a bit of work. Need to save up for gas...

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Well, long story, but my friend the owner of the construction projects left for 6 weeks on a boat cruise to Spain and left me in the hands of the head foreman. From the start we already had some scruffles and he's quite the aggressive drunk. Without the Rakie we get along fine and he said he likes me, but I got tired of his occasional behaviour, he took a pot shot at me into the mouth and I ended up smacking him one good in the face. He by far got the worst of it and obviously too proud to realize his behaviour was unacceptable so he force fired me. My friend owner is not here to resolve it as he usually does. Unfortunately, this happened one day after payday, when I made some more debt repayments, so I'm without a job and only a hundred Euro in my pockets. Fortunately it is cheap here but still the money goes fast. I have some contacts in the neighbouring village, where there are two cafes where I can get internet for free, so I'm parked here trying to get my life in order. But it's getting cold fast and I hope something gets sorted soon.

Fortunately I approached an old customer and already have a job which should give me 200 Euro over two days of work, and hope more will flow in. I have also been applying to many other agencies and one seems interested in my French to English translations, for which the pay could be good. Started working on their free translation sample but obviously things will be going slow until I have more experience with this language combination.

Meanwhile I have a friend on the east end of Bulgaria who said he'd love me to visit him, but I think he is still in China. Wrote him an email and we'll see. If my proposition works out with him, I can help work on his house for free food etc., perhaps stay there over the winter once he's gone around Christmas, get high speed and cheap internet through my mobile phone using his address, and once it gets warm enough cruise up the Black Sea coast during the summer. Many options at the moment. If all else fails, I hope to make some quick cash soon and just drive like a madman to Sicily. Or perhaps next year. We'll see. In any case I'm glad things are fresh and crisp as usual. We'll see how long this foreman lasts and if my friend eventually invites me back, but the foreman is obviously more important that I am because he is trained in the area and I'm just helping around. I think he regrets his decision, because he enjoyed my company (now he's stuck with a bunch of Bulgarians he cant communicate with), he enjoyed my cooking, my movies, and he entrusted me with a lot of work (such as with his chainsaw) that he didn't want to entrust to the others. There were many reasons why I should have stayed but he's too indignant and proud to realize he was drunk wrong. I am certainly not interested in being his dog, which I think he has wanted all the time.

Anyway, just wanted to give a heads up and cross your fingers that I'll find lots of work! k

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Hey bro, that sounds like about 5 lev an hour. Doesn't compete well with my internet work but perhaps I could work a few hours a day for food or work out some agreement. I could also stay over winter, as I wrote in a previous email, and work on the house for an hour or two a day just to get some exercise. The internet thing is really important for me, so hopefully we can figure out something, as per my previous email.

The big problem is that it's starting to get freezing and not sure how long I'll last here. My caravan battery can't even last during the day cause its so cold, so I'm juggling my survival between the internet cafes etc. and its a bit shaky. Guess you cant recommend to me a friend or neighbour I could leach off until you get here? I could even park my truck near somewhere, borrow a space heater and pull out my 50+ m extension cord to survive in the truck until you get here. Can certainly pay for any electricity.

Otherwise, if you don't know when you'll get here, I might just have to head south, at least to Greece until I can afford enough gas money to Sicily or something. Holdin out! p

listen , when im in bulgaria u r definitely welcome to stay and come 4 work and il pay you, no nonsense pay but half decent, ul get paid by me and fed, il even buy a new bed for you no worries, only problem is i wont be there now in october.... i havnt got a leave date from shanghai so its up in air regardin my arrival in bulgaria... i need a lot of brickwork doing i.e. bricking up conservatory and building a wall downstairs, etc... and a million other things like guttering and rendering and plastering and .. so much more, u r welcome 2 work it mate 4 sure.. i hope i can help u in the near future but i cant commit to a date certainly not at the moment.... also 4 sure all next summer im always in bulgaria minimum 3 months june july august...theres loads of work 2 do so il b in contact... ul be fed by me or il provide all food if u wanna cook sumtimes, no worries, il b glad of the help and also 2 see u again... theres an intanet cafe 20 mins drive away.... u mite get wii free intanet outside my neighbours home as hes got the net, but i do not really know the answer 2 that... i pay 200 leva for 5 day week mate, no bollocks 40 leva day cash paid daily i always pay each day, and i provide all the materials etc.. 4 the jobs needed doing and i just leave u 2 get on with it...... we like 2 not work the weekends though, but u can if u wish mate, i have new toilet and shower !!! so we can all be clean!!!! speak soon bro...

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