Showing posts with label Hungary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hungary. Show all posts

Sunday, December 07, 2014

Yet Another Anniversary - 13 Years

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Today marks yet another anniversary for us. This date is a ménage à trois celebration if one wants to be anthropomorphic with Budapest and consider this as celebratory. Some may call it a major triumph. 

September 11, 2001 we were in New Jersey at my father's. We had flown into LaGuardia airport the week before. I was on the phone ordering our Eurail passes when the Eurail operator told me of an incident he heard about on the radio sitting on his desk. I immediately went to turn on the news after finishing the call. Our scheduled flight from Newark airport to London on September 14, 2001 was delayed until the 24th.

On December 7, 2001 we arrived in Budapest and rented our first apartment with all good intentions to stay for 3 months before continuing a year of travel that started in July of that year. 

Our first apartment is not where we are currently living. We moved into this place on February 14, 2002.

Thirteen years living in Budapest!

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Sunday, May 04, 2014

Travel Junkie - An Addiction Not to Be Resolved

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As most people know, I am a travel junkie. Not that I am always on the go, I would like to be, but in the meantime, I read everything travel related. Through the years, I have learned to filter what I subscribe as pertinent information, leaving the fluff pieces behind.

Yesterday, Ron came across a New York Times article that held merit, so he forwarded it on. It is titled Crunching the Numbers to Find the Best Airfare and you can find it here. 


The crux of the article explains what many have suspected; there are a number of outdated ideas on which day of the week is best to buy airline tickets. Airlines change their rates hundreds of times a week, depending on the competition and capacity load.

This is where the article really strikes gold. The author, Seth Kugel, points the reader to a new online service called Hopper Research. Start on their research page, but continue on to the Tools page. 

Just playing with a trip from Budapest, Hungary to Quito, Ecuador I was able to retrieve this information.
Market summary report for Budapest (BUD) to Quito (UIO)

The cheapest flights from Budapest to Quito are selling for about $1777 round trip. The cheapest round trip flights we've seen for any dates in the next six months were priced from about $1753-1753 (with stops) .

Last week's weighted average round-trip ticket price from Budapest to Quito dropped by -0.1% to $1777.07 as compared to $1778.47 the prior month.

The average demand rose 1.6% to 1 flight searches per day compared to 1 daily searches during the previous four weeks.

Flight route map for Budapest (BUD) to Quito (UIO)
Background:

Ferihegy airport (BUD) near Budapest, Hungary is 6587 miles from Mariscal Sucre Intl airport (UIO) near Quito, Ecuador, as calculated by great circle distance. Typical flights with stops take about 18h00m.

Budapest to Quito is the 123824th most popular route overall, with Quito the 201th most popular destination from Budapest. Budapest is ranked 188th of all origins arriving in Quito.
Current market popularity and price:

The calendar summarizes the trips that other travellers are currently planning. It shows the best prices we’ve seen to put you in Quito on any given day (not necessarily departing on that date), as well as the dates that are most popular with other travellers. The cheapest dates are more darkly shaded, and heavily circled days are when more people from Budapest are planning to be in Quito, averaged across all of the flights we’ve analyzed. (Days where we have no data are shown in white.) To give a true picture of the relative popularity of future dates, we adjust the data to account for the fact that people tend to book their flights nearer to departure.


Tons more information is waiting for your exploration through the various pages of this site, more than I can summarize. You will be amazed at the valuable information they are able to collect to save you money.
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Monday, February 03, 2014

Friendship is a Single Soul Dwelling in Two Bodies. Aristotle

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For 11 years, we have cultivated a close relationship with the Hungarian Fulbright office. One of the first FB’ers we had met back in 2002 was Jennifer Norcross, an exchange teacher. She has continued to be a good friend ever since. From then on, every semester when there are Fulbright scholars, teachers, researchers, or students coming to Hungary, we have been provided with the list by the FB office so we can send out a welcome letter. For the first 3 years, the majority of the group had no or little connection with Hungary, so they depended on us for guidance in day to day planning. That has changed over time with many of the grantees having Hungarian roots, family here, or even own property here.

This semester, two FB’ers reached out. One was Dr. Janet Holmes who will be teaching with me at ELTE and the other was Dr. Andrea Mitnick.  Janet had a connection for an apartment as she is friends with a former FB’er, Dr. Karla Kelsey (who has also remained our friend). Andrea needed help with apartment hunting, but since she was coming at the end of January and we were going to be gone, I suggested she use our apartment until she found something suitable.

