December 2015

December 2015/January 2016

Newsletter

of the International Women’s Club in Sofia

21st Charity Bazaar with T. M. Tsar Simeon and Tsaritsa Margarita

Third Stallholders meeting at the Italian residence Happy Holidays!

Next Monthly Coffee Mornings: Tuesday, 12th January, 10.30am and Tuesday, 9th February, 10.30am at Matti-d

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Letter from the President

Dear ladies, As I write this we are days away from the bazaar, our main source of funding for the charity foundation. The Annual Bazaar could not happen without each and every one of you, the IWC members, who continue to work each year to support the bazaar and ultimately the Charity projects of the IWC. I would like to thank all of you, together with the amazing work of Toi Castello and her bazaar team, our donors and volunteers, also the board and the office who are all working very long days to bring the 21st Charity bazaar to the people of Sofia! We should all be very proud of this club and the amazing community of women within it. I would also like to express my gratitude to T.M. King Simeon and Queen Margarita for being part of this truly worthwhile initiative.

Because December is a very busy and full month with many of us leaving the city to join friends and family for holiday celebrations there will not be the usual array of events.

But we will be hosting a special coffee morning at the Bulgaria Mall on the 10th to thank our stall holders and volunteers. If you are still here in Sofia and would like to have a catch up with a few of us on the board, meet us on the 29th for a glass of wine or cocktail, we would love to see you before the end of the year! January starts the year with another month of great events, which you will find in this December/January edition together with details of the events mentioned above.

Please remember if you have a hobby or passion that you would like to share with the other members, we always welcome new events and activity groups, contact Becky Faber to start the ball rolling!

It leaves me to say through all the hard work, I hope you will still enjoy the buzz and excitement of the bazaar, and after celebrating your holidays with those closed to you I look forward to seeing you relaxed and ready to go in the new year!

On behalf of the board I wish you and your families, health, happiness and good fortune over the festive period and New Year.

Angela Bird

Permanent and Waterproof PRINT on LIVE ROSES

Cover image: Katarzyna Lason, 20th Charity Bazaar, 2014.

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IWC Executive Board 2015-2016 President Angela Bird 0879 119 152 president@iwc-sofia.org

Charity Chairperson Maria Ilieva 0878 300 561/ 0879 119 154 charity@iwc-sofia.org

Treasurer Kelsa L. Smith-Mouskourova 0879 506 800 treasurer@iwc-sofia.org

International Women’s Club Business Park Sofia, Building 11A, 3rd floor

Vice-President Becky Ruth Faber 0879 119 150 firstvp@iwc-sofia.org

Bazaar Coordinator Toi Castelló i Reñé 0879 506 799 charitybazaar@iwc-sofia.org

Office Manager/Newsletter Editor: office@iwc-sofia.org admin@iwc-sofia.org “Like” IWC on Facebook and check tel.: 02 951 6117 our website www.iwc-sofia.org (please call before visiting)

Club policy Smoking Please note that all IWC Coffee Mornings are non-smoking.

Bulgarian Applicants Unfortunately, due to a lack of available spaces, new Bulgarian applicants will be added to the waiting list, until further notice Language Don’t let a lack of fluency in English keep you from attending the monthly coffee mornings and other club activities. Many of our members speak other languages. Remember, we are an international club, and we are here to support you. You’re welcome at any time.

Suggestion Box The suggestion box is always available at the members’ sign-in table. Feel free to write your ideas, concerns, complaints, and suggestions to the IWC Board and drop them in the box. Because you’re important to us, we want to hear from you.

IWC Visitors Policy The IWC doors are open to visitors throughout the year. Visitors are welcome to attend up to two coffee mornings and two activities prior to applying for membership. A 15 BGN fee is payable upon registration at the sign-in table during the coffee morning. For more information, please contact the Member-ship Coordinator at office@iwc-sofia.org.

Events Charges All events are available to fully paid up members of the IWC. Where there is a cost involved, it will be kept to the very minimum.

