some jokes for the beginning of spring :)

Wish you a nice spring-time, everyone :)!

via Mari Eta: It's not shameful for a man to cry... It's shameful when his make-up is washed out...

Via Sanjay Shukla: INDIA:HEAVEN ON EARTH:
An American decided to write a book about famous churches around the World.

So he bought a plane ticket and took a trip to China.

On his first day he was inside a church taking photographs when he Noticed a golden telephone mounted on the wall with a sign that read '$10,000 per call'.

The American, being intrigued, asked a priest who was strolling by what The telephone was used for.

The priest replied that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000 you could talk to God.

The American thanked the priest and went along his way.

Next stop was in Japan. There, at a very large cathedral, he saw the Same golden telephone with the same sign under it.

He wondered if this was the same kind of telephone he saw in China and
He asked a nearby nun what its purpose was.

She told him that it was a direct line to heaven and that for $10,000
He Could talk to God.

' O.K., thank you,' said the American.

He then traveled to Pakistan, Srilanka, Russia, Germany and France ...

In every church he saw the same golden telephone with the same '$10,000 Per call' sign under it.
The American, upon leaving Vermont decided to travel to up to India to See if Indians had the same phone.

He arrived in India , and again, in the first church he entered, there
Was the same golden telephone, but this time the sign under it read

'One
Rupee per call.'

The American was surprised so he asked the priest about the sign.
'Father, I've traveled all over World and I've seen this same golden Telephone in many churches. I'm told that it is a direct line to Heaven, But in the US the price was $10,000 per call.

Why is it so cheap here?' The priest smiled and answered, 'You're in India now, Son - it's a Local Call'.This is the only heaven on the Earth. 
KEEP SMILING 
If you are proud to be an Indian pass this on!!!

Via Mari Eta: Never wrap a GMO fish in a newspaper... The GMO bastard fills in the crossword puzzle...

And my usual quote/thought from some of my writings:

(Oftentimes) the best way toward courage is knowledge… from my Lake Mystery.

 http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/TaleOfTheRockPieces.html, http://allanbard.hit.bg, http://allanbard.hpage.com, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Allan-Bard-Ivan-Stoikov-Fan-Page-Strategic-Book-Group/121092637984053,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yw3a5n00FI, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qUA8Avl7ew, http://pinterest.com/allanbard/

www.allanbard.blogspot.com, www.allanbard.wordpress.com

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4159102-ivan-stoikov-allan-bard, www.shelfari.com/allanbard

1st March - one of the best feasts/traditions in Bulgaria/Balkan Peninsula.

Happy 1^st March, everyone! Wish you all the best luck, happiness and health possible J!

As every time at the beginning of the first month of spring, I couldn’t refrain to share some photos and some explanations about one of the most wonderful feats and customs/traditions at the Balkan Peninsula. At 1^st March, people in Bulgaria, Macedonia, Romania, Moldova, even in north Greece give one another small (or not so small) souvenirs (Marchers, or martenitsi - мартеници) made of white and red threads. According to the tradition, then we pin them on our clothes or tie them on our wrists (depends on the type of the Marcher), so that we could be lucky and healthy throughout the year. The red thread symbolizes blood, life, the white thread – purity and happiness and the ancient custom goes that the oldest woman in the family has to tie Marchers on the wrists of the children to protect them against bad luck and to help them to be healthy. Marchers are used to be tied on wedding bouquets and on the herbs that are picked on 24^th June (the day of John The Baptizer), or on the vessel in which the first milk on 6^th May is milked (the day of George The Dragon Slayer). Then, to fulfill the purpose of the Marchers, they have to be hanged and tied on a tree that gives fruit when the first stork (or in some parts the first migratory bird) comes in spring, or when the first blossom appears on such a tree. Marchers could be put under stone too and could be used to predict the future – if there are ants under that stone after a month, the year will be fruitful and prosperous. Then, the good luck and health will be present throughout the year too.

