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#Post#: 18279--------------------------------------------------
Bulgaria: The World's Fastest-Shrinking Country (video)
By: Irena Date: July 21, 2019, 10:32 am
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I found the video quite interesting. It documents what used to
be a large village and has now been reduced to a handful of
mostly old people, surrounded by dilapidating buildings and
barely making ends meet. They reminisce about the good old days
when they could travel abroad, whereas now they can't even
afford a local vacation. I have some Bulgarian ancestry (and
some Bulgarian relatives; luckily, they don't live in places
like this), so this is particularly interesting to me. It's also
interesting to see how much of the language I can and cannot
understand. Well, it's not so easy: they don't enunciate words
very carefully. I suspect I'd understand almost everything if I
had a transcript, though.
HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9Ufhi_42h0
#Post#: 18280--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bulgaria: The World's Fastest-Shrinking Country (video)
By: Pasha Date: July 21, 2019, 11:42 am
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That village looks very similar to the typical villages in
Ukraine.
#Post#: 18281--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bulgaria: The World's Fastest-Shrinking Country (video)
By: SHL Date: July 21, 2019, 12:20 pm
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[quote author=Irena link=topic=1256.msg18279#msg18279
date=1563723172]
I found the video quite interesting. It documents what used to
be a large village and has now been reduced to a handful of
mostly old people, surrounded by dilapidating buildings and
barely making ends meet. They reminisce about the good old days
when they could travel abroad, whereas now they can't even
afford a local vacation. I have some Bulgarian ancestry (and
some Bulgarian relatives; luckily, they don't live in places
like this), so this is particularly interesting to me. It's also
interesting to see how much of the language I can and cannot
understand. Well, it's not so easy: they don't enunciate words
very carefully. I suspect I'd understand almost everything if I
had a transcript, though.
HTML https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c9Ufhi_42h0
[/quote]
Well, even if things look a bit bleak in the video, Bulgaria is
an EU Country so if the folks there can make their way to
another country in the EU they can start a new life there with
great opportunities. All the have to do it get there. So,
that’s the silver lining in the dark cloud. People in the US
don’t have this kind of luck.
So take a place like Ohio, sort of an American version of this
place, and the best those people in Ohio can do is go to a
better place like California. It‘s sad really.
#Post#: 18282--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bulgaria: The World's Fastest-Shrinking Country (video)
By: Irena Date: July 21, 2019, 1:42 pm
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Oh, Steve... ::)
#Post#: 18284--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bulgaria: The World's Fastest-Shrinking Country (video)
By: NealC Date: July 21, 2019, 1:54 pm
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From what I have read Bulgaria has a real problem with
corruption, and that is stifling outside business investment.
When were these people doing well? Did they have some local
factory work?
#Post#: 18286--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bulgaria: The World's Fastest-Shrinking Country (video)
By: Irena Date: July 21, 2019, 2:13 pm
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[quote author=NealC link=topic=1256.msg18284#msg18284
date=1563735291]
From what I have read Bulgaria has a real problem with
corruption, and that is stifling outside business investment.
When were these people doing well? Did they have some local
factory work?
[/quote]
Yup. That's what they say in the video. No more.
#Post#: 18287--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bulgaria: The World's Fastest-Shrinking Country (video)
By: NealC Date: July 21, 2019, 2:27 pm
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From when? Soviet era? Or has integration into Europe caused
the local economy to fail?
Sorry if i am asking questions answered on the video, the
handheld i have now has no sound. Sound one is charging up.
#Post#: 18288--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bulgaria: The World's Fastest-Shrinking Country (video)
By: Irena Date: July 21, 2019, 2:32 pm
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[quote author=NealC link=topic=1256.msg18287#msg18287
date=1563737255]
From when? Soviet era? Or has integration into Europe caused
the local economy to fail?
Sorry if i am asking questions answered on the video, the
handheld i have now has no sound. Sound one is charging up.
[/quote]
Yeah, Soviet era factories. I'm not sure when exactly they
closed down. If I had to guess, I'd say it happened in the
1990s, before the integration into the EU.
#Post#: 18294--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bulgaria: The World's Fastest-Shrinking Country (video)
By: NealC Date: July 21, 2019, 4:15 pm
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Steven these people are too poor or too old to move. It is
difficult for these small countries to compete on the world
stage. The Balkans are so fragmented, having separate countries
might keep the peace but it is hard for such small countries to
prosper.
I think Greece has a chance if they go back to the drachma and
become the low cost tourist destination for Europe. I dont know
what you do in Bulgaria.
#Post#: 18296--------------------------------------------------
Re: Bulgaria: The World's Fastest-Shrinking Country (video)
By: SHL Date: July 21, 2019, 4:25 pm
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[quote author=NealC link=topic=1256.msg18294#msg18294
date=1563743707]
Steven these people are too poor or too old to move. It is
difficult for these small countries to compete on the world
stage. The Balkans are so fragmented, having separate countries
might keep the peace but it is hard for such small countries to
prosper.
I think Greece has a chance if they do back to the drachma and
become the low cost tourist destination for Europe. I dont know
what you do in Bulgaria.
[/quote]
Actually Neal, Bulgaria has a very popular tourist destination
at a resort area on the Black Sea I think. So, there’s some
potential. I don’t know what a bus ticket would cost to go to
another EU country but it can't be much. Even if age is an
issue, the younger people have a chance.
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