Over the course of months, we had a gadzillion e-mails back and forth. We knew immediately we would love each other as soon as we met. On Sunday, Andrea was here to greet us when we returned from our 50 days away from home. She had some basics on hand for us to survive our first day back. There were eggs, bread, butter, cereal and other things so that we did not have to run out immediately for food. She lovingly had a large pot of homemade soup ready for us. We sat and talked for some long, even though she has found an apartment, she did a sleepover.

In the morning, we picked up where we left off until I had to leave for school, but we know we will all see each other soon and often.

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Wednesday, December 04, 2013

Eruption of Corruption in the EU and Beyond

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According to Portfolio.hu, Hungary ranks 23rd out of 31 European countries. This is based on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI). The number really has impact when you read further to grasp the fact that Hungary is within the top 1/3 of the most corrupt countries in Europe. You can read the full article here. From a list of 177 countries, the US placed number 19 with Barbados ranking better. This does not promote any bragging rights from me, for sure.

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Thursday, October 17, 2013

No Cents for Hungary

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People have been asking me for years when Hungary will join the Euro Zone and are flummoxed by the fact they have not yet. Of course, these are all tourists who are asking, because they are still cautious about handing over a 5,000 forint bill and barely getting any change back. All of those zeros can be alarming. I remember when Italy had lira. There were so many zeros on some of the bills; they had to add an addendum to it.

Well the Budapest Times had an enlightening article concerning Hungary and the Euro. It has never been an issue of desire, but a need to meet all of the required Maastricht criteria, the treaty that sets the rules for the Euro. "Orbán admitted that the country will not be able to meet the criteria of a 3% debt threshold
until the next decade. This is a requirement that must be maintained for 2 years to be eligible for joining the Euro zone.

Tourists you need to bring your calculators or print out a currency cheat sheet here.

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Tuesday, August 20, 2013

St. Stephen's Day Parade

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Taken with my phone.

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Tuesday, August 06, 2013

Are You a Betting Person?

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If you like making book on an interesting gambling proposition, here is your chance to cash in or lose your shirt. In the news again, getting an extraordinary amount of press before it even starts to fly is Sólyom.

Odds are betting against its success and naysayers believe it will not last into 2017. The target date for commencing their operations is August 18th, not too far away. Critics from all spectrums of the press are stating that the estimated flights they project they will have is not a target they can accomplish based on “calculating the industry-standard measure of ‘block hours’… defined as ‘The time from the moment the aircraft door closes at departure of a revenue flight until the moment the aircraft door opens at the arrival gate following its landing.”’

Other analysts point out the failure of the airline to create any plan creating an alliance with other airlines will hurt them by reducing their potential passenger base by 20%. They did receive an official radio call moniker. It is HUN. Before anyone gets crazy, it does not stand for HUNgary, but ‘Hotel Uniform November’.

Once the airline is in the sky, it will be curious to see how long it takes to fall from grace. Wizz Air is already taking potshots at it. Interestingly, even with the virgin voyage due in due course, a Google search for Sólyom Airlines does not present a website for the airline, but only critical articles from near and far. I am just a runway observer who is not invested in any way.

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Friday, June 14, 2013

No Visa for Hungary?

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American Express tells us not to leave home without out, but in Hungary, it is essentially a wallet stuffer. Other than higher class hotel and some expensive restaurants, the likelihood of getting to whip it out is close to nil. The only use for a Diners Club card without the MasterCard logo is for admission to the Diners Club lounge at the airport. Diners Club outside of the US is only a Diners Club card.

As the financial road narrows, it is causing more obstacles still. VISA is feeling Hungary troubles. According to Portfolio.hu, VISA is struggling along.  They claim that “Visa Europe has been constantly losing ground in Hungary every year; the number of Visa cards in circulation dropped by more than one million over the past three years. The company has found itself in an exceptionally difficult position on the Hungarian card market due to an agreement sealed with the European Commission earlier.”

The article does not make it clear how Hungary is different from the rest of the EU in regard to these regulations. However, the interview is with Mark Antipof, Managing Director Growth & Emerging Markets at Visa Europe. Mr. Antipof was asked if VISA could reasonably leave the Hungarian market? To this he responded

“We are unable to compete effectively and are losing market share as a result of factors which are not related to our performance, neither over which we have control. We thoroughly explained the issues we face in this regard to the ministry and related authorities, including the implications if nothing changed regarding Visa Europe's position.

