How to make friends in Bulgaria

I think one of the most popular places when an expat can meet other excpats is on the car boot sales events as well as visiting resturants,bars etc. owner by expats, and ofcourse a forum

Any expats near Razgrad/Kubrat around? We've just moved and are keen to see if there are any other brits with babies in the area so that we can swap notes kinda thins

Feel free to email us [email protected]

Well, the best way to make friends in Bulgaria is certainly NOT hanging out with expats. Most of us bulgarians like hanging out with english and american people, I even prefer hanging out with guys like you.

An expat will take you to an Irish Pub, ot to an English bar, or to whatever international place. You will never see the real Bulgaria if you don't meet Bulgarians.

I once had a conversation with an US Army guy in a pub in Sofia. He was already staying 2 weeks in Sofia and was every night in that sh*thole with other americans. He knew only that pub and a brothel (a very bad one).

So after 2-3 beers I decided to take him out to places where we Bulgarians hand out. I will spare you the details, but he went home at 7AM and said to me the next day that it was one of the best night he ever spend outside the USA.

So this is just a small example. Find some bulgarian to take you out. 70% of our young population speaks perfect english so there is no language barrier.

Now you will ask me "okay, I can't just walking around in the street asking bulgarians to join them" - yes you can't But there are other ways, for example the internet. Get youself an account on one of bulgarias dating sites. No, I mean the dating sites used by bulgarians. So quit your meet-account and register on some real sites. Since I don't wanna spam arround drop me an email or pm and I tell you some.

If that doesn't help write me at g.grancharov[at..]gmail[dot]com, If I have time I can show you arround.

greetings,

george

Hi George

Nice to see that Bulagrians are freindly. We have been over on a number of occassions and have had a really good time. It is true that some Brits you meet are stuck in their ways and go to the same british bar etc etc.

We have a property in Botevgrad and we realy would like to meet genuine honest Bulgarian people in and around Sofia. We believe they are a life line. Furthermore we have visited 2 orphanages on our last trip and have taken supplies, but to get there has been awkward as we are not fluent in Bulgarian yet and dont have many contacts to advise us.

Regards


David and Geraldene

Expat.com wrote:

We have been talking about loneliness when you are abroad, let's now talk about how to make friends (locals and other expats) when you're living in Bulgaria

Which are your best tips to meet people and to make friends in Bulgaria??

Thanks in advance for your participation

Hi there, If somebody are lonely, I and my husband are looking for a new friens. We have been abroad for a long time and we know the exspat life. Unfortunately my English is not good, but I like to study it. Do not you feel lonely!

Hi
Thank you for your reply

We would like to communicate with you.

We will be over in Bulgaria in May and would be nice to meet up.

Regards

Geraldene and David

Hello, daichip
We currently live in Stara Zagora. It is located 250 kilometers from Botevgrad, on the other side of the mountain. It is not so far, but not close. Of course we can see us and we can make a small excursion around. We'd like to see Kazanlak, Shipka and some small towns in Stara Planina. We could do it together if you like. We lived in Spain the last 7-8 years and also need to visit beautiful places in Bulgaria.
Everyone,
not only daichip who is looking for new bulgarian friends can contact me. And learn Bulgarian, it is not difficult if every day you learn 10 new words. We can told in SKYPE Bulgarian and if you want you can help me in my English.
Courage and a lot of luck.
Velislava

If you live in Sofia and are a woman, the International Woman's Club is a great resource for making friends iwc-sofia.com/index.html.  They have monthly meetings and events to help ease your transition to living in Bulgaria!

Hi Casey

Hope you are well...

Thank you for the information.
I will be coming over with my husband so may feel a little uncomfortable going on my own.

Kind regards


Geraldene

try to lern bulgarian use the local shops and bars get to know your neighbours and if you a belever join achurch bye mike

CaseyAngelova wrote:

If you live in Sofia and are a woman, the International Woman's Club is a great resource for making friends iwc-sofia.com/index.html.  They have monthly meetings and events to help ease your transition to living in Bulgaria!

hi there
can u send me please some more details
cheers

Velislava wrote:

Hello, daichip
We currently live in Stara Zagora. It is located 250 kilometers from Botevgrad, on the other side of the mountain. It is not so far, but not close. Of course we can see us and we can make a small excursion around. We'd like to see Kazanlak, Shipka and some small towns in Stara Planina. We could do it together if you like. We lived in Spain the last 7-8 years and also need to visit beautiful places in Bulgaria.
Everyone,
not only daichip who is looking for new bulgarian friends can contact me. And learn Bulgarian, it is not difficult if every day you learn 10 new words. We can told in SKYPE Bulgarian and if you want you can help me in my English.
Courage and a lot of luck.
Velislava

Wow, that's really a good idea!

