My god, am I tired

It's been pretty miserable here in Sofia. I'm freaking cold and it's all rainy and crap and the drab grayness of the buildings is not inviting.

Still, I am content. Gray drips from the Sofia sky as winter makes its impending presence known, and as drab Soviet walls darken every corner, gloom has enveloped the city. Yet there are signs of change fifteen years after the the collapse of the USSR. The city of knowledge has lagged behind its ex-Soviet counterparts, but in a few places, brightly colored paint has been splashed onto restored buildings, boldly proclaiming victory along streets that have yet to learn they have not been defeated. Beneath seemingly crumbling concrete edifices, signs of life bloom through store windows, the eyes to the soul of capitalism. The air is still heavy with the thick black dust blown by the industrial goddess of the communist empire, but a sense of a hopeful future also floats through it. Breaths of anticipation take refuge in the lungs of those who had suffered so long under the watchful eyes of tyranny, though a few older souls seem overwhelmed, even lost amidst the shiny objects staring at them from behind the glass. Narrow, winding streets once dotted with the fearful frowns of an indentured populace and the footsteps of the secret police are now crammed with new cars and hands full of shopping bags.

Yes, this place has been very gray since I've been here, but I see so much color - even soul - in the city. I'm very interested in this place.

Love how they replaced the statue of Stalin with the statue of Sofia. May her children - Love, Hope, and Faith - not be so cruelly murdered as they were in the legend.