Guests will be able to attend the events that are specified at the time. Not all events will be open to guests. Events that are open to guests will also carry a ‘guest’ surcharge as follows:

Monthly Events Free monthly events are free to guests. Events costing under 20BGN, there is an additional charge of 5BGN. Events costing 21BGN or more, there is an additional charge of 50%.

Monthly Activity Groups Monthly activity groups are free and any charge for guests will be at the discretion of the organiser of the group, a charge may be added for instance if a guest regularly frequents one of these activities without becoming a member.

A deposit is required from all members and guests attending an event with a cost involved. This deposit will be forfeited in the case of non attendance.

Event

IWC Member

Guest

Free Monthly Event

Free

Free

Free Activity Group Event

Free

Paid*

Paid Monthly Event

5-20BGN

+5BGN

Paid Monthly Event

21BGN+

+50%

Member only Event

Open

Closed

*Charge for guests at the discretion of the activity group organiser with a min. sum of 10 BGN. Use of IWC Logo The Board has established the following policy for the use of the IWC logo and brand name. In order to prevent any misuse.

1.Written Permission must be requested from the Board a minimum of 2 weeks prior to event; 2. The partnering organisation/company should be in good standing in the community; 3. The event should seek to pursue the goals of the IWC; 4. No third-party usage will be permitted. An agreement will be signed between IWC and partner organisation; 5. The Logo may be used only for the agreed event and for specified time period.

Guidelines for Paid Advertisement 1. Priority for any vacant advertising spaces will be given first to IWC members, then to outside advertisers.

2. Advertisers are welcome to run or extend their advertisements for a period of six months. After that time, if there is a waiting list for advertisements of that size, the situation will be reviewed, and priority for available spaces will be given to (a) IWC members; (b) new advertisers; (c) existing advertisers. The same order of priority will apply to smaller ad space that may become available.

3. There is no waiting list for advertisements of a given size, the current advertiser may extend their advertisement for the contract period of their choice.

4. These guidelines may be revised at any time with the agreement of the IWC Board.

5. Paid advertisers are not endorsed by the IWC.

Rules For Announcements From Members 1. Advertisements will be run in two consecutive issues. If the member sends a request to run the advertisement again, it will be extended for a further two issues. After that, the advertisement will be removed. If the member still wishes to include the advertisement after that time, the request will be considered, but placement is not guaranteed.

2. Advertisements must be submitted by members. Members may not submit ads for non-members (e.g., for a friend who is selling a car, etc.).

3. Members may not submit recommendations for businesses. These recommendations may be submitted to the IWC Go To Guide. Businesses are also welcome to purchase advertising in the newsletter.

4.Recommendations for individuals engaged in business (e.g., dentists, hairdressers, etc.) will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Board.

5. Final discretion as to whether to include an announcement rests with the Newsletter Editor.

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We ask members to send all announcements for the newsletter via e-mail. The size of ads should not exceed a single paragraph of five lines. The IWC board is not responsible for the accuracy of the information provided in these announcements.

Please send your contributions to office@iwc-sofia.org not later than the 15th of the month.

Notable and religious days in December and January 6th December, Finnish Independence Day This holiday is celebrated annually on 6 December and marks the Declaration of Independence from the Russian empire by the Finnish Parliament in 1917.

First celebrated in 1919, Independence Day was initially a solemn occasion with patriotic speeches and special Church services.

In more recent times the Independence day celebration has become a more vibrant occasion with the blue and white colours of the Finnish flag being proudly displayed in shop windows and bakeries producing cakes with blue and white icing.

Finland had been part of the Russian Empire since 1809.

Following the Russian revolution and the defeats in the First World War, movements within Finland pushed for independence from Russia and on 6 December 1917, the parliament declared Finland as an independent state.

In 2015, Hanukkah is from in the evening of Sunday, 6th December until the evening of Monday, 14th December.

'hanukkiyah'. There is a special ninth candle called the 'shammash' or servant candle which is used to light the other candles. The shammash is often in the center of the other candles and has a higher position. On the first night one candle is lit, on the second night, two are lit until all are lit on the eighth and final night of the festival. Traditionally they are lit from left to right. A special blessing, thanking God, is said before or after lighting the candles and a special Jewish hymn is often sung. The menorah is put in the front window of houses so people passing can see the lights and remember the story of Hanukkah. Most Jewish family and households have a special menorah and celebrate Hanukkah.