Actually, there are hundres of good ideas on how to get acquainted with local and how to make friends. My advice is to jon an activity. No matter what, just join it.
For example, join the "Lets clean Vitosha for one day" this will guarantee you at least 20 - 30 acquaintances for just one day, nice time in the mountain, satisfaction from being useful, and most probably an invitation to join the company fora a bar or for dinner in the evening.

anything like this works better tnah going to a pub or joining a date site.

hi   i want friends please!--thanks,nice female from still am in america-want out of usa though.

CaseyAngelova wrote:

If you live in Sofia and are a woman, the International Woman's Club is a great resource for making friends iwc-sofia.com/index.html.  They have monthly meetings and events to help ease your transition to living in Bulgaria!

Hi,

I can tell you how I made friends in Malta. Through meetup.com events. You cannot imagine how many people I found there, who were looking for friends just like me ..
There is a site for expats in Sofia http://www.internations.org. There are events once per month.

Good luck I am sure that you will find many friends. And hope to meet you in one of these events. Next month I will start joining them, because I am going back to Sofia.

Polina

Hi everyone.
I am bulgarian, right now I live in Vancounver ,British Columbia.
I tried to leave the motherland but it didn't really work for me. However I'm moving back in the next couple of months...with my boyfriend. A canadian guy.
So as someone that knows what is like to be homesick I am really worried about him. Mostly because he doesn't know the language as I do, and the culture shock would be definitely bigger then what I experienced here.....and there's NO HOCKEY and Kokanee.

I just need some thumbs up. Perhaps some of you can share some positive or negative thoughts about your moving to Bulgaria. Anything....how are you social contacts doing , is the culture shock really that big?

Seeing it trough your eyes would really help me understanding him and making it easier.

  Thanks guys, looking forward to read your replies.

             

There is no doubt that moving to another country is always a challenge. And I am not only talking about the big items like friends, language but also the little things we normally don't think about and take for granted. Like your favourite foods, your must see TV series, sports you are just mad about never mind pals you hang out with. All this you consign to history and where at the beginning you are busy writing and exchanging news with back home this gets less and less. As the saying goes, out of sight out of mind.
And I should know, I have moved more often then you can shake a stick at.
There is no magic wand yet you do have an advantage as you are bi-lingual so you can help him in many a ways. You cant find friends for him but maybe start to teach him BG and that will make him less dependent on you. Try not to go to US style bars as this will only make him feel the loss of what he has left behind.
Even Irish bars may be fun at time but it is just full of other xpats missing home.
Living in another country is wonderful of course as it opens new opportunities but it is also a challenge, at least linguistically.
Good luck with your move and regards from Sofia

Hi everyone,

I am moving to Sofia in two weeks and I am all excited about that! I am moving from Spain and I was told that the culture impact is not that big if you are from a Mediterranean country, what do you think, is that really true?... 

I have read a lot about how it's like living in Bulgaria and I found as many positive experiences as negative. I think the key is to get involved with the Bulgarians, but I can see how that can be very difficult if you don't speak the language. I want to take a course to learn Bulgarian but it will take me months to be functional. In the mean time, is it possible to join -for example- a football team or a community group if you speak english?

Oh, I read about this thing of the extra charges to foreigners in bars and restaurants, and apparently that should not be legal now the country is in the EU. Can you avoid those charges if you explain that you live and work in Bulgaria?

Thanks a lot!
Josu

I remembers my young days in Bulgaria when I was student in Bulgaria Sofia.Now I am 4 years old but till now I remember Bulgarian language.Now I want somebody to talk me in bulgarian.

Hi arvind,

Probably the best way to maintain your bulgarian is to start business with s.o. from Bulgaria, or find a bulgarian wife.....

I think the key is to get involved with the Bulgarians

Give that man 10 out of 10..

Why would anyone want to visit a Irish bar full of other xpats.?
If I wanted to drink in a Irish bar,I would have stayed in Ireland.