In practice, the Hungarian banking card market is becoming monopolistic. We believe if the situation remains as it is, the lack of competition will be harmful for all parties in the banking card sector: banks, merchants and consumers. Competition on level-playing field is beneficial for the players and will also help the introduction of various payment innovations, such as contactless, e-commerce and mobile payment.”

My gosh, if you visit Hungary without a MasterCard, what will you do? Traveler’s checks are no longer used here. How will tourists survive? They actually have to figure out the zeros on Hungarian bills and use forints as a last resort. It figures, as of June 1st, Visa stopped charging the international exchange fees for purchases made in currencies other than the US dollar.

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Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Someone Left the Door Open

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Wouldn’t it be incredible if Hungary has to be maintained by non-Hungarians? What would that do to nationalism? Would all of you Hungarian ex-pats return to the homeland to hold the support poles in place? 

According to a Hungarian news report that was translated into English, “Around 72,000 Hungarians left the country in 2012… According to the latest Eurostat figures, 230,000 Hungarians live in different European countries - in officially registered status.” The article continues to fill in the blanks lest anyone should forget that there are worldwide destinations besides Europe. 

Just as I was reading this article a second time, I received an e-mail from a former student who has been living in Canada for the last two years and is not planning on returning to Hungary other than for a family visit. Last week, I received two e-mails from two former students who were sending me their updates on their life in the USA. 

Athough the article clearly states that the return statistics are difficult to master. There are no reliable sources for colleting this data; but what they are finding is that the nation sending the most immigrants to Hungary is Germany. The older Germans have some affinity to the country and culture. Probably country living makes the retirement euro go farther too. 

If you want to read the whole article brimming with numbers Google Will Hungary become a country of migrants? May 23, 2013
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Saturday, February 02, 2013

LGBT History Month in Hungary

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LGBT History Month in Hungary and 5 Other Countries
February, 2013 – Budapest
LGBT History EU
Facebook LMBT
Okay, you may have missed the first event listed below, but check the schedule for the other events and the other countries celebrating using the URL above. 
This movie was incredible.

LAUNCH – FEBRUARY 1 2013
1. Opening Ceremony + Screening of Documentary “Secret Years” about the lives of Hungarian lesbians before and after 1989… Program in Hungarian; the movie has English subtitles.
• Opening speech by the famous film director, Károly Makk, the director of the first Hungarian movie on lesbians, Another Way
• Moderator: the famous actress Klára Spilák. 
• Other Speakers:  Ambassador Eleni Kounalakis, Ambassador to Hungary from the United States of America; Deputy Head of Mission, the Embassy of the United Kingdom, Theresa Bubbear; 
• Music: Márta Berezvai (trumpet), György Rózsa (guitar)
• When: February 1, 2013 at 6 pm. Film screening from 6.30 pm; reception from 8 pm.
• Where: Vörösmarty Movie Theater (1085 Budapest, Üllői út 4.)

EXHIBITION AT THE VÖRÖSMARTY MOVIE THEATER
2. Exhibition: “Against the Rules”: Lesbians and Gays in Sport. Lesbian and gay sportspeople pursue a wider range of sports than assumed, they are not only skaters and lesbian footballers. Gay, lesbian, and transgender athletes have remained invisible. The exhibition aims to break the taboos of homosexuality in sports, and also to draw attention to the various forms of discrimination against sexual minorities in sports. At the same time, the exhibition also wants to show how sport can help lesbians and gays to be more confident.

“Gegen die Regeln – Lesben und Schwule im Sport”, an exhibition presented by the acceptance campaign of the Ministry for Youth, Family, and Health of the North Rhine-Westphalia regional government, and organized jointly by the SC Janus, Cologne’s Centrum Schwule Geschichte (Gay History Centre), and others. It was updated by the European Gay & Lesbian Sport Federation (EGLSF) and translated into several languages in 2009. The exhibition consists of biography panels besides intro and historical texts. 

