My first impressions about Bulgaria
by Laci Bodnár
I have never been to Bulgaria before, so in these few days I got my first impressions about the country. I arrived to Sofia and the town felt grey and uncozy, but after I saw the city center I thought to myself: It’s amazing! The second surprising thing was the weather. I imagined that it is always warm here, because for Slovaks and Hungarians Bulgaria is one the most popular warm holiday places. After discussing with locals I realized that these weather conditions are very extreme and unusual. The city of Kazanlak is very nice. They say that beautiful nature and surrounding mountains are amazing, but the hanging fog never allowed me to see it until now. I come from a small village, and that is why I fell better in Kazanlak, than in Sofia. It is small, cozy, quiet and friendly. The historical background and the culture of roses makes Kazanlak an attractive town.
The Bulgarian language is not so strange for me, because it is also a Slavic language like Slovak, so I hope I will learn Bulgarian quick and easy. I am here for only 10 days, but I already understand a lot of words. The Cyrillic alphabet scares me a little, but I am sure I will learn it soon. What confuses me is the Bulgarian body language. This strange way to say yes by shaking your head is not normal for me, but I like it because It is very unique.
I am a big fond of traditions, and was lucky to hear some traditional Bulgarian songs while in Sofia. I love Balkan tunes, rhythm and sounds. On my on-arrival training I had a chance to dance Racenica, and I think it is very cool.
The Bulgarian food is very delicious. The best sentence to describe my relationship with Bulgarian dish is the “love at first sight”. I like this kind of healthy food which is made from vegetables and cheese.
I am participating in the 8 month project with a funny title (“The New Begging”). My tasks are: working in the historical museum, visiting the Club Europa in the local professional school, working with local youngsters in the club of my hosting organization, participating in the eco project, writing a book about the volunteerism. Apart from these, I will have more tasks, which will be connected with my artistic competencies.
I am really eager to discover Bulgaria, the traditions, the nature, the meet new interesting people, to learn more about the traditions, to travel and experience adventures. I am sure I am will have a great timeeeeee:D