During Hanukkah, on each of the eight nights, a candle is lit in a special menorah (candelabra) called a

Hanukkah is also a time for giving and receiving presents and gifts are often given on each night.

6th December, St. Nicholas Day (Nikulden), Christian The feast of St. Nicholas, falls on December 6, at the beginning of Advent. This day brings much celebrating, especially in Eastern Europe and Germanic countries such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Italy and Bulgaria also celebrate this saint's day.

and St. Nicholas rewards the children who have been good all year by filling up their shoes with goodies, such as nuts, fruits and sweets.

6th December, Hanukkah, Jewish holiday Hanukkah is the Jewish Festival of Lights and it remembers the rededication of the second Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. This happened in the 160s BC. Hanukkah is the Jewish word for 'dedication'. Hanukkah last for eight days and starts on the 25th of Kislev, the month in the Jewish calendar that occurs at about the same time as December. Because the Jewish calendar is lunar (it uses the moon for its dates), Kislev can happen from late November to late December.

In Bulgaria the day of Saint Nicholas I called Nikulden.

It is an important winter festival celebrated by all Bulgarians on December 6th. It is the name day for everyone named Nikola, Nikolay, Kolyo, Nikolina, Neno, Nenka, Nikolina or Nina. 


In Germanic countries, St. Nicholas is accompanied by Krampus, an evil spirit or little devil, usually dressed in fur or black with a long tail, and carries a rattling chain, birch branches and a big black bag. In Holland Sinterklass or Sinterklaus leaves from Spain on a boat, accompanied by Black Peter (Piet), his Moor servant. Peter wears animal skins or the traditional medieval Moorish colourful clothing. In most Germanic countries, St. Nicholas comes on December 5. Children leave their shoes on the windowsill or outside their bedroom door, 


Bishop Nicholas was exiled and imprisoned under the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian, a ruthless persecutor of the Christians. The prisons were so full of bishops, priests, and deacons, there was no room for the real criminals—murderers, thieves and robbers. After his release, Nicholas attended the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. He died on December 6, AD 343 in Myra, and was buried in his cathedral church.

8th December, Rohatsu (Bodhi Day), Buddhist

In Japanese Zen monasteries, Rohatsu is the last day of a week-long sesshin. A sesshin is an intensive meditation retreat in which all of one's waking time is dedicated to meditation. Even when not in the meditation hall, participants endeavor to maintain meditation focus at all times - eating, washing, doing chores. Silence is maintained unless speaking is absolutely necessary.

Rohatsu is Japanese for "eighth day of the twelfth month." December 8 has come to be the day Japanese Zen Buddhists observe the enlightenment of the historical Buddha.

Western Buddhists of many schools appear to be adopting December 8 as Bodhi Day, also. Bodhi means "awakened" in Sanskrit, although in English we tend to say "enlightened."

In a Rohatsu Sesshin, it is traditional for each evening's meditation period to be longer than the previous evening's. On the last night, those with enough stamina sit in meditation through the night.

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23rd December, Birthday of the Prophet: Mawlid al-Nabi, Islamic On the twelfth day of the third month, Rabi' al-Awwal, many Muslims commemorate the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad. In many predominantly Muslim countries, Mawlid al-Nabi is a major public holiday.

Some Muslims refuse to participate in this observance, feeling it is an innovation which places too much emphasis on the human Prophet and distracts from the true divine source of revelation. Other Muslims view this festival as a means to teach their communities about the Prophet Muhammad’s way of life, which all Muslims seek to emulate.

Throughout the world, there are a variety of expressions for the observance of the birth of the Prophet: some celebrations take place simply in private homes; other Muslims decorate their local masjid with lights and hold large festive gatherings. Celebrations of Mawlid al-Nabi include sharing food, attending lectures, participating in marches, and reading the Qur’an and devotional poetry. In some countries, such as Pakistan, the entire month of Rabi' al-Awwal is observed as the Prophet’s “birth month.” In Singapore, the observance of Mawlid al-Nabi is a one-day festival which often includes special “birthday parties” for poor children and orphans in addition to the regular prayers and lectures in local masajid. Azhar Square in Cairo is the site of one of the largest celebrations, with over two million Muslims in attendance.

