15
The Saddest Place on Earth?
by Boryana Dzhambazova
I'm getting off the plane. The first thing that welcomes me back is the grumpy face of a worker at Sofia airport in Bulgaria. Then, I know for sure that I'm home. Usual hellos, greetings, and, god forbids, smiles, are considered to be unnecessary exchange of politeness here. Unfortunately, the same scene is still common for many shops, cafeterias and restaurants around the country.
No wonder that an article in The Economist describes Bulgaria, which joined the EU in 2007, as the saddest place on earth relative to its income per person.
So the real question is: Are Bulgarians, who know how to have a good time, that unhappy?
Just hit local clubs on a Friday night and the partying crowd would easily convince you that the researchers, quoted by The Economist, got it wrong. Revved-up people dancing carefree on the tables seem quite satisfied with their lives. Foreigners are usually struck by the fact that even throughout a working day many cafés around the country are full of customers. Spending their day sipping coffee after coffee these people, who supposedly don't have a job, don't seem very unhappy, either.
However, many Bulgarians are struggling to make a living. It's hard to be happy in one of the poorest countries in the EU where the average monthly salary is around $400. Who wouldn't be gloomy about their well-being, since they can barely make the ends meet?
On top of that, superstition and fatalism have always been part of local mentality. In fact
a common saying states that too much of a good thing never leads to something good, so sometimes I even think that Bulgarians prefer to feel miserable just because it's easier. It's so much trouble to be cheerful. Or to bother greeting passengers at Sofia airport with a smile.
Top: Boryana Dzhambazova behind Bulgaria's National Art Gallery in Sofia;
Bottom: Street Scene in Sofia;
Photos by David Brancaccio 2011
For more on the Bulgarian economy, listen below to David Brancaccio's Marketplace story on the state of the country's well-being.
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Stefan nailed it on the head. After Sofia, Chicago is the second largest populated city of Bulgarians in the world.
Hundreds of Bulgarians go to the USA every summer for work/travel programs.
But this does not measure how "well off" a nation is.
The 20-something generation in Bulgaria was taught by their parents that life is difficult. It rightfully so was difficult for their parents who struggled through the changes in the early 90s. But what these families do not notice, is that times have changed and the younger generations face a different Bulgaria than what their parents faced.
A man in the interview mentioned this by stating, "public optimism is not a common tradition in BG"
In the USA, when people ask how you are, we say "good" -- even if we are having an awful day. In BG, when people are asked how they are, we reply "Gore Dolu" which is translated as so-so -- even if we are having the best day of the year!
Young Bulgarians need to realize how life has vastly improved recently and they need to realize the potential that Bulgaria has. The young, bright, and talented need to come back to Bulgaria instead of taking their potential elsewhere.
“I’m good.†Yes, that’s what Americans say, but it would be better English (gasp, not that!) to say “I’m fine.†You’re good? Are you well-behaved? Do you taste good? Maybe it would be more accurate to say “I FEEL good.†Sorry, but I couldn’t resist. Well, I’m not really sorry. Why should I apologize for this when I don’t say “good†– or more accurately, “fine†– when I’m having an awful day. I usually tell people they don’t really want to know how I am today. “So-so†would definitely suit me better. Maybe I have Bulgarian blood I don’t know about. I have hope that one day the glass will look half full to me rather than half empty.
Hey Daniela, if Bulgarians are doing so well, why did you immigrate? Why do you live in a foreign country fighting for a better lifestyle? .. or maybe you were one of the lucky once that came as a child with mom and dad who provided for your new and better lifestyle...?
Most Bulgarians in smaller towns don't make $400 monthly pay. My best childhood friend works as an RN 5 days a week 8 to 10 hrs sifts, in addition to that she does overtime, night, and weekend shift rotations. For all that work she barely makes $250. Her mortgage payment alone is around $350. Thanks to her husband who is a decently paid (for Bulgaria) police officer they make the mortgage and utility bills every month. Most of their food comes from the village where their parents are braking their backs planting gardens to feed 3 families. Yeah, if you work in a private clinic in a big City and were someone's someone, you might get $500..
Are there rich people in BG - sure! We can see some of the most expensive vehicles in the world driving down the streets of Sofia, but believe me, I would not want to be the passenger in one of those cars. The vast majority of the rich people in BG comes from new (fast) money and everyone who's ever lived in BG will probably tell you they don't make this type of cash selling lollipops on the streets - if you know what I mean. I am sure there is wealthy people in BG who don't have anything shady going on in their back yards... and despite the fact that they probably exist - I never knew one in the 20 yrs of my life I spend there. Just check out the TV show "Ñтъклен дом" on youtube. It will give you a good idea of how things work in BG.
I have to agree though, most Bulgarians complain a lot. I've heard this from other Americans too. This is almost like the bulgarian way to connect to each other. Kind of like: I feel your pain - you feel my pain - we are alike and are no threat to each other. It's sort of "I am doing worst then you are so you shouldn't be jealous of me. For all I know you might be doing some vudu on me in your back yard you MF!" LOL! How sad :(
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