5 ms·

Bulgaria

steve_adams_86 3y ago
Interesting. This is somewhat in line with what people have told me about Serbia, Bosnia, and to a lesser degree Romania. I suppose parts of Asia fit the description as well, but seemingly for different reasons. I can’t know because I only have second hand information. It’s a common sentiment, though, so I have to wonder if it’s a broad cultural trend. If so, why? Or rather… Why not in my part of the world? Perhaps I’m naive and it’s actually typical in my culture as well.
- imoverclocked 3y ago
  Serbia, Bosnia and Romania all have a lot in common with Bulgaria as I understand it. My ex-brother-in-law (also Bulgarian) visited Macedonia and was shocked to learn that he was actually speaking Macedonian his entire life. :) As they described it, the region was split up to avoid having too much power concentrated in one country. Each country claims to be the origin of certain products/foods/etc which overlaps with claims from others in the region. There is also some really tragic folk music in Bulgarian culture stemming from some pretty horrific historical situations. Things like fighting with the dead bodies of fallen comrades when you have nothing else to throw over a wall under siege. The music is as beautiful and tragic as you would imagine. I know there are plenty of people who want to watch the world burn where I live. Luckily, there seems to be enough people who don't share that trait to offset them. I tend to seek out people who are more positive in their interactions with the world.
  - steve_adams_86 3y ago
    That’s really fascinating about the folk music. I understand there have been major losses of life in most countries in this part of the world, in some cases not so long ago. My adopted son’s biological dad lives in Serbia and I believe he lived through conflict during the early 90s. A staggering number of people died in that period. I’m fairly sure that living through something like that in my early life would have dramatically changed my outlook on life and my behaviour in society.
    - imoverclocked 3y ago
      Oh, it definitely affects you. It even affects your gene expression and can get passed down several generations; People have biological traces of trauma that they didn’t experience first or second hand. My favorite curse is, “may you live in interesting times.” I’ve heard it ascribed to Jewish origins but the Wikipedia article mentions possible Chinese origins. In any case, many people initially take it as a complement or a blessing. It’s usually not :)
- grujicd 3y ago
  We in Serbia have a saying "da komšiji crkne krava" - "I wish that neighbour's cow drop dead". It's used when one cares more that harm happens to someone else, typically a rival of some sort, than to improve their own situation.
  - steve_adams_86 3y ago
    Is that phrase used commonly? And would it normally be used in private, or is it more socially acceptable to say these things? Where I live, wishing anything bad happens to your neighbour or even a stranger would be plainly understood to be unkind, unreasonable, and generally mean to some degree (depending on the severity of what you wished on the person).
    - grujicd 3y ago
      It's not something that you say for yourself, it's something others might say about you if they notice your counter-neighbour behaviour. Edit: my translation "I wish that neighbour's cow drop dead" was not accurate since it shouldn't be in the first person. It's more like "let the neighbour's cow drop dead".

Bulgaria

Interesting. This is somewhat in line with what people have told me about Serbia, Bosnia, and to a lesser degree Romania. I suppose parts of Asia fit the description as well, but seemingly for different reasons. I can’t know because I only have second hand information. It’s a common sentiment, though, so I have to wonder if it’s a broad cultural trend. If so, why? Or rather… Why not in my part of the world? Perhaps I’m naive and it’s actually typical in my culture as well.

imoverclocked 3y ago
Serbia, Bosnia and Romania all have a lot in common with Bulgaria as I understand it. My ex-brother-in-law (also Bulgarian) visited Macedonia and was shocked to learn that he was actually speaking Macedonian his entire life. :) As they described it, the region was split up to avoid having too much power concentrated in one country. Each country claims to be the origin of certain products/foods/etc which overlaps with claims from others in the region. There is also some really tragic folk music in Bulgarian culture stemming from some pretty horrific historical situations. Things like fighting with the dead bodies of fallen comrades when you have nothing else to throw over a wall under siege. The music is as beautiful and tragic as you would imagine. I know there are plenty of people who want to watch the world burn where I live. Luckily, there seems to be enough people who don't share that trait to offset them. I tend to seek out people who are more positive in their interactions with the world.
- steve_adams_86 3y ago
  That’s really fascinating about the folk music. I understand there have been major losses of life in most countries in this part of the world, in some cases not so long ago. My adopted son’s biological dad lives in Serbia and I believe he lived through conflict during the early 90s. A staggering number of people died in that period. I’m fairly sure that living through something like that in my early life would have dramatically changed my outlook on life and my behaviour in society.
  - imoverclocked 3y ago
    Oh, it definitely affects you. It even affects your gene expression and can get passed down several generations; People have biological traces of trauma that they didn’t experience first or second hand. My favorite curse is, “may you live in interesting times.” I’ve heard it ascribed to Jewish origins but the Wikipedia article mentions possible Chinese origins. In any case, many people initially take it as a complement or a blessing. It’s usually not :)
grujicd 3y ago
We in Serbia have a saying "da komšiji crkne krava" - "I wish that neighbour's cow drop dead". It's used when one cares more that harm happens to someone else, typically a rival of some sort, than to improve their own situation.
- steve_adams_86 3y ago
  Is that phrase used commonly? And would it normally be used in private, or is it more socially acceptable to say these things? Where I live, wishing anything bad happens to your neighbour or even a stranger would be plainly understood to be unkind, unreasonable, and generally mean to some degree (depending on the severity of what you wished on the person).
  - grujicd 3y ago
    It's not something that you say for yourself, it's something others might say about you if they notice your counter-neighbour behaviour. Edit: my translation "I wish that neighbour's cow drop dead" was not accurate since it shouldn't be in the first person. It's more like "let the neighbour's cow drop dead".