25th December, Christmas, Christian The meaning of Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Christ. The story of the Nativity, or the events surrounding the birth of Jesus, are particularly important in religious celebrations of Christmas. However, many traditions that are around today have their roots in pre-Christian winter festivals. These include the importance of candles and decorations made from evergreen bushes and tree, symbolising everlasting light and life.

In Roman times, a mid-winter festival was held. This was a relaxing time with a lot of parties and merry making. It was also common to give other people small gifts, such as dolls for children and candles for adults. This festival culminated with the celebration of the winter solstice, which fell on December 25 in the Roman calendar. In Scandinavia, a festival called Yule and lasting up to twelve days was held in late December and early January.

In this time people burnt logs and held parties. These customs have influences how Christmas Day is celebrated today in the United States.

The Bible does not give a precise date for the birth of Jesus. It is also unclear when December 25 became associated with the birth of Jesus, although it may have been around two hundred years after his birth. In the early centuries of Christianity, the anniversary of the birth of Jesus was not a cause for celebrations. The idea of turning this day into a celebration started in the early Middle Ages in Europe.

During Reformation and up until the middle of the 1800s, Christmas was often not celebrated because partying and merry making was seen as unchristian. From about 1840, celebrating Christmas became more widespread. December 25 was declared a federal holiday in the United States in 1870. Since then Christmas Day has become a steadily more important holiday.

1st January, Independence Day in Sudan

only in they officially abandoned their claims of sovereignty over Sudan. On the other hand British supported Sudan politically and financially. This led the polling process that ended with the composition of a democratic parliament in Sudan and the election of the first Prime Minister, Ismail al-Azhari.

Independence Day is the main national holiday in the Republic of the Sudan. It is celebrated on 1 January since 1956, when Sudan gained independence from Great Britain and Egypt.

In 1822 the most part of the territory of Sudan was under Egyptian rule. In the second half of the 19 century Sudan was administered as a British colony. But at some point the British wanted to reunite all the land so they started this process under the Egyptian leadership by Muhammad Ali Pasha.

The official ceremony that marked the gaining of independence was held on 1 January 1956 at the People's Palace. That day both the Egyptian and British flags were lowered and the new Sudanese flag was raised by Ismail al-Azhari.

From 1924 and until 1956 Sudan was administered by British as two separate territories. The march towards Sudanese independence started in 1952 when the Egyptian Revolution began. The revolution led to the abolishing of the monarchy in 1953. The leaders of Egypt believed that they could stop British domination in Sudan

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Charity update The IWC Charity added new valuable projects and supported with in-kind donations many small organisations and groups of people who experienced various needs.

Due to growing interest from the NGO Sector for receiving financial support from the IWC it is time to change the procedure of funds allocation and improve the response rate to an increased amount of requests. At the same time the new procedure will be another step towards prevention of any negative impacts that might occur and have influence on the image of the IWC, built over the years by many women with big hearts.

Dear ladies,

Another positive step from the last few days is the official meeting between the IWC and the State Agency for Child Protection. Both sides agreed that a partnership between the two organisations will be of mutual benefit.

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year when we celebrate faith, family and traditions. May this wonderful time of the year touch your hearts in a special way!

Wishing you a lot of happiness today and throughout the New Year!

2015 was an exceptionally strong year for the IWC Charity, filled with many challenges, it brought new experiences and much more new opportunities, which enhanced our strengths and visibility among the community.

Regards, Maria Ilieva

Upcoming event: December 13th, 2015 – Official closing of Canis therapy – Phase 2. Join us and meet the kids with autism and cerebral palsy and their good friend Elmo, the dog who is part of the therapy and gives the kids lots of joy.

The place and time will be confirmed soon.

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A taste of Pink

Tran is a small village 6 km away the Serbian border. It is one of the poorest and coldest places in the country where people, especially kids, really need help. No wonder the Pink House is located there.

