Aneta Capela in one page and her life experience in Greek.
I didn’t leave Bulgaria, I escaped. Is this the moment to tell it was with a fake passport? I furnished it by making presents to the right person- coffee, chocolate, things that we haven’t had in Bulgaria in that time (these times). I escaped through Serbia, than Jugoslavia, journeying with my very good friend. She had worked there before. We left with a train to Nis and then a bus to the border Gevgeli. This picture I’ll never forget- us taking our bags to a truck driver and passing the border on foot (by walking). I felt so scared because of all these movies about the border lines- big dogs and men, darkness, sounds. And the only thing that I knew in Greek was “Where is the toilet?”, which is: “Pu ine i toaleta?”. It was a kind of a script- to pretend that I know only this, if somebody ask me something. It was 1990th. So we passed successfully and from the other side another friend waited. We arrived by car to Thessaloniki. I remember really clearly the car- it was an old, jalopy car and the sounds were crazy. It was a funny combination with my white boots. I was sure that I have to leave like/as a beautiful small women, because the true is that I was a 17 years old teenager. That is the right moment to tell you about the real reason for my leaving- it was a man. Beautiful, rich man with Greek blood. Tanasis.(his parents ran from USSR to here) Tanasis wore jeans. Jeans! One of the easiest ways to fall in love in these times in Bulgaria was this- someone who has jeans! And I was an ordinary/typical Bulgarian girl with big breasts. But something went wrong and we broke up. I decided to prove myself (or to him maybe?)- to leave, to start working abroad, to earn money and buy things. It was stupid, but I felt like this. I wanted to have more and I knew that the only way was to work abroad- people there earn money for their work. And I did it- I started to work in a factory for leather coats, I learned how to put a bottoms. In the beginning we lived in something like a hostel- with shared bathroom and toilet. I learned really fast the language and soon, after four months, I found a second job – in a coffee (shop?)for adults /people. You know, the place where they play games- chees, draughts, they talk, drink tea. It was a good job – I liked to communicate with new people, to learn new words, I was open. At the beginning I felt strange, it was my first time abroad. I felt as a Rome child in taxi. (laugh). I saw happy people- who work less, smile more and look so easy, people who know how to chill. You can imagine how strong expression is this for one Bulgarian girl after the 90s. I stepped out of my known world. We went to meetings and we didn’t expected that someone may go abroad, I even didn’t dream about it. There, in Greece, each shop was Korekom for me (Кореком). In Bulgaria the most of the shops were empty. I felt scared. Then I didn’t recognize it like this, but now I understand that feeling. I didn’t know anything about Greece, it was just a courageous decision. I didn’t know where I’m going, what I should expect- anything. But I didn’t miss Bulgaria, maybe only my mother…yes, and my father sometimes. I left to find better possibilities to earn money, so it was a little bit selfish. My parents’ life in Bulgaria was good, they had worked their whole life and lived calm with what they have. They were a classical family. I came back to visit few times for these two years and I felt as a hero- I brought a lot of presents- olives, washing up liquids, and one special thing- a leather coat for my mother. Later on she told me that she dreamed about it in her whole life. I didn’t know that. We didn’t talk often when I was in Greece, occasionally I was using phone cabins. We weren’t a typical daughter-mother pair, we loved each other, but not so emotionally. And I liked the life in Greece, I felt good. I was excited about the Greek men- they were so gentle! It was something that I missed in Bulgaria- the attitude. I liked also that they love their history and respect it. Life looked so easy, happy and well going. The reason might be that Greece is sea country, the weather is nice, people received vitamin D every day and it made them happy (laugh). I always thought that life is better in sea countries. What I didn’t like in Greek people was that they love to lie, they are sly, I couldn’t trust them. It’s probably about the places I worked in- my last job was an office assistant. I did everything. Maybe in some other area I could meet nice people, even wonderful. But I didn’t. After my third job I came back in Bulgaria and I married the reason for leaving in a first place – Tanasis. And I had never thought to come back to Greece for work. Only for holiday! I proved myself. Was I happy about it? Who knows, but I didn’t regret about anything.
