THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 11, 1996 TAG: 9601090066
SECTION: NORFOLK COMPASS PAGE: 05 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JOAN C. STANUS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines
Barbara Stark admits Southern hospitality has nothing on Bulgarian ``nagosti.''
``To be a guest in a Bulgarian home is like being a god for an evening,'' said Stark, who visited the Eastern European country two years ago while her son was teaching English there as a college exchange student. ``You're waited on completely; they won't let you do anything.''
Nonetheless, Stark and her family has decided to dole out the Southern royal treatment to a Bulgarian college student during her visit to their Norfolk home. They have prepared the family's favorite recipes, scheduled an array of sightseeing tours and entertainment, pulled out the best china and linens, and displayed their most gracious manners. They even wangled an invitation to a debutante ball and tickets to see ``The Phantom of the Opera'' for their visitor.
It wasn't nagosti, but for Antoineta Ludmilova, sampling life with an American family during her Christmas vacation was the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.
``To see America was my big dream since I was a child,'' said Ludmilova, 18, clad in an American-made red sweatshirt and sitting in Stark's living room. ``I didn't know what to imagine. But I like America very much.''
Stark invited the young woman to visit last fall. While staying with her son in Povo, a small Bulgarian town about an eight-hour train ride from the capital of Sofia, Stark befriended the Ludmilova family and experienced nagosti firsthand while visiting in their home.
Stark was eager to return the hospitality. After returning home, she continued to correspond with the family's youngest daughter, Antoineta, known as ``Toni,'' who was one of her son's students. Last fall, Stark and a friend decided to buy Toni an airplane ticket so that she could come for a three-week visit during her holiday break.
Toni jumped at the chance.
But the Bulgarian government wasn't quite so eager for the cultural exchange to take place.
``I thought this would be an easy procedure ... for her to come to visit,'' Stark said. ``I thought finding TWA would be the biggest problem she would have.''
Not so.
Initially, the Bulgarian government refused Toni a visa. As a young, single, educated woman, officials feared she might not return home to the economically struggling country. Undaunted, Toni spent most of November traveling back and forth to Sofia on the train, trying to secure the documents to leave her country. Frustrated at every turn, she even considered buying an illegal visa on the black market.
To purchase an illegal visa, however, this daughter of factory workers would have had to shell out double the amount she pays for a semester of tuition at Methodius University, one of Bulgaria's finest schools. Toni declined.
When Toni told Stark about her predicament, the Norfolk woman turned for help to her congressman, Owen Pickett. Three days later, Toni received her visa from the American ambassador in Sofia.
She arrived in Norfolk for her visit Dec. 16.
Since then, Stark and her family have been treating Toni to as many Norfolk sights as possible. They've been to the movies, to eat hamburgers and pizza, to the mall, and have been enjoying other typical American fare. Toni has spent a lot of time watching American TV programs (she loves Michael Jackson), and even got a chance to party with other college students. Like Toni, Stark's daughter is a college student, home on break.
Since Bulgaria now has ``European MTV,'' Toni was not too shocked by the cultural differences in America. She had seen a lot of the differences on music videos. She was surprised, however, to find that Americans decorate Christmas trees in front of their homes.
``It's interesting to me,'' she said. ``In Bulgaria, all trees are inside.''
And her eyes got a bit of shock while taking in an American movie.
``The screens here are so big,'' Toni said. ``In Bulgaria, not so near. My eyes were tired ... but I like it.''
For Stark and her family, learning more about a country and its people that until recently were hidden behind an Iron Curtain made the holidays even more special.
``It's been wonderful having her here,'' Stark said. ``She's become just like one of the family.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by JEN FRIEDBERG
From left, Barbara Stark, Antoineta Ludmilova and Madeline Stark.
by CNB