Next week a friend will go to court demanding compensation from the owner of a flat he just bought. The flat was brand new, but during the first heavy rainfall it was obvious that a lot of (excuse the expression) bulgarska rabota had taken place, since water was dripping from the roof as well as from the windows.The case should be clear enough, but Bulgarian acquaintances are warning my friend that it’s far from sure he will win it. This because the man in question is an untouchable, ie, a person rich enough to do whatever he likes. If the Bulgarians should be proven right, it will prove the whole system is corrupt,which wouldn’t surprise me in the least.
Damm it! I’m so tired of bringing so much negativity from a country that I love so much. A country with so many friendly people. A country with such a beautiful nature, with such rich and diversified animal and plant life. A country with such fertile ground for spirutual development. I rest assured that for me Bulgaria is the ideal spot on the planet to spend my last years.
The only thing is that I do not feel at all as I thought a senior citizen would, gliding gently towards the twilight. Instead, I feel more like an angry young man, raging in vain about all the monkey business taking place in the corridors of power. So, maybe I should thank our leaders for keeping my spirit young, but regrettably for most of the natives, the pain resulting from all the nonsense going on, goes beyond the mental. Personally I know of people who have died due to the stress of poverty. This make me feel like some lines in an old pop tune: “I did not want no job upon the board I just wanted to take a broom and sweep the bloody floor.”
I wish I had a broom!
Geir Thomassen
‘My village is paradise’
I am sorry to hear of others’ disapointments in Bulgaria. Four years ago, when I was first in Bulgaria, I planned to buy at the coast after enjoying a fab holiday there. I returned to Bulgaria after two weeks and spent a couple of months driving, and staying at many places in the country.
I decided on buying in the centre of Bulgaria between Plovdiv and Stara Zagora. I renovated an old house in a village where the locals were all very kind in helping and guiding me. I spend the summer in Bulgaria and rent out my home for holiday makers who want to experience peace and the natural beauty and not be ripped off. I have only to go 10km for an Olympic size mineral pool with a restaurant in the grounds. The cost is two pounds. I have 1500 sq m land and have a couple take care of growing all organic produce in return for the crops being their supply all year. My village is paradise, the small town of Chirpan only six km away and the biggest market I have ever been to only 15km away. I hope to one day retire there, the villages will never become concrete jungles.
Maureen Carter