When: February 1, 2013 from 6 pm to 9 pm
Where: Vörösmarty Movie Theatre (the venue of the opening ceremony)

FILM AND DISCUSSION
3. Hilda Gobbi Film Club:  Screening of the German movie, “Aimée and Jaguar” Felice, an intelligent and courageous Jewish woman who lives under a false name, belongs to an underground organization. Lilly, a devoted mother of four, though an occasional unfaithful wife, is desperate for love. An unusual and passionate love between them blossoms despite the danger of persecution and nightly bombing raids. The Gestapo is on Felice's trail. Her friends flee, she decides to sit out the war with Lilly. One hot day in August 1944, the Gestapo is waiting in Lilly's flat...  (Source: iMDb) 
The screening is followed by a discussion with the literary historian Katalin Pécsi, the cultural sociologist Magda Marsovszky, and the gender researcher Edit Kovács. Program in Hungarian.
• When: February 2, 2013 at 6 pm
• Where: Café Vis Major (1137 Budapest, Jászai Mari tér 4/A – entrance from Pozsonyi út)

PANEL DISCUSSIONS AT THE EMBASSY OF THE UNITED KINGDOM 
4. Discussion: Amor lesbicus in the light of the pre-war medical literature.  Anna Borgos’s presentation focuses on the reception of lesbianism within homosexuality in the Hungarian educational literature in the early 20th century. Extensive psychiatric and psychoanalytical literature dealing with “normal“ and “perverse“ forms of sexuality was available during this time. However, this period was rather a transmission, as homosexuality was pathologized, and the theory of biological determination was still strongly believed. On the other hand, this was also the time when the first human rights and liberation discourses appeared. Program in Hungarian.
• When: February 7, 2013  at 6 pm
• Where: Embassy of The United Kingdom (1051 Budapest, Harmincad u. 6.)
• RSVP by February 6 –lmbthonap@hatter.hu

5. Discussion: The beginning of the history of Budapest Pride – Pink Picnic, Pink Week. How did the LGBT festivals and parades start in Hungary? Discussion with invited guests; the organizers of the 1992 Pink Picnic, the 1993 first Gay and Lesbian Festival, and the 1997 first Pride Parade. Program in Hungarian. Moderator: the journalist Artner Sisso
• When: February 7, 2013 at 7 pm
• Where: Embassy of the United Kingdom (1051 Budapest, Harmincad u. 6.)
• RSVP by February 6  – kultura@budapestpride.hu

DISCUSSION
6. Discussion: PFLAG Talk. Gay Guide History. Planned guests: famous drag queens such as Terry Black, Miss Mandarin, Lola Dömötör, Csepy, Tequila, Zoltán Glöckner. Discussion with managers of gay bars and popular drag queens. What was the name of the first gay club? Where was the first drag queen show hold? Where and when was the first gay party organized? When did the first gay club open in Budapest and in the countryside? Program in Hungarian. Organizer: PFLAG
• When: February 8, 2013 at 7 pm
• Where: Funny Carrot Gay Drink Bar (1053 Budapest, Szép u. 1/b)


LGBT TOUR AROUND BUDAPEST
7. Tour: Pink Perspective Tour Budapest. Let’s visit all the places of Budapest which are related to LGBT history. Where did the legendary Egyetem Presszó (Presso University), the first gay bar used to be? Where did the first gay march start? Where can we pay tribute to Hilda Gobbi or János Pilinszky? LGBT-themed sightseeing tour in English and Hungarian. 
• When: February 9, 2013:  from 2 pm to 5 pm
• Where: to be sent by e-mail
• RSVP: lmbthonap@hatter.hu 

DISCUSSIONS
8. Discussion: Skirts and pants in vocalic music. Mária Kristófy’s night with music and pictures.  Selection from men’s and mixed choirs, castrated singers, famous artists (e.g. Michael Jackson). The history of the opera in gendered views starting with Poppea and finishing with Madama Butterfly. Heroines, prophetesses, witches, courtesans, and other female characters in music. What does an opera singer look like? Does she roll over and scream on the stage or, rather, is she a cover girl? Shall I watch opera? Is listening enough? CD or DVD? Shall I go to the Opera House or not? Bring your favorite CD, DVD, and story. Let us listen to it together. Program in Hungarian.
• When: February 9, 2013 at 6 pm
• Where: Café Vis Major ((1137 Budapest, Jászai Mari tér 4/A – entrance from Pozsonyi út)

