I Went to My First Bulgarian Folklore Festival...

[00:00:00]Hello everyone. My name is Fen Abraham.

[00:00:02]This is my fifth year in Bulgaria as a student studying medicine here. So, I've been here for quite some while, you know, and uh today is quite important actually. No, it's very important actually. So, I'm going to my first like folk event, you know, the event they do where um they wear the traditional clothes in Bulgaria. Um they dance. I think it's called horror dancing. They dance. They enjoy playing music. So, it's going to be very interesting. And having been here for 5 years, I've never experienced that. Obviously, I share my life a lot in Bulgaria, the culture, the food, but I've never been to something like this. Now, I'm going to meet my friend Mom Chill. It's one of my Bulgarian friends, and we're going to go together. So, it's going to be very, very interesting. So, I'm going to be bringing you guys along with me.

[00:00:59]Hopefully, my lens is picking all of this up.

[00:01:04]There we go.

[00:01:08]Beautiful. Yeah. Okay. I'm using ND filters. I don't usually use them, but it's extremely bright today, so of course I had to. I'm actually running late. I went to ATM and it wasn't working. So, uh, obviously I'm going to have to find another ATM.

[00:01:28]It's no good. It's not good at all. This my guy chill, >> my bro.

[00:01:40]>> This is my first time.

[00:01:43]>> For me, it's the same. It's my first.

[00:01:45]Yeah. Yeah. Uh I met one uh really mature man and he told me it's good to know my from where I >> very important.

[00:01:57]>> It's really important.

[00:01:59]>> Do they always do events like this in Plever?

[00:02:02]>> No, I think it's one time in the year and there is also one time in the year bigger event. It's called >> bigger.

[00:02:09]>> Yeah, it's called. No, I don't know where it is, >> but it's a lot bigger.

[00:02:17]>> There's going to be a lot of food, music.

[00:02:20]>> Food, music. Yeah, we're going to dance.

[00:02:23]>> Yeah, I'm going to have to learn how to do it.

[00:02:25]>> I'm going to learn as well. [laughter] >> But this is life. We learn >> all the time.

[00:02:30]>> And mostly >> foreign person like you with [laughter] >> No. No.

[00:02:42]And of course, we have to take pictures as well.

[00:02:44]>> Yeah, we're going to take I'm going to start >> uh making contest as well >> to show my photos.

[00:02:50]>> Did you bring your camera?

[00:02:52]>> This is my camera.

[00:02:53]>> Yeah, that's all you need.

[00:02:56]>> iPhone.

[00:02:57]>> We're here now.

[00:02:59]>> There's no changing change.

[00:03:18]What's this name?

[00:03:42]No go.

[00:03:44][laughter] They have.

[00:04:14]>> Yeah.

[00:04:16]>> Super.

[00:04:17]>> But we're going to be with the specific uh >> Yeah.

[00:04:27]Maybe this is for real.

[00:04:43]>> You look fine, man.

[00:04:48]Of course, my favorite.

[00:05:03]Pretty sure I've had uh all of these before.

[00:05:35]to the corner.

[00:05:48]So we got vinegar, >> jam. This is syrups.

[00:05:56]honey. Okay.

[00:05:59]>> This is what I need. Um, okay. I'll take one of these then, bro.

[00:06:11]We got wine as well.

[00:06:14]The national, >> it's time to explore.

[00:06:22]We're seeing now some craftsmen.

[00:06:25]>> What are they making?

[00:06:56]What? What you believe?

[00:07:08]>> [music] >> Oh, he's making a cross.

[00:07:18]>> Yeah.

[00:07:30]>> Very cool.

[00:07:34]>> Zamin. Oh, wow. This looks amazing. Look, guys.

[00:07:52]Cross my camera. People often ask me why I like Bulgaria so much. And honestly, I don't know if I'll ever have just one answer. But ever since the first day I stepped foot in this country, I was at peace and I couldn't explain it. And then after 5 years, I still can't fully explain it actually. But I just believe that God works in mysterious ways [music] and he led me here. What's interesting is the longer I stay, the more I actually appreciate Bulgaria.

