See why a German chose the mud in a Bulgarian field over an office in Germany
The story of Jonathan Middendorf – when and why he chose field work in Bulgaria
Hello Jonathan, can you introduce yourself?
Hello, my name is Jonathan Middendorf, and I’m from Nikolovo.
From where?
From Nikolovo… Okay, I was born in Germany, Hanover, but I’m from Nikolovo, Ruse region.
Interesting, because you say you’re from Nikolovo, most foreigners introduce themselves with their birthplace and country.
Yes, and often people don’t understand right away where exactly I’m from (maybe because of my accent), and I have to explain… “Yes, yes, I’m from Germany, but I live in Nikolovo”…. For me, this feels right; of course it matters where you were born, but I think it’s more important where you feel at home. And I feel at home here in Bulgaria – here is my family, my child, my wife… my friends… and my dog.
So you love Bulgaria and it’s your home?
Oh yes, now it is, but in the beginning, it wasn’t exactly like that.
What do you mean by “exactly like that”?
I’d like to start by saying that maybe I’m not the typical German you might imagine – the serious and strict one, eating schnitzel and boiled potatoes for lunch, drinking only German beer, driving only German cars, and wearing sandals with socks.
I came here 11 years ago. I was young, energetic, eager for life. When I decided to leave my country Germany to seek my fortune in Bulgaria, I had no idea what awaited me.
I will never forget the first time I landed in Sofia in the muddy and rainy November. You may have heard this from many foreigners, and it’s probably a cliché, but everything seemed gray, gloomy, and not very… clean. So, my love for Bulgaria was not at first sight.
What was the hardest thing for you in Bulgaria in the beginning?
I think the language barrier – I didn’t understand at all how people reacted when I warmly wished them “mnoho kilim” in their endeavors instead of “good luck”… or the laughter of the shop assistant when I asked for “shampoo for hairfall.” Even now, I sometimes get into funny situations (though less often than at the beginning), but people are always understanding.
Maybe because you genuinely try to speak Bulgarian, while many foreigners have been here for a long time and still don’t know the language.
Yes, that’s true, but I didn’t have much choice. In my work, I had to communicate with Bulgarians, and that helped me learn. You could say I learned Bulgarian through communication. Overall, I don’t like sitting and learning from courses and textbooks. I prefer learning from the people I talk to. At first, I learned from the people in the villages in the fields, with whom I worked… that’s why my Bulgarian isn’t exactly the one spoken on the news. At some point, I even knew quite a few cheeky words (as my wife calls them).
You say you work in the fields?
Yes, that’s right, it’s the best job for me. I love working in the fields, I love being outdoors in nature, coming home muddy and tired. Here in Bulgaria, you have the most beautiful nature! I think that was one of the reasons that made me stay here.
Isn’t the reason also your wife Pavlina, who is also from Bulgaria?
Actually – no. Pavlina, like many Bulgarians, had traveled a lot and didn’t want to live here at first. She wanted us to live in another country, more organized, cleaner, and more orderly. I insisted that we stay in Bulgaria and start our life here as a family.
And why did you decide that way?
Because Bulgaria is a wonderful country, not only the nature but also the people. I don’t know why, maybe because of the funny way I speak and often mix up eyes… ears… but people are always kind and responsive to me. Nothing here is overly strict or sterile; I don’t have to make a reservation two months in advance to visit a friend or family… everything is spontaneous and easy.
Many people might say it’s easy when you come from a wealthy Euro country and live here with levs at double the rate?
Actually, I came to Bulgaria from a poorer country – South Africa. My family isn’t rich; my parents are ordinary people, so in Bulgaria, I mainly brought my education from Australia and New Zealand – that was the valuable thing I had. And Bulgaria isn’t a poor country! Many people here haven’t seen what real poverty really means!?
What do you mean?
Before coming here, I was a volunteer for 2 years in South Africa. I lived in an orphanage for children with disabilities whose parents had died of AIDS. Here, you could say there is poverty. You can’t imagine the joy of children over a spoonful of sugar or a simple biscuit, or their disappointment when they realize their best friend can no longer play with them because… he’s gone… gone to heaven.
How sad!
No, no, that’s the life of these children, and honestly, these are the happiest children I’ve seen – happier than the overindulged German kids and even happier than Bulgarian children who also have everything. The children in Africa don’t have shoes or pants, some of them don’t have a leg or an arm, but they play football in the dust and mud, and their faces shine with true happiness.
Let’s change the topic a bit. Why did you decide to go into agriculture and create the brand Essences Bulgaria?
Well, it came quite naturally. We started with agriculture because I wanted to work outdoors in the fresh air, in the fields among the herbs we grow. My wife and I wanted to create a lifestyle that is real and natural, connected with nature, and also brings us income. We started distilling some of the herbs we grow and produced the first essential oils. We decided to start selling first on the German market. It wasn’t easy at all. One of the difficulties in establishing ourselves in the German market was the name of the brand we chose. It’s no secret that many average Germans associate the name Bulgaria mainly with crime news in newspapers. So at first, people were skeptical about our products. My family advised me that maybe if we change the brand name, it would be easier to grow. But for me, there was no other name that could show who we are, where we come from, and what we do, so I didn’t give in.
Over the years, it turned out that things started to work, and there are many people who associate Bulgaria with real, high-quality, and natural products. These people appreciated our products, our work, and the energy we put into every detail.
Today, our products are available in all European countries, the USA, Canada, and even in a pharmacy in South Africa.
So this is a happy ending to your story.
I think our life is far from a fairy tale – maybe something between an action movie and a comedy. Like all producers in Bulgaria, every day is a struggle, but also happiness.