9. Discussion: How did the LGBT live in Hungary before the changes in the political system? Discussion with witnesses on how gay people could live in the Kádár-era, how they could get to know each other, how the regime dealt with them. How did the first Hungarian LGBT movement start? Program in Hungarian. Organizer: Szimpozion Association
• When: February 9, 2013 at 8 pm
• Where: 1013 Budapest, Krisztina tér 1. (bell 107)

PARTY
10. Party: PINKSTORY FANCY PARTY. The fancy dress party of the LGBT History Month. Music: Dj Nyeste
• When: February 9, 2013 at 10 pm
• Where: Club Bazaar (1074 Budapest, Dohány utca 22-24.)
• Admission fee: HUF 1000; in fancy dress: HUF 500;  totally in pink: free!

SPORTS COMPETITION
11. Pink-Pong Cup 2013. This is the first time when all the Hungarian LGBT organizations, and the Coordinators of the LGBT events will organize a (sports) event to provide the opportunity for anyone who is interested to get to know them, to raise questions and to involved with LGBT projects. Program in Hungarian, but most of the volunteers speak English. Organizer: Atlasz Sports Association
• When: February 10, 2013 – 4 pm
• Where: Bar Pepita Ofélia (1074 Budapest, Klauzál tér 5.)

DISCUSSIONS
12. Discussion: Homosexuality in History. What do sources from the Middle and the early Modern Ages say about homosexuality? Famous Hungarian LGBT people in the past. Discussion with the historian Bence M. Eszenyi; moderator: Péter Hanzli. Program in Hungarian.
• When: February 10, 2013 at 6 pm
• Where: 1013 Budapest, Krisztina tér 1. (bell 107)

13. Discussion: For 18 Years in Service of the Hungarian LGBT Community. Discussion with Bence Gábor Takács and László Láner, the editor-in chief and founder of the first Hungarian LGBT magazine, Mások. The repertory of Mások. Program in Hungarian.
• When: February 13, 2013 at 6 pm
• Where: Bálint House, Room Maceszgombóc (1065 Budapest, Révay u. 16.)

ART WORKSHOPS
14. Workshop: Art Workshops in Bar Pepita Ofelia. Selection from the past years’ exhibitions of the Lesbian Identities Festival (LIFT). Show hosted by the performers of LIFT. Mutual art: the creation of the “LGBT History Month Relic”. Talent search. Program in Hungarian, but many of the volunteers speak English.
• When: February 13, 2013 at 8 pm
• Where: Bar Pepita Ofélia (1072 Budapest, Klauzál tér 5.)

LABRISZ OPEN HOUSE
15. Labrisz Lazuló – Open House
The role and situation of the woman in the late Renaissance, and Baroque. Program in Hungarian.
• Lecture by Andrea Dittera-Balogh. 
• When: February 15, 2013 at 7 pm
• Where: Office of Labrisz (VIII. Budapest, Szentkirályi u. 22-24. ground floor; bell: “Tégy az emberért”)

WORKSHOP DISCUSSION
16. Workshop: History of the LGBT Psychology. Csilla Faix-Prukner and Krisztián Rózsa tells us how homosexuality was considered by psychology, how it changed over time. Besides this, we will talk about the psychology of LGBTQ relationships and families; the relationship between LGBTQ movements and community psychology. Program in Hungarian. Organizer: www.melegpar.hu 
• When: February 16, 2013 at 11 am
• Where: Bálint House, Room Maceszgombóc (1065 Budapest, Révay u. 16.)

17. Discussion: Janus Pannonius, Pilinszky, Nádasdy, and Bros. Poet Andras Gerevich’s discussion with literary Zoltán Csehy on Jánosz Plinszky’s, Janus Pannonius’ and Ádám Nádasdy’s homoerotical poems. Program in Hungarian.
• When: February 16, 2013 at 6 pm
• Where: Bar Pepita Oféla (1072 Budapest, Klauzál tér 5.)

