Today in Expat’s Stories we have the pleasure to share with you the experience of our friend Olga, she is one of many International Students in Varna and kindly agreed to tell us about her life in Bulgaria.
Name and nationality:
Olga, Russian.
Tell us a bit about you, and what do you do?
Now I am a student doing a Master’s degree in International Hospitality and Tourism Management, in Varna.
I did a Bachelor’s in Economics and Banking in Moscow. My additional education diploma is in Business Translation (English/Russian). Besides, I did a year of Hispanic Studies in Granada.
I am also a CELTA qualified teacher and have worked as such for more than eight years.
Why and when did you come to Bulgaria?
I came to Varna in October 2017, a bit late to start my Master’s.
What do you like about your country or where you grew up?
I love the great Russian literature. I used to spend summers devouring the classics.
I love a real winter when everything is white with snow. Unfortunately, with the climate change, such winter days are rarer and rarer.
I love St Petersburg, Moscow center, Vologda, Vladimir, also old ‘small towns’ that are almost like villages now. The great rivers (the Volga, Kama, Yenisey), lake Baikal. There’s so much to discover, so many beautiful places to see.
What are some differences between your country and Bulgaria?
There are a lot of similarities between Russia (Moscow region) and Bulgaria, but I can name some differences. The climate (milder in Varna), the rent (cheaper in Bg), public transport (less expensive in Bg), the price of petrol (more costly in Bg).
People in Bg promise a lot, but many don’t keep their promises. Their perception of time, delays and being on time is more relaxed, more southern. Due to the high job seasonality at the Black sea coast and a relatively short tourist season, a lot of locals are trying to get the most of the 2 and a half months, and tourists might feel robbed and not want to return to the same area. Moscow’s employment is relatively stable all year round.
What do you like about Bulgaria?
What I like most is the food. Bulgarian tomatoes, the big, heart-shaped ones, are my absolute favorite. I love the language and a lot of Bulgarian pop and rock songs of the 90s-00s.
I’ve only lived here by the sea, and it is what I feel is so different from the other places I’ve lived or spent a lot of time in. Unlike in Sofia, the climate in Varna is mild, with relatively pleasant winters. I also like the pace of life here, myself I became more relaxed and rush less than I used to.
What was the most difficult bureaucratic procedure you have undergone so far in Bulgaria?
As for now, my in-person experiences with the Bulgarian authorities in Varna, Burgas and several towns have been quite good. However, my experience of obtaining the visa D back in Moscow was not very smooth. To apply for this kind of visa as a student one must provide a letter from the Ministry of Education of Bulgaria. That had to be sent from Sofia to Varna, then to Moscow. The first attempt was unsuccessful because they made a mistake, more rather a typo, but still, it wouldn’t be good enough for the Embassy.
The second version was correct, but I received it when the programme had already started (late September 2017). So I had to apply for a tourist visa first, go to Varna to study and go back to Moscow in November to finally get the right visa glued into my passport. One Bulgarian TV channel made a report on foreign students having problems in Bg, and I was interviewed telling my story in November.
Mention one important experience you’ve had in Bulgaria :
I fell in love soon after my arrival!
What languages do you speak other than English?
Russian is my mother tongue. I can teach English and Spanish as foreign languages. I can get by in French, Italian, and German. I understand Bulgarian very well, but my speaking is very limited.
What countries have you been to?
I am pretty well-traveled. I’ve been to more than 35 countries. My top 3 would be Australia, Spain and Hong Kong (never been to mainland China).
What advice would you give to other people who would like to come to live in Bulgaria?
Be patient! A lot of things take a long time here.
Learn the alphabet and maybe 50 basic words before moving house. It will make your life so much easier. The alphabet might seem hard to learn at first, but once you’ve got it, your Bulgarian will improve fast if you decide to learn it.
If you have ever learned another Slavic language, you might want to brush it up a bit as it might help in learning Bulgarian.
Bring an unlocked two-SIM smartphone or buy one here. You might need your old number for your online banking and you’ll definitely need a local SIM for the Internet, local calls, and Bulgarian bank online banking.
It’s pretty difficult to get a good phone contract as a foreigner here. Your Bulgarian acquaintances might help. I suggest at first getting a prepaid card (calls+Gb) from Telenor (6 or 8 leva for 2 weeks, you can install an app and top up with your credit card) or A1 (about 10 leva for 30 days), find a flat etc. and see which operator the people you started to communicate with are happy with. The first month might be too chaotic to find time to compare all the available contracts. So take a prepaid one and compare the rest when you have time.
Go to CouchSurfing meetings organized in your area or in Sofia, Varna. You’ll meet foreigners and Bulgarians that speak English/French/Russian/German…in general, easy-going people that might help you with some advice, local wisdom. Also, join Skype/Telegram/Facebook…groups related to Bulgaria where people ‘socialise’ in your language.
It’s a great country to register your business (due to low taxes) and work in the EU.
