The other side of the Bulgarian postcard

The scenes of sylvan delight with old men perch atop wooden, horse-drawn wagons, fertile soil producing blemish-free vegetables with a depth of flavour lost in supermarket shopping are the almost unbelievable truth of this early twenty-first century.

Rural depopulation, underspending on infrastructure, bitter and twisted ex-pats who have discovered that  living the dream can be a bit of a nightmare. The march of the supermarket which brings with it the death of the small and surprisingly competitive village shop.

Surely it is not too late to save the good and restrict the  nasty underbelly to the cities.

I was born and raised in Africa, Zimbabwe, so I know a different side of life.  I have been in Bulgaria over 5 years now.  Would I go back to Zimbabwe? No.  Here is why.

1. Bulgaria is relatively safe.  I can walk alone on the streets at night without fear.  I could not do that in Zimbabwe.
2. I can afford the food in the shops.  When I left Zim, the shops were empty but everyone was a millionaire.
3. Health care is affordable.  In Zim, we had to pay about 30 US Dollars for a consultation.
4. Education is affordable. In Zim, my kids would have been at a private school.
5. There is running water and electricity. In Zim there was none.
6. Bulgaria is less corrupt that Zim. (YEAH)
7. You learn to speak another language - so this automatically makes you cool

Bulgaria has many benefits.  If you can ignore the politics and the occasional rude person.  If you can tell the difference between the friendly and crazy street dogs - you will be fine!

I miss the heat, the mangoes and beef in Zimbabwe - but Bulgaria is my home now.

As a Scot now living in BG for just under 1 year I see a world of difference.
1 The climate is better
2 The pace of life is slower
3 Bulgarians though poorer seem happier
4 I get more for my pension £
and lots more reasons
On the down side
1 I don't like the food, beef in particular is of poor quality compared with Scotland although UK beef and other groceries are becoming more common
2 Sometimes the slow pace of life works against me when trying to get jobs done
3 Lack of larger DIY and department stores means I have to go around smaller shops trying to find stuff
4 The standard of Bulgarian websites is poor so web research for shopping etc is difficult
All in all Would I go back to Scotland? When I'm struggling here I think yes I'd go back to Scotland but feel I need to give it time here 1 year is not enough. But I think it unlikely I'll go back to Scotland

Hi Julien

Yes I agree being a tourist and living in a country are two different things.

To get the best experience from living in another country I believe it is important to learn the language of the county you are living in. For me learning the language has opened me up to the local people which is important to understand not only their culture but how they think. I have found you don't have to speak the language well, just being able to say a few phrases is much appreciated by the locals. So don't isolate yourself and don't see learning the language as a chore rather see it as part of the adventure of living in another country. After all you chose to live in their country.

Enjoy the experience and don't compare with how things were back in the home country they will be different.

I hope this helps anyone thinking about moving to another country.

Gareth