The New Season

The new season is here! Fall is in the air and the falling rain and gray sky are the best reminder of that. I welcome the end of this year - it has been very challenging and not very kind to me, or my friends and family. My love and prayers go out to my friend Kosio and his family. We buried his father yesterday and it was a grim reminder how fragile life can be. His father was the same age as my dad and they both lived in the same culture during the same time. Kosio is also in the States now and I feel his pain.
That's why I'm a bit reluctant to say that my father is doing better and better every day. Today he got up and with some help from mom, went down the stairs and walked around the yard. That included steps, people! Both ways - up and down. He is now tired and asleep, safely in his bed. I think he is doing great but the battle is just beginning. We are about to start dealing with all of the other shit that has decayed over the years, mainly kidneys, heart and blood pressure and diabetes. It's a lot and it will be difficult, but not unattainable, to live a long and prosperous life. It's going to be hard work and he is not going to like it but when you are faced with a grim reality there really aren't that many choices. You either get with the program or you die.
I'm still running around doing errands and today even went to the dentist. He is pretty good, I think, but he lacks the technology that American dentists work with. The price is good, compare to what you get charged in the US and I think the work can hold its own, so I've decided to get my teeth all fixed up. It's the new craze, by the way, medical outsourcing. A lot of people these days go to different countries for some of the most costly procedures. There was even an article I read somewhere about that. Different countries specialize in different surgeries and procedures. Comparative advantage theory in reality. I figure that for all the work I've got to do on my teeth it will probably cost me a tenth of what would cost in the US. I guess if you all got any dental work to do that is going to cost you over couple of grand you might as well buy a plane ticket to BG and take advantage of the cheap labor and materials (a white-gold plated crown is around $150). Maybe I should bring some of the hip-hop and rap kids from the Midwest for inexpensive grill jobs. For a small fee of course.
I've gone to a couple more bars and clubs and I have to say that the night scene here is alive and vibrant. People usually go out late and stay even later. Out by 11:30pm and home by 5-6? Something like that. The best place I've been so far is called By The Way, I think the name is a bit silly but it's probably just me. It's an American style bar and they even make good Mojitos (take that Mister Mojito), I think it's because they use Dark Havana Club rum which is simply delicious. I liked the vibe, the crowd and the bar itself was well made and with taste. The only thing I have not seen in a bar so far here is good music. Not that I can see music, but heard it. Mostly, it's some cheesy, top 40s, Euro disco that is always mixed - hip-hop, disco, oldies, techno, funk and even some folk music. It sounds ok, I guess, but if you like a particular style music and hate another, it's very hard to avoid the shit you don't want to listen to. However, people here seem to have a great time and let me tell you - so did I. No doubt!
I've started to look for work and I'm checking mostly foreign companies (they pay better and have better work ethic), so if you know of a firm, or a company that does business abroad let me know. It doesn't even have to be in BG, it's preferable that it's in Europe, but I'm pretty open. Anyway, that's it from me for now. Stay healthy and happy, G.