It's baby season :)

So, it's baby season. Since October I have been to almost 10 mulitfas. Everyone makes sure to tell me exactly when we are having them because I love them so much! Below are a few pics of my friend's mulitfa from a couple of weekends ago. I've decided that this is kind of like America's baby shower...except this one is waaaay more extravagant. I probably explained all this in an early post, but I'm gonna do it again, so...blah. First, four or five baba's (grandma's) set to cooking at about 5am or earlier. They cook pots and pots of beans, rice w/ pork, cabbage salad, and banitsa. We also eat "halva" which I think you can actually get in the states and I am totally obsessed with. Women start showing up around 11 and so starts the flow of visitors that lasts well into the evening. First, you go into the room where the baby and mother stay. You talk with the mother and give her money, sweets, and sometimes clothes for the baby. This usually depends on how close you are to the family. After that you go into a different part of the house, or maybe even to another house where every room is filled with long tables. There are always other members of the family running around serving you, and making sure you are comfortable and have everything you need. After you eat, you simply leave...and you've had a good day. Below are some pictures of the last mulitfa I attended...we have one more coming up and after that we are done for at least a couple of months as no one here is ready to pop anytime soon...sad, I know. Enjoy!



A few of us sitting around the table enjoying the yummy food and probably talking about how and why I don't eat meat.


That's halva there to the left and the rice concoction in the middle.



One of the baba's servin' up a plate of goodness.

Me with the baby and Jamle behind me about to say, "When are YOU going to have a mulitfa?" Yikes.

Pazar

Quick little entry. Here are a couple of pics of our "pazar." This is sort of like America's version of a flea market. We have a pretty big pazar in Devin, the town closest to me on Wednesdays. Lots of people from the town go on that day, many take off work for it. You can get pretty much anything you want at most pazars. They sale anything from clothing (hot bulgarian fashion) to fruit (1 lev for a kilo of mandarins or apples...Mmmm) to household items (I bought an iron for 15 leva.) Prices are almost always negotiable at pazars. That's one reason I love them :) Our pazar here in Grohotno is a bit different. It is VERY small, and to my dismay there are no fruits or veggies for sale. But, it's a fun place for people to hang out when the weather is nice enough on Saturdays. I hear once spring and summer hit the pazar is a bit bigger...but for now, if I need sheets for my bed, or a hot wool sweater...this is where you can find me :)