Well folks firstly i received my licence back from DVLA all polished and up to date, i received it just before i went on holiday ,on the 22nd August not bad considering i sent it off for a photo change in February ( no rog it didnt work for me,) but after 6 months and many letters of complaint to the director, and to my local MP it arrived with an August stamp on it.
So after being in my other home in Bulgaria for the past 3 weeks with 3 left to go i began wondering about when they should start observing such regulations we have to in the UK and whether they have a time limit, for example smoking is still allowed in all public places apart from public transport, there are many new buildings being erected and most do not wear high viz or helmets and the owners seem to do what they like with regard to the air condition units that are put up anywhere and no way of collecting the waste water merely letting it run over the unspecting people below, regulations are lacking even in the wearing of seatbelts around town, i do know that they are doing their dcpc and have the card but most do not wear a high viz either and neither does crane or forklift operators and no barriers or signs seperating a building site from a pedestrian walkway. None of this really bothers me but i was just wondering whether there was a time when they being an eu member had to comply or if it was their own choice, anyway got to get ready for another night at my favourite drinking den to enjoy yet more Rakia and Beer and a bit of dancing thrown in for good measure, oh and the food is great too along with the very cheap prices and its still very warm.
yeah it does make you laugh out there, just got back from 2 weeks in varna. things are changing slowly, very slowly. Did see a building site with guys in high viz, and the road gangs had high viz on as well, but the safety flip flops nah.
you have to remember that they are in the very early stages of being e.u. members and change is going to take a long time, its a cultural thing as well as they haven’t had the regulation we have had for years, and in the summer out there when temperatures get up into the 40’s the last thing you want is a plastic hat on.
I saw guys putting a new roof on a school not one bit of scaffolding insight just ladders.
you have to remember that how much a person earns out there as well. We have a friend who works in the main library in Varna, she is head of one of the biggest departments, she has a masters degree and she earns after tax about 500 to 550 lev a month, on the current exchange rate that works out to about £277 to £300
The country has a long way to go to get up to our level if it ever makes it there. Until it gets to the financial position of other e.u. states it is going to be hard for it to implement large scale changes.
I worked out the price of fuel last week while I was there, it worked out to be 20p per litre less than we pay, but hang on when the average wage is a £70 a weekish you can see the problem.
Yeah i see what you mean, but i just wondered how long to get some of theu regulations into place after joining. I mean they are doing their dcpc and also got the digi card. I have been here for around 3 weeks and have another couple to go, its a bit cooler now especially the evenings when i take a stroll to my favourite restaurant for my daily medecine 
I first came here in 1975 en route to the middle east and although a communist country, fell in love it and also married a local and took her to england where she has hated it ever since, and next year when she retires we will spend more time here. Things have changed a bit since joining our club ( eu ) and obviously there is a major building boom, sadly the only people with any money is the russians, and we are plagued with them, they walk with their noses in the air thinking they are the best thing since sliced bread, but they dont spend like we do, a shopska will serve 4 and a glass of wine with a kebabche will last them all night whilst taking the best seat in the house, they also dont like paying council tax or service charges quoting article ? staying up to a month without fees having to be paid but the majority of bulgarians do not like them except of the fact of business they bring to local shops. thats all for now got to get ready for another night of shopska, rakia, and zagorka.