WHY DO FOREIGNERS COME TO LIVE IN US AND WHAT ARE WE IN THEIR EYES?

                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.

BERNARDINO SANTARELLI

Bernardino or simply Dino, as everyone calls him, is a 70-year-old Italian pensioner, divorced. He has two daughters who live in Italy, he is also happy to have grandchildren. He has been in Bulgaria for about 6 years, currently he is in a relationship with a Bulgarian woman. She and her child are his family now.

Dino arrived in Bulgaria for the first time in 2016 for a short vacation. He likes the sea capital and in 2017 he moved permanently. He says that if he could go back in time, he would make the same decision again. He also says that he does not miss Italy, during these years he returned there only once to see his grandchildren and arrange his things there. He only stayed a few days. Then he starts the car and embarks on the adventure called Bulgaria.

He lives for rent in the center of Varna, literally one block from the Sea Garden. He feels good here, the city gives him the feeling of security and peace and freedom of movement. He still feels like a foreigner when he is among people, but at the same time one of them. Dino says that we are similar in culture and mentality. To fill his spare time he registered a consulting firm. It helps other fellow citizens to settle here or develop their business. Assists them in issuing personal documents, registering their cars at the traffic police, accompanies them to the hospital, to the bank, helps them find a home. It turned out that Dino knows Bulgarian legislation well, in some respects better than the Bulgarians themselves. When he is not working in the office, he fills his time by working in the garden or tinkering with something.

I asked him what, according to him, are the essential differences between the two nations, what negative things he notices in our nation as a foreigner. "The food" was the first thing he noted and it made me smile. Of course! Our cuisine is very different. And in general, according to him, our tastes are generally quite different. He likes banitza and parlenka, roast pork and local fruits and vegetables. Regarding the character qualities of the nation as a whole, Dino believes that the Bulgarian is devoid of fantasy and rarely takes personal initiative in anything, they are not precise in the things they do, they often lie and are opportunists (they adjust according to the situation, often undermining their principles in order to gain temporary benefits for something). Other weak traits he noticed were the lack of a sense of duty and the Bulgarian's habit of not expressing a civic position; they don't plan for the future and live day by day. With all this, of course, he does not aim to offend us. On the contrary. He emphasizes several times that he is grateful to the people and our country because he feels accepted and respected. And it is precisely because of this attitude of Bulgaria towards him that he feels at home for a long time. He communicates equally well and fully both with his compatriots and with Bulgarians. Despite the language barrier. To date, he understands Bulgarian well, knows individual words and phrases, but it is difficult for him to speak. However, in his daily communication with the locals he does very well and feels calm. When I asked if he ever thought of returning to Italy, his answer was an emphatic NO. Because his life in Varna is better from a financial point of view and he lives more calmly.

                From the author's point of view: I met Dino in December 2019. I was working in a call center, I had given my notice to leave and I was looking for a job. My Italian colleague put me in touch with him, he was looking for a part-time assistant. We met and I accepted the job with the stipulation that I would start after mid-January. What I had to do, I actually did for a long time - accompanying Italian citizens to the institutions, preparing and translating various documents for them, etc.

What struck me about Dino was that he was very particular about order and loyalty. And what made me admire him – his broad-minded soul. Over time, we became more friends than boss and assistant. He told me about his life - colorful and interesting, full of dynamics and challenges. Orphaned at an early age, sent as a soldier to work in Africa before he was 20, Dino was more man of the world than Italian. Marshal of the Ministry of Defense, owner of a football team, a man who never sits idle. Over the years, he left a lot behind where he passed: a house, a garden, a beautiful fence... And he doesn't just make, he creates - from nothing, with both hands, a lot of imagination, a little work and money, he knows how to give back a life of old, discarded and supposedly unnecessary objects of all kinds. The other thing that impressed me in the beginning not only about him, but also about his fellow countrymen was this free-from-frames way of thinking. When they set out to do something, these people don't think so much about what will get in the way, they focus on how things will happen. They are not afraid to be enterprising, adventurous and take risks, they are not limited in their decisions just because they do not know the language, but they are looking for a way to overcome obstacles on their way. Something that, for the most part, is not so characteristic of Bulgarians (personal opinion).

© 2023 Iliana Dechkova