BULGARIAN SURVIVAL — excerpts!           (popular essay)           Chris MYRSKI, 2010       — — —        Abstract:      The title is, in fact, a bit misleading, because the article is not about the survival of Bulgarian people under our incompetent democracy (because: whatever the demos such is also the -cracy) but about this how we should have tried to survive. With other words, the author here explains some main rules for living by low living standard, which are valid also for other countries, but when one just wonders what to do with his money he may make errors, surely, where we, or at least one big part of our population, simply are not allowed to err, if we want to live relatively passably under the conditions of right-wing (i.e. of the stronger) democracy. The material is motley, but it isn't abstract, and is based on checked by the author methods and techniques, where in the beginning are given some general advices for living (which have mostly philosophical character) and the main strategies for survival, then we continue with concrete recommendations for subsistence in urban environment (for in a village the finding of food is easier, and the author is a city boy), and it ends with some special skills; there is also traditional poetic appendix. The approximate circle of readers is about a quarter of the population, mainly pensioners, unemployed, housewives, and students, where the possible economy is also more or less the same (and this without overdoing). The only requirement for the person (except time) is that he really wants to economize, not only to think so, but in reality just to wonder what else to buy in order to be modern. Well, it is not much probable that exactly the Bulgarian will turn out to be the cleverest of all the nations (and this will not be fair to them, will it not?), but he may still try, if he is forced to. At least, by sticking to some of these advices, one will lead a healthier life, and one has to pay now for the health care.      [So, and because in many cases the author can't restrain himself to comment in some way the "saint simplicity" of the people, he puts the most tedious commentaries in square brackets like these.]         — — —           I. GENERAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LEADING OF REASONABLE LIFE      Here, broadly speaking, we don't say unknown things, but because they are very common they find wide applications in many life situations, so that it isn't wise to be overlooked (as most people usually do). The reasonable way of life does not necessarily mean better survival, but is directly related with it, because ...           1. Ancient truths      The first two of them have come to us before at least 25 centuries, from Ancient Greece, but they are surely older and eastern, and in the third subsection we explain roughly some basic principles of the Eastern theosophy.      1.1. Nothing excessive (or moderation in all things)      This is obvious out of dialectical considerations (to say also "dialactic" or "diaelastic", i.e. pulling of a elastic rubber band from both sides, in the middle of which some pallet is bound), but this can be illustrated also by a target at which we aim, where it is clear that we must aim at the middle. More interesting is why, when this is obvious and known from ancient times, the people, still, don't stick to it? Well, let me mention one linguistical proof, namely that the middle is related with the moderate (and even mean, in English), and nobody wants to be moderate, we are aiming at the top (at least until we are young, but who considers the old people as such?). But the point is that the middle, ...      1.2. Know thyself      This ancient slogan is not so much question of reason, as question of honesty, because the reason why people don't want to know themselves is that they will not like themselves. ...      1.3. The good bad world      Here we will say something about the Eastern theosophy, but have in mind, please, that the things are expressed pretty fragmented, because this philosophy is unknown by us (and, up to a big extent, also to the author). But it is useful for everybody to have some idea about it because, as it looks in this times, it may prove to be more vital than the Greek-Latin one, to say nothing about the Christianity, which has begun to lose positions nowadays; it was also the one that has brought the ancient Greeks to their views in old times (via the Persians and Arabs). So for example in the Buddhism is stated that our real world characterizes with three negations, namely ...           2. Strategies for survival      They also are not so much, may be counted on fingers and are, broadly speaking, known long ago, but as far as are of principal importance we must not jump over them.      2.1. Divide and conquer (divide ed impera)      Hardly can be found an adult who has not heard about the famous Latin (and, hence, old Greek and even older) rule "divide and conquer" (and similarly in other languages), which works practically without fail in various situations. It is expressed in such useful dividing of some task in parts, so that the simpler things can be performed easier or with bigger profit, or the very parts (if they are animated) to begin to mess one with the other and in this way to help us to retain the power or to increase our dividends. ...      2.2. Counterflow principle      This is rather a technical principle, but I think that it also was known from ancient times. It maintains that in various cases is useful to move against the main flow (here of the demand), or on the contrary to the mob. For example: not to look for tomatoes for preservation when all look for the same, or eggs on Easter, or, ...      