Teodor Georgiev previously worked as a newsreader and podcaster at Radio Ara, and recently joined the Delano team. (Photo: Simon Verjus/Maison Moderne)

Teodor Georgiev previously worked as a newsreader and podcaster at Radio Ara, and recently joined the Delano team. (Photo: Simon Verjus/Maison Moderne)

Team talk: Meet Delano’s newest team member.

In terms of journalism, you’ve only done radio so far and now you have moved to online and print as part of Delano’s team. How do you feel about that switch?

Even in university I did almost only radio, maybe because writing in French always felt like a bit of an extra hurdle. But I have grown to love the medium of radio and I don’t necessarily intend on turning my back on it. Delano’s Newsmakers podcast series shows the variety in types of content that we can produce here. And there are always personal projects that are waiting on the sidelines. Switching my writing style from the more upbeat and fluid radio type to that of online and print publications has been a challenge. But I am glad I no longer have to write, record and edit my work before it can see the light of day.

How do people react back home when you tell them you live in Luxembourg?

When I go home to Bulgaria, which is usually for the holidays and in the summer, people are rather surprised to find out I live in Luxembourg. Not only because I’ve moved from one of the EU’s member states which often finds itself at the bottom of Eurostat’s various charts to one that is often near the top. But also, because it’s not a popular destination for Bulgarians. There aren’t that many of us here. In fairness, there is a little bit from everywhere in Luxembourg, which is the part that people find intriguing. And that is what keeps me here as well. Everyone is the odd one out, which is why no one is. All the while, being part of the international community doesn’t necessarily mean being excluded by the locals. You just have to make the first step sometimes. Back home, I’ve already had to explain the oddity of Belgium’s functioning as a state while I was studying there, but Luxembourg adds another dimension to what multiculturalism is. Yes, where I’m from people don’t know that there is a Luxembourgish language, but they are surprised the most to learn that 200,000 people cross the border each day to simply go to work in the grand duchy.

How do you unwind?

For me, the lockdown period was a great way to refocus and to find once again that which makes me enjoy my time the best. I still like browsing Urbandictionary.com and laughing at the newest internet slang. I do my best to not let the gap between myself and Gen Z get too big. But some things are inevitable. And as any millennial would tell you, social media can be a bit of a drag. So, I used the many weeks off during lockdown to go back to taking walks in the forest, working out, doing yoga and compiling a long pile of books to read. My newest favourite activity is asking someone about one book that has made a really strong impression on them and then eventually reading it.