My blog is different in that it's unusual. I saw the need for a humorous Balkan folklore blog. It's a subject few people on the internet have written about, and I enjoy writing about it. Although a few bloggers have ventured into "alien" territory, I have decided to make it my home. You won't find E.T. here, although you will find Alf :)
http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/04/you-know-you-are-alien-from-planet.html
The Blogosphere is a fascinating place. People share their most intimate thoughts and feelings, describe people and places, rant about dysfunctional families and politics, and write poetry on blogs. You can find a little bit of everything here, except for dysfunctional family situations and hard core politics.
Here are ten reasons why you should read my blog:
1. It's entertaining and it's funny. I write to make people think and make people laugh. Hopefully after reading a post or two, it will brighten up your day. And, best of all, it costs nothing!
2. You get to travel to interesting places via multimedia. So you have me to blame for your itchy feet. You can even visit Scotland and Bulgaria at the same time!
3. If you like music, especially music in odd rhythms played on exotic sounding instruments such as the gaida, the gadulka and the kaval, you've come to the right place. This is a rachenitsa, a Bulgarian folk dance in 7/8 meter, played on a gadulka.
4. According to the blog stats, American readers were in first place, and Bulgarians came in second. It's not easy to read my ramblings in a foreign language. Google Translate works well from Bulgarian to English, I don't know about the other way around. I'm honored that you stopped by to read, it means a lot to me.
The Germans came in third, is there a big interest in Balkan folklore in Germany? The fact that people all over the world are reading The Alien Diaries means that it's become a truly multi-national (as well as multi-media) blog.
5. If you've missed a festival or band performance and I've been there, you can be sure I've written it up and taken some videos of the event. This is from last year's Balkan Music Night, which takes place in the Boston area every March, featuring the Serbian dance group Grachanitsa.
For more on Balkan Music Night: http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2011/03/balkan-music-night-2011-more-balkan.html
By the way, I was unable to make the Zlatne Uste Golden Festival this year, but I found some video on YouTube. I was at the very first one 26 years ago.
6. This blog will help you become physically fit. If you're out of shape try some ethnic dance and exercise.
http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/12/on-ethnic-dance-and-exericise.html
7. If you're interested in a creative way to stop annoying neighbors from playing obnoxious loud music you will find the solution here.
http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/08/bulgarian-singing-demystified.html
8. You get to watch people in elaborate embroidered costumes performing complicated folk dances in strange rhythms.
9. We are all citizens of the world and are interconnected. Chauvinism and ethnic rivalry have no place here. The definition of "Balkanization" is a little different on my blog than it is in the dictionary.
"Balkanization: to divide (a country, territory, etc.) into small, quarrelsome, ineffectual states." from Dictionary.com.
"Where there is dancing and singing there is no fighting." Ciga, dancer from the Kolo Ensemble, Belgrade. This was his epitaph.
On The Alien Diaries, Balkanization means everyone holds hands, dances, and gets along, unlike in the real world. Maybe one day that will actually happen.
10. You will find a little bit of everything here, including poetry and a short story featuring my cat, who has a very strange dream:
http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/03/cat-and-dream.html
You can also read about about Hristo Botev, poet and revolutionary.
http://katleyplanetbg.blogspot.com/2010/05/hristo-botev-poet-and-revolutionary.html
If you've enjoyed what you've read here, please let me know in the "comments" section. Thank you!
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Can't say I don't stop by every now and again :)
ReplyDeletethanks for stopping by and glad you enjoy it :)
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