Bulgarians

Belgium was one of the oldest European countries. It was influenced by the cultures of Austria, France, germany, and Spain. Before, it was a province of Rome about 300 years ago. Bulgarian was in the rule of King Philip, the Good, of Burgundy in the late 1300s. After, it was declared its independence in 1831. Later, the first king of the country was Saxe-Coburg-Gotha of Leopold. Belgium gained its independence in 1830 leading with a mix of democracy and monarchy. Belgium has acquired its name…

In novels, we often encounter characters that are oblivious to reality and only see what they want to see. In Voltaire’s “Candide,” Dr. Pangloss is one of those characters. Throughout Voltaire’s short novel, Dr. Pangloss’ philosophy of optimism makes him appear blind to the suffering he goes through. Voltaire intentionally uses the characterization of Dr. Pangloss to poke fun at Leibniz’s philosophy. Similarly, to “Candide,” Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” also include characters who pride…

was kicked out of his only home. Thus starting his adventure, his will to find his lover gets Candide into may different troubles around the world. Finding his admirable tutor Pangloss, who tells Candide that the royal family has been killed by Bulgarian robbers. Candide is despondent with the information that his lover could possibly be dead. After hearing the news, the two adventure around the world. Their adventure first takes them to Lisbon, where Pangloss meets…

Staff Sergeant Soto enlisted in the Marine Corps in March, 2000 and attended recruit training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego, CA in March of 2000 as Private Soto. Private First Class (PFC) Soto attended the School of Infantry and Basic Machinegunnery at San Onfre, Camp Pendleton CA from June to August 2000. Upon Graduation PFC Soto reported to 1st Battalion, 1st Marines (1/1), Weapons Company (Wpns Co), Combined Anti-Armor Team (CAAT) Platoon (Plt) August 2000. PFC Soto was…

The Roma: Europe’s Most Hated Minority The Romani people are an ethnic group, native to India, who reside in Europe. They are widely recognized as one of the European Union's largest minority groups. It is estimated that there are more than 10 million Roma living in Europe (Brown). Since they arrived in Europe about a thousand years ago, the Roma have been targets of discrimination and oppression. Even today, “...one in three Roma in Europe are unemployed and 90% live below the poverty line,…

Eastern nations have proved unwilling to welcome migrants, especially those of a different faith, to a region whose historical memory includes battles to throw off Muslim occupation.” I am sure that many Eastern European residents, in this case, Bulgarians are not immune to the economic difficulties and hardships faced by immigrants, as they themselves are subject to these difficulties when immigrating to more prosperous European nations. Despite being exposed to the issues that Muslim…

There were a total of 38 million men fighting in WWI, these men were Russian, German, French, Italian, English, American, Hungarian, Austrian, Bulgarian or from the Ottoman Empire. They all had the same experiences while at war. There were differences depending where they were placed, but the fundamental characteristics were the same. There were a total of 17 million dead and 20 million wounded; the survivors were left to live with the effects of being dehumanized because of all the death they…

Since I am not much of a devotee when it comes to romantic films, I had come to the decision to leave my comfort zone, and view Casablanca (Curtiz, 1942). Initially, I felt as though this was just a trivial, romantic war piece from the 1940’s. I discovered through various viewings for this assignment that this was not the case. Casablanca works as an historical allegory, in the sense that the characters represent certain facets of the Allies during World War II. Rick (Humphrey Bogart)…

and Palestinians; “…Yet we are so deeply connected… what connects us? The same thing that separates us. This land” (Tolan 262). On both sides, there is a yearning for the “holy land” derived from past hardships. Dalia is from a destitute Jewish Bulgarian family that narrowly escaped Nazi persecution, while Bashir’s family was forced off their own land by the conflict between the Arabs and Jews. Tolan retells the histories of the families in a way that brings their stories to life ☺ (figurative…

Casablanca, a romantic drama directed by Michael Curtiz, is an extraordinary example of classic Hollywood cinema. The perfection of its continuity editing allows shots to flow seamlessly into one another with no call for attention. They are filled with small details that at first seem irrelevant in the situation, but later on reveal their narrative significance. One of those elements is the song "As time goes by", that becomes a main theme of Rick, a man who sticks his neck out for…