"Hi! My name is Aynur. I am a sixteen-year-old Bulgarian girl and I want to tell you something about Bulgarian people and their life.
"First of all, I would like to tell you that many different ethnic groups live together here in Bulgaria. There are Bulgarians (88% of the population), Turks (8.5%), Gypsies (2.6%), and Armenians and Jews (1.1%).
"Most of the people in Bulgaria have families. Families are very important to us. When men and women get married and have children, their aim is to provide a good future for their children. Most of the families live in flats [apartments] but some of them have houses. They usually have two kids. Nowadays it is very difficult to have a family because of the bad economic conditions in our country. In the past, people used to have more children and most of them used to live in villages. They cultivated the soil, grew vegetables and animals but eventually most of the young people left their birthplaces and moved to the towns.
"Today most of the young people live in the towns and work in offices, restaurants, factories and stores. Older members of the family live in villages and continue their usual life - looking after animals, growing vegetables and so on. Grandchildren often go to visit their grandparents and sometimes they spend their holidays with them in the villages.
"Education is very important, too. All children go to school until they reach grade 11. We study Bulgarian literature, mathematics, geography, chemistry, physics, art and a foreign language - usually French, German or English. (I studied English!) After graduation, some students continue to study at university, although it is very expensive.
"One last thing you should know is that people in Bulgaria are very hospitable. They always do their best to make their guests feel at home. I hope someday you will visit me!"