2.3. The unity makes the power      This slogan surely has been clear to the ... monkey before it has descended from the tree; we have it above our National Assembly (our Parliament) but don't pay any attention to it (but maybe that is why we have it as a slogan, because we don't pay any attention to it), we have also the parable about the bunch of sticks and our khan Kubrat (in the 7th century, who had shown to his sons how easy it is to break one stick, but how difficult it is when they are many, to teach them not to oppose one against the other), which was very old because here is the ... fascism, for fascis in Latin means a bunch of sticks (which burn and then say "fss"), but while for the West these sticks just burn and the people are enjoying this (they fascinate themselves, made fiestas and Fashings), for us they are, maybe, symbol for clubbing the buttocks, I don't know, but we never think for uniting under some idea (especially now, in the democratic times). ...      2.4. Search the alternative      This isn't some special strategy, but it is good to have it in mind in order to provide rapid reaction, i.e. one has always to have a "plan B", alternative product to buy when this, what he is looking for, is missing, or it is much more expensive in the moment (say: meat, chickens, sausages, and eggs; or rice, noodles, and potatoes; or cabbage, marrows, green beans; or common oil, olive oil, lard, butter, margarine; and so on). We know this, usually, but ...           II. SURVIVAL IN URBAN CONDITIONS      But let me warn you from the start that here it goes not about this how to find where to sleep in a town if you have not money for a hotel, or how to travel gratis in the tram, or how to cheat somebody or fake something. It is first of all about some methods and tricks for economy in the house, for feeding and preparing supplies for winter, as also about using of untypical foods and wild grasses and fruits, because, as I have said, when one has low standard of live his primary problem is his sustenance, and even in a town (or around it) may be found what to gather that can be used as food (the Russians name this "gathering of what lies in the feet", switching to feeding like in pasture, as the wild pigs do; but this must not mean that one can't find something tasty in this way, or at least useful, as you will see); at the end there are also some pieces of advice about leading of healthy life. In other words, we take for granted that the readers have a home, yes or not as regards the paid work or pension, but have enough free time and want to economize in what they can (because they must do this, or even to fill their time), or, alternatively looked at the matter, want to eat something natural, not from "chemical-and-food" industry.           1. Economies at home      About the economies, and because this has become lately a major trick in advertising, let us warn the readers that at least in 95% of the cases when someone (with the exception of yours truly, of course) speaks about economies, then this means exactly the opposite, new expenses! (In general, no one ad must be taken in its face value — at least until the opposite is proved.) For example, ...      1.1. Central heating      We begin with it because it is the most expensive (150 - 200 euro in an year for a two-room flat of about 60 m2). Here it is right to start with this that, want we it or not, but the very method of calculating of the consumption, approved with normative acts and undisputed by anybody, is ... rotten, because it does not conform with the personal devices for measuring of the consumption! It does not conform because ...      1.2. Electricity      It is supposed to be less than the heating, but not much, if you count it for an year (as it must be done), so that here also can be made some recommendations. ...      1.3. Other communal expenses ...           2. Food and preparing of winter supplies      Well, here I will not give you recipes about what to prepare for winter, not for these things that you do, maybe for something extraordinary, but about this I will speak in the next point. Here I will say first when to do this. Good, when you can do it, and when you find cheaper raw material. For example tomatoes may be put in jars at any time of the year, and in many cases in June - July you may find cheaper tomatoes, that are ideal for preserving (say, soft and juicy, not like the sort "for canning"); similarly also peppers, cabbage (with a pair of months earlier), or something else. It is not that the people don't know this, but there are two reasons why they don't behave in the right way: ...      And now let me do some philosophizing about the strange (untypical for us) tastes, because if you consume some alternative products you may gain by thus. For example, supposedly circa 90% of people (and I, too, was between them) think that if they do not add tomatoes to some meal then the dish will not get palatable, but this is not so. It is not so, if you want, only because of the fact that the tomatoes have come from America and up to 5 centuries before folks has used alternatives; but even not so much earlier, for two centuries ago tomatoes were sown only here and there with decorative purposes. This, with what they can be substituted, is clear, it is something else sour, like vinegar, especially natural obtained from fruits (and homemade, as I will explain at some time), or sour fruits, what for out climatic conditions are mainly ... wild plumbs (dzhanki in Bulgarian; otherwise this may be lemons or oranges). Another peculiarity is to put apples (grated or in chips) in some dish, or in pickles. Or to make raisins of ... mulberries. And some similar things, for which we shall speak in the next point, but which will cost you nothing.           3. Grasses, herbs and wild fruits ...           4. How not to visit physicians      As far as the medical treatment in conditions of the Western democracy is considered for the same business as, say, the carpentry, and many people just can't allow themselves to become ill, then I feel myself obliged to share with you some of my elementary (but effective) pieces of advice. The things are given sporadically, for I don't know in what order to organize them, but they are personally checked. ...           