Happiness

Today was one of the happiest days of my life.
I received so much pure, unconditional love that I feel extremely elevated, and the world bursts out in amazing bright colours.
What happened?
We had a volunteer initiative in Alcatel-Lucent - we brought 70 children from the slums to an amusement/water park.
I was responsible for those two beauties - Monica and Radha:)
So we were chasing around, going on marry-go-rounds, climbing ropes and throwing balls at each other.
Then there was the pool. Splashing water, jumping in it, playing wildly...
I was the first among the adults to get inside. And when one of the guys said that he got inspired by me to jump and play with the kids...it sounded so nice.
I felt a bit sad that I could not answer when "my children" were excitedly pulling me and shouting something in Hindi.
But one thing i knew without having to use any language.
They were happy.
They loved me.
I loved back.
What more do I need to be happy?

Are you ALWAYS ON?

Recently Alcatel-Lucent launched an advertising campaign I just really love. It is built on our commitment to facilitate non-stop communication across the world.
The people in the campaign have various jobs – musicians, designers, architects, travel agents , but one thing is in common – they are all using innovative communications solutions to be ALWAYS ON.
The concept of being always on appeals to me very much. Indeed, before I came to India, I was so much ON-line that it was getting a bit scary. However, it is now more than ever that I realize what great difference modern communication tools like internet make to our lives.
Not being able to communicate with certain people as intensively as you are used to can be painful.
Not being able to blog regularly can be annoying.
Not being able to visit your favourite web-pages every day can put you in an information blackout.
Yet, however strong is my need to be always on…it is sometimes better to just grab a beer, sit under the stars and spend some time just talking to people…
What is your perception of being ALWAYS ON?

Shift happens

Today I came across this video.
And I am asking myself - how often do we ask ourselves the question "Where we are heading globally?"
Most of the time we are occupied with our daily worries. We somehow happen to skip the "global agenda".
Yet, when sometimes I come to think about it I usually get so depressed. The world is getting more and more polluted, more aggressive, more overwhelmed with information, less humane. Of course, I am asking myself - what do I do in my daily life to prevent this. All the tiny everyday things - such as not using nylon bags for example. And trying to be a good person.
But is it enough for a real shift to happen?

Capturing the wind in a jar and putting it to good use

A great General Electric commercial for using the wind energy.
They have a whole Ecomagination website promoting "green" initiatives and products :)

The police against Bulgarian bloggers

I never believed this could happen until it actually happened!
Bulgaria is a member of EU for 6 months now, it is supposed to be a modern and fast-developing country...but...obviously its citizens do not have freedom of speech.
Story goes like this.
The previous week there were several non-violent protests and flash-mobs against the decision of the Bulgarian supreme courts to allow building in the natural reserve Strandja. The participants were mainly young and well-educated people who did nothing but just showed peacefully their disagreement with the decision.
Then, suddenly one day, one of the active bloggers in the Bulgarian blogging community - Michel - was asked to go to the police station and he had to answer questions.
The problem was he had published in his personal blog information on one of the Strandja protests!
This is happening while only a week ago another Bulgarian businessman was shot in the very centre of Sofia. And the police is not working to find his assassin but is trying to scare people that openly state their position in their personal web-space.
Strange, ain't it?
Absurd!
Good thing is - the whole blogging community reacted immediately and for two days there were more than 100 opinions posted in the blogs of all this people.
The Ministry of internal affairs is still silent.
I would like to here what they want they have to say...

No smoking

A rather depressing and shocking video showing why is it not good to smoke!Well, I don't but...they do not say anything for passive smokers.

Slow down week

Are you feeling a bit stressed lately?
How much time are u spending with your friends and loved ones?
Do you actually take time to think bout that?
Well, it seems that some good people have invented the "Slow down week" which happens to be just next week:)
What better time to stop and enjoy life - over a cappucino with friends, a long walk or a good book.
Check the flash of the "Slow down week" here :)

11th Balkan Youth Festival

A little more than a month left to the start of the 11th Balkan Youth Festival.
I have taken part in the 9th one (which was the last to be held in Gabrovo) as a facilitator and I have very sweet memories from there:
...using my creativity to make a group of 45-year-old ladies and 18-year-old teenagers reach one conclusion on the role of young people in the media
...preparing a presentation on Johnny's laptop that didn't have Bulgarian phonetic and I had to learn BDS overnight:)
...being a roommate with Mimka and having great fun (while discussing the guys from the Italian metal band), building a friendship that is going to last
...meeting about a hundred crazy volunteers, scouts and hanging around with them
...having great parties at "Hot Spot"
...meeting (completely by chance) Emo from PIF - oh, these beautiful eyes:)
...getting to know "KariZma" and seeing Miro dance on a bar and waiting with a crazy teenager girl for him to be announced a scout in 7.30 in the morn:P
And the trip to Sokolovo monastery and "Etara" ethnographic museum of course...
And then, previous year - 2005, the first festival in Sandanski.
...the first business meeting with Emi that lasted...i don't know how many hours but at the end I was wondering how this thing is going to happen when this woman is so chaotic
...the dilema - to go or not to go to Sandanski. I had to prepare a national seminar, one week before it we didn't have a chair, and a huge conflict was growing within my team.AI visit was ahead. Maybe some people considered my decision irresponsible, yet I do not regret it.
...getting to Sandanski and Vladi meeting me in front of the office - we haven't seen each other after India and he asked me so many questions.
...the office, the frustrated Plami and Stassy, that had expected to come on a holiday and were really stressed that they have to really facilitate
...the night walks and the rope-bridges.Not knowing if this is a reality or a dream.It was so wonderful
...the "Nekerman" (this is how we jokingly called it) hotel and the mineral fountain in front, good that I managed to prevent Vladi to get inside, yet I remember me,Manola and Maya getting in to one other fountain to cool our feet:)
...sprankling my ankle just before the trip to Melnik and Rojen monastery.Manola giving me first aid:)
...climing the hills to reach "Shestaka's cellar" where we drank the best red wine I have ever tasted and sang Bulgarian traditional songs
...the picnic at Rojen monastery.The incredible beauty and atmosphere of the place.The silence in the coridoors and me sitting in what used to be the monastery kitchen, crying over my broken heart and wishing I could capsulate the moments of happines forever.
...the nights with the fire-jugglers "Youth in Fire", the smell of gasoline at the stage and the crazy party at the night before I left with them singing, drinking, drumming.
...Doni and his wonderful voice and how he chased Stassy, how desperate he was and how in love she was with another guy...
...Ece getting a bit drunk and us all going to bed together along with Emo - one of the volonteers as it was too late for him to go back to where he was staying.
And so much more...
This year - me translating the festival invitation at my birthday:)
Wish I knew what is awaiting me at the 11th festival:)