Visiting the Pink House was a wonderful and enlightening experience because we could see a concrete way to lend a hand to children living in difficult situations. Albena, Becky and their team gave us a warm welcome and shared with us a delicious cake made by a group of teenagers enrolled in cooking lessons at the House.

Saying that visiting the Pink House was a wonderful experience would be too simple, because what we saw there goes well beyond all that. It comes down to lot of work, dedication and love for human beings in need of help.

Crista Elsa Gonzalez

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H. M. Queen Margarita supports two women’s organisations Her Majesty Queen Margarita of Bulgaria was guest of honour at an international meeting, which took place at Vrana Palace near Sofia.

The event was organised by the Society of BusinessWomen (SBW) and the International Women’s Club – Sofia (IWC – Sofia). The two entities have agreed upon a future mutual cooperation. The occasion gathered together women from within the diplomatic community as well as from different business areas and many walks of life in Bulgaria. Those who were present expressed their excitement to be personally acquainted with the Queen and to be able to share with her their ideas and projects.

The President of the International Women’s Club – Sofia Angela Bird said that the 21st yearly Charity Bazaar of the IWC will take place on December 6th in Sofia. Guest of honour this year will be Her Majesty, who will also inaugurate the event. 49 countries will be represented with traditional souvenirs, their national cuisine, folklore, etc. All funds collected from the bazaar will be used for the charitable causes of the club. The IWC – Sofia was founded in 1989 and has united foreigners living in Bulgaria mostly from the diplomatic and business community. Only during 2014 the organisation has raised more than 320,000 Leva.

The President of the Society of Business Women Tsvetelina Uzunova announced the major projects of the association for 2016. The most important project will be the organising of the first meeting of Balkan business women in Sofia. SBW is already in contact with similar organisations in Macedonia, Serbia, Greece, Romania and Turkey. Priority will also be given to the campaign Mother on time, supported by Hope hospital, the largest hospital in the country for women’s reproductive health. For this initiative SBW will work in partnership with the Family Policy Institute, led by former Minister of social welfare Hristina Hristova, who was among the guests. Last but not least there will be campaigns dedicated to the prevention of violence against women. Ms Uzunova pointed out that amongst those present were the authors of the Law on protection from domestic violence – Prof. Aneliya Mingova and Marina Dikova. A commitment to the activities of both organisations expressed the popular TV anchor of BNT Mira Dobreva.

During the eventful evening Talisman jewellery boutique showed a lovely selection from their current autumn range whilst Queen Margarita was presented with a small gift – a bracelet in smoky quartz – the stone of harmony.

Photos: Paraskeva Georgieva

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21st Charity Bazaar reflections Dear Friends, The 21st IWC Charity Bazaar is over. I am happy that we made again another successful bazaar! It was great to meet all of you again in our main charity event.

Another year “the world came to us”. Music, food, dances, people… There were so many different cultures under the same ceiling celebrating the solidarity.

That’s why I like so much the bazaar. We all forget about our daily routines, about the world conflicts, about our little problems to get together and spend the day smiling at each other.

It was my third year participating in the Bazaar and first as the IWC Bazaar Coordinator. It was a very rewarding experience for me. During several months, all the bazaar team worked very hard to make the event possible. We started in May planning the event, looking for new ideas to improve the organisation, to make everything easier for the stallholders. We spend the summer looking for new donors, gathering suggestions from all our friends and colleagues to raise more money, preparing the printing materials and getting all ready for the First Stallholders Meeting in September.

September is when everything really starts. We met the stallholders, most of them have been at the bazaar for years, but some of them came for the first time. We met new people and experienced new ideas. During September and October all the stalls registered and started planning. They raised a lot of questions and shared a lot of enthusiasm, efforts contacting donors, creativity in finding ways to attract the public to their stalls. Everybody helped, everybody collaborated and everybody enjoyed it!

We started having an idea of what the floor plan will look like and in November we all visited the halls where everything would take place. This was a very important month. During this month everything needed to be taken care of and confirmed because on the first Sunday of December, as it has been the tradition for 21 years, after the opening ceremony, at 10:30…. … THE WORLD COMES TO YOU !!!

