Monday, December 28/2015

I Take bus out to visit Jane. Take her out for a walk in the wheelchair, which is heavier than it looks like to tilt when going down a step. On the way back meet up with the Bulgarian woman next door, who is out with her little dog. The dog is delighted to see Jane, who usually takes it for walks. Hugs (for Jane, not me) from Bulgarian neighbour, and, as always, streams of cheerful but utterly incomprehensible Bulgarian. It's a southern Slav language, apparently similar to Macedonian - which nobody I know speaks - but none of it sounds much like Polish. The only two words I identify are może - Polish for maybe - and da, same as the Russian for yes. Have had similar experience with girl at the East European shop. Thank you, for example, transliterates as blagodaryu (Cyrillic letters used by Bulgarians), resembling neither Polish or Russian at all.