Well here I am, Dr. George R. Ivanov, in my favorite action - cooking the dinner for my girlfriend in a remote and charming place in the Bulgarian mountains. When I looked for a picture for my old CV I could not find one in which I am with a suit. So I used this one instead. My girlfriend was horrified first when I told her but then when looked into the CV she calmed down - I have cut the spoon and below. But the smoke raised some questions of interviewers (smile).

In fact there are a few pictures in which I am with a suit. Here with the Professor who invented the nanotubes in a Nanotech in Northern Europe conference (2005) in Helsinki.

And here is our winning Atomic Force Microscopy team - on both sides are the owners of cantilever manufacturer Micromasch, and the co owner and sales person of Anfatec Dr. Anne Muller. She will install your Anfatec and train you while here husband is constantly adding nice features in the software. They shared one booth at the conference and here the famous comparison Anfatec Level AFM - Veeco Multimode V started.

A person is only as good as his teachers are. Here were are in front the Ledeno (Icy) lake shelter (2730 m) where I acclimatized for my 2007 mt. Elbrus (5660 m) attempt. On the left is my mountain and motivation teacher Vasil Gourev. He is Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Physics, Sofia University. But what he is really famous for are his adventure endeavors. I was a member of his University club Adventure traveler and within his expedition I climbed my first 3 4000 m peaks in Tjan Shan mountain in 1985. In that period his club put more people on a 7000 m peaks then any other non-government organization. When democracy came in Bulgaria in 1989 and there were no travel money he organized the University Rescue Team, which is the silver medalist holders in a 2007 competition. Vasil largely built the Bulgarian Antarctica station during his numerous visits to the icy continent. He can do a lot with very little money and can shrink time in unbelievable manner. I learned a few tricks from him. He is always keen in embracing beautiful women, even complete strangers, though his wife was carefully watching.

Certainly the most important teacher in my life after my parents is Academician (Fellow of the Bulgarian Academy of Science) Prof. D.Sc. Alexander G. Petrov (on the right with his wife), Director of the Institute of Solid State Physics, Awarded the title: Scientist of the year 2007 by the Ministry of Education and Science. Here we are celebrating my name day on the 6th May 2006 in the mountains (where else). By a great margin he is the smartest person I know and this combined with hard working and self-discipline made him the youngest active Academician in Bulgaria a few years ago. I was Ph.D. student for something like 15 years until I put my thesis on paper. Our relations are ready for book description with a lot of highs and lows. But I care much more about the health of this unique person than whether I will receive government salary. He is a member of my F1/VU project - F stands for Physics, and 1 means the highest rated project, but F1 sounds to me like Formula 1 in science.

Family is very important for me. Here is my daughter Rossena in her prom night. She is not only beautiful but she is very smart and tender. An excellent student in the Faculty of Journalism, Sofia University in her first year. She will help me with our PR campaign.

THEN. And now a few words about Advanced Technologies Cofounders: from right to left George Hristov M.BA. and myself much slimmer. The last days in our gymnasium, the famous #1 secondary school The English Language School in Sofia in 1981.

AND NOW. At our 25 years reunion. We are all classmates on this picture and you may not believe it but all boys name is George. You can understand the tremor in our hearts when a teacher says - George to the blackboard. George Hristov is standing and I am next to the beautiful lady. George Hristov through his company Polymex owned 49 % of Advanced Technologies from its incorporation 1994. In 1999 I bought back his shares as he moved to another city to push his agriculture business. With the black shirt is George Emilov, a cofounder and CTO of a high-tech California based company. And the lady - Daniela, is General Manager for Eastern Europe and Middle East Asia office of a large Danish company.

IN MEMORIUM. My best friend Velichko Ilarionov. We shared one table for 5 years in the gymnasium, I was his best man on the wedding, and we were the godfathers to his daughter. The official story is that he threw himself out of the 14th floor. But maybe there were some helpers. You do not do this the day before you have an appointment to look for home to buy. He was psychiatrist working with drug addicts and maybe someone has shared some drug channel info he should not. RIP

IN MEMORIUM. One of my closest friends - Prof. D.Sc. Desislava Duridanova (42) from the Institute of Biophysics, BAS. The youngest woman professor in Bulgaria. She bought our top of the line patch-clamp amplifier and said that this is the lowest noise instrument and she knew. We talked for hours on topics ranging from scam some medical companies are pushing on the market to what is god. She was religious and I hope now she is in some better place and looks after me. RIP

One of the high point moments in my life: sunrise at 4300 m. We are on our way to the highest peak in Western Europe, Mont Blanc (4800 m) in the Alps. Moments like this make sense from our lives.