First topic message reminder :

Since I am feeling angry with BTK today (see posts) it has set me wondering what other frustrations people living permanently in Bulgaria have. Lets get it out of our systems folks. :Headbang:Its been a long winter once again but before Spring arrives giving us all a new lease of life it might be an idea to let off some steam.

I should have said 'not active' and not 'closed' and I have certainly not been taken for a ride. In fact I have been told today that I can now own my own house without the said Company. This subject has been done to death and maybe all of us have been taken for a ride in having to have a company to buy property, but that was Bulgarian law prior to EU. In fact, I believe that you also had to employ 10 Bulgarians in your company if you wanted to reside here back in the day!

ok oldun, but there is no requirement to make your company "
inactive"
, mine is exactly as it was when formed and i have submitted nil returns every year without the requirement to make it "
inactive"
, in fact by submitting a nil return does just that, it means your company is inactive with no requirement for anyone to do that for you, I hope you didn't pay for that.

No I didn't but probably misunderstood what was said by my accountant when he explained about nil tax returns. You are not wrong and neither was I. I just go with the flow as probably many others do but at least my costs have been more reasonable than some.

that's fair enough.

We live in a lovely village and adore the village people and the animals. When I take our two larger dogs for a walk (German Shepherd Dog and an Alatolian Shepherd Dog) they get a bit of a shock at times with farmers moving their animals around. They haven't seen sheep before or geese also goats or horses and so whilst I am perched up a ladder in our top bedroom which has a high ceiling trying anxiously to keep my balance the GSD decides to bark his head off downstairs and won't stop whatever I say to him.

In the end Annette pops down to him to see what all the fuss is about only to find the local farmer has let his goats loose. This in itself would not normally present a problem, but they had jumped up on our wall and where happily chewing the branches of the trees in full view of the house!!

Ah bless, poor GSD totally confused now than Give him a few weeks and it will be second nature to him.

my only frustration with bulgaria after living here for 5+years is;
COMMON SENSE ------------ say no more !

queenie's wrote:

my only frustration with bulgaria after living here for 5+years is;
COMMON SENSE ------------ say no more !

eeer whats that then ...havent seen any around for yonks...... [You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]

Agree there Queenie and Varnagirl. Also Bulgarians lack of memory. Absolutely no use trying to plan ahead for anything because they won't remember anything about it.

One little thing that niggles me is how close Bulgarians stand behind me
at the supermarket checkout! Are they really nosey wanting to know how
much I've spent? Never noticed this in any other country.
Also putting their items on the belt before all mine are on!

Ah the Supermarket queue. Totally agree with that one Scunnered. Also when they push past when buying nothing and you are trying to collect up your shopping into bags.
One day I nearly asked the woman behind me if she wanted to buy my shopping she was pushing so close to me! I always smile at the checkout girlie because they too, must get annoyed with shoppers and they have to deal with them all the time.
Have you ever tried catching the village bus at the bazaar stop? Total nightmare. No orderly queues and even if I am ready on the kerb several Bulgarians seem to get on the bus before me and I have no idea how they do it. Its so difficult with several bags of shopping and there seems no quarter is given for age or ladies with children. A right old free-for-all but its all part of life's rich pattern in Bulgaria. Love 'em.

The truth of the matter is that leaving your life behind and going anywhere new is difficult. Without any common features to cling onto or faces to see, it can be hard to adapt to your new life. However, these tips will help you see the bright side of your new life sooner than you think.

Do your homework

The first think that you need to do before you head to your new home is to research the lay of the land. Look at travel guides and maps to see what you can expect to see when you arrive as well as the local gathering places and any local customs.

Take a visit

Many people simply have an idea of what it will be like to live abroad without ever having been abroad. Before you move to a new country, you should take a vacation there to meet the people and see what you might expect to see each day.

Research everything

There's nothing more unsettling than finding out that you need to do something after the fact. Ask a lot of questions of other people who have moved abroad to see what you have to do. Talk with immigration and your local resources in the area.

Take your time

A great way to start becoming accustomed to your new life abroad is to go there before you have major responsibilities to handle. This may mean that you get to your new home weeks or months before starting a job.

Realise that what is exciting now may not always be

You will need to realize that while everything will seem like a vacation at first, your home will not always seem as such - and you should expect this. Eventually, it will be a ˜home' and not just living abroad.

Let yourself experience your emotions

Many times you will feel isolated and alone, even angry for leaving what you knew to be safe and ‘normal,' but denying these feelings may only make them worse. Make sure that you are talking about these emotions.

Make time to connect with your friends at home

You need to be sure that you're still talking with your friends and family on a regular occasion. This will allow you to reconnect with ‘home' and share stories of your new land.

Try to meet new people

You'll never get comfortable with a new home if you're always staying in your house. Try to meet up with other expatriates, if you can. Take a language course to start to acclimate, for example.

Learn about the culture

Instead of just sticking rigidly to your own beliefs and customs, you should attempt to learn about the local culture. You may be surprised at how much you can begin to understand about people when you see how they act on a day to day basis.

Don't rush things

There isn't a set time in which you ‘should' or should not adapt to your new home. It could take weeks and it could take months. In any case, realize that you will indeed adapt to your new home and begin to realize just what drew you to living there and why it was the best decision for you.

Whilst everything you say is true Sallyann I would challenge doing too much research on the internet. Nothing you will read there is your own emotional needs. If you aren't in touch with yourself and need so much reassurance I don't believe a life abroad is for you. This is a lighthearted topic on Bulgarian frustrations and not to be taken as written in stone. However, it does point up some of the small aggravations to be experienced here. Many can also be experienced in Britian today where, it seems to me, that many people have lost touch with the reality of life and expect everything to run like clockwork for them and if it doesn't someone else is responsible! Having just returned from Britain I am amazed that English people can be so critical of their home country. Its much different in Bulgaria but its still the Britain I love and the countryside and weather were equally as beautiful as here in Bulgaria but I guess that depends where you live in either country!

One argument in favour of staying in your own country is that the problems of adapting to a new way of life cannot always be overcome. Even in cases where the language is the same, there are other changes, such as cultural differences, which an outsider might find difficult to adjust to. Even the weather can force some people to return to their country of origin. People who move to a foreign country may be regarded with suspicion and treated unfairly. In countries with a large number of immigrants there are often social problems, and immigrants stand out as being 'different' and even inferior. As a consequence, the host country may react in a variety of ways, form open hospitality and racism to depriving the immigrants of the right to equal pay etc. On the other hand, living abroad can be a way to escape a variety of problems in one's country of birth. For example, war, political or religious intolerance, and natural catastrophes are among the reasons for people seeking a new home in a foreign land. In such cases, people are often able to start a new life abroad with greater freedom and a higher standard of living such as Bugaria can offer. Finally, it may be said that by living in a foreign country, people are able to establish a greater understanding between eachother. That is to say, by working and living among foreigners, some of the barriers between countries can be broken down, helping to create a more peaceful world. Needless to say, better diplomatic relations would be of benefit for all. Taking everything into consideration, I could say that living in a foreign country can be a difficult thing to obtain, as it implies accommodating to a new kind of people, who have their way of thinking and attitudes. But at the same time, leaving the native country can help somebody begin a better life, even if he or she will be away from family and friends.

Thank you all for this thread I love it and there are so many truths here which I can relate to