Miro Durokov
Maintenance Assistant
(March, 2009)
Miro Durokov is a handsome, calm, young Hamlet maintenance man who emigrated from Bulgaria three years ago. "I’ve never seen so much snow in my life!" he says.
It has been a demanding winter for the Hamlet maintenance team. They shovel all the walks in all 15 apartment buildings and nine houses. "The residents are so appreciative. They come out and say thank you every day. They appreciate what we are doing. That makes it all worth while," says Miro. "I appreciate them also. I’ve learned a lot from Hamlet residents. They are very wise."
Miro and his wife Emiliya came to Cleveland from Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Emiliya won a green card lottery. "We moved to the United States because it is the country of the big challenge. We decided to come and experience the challenge." They have been happy they made the decision and have enjoyed traveling around the country. "Orlando, Niagra Falls, and Las Vegas are a must see! Cedar Point has the fastest roller coaster in the world!"
Miro worked in maintenance in Bulgaria as an electrician and was able to adapt to the job at Hamlet quickly. He and his wife took a couple of English courses in Bulgaria. They started a class in Cleveland when they first came, but decided to learn the language by watching movies. "Twelve hundred words will get you by", says Miro. "We first learned to understand the news on television. Then, we learned to read newspapers. I thank and credit Hamlet residents for helping me learn the language. They were very patient with me."
Hillside resident Maria Caldwell, who was born in Italy, greets Miro with "Chaio!" Miro knows a bit of Italian, Greek, and Turkish, his neighboring countries.
Miro enjoys celebrating American holidays. They also celebrate Bulgarian holidays. He loves American food. He misses fresh chicken. In Bulgaria, the meat does not sit on a grocery store shelf. It is eaten fresh right away. They have met a lot of Bulgarians in the Cleveland area. "Once you know one Bulgarian, you know many more!"
Hamlet is fortunate to have smart, hardworking, and kind, Miro on our maintenance team. "I definitely like the people I work with. I like helping people. That is certainly a motivating factor."