[00:08:31]And people often say that Bulgarians are closed off. Maybe at first, but [music] I don't think this is always the case.

[00:08:38]And this has been my personal experience with getting to know many, many people.

[00:08:44]I think that if you're positive person, if you generally bring good energy around you, yes, there will be some Bulgarians who are closed off, but there'll also be a lot of people [music] who are very open, very warm-hearted, very kind, very generous. And I think that Bulgarians really value sincerity and people who are genuine. So, if you're genuine with them, they'll also be genuine with you. And this festival just reminded me of that.

[00:09:16]>> Inventory.

[00:09:30]>> Where where's the shop in Pleven?

[00:09:32]>> In Max Center.

[00:09:34]>> Okay.

[00:09:37]>> This is uh only in Bulgarian, but we can custom made it. Yeah, >> I like sentimental things.

[00:09:51]>> Most of the sentimental some of them functional.

[00:09:53]>> Yeah.

[00:09:54]>> Yeah.

[00:09:55]>> Functional and sentimental. [laughter] >> For everyone.

[00:10:00]>> Yeah.

[00:10:01]>> This is just a little part.

[00:10:04]>> What's this for?

[00:10:05]>> This?

[00:10:06]>> Yeah.

[00:10:06]>> Brush.

[00:10:07]>> Okay.

[00:10:08]>> Oh, just a brush. It doesn't create static.

[00:10:10]>> And this it's a jewelry box.

[00:10:13]>> Okay. Yeah, it's sentient inside.

[00:10:15]>> Okay. Look, >> I like it. I want to get this for my teacher.

[00:10:22]>> I'm going to get it [music] for my teacher.

[00:10:25]>> Very nice. Look at it.

[00:10:29]Wow. Guys, this is beautiful, isn't it?

[00:10:36]Apparently, there's going to be even more people here.

[00:10:41]>> Even more people here. Practically the whole of Pleven is going to be here.

[00:10:47]And this isn't even everyone. You can see how beautiful the culture is in Bulgaria.

[00:10:54]Absolutely beautiful. It's so strange seeing a guy like me here.

[00:10:59]>> No, >> you know, everyone everyone's just taking pictures and looking at me. See, we have a photographer here. [laughter] They've never seen a such a fly young black man in Bulgaria.

[00:11:14][laughter] Of course, it's cool. Hopefully, I'm going to get all of these pictures. I hope so. [laughter] is there.

[00:11:27]>> I should just start posing. [laughter] >> So, one thing people don't know about in Bulgara is there's fresh water here that runs from the mountains. I don't know where this is running from particularly, but it's literally fresh water which you can drink from. People refill the bottles here as well. It feels like I've traveled back in time. [laughter] >> There's butterflies everywhere.

[00:11:51]won the grass land.

[00:11:54]It's like I've gone back centuries ago.

[00:12:10]You like the event so far? No, I love it, bro. It's amazing.

[00:12:14]Nothing I've experienced before, that's for sure. second.

[00:12:46]Another Doesn't get better than this.

[00:13:23]>> Why?

[00:13:23]>> Uh I don't like the taste.

[00:13:27]>> But no, today I'll drink it.

[00:13:30]>> That's what we say. Cheers.

[00:13:36]I'm not a beer person. I don't drink beer. But today we're drinking beer.

[00:13:47]>> [music] >> Nice cold beer in a folk festival.

[00:14:01][laughter] >> Okay, so we got some food. Now we need to [music] eat.

[00:14:10]Let's see what I got. We got hu which is like a burger basically and then the iconic kebab chetta. Uh this is like a sausage basically. Very iconic in Bulgaria. If you're visiting here, you definitely need to try this of course.

[00:14:26]And then some salata. [music] And uh this is very good. By the way, I think in the world, Bulgaria has a very high ranking in terms of salad. Salata is literally ranked one of the best in the world. Um I don't think this is soft salata. I don't see any s which is cheese. Uh but I think it's [music] good enough, you know. So, we're going to eat.

