We had a nice opportunity to celebrate a 29th birthday of Morgane here in Varna in April. This small clue is supposed to show you that this French volunteer isn’t already new into town. Besides, probably many of you have already had an opportunity to meet her during some of the events she helps to organise or participates in. But maybe not all of you had a chance to talk to her, so….here is your chance to get some more information 😉

 

Morgane, why did you decide to do EVS?

I was unemployed since I finished my master’s degree. So I was looking for something to do that could give me new work experience, new skills and allow me to travel to a new country. EVS is a great opportunity for young people to experience a new life, learn some skills, meet new people and discover a new country.

And why did you decide to do it in Alliance Française?

I wanted to work in the field in which I would have possibility to prepare cultural events. Working for the Alliance Française is a great opportunity to arrange them during big European or French days like Night of Literature, Night of Museums or Music Day, and to participate in the cultural life of the city you live in. It is nice to enjoy films or theater festivals or Café Polyglotte meetings and meet new people.

The good thing is that there are Alliances Françaises everywhere in the world so if you are lucky you can work everywhere.

What have you been doing in France, before coming here?

As I said it at the beginning, I was unemployed. I studied photography, history of art, archaeology and museum’s collection management. It is really hard to find a job in those fields.  But I was really active in an association called Coexister. I was the head of communication for the local group in Lille. They promote diversity and building bridges between the different faiths and believes. I learned a lot with them and met a group of wonderful people that I can call friends.

What is the most difficult part of your EVS life then?

I miss my friends in France a lot. It is also difficult to miss out on big events like weddings, birthdays and presentation of a 4 years thesis. Sometimes you can feel a bit isolated.

Another thing is that adapting to a new country and a new way of life can be a challenge. Learning the cyrillic alphabet is hard for me as well. I am still confused sometimes. But I still manage to order food so I am good!

(You have to know that it is the first living abroad experience for Morgane. She travels, but have never spend more than 3 weeks in a foreign country. And here is the information for those who are usually jealous and think we are here on a permanent holidays – there are always some stuff you have to deal with because “building life” in a completely new place is kind of big thing.  So instead of jealous glances, come and check it on your own! It is a good stuff though ;)).

What are the best aspects of volunteering abroad?

Travelling is the best. Discovering a new country, new traditions, another side of history, new food, meeting new people. Being on this side of Europe kind of shift your center of gravity, you learn about countries you rarely hear about normally.

So what did you know about Bulgaria before coming here then?

I actually didn’t know anything about Bulgaria before coming here, except that the capital was Sofia. The Cathedral is also really known. But that’s all I knew. Even in bookstores there is not a lot of choices to find a travel guide, so I did some research to learn more and I found out that it is a country which has a lot to offer and I want to explore it!

What do you like in Bulgaria most?

The diversity of the landscape. I want to explore different regions of the country more. Also a lot of things are cheap, which is good since as a volunteers we don’t especially have a lot of money. It is enough to do a lot of things, eating in restaurants, go out in clubs and travel.

What do you dislike in Bulgaria most?

Slowness, there is 400 km between Sofia and Varna and it takes 7 hours to do it by bus and 8 hours by train because there is no highway and no high speed train. Everything seems far when it is not. But at least you can enjoy the view and take a lot of pictures.

In contradiction, bars and restaurants are built really quickly on the beach, I wish they left the beach wild without building on it.

The other thing is that Bulgaria is not environmentally friendly. The beaches can be dirty, people throw their beer cans by the train windows, and they give you so much plastic and paper when you buy stuff in stores.

What do you think about Varna?

It is a nice city, bigger than I expected. Kind of sleepy in the off season, but with the big flow of tourist during the summer. I will miss the calmness of the city during that time. What attracted me the most is the sea, I love being next to the sea, except for seagulls 😉

Seagulls are crazy in Varna, bigger than cats, and I am sure almost every volunteer have an extra neighbour on their roof already as newborn seagulls are everywhere right now. That is why I am not giving you any deep quotation to think about but wish you not to be attacked by seagull mothers! Watch your backs!