DAVID Raman rushed into his office. He seemed a little bit worried - something had kept him a bit longer than he expected out of the office and there was a call from his colleagues he couldn't answer. As a manager of the support team in the Bulgarian department of an American internet services company he is really concerned about his job and co-workers. After he has ensured that everything is all right he is ready to talk to me. And he is really good company to chat with. Coming from India, he has this typical charisma that only Indian men have, and together with the charming accent of his excellent English you have the feeling you're taking part in a Bollywood movie. On the other hand, the logic and pragmatism in his thinking as a computer and internet specialist is obvious. With sense and calmness Raman can explain everything. During the conversation I understand that my assumption was right - he doesn't see his job only as a responsibility, he also enjoys doing it. "I like my job. I have fun every day at work. The guys I work with are very cool and friendly."
So when it comes to the main question of why Raman is in Bulgaria now, I'm sure most of you think it should be because of career opportunities or a company transfer... No, not even close. His decision to live here has nothing to do with his job. In contrast to his rational thinking, or maybe because of it, his heart was stolen by a Bulgarian girl. In his mouth everything sounds simple and straight: "My wife is a Bulgarian. That's pretty much the only reason I came to Bulgaria." He confesses at the beginning it was hard for both of them. He was a student in India, then he moved to the USA to continue his education and work there, while his girlfriend was studying computer science in Bulgaria. The geographical distance kept them apart and their relationship required a lot of travelling.
Fortunately this modern fairy tale has a happy ending. As Raman says: "It's a long story, but in short we met each other, we became friends, closer friends, then fell in love..."and two years ago they said "I do" to each other and started their life as a married couple in Bulgaria. The young computer expert (27) is man enough to admit that it was a big decision to make, but he seems to have no regrets about it. He doesn't know what the future will offer them or where he will find his family in 10 years but he likes his life now: "I'm happy with my wife, everything is fine..."
But do they live happily ever after? Three months after the wedding Raman found a very good job. However, real life is as different from fairy tales as visiting a country is to actually living in a country. Raman remembers the first time he came here: "It was during the spring and the snow was melting - everything was so beautiful! You care mostly where to go to have fun." But for a foreigner who lives in Bulgaria things are much more complicated - you have to make a living, you have to support your family, to pay your expenses. There is one thing that really annoys him. This Indian expat thinks everyone here is very kind and friendly...except the people in the places where you pay your electricity or water bills, for example. "These people are always yelling at you for no reason. It's a nightmare. If there is a reason I might leave Bulgaria, it's because of the nasty attitude they have." At the same time he is very optimistic about the young Bulgarians. "The young generation here really makes a difference. They have the power to change everything they want for the better. There are elections, they can choose the way they want their country to go."
He also enjoys some advantages that only Bulgaria has to offer - the ability of people to party, their hospitality and friendliness and some freedoms you cannot find in Western Europe. For instance, Raman finds it much safer to walk after midnight in the streets of Sofia, than in London. "Of course, there is more police help available in London, but I wouldn't be afraid to walk home after a party at 3am in Sofia." Despite the economic problems, for Raman Bulgaria is a real European country and each year it will become a better place to live.
So don't be surprised if you meet this contemporary Romeo walking with his wife after midnight in the streets of the Bulgarian city he likes the most - Sofia, or somewhere in a restaurant eating his favourite Bulgarian dish - "giuveche".