Global Socio-Economic Stratification. Fancy Term in a Simple Village

It is strange to travel thousands of miles and find yourself nearly where you started. Living in the village of Hotnitsa is not unlike living in Silex (population 197) - I fled one small, provincial village for another. Of course many things are different - the language and culture - but much of the rest is the same. Most people make a living in either construction or farming. Everyone knows everyone else's business. Even the climate here in Bulgaria is strikingly similar to that of rural Missouri.

Today while I was walking around with a camera taking pictures of quaint scenes I'm sure the locals thought I was either crazy, very bored or a CIA agent. Of course I would laugh an any foreigner who purposefully travelled to Silex and took pictures of the lackluster scenery, but that is precisely what I want to see and experience during my time abroad. The monuments and museums of lively cities are naturally worth a visit, but I want to capture the mundane aspects of everyday life that are so often ignored. I can get on Google Earth and download a thousand pictures of Rome, London and Prague, but it is much more difficult and rewarding to see the surroundings of the average population. I am an American, but I feel no more at home in New York or San Francisco than I do in London or Toronto. These cities are all international and don't reflect the local history and rich culture of a region. If I wanted to show a foreign guest how Americans really live, I would in fact take him to Silex to hang out at the Kwik Store and cruise the back roads.

Although I am living in a traditional village, it will not be easy to become immersed in Bulgarian culture during my stay. I am living with a British couple (which is a cultural lesson all its own) who have limited Bulgarian social contacts. They are extremely kind and conscientious people who are making a solid effort at getting to know their neighbors, the local culture, and the language. This is made difficult by the fact that Bulgaria is experiencing an influx of British expats who are relocating due to the favorable climate and much more affordable cost of living. Since the Sutherlands have moved to Hotnitsa in 2003, about ten other British families have followed them. These families have naturally become close to one another and have created a community within a community.

An entire anthropological study could be conducted on this phenomenon of European integration. It is fascinating how the British are moving to Bulgaria for the cheap property and low cost of living while tens of thousands of Bulgarians are moving to Britain for the high wages and higher standard of living. The Brits here in Bulgaria seem to be getting along very well - they can get by with very little Bulgarian and the locals are happy to have them as neighbors. I wonder if the Bulgarians in Britain have had such a smooth transition. Undoubtedly they can not get by with only Bulgarian - they must learn English to function - and I'm sure that more than a few individuals view their new Eastern European neighbors with some suspicion. All of the Brits I have talked to here tell stories of being invited into homes for traditional Bulgarian family meals, which makes me wonder how many Bulgarians are invited into their new British neighbors' homes for dinner. I do not mean to say that people in Britain are snobish, rude or racist in any way, at least not any more than the average Western European. I just find it interesting how it is easier to move down the socio-economic heirarchy of nations than it is to move up it. The same can be said of an American moving to Costa Rica. The Costa Ricans will likely be very welcoming and open to a new neighbor from the U.S., but most people in the U.S. would be unlikely be as welcoming to a new neighbor from "south of the border".

Just some thoughts I have had while I'm elbow deep in straw here in Hotnitsa. I've really enjoyed my stay so far. I'm learning a lot about strawbale construction, which I'll post more about once we have made more progress on the house. Today was a day off, so I wandered through the town and walked to the Hotnitsa waterfall. Well, I tried to walk, but I was quickly picked up by two Bulgarians and a Swiss tourist. They were headed to the waterfall and my beard gave me away as a non-Bulgarian. We had a great time hiking around and attempting to communicate. Our conversations was partly in English, but we then moved to Spanish. Yes, one Swiss, two Bulgarians and one American trying to communicate in Spanish. This is why I love to travel!

More Hotnitsa Pictures