The Hungarian Side

The stories that bring us into being are fascinating. A Hungarian soldier in the Second World War, a town in the grip of communism, a family of artists, a young Chemist from Northern …

As it should be

I went with some friends to a charity concert last night. Palya Bea played, and she sang beautifully. Around the hall were paintings by children (mostly Roma) from a poor village in the …

Wooden-Bench Flying Machine Company

One of the things I’m doing with my time is making some songs with the extra time I have, and inspired by living in a new city. Well, here’s the first one, aptly …

Cigarettes and alcohol

Well, living in two places, you start to get a handle on what’s cheap where (though I struggle to think of anything that can actually be described as cheap in London).

Anyway, I …

Transitions

With one eye cocked on my upcoming six-month anniversary of this unusual way of life I have adopted, reflection is found at every corner. I am now thoroughly used to living in Budapest …

Minden kezdet nehéz – all beginnings are difficult

In my old 1960s Learn Hungarian book, an odd conversation passage it asks you to translate from Hungarian to English. It goes like this:
‘I do not understand this passage’
‘What don’t you …

Oh Hungary Where Art Thou?

I have eyes and ears. Yes, that’s my defence. Because today’s observation is about, and coming from someone not well informed about
Hungarian Politics! It sounds like it should be a well-known phrase …

There’s always a song

Over the new year I spent some time, with a friend, dipping into Second-Hand clothes shops, of which there are many (oddly often identified by Union Jack, and sometimes Dutch, flags). Anyway, in …

Metroval

With three months of two-city-living comes quite a bit of public transport. So here’s a little vid from footage from my journeys on the London tube and Budapest Metro.…