Museums Worth a Visit in Budapest
Museums and exhibitions of interest – Find hours and special exhibits in any of the numerous guidebook or Budapest city information guide. Most museums are closed on Mondays. Many museums have a day that is free for the public. Read more »
Woody Allen and the Hungarian Psyche
Hungarians easily identify with Woody Allen who said:
“I have a persecution complex – because I’m persecuted.”
Read more »
Trianon: the Object of Politics
Trianon Anniversary
June 4, 2008 by Eva S. Balogh
It was on June 4, 1920, 88 years ago, that in the Trianon Palace, just outside of Paris, Hungary signed the peace treaty with the Allied and Associated Powers. As a result, Hungary proper (that is, without Croatia-Slavonia) was reduced to less than one-third (32.6%) of its former territories, and it lost almost 60% of its population. However, out of the slightly more than 18 million inhabitants only about 10 million people claimed Hungarian as their mother tongue. Post-war Hungary’s population was reduced to about 7 million, most of them Hungarian-speaking. The rest, over three million, found themselves outside the borders.
Trianon was a national trauma for Hungarians. And it was exploited by a succession of Hungarian governments whose main foreign policy aim was the recovery of some or all of the lost territories and their Hungarian-language brethren who found themselves in Czechoslovakia, Romania, and Yugoslavia.
Read the entire article; very interesting and helps to understand the historical context of Trianon: Trianon: Anniversary (I) »
With the change of regime Trianon again became a topic of conversation and unfortunately the object of politics.
The role of Trianon in today’s Hungary
June 5, 2008 by Eva S. Balogh
Until recently only the extreme right was preoccupied with Trianon. This year, however, even Fidesz politicians have been involved in public demonstrations, unveiling monuments and giving anti-Trianon speeches. This is especially interesting because on June 4, 1990, the small Fidesz parliamentary delegation headed by Viktor Orbán unceremoniously marched out of the chamber when György Szabad, speaker of the house, asked the members to stand up and observe a few minutes of silence in remembrance of the signing of the peace treaty seventy years earlier. In 1990 Fidesz considered this gesture a sign of nationalism that might sow the seeds of mistrust between Hungary and her neighbors.
The Hungarian right hasn’t heeded Orbán’s early warnings. For instance, so far this year at least 150 events have been held in remembrance of Trianon. And then there is the proliferation of monuments over the past few years…
Read the entire article: Trianon: Anniversary (II) »
Trianon treaty, lost territories, nationalism, far right, extreme right, Fidesz, politics
Horseback Riding & Horse Summer Camps!
Providing children, teens and adults with fun-filled opportunities to build cross-cultural friendships, practice English, and learn horsemanship the natural way in a Christian setting: Read more »
You Know You’re a Hungarian…
19. When you do not speak with your mouth full.
20. When you have company over, and saying ‘good-bye’ takes an hour itself. You hug and say goodbye in the living room, move the doorway, talk for another 15 minutes, hug and say goodbye again. Then you go outside the door, talk for another 10 minutes, hug and say goodbye, move towards the car, hug and say goodbye, company gets in the car, you talk for another 10 minutes, then everybody gets out of the car again, hugs and says goodbye.. then finally they leave.
21. When guys wanna show off by saying that they know your capital: Bucharest… and no, they are not joking!
Europe of Frontiers
It helps to understand the differences in European values and attitudes by thinking in geographical terms, what Richard Hill calls the ‘Macro-Divides’. There are at least three: the Island-Continent Divide, the East-West Divide and, for want of a better description, the ‘South-North Incline’. Read more »
Conversation Soft Spots
Business is not usually discussed at the ‘business dinner’, which is reserved for relaxing and getting to know one another. Read more »
Meeting People
Informal greetings between men and women friends and relatives are often a kiss on the cheeks, first left, then right. Kisses on the cheeks are not appropriate between men, except for close relatives and certain groups. Read more »
Hungarian Forint: More Rate Hikes on Way
London analysts forecast more rate hikes from the National Bank (MNB). JP Morgan expects the MNB to raise the base rate by 25-basis points on Monday, followed by a similar hike a month later, bringing the two-week lending rate to 8.5%.
Other major banks and financial groups in London also predict Read more »
Gay parade: Trouble is already brewing in Hungary
Last year was the first time in Hungary that far-right groups attacked members of the gay festival held in early July, a day designated for the event worldwide. At that time I wasn’t terribly surprised because physical violence had became commonplace in Hungary ever since the fall of 2006. Initially the police managed to keep order and guard the safety of the participants. At that time (July 7, 2007) I wrote a piece praising the Hungarian police about a job well done. Two days later I had to change my mind: the police left the scene too early, and these extreme homophobic groups attacked people after the official celebration ended. Blood was flowing.
This year we might expect much greater trouble. First of all, the police have become weak-kneed. The gay community went to the the Budapest police to request a permit for their planned parade on Andrássy út. To the utter surprise of everybody, the police announced that, unlike in previous years when the gays didn’t unduly interfere with traffic, this year they would. So the police chief refused permission. An outcry followed. A day later the police chief changed his mind. (I suspect after some pressure from above.) Most likely the Budapest police simply didn’t feel like getting involved and, suspecting trouble, thought that the best course of action was simply to ban the event and save everybody a lot of trouble. But, let’s face it, this is a cowardly and in the final analysis an unacceptable way of handling extremist outbursts.
Does God Play Games with Us?
The Austrian Army officers clinked their glasses of beer as they drank to celebrate the execution of the Hungarian patriots who fought for freedom. It is no wonder that Hungarians do not clink their beer glasses when they toast each other’s health! Read more »
Gastronomy Festival, Buda Castle, 4 – 6 July
“Culinary adventures from the Settlement to our days – the Festival of the first Hungarian white-table order.
New Tuition Fee Proposal
The Conference of Hungarian Rectors approved an alternative tuition fee proposal behind closed doors at Károly Róbert College in Gyöngyös yesterday. According to plans in the possession of Magyar Hírlap, a broader sphere of college and university students would be obliged to pay tuition fees. Read more »
Education in Budapest
Attending schools where different languages are emphasized is possible within different school districts in Budapest. Generally, the Hungarian education system is considered to be of good academic quality, with a focus on preparing students for their next educational step in life – be it a trade school, technical university or liberal arts program. Read more »
Vacation Bicycling in Europe
Imagine your next vacation cycling around Europe not aboard a plane or a cruise ship but on your bicycle. Through well planning and research, a biking vacation in Europe can be a memorable experience. A Biking vacation in Europe provides a bicyclist the opportunity to enjoy every moment of their vacation by escaping Read more »
American Friendships
According to many Europeans and Asians, American friendships are superficial: Americans do not know what true friendship is; they seem very friendly at first, but the friendships do not grow.
Recently, I was away from home on a business trip. My husband suddenly had to go away too. There would be one afternoon when neither of us would be home with our children. Read more »
Get Out of the City – Lake Balaton, Visegrád and Szentendre
It is easy to fall in love with Budapest and never venture beyond the city. If this happens, you’ll rue the day you missed a chance to visit Lake Balaton, Visegrad and Szentendre. Read more »