And this is the payoff for all of our efforts. To see all the volunteers working hard, the public enjoying the delicious food, eating and drinking all together, the kids dancing on the stage, lights, music, vibes of love and joy, everybody wanting to help, everybody wanting to raise as much money as possible to help others.

There is nothing more rewarding than working to make other people happy.

For all this, the only thing I can say now is THANK YOU!!! My very special thanks go out to H.M. Queen Margarita for accepting our invitation to be our guest of honour and for joining this initiative with her charismatic personality! I am grateful to all of you because you made my work so rewarding.

Toi Castelló i Reñé 10

Dear IWC friends, My first experience as a new IWC member was becoming Assistant Bazaar Coordinator straight away. This has proven to be a challenging and exciting experience all together.

Challenging because - an exposure was given to me to implement, supervise and assist with various tasks, while I was not yet familiar with the IWC organisation. I learned many new things in the process. I very quickly adapted and took charge of my role. I am extremely proud of my concept of the Bazaar poster and tickets, which truly reflects the image and the spirit of the event. Of course as in every major event organisation, one is sometimes faced with difficulties, but they were easily overcome with guidance from our experienced Bazaar Coordinator - Toi and the rest of the team.

And it is surely an exciting experience as it allowed me to fully familiarise myself with the incredible work of the IWC and to become a witness of the tremendous support and generosity by the embassies and organisations participating in the bazaar. I happily became a key player during the stallholders meetings and the ambassador for the Bazaar media participation and coverage. The best part was that through my work I got acquainted with most of you - my fellow lady members and also with the diplomatic society participating as our stallholders.

To conclude may I say that it is a privilege to be Assistant Bazaar Coordinator this year, I hope I have contributed for the successful organisation, implementation and helping to achieve the objectives of the 21st Charity Bazaar and I would gladly do it all over again.

Albena Jones

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21st Charity Bazaar in photos GOSSELIN MOBILITY

ge t in touch

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th

COMO visit

Patchwork with Dusica

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Quince: sweet or sour?

Russian coee

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Swedish cooking demo

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Turkish national day

Stallholders meeting at the Italian Residence

British Residence mince pies baking

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Happy Thanksgiving 2015 Most Americans look forward to sharing a Thanksgiving Day meal with family and friends, but many also make a special effort to volunteer at shelters, churches, food banks and other charitable organisations.

the first president of the United States, who proclaimed the first national Thanksgiving Day in 1789. Today, this festival is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November.

Let's go back in history ...

Generally the meal is composed of a dinner of roast turkey. For this occasion the American ladies prepared a delicious meal of artichoke dip, sweet potato pecan crisp, apple pecan crisp, roast turkey, tender and cooked to perfection with a home made sauce, as well as fresh Russian tea, and a delicious pumpkin dessert to finish.

Many people trace the origins of Thanksgiving Day to the city of "El Paso", Texas in 1598. Another event was held in early 1619 in the Virginia Colony, also Massachusetts, in 1621 to the harvest celebration held by the pilgrims in Plymouth. However, true thanksgiving was held first in 1623 when they gave thanks for rain that ended a drought. These early Thanksgivings took the form of a special church service rather than a feast. In the second half of the 1600s, thanksgivings became more frequent are were held after harvest and marked the beginnings to future annual events.

We say a big thank you to all of them and especially to Jane and Nancy. We were honoured by this kind invitation and were delighted to be part of such friendly atmosphere. We enjoyed this delicious meal, everything was perfect.

THANK YOU so much for this wonderful experience!

To celebrate the first harvest, the governor decreed three days of thanksgiving, The celebration has been repeated every year for 168 years but it was George Washington,

Sory Almonacid de Jan

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Membership news and announcements Birthdays in December/January

It is a pleasure for me to share that our dear former IWC member, Alexandra Schkolska, made a generous donation for IWC Bazaar 2015. Recently Alexandra exhibited her own paintings in Algara gallery and she allocated 110 BGN from those she sold for the charity projects of the Club. Alexandra is not only a talented Bulgarian artist but also has a deep understanding for the needs of the underprivileged people in Bulgaria.

