Bulgarians love to sit and talk for hours about life with their friends. This is their preferred way of communicating with people. They want to really understand how you are doing, rather than having a brief chat on the street. It reflects the relaxed pace of life that Bulgarians enjoy because they prioritize relationships over other responsibilities. In America, the fast-paced lifestyle means that brief conversations on the street are all that we have time for, but this is not so in Bulgaria.
I have met wonderful people and have made great friends during my time in Bulgaria. While many of the social interactions here are different, I have found that Bulgarians are a very warm, welcoming people. It is easy to compare my experiences in Bulgaria to my experiences in the United States and make comments like, “That is so weird” or “That is rude,” but it is just different. The interactions are not like my American experience. But Bulgarians would think the same thing if they came to the United States.
Cultures will also be different, but we can learn a lot from trying to be an active member of another community. I am still trying to learn more Bulgarian so I can communicate with people better. I realized that the more effort I put in to learning the language and being a part of the community, the more receptive the people are towards me. They respect that I am trying and usually will show me more kindness and, sometimes, even smile.
Fun fact: Bulgarians also shake their head ‘no’ (moving it side to side) to say ‘yes’ and shake their head ‘yes’ (moving it up and down) to say ‘no’. That one still takes me by surprise!
