The Hookah Guy | Aleks Angelov
It is a typical Friday evening in Sofia. Despite the pandemic, cafes, restaurants and bars in the centre of the capital are filled with a variety of people. People that are trying to escape the reality of everyday life and have some fun… And then come the people who spend the majority of these evenings working.
Aleks Angelov is a 22-year-old student from Sofia with big dreams about his future. He is currently standing on the other side of the typical Friday evenings as he works in one of the busiest bars in the heart of the Sofia. However, he doesn’t mind that. In fact, Aleks enjoys his job as it allows him to more easily make new contacts, socialize and meet different people from different spheres.
Before starting his job here, he worked as a bartender for six months in another bar in Sofia. That is when he realized how much he can learn from just meeting with various people on a daily basis. He appreciates the unique advantages this work sphere had offered him.
“I have many friends who work at call centres, offices, etc., and their work environment offers them a completely different work environment than mine. And I prefer mine,” Aleks laughs.
He has worked here for almost four years while pursuing his Bachelor’s degree at the University of National and World Economy (UNWE) in Sofia. He decided to specialize in Business Administration and Management in English since he studied similar things during his high school years. However, UNWE is just the first step to his dream job.
“I actually want to pursue a career in an entirely different field — aviation. And it has nothing to do with economics, UNWE or the high school I graduated,” he says.
As Aleks tells the story of his first flight to Paris when he was still at a very young age, he remembers feeling excited about his trip to Disneyland and, of course, travelling by plane. He says he has never been worried or stressed about flying.
“I felt it was a natural way of travelling. And I never understood people who have a fear of flying. I think they do not realize what they are missing. Flying is the highest level of freedom a person can reach. You are just free — and that is enough,” he says.
Unfortunately, because of the Covid-19 situation, Aleks is currently somewhere between his dream job and his current one. Last spring, he got accepted at Private College of Transportation. Before he was supposed to start his first semester, the Bulgarian government announced a lockdown and the College closed.
Since nothing is currently functioning as before and nobody is flying, Aleks hopes he will be able to continue his education in the middle of next year. Once he starts studying again, he plans on quitting his current job as he wants to focus on his future.
“I want to dedicate myself to this particular career path, and I make no plans of making compromises because of a job I have or do not have. That has been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember, and I will not risk it,” Aleks says.
He describes himself as ambitious, decisive and brave. He is eager to find the balance between happiness and reality, between his future and his presence, between flying a plane and working at a bar. However, he is confident that he will accomplish everything he dreams of, as his current job is just the first step to his successful future.
“We should keep going no matter what and surround ourselves with people that keep us motivated to progress and grow,” Aleks adds with a smile on his face.
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Alexandra Djurdjević is a Sophomore at AUBG, majoring in Journalism and Mass Communication and Political Science and International Relations. Alexandra and Aleks met at the bar he worked in at of the time of the publication. Shortly after hearing his story, she asked to interview him.
