Merry Christmas!

Happy Christmas to all out there!

Over the past few years, I have really begun to appreciate this time of year as a time of reaching out and giving. Perhaps this is as a result of marrying someone from a Christian background.

This year, for the first time in many many years, Diana and I went to a church in Oxford for a Christmas service and carols. Unfortunately, we realised afterwards this was a very evangelical church, and the carols were not as traditional as I would have hoped. Instead, there was a pop-style Christian band, with lots of songs I had not heard before. Nevertheless it was a beautiful atmosphere.

This Christmas, Diana's parents have come to visit from Bulgaria, as well as her sister and brother-in-law from London, so we have a very full house. Despite the level of noise and chaos going up about 300%, it has been nice to have family around and a full house again.

Bulgarians follow the Orthodox tradition, so Christmas is actually celebrated on the 24th, as opposed to the 25th, and the main Christmas meal does not consist of any meat. Instead the meal consists of a variety of beans, stuffed cabbages, a very traditional Bulgarian 'pastry' with leeks called Banitsa, as well as fruit. In addition to this, there is a special home-made bread called a 'pogacha', with a coin in it. Whoever gets the coin will have luck the following year, or at least that is the tradition. In over seven years, I have yet to get the coin :(.

Usually, once we all gather round the table, Diana's mother says a prayer. This used to be the Lord's Prayer, in Russian, but gradually evolved into a Baha'i prayer. After this, the pogacha is cut into pieces and shared out, with everyone eagerly looking to see if they get the coin(!). Then the parents give their blessings to their children for the coming year, interlaced with pretty direct hints about their hopes to see grandchildren at the table by the following year! In the beginning these used to be very subtle hints, but over the years they have given up all hope of subtlety...still to no avail...

Finally, after all this, we eat!

Later in the evening, presents are shared. Afterwards, I usually make myself scarce if the conversation descends to more 'Bulgarian' matters, as happened last night!

Traditionally Christmas Day in Bulgaria is spent visiting family and eating fresh Baklava. Instead of visiting family, Diana and I spent the day visiting friends at the Intensive Ruhi Training taking place in Abingdon this week. We have also tasted some lovely home-made Baklava!

Apparently tonight we will be treated to another Bulgarian traditional Christmas meal, this time courtesy of my brother-in-law.

Perhaps a little later than planned

Well, after just over two weeks of starting my own blog, I finally have time to write a bit more.

This may be more helpful to those who don't know me, or those I have not been in touch with for quite a while.

I am a Baha'i living in Oxfordshire, England, where I have lived for many years now. I have also lived in Brighton and Aberdeen during my childhood and Bakersfield (no jokes please!), California, while in my teens.

I am married to a wonderful person who goes by the name of Diana and is from Bulgaria. I met her in the summer of 1997 while taking part in a Baha'i project in Bulgaria with 4 good friends Jalil Afnan, Ramin Farzanafar, James Herbert and Babak Javid, and we married in September 1999. Over the years, despite personal tests and setbacks in our lives, we have grown closer and closer together and it gives me tremendous pride to call her my wife and one of the greatest friends anyone could ever ask for.

Over the past few years I have been working in the EFL (English as a Foreign Language) industry, first as a teacher, which then gradually evolved into more administrative and management roles. About 18 months ago I started my own language school (Wayfarer School of English). I am currently in the process of securing the finances needed to aquire premises and expand the school to a level where it can compete more effectively with other schools and recruit longer term adult students.

Whilst in the process of expansion, I have another job which is really just to pay the bills, and sometimes balancing the two can be a bit challenging. What can be equally testing is when things progress slower than I would like with the school, but I know this is all part and parcel of starting a new business and I have to be patient. I have taken some big steps over the past year and made some really great contacts and hope these will now pay off over the coming year.

Diana and I both enjoy travelling and have just returned from a one week break in Spain visiting an old friend of Diana's from Bulgaria. We got back last night and I will write about this trip soon. Needless to say, it was great to be away and I had not been this relaxed in over six months.