10,000 cats and a Hungarian Jew from Australia.

One of my favorite parts about staying in hostels is all the people you meet from all over the world.  Last night sitting on a quiet balcony overlooking the city of Plovidv I was joined by someone from Holland, Germany, Bulgaria, France, Italy, and yes, a Hungarian Jew from Australia.  Conveniently of course, the common language between all these people is English -- I used to think it was pompous of me to want others to hold a conversation in English, but I'm beginning to realize that English is the first second language many others choose to learn because it is so universal in so many parts of the world.  Many foreigners from all parts of Europe (and other countries) communicate with people at restaurants and the like in English.  Lucky us, I suppose...

Anyways, the Hungarian was sharing some of his stories from surviving the holocaust and how most of his family members didn't make it, and in fact were killed days before the Russians liberated Budapest.  What an amazing story this man had to share.  We also discussed how history is repeating itself, and everything that has been happening to the Roma in recent years.  If only we could learn from our mistakes.  Further, we talked about the differences between western and eastern Europe (obviously I am not one to make judgement on the sort but it was fascinating listening to these Europeans discuss the differences and similarities in their cultures).  One thing we could all agree on, though, was that in all our travels it always seems as if those with the least (speaking strictly from a monetary stand point) are the happiest and most joyful, most full of hope...and those with the most (generally western societies) are those that are the most stressed and the most unhappy.  These characteristics - or views or feelings - always seem to be especially expressed in the actions, or inactions, of the children in these cultures.  I certainly felt like this in India and Nepal, compared with kids in America.  For instance, the child on the street in Calcutta has not even a pair of shoes, and yet has everything; and a child in America has everything, and yet still it is not enough.

Oh, and we finally came to an agreement that the number of stray cats in Plovdiv equaled exactly 18,000.

CM