The Balkan Yankee

Dancing Horo with flag

Originally uploaded by garth walker
A grad student in the States asked me if I would answer a few questions about Bulgaria, and I enjoyed the opportunity to give my perspective on a few things. I decided it would be fun to post the questions and answers I gave here, and see if anyone has anything to interject:

1) My research has shown that apart from cell phone use, technology (i.e. personal internet use, ownership of home computers, broadband internet access etc.) isn’t readily available in Bulgaria. From your point of view, as a software consultant, how would you rate Bulgaria’s IT systems against other EU countries and perhaps, against America?

The infrastructure is fabulous here for broadband internet. It puts internet in the USA to shame. I pay about $22 USD per month for a static IP address with symmetrical throughput that reliably gets speeds in the range of 500-900kbps/sec….. thats 4-6 times faster than anything SBC or Comcast offered me in California for about half the price… and you can’t get the symmetrical throughput without a biz plan in the States.

As far as computer ownership, I have no idea what the stats are. I’m sure its much lower than western Europe and the states particularly with the older generation. I can’t think of any friends here who don’t have computers, or at least access to one. IT firms such as Microsoft and SAP (among dozens more) have flocked here to take advantage of the tech-savvy workforce and low relative wages, though programmers now make almost twice the national average salary, and nearly 4X what a DOCTOR gets paid.

2) I am also in contact with the Bulgarian embassy here in America but I would like to ask you about some of the same things I have asked them. What is the condition of the roads in Bulgaria? When I get my google news alerts, there are always threads about x number of car wrecks over night. Are the roads just in poor condition? Or is it a social problem?

The roads are horrible here. Almost all of them need to be repaved. When funds get allocated for roadwork corruption means that there isn’t enough money to do the job properly so they end up cutting corners on materials and unqualified labor so you end up with roads that crumble faster or something like the fiasco regarding TsarIgradsko Shosse (Blvd) which was nicknamed Tsarigradsko More (Sea) because of the wavy unevenness of one of the busiest roads in the city center after an expensive repaving effort.

The road accidents are probably more related to the fact that people drive like maniacs here, with a general disregard for traffic laws.

3) Growing up in America, you more than likely learned about communism, I know I did, several times over. Knowing that Bulgaria is former Soviet era state, that has finally shook off the old Russia style, how much of the “old” system would you say is still in place? (I’m sorry if this question is obscure or anything. It’s hard to phrase a question like this and to get a proper response.)

This is a hard one to answer since I never lived in a communist state, and can only imagine, and undoubtedly project my own prejudices on things. Bloated bureaucracy is still here…. gets an ID card here as a foreigner is a month long process requiring multiple visits to multiple government institutions to get multiple stamps… I long for a simple 4 hour wait at the American DMV.

A lot of politicians now have ties to the former government, and from time to time there are threats of uncovering some of their dirty laundry. A lot of money was made in the early 90s when hyperinflation hit Bulgaria too. While average people struggled, it was former communists and Mafia types who had the best connections and opportunities to lay the foundations for their future business empires.

4) What is the police system like in the country? Are they strict, not so strict?

Not strict at all. I can talked my way out of a speeding ticket, driving the wrong way on a one-way street without a drivers license. I didn’t even offer a bribe. I think they were hoping I would, but when I told them to just go ahead and write me a citation or “do what they have to do” they gave me my documents back in frustration and told me to leave. Actually writing citations would be too much work This is a common story. There are lots of them, and they definitely give us a kick.

Maybe that also reflects on question 2.

5) Very broad question, but in general, what are the people like? Very welcoming to travelers? Welcoming to people that move to the country?

Bulgarians are great, they’re friendly to foreigners, and the wonder what the hell we are doing in Bulgaria. Every Ex-pat I know is in love with the place, despite any minor complaints. This baffles Bulgarians, whom I would describe on the whole as humble, modest, and family oriented.

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