DANCE
18. Dance Night of Charme Hungary Same-sex Dance Group:  Hungarian Same-sex dancers have been winning international dance competitions for many years, that is why Charme would like to share its success with the audience. Let’s dance rumba, cha-cha-cha, jive, English waltz, salsa, samba, and tango together! After the show, dances will be taught.
• When: February 16 at 7:30 pm
• Where: 1013 Budapest, Krisztina tér 1. (bell 107)
• Admission fee: HUF 600

PANEL DISCUSSION

19. Panel Discussion: 'Why I am proud to be a lesbian American'. Senator Katherine Zappone will speak about what it was like to grow up gay in America during the civil rights era of the 1960's. She will speak about the advocacy efforts of American LGBT groups and how American policies changed over the decades. She will conclude with a reflection on the significance of President Obama's support for LGBT rights in America. 
Program in English. Funded by the Embassy of the United States with the organizer contribution of CEU HRSI.
• When: February 18 at 11 am
• Where: Central European University (1051, Budapest, Nádor u. 9.), Popper Room (103)

LECTURE
20. Public Lecture: “Our Lives Out Loud: In Pursuit of Marriage Equality in Ireland.” Presented by Senator Katherine Zappone and Dr. Ann Louise Gilligan. 
This Presentation will tell the story of how they initiated the path towards marriage equality in Ireland in 2004 by taking a case against the Irish state.   They will talk about why they chose to marry each other, how it fits with their understanding of justice and equality, and outline how Ireland is responding to this pursuit for justice and equality.  They will talk about the marriage equality advocacy groups in Ireland and how Irish society is changing towards a positive acceptance of equality for LGBT people.

Katherine Zappone is a Commissioner with the Irish Human Rights Commission. As a former CEO of the National Women’s Council of Ireland, she represented its membership in Ireland and internationally, contributed to public policy-making and directed its research program. She led and established the Tallaght West Childhood Development Initiative, Ltd, a 10 year strategy and service implementation program to improve outcomes for children and families.
Dr. Ann Louise Gilligan was a professor of Education at St Patrick's College, of Dublin City University, and currently works as a Director in The Centre for Progressive Change, where she consults with universities and the Irish government on issues related to education and equality. 

Program in English. Funded by the Embassy of the United States with the organizer contribution of CEU HRSI.
• When: February 18 at 5:30 pm
• Where: Central European University (1051, Budapest, Nádor u. 9.), Gellner Room (103)

BOOK PROGRAM
21. Program of Queer Publisher: 
New books:
Ferenc Vidra Szabó: Árnyéklovag
Krisztián Verős: Meleg családi fészek.
Program in Hungarian.
• When: February 20 at 7 pm
• Where: Pepita Ofélia Bár (1072 Budapest, Klauzál tér 5.)

FLASHMOB
22. Flashmob: Hilda Gobbi flashmob. Commemorating on the famous actress’, Hilda Gobbi’s 100th birthday anniversary at the National Theatre.
• When: February 22, 2013 at 5 pm
• Where: in front of the National Theater

DISCUSSION
23. Discussion with Hilda Gobbi’s peers. Hilda Gobbi would have been 100 years old in 2013. Discussion about her life with the actress Kriszta Szalay, the journalist Katalin Szegváry, and the producer András Szolnoki. Program in Hungarian.
• Moderator: the writer Anna Lovas Nagy.
• When: February 22, 2013 at 6 pm
• Where: Café Vis Major (1137 Budapest, Jászai Mari tér 4/A – entrance from Pozsonyi út)

QUIZZES AND GAMES
24. Quiz: Rainbow History Quiz for teams. Program in Hungarian. Organizer: Szimpozion Association
• Quiz master: István Vágó
• When: February 23, 2013 at 8 pm
• Where: 1013 Budapest, Krisztina tér 1. (bell 107)

25. Game Night: Queen of Spades Lesbian Game Club. 
• When: February 24, 2013 at 6 pm
• Where: Café Vis Major (1137 Budapest, Szent István krt. 2.)

DISCUSSIONS
26. Discussion: The Queer-phenomena in Contemporary Hungarian Literature. Discussion with the poet András Gerevich, the art historian Zsolt Mészáros, the editor-in-chief of Queer Publisher, Dóra Sós. Program in Hungarian. Event supported by the Attila József Literary Association.
• Moderator: the journalist and critic Zsigmond Kassai.
• When: February 25, 2013 at 7 pm
• Where: Roham Bar (1088 Budapest, Vas utca 16.)

PERFORMANCE
27. Performance: Transfjúz Association: Q. Directed by Olga Sára Kelenhegyi. The Transfjúz Association consists of young people from different disciples of art. Theater (traditional, nonverbal, pantomime, performance), installation, photo, film, electronic media art are used together to connect society with individuals. One’s own interaction with oneself, others, and society in everyday life, and on special days. Program in Hungarian.