[00:14:49]>> Am I going to stand up? Probably.

[00:14:54][music] [singing] >> Oh, very juicy.

[00:15:02]Very very juicy.

[00:15:10]Oh, beautiful, fresh, healthy.

[00:15:22]Doesn't get any better than this. As Bulgarians would say, and this life is the best. Doesn't get any better than this. Literally [music] salo kebabeta.

[00:15:43][music] [music] >> [music] >> Thank you.

[00:16:23][music] >> [music] >> Wow.

[00:16:57]Over there. Over there.

[00:17:06]No interest.

[00:17:11][music] [music] I thought I would never drink beer before. Now I'm drinking beer. How much is Bulgaria going to change me?

[00:17:30]I came here 5 years ago. Now I'm smoking a cigar [music] and I'm drinking beer, watching horror, dancing. Amazing.

[00:17:49]Who knew life would bring me here?

[00:17:52]But it's a pleasure to be here.

[00:17:54][singing] >> [music] >> Bleed [music] [singing] [music] the expectations. Oh, it blew my expectations >> really >> because you see a lot of people wanted to greet you, know you as a person.

[00:18:25]>> The hospitality uh is amazing. Amazing.

[00:18:29]Truly. I thought uh first of all, I didn't think there would be this many people >> and uh I didn't think there would be so much dancing.

[00:18:40]>> So much dancing.

[00:18:42]>> There hasn't been one quiet moment.

[00:18:46]And look at the time.

[00:18:49]>> It's going to be >> 5:00 >> until 10.

[00:18:51]>> Yeah. Wow.

[00:18:53]>> 10 to 10. Wow. Amazing.

[00:18:58]>> Like I said before, um it feels like I've traveled back in time. [laughter] >> Absolutely. I thinking this is the composition and this is the perspective the organization >> to get back our roots.

[00:19:16]>> I'm sure they definitely did that.

[00:19:22]A bald eagle. What?

[00:19:25]It's trying to fly. [music] >> He's getting angry.

[00:19:29]>> I wonder if they'll let it fly.

[00:19:31]>> Probably gently.

[00:19:34]Do you know how far these things can see? Miles, bro. It's crazy. Miles. His vision right now can see like an ant over there.

[00:19:47]That's why they fly so high.

[00:19:50]It's insane the amount of butterflies.

[00:19:53]I've seen so many species of butterflies.

[00:19:56]>> Dragon flies as well.

[00:19:59]>> I look out for these things because I love animals. I can't help it. It's a habit I've had since a kid, so I can't stop. I always have to look out for insects, bugs, whatever animal it is.

[00:20:13]And I've seen a lot of different species. One of my favorite species of butterfly, swallowail. It's a swallow butterfly. Swallow tails are like butterflies which have like little tails coming off of it.

[00:20:27]>> You must have seen it before. Very, very iconic and beautiful.

[00:20:32]I definitely would like to go to more folk festivals like this.

[00:20:38]Definitely.

[00:20:40]This was a experience and a half.

[00:20:44]Bulgarians really have a such a unique culture. But this is the whole idea, isn't it? That's why it's out in nature >> with all the nature, the music.

[00:20:57]>> It's beautiful.

[00:21:18]Oh my wine.

[00:21:25]for the [music] eliminch.

[00:21:40][music] Oh, no.

[00:22:21]>> Ah, yabok yaboka. Oh, your bokeh.

[00:22:25]>> Oh, >> I'm so full up. I don't know if I can have this.

[00:22:30]>> There's so much as well. A banana.

[00:22:36]>> Oh, [music] >> what is the taste like?

[00:22:51]It tastes very homemade.

[00:23:04][music] She said, "Buy something to take to your country."

[00:23:20]>> The woman Okay, it's definitely time to go. I've got so many free gifts. I've got some souvenirs that I bought as well.

[00:23:56]>> Amazing time. Amazing time. So, uh, I guess I'll see you guys in the next one.

[00:24:00]Yeah.