Rant over.. Good luck with your move and regard from Sofia

cfsbg wrote:

Why would anyone want to visit a Irish bar full of other xpats.?
If I wanted to drink in a Irish bar,I would have stayed in Ireland.

Are you a unionist by any chance? Did they upset you by removing your flag from Belfast city hall?

prixters wrote:

hi everyone in bulgaria

John and I have moved to to the wonderful country Bulgaria - we have a beautiful place with our own vineyard and wonderful neighbours.

we bought our place a while back and spent most of our time  there and then I stopped work  so .... us + Jack (a min dax), Ava - (our daughter's pug ... don't ask ) and mylee our Burmese.

We already have two cats that adopted us in "Avalon".  So we have 5 pets and growing.


We have two grown up ( sometimes) children who also love Bulgaria and come home as often as possible.

What part of Bulgaria have you settled in?

I got here a week ago. I stayed in a hostel before moving into my own place. Chatted to everyone I could, got involved in all the events the hostel was offering and met a few people and we have been out and met more people.

So, I'd recommend staying in a hostel for 5-7days and be proactive about talking to people.

HI I AM ERIC KAY FROM GHANA , I WANT TO MAKE FRIENDS IN BULGARIA THANKS

this is my e mail adrs [email protected] n my cell no. +233249235881 any one can call me for friendship

you are all welcome

We arrive in Varna, myself a Yorkshireman with my French Partner.
We would like to meet English & French speaking people for friendship.
If anyone would like to reply we would be very pleased

I lived in Caerphilly for 9 years in Court Rd and was Chief Engineer for CATNIC, we arrive in Varna next month

hi I live in Gabrovo well regarding this issue I can say that the most important thing is to acquire the language ,if you speak Bulgarian at least you can communicate with the others, no one will have a problem to get a new friends ,especially that Bulgarian are in general a friendly and they welcome the foreigner .

HELLO I am French  lived around the world and now in  LOVELY Bulgaria,near Veliko Turnovo I would love to meet interesting friendly,people from anywhere,I am multilingual ]from other part of BULGARIA TOO .May be I will have the pleasure to meet soon thank you for any reply.

Hi Cookie,

Where will you be living when you return?  I am with my wife in Burgas.  She is Bulgarian and I am from Anchorage, AK.  I've spent a lot of time in Northern BC and the Yukon. 

What do you typically like to do for fun?  In the 2 years or so I've been in BG I've found that there are a lot of things to do.  Trying to accumulate good camping gear and as soon as we have a place to store it we'll be looking at canoes or kayaks.  And I think there is a lot more to do here that I haven't even discovered yet.   

As another fellow from the Pacific Northwest I don't think your boyfriend should worry too much.  I find that even though I don't speak BG so well the people are just happy that I try.  Almost everywhere I go people are smiling and very friendly just because I try to speak in their language and I have a smile on my own face.

And no there is no Kokanee but what beer there is is cheap!  Get ahold of us when you get here!

RobbieIE
Are you a unionist by any chance? Did they upset you by removing your flag from Belfast city hall?

RobbieIE No I am not a unionist.. I am A Ex British Soldier..it takes a lot more than a flag to upset me .

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Hi, Someone living in Sofia, Mladost or close?

Hello everyone I'm living in Sofia, Mladost 1, someone close? Im tinking to start go in Fitness here in Mladost 1 and I would like to have someone with me and interested also to make Fitness, I do not have friends here, lol. Im portuguese and working in a callcenter 60k in Sofia Cheers!

Hi Vanessa and welcome to Sofia .

I live very close to Mladost and I work in the Business park. I can show you the gyms that I visit. I also know a group of people (expats) with whom we meet regularly. We usually play bowling on Fridays. There is a FB group - facebook.com/events/137494036436887/.

Hope to see you soon

Hello

I am a new member also. I am from Scotland originally although I have lived in England for many years. I have travelled a lot having lived in Australia and been to many parts of the world including France (Paris and Vendee). I have not been to Veliko Turnovo or many other places in Bulgaria. If you are open to friendship I am returning to Bulgaria on the 21st January for 1 week if you would like to meet for a chat?

David

Hello

Is Gabrovo close to Bodrovo? I think it is and if so I have recently bought a house in Bodrovo if you are interested in a making a new friend. I am returning on the 21st January and although I have work to do around the house I will have plenty of spare time when the work is completed.

David