Job Discussion Forums

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Sofia ? Big. Noisy. Crowded. Poor public transport. A Third World city with First World pretensions. (A bit like London !)

Incidentally STIRLING is a town in Scotland. The BC are paying you a STERLING supplement.

Eloise · Joined: 29 Oct 2005 Posts: 35 Location: UK

Sorrry!! Incidentally, when writing a list you should divide words using commas, not full stops.

Chasgul · Joined: 04 May 2005 Posts: 168 Location: BG

If you'd both stop being tetchy...

The problem with Sofia is that it's full of ex-pats who speak no Bulgarian and so fail dismally to integrate. Wink

Eloise · Joined: 29 Oct 2005 Posts: 35 Location: UK

Well, what I really like about travelling is learning languages, so I would make a really big effort to learn. To be honest I think that's the same anywhere. It's nearly always possible to not bother learning the language because you meet other teachers but I hate not understanding what people are saying!!

As for the city being crowded and noisy etc. isn't this the same for most cities whatever world they're in?! Anyway, thanks for all the opinions/advice, I suppose you only really like a place if you meet nice people there.

grahamb · Joined: 30 Apr 2003 Posts: 1945

[quote="Chasgul"]
The problem with Sofia is that it's full of ex-pats who speak no Bulgarian and so fail dismally to integrate.[/quote]
Ah, yes, the Englishman abroad! Wink

Chasgul · Joined: 04 May 2005 Posts: 168 Location: BG

Napravo ujasna istoria tiq maymuni deto idvat nasam i ni6to ne razbirat!

Twisted Evil

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

To read the concerns of some of the 'maymuni' settling in Bulgaria, visit
www.mybulgaria.info

hellohowareyou · Joined: 07 Aug 2004 Posts: 15

Eloise
Hi.
I did my CELTA in Bulgaria at the Avo school , 100m from BC in Sofia. It's a good city (should state my bias : I met my fiancee there). Still really relaxed culture : can eat out cheaply and late at night, people like to sit in parks and drink in cafes. Public transport is crowded, but you'll be working for BC, you shouldn't need to worry too much about that. Bulgaria has the cheapest taxis on earth : for example did 8-10 km to airport from near city centre for 5lev : approx 1pound 60.

The BC there looked really good, watched some BC teachers teaching there, fantastic in classroom equipment, computer-linked whiteboards, and staff seemed to be happy.

Yes, it's a capital city, they have cars and noise and smell, but it's nothing terrible, been in worse! It was a bit untidy in places when I was there but thats because since the communist regime went there's not been the money for street and park upkeep.

Summer in BG is very hot, winter is very cold apparently. Learning bits of language to survive in restaurants, shops, etc is very easy. Cyrillic alphabet is a bit overwhelming, you have to discpline yourself to learn it quick and thorough (which I haven't).

BG is good for hiking - I've been reliably told. From standing in Sofia's high street, big mountain Vysoka stands out, fun for hiking and can go to many other places further away for skiing, monasteries, churches etc. Black Sea coast was great when I went there, cheap to get there by bus.

Incidentally, if you do go to BC there, I might be there myself sometime. Planning to move to BG in a couple of years and hopefully settle down with a job at BC.

Good luck, if i can help u any more let me know
P.S.Would be interested to know what the interview process is like for there (as will hopefully be going through it one day myself) - would be realy grateful if you could email me with any details or tips when you've had the interview : my email is [email protected]

quest bulgaria · Joined: 03 Nov 2005 Posts: 2 Location: Sofia, Bulgaria

hello all

First of all, I am not a teacher - spent many a year running training courses, but not the same - however, I do live in Sofia and my husband has been doing business with BG since 1986 and my father is Hungarian, so maybe our input has some value!?!?

We live downtown in a modern apartment and do really enjoy it - you are right, many of the expats do not want (and do not need) to learn the language... however, most of the things are fine, the city is nice - neither too small nor too big - and although changes are not always happening fast enough by our western thinking, they are happening. As for other sites, as Scot47 suggested, I wouldn't necessarily bother, full of bitchiness and doing other people down all the time last time I could face looking - not the kind of place any of us would want to be.

I have a really good BG friend who is a teacher here and is very depressed by the children and their thinking - she feels that nothing is changing within the Bulgarian culture - is this true???? I'd be interested in your thoughts.

For anyone who is interested, we publish a magazine for english-speaking about Bulgaria, so if any of you on here have something you would like us to mention or put forward, please let me know.

All the best for the new year - health and happiness
Jain

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

Have a look at

http://www.mybulgaria.info/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=7669

It is in Veliko Turnovo not Sofia but........................puts you in the picture about visas and work permits !

quest bulgaria · Joined: 03 Nov 2005 Posts: 2 Location: Sofia, Bulgaria

well, that doesn't tell us much does it? except that you can't work in bg without having a residency permit - pretty much as anywhere in the world!

I think anyone wanting to come here will find things a bit different from the western world... work permits, residency permits aside don't you scot?

mick_luna · Joined: 20 Jul 2005 Posts: 115 Location: toronto

Are there any good areas in Bulgaria for the arts? I'm interested in setting up a cafe/gallery/bar/emporium/music space somewhere in E.Europe, and teaching on the side. Is that difficult, in terms of residency laws, visas, etc.? Bulgaria is Slavic, yes? Friendly people, not as saturated by expats and development as Czech,Poland and Hungary?
Are there any good links for this, or is there any school contact info? Links so far in this thread have been of limited use.
cheers
M

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

You have to go and see for yourself. Only first hand experience counts.

foss · Joined: 17 Aug 2004 Posts: 55

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

If you want a crash course in Bulgaria you can now do it at our place

www.skavivascot.hit.bg

Opening pages at the moment are in Bulgarian. Look for EN in the top left. Click on that button and you will as if by magic get the pages in English.

(If you have looked throuigh the other postings here you will have seen my warnings about slim pickings on the EFL job market in BG. So please do not e-mail and ask me to find you a job. I have posted this addendum in despair because of the number of hopefuls who think I have a magic wand.