GM! Christmas is coming, and so is the baby Jesus to these nativity scenes in Yucatán. His spot is empty until he's born. Left: a pueblo near Mérida. Right: Sisal, Yuc.

Maybe 2026 is the year that you go to Romania. Clockwise from top left: near Sibiu, also somewhere near Sibiu, Sighișoara, Vama.

#Language learning can knock decades off your age. These bears look happily forward to the day when I can complete a Bulgarian immigration form by hand. I also enjoy reading Sherlock Holmes stories in kid-friendly Bulgarian.

One reason I chose Bulgaria: Traditional dance is alive, part of daily life. It's not just polished and put on stage. There are lots of groups who dance for fun and to keep the tradition going.

I'm using an advent calendar that's similar to an old German one that my family had. The windows show life Before Screens. People read books, play instruments, prepare food from scratch, write letters with a pen and paper... (and get married with a tall gelatin cake?). Let's make 2026 the year we go back in time.

Twitter / X has given up already despite Elon's alleged support for free speech. The new privacy policy includes: "we may need to remove not only illegal content but also content considered harmful or unsafe" "we may collect and share information to estimate or verify your age" I'm glad I removed all my content from YouTube, Vimeo, and Twitter. I'm already shut out of Vimeo and suspect YouTube and Twitter will soon follow. Thanks to Nostr and nostr.build for giving me a safe place for my content.

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A small #catstr contemplates antiquity.

Good morning. The sign says that you're under video surveillance, but there's no camera. There's only Borko. Borko is enough.

Are you a meal prepper? I eat almost entirely out of my freezer, and this is one of my favorite things to eat. They're crunchy Moroccan-ish beef borek-like things, straight from the freezer to the air fryer, snarfed with thick sheep yogurt. View article →

Some Bulgarian playgrounds offer a place for children to practice the rules of driving, but I've never seen a kid use it the way it's intended. They're all little rebels careening about on kick scooters.

My second pot of Turkish coffee for today. I turn off the heat as soon as the Donut of Delight appears. If I wait too long and the coffee boils, it loses its foam. #coffeechain

A winter meal in Yambol, Bulgaria: cumin-rich adana kebap, bulgar salad, and grilled tomatoes in front of the fireplace. Ресторант Къщата. #foodstr

Hi Nostr, thanks for creating an alternative to the algorithms. I'm here to post snippets of life in Bulgaria and eastern Europe, plus occasional thoughts on being a foreigner. There will be food. Plus traditions, which are still alive here. And trains. Today's train is waiting for you. Maybe you'll get off in Chirpan for a big plate of meatballs in tomato sauce. #introductions