Today Derek will share with us his vast experience, his love for cricket and what are his dreams in Bulgaria, all spiced with his particular cosmopolitan point of view.
Name and nationality:
Derek Stocker. British Passport, Englishman. Dual British & Zimbabwean citizen.
Born near Buxton in the beautiful Derbyshire Peak District. The hamlet (smaller than a village) was called Birch Vale. Thirty homes, a corner shop, a pub and you guessed a cricket club. Birch Vale & Thornsett.
I had Uncles playing, others on the committee and my fantastic grandad was the groundsman. I guess from 2 years of age I was sitting on his lap whilst he used a combined sports field mowing machine and roller on the outfield. The ‘square’ in cricket vocabulary had a special walk behind the machine to get a really close sward, maybe a millimeter.
My school was 3 miles away. No bus, no car. Walking to school and running home, torrents of rain, hot sun, and deep snow. Across the railway (still steam trains), through a factory yard, stop at the spring for a quick drink in hot weather then over two very quiet roads and to school and playing cricket during breaks and at lunchtime.
Tell us a bit about you, and what do you do?
I’m a retired in Bulgaria, I retired at a young age because of physical and mental disability. A stressful, high pressured position in Civil Aviation resulted in two nervous breakdowns and developing manic-depression, in a PC infatuated world manic is not acceptable, the modern term is Bipolar, not remotely similar to Bisexual or even ambidextrous. (non-English natives it was attempted humor).
The job stress had a lot of impact on my health but the shift regime was awful. Working for a subsidiary of a German Airline one would have expected better. 2 Earlies, 2 lates, 2 nights just 2 off. First rest day recovering from nights then after the 2nd day off getting up at 04.30.
After the forced departure from aviation, an industry I had served from 1974 until mid 90’s with some in between periods or between aviation jobs. I returned to my ‘second’ career in the Fitness Industry. I was a highly qualified fitness and weight training instructor, I went on to further my career with training courses to add to my skills. They were Aerobics, Holistic Therapy, Reflexology, Aromatherapy, Nutrition, Sports Massage and Personal Trainer.
Why and when did you come to Bulgaria? What do you like about your country?
I was unhappy with life in Great Britain. I returned to my birth country from my beloved adopted country Zimbabwe, formerly Rhodesia, in 1991. I always felt as if I was the foreigner in England. In the 12 years since leaving to migrate to Rhodesia, Great Britain had changed so much, too much. I could not settle.
What differences do you see in your country and Bulgaria?
Ambiguous question. I consider ‘my’ country to be Zimbabwe, not England, for sake of argument let us say England and Bulgarian. In Bulgaria dealing with the officials can be difficult, stressful and time-consuming.
Many government organizations seem to be stuck in a time warp harking back to a Communist mentality with enough red tape to support the Danube bridges. The official can be officious and unhelpful.
I always smile and try to impart my sense of humor, it is often met with blank, unsmiling faces. Officials love their rubber stamps, they love their power over the individual. In other parts of the world think duplicate or triplicate, in Bulgaria think multiplicate, signing so many signatures it can cause injuries from carpal tunnel syndrome to simple sprains, tendonitis or vibration white finger.
What have been the document/ procedure most difficult for you in Bulgaria?
My wife and I recently attended KAT to exchange British Driving Permits for BG licenses, the Clerk said OK/Dobre, now twenty copies of your signature. I laughed, considering it a demonstration of the ladies humor. It was not.
What do you like about Bulgaria?
FREEDOM, Bulgaria has not succumbed to Western Europe’s BIG BROTHER syndrome. Sadly it will come. Prevention of Terrorist attacks makes it inevitable. I was raised in a different era. Post-WW2 values were so different. Maybe not in criminal dominated Inner Cities yet where old values predominated 98% of folk were honest, trusting & trustworthy and caring.
Bulgaria still has a love for tradition. The family is important. Trust & honesty are valuable. Sadly in young teens, it is being usurped by western mediocrity, sleazy pop videos, soft porn, erosion of extended family.
Values. In seven years I have seen the degradation of the extended family!
I love Bulgarian nature. Not quite Africa. Living in the Zambezi Valley we had Elephant at the bottom of the garden and when out running I had to be continually aware that some creatures identified movement with fleeing prey! In Zululand, now KwaZulu Natal, I had to jump on my trail bike (250cc) and chase game from the runway prior to an aircraft arrival. However, these were bush aerodromes. Living in suburbs was almost English except the flora and fauna included Cobras & Boomslangs.
In Bulgaria, we get Giant Centipedes, harmless (mostly) snakes, Red Squirrels, Deer, Foxes, Raptors, Jackal, many migratory birds, Hare. All these either in the garden or in close proximity without bino’s.
Bulgaria reminds me in very many ways of my beloved Zimbabwe. It would need a separate article to elaborate!
Mention one important experience you’ve had in Bulgaria:
Discovering a Cricket Club (my passion) last year within reasonable traveling distance. BRAVO Gabrovo Kricket Klub. The Blacksmiths have filled a huge void and the only thing I missed about England was not being involved with CRICKET!
Do you speak other languages?
Little Shona, miniscule Afrikaans. Basic English
have you visited other countries?
I consider myself fairly well traveled. I did not leave Britannia until I was 18/19. My folks emigrated to Canada, which I have since visited many times when I was a year old. My mother hated Quebec (non parlevu), missed her parents and took me back to England two years later!
My horizons expanded when I joined British European Airways at Heathrow, later merging with British Overseas Air Corporation becoming the infamous B.A.
Working for British Airways I took huge advantage of staff travel. Discounted flights paying 10% and sometimes free flights on other airlines expanded my horizons. I visited most countries in Europe, I was a quite right wing as a young man and I felt compelled to check out Communist countries.
One I vividly recall was lovely Prague in former Czechoslovakia. Almost everything was pained Communist party colors, red & yellow and the first time I ate Horse!
I will not try to list alphabetically;
Canada, USA, Malaysia, Australia, South Africa, Swaziland, Botswana, Lesotho, Scotland, Wales, Eire, Rhodesia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zululand, Malawi, Zambia, Swaziland, Mozambique, most of Western Europe, 60% of Eastern Europe, Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, all Canary Islands. Sure places I have forgotten. Short story, I met different people, other cultures, strange religions and I expanded my horizons and learned what tolerance really means.
What advice would you give to other people who would like to come to live in Bulgaria?
Travel. Check out as much of Bulgaria as you can. Spend time here, not so important for an expat but extremely important for a migrant.
Bulgarian regions, towns even villages have similarities but there are also huge differences. A simple example is our closest town. Most people, migrants, in other places say how nice Bulgarians are.
Our town has high employment and good wages. We find most people generally unfriendly, they come across as superior, not villagers, just townies. In many countries when you attempt to use the language people thaw, it is appreciated, if you get it wrong they accommodate you. Here, you mispronounce a word or fumble a sentence people simply look blank rather than try to help and guess as at least older English do. Think of things you may not be able to give up and may not be available/ In my experience, the changes in seven years have been incredible. Things we struggled to obtain are readily available.
Language. Really do your best to learn Bulgarski. Because of meds, I struggle to retain information so the language is still double dutch…very hard. When I do feel as if I can ask a question my mind goes blank… I hate being unable to communicate.
