WHICH WAY NOW?
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| Issue 33, June 2009 |
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 First the voting, then the real challenges begin. Bulgaria goes to the polls, with the incumbent three-party ruling coalition led by the Bulgarian Socialist Party, or BSP, facing a resurgent opposition. The government has lost popularity and international clout over allegations of corruption, docked EU funding and the winter gas crisis. Whatever way the country votes, though, it seems likely that the election will be followed by the usual bout of horse-trading. ... more
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AN OUTSIDER'S GUIDE TO BULGARIAN POLITICS
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| Issue 33, June 2009 |
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 A sufficiently significant proportion of older voters can be persuaded to look at the past through rose-coloured spectacles - to a time when they fell in love, brought up children, got their first Lada and danced to "Hotel California." They had secure, undemanding jobs, could call an ambulance every time and believed the crime rate was low because police could beat up criminals. ... more
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SOLO
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| Issue 33, June 2009 |
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 Anyone with the remotest interest in this country would readily grab the chance to at least look at any of the extremely rare English-language books dealing with or set in Bulgaria, if only for the fun of discovering where the foreign author went wrong in what Bulgarians themselves describe as one of the most difficult-to-understand countries in Europe. ... more
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BRING BACK THE BEEB TO BULGARIA
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| Issue 32, May 2009 |
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Over 2,000 people, both expats and Bulgarians, have joined the Facebook campaign to restart the BBC World Service broadcasts on FM in the Sofia area. Sofia is among the few European capital cities apart from Moscow where the BBC World Service is not available on FM. ... more
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THEY SPEAK, YOU LISTEN
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| Issue 32, May 2009 |
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 When a billboard featuring Adolf Hitler on a Third Reich postage stamp appeared in Sofia in the middle of April the establishment reacted as if a Communist-era munitions depot had just exploded on the outskirts of the city. Initially, just as they were puzzled when Chelopechene blew up last year, they did not know what was going on ... more
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SOCIETY ON THE HIGH
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| Issue 31, April 2009 |
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 The most popular drugs here are marijuana, amphetamines, cocaine and heroin. Expats have found that drugs are as readily available in Bulgaria as in their homeland, the only hurdle being making initial contact with a local dealer. Once a connection is made, though, it is easy to come by a regular supply. Expats interviewed for this article readily admitted to spending between 100 to 200 leva a week on drugs. ... more
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EXTREMELY BAD FOOD
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| Issue 31, April 2009 |
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 Bulgarian tomatoes are wonderful, but not if you buy them in Billa or at the Zhenski pazar, or Women's Market, in Sofia. Befriend a Bulgarian, go to their native village, meet their aunts and uncles. They will make the best tomato salad in the world for you. If you go to the Zhenski pazar what you will get is low-quality imported cheapies. ... more
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LIFE IN THE GYPSY GHETTO
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| Issue 31, April 2009 |
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 "Don't take pictures or you will get thrashed." This is how you could be greeted if you dare to take out a camera in the Roma ghetto in Sofia's Krasna polyana district. The council flats, which house thousands of gypsies, became famous in 2007 when their inhabitants rioted in the streets of the neighbourhood, armed with clubs and knives. ... more
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FLIGHTS OVER HELL
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| Issue 31, April 2009 |
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 Of course, airlines are masters at ruining even the best-laid plans. For example, Bulgaria Air once waited for everyone to board a flight from Sofia to Rome, put on their seatbelts and listen to the safety instructions. Then the plane stood unmoving on the runway for the next hour. We sat there buckled up thinking about two things - cigarettes and the mothers of everyone responsible for the muddle. ... more
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WEST BERLIN IS NOT AND NEVER HAS BEEN PART OF WEST GERMANY
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| Issue 31, April 2009 |
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 Since the Soviet Union terminated the occupation regime in the GDR (in October 1949), Greater Berlin, including West Berlin, has been part of the territory of the GDR. Contrary to historical truth, West German leaders and the media are trying to present West Berlin as part of West Germany. ... more
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