That’s why one could see Marchers on the clothes or wrists of every man, woman and child on 1^st March in Bulgaria. Later, the small red and white souvenirs hanged on the trees at many places after a month, are the same amazing view, as are all the stands on the streets and super-markets full of Marchers at the first days of March.    

The Marchers custom is at least a thousand years old. Though there are many different hypothesizes for its origin, no one is certain which one of them is the true one. According to one of these suppositions, the ancient Bulgarians were the first who used Marchers, after an important, won battle. Then, the sister of an ancient Bulgarian king sent a message to her brother in the form of a “Marcher” – two white threads, one of them dipped in the blood of the dead soldiers…   

http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/TaleOfTheRockPieces.html, http://allanbard.hit.bg, http://allanbard.hpage.com, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Allan-Bard-Ivan-Stoikov-Fan-Page-Strategic-Book-Group/121092637984053,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yw3a5n00FI, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qUA8Avl7ew, http://pinterest.com/allanbard/

www.allanbard.blogspot.com

http://www.flickr.com/photos/allanbard/,

www.allanbard.wordpress.com

Happy 1st March + some advice for flu healing + some jokes :)

Hapy 1st March, everyone! It's a very special date for every Bulgarian! On that day we give one another small souvenirs, Marchers, made of white and red threads, we Bulgarians pin them on our clothes for good luck and health or tie them on our wrists, then wear them until we see the 1st stork or the first blossom on a tree that gives fruit, then we hang them on that tree or put them under a stone, so that the good luck and health won't leave us troughout the year ;). This custom is so old, more old than 1300 years, can you believe that! It's older than the foundation of Bulgaria itself!
As I was sick with flu for a week, I couldn't refrain from re-posting some good advices for healing some of my facebook friends told me:
 
Mariya Doncheva Drink herbal tea with Maple Syrup (or brown sugar) and lemon a couple of slices !!! Eat hot chicken soup...with black pepper or red chilly at night and raw garlic or red onion for lunch!!!
Beverly Cialone Don't know if you drink alcohol, but there's a lot to be said for a "hot toddy"...a drink of liquor with honey and lemon added in...try it! In the meantime, hope you get to feeling better!
Mariya Doncheva And listen to favorite music ... while relaxing !!!
Beverly Cialone And follow the regular advice as well...plenty of rest, liquids (hot liquids help break up congestion--coffee, hot tea, etc), make sure to keep your electrolytes balanced to avoid dehydration if you've been having stomach issues...don't force yourself to eat if you're not hungry, although bland foods like plain toast, saltine crackers, applesauce, bananas, etc,. help if you're stomach is upset. So does ginger.

Hope the next jokes will make the weekend better for anyone :):
Two women are talking: "I don't want a man that's interested with my beauty, wealth, or state in society... I want one who's interested with my soul..."
"Then, you are looking for the devil, my dear...?"

A guide in an African country: "In this country, every tenth person is a cannibal..."
"What about the rest nine persons?" 
"Well, they are very close to break the world record at running at long distances..."

"Did you start to open your your window while you sleep, as I suggested?" asks a doctor his patient.
"Oh, yes." 
"Then, your asthma disappeared?"
"No, but my wallet, jewelry, credit cards did..."

And the quote from a future book of mine: There are things more important than life and death, beauty and ugliness, money and success, etc... One of them is called moral. my future Lake Mystery.

http://www.strategicpublishinggroup.com/title/TaleOfTheRockPieces.html, http://allanbard.hit.bg, http://allanbard.hpage.com, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Allan-Bard-Ivan-Stoikov-Fan-Page-Strategic-Book-Group/121092637984053,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0yw3a5n00FI, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qUA8Avl7ew, http://pinterest.com/allanbard/

www.allanbard.blogspot.com, www.allanbard.wordpress.com

http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4159102-ivan-stoikov-allan-bard, www.shelfari.com/allanbard