Sofia, Bulgaria Report of what it's like to live there - 10/30/09
Personal Experiences from Sofia, Bulgaria
Background:
1. Was this post your first expatriate experience? If not, what other cities have you lived in as an expat?
No. We have lived in Nepal and Bangladesh. I have lived in England too, and my husband grew up in France.
2. How long have you lived here?
We've been here 4 months so far.
3. What brought you to this city (e.g. diplomatic mission, business, NGO, military, teaching, retirement, etc.)?
Husband is staff for Peace Corps.
4. Travel time and best routes to this city from Europe or the US:
Routes usually go through Germany to get to Bulgaria. It takes about one and half hours from Germany.
Housing, Groceries & Food:
1. What is your housing like? What are typical housing sizes, locations, and commute times for expatriates?
There are apartments and large houses. Apartments are typically in the city itself. Houses are up on the mountain and are pretty nice. During rush hour, it can take 1/2 hour for me to go about 3 km from my house towards the city to get to the embassy.
2. How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
We actually spend quite a lot on food, but we are a big family with 4 kids. We are probably spending 200 to 300 leva per week.
3. What household or grocery items do you wish you had shipped to post?
Dog food; not a lot to choose from here and it's expensive. Toothpaste; they don't have our typical American brands that I like. Spices for salsa (salsa seems to be a big deal here for some reason for the Americans). Spices for Indian food, and even instant spice packets to make various American dishes. Almonds. They are expensive here. Dried fruits, though they do have those here, in small amounts, but not a whole lot of variety. Saftey pins; can't find them here at all. Craft stores, convenience stores don't really exist here, so anything like that.
4. What typical restaurants, food delivery services, and/or takeout options are popular among expatriates?
Lots of traditional Bulgarian food restaurants that are very quaint. McDonald's, Kentucky Fried, Burger King are here. Also Dunkin Donuts. The cost is farely low. Salads are around 3 to 6 leva per plate. A main entree might be 5 to 10 leva.
5. Are there any unusual problems with insects or other infestations in housing?
Insects are down to a minimum in my experience. Hardly any in the houses and we live in a very old one. There are beetles, but they are very small and scarce. Some people call them cock roaches, but they look like little beetles to me. Some mosquitos in the evenings.
Daily Life:
1. How do you send and receive your letters and package mail? Are local postal facilities adequate?
I have access to the US Embassy mail so it's very convenient.
2. What is the availability and cost of household help, and what types of help are typically employed by expatriates?
Around 7 leva per hour.
3. What kinds of gyms or other sports/workout facilities are available? Are they expensive?
Yes, there are large facilities for this.
4. Are credit cards widely accepted and safe to use locally? Are ATMs common and do you recommend using them? Are they safe to use?
They are available and convenient all over. However they are not recommended to use on account of fraud. I did recently have a friend who experienced credit card fraud already since I have been here. Cards can and have been taken from the machines and sometimes they steal your pin number and make random charges to your account.
5. What English-language religious services are available locally?
Yes, mainly Christian Orthodox. There are some denominations. I have run into a few people who have a small Jewish Community.
6. English-language newspapers and TV available? Cost?
You can buy tvs here. Not sure about the cost for cable because we do not buy it. Not really sure about English newspapers either, we get our news online.
7. How much of the local language do you need for daily living? Are local language classes/tutors available and affordable?
Not a whole lot. Many people survive not speaking any. Quite a few Bulgarians speak English. They sure do appreciate it and encourage it when you do try to make the effort to speak though. I've had some experiences in stores where we can't understand one another, so we use a lot of hand gesturing. Being able to read Cyrillic would be very helpul to read food labels and street signs etc.
8. Would someone with physical disabilities have difficulties living in this city?
Walking around town may be a little difficult with the cobblestone roads, potholes, navigating a wheelchair would be a little hard.
Transportation:
1. Are local buses, trams, trains or taxis safe and affordable?
Yes, they are great and very cheap.
2. What kind of car do you recommend bringing to post, given the terrain, availability of parts, burglary/carjacking risks, etc.? What kind of car do you advise not to bring?
4-wheel drive is good for navigating icy roads and the potholes. Small is also good because many of the roads are so narrow and difficult to access with a large car. Our garage even has very low clearance as well as our front gate. But a small easy to drive 4-wheel drive is a little bit difficult to find!
Phone & Internet:
1. Is high-speed home Internet access available? How long does it typically take to install it after arrival?
yes. I think around $10 / month is what we pay.
2. Do you have any recommendations regarding mobile phones? Did you keep your home-country plan or use a local provider?
Not other than that I seem to have a lot of difficulty with the Bulgarian ones. They are always breaking on me, but that's my personal experience. And customer service is not too efficient. Right now, they still have my phone and it's been a month, repairing it...
Pets:
1. Are qualified veterinarians and/or good kennel services available? Do animals need to be quarantined upon entry to the country? Are there other considerations regarding pets that are particular to this country?
No.
2. Quality pet care available (vets & kennels)?
Yes, very good, both!
Employment & Volunteer Opportunities:
1. What types of jobs do most expatriate spouses/partners have? Locally based or telecommuting? Full-time or part-time? Can you comment on local salary scales?
Doing your own private business I have heard is a bit difficult to break into. Not really sure about local jobs available. Sometimes there are a few opportunities at the schools, but they are all I.B. so they usually want I.B. trained staff. American College of Sofia is a private school so they are a bit more lenient.
