Today we have the pleasure to present to Foreigner BG audience the interesting story of our friend Eryk, and he will share his experience in Bulgaria with us!
Name and nationality:
My name is Eryk, I come from Poland. Born in Gdynia next to the Baltic sea.
Tell us a bit about you and what you do
I am a huge fan of tasty food and atmosphere. Currently, I am studying at the Culinary Arts Institute as well as starting to run a cooking blog.
I love animals and try to spend as much time on the seaside as possible. For the summer season, I have been able to find a job as a cook in a nice restaurant, which helps me to gain more experience within the industry that I am currently studying for.
Why and when did you come to Bulgaria?
I came to Bulgaria 4 years ago, the decision was pretty much spontaneous as I had a choice between Malta and Sofia. I chose Sofia, as I knew something about it. I always wanted to live in the south, as I am a huge fan of warm weather. Even though I knew a bit about Bulgaria, it really was a bit, my decision to come here was pretty much based on little knowledge about the country.
What do you like about your country of origin?
I love my country for its tidiness and organization. We also tend to have many social activities that help people who are in need. I also like the fact, that in my city we get to see the northern lights from time to time, which makes it an exciting place to live.
What are some differences between your country and Bulgaria?
The differences that I have observed so far, is definitely the climate, food, and the way people are on a daily basis. What I mean by this is, that the Polish society is definitely not as laid back as the Bulgarian society.
We definitely miss the small breaks for coffee and cigarette. Also, in Poland, we don’t really have such an active nightlife as in Bulgaria. I love the fact, that here in Bulgaria during the summer, life starts in the evening, making it a very exciting place to live.
What do you like about Bulgaria?
Hmm, this question is a tricky one, as I love and hate many things here at the same time. What I definitely like is the people. The people in Bulgaria that I met so far, are extremely warm and family-oriented, which is amazing.
I love the food, especially the vegetables. I love Bulgaria for its endless possibilities, even though they are not so visible to the naked eye. Another amazing thing is nature. Bulgaria has a beautiful seaside, mountains and much more! Traveling through Bulgaria can be very interesting and exotic, which makes it a very exciting place.
What was the most difficult bureaucratic procedure you have undergone so far in Bulgaria?
So far, the most difficult bureaucratic procedure was definitely obtaining the Bulgarian ID. I was receiving many different pieces of advice from people which ended up either being wrong or missing some documents, etc. If I only knew that foreigner.bg existed, It would make my life so much easier.
Mention one important experience you’ve had in Bulgaria :
That’s a tough question, took me a while to think of an answer to be honest. For me, one of the most important experiences that I had so far, is definitely the fact of starting a job with only Bulgarian language.
So far, I have been working in big corporations where the spoken language was English and the working environment was multinational.
The moment I started to work in a kitchen with only spoken Bulgarian, I was terrified. I wasn’t sure if I would handle the change, as well as worried about how it would be to work in an environment where I will be the only foreigner. My worries have disappeared within days, maybe even hours. Everyone was extremely patient with me and took me very well on board, amazing experience!
If you have the chance to change something in Bulgaria, what it will be?
I would love to be able to change the service and food in Bulgaria. Not all, but many places lack the personal touch to its customers, which is a shame. I would really like to see more social activities which would make Bulgaria an even better place to live.
What languages do you speak other than your mother tongue?
I speak, Polish, German, English, and Bulgarian. I would love to learn Russian as well, maybe one day.
What countries have you been to?
I love to travel, I truly believe that I learned more by traveling than I did by sitting on a school bench. I have visited pretty much every country in Europe, I have also been to Asia, the middle east, and the Caribbean islands.
How is your business going?
I have started a cooking website/blog. It’s something new and I am still in the process of starting it. I am planning to add the Bulgarian language to my clips as well as the website to make my website more accessible and to share the Polish cuisine with the Bulgarian society.
What advice would you give to other people who would like to come to live in Bulgaria?
To definitely not judge the book by its cover. Bulgaria is a very beautiful country with huge potential. I am not saying that It will be easy to live here, but learning some Bulgarian will definitely help you to feel more home and for others to respect you more. The moment that you will question yourself why you are here, there is definitely a reason for this. Take a car, bike or anything else, go to the mountains and have a look, you will find the answer.
