In the last dozen years, it has become a common practice for foreign citizens, mainly from Western Europe, to come to Bulgaria and stay here permanently. They are rarely employed, most of them are pensioners. They come here to visit friends, they don't know the language, but at some point they decide to stay...temporarily or permanently. Why? – is the main question. What makes them leave family and friends, everything familiar and familiar and embark on this adventure? Aren't they afraid they won't make it mostly because of the language barrier?
You will see different points of view, a different way in which foreigners of the same nationality perceive Bulgaria and Bulgarians - different both from our perceptions of ourselves and among themselves. Some of them I know personally and have communicated enough to get to know them. I will also tell you my point of view.
PIERRO COLLINI
Piero Colini has been living in Bulgaria for 5 years. He is a widower, has two children in his homeland, with whom he maintains regular contact thanks to modern technology. Before coming to Bulgaria, he lived in Italy with a Bulgarian woman from Kostenets. With his help, she acquired a residence permit in the country. For the first two years their life together was nice and calm, but then the nightmare began. He says that the woman tried to command him for the smallest details in his daily life and to invade his personal space, even stealing his clothes and sending them to his son in Bulgaria. He could not kick her out of his home because he had given her permission before the authorities to live there. This was one of the reasons why he thought about leaving Italy. The other - the increasingly expensive life.
Piero likes to read literature and history. He decided to visit Bulgaria to learn more about the mentality, culture and way of life of the peoples of the former social camp. And he chose Varna because of the presence of compatriots. A huge mistake - he says. Not Varna, but his communication with other Italians abroad. Already at the beginning he was cheated for money... by an Italian. And he was disappointed. However, this did not break his spirit and he decided to stay. He enrolled in a tango dance group and met nice and pleasant people. When asked about the language barrier, he says that it is a big problem for him sometimes and at this age it is already difficult for him to learn a new language, especially with a different alphabet. But this does not discourage him. With his knowledge of French, German and Spanish, he manages to communicate with Bulgarians when necessary.
He likes Bulgarians. Even more than the Italians. He notices some of their habits that are not characteristic of Italians and says that this makes him uncomfortable. He still wonders how his Bulgarian friends just invite themselves to visit, and at the same time never think to invite him. This does not offend him, but it is annoying and sometimes unpleasant to him. However, he is bitter about the merchants. Of course not all, but a large part when they find out that he is a foreigner and "raise the tariff". For car repairs, for rent... It feels like you've been robbed. The other thing that saddened him was that for the repair of his neck they asked for the money in advance, telling him bluntly that they don't trust Italians because they lied and didn't pay. Well, there probably are. Sometimes he goes out in the evening with his compatriots, but in general he does not communicate much with them. He says that they chatter a lot and are always mindless and he could not talk to them about literature, music, history. That is why he prefers to communicate with Bulgarians. In the evening, he mostly goes to the theater or walks in the Sea Garden.
Piero lives in a rented house. He told me there was a problem with the landlady. He lives in a house with two dogs and is very concerned about the fact that the landlady does not allow them to be allowed in the garden. His other problem with the owner is that he has always paid for and committed to the ongoing repairs to the home, while the contract states the opposite. At the time, it was necessary to repair the bathroom, the kitchen and the bedroom, with the consent of the landlady, and then she said that she could not return the money to him.
His other problem is with the women he hired to clean the house. He says that in the beginning everyone worked conscientiously, but soon they began to break. They did not clean well, messed up the work and left earlier than agreed. "One, on the other hand - laughs Piero - had terrible teeth, many were missing, and what she had was spoiled. It was an unpleasant sight. I helped her financially, but the moment she got a normal smile, it disappeared."
It struck me that this sense of deception and falsehood was present throughout our conversation. It was a bit sad. However, at the end of our meeting, Piero again stated that, in general, he feels good here and leads a peaceful life. He announced with satisfaction that he is turning 85 this July and plans to celebrate his birthday with a small celebration at a restaurant with friends. Let's wish him health and longevity!
From the author's point of view: He has known Pierrot for a long time. I accompanied him to his doctor's visits several times. Calm, smiling and playful. He always exudes goodwill and is ready to help.
© 2023 Iliana Dechkova