ORZ OR ORIZ – IT'S THE SAME
Ehab Mohammed is 29-year-old Egyptian with degrees in commerce and computer sciences, who arrived in Bulgaria in 2014 after he married a Bulgarian. He works as a web developer.
Have you experienced special treatment in Bulgaria because you are a foreigner?
No. Some people have some ideas in their heads that Arabs and Muslims are terrorists, that they are bad and don't like other religions. I haven't faced such problems, but some of my friend have. A few months ago, a group of people tried to make trouble during the Friday prayer at the Sofia mosque. But the police stopped them.
How did life in Bulgaria surprise you?
I feel life in Bulgaria and the Bulgarian people close to the Middle East. And we have many common words, like Orz and Oriz, both mean rice. Or Turshi, or pickles.
Do you celebrate Bulgarian feasts?
All of them, even Christmas and Easter, and Women's Day on 8 March and St Valentine. Because I want to share the celebrations my wife has. Besides, some of the traditions are close to ours, the Egyptian Christians also colour eggs for Easter.
Can you describe Bulgaria in three words?
Good country with good people, needs a good government.
Do you plan to stay?
For now, we are waiting to see how thing will get going with my career, with my wife's career. But for now, we are here, and I have to discover a lot about Bulgaria.
What is to be Bulgarian?
Maybe the traditions, the culture, the habits.
Do you feel a part of Bulgaria?
I might have if I spoke better Bulgarian. Many people here speak English, but when you travel or want to buy something from a small shop, it becomes a problem. It seems that the government doesn't care for the English language, for the foreigners who live here. The metro made the announcements in English only after it reached the airport. Many signs are still only in Cyrillic. Even the Migration Directоrate people working with foreigners don't speak English.
