Well I'm no longer Bulgaria. My work is switching me projects and currently I am residing at the head office here in Lommel, Belgium. I arrived in Eindhoven, Netherlands this past Sunday and have been doing work in the office since then. Unfortunately I don't know where or what my next project will be. Obviously I have my hopes and dreams of where I'd like to go and what I'd like to do, but that's ultimately up to the company to see what fits best overall.
But! I would like to write about the incredible changeover from a post-communist country, who is also an EU member, to a well-developed country like Belgium. The biggest issue with countries such as Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, and other Balkan countries is the infrastructure. I've never realized how the simple things around you create order and a sense of well-being. For example, in Bulgaria you can't turn right on red. This may not sound that significant of an issue but when the capital of a country has only 2 lanes down the biggest road, a simple traffic permission makes a world of a difference. Although in the States we absolutely despise everything related to traffic, our system actually works. In Bulgaria, if they even actually have working stoplights, they're timed at 15 second intervals where no one even can get through in time. All of these things combined with the lack of labeled streets makes and everyday drive take a lifetime.
Now with all those complaints about the Bulgarian transportation infrastructure aside, it is an amazingly affordable place to live. Bulgaria is not in the eurozone yet (meaning they haven't adopted the euro yet) but their currency, the lev, is pegged to the euro. This keeps the currency relatively stable and a simple 2 to 1 exchange rate for the euro. To put things in more relevant terms, the most expensive footlong Subway sandwich, fully loaded, will only cost $4.00. Now obviously the Subways in the States have the $5 footlong (as I start chanting the commercial) but keep in mind this an American franchise in a foreign country which typically means they always jack up the prices. To further elaborate, you can buy an entire rotisserie chicken for $4.75 or maybe you'd like a 20 oz Sprite for $0.65. So even though Stalin left plenty of Commi-blocks laying around, it's nice to be in a country where you don't break the bank.
Well, the next time I should be posting could be from Asia, Central America, or still here in Europe--who knows. Hope all is well.
Cheers.
Wyatt
Hi Wyatt,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Eli. I'm currently studying in Ghent, Belgium but am originally from California. I've only been in Belgium for a few months, but once my Masters is done in a year or so, I would love to get hooked up with a gig similar to yours. Do you mind telling me what company you work for and what type of consulting you're doing. How did you get this awesome traveling perk :) Keep up your blog - very interesting stuff. Eli
Hey Eli,
ReplyDeleteThanks for checking out my blog. Good to know it's bringing some interest to some fellow Americans over here in Europe.
In regards to my employer and further job description, feel free to PM me through my Google Account or Twitter wyattbales. I can email you more info to see if you're still interested for something after your master's. Let me know how I can help.
Cheers.