Man of two countries finds good in both by Cynth'- O. Stowetl He is proud of his counlly - boltJ of them. He Is proud of his degree - all three of them. But the degree Noroia Nlcolov ('82) earned at Portland State holds special meaning for him. It was his first degree earned In EnglIsh. in the country that gave him asylum thirteen years ago. NlCOIov's apprecialion lor PSU has already been expressed In two shipments 01 Bulgarian books and magazines. and the graduate won't be content until 1,000 volumes find their way 1o the sheNes 0' Millar Ubrary. The BA and CertiflCale In Central European Studies Nicolov received from PSU were an afterthought in his education; many years before, almosl in another life. he was awarded a doctorate in medicine in France. In lact, Nicolov says the only reason he enrolled at PSU was 10 offer hiS teenage son in Bulgaria """e lively competition But he was laler delighled 10 find the CES program, and Dr. Thomas Poulsen in penk:Ular. lalking aboul his counlry. Bul 25 years later, the doctor was spending so much time imprisoned for his OU\SpOI<enness thaI he couldnl support his lamily. "I left Bulgaria In t969 for an intemabonaJ fair in Leipzig, Germany. I cfldn'l come bad<," he says Quietly. As soon as he was able, he started sandIng money bad< 10 his lamily, a habit he has nev", broken. NicoIoV was granted asylum by the U.S. in 1970 and he emigraled 10 New Jersey. "It was very hard; when J came here I knew nobody and I didn'l spaak one word of English," said the educated man who grew up speaking hail • dozen European languages nuendy. Nicolov look a job in an asbestos piant, ". dirty job, but I was h;ijlpy 10 be working." He was also a busboy for a time In New York. Then he moved on 10 Chicago, where lor five yaars he worked In hospitals - but nol as a doctor. He came 10 Portland seven years ago because a friend was here and the climate was similar 10 Bulgaria's. people, Ihe people who live in small towns" are the Americans Nicoloy likes best. "They are very earnest, very nice. All the doors are open. They are not poor, they are mentally rich, with-th....heart rich." And of course, whal the Bulgarian exile and American citizen kwes most about this counlly is his righl 10 say aliltoese things openly. "Here I am a tree man. My door is nol pushed in, I'm nol asked who I am. ThaI's nice." But, after a decade and a half, atter winning many friends and "1 realty admire Poulsen. He just catch you up with his positive attitude," said Nicolov in his rich Slavic accenl "And I em pleased 10 see something," he added. "H seems to be every year, education at Portland Slale changes lrom good 10 ben...." But n will never be formal enough lor NicoIoV's tasles. "In Europe, when the prolessotS come inlo the classroom, everybody stands. Nke soldiers. I Uke thaI." '" am a cosmopolitik"-a citizen of the world. A lormer offioer in the Bulgarian Army. Nicoloy thrives on the discipline 01 a soldier's life. He rises at 4 a.m. each day, he works eleven hours as comptroller al the Royal Exchange Restaurant downtown, he reads and writes in the evening, and he always finds time to exercise. During his three years al PSU, he worked three jobs and slepl only 2% hours a night. "I enjoy wor!<. " I wasle my time I am sick. When I am busy, I have no bme 10 flti"" about bad ltJings." h is unpleasanl for Nicolov 10 think aboul the events leading up 10 his arrival In the U.S., and the 14-year separation from his wife, two daughle.. and son. He provldes only the sparesl details aboul his decision to leave Bulgaria. The Russian Army arrived in Bulgaria In December t 944 10 help carry out the Communist AevoluUon thero. "Uke every revolution, the first years were turbulent," Ntcolov said in the neutral terms he uses when 12 Somewhallike deTocquevllle a century belore, NlcoIov became an observer of American life, and he too has l!iendlv criticisms of his adopled oounlly. "For me, the UnHed States is the besl counlly In the world," said NicoloY. "But there are some things that are not so human." As a doctor, he has observed Ihe American heanh care syslem closaly. "ScIentifically, the medicine here Is very, very good. But In practice... whal are the doctors? They are businessmen. The first question When you go 10 the hospital Is 'Do you have insurance?' Thafs a shame. In a socialist counlly, the hospital is an institUle 10 help people, and you f~ it. You are taken care of without paying a penny." N'1COiov has atso been dismayed al the Impol1ance Americans pIaoa on money. "Everything here is money. ThaI is nol the IHel People shouldn'l make """e money than lhey need. Amarican workers gel $14-15 an hour and want more. They put the counlry downl It's a good Ihlng we have a recession. The people learn to conserve energy and be more economical." NicoJov himsaff lurned down a raise when it was offered last year. "The av .... ge people and the old buying a condominium in Beaverton, NicoIoV is making plans 10 go back horne. "I am sick about my kids. I lalk 10 them every month, butlalely my son has been saying, 'Papa, you know someflting - I don'l know you.' " His son was sbc when he left, and has now finished coflege. Nk:oIov's govemment has written a few times, inviting him back, and he's warting only to retire from the restaurant and to gel his visa. The absentee husband and father is naturally a bit anxious about his return. "I have a very nk:e wife, very nice kids. I love them. but I'm afraid Alumni Notes e:onelnued from p .• Nicola Nicolov, '82 I'm a IiUte far away from them. I've lived by mysalf so many years." Nevertheless, he expects to enjQY life In contemporary Bulgaria, where "you can buy cheaper the collural life," unemployment Is unknown, and youth have more opportunities. A«J though he doesn'l expect the perfect society, he says, "I'm already 63, I don'l inlend to argue with them. I will go 10 the mountains, I will finish my book. They'll see Ihal honesIy." The book Nicolov has been woridng on for the past five years Is a kind 01 distillation of all he has leamed aboul lhe world's ideologies through books and his own experience. "You can find somelhlng good In eYl!fY Ideology ," maintains NicoIoV, who would tat<e the medical and educational sysl8fn5 of Communist states and the ''freedom of sad-initiative" and decentralization 01 American democracy 10 lashion the Ideal soctety. 'We are only people - Amarican, 8u~rian, Russian. There is no difference. Onty some are poisoned for an Ideology; they go sometimes like sheep." "I wrile my book lor Ihe people. II i. noljust my book, It Is • book of the world." And It Is with complete humility that Nicolav also refers to himself as a 'cosmopolitik' - a citizen of the world. compiled by Cliff Johnoon and Ellubetil Coonrod
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