Dorte Kieler, 4th December Elisaveta Petrusheva, 6th December Teodora Petrova-Ivanova, 6th December Rossalina Koehler, 9th December Maria-Teresa Duran Moreno, 11th December Marijke Oeyen, 12th December Rebecca Richardson, 13th December Johanna Alcantara de Tejeda, 15th December Eva Kreuzer, 15th December Angela Bird, 20th December Marieta Neykova, 27th December Deborah Hensley, 5th January Maria Ilieva, 6th January Miwako Note, 18th January Krassimira Lowe, 21st January

This afternoon she handed me the money together with one of her paintings to be sold at the Bazaar.

We are grateful for her kind donation and hope that her goodwill gesture will be an example for other IWC members.

HUGE THANKS, Alexandra!

Best regards, Albena Matova, Tabitha Foundation

A French, native speaker, who lives in Sofia, gives lessons in French, individual or in small groups (3-4 persons).

The lessons are designed to children, schoolboys/girls and adults at beginners or advanced level, and can be tailored to your specific needs. That is a good opportunity to learn/improve your grammar and vocabulary skills, as well as to feel more comfortable while making conversations in French.

If you are interested, please contact me on my mobile phone: 0885 37 55 33 or e-mail: nic.robin@hotmail.fr That will be a pleasure to help you achieve the results you desire.

Nicolas Robin A wonderful car in excellent condition, great for both cities and off- road travelling

contact me at: vlopes832@ gmail.com (+359) 089 6302998

The National Opera and Ballet in Sofia opens its doors to the youngest - babies and children up to 3 years old.

Every Saturday and Sunday from 11:00 you will have the opportunity to communicate with your baby in the language of classical music. Your little one will feel the rhythms and the beauty of ballet and interact with some of the best children's music educators. Welcome tea and cookies will be served for visitors. Address: 1 Vrabcha St. 4 December (Friday) 5 December (Saturday) 6 December (Sunday) 12 December (Saturday)

13 December (Sunday) 18 December (Friday) 19 December (Saturday) 20 December (Sunday)

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Ongoing activities

English Conversation Group We are five native English speakers who take it in turns to lead a weekly conversation group every Thursday from 10:30 AM–12:30 PM. Different venues and topics are chosen every week. All members and all levels are welcome. If you would like to join the sessions, please e-mail Albena Jones at albenajones@yahoo.co.uk.

Charity Action Group The group meets once a quarter to discuss new charity projects, the progress of ongoing projects, and the finances of the Charity Foundation. Part of the followup is frequent visits to these projects. If you want to make a difference and contribute something please join us! The date and place of the next meeting is published in the monthly newsletter. Contact Maria Ilieva on 0878 300 561 or at charity@iwc-sofia.org.

Book Club

Spanish Conversation Group Everybody who wants to practice and improve her Spanish is welcome to or weekly meetings. Also, if you are already fluent in Spanish or if you are a native speaker and you would like to participate, please contact Toi Castelló on 0882 008 518 or write her an e-mail: iotcas@gmail.com.

NEW

Members read one book a month, and then get together to discuss the book (discussions are in English and are usually very fun and lively). We read a variety of fiction and non-fiction books from writers of all nationalities.

There is a morning (meeting once a month on Thursday) and an evening group (meeting on Mondays). For more information contact: Sonya Petrova: andsonya@yahoo.com or Jean Olson: jean.olson@yahoo.com.

Tennis A group of members are starting to regularly play tennis together. We are of mixed ability and if you wish to join us or get on the regular email list then please contact Lynne at lynnegodding@gmail.com.

Hiking Club

Bridge

The hiking group is an energetic group of dedicated hikers who head up to Vitosha and the surrounding mountains every Friday. We usually meet at 9 am at Fantastico in Dragelevtsi. An email is sent to all hikers every Wednesday with more specific plans and this often includes different meeting points. A typical hike will bring us back to our meeting point at 2 or 3. For more information please write to office@iwc-sofia.org

Interested members are invited to play bridge. An intermediate/advanced group plays on Thursday mornings at 10:30 am in the “King of Clubs” club, just behind Matti-d. Fee is 5 BGN for the session.

