Moving to Bulgaria was an unplanned occurrence for Martin, but one that has brought happy results professionally, socially, and personally. His work as a website administrator that promotes Bulgaria overseas seems particulary apt for him, an Englishman who now looks upon this country as home. Here he shares what it is about living in Bulgaria that he loves and why.	Martin Miller-Yianni

-Where were you born?
Erith, Kent, UK

-In which country and city are you living now?
Bulgaria

-Are you living alone or with your family?
Originally alone but now with a Bulgarian partner

-How long have you been living in Bulgaria?
Two years

-What is your age?
49

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Bulgaria?
Didn’t even know exactly where Bulgaria was three years ago. Discovered cheap property, looked into it, and found the country’s other attractions and the people there overpoweringly beautiful. Stressed out with teaching in the UK, the different lifestyle there was too tempting.

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
First off a visa was a complex business and expensive, since EU entry the renewal was very simple and the cost – next to nothing. A working permit is not needed here.

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
I know it’s wrong but medical insurance wasn’t applied for, I will have to look into that sometime. Getting medical insurance isn’t difficult, it’s just getting around to doing it.

-How do you make your living in Bulgaria? Do you have any type of income generated?
Originally I had no plans to work here, I was living off the land and do a bit of cash in the hand, private tuition for utility bills, etc. Then I accidentally met a Bulgarian woman and looking after myself only was no longer the priority. I wanted to look after her and her family. I had to earn more than just pocket money and I was very lucky to find employment as a website administrator for a British-owned company promoting Bulgaria abroad.

-Do you speak Bulgarian and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
I get by reasonably well but only because I live and work in the main with native Bulgarian speakers. It is vital that you at the very least try to speak the language! Not just from a point of being practical but as a form of respect for the host country and people that have welcomed you there. Too many just don’t try and that’s a shame.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
Do I miss home and family? I think about this question many times and with my hand on my heart I have to say if I was happy in the UK I would probably not be here now, I think that answers the question.

-Do you have other plans for the future?
At the moment I want to be buried in Bulgaria, not just yet though. The people here have made me feel like this is real home, and with my Bulgarian partner I have responsibilities to look after them. The biggest factor is that I am happy here and the people around me are happy, that’s the difference.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
I have a house in a village that has been renovated and paid around 10,000 Euro two years ago. I live in my partner’s family home but was paying around 70 euro a month for a one-bed studio apartment close to my workplace.

-What is the cost of living in Bulgaria?
The only way to describe it coming from the UK is cheap but in relation to local wages it is expensive and currently the cost of living is rising substantially for Bulgarians who cannot keep up with their own incomes. Foreigners coming in with money should be aware of this. It is very difficult especially for Bulgarians on a pension.

-What do you think about the Bulgarians?
There are two types of people here, the rich and the poor and this is widening right now. They see foreigners here as part of the rich society, but retain in the main a friendly approach at all times; they have this in their nature. They are very tolerant of the foreigner here and aren’t quite sure how to react to them in many cases. This is all new to them and has come about very quickly over the last ten years. One area that stands out is that the Bulgarian way of doing things is the right way and always seen from a practical point of view.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Bulgaria?
There are many positive aspects of the country from the magnificent diversity of land to the people who are so welcoming, kind and generous even through poverty. The richness comes in food from the land. No one goes hungry here not just from a point of food from the land but from community help especially in the villages.

The negative aspect can be put down to the politics and apparent corruption at the top end this does go on but form the vast majority seen at a distance.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Bulgaria?
Respect and do your research into Bulgarian communities and culture. This will go a long way into understanding the country and why it is as it is and why the people are as they are.

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Bulgaria?
My job is partly involved in blog writing to promote the websites I work on. I try hard to paint the picture of how it is over here for others interested in the country.

www.ourbulgarianworld.com is the workhorse for this as you will see from the major amount of useful content within.