As we promised, we want to introduce you our first guest from the 2021 Gaming Marathon Bulgaria– Gabriella Balleva, some of you may also know her as “Gabinka”. She is a very positive, colourful and full of energy person, who is currently paving her way in the IT industry. A successful YouTuber, gamer, and student, Gabriela told us more about her career, education, future plans and the 2021 Gaming Marathon Bulgaria. 

You can follow Gabinka on her social media channels:  YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. 

Can you tell us a bit about yourself? Who are you and why did you choose the programming world for your professional path?

Hi, thank you for inviting me to this interview. I am Gabriella, some of you may know me as “Gabinka” on some social media. I am currently a streamer and YouTuber, but also at the same time, I am studying informatics at Plovdiv University. I choose this path because I have always been interested in programming. I have always been good at maths so I think this was the main reason. I really like what I am doing 🙂

What programming languages do you currently use?

I think I am more of a front-end girl like HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, JavaScript. I am playing more with JavaScript these days, not sure if I am very good at it but I am trying, I am giving my best.

Do you think that one successful YouTuber earns as much money as one successful programmer?

I think so. I think so because nowadays being a successful YouTuber takes you a lot of time. So, if you spend enough time and effort I think you can earn as much as one successful programmer.

Are there software developers among your followers and friends? 

Yes, a lot of them are mainly because I study informatics and my boyfriend used to study that hence, a lot of our friends are programmers, or they currently study that.

Tell me about the games you play on a regular basis these days. How has your taste in games shaped?

Most of the times I stream the games I am playing because I am also editing videos, having photoshoots and everything else. Therefore, I am mainly playing on my streams.

The games I play most of them are common, and the games that my people want me to play. At the same time, I choose my games in terms of graphics, colours. I am a very colourful person and I love playing around with colours. These are some of the main reasons I am playing one game: because it’s colourful and it has my eye on it.

What was the first computer game that you were really excited about?

Every new game I buy I am very excited about. It’s been I think Slime Rancher, Paladins, Fortnite. Again, very colourful games.

Have you ever given up on a game?

When I play or buy a game it’s like I am spending a lot of time on it, a lot of effort, but sometimes I just get bored and leave the game for a while, like for a week or two and then I am like: “Ohhh, I used to play that cool game” and then I am coming back on it.

How did you start making YouTube videos?

I have always wanted to be a YouTuber but my first idea was to post cover videos because I used to go on singing lessons, competitions, etc. So, when I met my boyfriend, he was already a YouTuber. He had around 40.000 subscribers on YouTube and I found that very cool and I said to myself: “OMG, I definitely have to try this.”

So, he gave me a bit of confidence and that’s how I started.

Who is your favourite YouTuber or what are your favourite videos to watch?

Most of the videos that I watch are connected with the games I play, the software I am using right now. I watch a lot of videos like how to do something in the game, or how to show my people how to do something in the game.

What other kinds of things do you use your computer for?

Editing. A lot of editing, and some graphic design. I think these are all the things: filming, editing, photoshop and graphic design.

Do gamers possess different personalities and appearance compared to other people?

They might possess, but I am trying to be myself in the games and in my streams. I know that my people are watching me and I want to be who I am. I don’t want to pretend to be someone else. What is more, I also think that this is one of the main reasons why they watch me.

What are your views and expectations about the 2021 Gaming Marathon, Bulgaria?

I really love the idea of this marathon, especially in the current situation because we haven’t been part of a fan meeting since the first quarantine and it’s been really hard to communicate with our audience. Of course, they want to be part of everything that happens, they want to take pictures with us and play with us. I think this marathon is a very good opportunity to communicate with our community and play with them, have fun with them so I am very glad that I am part of it along with other YouTubers. The audience has a big variety to choose who to watch and we promise everyone that it will be very cool. We will play games all day, so come and join us to have fun together 🙂

What is your favourite snack while playing games?

Probably some sweets like chocolate and always have a coffee or an energy drink – that’s a must.

Do you prefer your eggs fried or scrambled? 

Probably fried. I like to keep things simple and organised.

Do you use different jargon or slang words in the gaming world? 

I am not sure that I am using it but probably that’s because I am playing games every day. I think that some of these words are actually becoming part of my everyday language.

What are your plans for the future? Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

Of course, I don’t want to stop filming videos for YouTube, but maybe they will be more “mummy-oriented” probably. I really hope I will never give up on games because I love doing this. In a professional plan, maybe to be a successful developer or graphic designer because these are the two options that I am still wondering about ☺