[url:5fblwbcv]http:
//f2.
org/humour/howalien.
html[/url:5fblwbcv]
Здравейте!
I believe most of you have already read this amazing book(let) and have laughed on every single page. In my opinion, only a foreigner can provide such a deep insight into the natives. Locals simply can`t obtain this different and unique point of view, everything is so natural for the indigenous population. That`s an inevitable blindness. I have an idea for co-writing a book, called “How to be an alien in Bulgaria”. If expats or foreigners, who have holiday homes in Bulgaria, share their stories about life in Bulgaria, it will become a great (guide)book, even a best seller. I bet everyone has a funny story to tell, every foreigner can tell about some oddity or weirdos. You don`t have to be a writer to describe your own Bulgarian experience, village life, some strange local habits and customs, beliefs and attitude of mind, meals and drinks, style of driving or shopping, language and media, gardening and building, social and family life, to name but a few. So, c`mon, folks! Grab a pen or a keyboard and tell us about the funniest event you have ever had in Bulgaria. I wish you a sunny weekend and a genuine afflatus.

mastylo wrote:

[url:q0iqm5ga]http:
//f2.
org/humour/howalien.
html[/url:q0iqm5ga]
Здравейте!
I believe most of you have already read this amazing book(let) and have laughed on every single page. In my opinion, only a foreigner can provide such a deep insight into the natives. Locals simply can`t obtain this different and unique point of view, everything is so natural for the indigenous population. That`s an inevitable blindness. I have an idea for co-writing a book, called “How to be an alien in Bulgaria”. If expats or foreigners, who have holiday homes in Bulgaria, share their stories about life in Bulgaria, it will become a great (guide)book, even a best seller. I bet everyone has a funny story to tell, every foreigner can tell about some oddity or weirdos. You don`t have to be a writer to describe your own Bulgarian experience, village life, some strange local habits and customs, beliefs and attitude of mind, meals and drinks, style of driving or shopping, language and media, gardening and building, social and family life, to name but a few. So, c`mon, folks! Grab a pen or a keyboard and tell us about the funniest event you have ever had in Bulgaria. I wish you a sunny weekend and a genuine afflatus.

A great idea mastylo - there must be lots of stories available from locals and expats, when we get to Bulgaria we will write some I am sure. In the meantime we are living with the Turks and they have some strange customs as well!!

itchyfeet wrote:

A great idea mastylo - there must be lots of stories available from locals and expats, when we get to Bulgaria we will write some I am sure. In the meantime we are living with the Turks and they have some strange customs as well!!

Look forward to reading about the strange customs of the Turks maybe you could open a topic of customs of the world or something like that?

mastylo will get my thinking cap on

Oddy

Thank you very much for the warm replies! I`ve already got the first story - it`s about having dinner with Bulgarian hosts :-) I have to think about a special website for this project. It wouldn`t be just a great fun for us, but also an invaluable resource for foreigners, willing to settle down in this nice country. I will do my best to comment on every story, providing a plausible explanation from the Bulgarian point of view.

Not really a funny story about the bulgarians but i love their laid back attitude. Last year I was doing a bit of gardening and decided to burn down a large pile of weeds in the garden. Unfortunately I hadn't really thought it out too well and very quickly the whole garden was alight and heading straight for the neighbours house. One neighbour checked it wasn't going towards his house then sat on a bucket to watch. The other two neighbours walked round with buckets to help put it out. After about 40mins of running backwards and forwards to the tap, we had a completely black garden and we missed the next house by a foot. Our neighbour smiled and said donkey poo is flamable. Then went off back to his house. Apsolutly amazing.

One event I will remember the most....

Wanting to integrate fully with the villagers to make the most of our life here in BG, we used to go to the village bar to mix quite a lot, when we first got here. One evening we were in the bar enjoying a cold beer (armed with a dictionary and note pad to aid conversation) and one of the older locals asked us something which we did not understand - so then another one came over to assist his friend with the explanation.... as happens in Bulgaria, before we knew it there were 5 locals around us all talking to us at the same time....getting louder and louder accompanied by assortment of mimes. Out comes the notepad, should a sketch be required the dictionary was no use what so ever.

We started getting a few words sussued. After about half an hour or so of sketches and explanations we finally understood that the first guys wife had to go to the dentist in the next village and when could we give her a lift? If one person had just asked when we could drive her to the next village we would have understood so much quicker - but it was the lengthy "
dentist extracting a tooth"
mime that really threw us!!!

Luckily now no such problems.....

beautifulangel wrote:

Not really a funny story about the bulgarians but i love their laid back attitude. Last year I was doing a bit of gardening and decided to burn down a large pile of weeds in the garden. Unfortunately I hadn't really thought it out too well and very quickly the whole garden was alight and heading straight for the neighbours house. One neighbour checked it wasn't going towards his house then sat on a bucket to watch. The other two neighbours walked round with buckets to help put it out. After about 40mins of running backwards and forwards to the tap, we had a completely black garden and we missed the next house by a foot. Our neighbour smiled and said donkey poo is flamable. Then went off back to his house. Apsolutly amazing.

That`s so typical for Bulgarians, especially for those, living in the West part of the country. National physiologists have described this feature of the national character as "
непукизъм"
. Unfortunately, I can`t translate into English this word. It comes from the phrase "
не ми пука"
, which polite English equivalent should be "
I don`t care two straws"
, and the popular one is "
I don`t give a sh**"
... Well, it`s a stress-free view of life, but I simply don`t have it :-(
Thanks for the great story!!

Esta wrote:

One event I will remember the most....

Wanting to integrate fully with the villagers to make the most of our life here in BG, we used to go to the village bar to mix quite a lot, when we first got here. One evening we were in the bar enjoying a cold beer (armed with a dictionary and note pad to aid conversation) and one of the older locals asked us something which we did not understand - so then another one came over to assist his friend with the explanation.... as happens in Bulgaria, before we knew it there were 5 locals around us all talking to us at the same time....getting louder and louder accompanied by assortment of mimes. Out comes the notepad, should a sketch be required the dictionary was no use what so ever.

We started getting a few words sussued. After about half an hour or so of sketches and explanations we finally understood that the first guys wife had to go to the dentist in the next village and when could we give her a lift? If one person had just asked when we could drive her to the next village we would have understood so much quicker - but it was the lengthy "
dentist extracting a tooth"
mime that really threw us!!!

Luckily now no such problems.....

Please I need a help with this story! Why on earth Bulgarians think foreigners will understand them, if they SHOUT in Bulgarian?!! I believe other nations just start speaking slowly and choose simple words, while locals here scream louder and louder... I have no clue about this strange habit, I must confess.
Thank you, Esta!

The strangest thing i've seen in bulgaria that i would love someone to explain is wolves hung on gallows at the edge of the village and a donkeys head on a pole. any suggestions?

beautifulangel wrote:

The strangest thing i've seen in bulgaria that i would love someone to explain is wolves hung on gallows at the edge of the village and a donkeys head on a pole. any suggestions?

Fancy dress?

beautifulangel wrote:

The strangest thing i've seen in bulgaria that i would love someone to explain is wolves hung on gallows at the edge of the village and a donkeys head on a pole. any suggestions?

Sounds like England in the 17th century, only difference is we hung human heads on poles on Tower Bridge.

itchyfeet wrote:

beautifulangel wrote:

The strangest thing i've seen in bulgaria that i would love someone to explain is wolves hung on gallows at the edge of the village and a donkeys head on a pole. any suggestions?

Sounds like England in the 17th century, only difference is we hung human heads on poles on Tower Bridge.

Would love to have been at the trial. Maybe the local sheep are judge and jury.