There is an English-speaking group and a Frenchspeaking group. For more information, contact Diana Kolarova at dianakolarova@ yahoo.com or 0888 423 150. We also welcome visitors!

Bootcamp

Golf

NEW

This is an English language Outdoor EXERCISE group. We meet every Wed and Fri at 10am sharp at the park behind CCS (the dog park) with Costa Coffee as a meeting point. This began as a mothers’ group who are interested in getting back in shape or just want to keep healthy and fit in general. And now we want to invite fellow ladies of the IWC to join our FIT movement. Motivated by our expert instructor we will spend 1 to 1.15 hours of great outdoor workout with lots of cardio and strength training. The training (instructor fee) is 12 leva per training per person initially but the price drops if you become a regular. We hope to see you there!

Contact Nadya Wuisan-Bratanova on her e-mail: nw.bratanova@gmail.com.

We play every Wednesday morning at St. Sofia Golf Club and Spa. I you are a golf player and would like to join us, please contact Raquel Azrak at arevaloraq@gmail.com.

Patchwork Group The group meets every Monday from 10:00am-– 12:00pm at Dusica Trkulja’s apartment. The address is Evlogy Georgiev 99, floor 6, apartment 27. Interested ladies are welcome to bring ideas, patterns, and materials. For more information, please contact Dusica Trkulja on her landline: 02 980 0948.

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December & January Thursday, 10th December

POSIT: 10 leva per person. Cotact: Toi - 0879 506 799.

10.30am: Monthly Coffee Morning Carols and Christmas Songs around Piano, Venue: Bulgaria Mall, 69 Bulgaria Blvd.

Friday, 15th January 12.00pm: Visit to Como Furniture store which is similar/ different from IKEA – sign up at the coffee morning, please; cake and a tour with possible discount on your purchases!

Sunday, 13th December Official closing of Canis therapy – Phase 2 Join us and meet the kids with autism and cerebral palsy and their good friend Elmo, the dog who is part of the therapy and gives the kids lots of joy. The place and time will be confirmed soon. Contact Maria Ilieva: 0878 300 561/ 0879 119 154, charity@iwc-sofia.org.

Tuesday, 19th January T.b.c: When The Doctor Gives Bad News Can good come to your life from bad events?

It may transform you, one IWC friend insists.

Lyuba invites us to come, eat healthy snacks and listen as she shares about changes in her philosophy, diet and life. Even a terrible event like cancer might end in good, in her viewpoint.

Contact SIrma to confirm/ address is: Sofia 22 Tsanko Tserkovski St. tel: +359 2 963 33 43. Or sign up at Coffee morning; limit 15 people, deposit 5 leva.

Tuesday, 29th December 6.00pm: IWC Cocktails Night Join Angela, Kelsa and Maria at Orisha Bar & Dinner for an end-of-year cocktail. Solunska 50, Sofia 1000, Bulgaria. Prices range from 5 to 10 BGN. Food is also available.

Tuesday, 12th January 10.30am: Monthly Coffee Morning at Matti-d

Wednesday, 20th January 7.00pm: Wine Night Out Come and relax! Tell stores! Warm up your winter night – meet at Sense Rooftop Bar with Angela. It’s good to reflect on all the IWC accomplished and look forward to fun in 2016 together! Contact: Angela - 0879 119 152.

Wednesday, 13th January 11.30am: Monthly Lunch Celebrate new year again at a lunch with IWC friends near the Joliot Curie Metro stop, at Brick Café, 11 Konstantin Shtarkelov; No DEPOSIT but please sign up at MCM so Kelsa prepares the right number at her table; Conact: Kelsa - 088 988-58 21.

Thursday, 14th January 6.30pm: Swedish Soup Demos & Winter Fare Electrolux professional kitchens offers another fascinating evening of food and fun. LIMITED space please sign up COSTS: 35 leva per person - 5 couples or maximum 10 people. DE-

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