• When: February 25, 2013 at 8 pm
• Where: Pepita Ofélia Bár (1072 Budapest, Klauzál tér 5.)

28. Discussion: From Lawsuits to Prides. Introduction of Judit Takács’s three-year-long LGBT history research, “The 20th Century Social History of Homosexuality in Hungary until 1990,” which started in January, 2013, and which is being funded by the National Scientific Research Fund (OTKA). Anita Kurmay will speak about her Ph.D. dissertation written for Rutgers University, New Jersey, USA. Program in Hungarian.
• When: February 26, 2013 at 7 pm
• Where: Budapest Corvinus University, Sóház building, lecture room #2 (1093 Budapest, Fővám tér 13-15.)

29. Discussion: Controversial Figures in the History of the Hungarian LGBT Community. Discussion of conservative LMBT characters (Cécile Tormay, Kálmán Tahly, Károly Kertbeny, Sándor Vay). Participants: Anna Borgos, Anita Kurimay, Judit Takács. Moderator: Balázs Pálfi. Program in Hungarian.
• When: February 28, 2103 at 6 pm
• Where: Bálint House, Room Maceszgombóc (1065 Budapest, Révay u. 16.)

30. Discussion: Fashion and gay people. Discussion with the famous stylist, Márk Lakatos on how well-known gay fashion designers have impacted either women’s or men’s fashion, and how “metrosexual” men’s fashion has been formed. Followed by a chill-out at Bar L’Aura. Program in Hungarian.
• When: February 28, 2013 at 8 pm
• Where: Werk Style and Communication Academy (1053 Budapest, Kecskeméti u. 3.); Bar L’Aura (1053 Budapest, Kecskeméti u. 6.)

FILM
31. Film screening: ‘Secret Years’. Screened throughout the country in order to strengthen the LGBT community. Followed by discussions with the women from the film and the audiences in Miskolc, Debrecen, and Szeged in order to strengthen the LGBT community in the Hungarian countryside. Program in Hungarian.
• When & Where: to be released online

WORKSHOP
32. Workshop: The oral history of international LGBT.  Everybody is welcome to share the LGBT history of his/her country of origin. Program in English.
• When: TBD
• Where: CEU

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Sunday, September 23, 2012

Hold it, Hold it, Hold it

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When you go for a chest x-ray, the technician tells you to take a deep breath and then "hold it, hold it, hold it!" while they shoot the picture. 

Well, these days when you call any company for customer service you may as well prepare yourself for a wait. I honestly think that this is why someone invented speaker phones. They were tired of holding the phone to their ear. Over our eleven years, I or someone else has complained about the quality of customer service here in Hungary. I have, however, qualified it with "Well, I cannot really complain because when I lived in California..." and I would continue with some disastrous lack of achievement there to show the parallel circumstances. Responses were and still would be the same from other ex-pats or Hungarians: "Oh, that must have been an isolated incident, because things are so much better in the US."

Interestingly, one of our dear former Fulbrighters posted this on her Facebook today. She is in the US. I am keeping this as proof that I was not alone and no, it has not improved. I guess it is worldwide if you look at the related articles below.


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Friday, August 10, 2012

Honey, Is the Life Insurance Paid?

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Thanks to the All Hungary News Group, I happened upon this frightful information. It is sourced from Hungary Around the Clock for everything within the quotation marks.

"The Hungarian mortality rate is almost 50% higher than the average of the most developed EU15 countries, according to a study included in the Central Statistics Office publication Demographic Portrait 2012.
 
The death rate here is also higher than in those countries that joined the EU simultaneously or later than Hungary. More than 25% of Hungarians die from cancer, somewhat lower than the West European average. The mortality rate among Hungarian men younger than 64 is nearly twice as high as the average of the EU15. The mortality rate of women below 64 years of age is 70% higher than the average of the EU15 and almost 20% higher than in countries that joined the EU in 2004 or later."

According to IndexMundi.com, Hungarian life expectency comes in at 91 out of 220 countries. Just for some perspective, Bosnia and Herzegovina ranked 49, the United Kingdom is number 29, while the US is a fat 49. 

The US is working hard at 'super sizing' all of the other healthier countries with their fast food exports, so there will be more competition for those larger numbers as the waist lines increase.

Make sure your partner's life insurance is paid up to date.
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