III. SPECIAL SKILLS      These are not some difficult things, for which special education is required, bur are also not for entirely ignorant persons, some experience is necessary. But with some desire and persistence there are no problems for each of you, who has enough time to spend, to achieve results in this undertaking.           1. Picking of wild mushrooms      This is something that for me personally is traditional skill in the family, I have not learned it in democratic times, but it helps me now, because the mushroom is a food, but it is also healthful — contains some micro-elements, that, in my view, come predominantly from the macro-"elements", which are dropped by cows, horses, and other big (essentially herbivorous) animals. This, that I dare to tell you something about this topic, does not mean that you can learn how to pick mushrooms only from these pair of pages, no, for this purpose you must in all cases have some praxis and a person whom to ask if you are in doubt, because the mushrooms, as you know, may be also poisonous. Besides, on the question are written books, so that you first read one of them, then find yourself a consultant (in the worst case go to the market and ask those who sell wild mushrooms), or else use some person for tasting — the best choice is the ... mother in law, or the wife, but as a last resort a dog can also be used (and I suppose that the women may use correspondingly the son in law or the husband). So, but this what I will tell you here may help you as initial impetus, and also as set of expert rules (which may not always work properly, but are simple, and in most of the cases helpful). ...           2. Making of wines from wild fruits      Here also is nothing contributed by me personally, I only use well known (for thousands of years) things. In contrast with the wines out of wine grapes, however, where the berries are squeezed, here they are soaked (because usually they can't be squeezed, or are gathered with big efforts and this would have been excessive luxury, and/or they are very strong in flavour and aromatic); in this case the process of fermentation goes in two stages: open or turbulent fermentation, and closed or quiet one; after making of the wine may be made also vinegar. The classical proportion ...           3. Fabricating of liqueurs or vodka      For making of liqueurs (cordials or vodkas) special skill are basically not needed, but I include this topic here for to go in packet with the wines. To make the liqueur you must first put something aromatic to stay in pure spiritus (at least for 3 months), in which manner you get concentrated essence (which endures for years), with which to flavour the vodka produces from the spiritus; alternatively may be boiled some fruit, leaves, or blossom, and use the obtained decoction for diluting of the spirit ...      Well, that is, honourable ladies and gentlemen (though I, writing this material, can not know exactly who of you deserves to be honoured and who does not, but I hope you will not be cross with me counting you all for honourable), if you have time and desire you may easily economize with the explained here methods and tricks at least 1/4 of your expenses, because: here 3-5 euros per month, there a bit more, and just look how they have become 30-50 euros monthly (and let us not forget that we, as the most poor country in European Community, have average salary in the moment of writing of the paper of just 130 euros). Calculated for an year this may come close to half of a thousand (for I personally live on the basis of "a dollar a day" for food, plus twice as much for communal expenses). But this is for an alone living person, and if you are part of an average 3-member family (not that there remained many such families, but then of a group of people living together in one apartment and dividing between them the expenses for living), so then you will economize trice more because will economize also for the others. But adding here also the sum for the medicines (for now one can't enter a pharmacy if he is not ready to spend there as much money as, say, for a liter vodka, or for a kilo dry salami), then the sum grows even more. And to say nothing about the cigarettes, because they have long ago become matter of luxury for the Bulgarian — by average consumption of a pack per day and with the prices in the moment of writing this makes 50 euros or about 40% of the average monthly salary [I don't know how look at this the parties and the Governments — allusion on the popular phrase from totalitarian times about the "Party and Government"]. So that the economy leads to more healthy life (I, for example, long ago have become, as some say, "vegetarian by compulsion"); though there are not problems to look at the things vice versa, that the healthy way of life leads to economies. ...      March 2010      PS. Oct 2012.      I intend to complete this brochure from time to time with new things drawn from my personal experience, but will make this at the end, in order to edit easier the different copies. To the common first part there should be added nothing important, but still, to the strategies of survival, the counterflow principle (І.2.2.), may be added one concrete advice when ...      PS. Oct 2013.      Well, I have not decided to add each year something to this material, but this time it so happened. The additions are mainly to the special skills (because of which, I suppose, some readers by Internet choose this brochure). ...       — — —           Appendix           The Wild Calls   It's pretty nice in every dish To put some nettle — you know this. But being bright and very clever I ... dandelion add — you'd never. ... Dec 2008, translated in Mar 2014              — — — — —