Cultural References

Everyone’s vernacular is littered with cultural touchpoints that are impenetrable to outsiders. Even now, I still use quotes from British comedy shows in my everyday conversations, particularly Detectorists, Partridge, Father Ted, and The Office. I don’t edit myself for three reasons:

1. The other person gets the reference and you have an instant connection with them (this never happens)

2. They don’t get the reference but find it funny and credit you with being more witty than you really are (this sometimes happens)

3. They are utterly bewildered by the reference but you’ve amused yourself anyway (this happens most often)

Cigarettes

More people smoke here than in the UK and often, inside some bars and restaurants, the staff will bring around water filled pots to use as ashtrays when it gets suitably late. There used to be a brand called Victory Cigarettes but these were re-packaged as Rothmans a few years ago. Aside from these and a couple of the bigger American names, most of the manufacturers are Greek. The biggest difference is that smoking is gendered in Bulgaria. The female cigarettes are thinner and all white and you would never see a woman smoking one of the thicker, normal brands.