2. What is the typical dress code at work and in public places? Is formal dress ever required?
Dressy, just like Europe. Women dress up here. It's the city life.
Health & Safety:
1. Pollution index (Good, Moderate, Unhealthy, or Very Unhealthy)?
Compared to the rest of Europe it's a little polluted and dirty. Sofia, the capital is pretty polluted. It's nice out around the country.
2. What immunizations are required each year?
You know, I can't remember. I know we had to get a couple, but for the most part, it is pretty clean and healthy here. Not much in the way of diseases to worry about.
3. Are there personal security concerns to be aware of at this post? Please describe.
The biggest for me is the traffic and how fast people drive. It's a little tricky to walk around as a pedestrian and watch out for crazy drivers. The roads are bad, lots of potholes.
4. Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
I don't think nurses are as highly trained as in the U.S. The doctors seem fairly good. Hospitals are available for x-rays and seem pretty competent. The U.S.embassy evacuates to London for bigger health issues.
5. What is the overall climate: is it extremely hot or cold, wet or dry, at any time of year, for example?
Very similar to Colorado, though a bit wetter than Colorado. They have the 4 seasons: it's warm and sunny in summer and only up to around 80 degrees farenheit, fall and and spring are temperate, some snow showers in spring. Winter is cold, snow and ice, down to the 20's 30's farenheit, sometimes down to zero.
Schools & Children:
1. What is the availability of international schools? What has been your general experience with them, if any?
All 4 of my daughters attend the Anglo-American International School. My younger two daughters, aged 9 and 12, love it. Most of what I hear from this age range seems to be positive. My 9 year old loves to go to school. She is having a great experience. My 12 year old has made some good friends. My older two daughters are in the upper grade levels, grades 11 and 12. The academics are very rigorous. They only have the I.B. program (international baccalaurette). A lot of pressure is put on the kids to perform in school at this level. Kids seem to have rather low grades, especially considering that they require 5 or 6 hours of study per day. There is no time for much else other than school and studying at the upper grade levels.
2. What accommodations do schools make for special-needs kids?
I do not know. It's a state of the art new building so it looks to me like it could accomodate that.
3. Are preschools available? Day care? Are these expensive? What has been your experience with them, if any? Do the schools provide before- and/or after-school care?
Yes, it's available. I think Wonder World is pretty good I have heard.
4. Are local sports classes and/or activities available for kids?
The International school has a little bit. It is not a very high competitive level. The school is small so grades are combined and they travel to tournaments for soccer, volleyball, basketball. They do some after-school activities 2 days a week.
Expat Life:
1. What is the relative size of the expatriate community? How would you describe overall morale among expatriates?
Medium sized.
2. Morale among expats:
Very good. People are generally happy here.
3. What are some typical ways to socialize, either with local people or with other expatriates? Are there groups or clubs that you can recommend?
People get together and entertain a lot.
4. Is this a good city for single people? For couples? For families? Why or why not?
I think all of the above. The only thing that's a bit difficult for kids is during summer and off-time, trying to find activites and programs to keep them busy.
5. Is this a good city for LGBT expatriates? Why or why not?
Yes, I would think so.
6. Are there problems with ethnic, race/racial minorities or religious prejudices? Gender equality?
No, not that I'm aware of.
7. What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
Opera, ballet, concerts, ice skating, hiking on Vitosha mountain, camping, mountain biking, walking (people walk a lot here) eating out, outdoor markets, there are 3 malls, there are movie theaters an IMAX. The Black Sea Coast offers beach resorts. The villages around Bulgaria are interesting. There are museums and cathedrals in the capital. Rila Monastery and different sites are within a couple of hours driving time, some very nice sites to see.
8. Is this a "shopping post"? Are there interesting handicrafts, artwork, antiques, or other items that people typically buy there?
Pottery, rose oil is the most widely produced in Bulgaria out of any other country in the world.
9. Can you save money?
Well, it would seem so, but we haven't been...
Words of Wisdom:
1. Knowing what you know now, would you still move to this city?
Yes!
2. If you move here, you can leave behind your:
Ping pong table, basketball hoop, American appliances. We don't have enough room to set these things up and we keep blowing transformers with our appliances.
3. But don't forget your:
Halloween stuff! Dressy clothes. Bring extra grow-into jeans and tennis shoes for the kids, good quality and affordable on those things is hard to find here.
4. Do you recommend any books or movies about this city/country for those who are interested in learning more?
The Historian, by Kostova.
5. Do you recommend any books or movies about this city/country for those who are interested in learning more?
The Historian, by Kostova.
6. Recommended movies/DVDs related to this city:
7. Do you have any other comments?
Bulgaria is a really neat place. It's only 4 hrs drive from Greece. Maybe 5 to Turkey. A couple hours to Macedonia and Serbia from the capital, 6 hours to the Black Sea coast which is beautiful, and 4 hours to Romania. The Rila and Rhodope mountains are incredibly beautiful. Rose Fields are beautiful too. There are fortresses, colluseums and so much very very old history here. Very interesting mix of history & architecture. You can buy a 20-leva plane ticket to Holland from here on Wizzair! And 50-dollar flights to Italy are sometimes available. Also it's a 12-hour drive from here to Austria.
