Post by Maya Matsuoka

In a recent conversation I had with some people coming from different parts of the western hemisphere, the nations in Eastern Europe were labeled “poor,” “deluded,” and “uncultured.”

The Wrong Side Of The Border

I was born in Bulgaria. Some people still think that Bulgaria was part of the Soviets but we never were. It was within the Soviet sphere of influence. Because of this, I have been told that I was born “on the wrong side of the border.” It took me a couple of years living outside my country-of-birth to realize that the propaganda on the “right side of the border” had for decades painted us as a poor nation that struggled to make ends meet, as people who had no freedom of expression, and who failed to see that their political leaders were selfish and corrupt.

Childhood Memories

My childhood memories are of a country where everybody had their own home and a job. A country, where healthcare and education up until doctorate degrees were entirely subsidized by the state. Yes, the media towed the Communist party’s official line. But at home gatherings and friends’ parties, the political jokes were never in short supply. Bilgarian cinematography of that time, too, used satire, humor and everyday realism to explore life “inside the system.” The comedies and dramas looked into the existing bureaucracy and the gap between ideology and the lives of ordinary people. Looking back, although not heroically critical, the movies created during those 45 years were artistically honest, finding creative ways to speak about and criticize the reality of their time.

In real life, here was little crime and we kids would play hide and seek, jump off garages and chat outside until late at night in the summer heat. At school and at home, we were thought to respect our teachers and help the elderly with their daily chores after school. 

Like everywhere else, there were people who wanted more variety. There were those who craved higher incomes and weren’t satisfied with the status quo. There were problems, indeed, but (believe it or not!) these were problems similar to those in many other parts of the world

Living Overseas

I left Bulgaria in 2001 and have been living and working in Japan since. Despite my belief that the Japanese were overly conservative and (don’t laugh!) behind the western world socially and culturally, I discovered that my Japanese family and friends were loving, cultured, sociable beings with a sweet sense of humor, who loved both their traditions and technological advancements. They avoided conflict as if their lives depended on this, respected other people’s personal space and made sure that everybody was treated with respect.

Living out of my country-of-origin has helped me realize that what we usually hear about the people “on the other side” is far from what the reality truly is. So I try to look beyond the mainstream narrative. And when I look beyond, at what is on the “wrong side”, I see men and women just like us.

I see people who, regardless of their histories and cultural backgrounds, want peace. People who want roofs over their heads. People who want their children to do better in life than themselves. And isn’t this all there is to life and the way we go through it – again, regardless of how much we end up earning?

So, may we all learn to look at the other side and see people just like us.